Saturday, 12th April 2008

Howzit

Once again the internet is very busy with news about Zimbabwe. Let's get straight into it...

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Robert Mugabe holds no respect for anybody or anything. As far as he is concerned his skin is the only one worth saving. So when Zambian President Mwanawasa called for an emergency meeting of SADC in Lusaka today, Mugabe couldn't be bothered to attend. Instead he is sending his Foreign Minister. (Is he the Foreign Minister? Given that Mugabe is not the President, and his party do not have control of the Parliament - the appointment of Ministers falls to Morgan Tsvangirai - so any attendance by Mugabe's rebel 'government' must not be recognised, and therefore, cannot represent that country or her people...)

"President Robert Mugabe will boycott a weekend Southern African summit on the Zimbabwe crisis, state radio said on Friday as the opposition called for a general strike to press for the release of election results.

Mugabe signalled a further clampdown in the country with a ban on all political rallies. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on the 84-year-old president to stand down.

Mugabe, under pressure since the March 29 election, which the opposition insists it won, will be represented at the summit in Zambia by four senior ministers, state radio said.

As tension rose over the election delay, Zimbabwe police accused the opposition Movement for Democratic Change of "spoiling for a fight" and of deploying 350 youth wing members around the country."

I don't think that the Movement for Democratic Change is 'spoiling for a fight' - the 'party of choice' have been unable to do very much as Mugabe tightens control of the country, led largely by the military junta. I'm not even sure if Mugabe is aware of much of what goes on in Zimbabwe anymore.

We all know that Mugabe disrespects SADC. We all know that he puts himself above all institutions the world over. He no longer cares for the people in Zimbabwe, but will use the military, the war veterans and the youth militia to enforce his rule. And if, by attaining that aim, people get killed, he no longer cares. A look at Mugabe's history will confirm that he no longer cares - there are so many dead bodies that he is responsible for, what's a few more?

"The 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) called the summit in a bid to mediate with the opposition the MDC, whose leader, Tsvangirai, has confirmed he will be in Lusaka.

Tsvangirai called on Mugabe to quit and appealed to the summit participants to ensure democracy prevails in Zimbabwe.

"He should recognise that he has lost and let me get on with making our great country great once more," Tsvangirai said in a statement."

Mugabe must recognise that not only has he lost the support of the people, but he has also lost their respect.

I am not really that surprised that Mugabe has decided not to go to Lusaka - probably because he is aware that not only will he be given a hard time whilst there, but he is afraid for his life, not just his political survival.

"This is an historic moment for SADC and a defining moment for Africa. We can show the world that we, Africa, can solve our own problems and safeguard democracy and the rule of law," Tsvangirai said.

The sense of crisis in the country, which has an estimated 100000% inflation and is stricken by grave economic problems, increased as the government banned all political rallies.

"We see no reason for rallies since we have had elections," police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said."

Isn't it amazing that Mugabe's party (no longer 'the ruling party') bans rallies when the country is ostensibly two weeks away from a Presidential election run-off - if we are to believe Mugabe's rebel government?

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And while the 'party of choice' (MDC) continues to fight for elbow room on the political stage in Zimbabwe (given to them by the people of that country), the violence on the ground continues.

Upwards of 100 farms belonging to white commercial farms have been invaded - even though the war veterans leader says it is not his people that have been doing the invading - and it has become so intense on the ground that it is approaching breaking point.

"The Zimbabwean farming leader Trevor Gifford speaks calmly in his clipped accent of assaults on the dwindling band of whites clinging to their farms.

An elderly farmer has disappeared in the Chipinge district, he says. The farmer's vehicle was halted by the roving bands of "war vets".

"His tyres were punctured. He was taken from the car. He has been abducted," Mr Gifford said on Thursday night.

A search by local farmers, white and black, had so far failed to locate the man, who is in his 70s.

"Last night another farmer (was) forcibly evicted by a war vet who has been living on his land since the invasions of 2000." The invader and others had slaughtered the farmer's pedigree bull for meat and taken 340 litres of diesel.

The night before, a mob had invaded a farmhouse in Mashonaland, north-west of the capital, Harare, and "totally trashed and looted" the place.

Mr Gifford estimates 60 farmers have been evicted and 100 have been affected by the surge in land occupations triggered by the apparent election defeat of Robert Mugabe."

Now - even if Mugabe has lost the election, is this any reason to destroy the possessions of another? If the war veterans (if, indeed, they are war veterans - or just serving soldiers acting under orders masquerading as veterans) are intent on repossessing the land, is there really the need to ridicule the farmer, his workers or smash his property? Surely the peaceable way to do this is to allow the dispossessed farmer a chance to pack up his personal possessions and leave without violence?

At least that is how I would have done it!

"Another farming couple emailed friends last Sunday to report that "a lorryload of war vets arrived at our gate to take over our land, equipment and cattle. It is now 6pm and they have been singing their war songs at our gate and more and more of them have arrived".

When the Herald called the property on Thursday, the farmer, speaking in hushed tones, said things were "tense" and pleaded not to be identified.

After years of home invasions, evictions and killings, a dwindling band of white farmers hang on in Zimbabwe. When Mr Gifford is asked why they stay, he says: "It is very simple. For a large majority of us we have been here several generations. We are not British, or American or Australians… We are African, we are Zimbabweans. This is our home. We believe we have the same rights as other Zimbabweans."

Last evening I listened to Bright Matonga being interviewed on South African Radio 702 and the one thing that struck me when he was drawn on the farm seizures was he inability to listen to reason. Very little of the seized land is in the hands of the 'landless blacks' and the land remains unworked and fallow.

But, more important to him, was making the point that he is in a mixed marriage. When he took control of the farm that he 'owns' (I have no idea whether the land is worked, but I rather doubt it), his white wife took upon herself to scream at the dispossessed farmer that they had stolen 'their land'. If she's white, and English, what is 'their' about the land - at least in the eyes of the defeated ZANU PF party?

"David Dorward, of La Trobe University in Melbourne, has analysed Africa's upheavals for 50 years and says land occupation has stirred unrest in Zimbabwe since the early colonial days of the 1890s, when the British rulers began doling out to white settlers huge slabs of the most fertile land.

Dr Dorward says the "war vets", men from the towns who are too young to have fought in the 1970s civil war, are being orchestrated by the Mugabe regime in a bid to intimidate the Opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change."

At the risk of repeating myself, these youngsters who are too young to be 'veterans' are referred to in Zimbabwean circles as the 'ZANU PF navy' as, during the chimurenga they were just semen...

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Here's a thought - if ZANU PF have taken over the responsibilities of the ZEC, then they should be obliged to pay the legal bill... but we all know they won't...

The party is financially and morally bankrupt.

"The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has spent over $1,5 trillion in legal fees since January opposing electoral petitions including the one currently before the High Court in which the commission is defending its decision not to announce the results of the presidential election, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.

The figure looks set to hit $2 trillion soon as the legal battle, in which the opposition MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai has filed an urgent petition with the High Court demanding that the ZEC release results for the presidential election held 13 days ago, intensifies.

Information to hand suggests that the ZEC has spent some $480 billion in just five days for court appearances made by its lawyer George Chikumbirike of Chikumbirike & Associates.

Chikumbirike spent an average of 40 hours in court from April 5 when the case went before the High Court to April 9 when Justice Tendai Uchena said he would deliver judgement on Monday."

If they want to play hard ball then they have to be responsible for the cost of that game. In reality, we should steel ourselves to yet another unpaid bill, and be aware that the money will have to be raised somewhere, somehow. Maybe Mugabe himself should foot the bill. After all, 3 trillion Zimbabwean dollars cannot equate to much in real money...

"Chikumbirike yesterday denied receiving 1,5 trillion from ZEC in legal fees. "That is not true at all. I am not at liberty to disclose the figure, but I can assure you that it is not even anywhere near what you have. In fact some payments have not even been made," Chikumbirike said.

It has also been established that the ZEC spent over $700 billion since January in legal fees fighting off other electoral petitions in ward, constituency, senatorial and presidential elections.

The amounts spent include legal fees spent fighting court challenges brought by Advocate Justin Chihota and Daniel Shumba who are challenging decisions made by the ZEC to bar them from contesting the presidential election.

It is unclear where the electoral body is getting the funding for its costly legal battles."

I am more inclined to believe the statement that he has not been paid - and doubt that he will ever get paid. He will find in exceedingly difficult to sue a deposed President living in exile... or in Zimbabwean prison.

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"Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai has met South African President Thabo Mbeki, the Zimbabwean opposition party says.

An MDC spokesman said the meeting had taken place on Thursday, in preparation for Saturday's regional summit on the outcome of Zimbabwe's March elections.

It is not clear whether President Robert Mugabe will attend.

Results from presidential polls held 13 days ago are not out, but the MDC claims Mr Tsvangirai beat Mr Mugabe.

The MDC is refusing to take part in any run-off.

The party originally reported that Mr Tsvangirai had won 50.3% of the vote, enough to avoid a second round, but on Thursday said broader results since then suggested it had done even better."

I did read on the internet that after his meeting with Mbeki, Tsvangirai was a much happier man. And who can blame him? He has beaten the megalomaniac Mugabe and now Mugabe refuses to vacate office. The official election results Mugabe is keeping under wraps and the only people that seem to have any knowledge of the results themselves are ZANU PF and they say a run-off is necessary.

Why delay the inevitable?

"It says the delays amount to "a constitutional coup d'etat" and has asked the High Court to compel the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to release the results.

But the body says it is unable to release the results as long as the matter is before the court, Zimbabwe's state-controlled Herald newspaper reports. A ruling is due on Monday."

I somehow doubt that the SADC meeting is going to resolve very much, and I also doubt that any ruling in the High Court will make much difference either...

"Zimbabwe's Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu says the ruling party is also eagerly awaiting the results.

"I would like to state in unequivocal terms that it is not true that the president nor government is holding the Zimbabwe election results," he told the Herald."

The fact that they deny holding the results, to me, is tantamount to an admission...

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What wouldn't I give to hear this address! Tsvangirai speaks from the heart. He does not disguise his feelings and speaks on behalf on the oppressed people of Zimbabwe.

Add to that the fact that his party has won the majority in the Zimbabwean Parliament and it is believed that he has won the Presidential election.

"Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he will definitely be at this weekend’s Southern African Development Community (SADC) emergency summit in Lusaka, Zambia.

Tsvangirai, who is currently in Botswana, has confirmed that he will be attending tomorrow's emergency meeting of the SADC heads of state. Tsvangarai says he will also make a presentation to the summit about, what he terms, the dire situation in Zimbabwe, which has made him "a prime security target in his country.

"Tomorrow's emergency summit in Lusaka is seen as a make or break for the Zimbabwean election stand-off. Thirteen days after the election, Zimbabwean citizens still don't know who won the presidential election."

With Mugabe not attending, I wonder just what can be done to break the deadlock.

And I am concerned that while people are concentrating on what is transpiring in Lusaka, Mugabe will launch yet another assault on the good people of Zimbabwe.

"Analysts believe the SADC summit will call for the release of election results to avoid further tensions. The summit is seen as a first concrete response by African leaders to avoid a fall-out. Despite some differences, there is general agreement that failure to defuse the situation will affect the entire southern African region."

I believe that failure to remove Mugabe, by democratic or other means, will destabilise the entire continent, not just the region.

I am very concerned as to events within Zimbabwe - I do not hold out much hope of any progress coming from SADC.

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"As the impasse around Zimbabwe’s presidential election continues, analysts say much now depends on which way the powerful security forces will jump if they are asked to prop up President Robert Mugabe.

For the moment, it seems defence and police chiefs will maintain their loyalty to the president and will do what it takes to keep him in power. But rank-and-file soldiers and police have suffered from the country’s precipitous economic decline, and appear less willing to go on blindly supporting Mugabe."

I don't think that there is any 'if' in the matter - and I believe that the chiefs have already assumed some sort of power in Zimbabwe.

"MDC Morgan Tsvangirai, who insists he has won the presidential election, reportedly asked for a meeting with security and army officials to discuss the transitional arrangements for Mugabe leaving office. Prior to the election, defence chief Constantine Chiwenga, police chief Augustine Chihuri and penal service head Paradzayi Zimondi declared they would "not salute" a future president Tsvangirai.

Mugabe himself has also had meetings with the security chiefs who sit on the Joint Operations Command, and with ZANU-PF’s ruling politburo. Senior politburo officials including Didymus Mutasa - in charge of the country’s intelligence services - are now said to have vowed to fight on in a run-off presidential election, despite the fact that no official poll results have been released.

As well as the regular forces, Mugabe enjoys wide support among militant veterans of the 1970s war of liberation, who form a de facto paramilitary reserve."

I am almost positive that not all the forces allegedly for Mugabe are in any way convinced that enforced support of Mugabe is the way forward. These people have families and responsibilities as well.

Their standard of life must have been lowered in the face of inflation and Mugabe's wasteful rule. I am not so sure that the rank and file members of the armed forces will turn their guns on the people as readily as we are led to believe.

Zimbabweans are not militant people. Only a very small minority of them are in any way fractious and those people are known to the wider population. We are also aware that many of those that cling to Mugabe's rule are the ones that will end up in prison cells for their activities under Mugabe's rule.

This is a reaction to that perceived threat.

"This week, a young professional soldier told IWPR that he was beaten up at a Bulawayo army base after being accused of supporting the MDC. The man, who has fled to South Africa and cannot be named for safety reasons, said the assault took place after he resigned from the army in early April and returned to barracks to hand in his uniform.

"I was locked up in a room, where I was thrashed all over my body and accused of attempting to abscond so that I could join Morgan Tsvangirai’s army," he said, visibly shaken by what had happened. "After the beatings I was given a new uniform and told to return to work. That was when I decided I wasn’t staying any minute longer."

Military experts say it is rare for a soldier to formally resign, but many simply desert and leave the country."

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Take care.

'debvhu