Wednesday, 29th July 2009

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated.

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More ZANU PF treachery.

"Zimbabwe's Deputy Youth Minister Thamsanqa Mahlangu was arrested on Tuesday over the theft of a mobile phone belonging to war veterans’ leader, Joseph Chinotimba.

Mhlanga shared a table with Chinotimba at a July 17 workshop convened by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara to craft a “shared national vision”.

Police say during a lunch break, Chinotimba stood up to get some food and left his phone on the table. On his return, the phone had vanished.

Mutambara’s pleas for the phone to be returned were not answered and Chinotimba made a report to the police.

With the help of a network provider, detectives tracked down the sim card to a Hwange woman.

Following her arrest, the woman implicated Mahlangu whom she claimed was her boyfriend."

How very convenient for the police investigation to lead to Mahlangu.

I don't believe a word of it.

But of more concern to me is yet another MDC MP has been arrested on charges that could see him imprisoned for longer than six months which will mean the forfeiture of his seat.

The MDC is now within a couple of seats of losing their majority in parliament.

Which begs two questions.

Under the agreement signed in September last year, seats vacated for any reason will be contested only by the party that held them before such vacancy. Why do we not have any by-elections underway - or is Mugabe busy dragging his heels as he waits for the twelve month timeframe to pass?

And, in the event that ZANU PF does somehow bully their way back into majority, will any MDC person be permitted to hold not only their seat, but any position in cabinet - or will Mugabe dissolve cabinet and start again with an entirely ZANU PF set-up?

Can the world not see the warped mind of Mugabe at work here?

"National police spokesman Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena said: “His arrest is in connection with the theft of a cell phone at a function that was held at the Harare International Conference Centre. Vice President [Joice] Mujuru officiated at the function.

"Two other people are facing charges relating to using the cell phone line without the consent of the owner and in breach of the Telecommunications Act. These are Geraldine Phiri, 21, and Patience Nyoni, 27, of Hwange."

However, the MDC-T, in a statement, said Mahlangu’s arrest was part of a ZANU PF-led plot to victimise its legislators and party members."

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Chinotimba's rise through the ranks is highly questionable, and whilst I will not waste valuable web space here, he is a person of very low morals and doesn't care what he says and who he threatens.

He believes that he has the silent acceptance of Mugabe, and will do anything to remain so. Even if that includes the death of another.

Chinotimba's name has been linked to at least one death during last year's reign of terror on the MDC members - but do we see Chinotimba being arrested for his actions?

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"Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party is one seat away from losing its majority in parliament, threatening what little power his Movement for Democratic Change has in the shaky coalition government.

Five MDC lawmakers - all convicted of instigating violence after last year's presidential election - have been jailed in the five months since Mr Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe formed a coalition government. Members of parliament sentenced to more than six months in jail are required to step down unless their sentences are overturned on appeal.

The MDC has accused Mr Mugabe's party of politically motivated trials aimed at eroding the party majority. That would consolidate the president's power, and allow him to pass laws or block legislation without consulting Mr Tsvangirai's party.

In addition to the five already convicted, 16 MDC legislators, including Finance Minister Tendai Biti, have cases pending in court. Mr Biti faces treason charges; others are accused of political violence. All deny the charges."

If we are to believe that the MDC are responsible for the acts that their MPs are being convicted of, then we must also question why we see no ZANU PF people in court. 130 MDC activists and members were killed in last year's violence, and even though many ZANU PF people were named, no one has been arrested or brought to court for trial.

"No one from Mr Mugabe's party has been prosecuted for violence that raged last year before the presidential election. During the campaign, army soldiers and police beat, raped and tortured MDC party members and supporters, and stole their property, according to human-rights groups who reported on the situation at the time. An estimated 163 people died, and thousands were injured.

Mr Mugabe has repeatedly denied that his followers were involved in the violence."

If ZANU PF were not involved in the violence, then who killed the MDC members? Other MDC members?

I nearly choked when I read ZANU PF's claim that they don't interfere in the courts.

"Ephraim Masawi, a spokesman for Mr. Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, said his party doesn't interfere with the courts.

"Doing so will jeopardize the inclusive government and we have no desire to see the collapse of this government," Mr. Masawi said. "The fact that people from our side are not being prosecuted might just explain and underline the truth, which is that ZANU PF was not responsible for last year's violence."

What a lot of hogwash! ZANU PF people were named - has the ZRP even investigated these claims? No.

"Witnesses say violence has flared anew in the countryside. These witnesses report seeing gangs of young people loyal to Mr Mugabe harassing and beating MDC supporters ahead of by-elections to be held in coming months to install successors to the imprisoned lawmakers."

Why does it take months to set up a by-election? So that the 12 month period of non-contest clause will have expired, that's why.

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And while the politicians vie for a foothold in Zimbabwe's future, the gang of robbers that invaded an MDC minister's home have been arrested and are now being tagged with the responsibility of another audacious raid.

"The seven men arrested for raiding Regional Integration and International Co-operation Minister Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga’s house last month have been implicated in the Chivhu Spar robbery in which US$25000 cash was stolen in May.

Sources close to the investigations yesterday said the gang used part of the US$25000 to throw parties in Epworth.

Some of it was squandered in spending sprees with girlfriends."

I suppose it makes some sort of sense - once they had realised that they had this huge amount of money, they next logical step would be to spend it...

Quite silly to waste that sort of money on booze and women - and it will be this that is the catalyst required to convict them of the two crimes - and instead of drinking alcohol they will soon be incarcerated in Chikurubi, probably to spend the rest of their miserable lives there...

"Police sources close to the investigation of crimes committed by the seven-member gang say indications were that the group was linked to the Chivhu Spar robbery.

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena yesterday said investigations into the crimes committed by the gang were still in progress.

Makaika Milanzi (33), Assan Chikwada (29) and Tichaona Soda (31) were shot and seriously injured on Sunday when they resisted arrest."

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I had to laugh at this article, only because of a misspelling. The article said that vehicles had been dumped at the "crap" yard following accidents. Surely they meant "scrap"?

"Managers at the struggling state controlled broadcaster are grabbing vehicles used for news gathering leaving reporters begging guests and sources to provide them with transport if they want to go out on assignments.

One of the news managers said have since approached News and Current Affairs General manager Tarzan Mandizvidza for the issues who have since not taken action. The managers who grabbed the only left two news vehicles according to sources are Human Resources Manager Ms Benania Shumba and Finance General manager a retired soldier Brigadier Kasu.

Most of the vehicles which the news organization was using acquired from the Reserve Bank during the March 2008 political campaign period have since been dumped in the company's [s]crap yard after having accidents through negligence by both the drivers and the management."

You gotta laugh - coz if you don't, you will cry.

"ZBC last year received more than thirty vehicles from the RBZ for political campaign,and most of them were taken by senior managers allocating only three to the news department. Most of the vehicles taken by the senior managers have since been dumped at the company's garage after having had serious accidents. It is reported that one of the vehicles which is now not repairable was involved in a fatal accident while being driven by ZBH Chief Executive Happison Muchechetere's son who is not the company employee and nothing was done to hold him accountable."

It does sound like their driving skills are just about on a par with their reporting skills.

And it all sounds very familiar, doesn't it?

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"Justice and Legal affairs Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, has claimed that he is the sole author of the Kariba Draft constitution. Chinamasa told journalists at the Chinhoyi Press Club recently that he had crafted the Kariba Draft in the comfort of his lounge over a long period beginning in 2001 - not at Lake Kariba or in a houseboat as previously reported.

He said he later took the draft to the secret Kariba houseboat meeting for "baptism" with the aid of Welshman Ncube, Secretary General of the breakaway faction of the MDC. He said if he had his own way he would have called the document the "Chinamasa Draft" as it was the result of his efforts alone.

Chinamasa said he was therefore surprised why some politicians and civil society organisations like ZCTU and NCA were denouncing the document. He vowed that the Kariba draft would be used as a working document. He also said ZANU PF had adopted it and urged the MDC to follow suit. "We drafted the Kariba Draft from late 2001 with Welshman Ncube before the split of the MDC. In 2007 we were joined by Tendai Biti and Nicholas Goche and went formally to Kariba to baptize it."

Chinamasa is an objectionable person - he even tried to re-engineer the agreement between the two factions of the MDC and Mugabe between the end of negotiations and the signing of the document in an effort to throw the bias back in favour of ZANU PF.

This is the man who claimed that the film footage aired by SABC of Zimbabwean prisons was from another country - and then had three prison guards prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act. The guards were found not guilty, but he had them fired anyway.

He then promised to have prison life improved within thirty days - and proceeded to do absolutely nothing...

"We cannot throw seven years of hard work down the drain. ZANU PF has adopted the document and we expect the same from the MDC," said Chinamasa.

Chinamasa is also believed to be the brains working behind the scenes with the blessing of top party officials on an exit strategy for Mugabe. He was trying to get rid of Mugabe while Welshman Ncube was trying to get rid of Morgan Tsvangirai.

Chinamasa survived Mugabe’s purge of the party following the infamous Tsholotsho Declaration, widely seen by many as an abortive palace coup and Ncube failed to oust Tsvangirai."

The Kariba Draft is hardly worth the paper it is written upon, because it is loaded in favour of ZANU PF - and try as they might, it will not be adopted without some serious editing...

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Having recently been bestowed with the title of 'supreme leader' by some parts of the ZANU PF fan club, Mugabe has now told the pro-Mugabe media just how to describe his position.

"Zimbabwe-President Mugabe has instructed the Herald and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation to refer him as the Head of State, Government and Commander in Chief of the Defence forces whenever a report is made.

Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba wrote to the two state media instructing them to refer Mugabe with the titles following continued referral of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as the head of Government.

According to the political agreement, Tsvangirai is supposed to be the head of Government as he oversees Government business and policies.

After the formation of the new Government, Tsvangirai was referred to as the head of Government."

More of Mugabe and his loyalists breaking with what was agreed to and signed up to - but did we actually expect anything else?

" Mugabe is understood to have been angered after the state media reported that Tsvangirai met his counterpart Gordon Brown during his tour of Europe.

Brown is the Prime Minister of Britain and he is the head of state and Government.

"The feeling at Mugabe’s office was that Tsvangirai was treated as the head of state when he visited the US and Europe last month. In Germany he was given the honour of inspecting a Guard of Honour. This did not go down well with Mugabe and he made it clear that it must be cleared who is in charge. That is why every time he is now referred as the Head of State and Government and the Commander in Chief," a source at ZBC said."

Mugabe is only President following a one-man sham election after he lost the first round of voting and then had his militia, police, soldiers and war veterans enact a reign of terror on the MDC, resulting in at least 130 deaths, forcing Tsvangirai to withdraw from the ballot.

"Charamba was quoted in the state media saying it must be noted that Tsvangirai was "just a senior minister."

It has never been clear on what powers Mugabe and Tsvangirai will both wield in the Government.

On most cases, the two have said conflicting statements indicating confusing the country on who had the final say on may issues. At one time Mugabe was quoted saying he would introduce the Zimbabwe dollar but Tsvangirai later said this was impossible leaving the country confused on what was the final position."

Mugabe is determined that the only way in which the MDC will lead the country is once they have pried the mantle of power from his dead hands...

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Take care.

'debvhu