Monday, 30th November 2009

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated.

-o00o-

Okay, from tomorrow through Friday, postings on this page will be irregular and could be rather sparse. This is because I am on a four day course.

Thank for understanding.

Yesterday I also wrote about one of my hard drives going on strike. Well - with the use of a freeware programme, I was able to recover the vast majority, if not all of my pictures. I am unsure as the recovery resulted in the files being numerically renamed...

I am beginning to sort them out - but I am mightily relieved.

-o00o-

You may recall a few weeks ago, I published a number of student opinions on Mugabe sent to me by a friend who teaches.

Here are a few more:

"The ruler of Zimbabwe is Robert Mugabe. He is what many people today would call a crooked man. Robert will take stuff from the people of Zimbabwe and give it to his own family members. So the people of Zimbabwe don’t really care to have him in power."

"The current president of Zimbabwe is Robert Mugabe. No this man is not the man they want ruling them. He has dominated the political system since 1987. This man actually takes land from others and simply gives it to his family! An abuse of power!"

"Robert Gabriel Karigamombe Mugabe is the current president of Zimbabwe. He has held power as the head of government since 1980 as prime minister from 80-87, and as the first executive head of state since 1987. Mugabe is definitely not who the majority of the people want ruling Zimbabwe. He takes things from the people of Zimbabwe and gives to his own family. He totally abuses all his power."

"Robert Gabriel Karigamombe Mugabe is the current President of Zimbabwe. He has held power as the head of government since 1980, as Prime Minster from 1980 to 1987, and as the first executive head of state since 1987. Since 1998 Mugabe's policies have elicited domestic and international condemnation. Mugabe's government supported the Southern African Development Community's intervention in the Second Congo War; expropriated thousands of white owned farms; printed hundreds of trillions of Zimbabwean dollars causing hyperinflation; and harassed and intimidated such political opponents as the Movement for Democratic Change. The resulting downward spiral in Zimbabwe's economy has been accompanied by oil and food shortages, massive internal displacement and emigration."

"The current president of Zimbabwe is Robert Gabriel Karigamombe Mugabe. Robert Mugabe has been in power since 1980. The people do not like him. He has cause hyperinflation, oil and food shortages, and many other harmful things. Since he has been in power the Zimbabwe economy has spiraled into a deep hole."

My thanks to my teaching friend who continues to highlight the abuse of power in Southern Africa. Much appreciated.

-o00o-

The crisis in Zimbabwe is well documented. Possibly so well documented that we are used to it and it no longer bugs us. But the truth is that the crisis is real - very real - and that there are many people losing their lives each day because of the crisis, caused by a lack of food, a lack of adequate housing, a distinct lack of medical services - all of which could have been avoided if Robert Mugabe had played the game and gone with the will of the people.

"Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai complained Sunday that his unity government deal with President Robert Mugabe was not being implemented and appealed for South African help.

"The real problem is not about the conflict. The real problem is about implementing the Global Political Agreement... then we move our country forward," Tsvangirai told a Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) rally.

He said South Africa, which mediated the agreement, needed to stay involved.

"Zimbabwe's instability is not a domestic issue, its not a foreign policy to South Africa. It is a domestic issue (for South Africa)," Tsvangirai said.

Tsvangirai and his MDC boycotted the unity government in October, complaining about the non-implementation of the unity deal. But they re-joined the government after the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the guarantors of the agreement, promised to mediate."

Since the elections last year, Mugabe has continued on the route that he had adopted before, ruining Zimbabwe's economy from within and abusing the power that he has.

It has escaped his notice that his ZANU PF party lost last year's general election - and the free world just ignores that fact that Mugabe was only 'elected' to the Presidency because he had his people visit a reign of terror on the MDC following, forcing Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run-off - run off that many people believe was not required as Tsvangirai had won the required 50% plus one vote required - but that ZANU PF had the ballot boxes magicked away and re-engineered the result, only to have that result made public some five weeks later...

"Negotiators from Tsvangirai's MDC, Mugabe's Zanu PF and smaller faction of the MDC are still in talks on how to resolve their disputes, in line with SADC recommendations. The outstanding issues being contested are the appointments of senior civil servants who include the central bank governor, the attorney general and provincial governors as well as the removal of sanctions."

I have said it before - sanctions are not the domain of the MDC, but the choice of the countries that enforce them. They were in place before the advent of the MDC and yet Mugabe continues to blame Tsvangirai's party for the targeted travel sanctions.

-o00o-

Well, history tells us that Mugabe has a habit of not standing up to his promises - and that includes not paying back money that he has borrowed. The IMF, the World Bank - the list is as long as the figures that he owes.

And very little of the money so borrowed was used for what it was intended...

"Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika is under fire for lending Zimbabwe US$100 million in June 2007 when the tiny southern African country has so many development projects at a standstill owing to shortage of cash.

To make matters worse, beleaguered Zimbabwe is failing to pay back the loan. It should have finished paying this month, according to Wilson Banda, the general manager of the Reserve Bank of Malawi. The loan was to pay for the maize Zimbabwe imported from Malawi in 2007.

Since then, Zimbabwe has been importing maize from Malawi, apart from other countries in the region. This year, it imported 40000 tonnes of maize from the tiny southern African country."

Just why Malawi, one of the poorer African states should lend this sort of money to Mugabe, I don't know. What on earth were they thinking about when they made the offer?

It would be interesting to see an accounting of this money. And I mean right up until the time the maize is distributed to the people in need. How much of the money was gobbled up by ZANU PF 'administration' - and how much of the maize actually ended up in the stomachs of people who needed it, free of charge?

"To put it mildly, that was sheer madness. It was wrong. It should not have happened,” Mpinganjira told Capital Radio, a privately-run radio station in Malawi over the weekend."

And while Mugabe is borrowing money for food, he has stated recently, a couple of time, that Zimbabwe is capable of feeding itself. If that's the case, why did he need to borrow from Malawi?

-o00o-

"South African President Jacob Zuma has urged, during a Commonwealth summit, that Zimbabwe be re-admitted into the group, the presidency said on Sunday.

"President Zuma... welcomed efforts by the leaders of the Commonwealth Group attending the Commonwealth head of government summit in Trinidad and Tobago, to consider the re-admission of Zimbabwe," said spokesperson Vincent Magwenya in a statement on Sunday.

"Zimbabwe's re-admission into the Commonwealth, will serve as a recognition to the progress that has been achieved thus far.

"Equally, along with the lifting of sanctions, it will represent the international community's support and encouragement to parties to continue the dialogue that will deliver a lasting solution to the challenges facing the country," he said."

Wasted breath, Mr Zuma. Mugabe has already had one of his senior ministers reject the idea.

And if Mugabe doesn't understand that rejoining the Commonwealth would be a step forward, perhaps the re- admittance will have to be delayed until Mugabe is no longer part of the Zimbabwean political landscape.

For a man who claims that he wants to be 'friends' with the Queen again, he isn't doing very much to help matter, is he?

-o00o-

You mean to suggest that the ZANU PF hierarchy haven't stripped the Marange diamond fields bare of all of the precious stone?

"A private investor is looking to construct a runway at the controversial Marange diamond field in eastern Zimbabwe to ensure secure movement of the gemstones to a handling facility being built in Harare.

A top official of Mbada Investments, which was chosen together with another private firm to partner state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) in exploiting the Marange claim, said the runway was part of efforts to halt any illicit movement or smuggling of diamonds from the Marange or Chiadzwa field.

"Diamonds from this area will be flown to Harare in a more secure condition," Mbada chairman Robert Mhlanga told government taskforce that visited Marange at the weekend.

"We are also constructing a diamond handling facility at the Harare International airport and time permitting we will be inviting you to see the facility in Harare," Mbada said."

Isn't it very comforting to know that Mbada Investments is, in actual fact, a private venture - formed by ZMDC and a foreign investor? Which means that ZANU PF have still got their fingers in the pie, but are just a little further away from the mine work face - paperwork wise.

"The partners, Grandwell and Core Mining Minerals both from South Africa are extracting the rough diamonds on an area 1005 hectares in extent under ZMDC’s special grants.

Grandwell partnered ZMDC to form Mbada Mining while on the other hand the State mining entity joined forces with Core Mining to form Canadile Miners to mine Chiadzwa diamonds."

Meanwhile, diamonds from Marange and Chiadzwa have been found as far afiel as Canada - and yet thr Kimberley Process refuses to ban the sale of diamonds from Zimbabwe, nor to sanction the production.

"...a KP meeting in Namibia about three weeks ago decided against banning Zimbabwe diamonds from the world market and instead agreed to give Harare more time to review operations at Marange and improve security arrangements to comply with the organisation’s standards."

That ought to fix it!

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Sunday, 29th November 2009

Howzit

A disaster yesterday has seen one of my external drives decide that it doesn't want to play anymore, and, as luck would have it, it is the drive that has all of my photos, pictures and artwork on board. I am presently running a recovery in the hope that I can save them all, but the process is chewing my machine resources, so this posting may be a little late.

-o00o-

Well FIFA seem to have realised that by allowing the world cup to visit Zimbabwe and to have Mugabe handle the world championship prize, that they have transgressed.

Mugabe used the opportunity to lay in the West - again - stating that the cup was made from stolen gold...

"Just last week, for example, they allowed their prize of prizes, the FIFA World Cup trophy, to be held in the blood-stained hands of Zimbabwe's tyrannical Robert Mugabe.

Given this unexpected gift, the tin-pot dictator took full advantage. "Britain does not have any gold, neither does Germany," Mugabe told a crowd in Harare while holding the golden trophy, which is on a tour of Africa.

"I am tempted to think that it came from Africa, and from Zimbabwe, and was taken away by adventurers who shaped it into this cup.

"When I hold the cup, I know all of you will have the urge that I should not let it go because this could be our gold."

Human rights officials have justifiably condemned FIFA for allowing Mugabe the platform on which to strut his odious self."

As I have come to expect, FIFA will do the same as so many people, countries and bodies before it - nothing. The event will have a curtain drawn around it, and that will be that...

Pathetic. I now remember why I hate football so much.

-o00o-

Readers will know of my affiliation with the Gukurahundi - the reign of terror visited upon Matabeleland and the Midlands in the early to mid-1980s, when the Korean-trained Fifth Brigade killed between 20 and thirty thousand people. And not one soldier, commander or executive has ever been brought to book for those heinous acts.

Mugabe himself, stops short of apologising to the Matabele people, stating that it was a 'moment of madness'.

"Tempers flared up at a meeting of the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration on Thursday when victims of the Gukurahundi massacres demanded compensation. President Robert Mugabe’s previous administration turned a deaf ear to calls from human rights activists and politicians from Matabeleland and the Midlands to compensate victims of the mass killings by the North Korean-trained 5 Brigade in the 1980s.

Co-Minister of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration and ZANU PF outgoing chairman John Nkomo who chaired the meeting came under fire from representatives of civic society, churches and residents who took turns to demand justice for the victims.

The leader of the Matabeleland Constitutional Reform Agenda, Effie Ncube, led the attacks and called for those behind the deaths of more than 20000 civilians to be brought to justice."

I was a serving member of the ZRP during that time, based at Esigodini, Plumtree and Gwanda, and I saw enough to chill my blood. For many years I kept quiet about what I had seen and witnessed. In my book, "Without Honour", I ask, if I didn't have the intestinal fortitude to speak out at that time, what of the families of the victims?

The threat of action against those who would speak out is huge - and it took me to leave Zimbabwe and the encouragement of friends and family to write about those days.

"We need to bring justice to victims of the violence and take justice to the perpetrators.

"We have to pursue accountability because those who were responsible for violence must be answerable," he said to applause from the audience.

"Those who killed others should be taken to jail."

For my part, I am desperately sorry for the people of Matabeleland who lost loved ones. I think back to those days and am aware, more than ever, that I let those people down.

"He told the ZANU PF chairman that he was not the right person to lead the national healing process since his hands were "dripping blood" of his party’s opponents who died between 2000 and 2008.

In his response Nkomo avoided the issue of Gukurahundi."

Typical ZANU PF! Ignore the problem and lay into the West - by way of a change!

"The Gukurahundi issue must be dealt with because it will be pointless to talk of national healing when some people are still crying.

"There must be a legal framework for national healing to cover compensation of Gukurahundi victims," Chirimuuta said.

He said even victims of "Operation Murambatsvina" deserved to be given compensation, since they lost valuable property during the destruction of their homes."

All very contentious and in dire need of resolution.

"As churches we call for forgiveness but that doesn’t mean that we should do away with justice.

"People who were affected by political violence in this country should be given access to justice, then from there we can move to national healing," he said."

-o00o-

And while we have ZANU ignoring things like the Gukurahundi and Murambatsvina, it would appear that the negotiators have agreed not to discuss the appointments of Gono and Tomana...

"The country’s three governing parties have agreed to suspend discussions on the controversial appointments of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana until they find common ground on the other outstanding issues in their power sharing agreement.

The decision was taken as the parties raced against time to meet a 30-day Southern African Development Community (SADC) deadline that expires on Saturday.

Sources said the decision followed a realisation that the emotive issue could scuttle the negotiations, which resumed at a secret location in Harare yesterday.

Gono and Tomana’s fate will now be discussed after the more than 20 items on the agenda are exhausted."

I don't understand. Why focus on others issues - and then come back to Gono and Tomana's appointments? Surely the problem will be just as big when they return to it?

So why delay the inevitable?

"Nothing has changed in terms of the issues being discussed," said the source.

"Today the discussions will centre on the issue of sanctions and the media, that is, both the local media and pirate radio stations."

Sanctions and radio stations? Neither of these are issues that can be resolved by the political parties in Zimbabwe. Sanctions are measures put in place by foreign governments and seek to limit Mugabe & Co's travel. Radio stations that focus on Zimbabwe are not 'pirate' radio stations... They are legitimate and legal structures, abiding within the laws of the host country.

End of story.

-o00o-

Things in Zimbabwe are not all going Mugabe's ZANU PF party's way. And the people are finding this out, little bit by little bit...

"Members of the ZANU PF women’s and youth leagues recently got the shock of their lives after they were chased away from the Great Zimbabwe University graduation for showing up at the ceremony in party regalia. The angry supporters were escorted out of the university campus by security personnel who told them that the graduation was not a party event.

Chaos broke out after the supporters started toyi-toying and chanting ZANU PF slogans, accusing the security details of being MDC supporters.

The frustrated women led by self-styled war collaborator and special interest Masvingo urban councillor Namatai Chivhanga then resorted to insulting the security details accusing them of being "MDC people".

"We do not understand why these MDC people are sending us away because we are wearing this regalia to welcome our party president Cde Mugabe," she said."

I tend to agree with the security personnel. The graduation ceremony should be an event in which families and friends celebrate the achievement of the students. Nothing More. Nothing less. And that graduation is nothing to do with the politics of the day.

ZANU PF deserve no thanks for the education that the graduates have received. The education system in Zimbabwe began its collapse about 10-15 years ago - and the students have succeeded through all manner of problems and logistical hassles.

"ZANU PF provincial chairman, Lovemore Matuke was fuming after the fracas.

"I don’t see anything wrong with my comrades putting on our regalia because we are here to meet our president who is the first secretary of ZANU PF and the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces," he said.

"Since he is the commander, does it mean that soldiers here should take off their uniforms? These guys are just crazy."

-o00o-

If Gidean Gono told me personally that today was Sunday, I would want a diary to double check his claim.

The man is a born Mugabe apologist and is also prone to playing the double bluff.

Whilst he says that the Zimbabwean dollar is not going to make a return anytime soon, he and his cohorts are planning exactly that - and will spring the change (excuse the pun) on the country without any notice...

"Zimbabwe’s central bank governor has said the country will not reintroduce the local dollar any time soon as the economy must first achieve growth rates of at least seven percent, a state daily reported on Saturday.

"For the avoidance of doubt and market uncertainty, it is hereby clarified that the re-introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar will only be contemplated when certain fundamentals have been achieved," the central bank governor, Gideon Gono, was quoted as saying in the local press."

For someone who's appointment is subject to the inter-party negotiations, Gono seems well set to continue in the position of Reserve Bank Governor.

Apart from being a liar and a thief, Gono daily puts out the idea that he is in control and that all he does is in "the nation's best interests".

Meanwhile, behind closed doors, he panfers to Mugabe's every need, enriching himself and Mugabe's stalwarts en route.

And that, dear reader, you can take to the bank!

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Saturday, 28th November 2009

Howzit

I don't know of many Zimbabwean registered cargo plane companies, but I do know of one - and I am particularly good friends with two crew members of that company...

"A Zimbabwe cargo plane crashed as it took off Saturday from Shanghai's main international airport, killing three crew members, a government official said.

The official Xinhua News Agency cited Shanghai's municipal information office as saying three people died. A man answering the phone there confirmed the deaths and said one other crew member was seriously injured, with the other three slightly hurt.

Xinhua cited health officials as saying two of the seven crew were from the United States and Indonesia, while the nationalities of the remaining staff had not yet been identified."

Hopefully more information will be forthcoming, and I will update as it happens.

"China Central Television said the plane's tail struck the ground on takeoff, and an airport warehouse also caught fire in the crash. The report showed billowing thick black smoke at the scene, with police officers blocking closer access.

A reporter from Shanghai's Oriental Satellite Television told CCTV the tail of the plane broke in two or three parts, and hundreds of firefighters were spraying fire retardants on the plane.

The crash occurred at 7:40 am, Xinhua said. The plane, which was headed to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, veered off the runway and burst into flames."

{EDIT: The aircraft belonged to Avient, and they issued this statement:

"An Avient Aviation operated aircraft was involved in an accident at approximate 00:16 GMT today while the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD11 Freighter, was operating a charter freight flight from Pudong International Airport in China.

Preliminary information indicates that the accident occurred on takeoff from Pudong International Airport. The aircraft was carrying a crew of 7.

At this time, the full resources of Avient's accident response team have been mobilised and will be devoted to cooperating with all authorities responding to the accident.

At this time no further information is available. Avient will continue to release additional information as it is confirmed."

And on The Aviation Herald website, this was amongst photographs published, but I am unable to confirm if this is the crash in question.

ENDS}

-o00o-

It would appear that the Attorney-General is playing for time in the Roy Bennett terrorism trial. Not only did their key witness fail to appear - in all fairness, Michael Hitschmann has disassociated himself from the statements that he made to police, he says under duress - but that it would appear that the State case investigation is incomplete.

"Defence lawyers of the MDC treasurer, Roy Bennett, who is facing charges of plotting to topple Robert Mugabe have applied for the release of accused's passport and relaxation of reporting conditions after a key state witness failed to attend court on Friday.

The matter will now resume on January 12, 2010.

Peter Michael Hitchmann was reported to be in Mutare and was nowhere near the High court when he was called to testify after two other state witnesses had given evidence in court.

Beatrice Mtetwa made the application to High court judge, Bhunu Chinembiri arguing that the state had been failing to 'speedy' the trial by making lame excuses thereby prejudicing her client, latest being the failure to bring Hitchmann to court."

In conversation with another Zimbabwean yesterday, I stated that an adjournment into next year would suit not only the State case, but also gives Mugabe more time to continue with his disastrous rule. Mugabe has refused to swear Bennett into cabinet as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture as he says that the charges Bennett is facing are very serious.

What I am a little taken aback at is that Mugabe is able to make these decisions without consultation - and so if the State accuses anyone of whatever crime, they lose their rights before even spending one day in court!

"We are asking this court to release my client's passport and that his bail reporting conditions be relaxed so that he may travel as he has severe engagements he needs to attend to,"Mtetwa said in court.

"We therefore request that his passport be released.

"We have no problems that the passport be returned to the registrar and reporting conditions remain after the relaxation of the bail.This will ensure the balance required in ensuring the accused enjoys his freedom of movement particularly during this festive season."

"There is no suggestion that the accused will be a flight risk."

But Attorney General, Johannes Tomana in reply to the defence application said: "The state is not amenable to a relaxation of the accused person's bail conditions."

Of course Tomana will oppose any relaxation as then Bennett can get on with his life as a senior MDC official and that works directly against Mugabe's ZANU PF.

Also we have to make a mental note of the apparent laxity of the Attorney-General who attended a pass out parade on Thursday instead of undertaking his proper duties as the AG...

-o00o-

"The trial of a top ally of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on terrorism charges has been adjourned to January next year after a key prosecution witness failed to attend court on Friday.

Roy Bennett, a senior official in Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party who was nominated deputy agriculture minister, was arrested in February on charges of illegal possession of weapons for terrorism, banditry and insurgency.

Bennett denies the charges, which the MDC says are politically motivated to keep him out of the unity government formed with President Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF party. The charges carry a death penalty upon conviction.

The MDC says Mugabe is frustrating efforts to swear in Bennett, along with other senior MDC officials, as required by a political agreement signed last year between the rival parties."

My question is simple. The sitting judge said that he would make a ruling on the relaxation of bail conditions for Bennett at 4pm yesterday afternoon, and all reports seem to omit that ruling.

Does that mean that the ruling was not handed down? If so, why indicate that a ruling is pending if the judge is not prepared to make that ruling?

Are the bail conditions therefore to stay in place until January at least?

"He (Hitschmann) did not come because we thought he would not (be required to) take to the witness stand. This is a situation we did not anticipate," Zimbabwe's attorney-general Johannes Tomana, leading the prosecution team, told the court.

"The way forward is to adjourn to the next available date."

-o00o-

"The founder of a London-based radio station that broadcasts to Zimbabwe took exception this week to a statement by Industry Minister Welshman Ncube saying talks within the Harare unity government focused on "pirate" radio stations as well as Western sanctions and top-level government appointments.

Ncube is a negotiator in the intra-governmental talks for the Movement for Democratic Change formation led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, a rival to the larger MDC formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The latest round of talks, urged by leaders of the Southern African Development Community and South African President Jacob Zuma in particular, are aimed at resolving a number of issues which were left unresolved at the inception of the unity government in February, or which have cropped up since then."

I would have thought that Mugabe et al would have been proud of a Zimbabwean radio service outside of the country. I mean, it is not as if ZANU PF have been excluded from interviews. Not that long ago Violet Gonda had Didymus Mutasa in a telephone interview.

It was Mutasa's decision to get quite annoyed with Gonda and terminated the call...

"Short-Wave Radio Africa founder Gerry Jackson said her station, which like the Voice of America's Studio 7 provides news to Zimbabweans from outside the country's borders, is operating legally and is not controlled, as Zanu-PF has maintained, by the MDC, or aligned with the former opposition party.

"Guys - please - get a grip," Jackson stated in an editorial broadcast this week and published on the station's Web site. "We’re not controlled, owned or are even members of the MDC... Our broadcasts on shortwave and via the internet are completely legal and we want nothing more than a free, peaceful, democratic Zimbabwe. And yes we do believe that Zimbabweans have an absolute right to the information that has been denied them for so many years."

-o00o-

This is an article that suggests that Mugabe is not very happy with the South African team that Zuma is sending to Harare tomorrow.

"The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is encouraged by South Africa's appointment of new mediators for Zimbabwe, but President Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF is wary.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC believes former cabinet ministers Charles Nqakula and Mac Maharaj and Zuma’s international relations adviser, Lindiwe Zulu, can help break its impasse with ZANU PF over fulfilling all the requirements of the unity government’s founding agreement.

The team’s appointment ends Thabo Mbeki’s mediation role in Zimbabwe. The MDC has frequently accused Mbeki of being biased towards Mugabe."

Mugabe is a little surprised at the Zuma's eager participation - perhaps he thought that his role would be a continuation of the Mbeki 'quiet diplomacy' which we all know achieved nothing whatsoever.

"Some well-placed ZANU PF officials are uneasy, with a party politburo member saying the negotiations will become tough for his party.

"With Mbeki we would be under no pressure because he sympathised with ZANU PF and did not get on really well with the MDC," he said.

"The truth of the matter is that with Mbeki there was some kind of protection for us, but with Zuma it could be different. Zuma himself has in the past condemned us, even before he became president.

"Maharaj is also tough and wants things done properly, and this Lindiwe Zulu is a professional and not a politician, so it won’t be easy."

Only time will tell...

-o00o-

Please note that Zimbabwe's media restrictions prevent the reporter's name from being published...

"By Zimbabwe Correspondent (author cannot be identified because of Zimbabwe's press restrictions)

Published: October 22, 2009 06:01 ET

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Mention Zimbabwe and the listener will think of chaos and decay. But in October, with jacaranda trees displaying their striking purple blossoms, the nation’s capital, Harare, could easily be described as charming."

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu