Tuesday, 28th September 2010
Howzit
Mugabe has returned from the United Nations summit in New York where he accused the West of using sanctions to cripple the Zimbabwean economy. I have already written - many times - about Mugabe using Western platforms to launch verbal attacks upon the West and how the West seem to invite him to speak at every occasion - but perhaps this time round, the powers that be will realise that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.
"Zimbabwe's economic meltdown was caused by economic mismanagement under President Robert Mugabe's leadership and not sanctions as propagated by ZANU PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said.
Tsvangirai also dismissed as false assertions that Zimbabwe is under economic sanctions arguing that the West only imposed restrictive measures on Mugabe and his cronies for orchestrating a breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a public accountability seminar organised by the Media Institute if Southern Africa (MISA) and the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) in Harare Monday, Tsvangirai said the ZANU PF government ruined the economy through bad decision."
This is probably the first time we have heard Tsvangirai telling the world the way it is. Mugabe has stated that his party will make no more concessions to the MDC is the now stalled cross-party negotiations to achieve the Global Political Agreement until and unless the MDC has the targeted travel sanctions lifted on Zimbabwe.
However, Mugabe doesn't call them 'targeted travel' sanctions, but 'illegal economic' sanctions, attempting to hoodwink the world that the West has caused the problems in Zimbabwe. Mugabe makes the allegations often and repeatedly, but never comes out with any proof or substantiation - only because their isn't any....
"Our problems emanated from mis-governance, the violent land reform and RBZ’s printing of worthless currency that is the bearer cheques. All these compounded to what was already a political problem to an economic one. There is no economic sanctions regime in this country, there are restrictive measures.
"We have agreed as principals to tackle the issue of restrictive measures as this isolation has affected the lines of credit.
"Through a deliberate campaign of intimidation, abusing the rule of law and substituting national policies for political party programmes our economy was decimated, our institutions undermined and our peoples impoverished and persecuted," said Tsvangirai who added such acts scares away investors."
Mugabe is responsible for the demise of standards in Zimbabwe. His totalitarian rule allows no one to do anything without political connections and no one is able to live a decent life unless they are affiliated with ZANU PF - and even then, very little is done for those that believe in him and his party.
"Zimbabwe's economic meltdown was caused by economic mismanagement under President Robert Mugabe's leadership and not sanctions as propagated by ZANU PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said.
Tsvangirai also dismissed as false assertions that Zimbabwe is under economic sanctions arguing that the West only imposed restrictive measures on Mugabe and his cronies for orchestrating a breakdown in the rule of law in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a public accountability seminar organised by the Media Institute if Southern Africa (MISA) and the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) in Harare Monday, Tsvangirai said the ZANU PF government ruined the economy through bad decision."
This is probably the first time we have heard Tsvangirai telling the world the way it is. Mugabe has stated that his party will make no more concessions to the MDC is the now stalled cross-party negotiations to achieve the Global Political Agreement until and unless the MDC has the targeted travel sanctions lifted on Zimbabwe.
However, Mugabe doesn't call them 'targeted travel' sanctions, but 'illegal economic' sanctions, attempting to hoodwink the world that the West has caused the problems in Zimbabwe. Mugabe makes the allegations often and repeatedly, but never comes out with any proof or substantiation - only because their isn't any....
"Our problems emanated from mis-governance, the violent land reform and RBZ’s printing of worthless currency that is the bearer cheques. All these compounded to what was already a political problem to an economic one. There is no economic sanctions regime in this country, there are restrictive measures.
"We have agreed as principals to tackle the issue of restrictive measures as this isolation has affected the lines of credit.
"Through a deliberate campaign of intimidation, abusing the rule of law and substituting national policies for political party programmes our economy was decimated, our institutions undermined and our peoples impoverished and persecuted," said Tsvangirai who added such acts scares away investors."
Mugabe is responsible for the demise of standards in Zimbabwe. His totalitarian rule allows no one to do anything without political connections and no one is able to live a decent life unless they are affiliated with ZANU PF - and even then, very little is done for those that believe in him and his party.
-o00o-
And here we have an example of Mugabe's grab all policies. Mugabe and ZANU PF used the former freedom fighter - now labelled 'war veterans' - to seize the land from the white commercial farmers. Then the land, instead of being given to the 'landless blacks' was handed over to Mugabe's hierarchy who have done very little with the land, preferring to fire the workers and leave the land fallow.
In a very few instances, war veterans have been given small tracts of land, but these are few and far between and are in the middle of nowhere.
"War veterans who were allocated land in Bubi District, Matabeleland North Province, are demanding more land, saying they were allocated small portions during the 2000 land grabs.
District chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) in Nkayi, Michael Tshaliba, who was resettled in Bubi, said the sizes of land allocated to most of them were too small as they were resettled under the villagised A1 scheme.
They are now appealing to the government to allocate them bigger portions of land under the A2 commercial farm resettlement scheme.
"We have been resettled in villages in Bubi and the portions we received are too little for some of us who have bigger families," said Tshaliba in an interview.
"We had always wanted to be given A2 farms or plots rather than being treated like anyone because war vets fought for the land and we deserve special treatment than everyone.
"We want enough land and appeal to our leaders to take this matter seriously and urge them to identify and allocate us enough land. As it is there is no future in those small portions that we got and there is no sufficient space for our children to build their own homes."
The war veterans are used regularly by Mugabe, even though some of those that masquerade as 'veterans' are too young to have participated in the chimurenga, but they are becoming somewhat of a spent force. I feel that they are getting a little tired of doing all the hard work, only for the spoils to be given to senior ZANU PF officials.
All they want is some land so that they can live in peace. I will bet that this request is ignored.
"ZNLWVA chairman, Jabulani Sibanda confirmed that war veterans in Nkayi are demanding more land.
"We are aware of their complaints and their concerns are genuine," said Sibanda.
"War veterans were on the forefront of the land reform exercise and it is unfortunate that no one from that area was allocated A2 pieces and most of them were put on villages.
Tshaliba also raised concern over delays in the payment of school fees under the educational support scheme for war veterans’ children.
"Our children are sent away from school because the government’s education support for war vets is always delayed and it is very difficult to trace those monies."
In a very few instances, war veterans have been given small tracts of land, but these are few and far between and are in the middle of nowhere.
"War veterans who were allocated land in Bubi District, Matabeleland North Province, are demanding more land, saying they were allocated small portions during the 2000 land grabs.
District chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) in Nkayi, Michael Tshaliba, who was resettled in Bubi, said the sizes of land allocated to most of them were too small as they were resettled under the villagised A1 scheme.
They are now appealing to the government to allocate them bigger portions of land under the A2 commercial farm resettlement scheme.
"We have been resettled in villages in Bubi and the portions we received are too little for some of us who have bigger families," said Tshaliba in an interview.
"We had always wanted to be given A2 farms or plots rather than being treated like anyone because war vets fought for the land and we deserve special treatment than everyone.
"We want enough land and appeal to our leaders to take this matter seriously and urge them to identify and allocate us enough land. As it is there is no future in those small portions that we got and there is no sufficient space for our children to build their own homes."
The war veterans are used regularly by Mugabe, even though some of those that masquerade as 'veterans' are too young to have participated in the chimurenga, but they are becoming somewhat of a spent force. I feel that they are getting a little tired of doing all the hard work, only for the spoils to be given to senior ZANU PF officials.
All they want is some land so that they can live in peace. I will bet that this request is ignored.
"ZNLWVA chairman, Jabulani Sibanda confirmed that war veterans in Nkayi are demanding more land.
"We are aware of their complaints and their concerns are genuine," said Sibanda.
"War veterans were on the forefront of the land reform exercise and it is unfortunate that no one from that area was allocated A2 pieces and most of them were put on villages.
Tshaliba also raised concern over delays in the payment of school fees under the educational support scheme for war veterans’ children.
"Our children are sent away from school because the government’s education support for war vets is always delayed and it is very difficult to trace those monies."
-o00o-
Mugabe was due to fly on to Ecuador to be conferred with an honorary doctorate from a 'home grown' university - but this he cancelled and went home to Zimbabwe instead.
"The ailing Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe cut short his visit abroad on Friday and immediately returned home amid reports that he fell ill and collapsed in a New York hotel, sources in the coalition government revealed on Monday.
Mugabe’s loyal state radio said he arrived home Sunday from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but, as expected, it did not give details of his failing health woes, but The Zimbabwe Mail can reveal that Mugabe collapsed in his hotel room on his way from the toilet and his wife raised alarm to the medical team and security agents."
Obviously, we cannot expect anyone in Mugabe's office or anyone in the pro-Mugabe news media in Zimbabwe to confirm that the President collapsed. I do believe that if we watch to see if Mugabe makes a public appearance in the next couple of days - and, if he does, is he looking frail and ill - will be about the only reference point that we have.
"A source in the delegation accompanying the President told our reporter in Harare that President Mugabe collapsed in his hotel after a busy day shopping in Manhattan and his personal doctor and secret services agents worked all night to help the aging long-time ruler recover his fitness.
Staff at the Hotel where President Mugabe was staying said they saw an ambulance in the late hours of Friday night and it stayed for about 15 minutes and it left without picking any one.
The hotel’s security also confirmed that they spotted unusual busy activities in the fourth floor occupied by President Mugabe and his large contigent of security details and medical staff.
"When we sent a member of our team to check if they needed help, they (Mugabe’s security men) were so aggressive and threatened to beat him up," said the security chief at the hotel.
"As a matter of security procedure, we approached the ambulance driver and asked him why he had parked for so long, and he told us that one of our special guests needed emergency medical help."
"The ailing Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe cut short his visit abroad on Friday and immediately returned home amid reports that he fell ill and collapsed in a New York hotel, sources in the coalition government revealed on Monday.
Mugabe’s loyal state radio said he arrived home Sunday from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but, as expected, it did not give details of his failing health woes, but The Zimbabwe Mail can reveal that Mugabe collapsed in his hotel room on his way from the toilet and his wife raised alarm to the medical team and security agents."
Obviously, we cannot expect anyone in Mugabe's office or anyone in the pro-Mugabe news media in Zimbabwe to confirm that the President collapsed. I do believe that if we watch to see if Mugabe makes a public appearance in the next couple of days - and, if he does, is he looking frail and ill - will be about the only reference point that we have.
"A source in the delegation accompanying the President told our reporter in Harare that President Mugabe collapsed in his hotel after a busy day shopping in Manhattan and his personal doctor and secret services agents worked all night to help the aging long-time ruler recover his fitness.
Staff at the Hotel where President Mugabe was staying said they saw an ambulance in the late hours of Friday night and it stayed for about 15 minutes and it left without picking any one.
The hotel’s security also confirmed that they spotted unusual busy activities in the fourth floor occupied by President Mugabe and his large contigent of security details and medical staff.
"When we sent a member of our team to check if they needed help, they (Mugabe’s security men) were so aggressive and threatened to beat him up," said the security chief at the hotel.
"As a matter of security procedure, we approached the ambulance driver and asked him why he had parked for so long, and he told us that one of our special guests needed emergency medical help."
-o00o-
Some things in Zimbabwe never change. The need for ZANU PF to show themselves in the best possible light is somewhat diluted when it is apparent that to achieve that they have to subvert justice...
"Two key witnesses in the brutal murder of MDC activist Crispen Mandizvidza are now on the run, after police indicated they wanted to arrest them for the killing.
23 year-old Mandizvidza died from injuries sustained after a group of ZANU PF supporters attacked him. Some of the attackers have been positively identified and are residents of Mbare.
MDC MP for Mbare, Piniel Denga, told us on Monday that two key witnesses, both friends of Mandizvidza, are in hiding and 'safe somewhere'. The MP also confirmed reports that police had harassed mourners gathered at the late Mandzvidza’s home over the weekend.
"I'm not surprised by what we are seeing from the police. They are now going after the two key witnesses, accusing them of murdering Mandizvidza. We know they are partisan but their selective application of the law has now gone to new heights where you turn against witnesses to a serious crime like murder," Denga said."
If you are not a ZANU PF member, then whatever happens around you can be pinned on you - and the authorities are a little more determined when the witnesses are members of the MDC.
There is no justification for the need of the police to arrest the witnesses - unless there is a need to cover-up for the real killers.
We don't see anyone being arrested for the political killings of members of the MDC over the past decade, but we often read of MDC members being pursued by the police intent on pinning these crimes on them. And Mugabe says he wants the 'illegal economic' sanctions on Zimbabwe to be lifted because there has been good movement on the question of human rights... but stories like this show his claims to be false.
"Mandizvidza is to be buried on Wednesday at his rural home in Zaka, Masvingo province. A post mortem will be conducted on Tuesday. There is still tension in Mbare following the violence that led to the abortion of a COPAC outreach meeting last week Sunday.
The violence has been blamed on ZANU PF supporters who allegedly attacked supporters of the MDC-T and barred them from attending the COPAC meeting at Mai Musodzi Hall.
Though the police blame supporters from both ZANU PF and the MDC-T for the violence, MP Denga said; "The whole world knows who started the trouble, except our own police force."
"Two key witnesses in the brutal murder of MDC activist Crispen Mandizvidza are now on the run, after police indicated they wanted to arrest them for the killing.
23 year-old Mandizvidza died from injuries sustained after a group of ZANU PF supporters attacked him. Some of the attackers have been positively identified and are residents of Mbare.
MDC MP for Mbare, Piniel Denga, told us on Monday that two key witnesses, both friends of Mandizvidza, are in hiding and 'safe somewhere'. The MP also confirmed reports that police had harassed mourners gathered at the late Mandzvidza’s home over the weekend.
"I'm not surprised by what we are seeing from the police. They are now going after the two key witnesses, accusing them of murdering Mandizvidza. We know they are partisan but their selective application of the law has now gone to new heights where you turn against witnesses to a serious crime like murder," Denga said."
If you are not a ZANU PF member, then whatever happens around you can be pinned on you - and the authorities are a little more determined when the witnesses are members of the MDC.
There is no justification for the need of the police to arrest the witnesses - unless there is a need to cover-up for the real killers.
We don't see anyone being arrested for the political killings of members of the MDC over the past decade, but we often read of MDC members being pursued by the police intent on pinning these crimes on them. And Mugabe says he wants the 'illegal economic' sanctions on Zimbabwe to be lifted because there has been good movement on the question of human rights... but stories like this show his claims to be false.
"Mandizvidza is to be buried on Wednesday at his rural home in Zaka, Masvingo province. A post mortem will be conducted on Tuesday. There is still tension in Mbare following the violence that led to the abortion of a COPAC outreach meeting last week Sunday.
The violence has been blamed on ZANU PF supporters who allegedly attacked supporters of the MDC-T and barred them from attending the COPAC meeting at Mai Musodzi Hall.
Though the police blame supporters from both ZANU PF and the MDC-T for the violence, MP Denga said; "The whole world knows who started the trouble, except our own police force."
-o00o-
Take care.
'debvhu
'debvhu
posted by Robb WJ Ellis at 6:00 AM
Union Jack (1963 - 64, 1998 - ??)
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