Thursday, 30th December 2010
Howzit
The gas works continue in our street. Digging up of the road has proceeded apace, whilst we have other holes and drain covers lifted and surrounded with warning structures. The workers were in situ and working hard until about 8 o'clock last night.
This morning, I can still smell gas. The first truck arrived at 0855hrs...
This morning, I can still smell gas. The first truck arrived at 0855hrs...
-o00o-
"The Israel Diamond Exchange has expelled one of its members suspected of dealing in illicit 'blood diamonds' from a controversial Zimbabwe gem field, its president said on Wednesday.
One of the exchange dealers, David Vardi, was implicated in an attempt to smuggle 140000 dollars (107000 euros) worth of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe into Israel, said Israel Diamond Exchange president Avi Paz. "After a meeting it was decided to expel his from our ranks," paz, who is also president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, told AFP.
Last week Israeli customs detained an Israeli coming through the Ben Gurion International airport from waiting outside the airport."
Diamonds obviously have a lure for many people, and conflict or 'blood' diamonds seem to have an added attraction for those who might deal in that illicit trade.
It is very difficult to comment upon this sort of story as it all seems to be cut and dried. And sadly, it would appear that whatever money changed hands, it has already found its way into Mugabe's control.
One of the exchange dealers, David Vardi, was implicated in an attempt to smuggle 140000 dollars (107000 euros) worth of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe into Israel, said Israel Diamond Exchange president Avi Paz. "After a meeting it was decided to expel his from our ranks," paz, who is also president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, told AFP.
Last week Israeli customs detained an Israeli coming through the Ben Gurion International airport from waiting outside the airport."
Diamonds obviously have a lure for many people, and conflict or 'blood' diamonds seem to have an added attraction for those who might deal in that illicit trade.
It is very difficult to comment upon this sort of story as it all seems to be cut and dried. And sadly, it would appear that whatever money changed hands, it has already found its way into Mugabe's control.
-o00o-
Mugabe's party continues to use the Zimbabwe National Army to intimidate and terrorise the population as they attempt to 'educate' the masses into voting for Mugabe.
"Soldiers from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) have embarked on a door to door terror campaign in Gutu threatening villagers to vote for President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party in next year's touted election.
The military men are allegedly moving from house to house instructing the rural folks to support ZANU PF or risk losing their lives if they disobey their orders promising a devastating war should the party lose to long time political rivals Movement for Democratic Change led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai."
Mugabe has always depended upon the threat of violence to garner support at the ballot box. And this is one reason why he refuses to have international observers present in the country during any voting period.
Mugabe has even resorted to re-engineering the ballot after the fact, as seen in the first round of the presidential ballot in March 2008, when his party took the ballot boxes away for five weeks, finally announcing that Tsvangirai had indeed won the first round, but not by the 50%-plus-one-vote required for outright victory.
Mugabe and his senior party members have never been taken to task on this action, and it seems to have missed the notice of the MDC and all the supporters who voted for Tsvangirai.
Why has ZANU PF not been brought to answer for this action?
"A recent visit by Radio VOP to Gutu during the Christmas break holiday revealed that the soldiers deployed from the district's 4:2 infantry battalion were moving in troops of over 10 sometimes clad in their military fatigues and armed with AK47 assault rifles. They have re-established bases that were used to torture activists during the violent 2008 presidential election run-off."
Mugabe and his loyalists believe that if they keep quiet over the revelations, then the reports hold no water, or, if they do comment, it is to dismiss the story - and that, they erroneously believe, is the end of that...
"Soldiers from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) have embarked on a door to door terror campaign in Gutu threatening villagers to vote for President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party in next year's touted election.
The military men are allegedly moving from house to house instructing the rural folks to support ZANU PF or risk losing their lives if they disobey their orders promising a devastating war should the party lose to long time political rivals Movement for Democratic Change led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai."
Mugabe has always depended upon the threat of violence to garner support at the ballot box. And this is one reason why he refuses to have international observers present in the country during any voting period.
Mugabe has even resorted to re-engineering the ballot after the fact, as seen in the first round of the presidential ballot in March 2008, when his party took the ballot boxes away for five weeks, finally announcing that Tsvangirai had indeed won the first round, but not by the 50%-plus-one-vote required for outright victory.
Mugabe and his senior party members have never been taken to task on this action, and it seems to have missed the notice of the MDC and all the supporters who voted for Tsvangirai.
Why has ZANU PF not been brought to answer for this action?
"A recent visit by Radio VOP to Gutu during the Christmas break holiday revealed that the soldiers deployed from the district's 4:2 infantry battalion were moving in troops of over 10 sometimes clad in their military fatigues and armed with AK47 assault rifles. They have re-established bases that were used to torture activists during the violent 2008 presidential election run-off."
Mugabe and his loyalists believe that if they keep quiet over the revelations, then the reports hold no water, or, if they do comment, it is to dismiss the story - and that, they erroneously believe, is the end of that...
-o00o-
It now would appear that the smaller faction of the MDC, led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, are fully intent on ridding themselves of their leader before the congress next month.
"Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara faces a recall from the shaky coalition government after the elective congress of the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change tentatively set for January 2011.
Mutambara, the present president of the MDC-M, has publicly stated he will not be seeking nomination at the party's elective congress as party secretary general Welshman Ncube has been nominated for the top post by nearly all political provinces of the party."
I stated just a day or so ago that Mutambara is a waning star in Zimbabwean politics and is probably headed back the the US as a rocket scientist...
"...it has been decided that congress will recall him from government because we cannot continue to have him as a GPA principal."
"Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara faces a recall from the shaky coalition government after the elective congress of the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change tentatively set for January 2011.
Mutambara, the present president of the MDC-M, has publicly stated he will not be seeking nomination at the party's elective congress as party secretary general Welshman Ncube has been nominated for the top post by nearly all political provinces of the party."
I stated just a day or so ago that Mutambara is a waning star in Zimbabwean politics and is probably headed back the the US as a rocket scientist...
"...it has been decided that congress will recall him from government because we cannot continue to have him as a GPA principal."
-o00o-
ZANU PF is making noises about cleaning up their act with regard to farms seized from the white commercial farmers. They have said that they will seize farms that are not being worked by the new 'owners'.
Sadly, they don't go any further with regard to multiple farm ownership which is against the policy made public by Mugabe himself, even though his family own as many as a dozen farms...
"The government will repossess farms that continue to lie idle while farmers failing to make improvements on their properties also risk losing their land, a cabinet minister has warned.
Agriculture Minister Herbert Murerwa said some beneficiaries of the government's controversial land reforms were undermining the programme to make productive use of their farms."
The failed former finance minister did not expand upon what would happen to the land so repossessed...
"We are now going to take farms back because they are tarnishing our image as ZANU PF."
You have to laugh. It is much more than the violent and racist farm seizures that have tarnished ZANU PF's image. They took the country by force, and now are intent on hanging on to it using the same means.
Sadly, they don't go any further with regard to multiple farm ownership which is against the policy made public by Mugabe himself, even though his family own as many as a dozen farms...
"The government will repossess farms that continue to lie idle while farmers failing to make improvements on their properties also risk losing their land, a cabinet minister has warned.
Agriculture Minister Herbert Murerwa said some beneficiaries of the government's controversial land reforms were undermining the programme to make productive use of their farms."
The failed former finance minister did not expand upon what would happen to the land so repossessed...
"We are now going to take farms back because they are tarnishing our image as ZANU PF."
You have to laugh. It is much more than the violent and racist farm seizures that have tarnished ZANU PF's image. They took the country by force, and now are intent on hanging on to it using the same means.
-o00o-
The mayhem on Zimbabwe's sub-standard highways and roads continues...
"Police say they have launched an enforcement blitz targeting errant motorists, in particular transport operators who flout the rules of the road, and impounding vehicle determined to be unsafe.
The number of people who have perished in Zimbabwean road accidents since the onset of the holiday season has risen to 68, authorities said Tuesday.
The toll climbed from 63 late Sunday to 68 Monday following a number of accidents across the country. Last year the holiday death toll exceeded 80."
The article also notes that motorists are surprised at the inclusion of armed soldiers at roadblocks on highways throughout the country.
"Activist Sydney Chisi, president of the Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe, confirmed seeing armed soldiers at a roadblock. But he told VOA reporter Jonga Jandemiiri that he was not sure whether the soldiers had been assigned to that duty for political reasons or simply to monitor police accused of demanding bribes."
"Police say they have launched an enforcement blitz targeting errant motorists, in particular transport operators who flout the rules of the road, and impounding vehicle determined to be unsafe.
The number of people who have perished in Zimbabwean road accidents since the onset of the holiday season has risen to 68, authorities said Tuesday.
The toll climbed from 63 late Sunday to 68 Monday following a number of accidents across the country. Last year the holiday death toll exceeded 80."
The article also notes that motorists are surprised at the inclusion of armed soldiers at roadblocks on highways throughout the country.
"Activist Sydney Chisi, president of the Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe, confirmed seeing armed soldiers at a roadblock. But he told VOA reporter Jonga Jandemiiri that he was not sure whether the soldiers had been assigned to that duty for political reasons or simply to monitor police accused of demanding bribes."
-o00o-
Take care.
'debvhu
'debvhu
posted by Robb WJ Ellis at 8:33 AM
Union Jack (1963 - 64, 1998 - ??)
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