Thursday, 30th September 2010

Howzit

You would have thought that Zuma, of all people, would have had a front row seat to the duplicity of Robert Mugabe and would have raised the concerns he had with SADC, but no, rather than attempt to work out the problems in Zimbabwe using the regional body and his mediation position, he has opted to call for the lifting of sanctions instead.

Zuma should have the misnomer of mediator removed and SADC should give it to someone who might actually do something with it.

Zuma has failed the people of Zimbabwe, SADC and his own country with his biased actions.

"South African President Jacob Zuma will this week urge the European Union to lift targeted sanctions on members of the Mugabe regime. Zuma is attending an EU-South Africa summit in Brussels, Belgium and according to Foreign Affairs spokesperson Saul Kgomotso Molobi, "South Africa will set out the AU position, which calls for the lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe."

South Africa played a key role in cobbling together the half-baked power sharing deal in Zimbabwe, after Mugabe and his ZANU PF party lost elections in March 2008. The Joint Operations Command which groups together all arms of state security had by then led a murderous campaign of retribution to punish mostly rural voters who voted for Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T party.

Mugabe has however refused to honour the same agreement that offered him a lifeline and has instead hid behind the targeted sanctions as an excuse for the lack of progress in the country, demanding they be lifted first. This week a delegation from the coalition government met US politicians in a futile attempt to get that country to remove similar measures. The US said although it recognized the economic advances made, there was no progress on the political front in terms of respect for human and property rights.

The US said the, "current political and human rights environment in Zimbabwe remained troublesome", pointing to the recent harassment of WOZA and the disruption of constitutional reform meetings in Harare. The United States said that Zimbabwe must make further progress before the targeted sanctions would be removed, stating that, "political progress comes with strong institutions, not strong individuals, and developing strong and transparent institutions will sustain economic growth"."

Mugabe has a very bad habit of attempting to hoodwink the entire world that the restrictive measures in place are 'illegal economic' sanctions when the sanctions in place are 'targeted travel' measures and are, more often than not, lifted to allow Mugabe and huge delegations to travel the world.

Mugabe claims that the 'sanctions' have caused poverty and economic decline in Zimbabwe, but at no time has he substantiated these claims. He is probably one of the wealthiest people in Africa, but does nothing for the people he purportedly leads.

"Zuma is also likely to leave the EU-South Africa summit empty-handed over his sanctions removal request. Germany’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Albrecht Conze, recently made it clear saying; "There are strictly no restrictions on trade with Zimbabwe, investment in Zimbabwe or on foreign banks lending money to Zimbabwe." The EU is likely to restate the same message and also point to the many millions of dollars it has committed in humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe."

-o00o-

The sad truth about this sort of thing is that Mugabe will point fingers at the West and screech that they are discussing Zimbabwe when it is an 'African' problem. In this case, the subject was brought up by his friend, colleague and shamwari, Jacob Zuma, so his argument is shut down before it even begins.

"South Africa has been accused of "acquiescing" whilst people in Zimbabwe starved, during a hearing with the country's president, Jacob Zuma.

The attack was made by British Conservative MEP Geoffrey Van Orden, as the president appeared in front of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on 29 September 2010.

However President Zuma - who replaced Thabo Mbeki in March 2010 - defended his country's record.

He told MEPs that South Africa "gave leadership before anyone else did", and claimed the country had forced Robert Mugabe to tighten specific clauses in Zimbabwe's constitution, such as on vote counting.

He also urged the international community to lift sanctions to enable the South African Development Community (SADC) to do more to help Zimbabweans."

If I had the opportunity, I would request that Zuma explain just how South Africa has tightened Mugabe's habit of rigging elections and vote counting.

After the first round of the Presidential election in 2008, Mugabe's ZANU PF party seized the ballow boxes and spirited them away for five weeks, only for them to report back after that period that Mugabe had lost to Tsvangirai, but not be the magical 50% plus one vote that he needed to win.

Zuma would probably shrug his shoulders and say that it wasn't during his tenure in office. Would that make Mugabe's mechanisations in rigging elections acceptable?

-o00o-

You will hopefully recall yesterday's report on the war vet leader, Jabulani Sibanda, who is holding meetings in the Masvingo province, during which he threatens voters in Zimbabwe with death if they don't vote ZANU PF.

I wrote that this practise is illegal and should be met with criminal charge.

And, it would appear, that the MDC agree with me...

"The MDC is strongly disturbed that Jabulani Sibanda, a self-styled war veteran, can cause so much suffering in Masvingo province during the past three months without any restraint from the police. It is common cause that Sibanda, with a team of 15 of Zimbabwe's most violent war veterans, is preaching hate, intimidating and dividing the people, inciteing violence and disturbing peace by forcing people to attend his meetings in the province.

Today, Sibanda disrupted classes at Nhema Primary School when he ordered teachers and school children to his rally before proceeding to Fuve Business Centre in Zaka, Masvingo province, where he threatened hundreds of villagers with violence if they stayed away from his meetings in the area."

When I was in the ZRP, threatening anyone with violence was a criminal offence. Perhaps the laws have been rewritten in Zimbabwe since then...

-o00o-

"The intimidation of the country's remaining commercial farmers is once again intensifying, and there have been no attempts from the government, particularly the Prime Minister, to prevent more illegal farm seizures.

Farmers across the country have turned to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to put a stop to ongoing land attacks, which have continued regardless of his presence in the unity government. But the pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears, and the situation is once again beginning to take an ugly turn.

Catherine Jouineau-Meredith's Twyford Farm was burned to the ground earlier this month by the ZANU PF senator who has led violent attacks on the property since last year, claiming he has an 'Offer Letter' for the property. Senator Jamaya Muduvuri moved on to the farm in March this year after successfully evicting Jouineau-Meredith, who was ordered to leave the farm and fined US$200 for occupying it "illegally"."

Contrary to Mugabe's policy of limiting the farm ownerships to 'one farm - one family' Muduvuri owns other farms in the country - but somehow this is overlooked. In addition, to what end is the destruction of Twyford farm? What has the Senator achieved? Why destroy something in order to take over ownership?

This is typical Mugabe. He tells the world one thing, whilst, on the ground in Zimbabwe, an entirely different fact is happening. And yet he would have the world believe that the country cannot feed itself because of Western sanctions...

"Muduvuri already owns Shiloh Farm near Kadoma, Mandalay and Brunswick farms near Chegutu, and Hoffmarie Farm in Kadoma, clearly demonstrating that the land grab has nothing to do with 'land reform'. Twyford farm is now the fifth property that he has grabbed to add to his collection of unproductive pieces of land.

"Senator Muduvuri has already looted the once productive farm of all its crops and equipment, and Jouineau-Meredith has repeatedly called on Prime Minister Tsvangirai to intervene over the past year. In March this year, Tsvangirai's office told Jouineau-Meredith to "disengage in Chegutu," and not try to recover her farm equipment and the rest of her belongings. She was assured that a letter cancelling Muduvuri's Offer Letter had been signed by the Prime Minister and Vice President John Nkomo. But after several attempts to get the letter, the Prime Minister's office stopped communicating with her and refused to return her calls.

Jouineau-Meredith wrote another letter to the Prime Minister's office last week expressing anger that there has been nothing but empty promises in reaction to her plight.

"I am now seeking FULL COMPENSATION for the loss of my French BIPPA farm as per the Land Reform Legislation regarding BIPPA farms. The farm represents a FRENCH INVESTMENT in Zimbabwe and is therefore liable for compensation in EURO the day it was taken away from me," Jouineau-Meredith wrote.

Deon Theron, the President of the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that the situation "is returning to the old ways when the land reform programme started." He explained that he is also under threat, again, after already losing three farms since 2000. Theron has been living with his mother Hester, who was last year threatened with a jail term for refusing to leave her dairy farm and home of 50 years. The elderly widow was eventually granted a court interdict that stopped her eviction and was meant to protect her from the 'beneficiary' of her property.

But Theron said that the harassment against him and his mother has intensified despite the court order, and they are now locked out of their home. Theron explained that land invaders, assisted by the police, have managed to break into their home on the farm and lock the family out. The CFU president said that although he has limited access to the farm, land invaders have taken over and even the police have been involved."

And, if the police are called, they hide behind the 'it is political' excuse.

The landgrab, apart from decimating food production in Zimbabwe, has seen commercial farmers and their workers murdered - but we do not see anyone being arraigned in court, even though, in some cases, the perpetrator is known and named.

"It is a very scary, tragic situation, and it can only spell out bad things for the future of this country," Theron said. "There is no respect for international BIPPAs, no respect for our own courts, and as long as we don't have respect for the rule of law, then we are lost."

-o00o-

In a country like Zimbabwe, you would think that people would know better. Do they seriously think that Bennett has gone into hiding? I do believe that they just haven't looked hard enough...

"Lawyers representing High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu in a case in which he is suing MDC-T treasurer Mr Roy Bennett for defamation say the white former commercial farmer has gone into hiding.

Justice Bhunu has filed a US$1 million defamation lawsuit against Bennett over 'distasteful' remarks he reported made in the media against the judge."

Is no one allowed an opinion in Zimbabwe? Yes, Bhunu may have acquitted Bennet (which the State is appealling and judement has now been indefinitiely reserved) but does he have to seek some sort of restitution for that decision? I find it very difficult to understand just ho Bhunu has been able to quantify the 'defamation' in monetary terms - it's not like Bennett's views are going to change his mindset, or that of others, is it?

"Sources from the law firm said efforts to personally serve Mr Bennett since last Friday were proving fruitless as he is reportedly overseas."

Just how they translate being out of the country to being in hiding, I don't know. I must have been absent they day that they changed the interpretation of that.

-o00o-

Take care

'debvhu

Wednesday, 29th September 2010

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated.

-o00o-

Just as I said they would, ZANU PF have declared Ephraim Masawi a national hero. In my mind, any senior member of the party - regardless of their history - is a 'national' hero when they die. ZANU PF will not declare any MDC member a hero and so the 'national' part of the status is now subject to debate.

Those that are declared heroes are judged entirely on their ZANU PF activities, not their national activities and so the heroes' acre becomes a party symbol and loses any national status whatsoever.

Heroes acre, as I have written before, is nothing less than a ZANU PF burial society and does not represent the national opinion, rather like the government...

"ZANU PF deputy commissar Cde Ephraim Masawi, who died on Saturday after a battle with blood cancer, has been declared a national hero.

The 'Man of the People' will be buried at the National Heroes' tomorrow."

And so the farce is set to continue. Was Masawi a 'Man of the People'? Did his actions in government warrant him being and national hero, or has his membership and participation in ZANU PF clouded that view, blinkering people to the truth?

-o00o-

Let's face it, Mugabe is a sly old man. When he discovers that some act or appointment has got under the skin of the MDC, he becomes as stubborn as they come - not only because he is aware that the act or appointment is unsettling, but because he likes to prolong the angst as long as possible.

Whilst I do know that it would be impossible for the MDC to mask their unhappiness at the appointment, unilaterally, of the Attorney General, life has, nonetheless, got to carry on.

But the MDC should be aware that Mugabe loves rubbing their noses in the power that he holds and he will do it time and time and time again...

"Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has accused attorney general Johannes Tomana of promoting what he described as a culture of impunity and stymieing efforts to ensure the rule of law in the country.

Speaking in Harare on Monday, Tsvangirai said "deliberate violations of the rule of law" was a constant challenge for the coalition government and accused Tomana of failing to fulfill his constitutional mandate.

"This campaign (violations of the rule of law) is made possible by an Attorney General that takes his orders from his political masters, rather than fulfilling his constitutional mandate role.

"In this he is often aided and abated by some government ministers, members of the judicial and senior members of the security," Tsvangirai told delegates a meeting organized by the Centre for Public Accountability in Harare on Monday."

When presented with tough decisions, then they have to be made. Enough of the softly-softly approach. Mugabe overstepped the mark when he appointed Tomana - and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's governor, Gideon Gono - and therefore, at the very least, the MDC should have the law/constitution on their side.

To allow the appointments to continue unchallenged for as long as they have is to tacitly agree to the appointments.

"The MDC-T leader however warned that those behind violations of human rights would be made accountable.

"At the end of the day accountability is about being answerable to the people for your actions, deliverable vision and values.

"Those that continue to promote the culture of impunity can not hide from the people forever," he said."

-o00o-

This sort of report does nothing to assist the people of Zimbabwe, and, indeed, will embolden Mugabe to carry out even more of his partisan attacks on the people, the law and the constitution.

If the ICC is not willing to prosecute, surely the acts of the 1980s still can be prosecuted under what little decent remains of the Zimbabwean constitution?

"Former Constitutional Court judge Richard Goldstone on Monday said levelling war crimes charges against Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe would not be possible.

Goldstone has led a number of independent probes for the United Nations Security Council and made headlines last year with controversial war crimes allegation against both Israel and Hamas for the Gaza invasions at the end of 2008.

He said while there were serious reports about crimes against minority groups in Zimbabwe during Mugabe's reign in the late 1980s and most of the 1990s, they fell outside the ambit of the International Crimes Court."

War crimes is one thing - crimes against humanity is something entirely different.

If the ICC is unwilling to pursue any charges against Mugabe, surely the criminal courts in Zimbabwe - even if they are decidedly pro-Mugabe - has the necessary jurisdiction to prosecute him and a lot of his loyalist supporters?

The crime of murder holds no statute of limitations...

"Firstly, the court has no jurisdiction on anything that happened prior to the 1st July 2001. Secondly, Zimbabwe is not a member of the court and therefore the court has no jurisdiction over any war crimes committed in Zimbabwe," said Mugabe."

Mugabe said that?

If what Goldstone says is correct, then Mugabe must be breathing a lot easier this morning.

Sadly, this will just encourage Mugabe to operate even further outside the law. Even though the ambit would include any new crimes, because Zimbabwe is not a member of the court, he will continue with his reckless and destructive rule.

-o00o-

Has a crime not been committed here? How can a ZANU PF stooge threaten people with death and not face any corrective action?

"Controversial Zimbabwe war veterans national chairman Jabulani Sibanda who is conducting warning rallies here has stunned villagers by telling them that he was "sent to warn all sell-outs in the area that ZANU PF is ready to kill them if they fail to join his party before campaigns for next elections has begun".

Zimbabwe is likely to hold next elections in 2011.

Sibanda is currently staying at Chief Nhema’s home in Zaka. Together they have forced villagers to attend a number of rallies since the beginning of last week.

"He is here forcing us to go for his rallies. In fact he said that he is only warning us that the time to repent and join ZANU PF is now because all those who will be waiting for campaigns to start will be choosing death.

"We are now living in terror following Sibanda’s open declaration that ZANU PF is ready to kill and silence all those who turn against it and bite the finger that fed them," said one of the villagers."RadioVOP was informed that Sibanda is supposed to have at least 20 meetings with villagers in Zaka district before moving to another area."

With the news that Zimbabwe is not a member of the International Criminal Court, I envisage a lot more threats like this as the country gears up for yet another election.

But surely threatening the population with death if they do not conform and join Mugabe's party is an offence within itself? I sincerely hope that the constitution has something within it that would seek to stop this sort of activity - not that it seems to apply to the Mugabe faithful.

"Chief Ranganai Bwawanda Nhema who admitted staying with Sibanda, defended the 'war vet'.

"What is wrong with him warning villagers? Did he beat anyone here? I think people are misunderstanding him, he is staying with me and I know his motive - he is here to give people light so that they know what they do before the elections.

"As a Chief here, I am so glad that Sibanda is here to bring light where there was darkness," said Chief Nhema."

If you are a beneficiary of Mugabe's 'kindness' I suppose that we can expect nothing less than total support of the war veterans and their intentions in the country.

"Zaka North Member of Parliament Ernest Mudavanhu has condemned actions by Sibanda calling for the government to take action against the 'war vets' boss.

"He is causing serious harm to the people of Zaka. Instead of healing, he is opening fresh wounds. What kind of warning is Sibanda giving to the people? It is high time government takes action against him," said Mudavanhu."

So much for the provision in the Global Political Agreement that hate speech is halted.

-o00o-

Mugabe often tells international bodies like the UN, and various Western countries to 'go to hell'. But he isn't very happy when he is the target of the same epithet.

"A Bulawayo man was on Monday arrested and dragged to court for saying President Robert Mugabe "should go to hell".

Gareth Fury director of Fisher Motor Engineering Company appeared before provincial senior magistrate, John Masimba on charges of contravening the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

According to the state outline, on September 08 this year, Fury asked Nkululeko Tshuma a director at the same company "to surrender the car and office keys before telling him that he was no longer wanted at the company".

Then the two started exchanging harsh words with Tshuma also telling Fury that "his coming to the company was not done according to the Indigenisation Act".

Fury is quoted to have saying to Tshuma: "If you need the car you should go and get one from your President Mugabe and his indigenisation. To hell with him and his indigenisation.

"He will make the indigenisation work in his house but not in this company. Go and tell him to give you his car and then bring back my company car."

Oh dear. Sour grapes and angry exchanges which leads to a court appearance. And a precedent has already been set with a man being sent to jail for saying that Mugabe was 'old and wrinkled'.

Tshuma must be really proud of himself - and, I am willing to bet, he still has the company car...

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

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.

-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."

-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."

-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."

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu