Links ~ 14 June 2008
Zimbabwe govt says won’t arrest Tsvangirai (SABC)
June 13, 2008, 20:15 – SABC news reports the following:
Zimbabwe’s government has given the assurance that they will not arrest Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai has been detained four times since returning to Harare last month to campaign for the presidential run-off election on June 17. Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga says they will not arrest Tsvangirai as long as he campaigns peacefully.
[The next day on June 14, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was detained for a 5th time by the Zimbabwean police. Tsvangirai and 11 members of his campaign party were detained for 5 hours before they were released.]
Mugabe vows ‘war’ to keep Zimbabwe opposition out of power (AFP)
Robert Mugabe has vowed to fight rather than let Morgan Tsvangirai leader of the MDC take power should Tsvangirai win the presidential run-off election. “It shall never happen… as long as we are alive and those who fought for the country are alive,” Mugabe said. “We are prepared to fight for our country and to go to war for it.”
The MDC has warned of a campaign of intimidation launched by Zanu-PF ahead of the June 27 presidential run-off election. The MDC secretary general Tendai Biti have been arrested 2 days ago on charges of treason which could carry a death sentence. Biti appeared in a Harare court handcuffed and escorted by an armed police officer. Biti’s lawyer, Lewis Uriri said that he would now be allowed access to his client. Uriri said that Biti had told him that after his arrest, he had been interrogated continuously for 24 hours by 3 different teams. Uriri said that Biti was to be taken to the Matapi police station in the Harare township of Mbare.
UN labour conference urges Zimbabwe to accept investigation mission (AP)
The International Labour Conference has urged the government of Zimbabwe to allow a high-level mission to investigate alleged labour rights abuses. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that it was deeply concerned over the escalation in human rights abuses and labour rights abuses in Zimbabwe. The physical safety of trade unionists is under constant threat. Labour leaders are being arrested and harassed by the Zimbabwean police. Representatives of the government of Zimbabwe chose not to participate in the debate and viewed proceedings from the spectator’s gallery.
Zimbabwe cut off from independent news: fact-finding mission (Africasia)
An African fact-finding mission said that Zimbabweans have been cut off from independent news. The South Africa Editors’ Forum (SAEF) is one of several groups, which were involved in sending a group of 6 people on a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe. Rob Jamieson of SAEF said that if journalists in Zimbabwe wanted to obtain the facts about a story, they could expect to get into trouble. Gabriel Avite Baglo of the Africa office of the International Federation of Journalists said that there was “constant fear,” amongst the journalists interviewed. The mission reported that the Zimbabwean police have been confiscating radios and ordering people to take down their satellite dishes, which means that the people living in rural areas have no access to outside news. There are no private radio or television stations in Zimbabwe. Foreign publications are now taxed as luxury items and taxed at 40% of the total cost per kilogram.
Letter to UN envoy on eve of departure for Zimbabwe (The Zimbabwean)
Reporters Without Borders wrote to United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Haile Menkerios asking him to take account of the current climate of fear for the independent media in Zimbabwe when he arrives in Harare for talks with the government next week.
The text of the letter can be viewed at the above link.
Students Arrested in Bulawayo (The Zimbabwean)
State security agents in Bulawayo arrested Zwelithini Viki a former University of Zimbabwe secretary general, and Trust Nhubu former information and publicity secretary at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) on June 12. The students were training polling agents for the upcoming presidential run-off election. The police confiscated their training material and both students are being detained at Donnington police station. No charges have been laid against them. There is serious concern for their physical safety.
Zambian bishops prod SADC (Daily Mail – Zambia)
The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has urged the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take stronger action against the political and economic crisis developing in Zimbabwe. The Zambia Episcopal Conference called on the government of Zimbabwe to ensure an environment, which is conducive for the presidential run-off election as intimidation, torture, and abductions will not contribute to a free and fair poll. The bishops said that the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission has lost all credibility because of the manner in which the March 29 general election was conducted. They called on the SADC, African Union, and the United Nations to ensure that there is change in Zimbabwe and that Robert Mugabe should be made to understand the serious concerns regarding the lack of democratic rule, or respect for human rights, or justice and peace.
Caritas and Catholic Church warns of Zimbabwe catastrophe (Reliefweb)
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez president of Caritas Internationalis and Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference said in a joint statement that the suspension of international aid activities by the government of Zimbabwe and the ongoing political violence meant that millions of Zimbabweans are suffering. They said that the situation was shocking and disastrous. They call on the international community and especially South Africa to increase pressure on the government of Zimbabwe to reverse the inhumane suspension of international aid and to prevent the violent repression of Zimbabweans. Archbishop Tlhagale said that quiet diplomacy does not feed people and allows the current structures (in Zimbabwe) to threaten the survival of those most vulnerable.
Kabbah heads AU observer team to Zimbabwe’s run-off election (Pana)
The African Union (AU) Commission announced that former Sierra Leone President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah would lead the team of AU observers to be deployed in Zimbabwe ahead of the presidential run-off election. The Commission said, “It is important that the second round of the presidential election be held in a peaceful, free, transparent and fair manner.” It said that it would spare no effort to ensure that the presidential run-off election is completed successfully. AU observers will arrive in Zimbabwe as from Sunday, June 15 at the invitation of the Zimbabwean government.
Botswana protests to Zimbabwe over election crackdown (MNN)
The government of Botswana has made a formal protest against the arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai leader of the MDC by the Zimbabwean government. Pandu Skelemani foreign minister of Botswana said that in their (Botswana’s) view “democratic elections meant that people must be free to campaign.”
June 15th, 2008 12:39
Dear Hope…Lots going on and I expect it won’t get any better in the short term.
Surfing yesterday I stumbled upon a post in the Harare Tribune relating to an orphanage called Mother of Peace. A subscriber calling himself Chico C alleges that the orphanage is a partial front for ZPF collection of FOREX to help run their campaign.
I have looked at the evidence and it is thin, but there is a site which is called motherofpeace.net and is run by the orphanage that has a very direct link with ZPF and their propaganda. I have e-mailed the organization and asked for clarification. No results yet.
June 15th, 2008 12:44
Further info…The article is by Eddie Cross
link is..http://www.hararetribune.com/Articles08/Articles06/Articles13/news135.php
June 15th, 2008 13:40
A colleague who visited Mother of Peace several years ago said that the orphanage, at that time, was a wonderful place doing great work, and commented they’d be extremely disappointed if this was true. At this point we haven’t heard anything to substantiate the allegations made by ‘Chipo C’.
Sok
June 15th, 2008 13:42
I am trying to make sense of the news item:
Mugabe vows ‘war’ to keep Zimbabwe opposition out of power.
Since 1999 the MDC have been an ever increasing voice in trying to bring true democracy to the people of Zimbabwe. In recent years they have had a substantial representation in the House of Assembly. Now they have at last gained a recognised majority in Parliament in the recent election, and Morgan Tsvangirai as leader of the MDC is about to run in a presidential run-off against Mugabe in which he is assured by far the greatest support of the people; and yet Mugabe purports to declare openly that should this leader oust him by fair means from his present role of acting President he will not allow this, and he will wage a rebellious war within the country to prevent it.
This war would, I presume, have to involve the Zimbabwean defence forces, but they are supposed to be under the control of the elected President, which would be Tsvangirai, if he wins after June 27th. [Constitution, Ch.X
96(2) The supreme command of the Defence Forces shall vest in the President as Commander-in-Chief and, in the exercise of his functions as such, the President shall have power to determine the operational use of the Defence Forces.]
Does Mugabe intend to lead a breakaway faction of the Defence forces comprised of his former freedom fighters in order to maintain the status quo and his own power in the face of his own defeat, i.e. civil war? Or does he plan to usurp Tsvangirai’s power by snatching the country back by means of permanent military rule, i.e. armed insurrection and military takeover? Whatever his intentions are in this respect, it is as certain as night follows day that it could not work, by simple reason of the fact that the world, and Africa in particular, has moved on from the notions of colonial struggles which Mugable is still obsessed with. He is living in a time warp, and bringing millions of innocent victims into this time warp with him. The modern world needs new thought processes far beyond those which Mugabe is capable of. It needs to find ways of producing food economically and efficiently, to produce new forms of energy,to combat diseases like Aids efficiently, and to help emerging nations and economies build on their own resources to become and remain prosperous. Africa is already on the verge of a great breakthrough and important milestone in its evolutionary history. It could very well, within the first half of the 21st century,become as prosperous as Europe or America. But it will not do so if despots like Mugabe, who are remnants of a bygone age, are
allowed to keep their hold on power and influence.
June 15th, 2008 14:01
Mugabe’s rantings about his eagerness to go to war got good news coverage in Australia media Sunday. Good to see Prime Minister Rudd and his Foreign Minister Stephen Smith also eager to take further action, whatever that may be. And good to see these ministers continuing to take a stand against this villain.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/australia-considering-zimbabwe-action/2008/06/15/1213468213323.html
Also the SBS network interviewed Tendai Biti’s brothers, as a show of strength for him. They confirmed the absolute farce of the charges of treason against him.
And looking at part of Mugabe’s speech, he doesn’t appear to be fully in control, his behaviour suggests he’s on some kind of medication.
June 15th, 2008 14:39
Don’t know if everyone can access this online book “The Battle for Zimbabwe”, but chapter 12 - The Money Trail” is particularly interesting, with regard to the enormous rewards from Zimbabwe’s military role in the DRC in the late 90’s.
http://tinyurl.com/5kzkab
It also shows nothing seems to have changed from previous ZANU-PF unfair election practices. They seem to be an exact copy of the previous one as described in this book.
June 15th, 2008 22:17
Former Zipra commander and former Home Affairs minister, Dumiso Dabengwa, has thrown his weight behind Morgan Tsvangirai (in the 29 March poll he backed Simba Makoni who came third). He declared his position on Friday. This is likely to boost Morgan’s campaign.
Read it here at:
http://allafrica.com/
Click on:
Zimbabwe: Former Top Minister Backs Opposition
June 16th, 2008 17:20
A spider is a harmless thing especially the thin and well meaning type that are found in people’s homes, meant to trap flies mosquitos and other flying pests in the home. Mugabe and his followers are displaying the same fear I sometimes see when people behold the poor spider. They want to kill it without a clue as to its advantages. They are freaked out by its ability to absail from corner to corner in the home (MDC’s versatilty). Such fear is a typical indicator of paranoia and squirmishness. That ZANU fist is after all a symbol of a frightened oppressor’s bullying, not might. What ever happened to the Magambas and Amaqhawe(ayephethe umntwana) the Zapu card’s insignia. Were they nurturing the population in order to decimate them thus? The comrades were suddenly rescued from poverty (pushing scanias at Renkini and Mbare), to stooges coerced by a promise of untitled land which was poorly resdistributed. They haven’t even demanded deeds to secure ownership of this but have swallowed the sepernt’s murderous gospel of protecting Zimbebwe’s sovreignty (which in reality, is upholding a dictator’s grasp on power till he dies). How shot sighted. Show me the man who calls himself a true warvet and I’ll truely show you a person disgusted by a dictator who has pervetd everything that African nationallism was about. War vets in Mugabe’s context are tired old men who have dehumanised their youth and turned them against their own mothers, sisters, brothers and even the aged. How mad this chimurenga has become!!