Links ~ 10 July 2008
70 year old woman latest casualty of ZANU PF brutality (SWRA)
A 70-year old woman from Bindura has died from burns sustained when she was pushed into her cooking fire by Zanu-PF youth militia.
The MDC said in an email, “A wonderfully brave old lady, died from terrible burns to her body. She had fought the agony of her injuries for nearly a month. Attached are the pictures of what 18 Zanu PF youth did to her because she was a known MDC activist in Bindura.’ After beating her, they threw her into her cooking fire.â€
Warning: The second image is very graphic
We will annihilate MDC – generals promise Mugabe (The Zimbabwean)
A credible source within the Zimbabwean security forces said that Mugabe had held a secret meeting with his military junta and that the generals have assured Mugabe that they would ‘target and eliminate the MDC from the political map in Zimbabwe’. The alleged meeting was held shortly after Mugabe returned from the African Union (AU) summit in Egypt. The military junta’s Constantine Chiwenga, Augustine Chihuru, Perrence Shiri and Emmerson Mnangagwa attended the meeting. The junta has a comprehensive operation planned that will target the MDC officials at all levels, cell, ward, district, province, and national levels.
For a list of the key hitmen identified as part of the operation and more details on the operation, please follow the above link.
Zanu-PF places a new order for arms from China - Money for arms (The Zimbabwean)
China North Industries Corporation has received an order for military hardware to the amount of US$65.9 million from Zanu-PF. Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi has clinched the deal with China. A senior army official said that the Zimbabwe National Army had to “bolster its equipment holdings by new acquisitions in order to fulfil its designated roles”.
Zimbabwe Political Violence Takes On New Forms, Including Poisoning (VOA)
Poisoned by Zanu-PF militia
A mother and her son are fighting for their lives in a Harare hospital after they were force-fed poison by Zanu-PF militia. The victims are from Chiweshe in Mashonaland Central province. It is reported that 3 other people are dead in the same incident in Chiweshe.
New Zanu-PF torture camps in Gokwe-Kabuyuni, Midlands province
Sources said that Zanu-PF militia has set up new torture camps in the Gokwe-Kabuyuni constituency. During the weekend, MDC MP Costain Muguti and 30 other people were abducted by Zanu-PF militia and severely beaten.
New Zanu-PF base camps in Manicaland province
MDC spokesperson Pishai Muchauraya said that Zanu-PF militia have established new base camps in the Manicaland province. War veterans and Zanu-PF militia have set up kangaroo courts in the bases. MDC supporters are tried and sentenced in these ‘courts’ to do community service, which amongst others entails working on an irrigation project in Gonzoni in the Chimanimani West constituency and repairing roads.
MDC official and activists remain in detention – Matabeleland North
MDC MP elect Pearson Mbalekwa and 15 others remain in police detention in Hwange for allegedly inciting violence.
8 Ruwa refugees still missing (SWRA)
There is still no sign of the 8 refugees who went missing following an attack on the Ruwa refugee camp. The missing was part of a group who sought refuge at the South African embassy in Harare. The group was removed to what the embassy called a “place of safety†in Ruwa. The South African embassy said that security would be provided for the group and that they will be accommodated in a ‘rehabilitation centre’. The group however found that they had to provide their own security and most of them had to live in a squash court on the premises. Some 20 armed and masked men attacked the group on Sunday. Eight people were hospitalised and 14 young men were found to be missing after the attack. Six of the young men have later returned to the camp.
Reportedly, the Ruwa camp is closely monitored by riot police and has been ‘inspected’ on Tuesday by armed, uniformed men who threatened the refugees. On Wednesday, the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare told state media that the group would be returned to their homes in Epworth as calm has returned to that region.
Draft Security Council Resolution on Zimbabwe (The Zimbabwean)
Full text of the Draft Security Council Resolution on Zimbabwe to be presented to the UN Security Council.
Top ANC officials meet Mugabe (AFP)
Leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) have met with Mugabe on Wednesday. ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe and secretary general Gwede Mantashe allegedly expressed support for dialogue to end the political crisis in Zimbabwe. The details of the meeting were not disclosed. The ANC leaders have also met with Zimbabwe’s vice-presidents, Joyce Mujuru and Joseph Msika.
Jacob Zuma blasts Mugabe for not stepping down (SWRA)
South Africa – Jacob Zuma has again rebuked Mugabe for not stepping down. Zuma said, “In Africa we have some political leaders who refuse to bow out and try to change the constitution to accommodate themselves as in neighbouring Zimbabweâ€. Zuma who is president of the ANC has become increasingly critical and outspoken of Mugabe and the political crisis in Zimbabwe. Zuma’s criticisms differ radically from South African president Thabo Mbeki’s police of ‘quiet diplomacy’ as mediator in the crisis.
The Dirty Half-Dozen: The generals who are even more ruthless and bloodthirsty than Mugabe (Daily Mail – UK)
Andrew Malone’s article in the Daily Mail (UK) on July 5 exposes the six men behind the campaign of terror against the people of Zimbabwe. Recommended reading.
July 11th, 2008 15:55
And the world is quiet and they jump around threatening sanctions and yet they DO NOTHING!!!! So are we waiting for another Rwanda? Or do we just wait until there is no-one let?
July 11th, 2008 17:55
I have met Perence Shiri in real life in the 80s. Trust me the picture shown looks good. To me he struck me as a cannabis abusing red-eyed orgre. He boasted that he had killed lots of young Metebele boys. This was at an officers’ mess.
Then, I thought the issue was that of subduing a tribe which was being made to succumb to a new leadership by a different tribe.
The TV and radio were flooded with Zanu songs Like ‘zanu vanhu, vahnhu izanu’ played adnauesium along with 5 year plans ‘Gore rekusandura …blah blah blah’ etc. Speaking si Ndebele in Harare was akin to signing your death warrant. The Matebele were dissidents, period. Few people in Harare undersstood or sympathised with the plight of the Matebele people then.
There were military advisors from Britain and everywhere else who came to offer military advice during this period. No news was relayed to the west about the atrocities. And Mugabe was wallwing in the western limelight as the true African revolutionary until Mandela was released.
Perence Shiri has been in the UK as late as the early 2000s doing some military course.
Now, we have an issue here. These people in all honesty needed psychological help, then, rather than military advice and training. After their so called military venture in Matebeleland they felt invincible. It is shocking to see this happening to the Shona the junta’s own people, because they are obviously in the majority and they have now denounced their heroes whom they used to praise sing and encourage to perpetrate these murders to get rid of the scum in the form of people from Matebeland as well as the Midlands.
They forgot one thing. That the so called junta was learning a lesson about dictatorship. That you could maintain it by public torture, using brainwashed youth.
Now no one is singing Zanu praise songs, they sre singing funeral ones, countyrwide. I pity Robert M. He dug his pit let him fall in it. Indeed he is slipping into it. As for Grace I wonder if she accords him any conjugal rights any more.
Remember there’s wind that she is related to Chiwenga, making Mugabe a perfect victim of this JOC web and manipulation.
And China has signed another arms deal with these people.
God help us!!
July 11th, 2008 18:44
The Archbishop of York’s support for a protest about the situation of Zimbabwean refugees was covered by the BBC + ITN today, which is wonderful.
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7501288.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7502187.stm
ITN:http://itn.co.uk/news/05d4f6b6cb0e104c13fa8424010dc1cb.html
July 11th, 2008 22:50
The Channel Four News report can be viewed here
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1529573111/bclid1659956787/bctid1662450021
and there’s an embed code available
July 12th, 2008 09:35
Paul thanks for keeping us up to speed on this story I posted your blog in various place I hope you got lots of hits…heres hoping UK Home Office works out how to solve this problem and common sense will prevail..It’s only taken us all 10 years to persuade them there is a problem in Zimbabwe lets hope it will not take them that long to solve it…every news item in the media from every angle will not let this slip onto the back burner.
July 16th, 2008 05:02
Seems like Black Empowerment being used for wrong reasons.
Mbeki needs Mugabe faction to succeed with the Land Grab
as he plans same for SA. It’s all or nothing for him same as Mugabe.
Mao killed 60 million in re-arranging his country, and that’s what
these men have in mind.
July 21st, 2008 04:38
How the world just continues to sit back and watch is beyond me. What I find even more appalling is how African leaders don’t seem to be helping much and taking any action to help the situation in Zimbabwe. It looks like it is at a point where Zimbabweans at home are living in fear and will not dare to take drastic measures to help the nation.