Links ~ 28 July 2008
Tsvangirai arrives in SA (AFP)
Morgan Tsvangirai leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) flew to Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday afternoon. An MDC source said that Tsvangirai was to consult with his negotiating team. MDC spokesperson George Sibotshiwe told reporters that Tsvangirai was there on private business.
Officials say Zimbabwe talks have broken off (AP)
Talks between negotiators of the MDC and Zanu-PF broke off on Monday and the Zanu-PF representatives returned to Harare for consultations with their leadership. Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche have reportedly gone home to consult with Mugabe about their mandate. It is unclear at this stage whether talks have broken down completely or are only in recess. Few details are forthcoming, as the parties have agreed to a media blackout during the talks in South Africa.
Zimbabwe talks are ‘deadlocked’ (BBC / AP)
Reportedly, talks are deadlocked, after Zanu-PF pushed to have Morgan Tsvangirai leader of the MDC appointed as the “Third Vice-President”. Sources said that not only was it “insulting” but reflected negatively on South African president Thabo Mbeki as facilitator of the talks.
Zim peace talks suspended (The Star)
The Star reports that talks have been suspended until Saturday (Aug 2). Reportedly, the MDC has refused to accept the position of third vice-president for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and has refused to endorse Mugabe’s disputed victory in the June 27 presidential runoff election. MDC spokesperson George Sibotshiwe confirmed that the talks has reached an impasse and said that it will be resumed in the coming days.
Mukoni Ratshitanga spokesperson for SA president Thabo Mbeki said that he was unaware that talks had been suspended. Ratshitanga said, “I reiterate what I have been saying all along, that we do not conduct these talks via the media.”
The MDC negotiating team consists of MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma, Jameson Timba political advisor to Tsvangirai, Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, Lovemore Moyo and Innocent Chagonda.
Zimbabwe negotiators hunt mole, sell world media a dummy (NewZimbabwe.com)
According to NewZimbabwe.com, neogtiators from Zimbabwe’s major political parties sold the world media a dummy on Monday after a story “leaked” out suggesting power-sharing talks being held in Pretoria, South Africa, had broken down … The story is untrue.
The real aim of the leak, NewZimbabwe claism, was to smoke out a mole on the periphery of the talks thought to be selling stories to the media – against the spirit of a media blackout agreed between the negotiators.
Amnesty warns against atrocities in Zim (Cape Times)
Human rights workers say that 25 Zanu-PF militia bases are still operational in the Buhera area in Manhicaland province.
Independent Foreign Service (IFS) has reported that although Zanu-PF bases in the Gokwe district in central Zimbabwe, appear to be dismantled, IFS had seen that the militia had remained in the area and were preventing displaced people from returning to their homes.
Amnesty International (AI) said that it feared that the climate of impunity would continue should political parties reach a deal and amnesty is given to perpetrators of violence. It would mean that the deaths of more than 150 people and the dispersion of thousands would be ignored.
Zimbabwe Political Violence Continues Despite Talks (VOA)
Human rights monitors say that although violence has diminished, three MDC supporters have been killed since talks have begun between the political parties.
A Zimbabwean freelance journalist has been severely beaten and was allegedly accused by police of bringing the country’s name in disrepute.
John Makumbe a political scientist was last week questioned by the police. He was accused of allegedly fabricating cases of political violence.
Curfews are in place in the northern parts of Mashonaland East province, in parts of Manhicaland and Mashonaland Central.
War veterans extort cattle from farmer (The Zimbabwe Times)
War veterans demanded 30 head of cattle and US$1000 in cash from a white farmer, Joe Erasmus of the Chartsworth commercial farming area near Gutu.
Isaiah Muzenda chairperson of the Masvingo war veterans said, “We want Erasmus to pay us because all along he has been utilising our resources. We seized 14 of his 15 farms and left him with one. We feel that he has to pay us for sparing that one”. Muzenda said that if Erasmus fails to pay them, they would invade and take away his farm.
Questions mount over death of undercover journalist in Zimbabwe (Belfast Telegraph)
The grieving family of photojournalist Richard Mills refuses to accept that he committed suicide while on an undercover assignment for The Times newspaper in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean authorities said that Mills had died of asphyxiation by hanging on July 14. The exact circumstances surrounding his alleged suicide are unclear.
On the morning of July 14, Mills had interviewed a white farmer who had been almost been beaten to death for speaking out against Mugabe. Mills had that day signed a guardianship for a young boy, son of Zimbabwean friends of his, who was going to school in Edinburgh. Emails he had sent to his wife showed that he was looking forward to coming home and seeing his young son, who is 5-years old.
CIO implicated in Journalist’s death (Zimbabwe Metro)
The Zimbabwe Metro reports that the Central Intelligence organisation (CIO) has been implicated in the death of Richard Mills, a journalist for The Times newspaper. Mills was found dead in his hotel room on July 14.
Circumstances around Mills’s death seem to follow a pattern by the CIO where murders are disguised as suicides. Moses Bashitiawo from Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, Kavamba ward, was forced by the CIO on April 19 to hang himself. His relatives were forced to bury Bashitiawo on that same night. Hilton Chironga, his mother, sister and a neighbour were forced to drink poison, presumably to make their deaths seem like suicide. Chironga, his mother and sister survived and are currently under medical treatment. Edward Chikombo freelance cameraman was abducted and killed by the CIO in 2007. Chikombo had smuggled a video out of the country showing pictures of a badly injured Morgan Tsvangirai who was beaten by police on 11 March 2007.
Zim refugees draining Botswana resources (SAfm)
Botswana has appealed for international help as the influx of Zimbabwean refugees have reached unmanageable proportions and are draining the country’s resources. Botswana Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani said that the numbers of refugees are increasing and those who have qualified for refugee status could not be sent back to Zimbabwe.
In South Africa, many of the Zimbabweans who have fled to that country, face deportation if they have failed to apply for temporary South African ID cards. Some of the Zimbabweans, in an attempt to escape deportation, have taken to the streets.
Daniel Molokele spokesperson of the Global Zimbabwe forum said that the situation in Botswana is indicative of an “international humanitarian crisis” and that it was of paramount importance that the United Nations should get involved to give assistance to Botswana and the refugees. Molokele said of the situation in South Africa that deportations of Zimbabweans should be completely stopped and that governments should rather invest in a “repatriation process”.
NCA statement on signing of MoU (NCA)
The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) has released a statement on its position on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the three political formations. The NCA say in its statement despite the MoU, violence in Zimbabwe continues, youth militia still mount roadblocks, hate speech proliferate in state controlled media and a partisan security force remains operative. The civil society and masses have been excluded from the “elite” deal making process. The NCA is concerned about ongoing mediations under the leadership of South African president Thabo Mbeki and reiterates that the NCA supports a negotiated settlement that expresses the will of the people as shown by the March 29 polls.
To read the full statement, please follow the above link.
Call For a Public Endorsement Process for the Outcome of the Talks (GZF)
The Global Zimbabwe Forum (GZF), in a statement to the press, welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between political parties in Zimbabwe. The GZF call for a broadening of the mediation process to include key stakeholders in and outside Zimbabwe with specific reference to Civil Society Organisations and the Diaspora Community. GZF is concerned unilateral amendments of the national Constitution will be made without adequate consultation with various stakeholders.
To read the full statement, please follow the above link.
Could inflation fell Mugabe? (BBC)
Analysts say that hyperinflation in Zimbabwe may now be the driving force behind negotiations. Some believe that the collapse of the economy will bring down Mugabe’s regime faster than sanctions ever could. Others say that Mugabe and his henchmen, backed by hard currency revenues, could possibly survive for a year or more. However, Mugabe’s police and armed forces are not immune to the economic chaos in the country and this could have serious consequences for the regime.
Fertiliser Shortage Hits Winter Crop (RadioVOP)
The shortage of ammonium nitrate is seriously affecting the winter crop. Farmers say that their crops are showing signs of severe stress and unless they apply the fertiliser soon there will crop losses. The Zimbabwe Farmers Union has failed to resolve the issue and farmers have not received a single bag of ammonium nitrate. An official of the Tshabalala Grain Marketing Depot confirmed that the depot had run out of fertiliser and could not say when the next delivery would be made. The shortage of fertilizer may cause failure of the winter wheat crop.
SW Radio Africa scoop award at Afro-Brits Awards (SWRA)
SW Radio Africa has won the award for Best Contribution to News Media at the Afro-Brits Awards. The Afro-Brits Awards was held at the Eland Road Pavillion in Leeds, UK and was put together by Zimbabwean entrepreneur Natty Zvimba.
Italian ambassador returns to Zim (Sapa / AFP)
Italy’s ambassador to Zimbabwe has returned to his post in Harare. Italy recalled the ambassador last month as a “political signal” over election violence. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that they have noticed “some signs of improvements” due to the meeting of the leaders of the MDC and Zanu-PF. Italy said that it would be donating one million euros in bilateral aid to Zimbabwe to improve “a worrying humanitarian situation”.
Batswana want Ceaser Zvayi deported (Zimbabwe Metro)
Since the revelation that one of Mugabe’s surrogates, Ceasar Zvayi, is hiding in Botswana and working as a lecturer at a college, there has been an outcry for his deportation by citizens of that country. Zimbabwe Metro has established that Zvayi is a lecturer at the LimKokWing University in Gabarone. Zvayi is on the blacklist of those targeted by European Union sanctions and travel bans.
Chinamasa rejects 3 star hotel (Zimbabwe Metro)
Zanu-PF’s Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche have rejected staying in a 3-star guesthouse in Tshwane. Accommodation was booked for the negotiating teams at the Ingwenya Country Escape in Muldersdrift near Johannesburg. The group was moved to a 5-star venue the following day.
SA border post swamped by asylum seekers (SABCnews)
Zimbabweans applying for asylum status are swamping the South African border post at Musina. The refugees have to sleep on the pavements and have neither food, water or ablution facilities.
The Save the Children organisation has expressed its dissatisfaction over the administration of the newly established Refugee Reception Centre in Musina. The organisation said that the centre was not assisting or taking care of displaced children.
SAfrican lawyer confirmed as UN human rights chief (AP)
Navanethem Pillay, a Harvard-educated judge from South Africa, is the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Pillay will be taking over from Louise Arbour, former Supreme Court judge in Canada and who served as commissioner since 2004.
Matonga’s marital drama takes a new twist (The Zimbabwe Times)
Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga, now officially divorced from his British-born wife Anne Pout, has moved in with Zodwa Ngwena, and not Sharon Mugabe as previously reported by The Zimbabwe Times. However, it would seem that Matonga has relationships with both Ngwenya and Sharon Mugabe. Ngwenya who is the owner of a couple of designer boutiques in Harare is also the mother of Matonga’s baby.
Sharon Mugabe is not related to Robert Mugabe but sources say that she is allegedly largely responsible for creating the perception of a family link with the Zanu-PF leader.
July 29th, 2008 12:26
Re: Zimbabwe talks are deadlocked (BBC)
On the same BBC webpage there is the now famous story of the Heidi Holland interview with Mugabe last December. But on a Russian TV channel very recently there was a long interview with one of the very few white journalists allowed to interview Mugabe, and he interviewed him only a few weeks ago, and he also spoke with a number of his top cronies.
Normally, as I don’t speak Russian, I wouldn’t have been able to understand the interview with the journalist (I forget his name), but I was lucky because there was a simultaneous translation of the programme into English.
This man gained an enormous insight into the whole of Mugabe’s regime and its psychology. And he was well received because Mugabe was praising both the Soviet Union as well as present day Russia. He even told the man that he thought it was a pity that Russia today is not as powerful as the Soviet Union was.
One of the overiding points which I remember from this programme was the way that Mugabe told the journalist how he would never be critical of China.
It now occurs to me that if China could be persuaded to officially state that the talks should resume and that a solution should be found, Mugabe would certainly take note of this and it would be probably the only stick which would have any effect on him. I am, of course, not suggesting that China should offer a carrot as well.
July 29th, 2008 15:43
Re: The above Russian Interview:
Watch the video on -
http://russiatoday.ru/spotlight/release/1432/
Click on the video link =right side page
July 29th, 2008 23:49
Interesting to note that the representatives from Zimbabwe are Chinamasa and Goche.
A brief history on these two:
Chinanmasa is the former 80s attorney general who presided over the justification of the mass murders of the people who were in opposition to mugabe in the early eighties. Any appeals to him for the release the of innocent people and some of the disappearances fell on deaf ears. (I remeber him very well with his square lensed goggles)
The CIO wreaked havoc on so called suspects with the defence and protection of this man.
Which leads us to Nicholas Goche. A former CIO supremo in charge of the nation’s intelligence. He oversaw the demise and subsequent death of Ndabaningi sithole who had tried to offer his farm to poor ordinary people.
Ndabaningi Sithole is the original founder of zanu. He was persecuted and died for the sole reason that he had founded the party and was viewed as a stain to mugabe’s lily white leadership of the party. People must know that Mugabe murdered his way into the leadership of zanu.
Anyway. The two repesentatives are a perfect reflection of what Zimbabwe now is and what it is represented by. Cold blooded murderers who still adhere to what they have stood for since independence.
Totalitarianism, fear and deception.
July 30th, 2008 00:53
From the sound of some of the comments in the interview, it appears that we are now a colony of China.
mugabe has sold the country to the Chinese and everyone else. It is a well known fact that, south africa, malysia, libya, china, even russia have been given farming, logging, mining and other numerous business rights to loot the nation. (loot: because the benefits are not nationally benefiting the common man or the state’s coffers)
This is being done in a country with a culture of no accountabilty to anyone. Mines and vast farms are being owned by individuals who are not banking locally nor are they paying taxes. They are authorities to themselves.
It’s an orgy of greed and treason in the name of self determination and sovreignty. Supported by the two big powers along with south africa which shouts the loudest about defending murder.
What a load of pooh!!
Some once talked of making zimbabwe great while zanu made zimbabwe ruins!?
July 30th, 2008 12:29
@ Matibili, 30/7, 00.53
I agree with your comments. This man Rustam Arifdzhanov has tremendous insight into Zimbanwe’s affairs. BTW, it is important to remember that the interview is in two parts, you have to sit through the two minute commercial break. The second part is the most interesting.
One of the comments that Mugabe still seems to have ‘political immunity’ in Africa was a good one. There was also the belief that China is waiting for total collapse before it moves in to pick up as many assets as it can dirt cheap.
It is most important that the country does not allow this to happen.
July 30th, 2008 14:08
True Grit
Thanks for this.
From a Russian this sounds quite detailed. So China is doing the Dafur strategy in Zimbabwe. They have handpicked a dictator, fed him and given him presents in order to loot his nation.
I don’t believe the stamina they accord him though. Even an 89 year old can still have the hots for young girls.
What’s worrying is the archaic stance taken by African leaders towards a despot. They must all be tainted with the same attitudes/style of leadership.
No wonder the expression ‘African solutions for African problems’ still holds. Why don’t we just have tribal leaders, have no elections, use Shona in parliament, wear loin skins and even use batter trade. Surely that’s what we’ve been reduced to.
And the Chinese see us as exactly that, disease ridden, mentally underdeveloped, primitive and easily manipulated tribesmen. Drunk on political philosophies that are too abtract to implement yet usable in times of crisis. Like socialism, communism, blah, blah blah!!
We won’t have any headaches about reducing the number of zeros in the currency and also there would be no banks. Problem solved. We will chant mambo, and svikiro in his presence!!
We’d just revert back to the stone age where we will growl and roar and fight over pieces of flesh.
This democracy nonsense is not working at all. African leaders a just abusing it.
July 31st, 2008 20:21
@True Grit
Well the Russian said it in the interview. It has not taken the chinese long to start picking the spoils even as the talks are under way.
Read the link on Chinese Companies taking over Manicaland mine. Also see the the Mbeki Article on how he is manipulating the politics of Zim to his advantage.
Everyone had suspected this before anyway. He has been given the opportunity to pick and choose from Zim’s fleeing intelligentsia, engineers you name it.
This is really depressing indeed. As long as the runnings of the state are individualist with no national sentiments or patriotism, selfishness will wreck the nation and SLIMEY worms like china and SA will will slowly slither into wounds like mugabe and his elite and take control.