Links ~ 23 – 24 August 2008
August 24th, 2008
Mugabe challenges Zimbabwe opposition with parliament meeting (Africasia)
The Zimbabwe parliament meets Monday for the first time since elections that unleashed a major crisis and increased President Robert Mugabe’s international isolation. Mugabe will swear in newly elected members of parliament in a new challenge to opponents of his three decades in power. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of Morgan Tsvangirai said it opposes the calling a parliamentary session but will attend the swearing-in on Monday. The meeting is also to elect a new speaker ahead of the official opening of parliament on Tuesday.
Themba-Nyathi Tipped For Speaker’s Post (The Zimbabwe Standard)
Paul Themba Nyathi of the Arthur Mutambara-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has emerged as the strongest candidate for the powerful post of Speaker in the Seventh Parliament which convenes tomorrow. Zanu PF has proposed John Nkomo for the post. Nyathi, who is a war veteran and former MP for Gwanda, is said to be more acceptable to Zanu PF because of his background in the liberation struggle and is also winning support from MPs from the rival MDC-T.
CIO plans to arrest MDC MPs en route to parliament (The Zimbabwe Metro)
The Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) has been instructed to arrest newly elected MDC Members of Parliament on their way to parliament to prevent the MPs from being sworn in and the MDC from winning the powerful speaker position,sources told Metro. State agents in Masvingo,Midlands and Manicaland are watching the newly elected parliamentarians round the clock to prevent them from leaving their constituencies bound for the capital. Three Members of parliament-elects in Manicaland and three in Masvingo have gone into hiding.
Food rots as Zim aid ban continues (The Mail and Guardian)
Aid agencies in Zimbabwe remain barred from reaching millions of starving Zimbabweans, despite two separate agreements in the inter-party talks on the lifting of the aid ban. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change last month called for the lifting of all restrictions on the work of aid groups. A subsequent joint statement condemning violence also called for humanitarian assistance to be allowed into the country and for aid to reach thousands of victims of political violence. However, Robert Mugabe’s government has still not lifted the ban it imposed before the June 27 presidential run-off election, based on claims that NGOs were using food aid to campaign for the opposition.
World Bank says ready to help Zimbabwe (The Zimbabwe Times)
The World Bank says it is ready to help Zimbabwe out of its economic crisis if the country demonstrates a willingness to cooperate with the Bretton Woods institution and presents a credible economic recovery plan. [...] Panzer said the World Bank expected Zimbabwe to unveil a plausible economic recovery plan. Panzer, who joined the World Bank in 1990, rejected allegations that the Bretton Woods institution was denying lending to Zimbabwe because of sanctions or expectation of regime change. He said Zimbabwe had failed to pay its debts and that is why it was not eligible to lending and the Zimbabwean authorities were aware of this, he said. He said that the World Bank still had offices in Harare and that the Zimbabwe government remains a member of World Bank despite defaulting on its obligations to the bank since 2000.
Journalist Violet Gonda interviews politician David Coltart and analyst Brian Kagoro (SWRA – Broadcast 15 August 2008)
” Let me start with David. The Herald reported that a deal had been signed by Arthur Mutambara and Robert Mugabe, now as far as you know did Mutambara sign an agreement or this is a divide and rule tactic by the regime? ” Read the full interview here.
August 24th, 2008 16:35
What is going on with Arthur Mutambara’s MDC faction? They seem to be a breakaway faction in name and deed also. A couple of months before the presidential runn-off they expressed solidarity with Morgan Tsvangirai saying that both their aim were united in preventing Mugabe from sabotaging the will of the people. No they say that there is no lasting solidarity agreement and that they are even about to vote for a Zanu-PF Speaker. It seems that, as a unity of change and democratic purpose, they are not to be trusted.
August 25th, 2008 17:29
Sounds like Coltart is a theorist, big time, in a hurry to see an agreement being signed.
I’m afraid he overlooks the very detailed nature of zanu’s evil tactics which he aptly describes in this interview.
I’d rather take Tsvangirai’s stance than fall into the deep pit of zanu deception which will take decades to correct.
I’m afraid Mr. Coltart got it wrong this time and got it wrong anyway by choosing to be led by Mutambara, who will/has soiled his seemingly glorious legal reputattion.
Colluding with people who expected makoni to be their president, is like having the road sense of a frog or a hedge-hog, I’m afraid.