Links ~ 26 August 2008
Police in early morning raid on MDC in hotel (Zimbabwe Times)
The police besieged a central Harare hotel in the early hours of Tuesday morning and threatened to arrest a number of MDC legislators who are booked there. The police say the names of the targeted Members of Parliament appear on a list of persons wanted by the police. Officers from the Harare Central Police Station’s Law and Order section threatened to break down the door to hotel room number 512 at the Quality International Hotel around 4 am Tuesday. The MDC’s Chipinge East legislator Mateo Mlambo is booked in that room.
FEWS Southern Africa Food Security Update Aug 2008 - 8 million are at risk of food insecurity (Relief Web)
Recently concluded vulnerability assessments indicate that while a majority of households in southern Africa will have adequate food over this consumption season, widespread acute and chronic food insecurity remains a real concern in parts of most countries where these assessments have been conducted. Currently, over 8 million people in seven countries (Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) are at risk of food insecurity between now and March 2009 and require some kind of assistance. Numbers are expected to peak over the November to February hunger season.
FACTBOX-Zimbabwe’s new speaker, Lovemore Moyo (Reuters)
- He was national chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change and won 110 votes in the 210-member assembly, beating a candidate from a breakaway opposition faction.
- Moyo was born in 1965. At the age of 12, he left the rural district of Matobo in Matabeleland for Zambia to help liberate Rhodesia from white minority rule.
- He stayed in Zambia for several years and whilst there, received military training for one of the liberation movements, ZAPU. The group was led by Joshua Nkomo, a rival of Mugabe.
- Moyo became a legislator for Matobo North, in a stronghold of the opposition, in 2000.
- During election campaigning in June, Moyo was detained by police with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai for several hours.
Mugabe to Reconvene Zimbabwe Parliament Tuesday (VOA News)
President Robert Mugabe will reconvene Zimbabwe’s parliament Tuesday after an opposition member was elected parliament speaker yesterday. Some political analysts say they are worried today’s activities will undermine the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). But the MDC is warning President Mugabe’s government not to construe its participation in today’s activities as recognition of Mugabe’s presidency.
Zimbabwe opposition mulls whether to attend parliament opening (AFP)
Zimbabwe’s main opposition was meeting Tuesday to decide if it would attend the opening of parliament for the first time not under the control of President Robert Mugabe since independence 28 years ago. “The party is meeting this morning to look at our position in parliament and whether we are participating or not,” Nelson Chamisa, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesman told AFP.
August 26th, 2008 10:47
I know I’m being pedantic, but please stop calling the MDC the “Opposition”.
They now control the Legislature and deserve to be called the ruling party.
August 26th, 2008 10:51
You guys at home are making critical progress.
When you have time, give some thought about what you want the diaspora to do about this.
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/876426
It is my belief that anyone who does business in Zimbabwe must be held accountable for the impact of their business - during our bad times and our good times. So this is an issue for all times.
Companies cannot get away with ‘externalizing’ their costs so readily in the West though of course they try. Citizen groups hold them to account.
August 26th, 2008 13:45
I’m also curious about this story:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=a1pK5fTBgzzM&refer=africa
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Aug. 26 (Bloomberg) — WPP Plc, the world’s second-largest advertising company, sold its stake in a Zimbabwean ad agency involved in President Robert Mugabe’s reelection for $1…The Daily Telegraph newspaper said Aug. 23 that WPP’s stake was sold to the unit’s chief executive officer, Sharon Mugabe, and that WPP was assured she was no relation to President Mugabe.
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This seems deeply disingenuous of WPP/Imago Young and Rubicam. Getting rid of a politically embarrassing subsidiary that actively helped Zanu-PF’s election campaign by simply secretly handing the keys to one of Mugabe’s associates is a particularly cowardly way of disinvesting.
Although Sharon Mugabe stresses she’s “no relation”, which may or may not be true, this report has her romantically linked to the odious Bright Matonga:
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news250808/advert250808.htm
August 26th, 2008 13:57
“They now control the Legislature”
Only the Lower House. Mugabe controls the Senate. He can also presumably veto any legislation proposed by the Lower House.
August 26th, 2008 14:16
Re: Police in early morning raid on MDC in hotel…
So, Zimbabwe IS a police state after all!
This has got to stop!
BTW, congratulations to the Zimbabwe Olympic team, The came 38th in the medals table out of a total of 87 countries, with one gold and three silver. Not bad at all!
August 27th, 2008 08:23
Hie fellow bloggers. Its been a while since i posted some comment on this blog. Its nice to see that some of the regular bloggers (True Grit, Scotchcart etc..) are still active..
I had gone to Zim just before the March elections only to come back now to SA. I could not afford a generator to power my PC.
Anyway… It seems in Zim one doesnt get enough info than people outside Zim. Something needs to be done about media in Zim.