‘Nothing will stop Mugabe forming new govt’: Links ~ 28 -29 August 2008
‘Nothing will stop Mugabe forming new govt’ (ZimOnline)
[Bright Matonga] told the media: “Nothing is going to stop us from forming a new government. We need to move forward, we need to make sure that Zimbabwe regains its status, we need to work on the economy. People are suffering.” The deputy information minister, who dismissed the MDC as “not serious at all”, claimed Mugabe was given permission by Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders to form a government after Tsvangirai refused to sign a power-sharing deal that was endorsed by the bloc’s leaders at a summit in South Africa.
Listening for the trucks that will bring the food in Zimbabwe (IRIN)
Hungry residents of a village in Masvingo Province, in southeastern Zimbabwe, have acquired an unusual skill: they have learnt to listen for trucks carrying food aid. Elijah Banguza, 69, has become the village expert and can now identify vehicles by their sound, long before they appear on the road used by government and non-governmental organisation (NGOs) trucks. The villagers are waiting for the grain the government promised them, but aid agency trucks have not come down the road since a ban was imposed on NGO operations in June.
Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF says no need for more talks (Reuters)
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF said there is no need for further power-sharing talks with the opposition, state media reported on Friday. The Herald newspaper quoted Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who heads ZANU-PF’s team in the negotiations, as saying: “There was no need for more talks since there was a deal already on the table that was waiting to be signed.”
South Africa says Zimbabwe talks to resume (Reuters)
South Africa said Zimbabwean power-sharing talks would resume on Friday despite comment from President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party that there was no need for further negotiations.
Demo over MDC-T legislators’ behaviour (The Herald)
State-controlled media: Addressing the supporters, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa said the party leadership was not amused by the opposition MPs’ conduct in Parliament. “The behaviour of the MDC parliamentarians was very bad and we are not happy at all. “They always strive to destabilise systems of governance in the country and we need to be strong against such machinations,” he said. Cde Mutasa urged party supporters to rally behind Zanu-PF in the face of the threat posed by the opposition party and its backers. “Zanu-PF has to be strong against such actions. We need to deal with such activities by the opposition members,” he said.
When booing a president is of no legal significance - opinion (The Chronicle)
State-controlled media: Is it not ironic that the MDC-T legislators who are celebrating that they won the post of Speaker in the House of Assembly, are the same hypocrites now calling the opening of Parliament “illegitimate”? On Wednesday I woke up to a headline screaming: “MDC says Parliament opening was illegal”. So they took part in an illegal act, and their national chairman is sitting in the chair? And the handing of a petition to President Mugabe after his speech — which they listened to with Mr Lovemore Moyo in chair — calling the process “illegal and of no force and effect”, was really childish. Is the party also saying the election of Mr Moyo was “of no force and effect”?
“The situation is critical” says Red Cross secretary general (AlertNet)
Q. Can you describe for us the situation that communities in Zimbabwe are facing?
A. The situation is severe. This is because of a range of circumstances - the flooding, the droughts and the challenge of not having enough agricultural inputs. Our volunteers who are out in these vulnerable communities are telling us that the reality for many people is very bad.
