Links ~ 3 September 2008
September 3rd, 2008
Zimbabwe’s Tsvangirai says new talks unlikely soon (Reuters)
Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said power-sharing negotiations have broken down and are unlikely to resume soon [...] Tsvangirai has protested against a proposed deal, saying it did not give him enough executive powers in government. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader said he refused to sign a deal with Mugabe because the proposal would have given the veteran leader control of security forces.
MDC MPs ejected from swearing-in ceremony as ZANU PF appoints ‘unelected’ councillors (SWRA)
ZANU PF once again proved it does not play by the rules when on Tuesday it unilaterally appointed non-elected councillors at a swearing-in ceremony in Makoni, Manicaland province. There was a commotion between ZANU PF and MDC officials when the District Administrator announced that ‘Minister’ Ignatius Chombo had appointed eight non-elected councillors. This move riled MDC officials who charged that the appointments were made by someone who is ‘no longer Minister,’ and that the major stakeholders, the MDC were not consulted. There is no new ‘government’ at present due to the stalemate between the main political parties, although Robert Mugabe is threatening to announce a cabinet without the main MDC formation.
Service Chiefs engage Mbeki on Zim Talks (The Zimbabwean)
Zimbabwe’s service chiefs, likely to face charges of crimes against humanity should opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai assume power, are believed to be seeking to block possible prosecution by engaging South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is also the South African Development Community appointed mediator in the country’s on-off talks. Heads of the Zimbabwe National Army, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and the Central Intelligence Organisation, reportedly met Mbeki in Pretoria last weekend, in a bid to convince him to persuade Tsvangirai, president of the main Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation, not to prosecute them if the talks result in him taking over power from President Robert Mugabe.
ZANU PF rejects call to share power equally with MDC (ZimOnline)
Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU PF party has rejected calls by African Union chair, Tanzania, that executive power should be split equally between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in a government of national unity. Patrick Chinamasa, ZANU PF’s chief negotiator in power-sharing talks with Tsvangirai’s MDC party said the ruling party would not agree to cede more power to Tsvangirai than what the opposition leader has already been offered under a deal endorsed by southern African leaders. Chinamasa said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had since adopted a framework of a deal Zimbabwe’s rival political leaders agreed to a month ago, before Tsvangirai declined to sign it on the eleventh hour.
NIPC deploys inspectors in schools (Zimbabwe Guardian)
Zimbabwe’s National Income and Prices Commission, NIPC, has deployed inspectors in schools across the country to monitor compliance to gazetted fees after reports from the country indicated that school officials were charging fees in foreign currency. Government has recommended the arrest of those defying a fee structure it announced last week. The Chairman of the NIPC Godwill Masimirembwa said in an interview that any school official caught breaching the law will be arrested and prosecuted.
Zimbabwe ‘retains aid controls’ (BBC)
Aid agencies in Zimbabwe have complained that they remain subject to tight government controls despite the lifting of a ban on food aid. Hopes that the government meant well by lifting the ban “were dashed”, Fambai Ngirande, a spokesman for Zimbabwean aid groups, told the BBC. They have to submit information on their staffing, equipment and operations or risk being barred.
Malnutrition On The Rise In Zimbabwe As Food Becomes Even More Scarce (VOA)
Zimbabwean medical experts say malnutrition is on the rise as food becomes ever more scarce and expensive, and is a contributing factor in many other health problems. Aid workers say a government ban on food distribution by private voluntary associations imposed in June made millions of people more vulnerable. Though the government nominally lifted the ban last week, requirements for re-registration and reporting could keep most NGO’s on the sidelines for weeks to come.
Alarming crisis in Zimbabwe -Urgent Preventive Action Needed (Modern Ghana)
The current political situation in Zimbabwe is alarming and African Leaders must be serious about addressing the problem. Unfortunately, African leaders lack the political will to handle the situation and have been making statements which lack any substance in terms of presenting concrete ways to avoid the impending danger in Zimbabwe. When African leaders make statements such as, “the world community should take action†– what exactly does this mean? What actions are they proposing?
Mugabe to attend Mwanawasa’s burial (ZimOnline)
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will be one of 14 African heads of states and government who will attend the burial of former Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa in Lusaka on Wednesday.
