Links ~ 23 October 2008
October 23rd, 2008
Zimbabwe Crisis Summit in Danger ~ VOA
Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change says political events in Zimbabwe illustrate that the ZANU-PF party of President Robert Mugabe is not committed to genuine power sharing. The MDC statement cites as examples, the continued dominance by ZANU-PF of the sate media, Mr. Mugabe’s unilateral appointment of ZANU-PF personnel to all the country’s provincial governors positions, and Mr. Tsvangirai’s lack of a passport.
Corruption fears over £300m UN aid ~ The Telegraph
The Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, administered by the United Nations and funded by Britain, America and other critics of the Harare regime, has agreed in principle to Zimbabwe’s request for help. Jon Liden, its communications director, confirmed that Zimbabwe had applied for almost $300 million to fight Aids, $58 million to combat tuberculosis, almost $60 million for malaria and $83 million for its health service in general. This application had cleared the most important hurdle by gaining approval from the “technical review panelâ€. [...] But Zimbabwean law states that all foreign exchange must be deposited with the Reserve Bank. Gideon Gono, its governor and one of Mr Mugabe’s closest allies, routinely delays releasing any funds. The Reserve Bank held on to $600,000 for one aid programme for several months. A senior official with one donor organisation in Harare said that some funds had actually gone missing after arriving at the Reserve Bank. “The next round of money is desperately needed in Zimbabwe, but no one will feel good about any going into the RBZ [Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe],†he said.
Egypt offers emergency food aid to Zimbabwe ~ APA
Egypt has agreed to provide emergency food aid to Zimbabwe in response to an appeal that opposition leader and prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai made to the international community recently, APA has learnt here. Mona Omar, who is an assistant Foreign Minister for African affairs, told reporters here on Wednesday that his boss, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, had agreed to provide the food aid to Zimbabwe as requested.
Zimbabwe Pressed to Release 2 Activists ~ New York Times
Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of two women who were arrested Thursday for leading a peaceful protest in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to demand food for the starving and the immediate formation of a power-sharing government. The women, whom Amnesty called prisoners of conscience, were not brought to court for their bail hearing because prison authorities claimed they had no fuel, the group said. They are Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, leaders of a group called Women of Zimbabwe Arise. The women’s lawyer contended they had no record of criminal convictions and should be released for disturbing the peace, punishable by fine. The prosecutor argued for a denial of bail on grounds the women were likely to commit more such offenses. The magistrate is expected to decide on bail Friday.
Economic crisis hits children harder ~ IRIN
Every morning, six days a week, Brighton Ziruvi, 13, boards a commuter bus for a 12km trip from his low-income suburb of Dzivaresekwa in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, to the central business district. With a satchel full off mobile phone recharge cards strapped to his back, he heads to the street corner he calls his “shop”, and shouts his voice hoarse until dusk, trying to sell to passersby. [...] Ziruvi is among thousands of children below the age of 18 who have quit school and are on the streets trying to help families make ends meet. Education is the last thing on his mind. “What education are you talking about?” he replied when asked. “I’ll probably go back to school next year when the teachers return. That is, if they return. At the moment the classroom doors are locked.”
October 23rd, 2008 14:33
Re: Foreign Aid -
This aid, which is after all funded by the West, should be made conditional upon the power-sharing deal going ahead as originally planned in September. And the Reserve Bank should be properly governed by parliament against corruption and parallel market abuses.
October 23rd, 2008 15:01
The NGOs are stymied by a Reserve Bank bent on stealing the food aid money. They can’t scale up to stop crisis.
So, ways to stop starvation:
Overflying Zimbabwe first with leaflets (to say get out of the way or be squashed..) and then with food aid and dropping it on remote villages. Also emergency medical supplies. This would invade sovereignty and cause an international incident, but hey, starving children (should be ) an international incident and what about the Duty of Care laid out in the UN Economic and Social Rights Treaty for other state parties to provide food in an emergency? Also what about the UN Duty to Protect? This is supposed to prevent mass genocide, even if it means ‘invading sovereignty’ by parties across borders.
A ‘Jarrow March’ style mass exodus of millions out of the country into refugee camps set up for that purpose on the borders with neighbours – on the other side. Once out of the country these people would have better rights under the UNHCR.
Of course the first option might prompt a military response, but the Zimbabwean Airforce could also be warned in advance. I don’t mind who African Union Rapid Response Force would be best. NATO or Europeans otherwise. Mugabe is using starving people as a human shield. Of course he will say the imperialists are invading, but how long will the world put up with being blackmailed by that? How many children….
October 23rd, 2008 15:33
If aid money gets into the hands of Mugabe, Gono or any of the upper echelons of Zanu-pf, guess what it will be used for.
Nobody can now believe that it would find itself being used for the health and welfare of the poorest and most deserving in the community.
If Mugabe won’t accept direct supervised aid, then it’s about time SADC said enough is enough.
But then we’ve been saying that for months and years!!!
Direct intervention has to come sometime; what about now? Or do we have to wait a little longer, perhaps until the foot soldiers in the army, airforce and the police are also feeling the pinch?
Sad for the helpless majority though isn’t it?
You can’t imagine just how much I despise Mugabe. He calls himself a religeous believer too!!!
October 23rd, 2008 16:01
If Tsvangirai continues to be refused a passport, why doesn’t he seek asylum with another African country? This would at least provoke an international incident, be reported by the world press, and may also help to kickstart new governance. It would also show that even a person who has bent over backwards to create change has come to the end of his patience.
October 23rd, 2008 18:42
“Top UN envoy Haile Menkerios was set on Thursday to discuss the political crisis in Zimbabwe with Swaziland’s king, who currently heads an African security body, a foreign ministry spokesperson said.”
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2414992,00.html
October 24th, 2008 04:12
I like Dr Wolla’s suggestions – he is recommending something to DO.It is a humanitarian crisis, which can never be solved by talking.
October 24th, 2008 13:36
I like Dr Wolla’s suggestions too. Who would we contact, lobby, pester, scream at. The film on Sky today says it all and we must DO something. While I hear the comments re invasion excuses etc, if the regime was warned, publically that such a humanitarian drop was planned, with the input of regional leaders, they would have a hard time legitimately stopping it. The problem would be of course, that they would say arms were dropped etc. But I seriously think its worth looking at this further.