Links ~ 8 November 2008
November 8th, 2008
Zimbabwe: End Ruling Party’s Abuses ~ Human Rights Watch
Despite a power-sharing agreement, Zimbabwe’s de facto ruling party continues to use the police and justice system as a weapon against opposition supporters and civil society, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch said Southern African leaders meeting on November 9, 2008, should insist the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) fulfill its formal commitment to respect human rights, made when it signed an agreement on September 15, to share power with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The 47-page report, “‘Our Hands Are Tied’: Erosion of the Rule of Law in Zimbabwe,” documents how ZANU-PF has compromised the independence and impartiality of judges, magistrates and prosecutors and transformed the police into an openly partisan and unaccountable arm of ZANU-PF. The report also documents how police routinely and arbitrarily arrest and detain MDC activists, using harassment and detention without charge as a form of persecution. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold its summit meeting on November 9 to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.
Regional leader gather for Zim summit ~ IOL
Johannesburg – Southern African leaders were under pressure to get tough with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe as they gathered on Saturday for a last-ditch effort to save a stalled power-sharing deal. Ministers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – a regional security organ – were due to meet in Johannesburg, a day before their leaders hold talks with Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Zimbabwe’s MDC Denies `Ridiculous’ Claim It Has Military Bases ~ Bloomberg
Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change denied as “absolutely ridiculous” a claim made by President Robert Mugabe’s party that it has established militia bases in neighboring Botswana…..Botswana dismissed the claim yesterday and invited the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, a development body comprising 15 African states based in Botswana, to investigate immediately.
Zimbabwe Central Bank Reimburses Global Fund – New Monies Uncertain VOA
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria expressed satisfaction on Friday at the release by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe of US$7.3 million in monies which had been provided to the country but that the central bank had failed to produce for months. The Global Fund issued a statement saying that the Reserve Bank late Thursday “released US$7.3 million…which it had held on behalf of three commercial banks” since late 2007 when it obliged commercial banks to “lodge” hard currency with the central bank.
Zim barters 3.5 tonnes of ivory for guns ~ Zimdaily
The 3.5 tonnes of ivory sold for over US$450,000 by the bankrupt Zimbabwe regime of Robert Mugabe to Chinese buyers in Harare on Monday is thought to have been part payment for military hardware set to be flown into the Zimbabwean capital soon, top official sources said. Worth almost USD50 million, the one-off sale has been okayed Geneva-based secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) amid protests from wildlife rights groups. News of the illicit guns-for-ivory deal has rekindled fears among wildlife organisations that the Zimbabwean government’s official claim to be a protector of the elephant is a sham.
Fear, violence grip Zim as deadlock persists: Rights group ~ Zimonline
Zimbabwe remains blanketed in a climate of fear because of continuing political violence as the country’s political leaders bicker over sharing of key Cabinet posts in a proposed unity government, a local human rights group has said. The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) said in its latest report released this week that cases of political violence and human rights abuses shot up 39 percent from August to September – ironically the same month Zimbabwe’s political leaders agreed to bury the hatchet and join hands in a unity government. The rights group said: “Violence toll increased by 39 percent from its August level of 964 to 1336 by September with incidents of murder, rape, kidnapping, assault, looting, harassment, displacements . . . maintaining a disturbing visibility after the signing of the 15 September power-sharing Agreement.
Apology to Prof Welshman Ncube ~ The Zimbabwe Times
We wish to take this opportunity to tender to Professor Welshman Ncube, secretary general of the Arthur Mutambara-led faction of the Movement for Democratic Change and representative of the same party at the ongoing power-sharing negotiations, our sincerest apologies for any embarrassment, inconvenience or ridicule that an article that appeared on this website early this week might have caused to him.
