SADC scoffs at Zimbabwe’s claim that Botswana is ‘training bandits’
December 17th, 2008
The SADC chair, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, acknowledged that an investigation into the claims had been opened because the allegations had been formally made. But he also said: “We never believed that.” He may as well have called the Zanu regime a bunch of liars – which they are.
Motlanthe, speaking to reporters in the South African capital of Pretoria, would not say why he thought Mugabe’s regime was pressing allegations the opposition was plotting violence, but noted there was “mistrust” among Zimbabwe’s politicians.
After dropping this bombshell on the state-of-emergency-plotting Harare-junta, Motlanthe went on to tacitly acknowledge that the Zanu liars were also Zanu thieves:
In another measure of that mistrust, Motlanthe said a SADC plan to send Zimbabwe humanitarian aid hinged on the creation of a new, nonpartisan agency being established to distribute food and medicine. Motlanthe said Zimbabwe had a history of allegations of aid being hijacked by politicians and not being distributed fairly.
“It is important for the relief to reach all people of Zimbabwe without being influenced by partisan interests, political interests,” Motlanthe said. (Via AFP).
Well, can we conclude that SADC has realised something that Zimbabweans have known (and voted against) for years: that the regime are lying, thieving and corrupt, using power to pursue personal political objectives? The truth is that SADC has probably known this for years.
Will they speak out properly about it? Stand alongside the people and stand beside truth and justice. Probably not, and that will always be the real issue.
Meanwhile, three more activists were abducted – presumably because they are part of the ‘Botswana plot ‘ that everyone knows simply does not exist. Stripped of this excuse, what will the Harare-junta say next? Robbed of the opportunity to start a war with a neighbour, what smokescreen will the regime try and throw up next to hide their abject failure to run a country and their moral bankrupty?
Interesting to note that going to war against another SADC state seems to rub against the SADC grain a little, but waging a war against human rights activists and those fighting for justice doesn’t. History is going to judge SADC and the AU harshly. They deserve it.
December 20th, 2008 12:41
A group of bloggers in South Africa have started a campaign to raise funds and provisions for ‘Save the Children’ fund that will go up to Musina. See Stray Cat blog at
http://blogs.24.com/ViewBlog.aspx?blogid=8c214a8f-9475-4a8a-8504-d9a74091d4d7
Anyone who wishes to assist can find the details at this blogpost.
You are all in our prayers.
December 20th, 2008 20:46
Hi Sok..
…you may be interested to read the following…It’s the “Code of Conduct” for all ZPF officials..
Do yourself a favor and read it…It’s almost funny if it isn’t tragic.
Text:-
Zanu-PF Leadership Code
Adopted at the second People’s Congress, August 8th-13th, 1984
Preamble:
WHEREAS the Zimbabwe African National Union constitutes a Socialist Party; and
WHEREAS it is necessary, desirable and expedient to impose on leaders a strict code of behaviour with a view to assuring the advent of socialism in Zimbabwe;
NOW THEREFORE it is hereby decreed and ordered by the Second People’s Congress of the Zimbabwe African National Union hereinafter referred to as ZANU as follows:-
Citation:
1. The rules and regulations hereunder shall be cited as the Leadership Code, 1984.
2. This code shall apply to leaders who are members of ZANU.
3. In this code, a leader means any person included in the schedule.
4. The Central Committee of ZANU may from time to time amend the schedule, except that no such amendment may detract from it.
Personal Conduct:
The ZANU Central Committee safeguards and implements policies of the party in their application to the nation and to the leadership. Every leader shall abide by the Party Constitution and policies as the Central Committee shall declare, and shall not:-
* knowingly act or express himself in a way that violates the Constitution,
* deal arbitrarily and arrogantly with members of the public or indulge in any conduct which brings the Party into disrepute or ridicule,
* disclose Party or Government secrets or any confidential information to any unauthorised or unentitled person,
* be seen or found drunk in a public place,
* commit acts of immorality,
* be repeatedly dressed in a slovenly or inappropriate manner thereby failing to maintain personal neatness and cleanliness.
ZANU leadership shall function within its ranks with candour, honesty and discipline and therefore:-
* A leader shall not deliberately and willfully mislead or give untrue information to the Central Committee or any other organ of the Party.
* A leader shall, where reasonable orders/instruction have been given by any person above him, obey and comply promptly with such orders/instruction.
* In the case where a leader believes that an instruction from a ZANU official seriously violates ZANU’s constitution or policies, he may decline to carry out the instruction and promptly notify the immediate authority above him of his reasons for his refusal.
The Party firmly upholds the principle of equality of man. Therefore publicly or privately a leader may not advocate or practice any of the following: -
* tribalism
* regionalism
* sectionalism
* nepotism
* racialism, and
* sex discrimination
ZANU regards corruption as an evil disease destructive of society. Therefore it is hereby decreed that a leader shall not:-
* accept or obtain from any person or for any other person a gift or consideration as inducement or reward for doing or failing to do or for having done or foreborne to do any act in relation to the Party’s business or the business of the Government or for the purpose of showing or forebearing to show favour or disfavour to any person in relation to the affairs of the Party or Government,
* give or offer a gift to any person as an inducement to that other person to do a favour or as a reward for a favour he has obtained or been promised,
* use funds of the Party or the Government, or produce false receipts and/or account falsely for such monies with intent to deceive the Party or the Government,
* make collusive arrangements with commercial or other persons or secretly obtain consideration for himself or for another person or fail to disclose the full nature of the transaction to the party or to Government,
* decline to disclose his personal financial affairs or other assets to a properly constituted Party or Government body of officials investigating corruption.
ZANU believes that a leader who concentrates on acquiring property, or who personally engages in the exploitation of man by man, rapidly becomes n ally of the capitalists and an enemy of socialism; and of the masses of the population. Except as provided in this section, and except as required by his official position, a leader may not:-
* own a business, a share or an interest in a business organised for profit; provided that this shall not be interpreted as prohibiting such petty side-line activities as chicken runs, small plots and gardens on one’s residential property;
* receive more than one salary;
* serve as a director of a private firm or business organised for profit;
* own real estate or other property, or an interest in real estate or other property from which he receives rents or royalties;
* own more than one dwelling house; except as dictated by family requirements, but in no event shall additional houses be for purposes of earning rents;
* except with respect to interest received on account of monies deposited in a savings bank or similar institution, receive interest or other income on account of money loaned to another; “No leader shall indulge in Chimbadzo”;
* own or have beneficial interest in more than 50 acres of land;
* in addition to a salary, receive fees on account of lectures or professional activities in excess of $1 000 a year;
* nothing in this section prohibits a leader from receiving a fee/ or a royalty on account of a book or work of art or patent that he personally wrote, created or invented.
“Relative” means a wife, son, daughter, grandchild or any other relation of the family.
“Friend” shall include an acquaintance
Where a relative/friend indulges in business or other profit making activities, The Central Committee shall have a right to ascertain that a leader does not derive any financial benefits from them. In no circumstances shall relatives be used as fronts to business ventures.
The Central Committee shall require that leaders disclose their assets periodically, and when so asked, leaders shall comply. Whilst a leader may secure a loan against his salary, in no circumstances shall he use his position to borrow funds or secure any other personal benefits.
It is the duty of every leader to resolutely defend the Party and Government at all costs against enemies. Failure to do so is a dereliction of duty which renders one liable to disciplinary action.
* This Code shall be implemented by appropriate Disciplinary Committees which must serve as watchdogs of the Party.
* A person aggrieved by a decision of the Disciplinary Committee may appeal against the decision to a higher Disciplinary Committee.
* The Disciplinary Committee may find a leader in violation of this Code only after it has given the leader reasonable notice of hearing and an opportunity to hear the evidence against him as well as to present his own evidence.
* If on the strength of the evidence presented to it, the Disciplinary Committee should find that a leader indeed violated the Code, it shall impose an appropriate sanction on him. The sanction may consist of a recommendation based on the sanctions proposed in the constitution of the party, or/and that Government take appropriate action against the offending leader.
Schedule:
For the purposes of this Code, the following constitute leaders:-
o Members of the ZANU Central Committee
o Membes of the ZANU Provincial, District and Branch Executive Committees
o Members of the Women’s League National Executive Council, Provincial. District and Branch Executive Committees
o Members of the Youth League National Executive Committee, Provincial, District and Branch Executive Committees
o Ministers
o Deputy Ministers
o Provincial Governors
o Members of the Public Service Commission, and Judicial Services Commission
o Commissioned Officers of the Army, Airforce, Police and Prison Services
o Civil servants of the rank of executive/administrative officer and above
o Employees of parastatals, local and municipal authorities equivalent to the rank of executive/administrative officer and above in the Public Service.
December 21st, 2008 02:30
@Fish Eagle
This must be an antiqueted doc. If anyone were to draft it during these current mad times, guess what they’d be charged with, treason!
For undermining the order of the state as perceived by the sycophantic arse licking stooges of robert mugabe.
This document was an idealistic attempt by some sober zanu member (who must be dead by now)
Picture a clown like chinotimba trying to comprehend what is contained in it. He’d be gob smacked and chanting how the west has infiltrated zanu to come up with such a thing.
Such documents don’t produce cholera or murder. They bring accountability and dignity.
Something we will have to work towards decades after this madness has waned.
December 22nd, 2008 00:33
@ Fish Eagle
Wow!
Funny how things get twisted: “…publicly or privately a leader may not advocate or practice…nepotism”
And just the other day Mugabe said: “Zimbabwe belongs to me.”
December 22nd, 2008 18:34
On the subject of outdated documents:
Is it accurate, as I read him saying today, that Tsvangarai’s passport expired only 3 weeks ago? It seems a lot longer than that that he was reported to be travelling on country-restricted visa-dependent temporary documents while awaiting a new passport – hence, for example, his failure to be able to enter Swaziland?
Akso, does a document exist proving Mugabe’s date of birth, and if so when is his birthday, and is it true that if he hangs on till 85 he cheats the Hague?
Thanx.
December 23rd, 2008 12:23
Robert Gabriel Mugabe. (born 21 feb 1924). No birth certificate has ever been shown.
There are no limitations on the age of a person who can be accused, tried or convicted at the ICC.
References:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugab
December 23rd, 2008 12:39
Further to the above’
“Article 53(2) addresses the initiation of a prosecution. It indicates that, upon investigation, the Prosecutor may conclude that there is not sufficient basis to proceed because it “is not in the interests of justice, taking into account all the circumstances, including the gravity of the crime, the interests of victims and the age or infirmity of the alleged perpetrators, and his or her role in the alleged crimeâ€.
Reference and link:-
http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/organs/otp/ICC-OTP-InterestsOfJustice.pdf
December 24th, 2008 23:13
The man has always refered to Zimbabwe, the government and the zanu party as HIS! since I’ve listened to his speeches in the 80s and now.
Typical of a thief insisting that contraband is his at all costs and going to murderous and rabid tribalistic, racist, and psychotic extremes to prove it.
THIS IS A PATHETIC FOOL WHO IS FAILING TO COMPREHEND THE MEANING OF WRONG.