Statement by the Leader of The Movement for Democratic Change, President Morgan Tsvangirai, on the Resolutions of the Party’s National Council Meeting at Harvest House, Harare

Today, the MDC’s National Council met as we once again find ourselves at an historic crossroads in our decade-long struggle for democracy. Throughout this struggle, the MDC has been guided by the principles of democracy and by the will of the people. This campaign is neither easy nor straightforward and often we have had to change the fronts on which we wage the struggle in response to changing circumstances and conditions.

The MDC was established to bring about change through the ballot box. This we achieved despite overwhelming odds, culminating in our historic victories in the March 29th Parliamentary, Presidential and local government elections.

Then, the brutal campaign of violence unleashed against our supporters by Zanu PF, forced us to withdraw from the June 27th event. Thus it became obvious that we could no longer wage our struggle via the polling booth. (more…)

AVAAZ are supporting a solidarity fast for Zimbabwe. 22,649 people have signed their petition to commit to a day of  global fasting – please visit this link to join them. Kumi will be delivering our global message to African heads of state gathering in Ethiopia on Sunday, 1 February.

The movement for democracy in Zimbabwe has just raised the stakes: hundreds of activists in Southern Africa, including Desmond Tutu, have begun a rolling hunger strike to press for justice. This regional demonstration of commitment is putting real and growing pressure on leaders to demand a fair settlement in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has descended to an almost unimaginable state of desperation. Most of Zimbabwe’s 11 million people eat one meal a day—or less. But as pressure rises at home, in the region, and around the world, Mugabe’s grip on power may be slipping. Click below and join the one day global solidarity fast -(from sun up to sun down)- the more of us that fast the stronger the call for justice and democracy. Watch Kumi Naidoo’s video appeal – he will deliver our global message of solidarity to African heads of state gathering in Ethiopia on Sunday, 1 February!

Today Mr Roy Bennett returned home to Zimbabwe after more than two years in exile. He is currently in Harare at Harvest House, the headquarters of the MDC-T, to show unity and solidarity within Morgan Tsvangirai’s party.

Bennett, a former white farmer who was driven off his land in eastern Zimbabwe about eight years ago, is very respected by many of the country’s rural and urban black population, but loathed by Mugabe’s regime.

In 2004 he was sent to jail for eight months by parliament after he shoved one of Mugabe’s ministers for calling his ancestors “murderers and thieves.” His conviction was internationally denounced as wildly excessive.

A few months after he was released, the secret police were after him again, accusing him of involvement in an alleged plot to kill Mugabe. Fearing he would be framed, he slipped into Mozambique and travelled to South Africa where, after a lengthy legal battle, the government granted him political asylum. …More here

Via the BBC:

Zimbabweans will be allowed to conduct business in other currencies, alongside the Zimbabwe dollar, in an effort to stem the country’s runaway inflation.

The announcement was made by acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

BBC southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says the Zimbabwean dollar has become a laughing stock. A Z$100 trillion note was recently introduced.

Until now only licensed businesses could accept foreign currencies, although it was common practice.

Mr Chinamasa made the announcement as he delivered the budget to parliament.

“In line with the prevailing practices by the general public, government is therefore allowing the use of multiple foreign currencies for business transactions alongside the Zimbabwean dollar,” he said.

This photo of the sign via an article on the New York Times

And so much for civilisation…

Here in zimbabwe we are rapidly reversing the march of time and heading right back into the worst history has to offer.

Zimbabwe should revert to the ancient Yap system where gigantic one hundred pound, ten foot chunks of shiny stone were exchanged for goods (Yapese discs were commonly made of quartz, can’t Gono just hit the Matopos for a bit of this instead of the endless printing of waste paper and slashing of zeros?). Rolling stones would be a damn sight better than the wads of useless Z$ that are often seen littering the overgrown verges of our potholed and treacherous roads. Nobody bothers to even pick up discarded Gonillions, unless they need a dash to the nearest fetid public loo to deal with the common bouts of diarrhoea brought on by mucky tap water (pray not cholera). (more…)

The General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Comrade Wellington Chibebe, is in South Africa. He took the opportunity to brief the COSATU National Office Bearers on the prevailing economic and political situation in Zimbabwe. Arising out of these discussions, the statement below was issued:

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The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and the Congress of South African Trade Unions are deeply concerned at the deteriorating human crisis in Zimbabwe and the failure to install a government with a democratic mandate from the people of the country.

We warned against this imminent catastrophe many years ago and our political leadership in SADC and African Union ignored us. Today the chickens have come home to roost. The suffering that the Zimbabwean people are going through can no longer be adequately articulated through words.

The political leadership of SADC and AU must take full responsibility for this human tragedy. It is they who consistently refused to act. It is they who chose to nurse Robert Mugabe and refused to be guarantors of democracy, in blatant disregard of their own protocols and policies such as the SADC guidelines on elections. It is they who allowed Mugabe a free reign to terrorise and murder the citizens of his country. (more…)

KwaZulu-Natal LAUNCH of the Campaign SAVE ZIMBABWE NOW!

Prayer for Zimbabwe

When: Friday, 30 January 2009, 13h – 14h

Where: St Paul’s Church, 161 Pine Street, DURBAN (Opposite The Workshop)

MDC Pressroom — The MDC notes with concern the fiction being spewed by speculative journalists and discredited newspapers such as The Herald that are peddling non-existent fissures within the leadership of the MDC.

The first fictitious assertion is that the MDC leadership that was in South Africa voted on whether to join the inclusive government or not. The second illusionary assertion is that President Tsvangirai fully agreed with the position of SADC.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Firstly, there was no point for the MDC delegation that was in South Africa to go for such a ballot by show of hands when the party’s national council, the supreme-decision making body, would meet on Friday to decide on the issue. (more…)