Please circulate the sms telephone number to everyone you know. The programme wil be aired on 6 March so start sending in your messages now. The following comes from the Radio Netherlands website (hat tip Kathy):

You’ve read about the crisis in Zimbabwe – now send your message to the country. We here at Radio Netherlands Worldwide pride ourselves on providing independent information and supporting press freedom around the world.

And this week we will bring you a series of special programmes on Zimbabwe and you can have your say too. Send us your messages by SMS or via the reaction form at the bottom of this page, include a phone number and you may get to be in the live Newsline Shout with Short Wave special on 6 March. Your messages will also appear online.

To send us an SMS  first type the word ‘news’ then leave a space, type your message and send to +31 638 988286.

Via Press Release — This evening, just before dark, Peter Chamada headed out towards Mount Carmel in 2 vehicles.

Martin Joubert, from Chegutu, followed them to see what their intentions were. Peter Chamada’s vehicles turned around and chased after him and so he drove to the Chegutu police station to try to make a report.

Whilst there, 8 policemen went out in Mr. Chasauka’s vehicle. Mr. Chasauka is the GMB manager for Chegutu. He has recently invaded the Downs farm belonging to Wayne Seaman. The house has been broken into and Mr. Seaman has been prevented from milking his cows or living on his property. Mr. Seaman also has a final order with protection from the SADC Tribunal. (more…)

The Guardian website features a new video on the cholera crisis in Zimbabwe. Follow this link to view it on their site.

We’ve started to compile your letters to JOMIC into one document. Read what people have been saying so far.  Please add your voice to theirs and please encourage everyone you know to send a letter on behalf of the political detainees.

Download this pdf to read the letters.

The document will be sent to Professor Ncube on Monday, 2 March 2009.

Via Press Release — As the siege conditions facing Zimbabwe’s few remaining commercial farmers escalate, the Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) and Justice for Agriculture (JAG) are being inundated with calls for assistance from farmers and their families across the country.

To date more than 100 farmers have been targeted for fast-track eviction and others are being forced off their land. The CFU estimates that the value of the crops in the ground under threat is about £70 million.

Hermanus (Manie) Grove of Innogo Ranch in Kwekwe, who is protected by the SADC Tribunal ruling of 28 November 2008, was arrested last week and remanded in custody.  His trial was scheduled to continue on Tuesday.

The person involved in this latest take-over attempt is the same man responsible for the serious beating of Grove on a previous occasion. (more…)

Please note – Mount Carmel Farm is protected by a SADC Tribunal Ruling

We have just had another invasion here on Mount Carmel. A white Nissan twin cab wolf with no number plates arrived at about 1.30 pm as well as a dark coloured sedan.

They were led by Peter Chamada, Nathan Shamuyarira’s nephew, as well as others claiming to be from the lands office and from Minister Shamuyarira’s office.

They gave my father-in-law, Mike Campbell, 10 minutes to pack all his belongings and get out of his house. They said they did not care about the law or the police. “We are taking over now,” they said. (more…)

Members of the Diplomatic Corps and the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Zimbabweans;

Today, I want to take this opportunity to highlight developments within the Transitional Government a mere two weeks after my inauguration as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.

Firstly, I would like to commend the Ministers for the work they have been doing in the very short time that they have been in office.

They have managed to begin to address some of the many issues facing the country and I am encouraged by the open and constructive debates within Cabinet and the Council of Ministers.

In particular, I would like to recognise the efforts of the Ministries of Health, Education and Finance. The latter has mobilised funds that have enabled this government to pay the first round of allowances to the civil service, particularly the army, police and teachers. (more…)

This image was sent to us yesterday:

Yesterday I visited a church to discuss how we could work together to assist the very poor and many of the victims of the 2008 political violence who  lost everything they had when their homes were destroyed.

I saw this man lying outside the front door of the Church, took his hand and asked him if he had TB. He said yes, but he had left his papers at home.

Who knows what or where home is?

His clothes covered a skeletal body. Flies buzzed around him like vultures.

He needed to have an x-ray before the hospital would start him on treatment and that costs US dollars. Where is a man like him supposed to find US dollars?

If he (and hundreds of others who come to the Church door in a similar plight) are unable to be assisted, then no doubt they will lie down and die somewhere. Perhaps a blessed relief from their suffering.

Roy Bennett was granted bail today but the State immediately appealed against the ruling. This means Bennett will have to spend another seven days in jail while the court lodges their appeal.

This legal tactic is used over and over again by the State as a way to keep people on remand for as long as possible.

Our mailing yesterday focussed on Clause 18.5 (j) of the Global Political Agreement, which demands that all people being held on politically related offences should have their cases expedited by the prosecuting authorities. We pointed out that Zulu, Nkomo, Garutsa and Mujeyi were all granted bail last week, only to have the State immediately appeal against the ruling. The four are still in Chikurubi Maximum Security.

Roy Bennett’s experience mirrors exactly what has been happening to many of the political detainees over and over again.

Bennett’s lawyers plan to challenge the State’s use of this clause in the Constitutional Court.

The delaying tactics completely contravene both the letter and spirit of clause 18.5(j) in the GPA.

Please write a letter to JOMIC demanding that all the detainees are released and that the GPA is upheld by all parties.