Friday, 17th July 2009

Howzit

Please be aware that there will be no posting tomorrow as I am busy elsewhere.

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Foreign currency mid-rates updated...

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I have discussed this many times in the last couple of months, and I am surprised that the MDC have taken as long as they have to make the accusation. It was apparent a long time ago that ZANU PF would look to reverse the election result by alternate means.

"Tension within Zimbabwe's unity government is on the rise as the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai accuses its ZANU PF partner in power sharing of twisting the law to chip away at its narrow majority in Parliament.

The party issued a statement alleging a "cynical and diabolical attempt" by ZANU PF, which is led by President Robert Mugabe, to claw back political ground lost in the 2008 elections by trumping up charges against MDC parliamentarians. Several have been convicted and even sentenced to prison terms, jeopardizing their seats in the House of Assembly.

The MDC formation expressed dismay at the suspension this week of Chipinge West Member of Parliament Mathias Mlambo, who is now barred from attending sessions of parliament.

Mlambo was convicted of public violence by a magistrate in Chipinge, Manicaland province, and sentenced to 10 months. But his lawyers have appealed the conviction."

ZANU PF has systematically had MDC MPs arrested on a variety of charges, and the moment that those MPs have been convicted and sentenced to more than six months imprisonment, then they lose their seat and it is up for grabs again.

"Observers say the MDC has cause for concern: two of its lawmakers have been convicted on charges carrying a sentence over six months, and three more face charges which could lead to expulsion from the house. Most of those prosecuted come from Manicaland province, where ZANU PF suffered heavy losses in the 2008 elections.

In those elections the Tsvangirai MDC formation won 100 seats to ZANU-PF's 99. The MDC formation of now-Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara won 10 seats giving the combined MDC formations (the party split in 2005) a 110-seat majority. There is one independent."

Doesn't it strike people as strange that only MDC MPs are being arrested? The violence that was visited upon the people during last year's elections was largely aimed at the MDC - which would suggest that ZANU PF was behind that violence, and yet it is the MDC that is being prosecuted...

"Elsewhere, the MDC is urging police to arrest ZANU PF members alleged to have disrupted a national constitutional conference on its opening day Monday in Harare. The party said one of its members was arrested during the floor fracas, alleging bias on the part of police.

Chief Parliamentary Whip Innocent Gonese of the Tsvangirai MDC grouping told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the law is being applied selectively.

Responding to the allegations of bias in the justice system, Attorney General Johannes Tomana said the the MDC was unfairly dragging him into politics."

Tomana should get used it it - since he is a political appointee having been appointed by Mugabe himself.

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Whilst I applaud this action against ZANU PF, the huge problem facing these MDC activists is that the justice system in Zimbabwe is warped in favour of ZANU PF - and even if they were lucky enough to get a court order against them, Mugabe will pull his favorite trick and ignore and defy the order...

He has done it before - and will, no doubt, do it again.

"Sixteen MDC-T and human rights activists and a journalist are demanding a combined US$19,2 million in damages from two cabinet ministers and state security agents for their alleged abduction, unlawful detention incommunicado, and deprivation of liberty last year.

The activists and journalist filed their lawsuit with the High Court on Tuesday and are demanding US$1,2 million each.

Each of the plaintiffs is demanding US$500000 in damages for unlawful abduction, enforced disappearance, unlawful detention incommunicado, unlawful arrest and unlawful deprivation of liberty; US$100000 for assault; US$300000 for torture, pain, shock, suffering and psychological trauma, contumelia and loss of amenities of life; and a further US$300000 for malicious prosecution.

Collen Mutemagau, Kisimusi Dhlamini, Audrey Zimbudzana, Zakaria Nkomo, Gandhi Mudzingwa, Fidelis Chiramba, Broderick Takawira, Mapfumo Garutsa, Pascal Gonzo, Tawanda Bvumo, Violet Mupfuranhewe, Chinoto Mukwezaramba, Pieta Kaseke, Regis Mujeye and journalist Andrison Manyere are each demanding US$1,2 million in compensation."

And the list of those who they hold responsible is quite impressive.

"They are demanding the compensation from the co-Ministers of Home Affairs, Kembo Mohadi and Giles Mutsekwa, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, then Security Minister Didymus Mutasa, Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri, Prisons Commissioner Paradzai Zimondi, and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) Director-General Happyton Bonyongwe.

Also sued are police Senior Assistant Commissioner Nyathi, Chief Superintendent Crispen Makendenge, Detective Chief Inspector Mpofu, Chief Superintendent Peter Magwenzi, Senior Assistant Commissioner Chiobvu of the Prison Services, Detective Chief Inspector Elliot Muchada, Superintendent Josh Shasha Tenderere, Assistant Inspector Mudandira, Superintendent Regis Takaitei Chitekwe, Detective Asssitant Inspector Maria Phiri, Detective Inspector Chibaya, Detective Muuya and Assistant Director of the External Branch of the CIO, Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi."

I feel for these activists as they are fighting an uphill battle. Not only are they attempting to get money out of a broke political party, but even if they receive an order to receive damages, enforcing that order will take up more court time and money - and the chances of any of the respondents coughing up are very remote.

"In one of the High Court summons, Mudzingwa is suing for his unlawful abduction and detention at Goromonzi Prison complex despite the fact that he had not appeared in court and was not on remand in respect of any charge.

Mudzingwa alleges that he was held incommunicado, being denied his basic human rights such as access to legal practitioners of his choice, access to medical practitioners of his choice, access to medication, access to family, friends and relatives, among other rights protected by the Constitution of Zimbabwe and other International Human Rights Instruments to which Zimbabwe is a party."

Not that long ago, I received an email from a ZANU PF supporter (using a very temporary email address) asking if I was not sick and tired of writing about ZANU PF negatively. Although I was not afforded the opportunity of a response, it would have been along the lines of the fact that ZANU PF give me nothing positive to comment upon...

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I do notice that the fact that civil servants - from Mugabe downwards - have been receiving a meagre US$100 per month only, I see no reduction in the standard of living by Mugabe and his senior loyalists. This is because they have amassed huge fortunes and they have the resources to see out the lean times in Zimbabwe.

"Government has awarded a marginal salary increment to the US$100 monthly allowance paid to civil servants after increasing the wage bill by about 40% that will result in an average salary of about US$140.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti in his mid-term fiscal policy review yesterday increased the civil service wage bill by 41% to US$48 million monthly from US$34 million to meet the salary adjustment.

The current wage bill accounted for 35% of government total expenditure and 13% of GDP.

Biti said government with effect from this month would review the remuneration framework of civil servants taking into consideration the need to differentiate between grades."

A 40% increase is sizeable - although perhaps not much when your overheads in any given month are markedly higher - and the civil servants should be grateful for the increase.

It should also be noted that the financial morass that Zimbabwe currently wallows in is largely due to Mugabe's mismanagement of the State monies.

Mugabe and his supporters will point fingers at the MDC finance minister, claiming that the current difficult period in Zimbabwe is due to Biti's being not sure of what to do.

"I am, therefore, proposing to set aside an additional US$151 million to year-end to support implementation of a modest pay structure which begins to recognise grade, albeit initially across only limited differentiated bands," he said. "In line with this, effective 1 July 2009, I propose to set aside an additional US$14 million per month over and above the current US$34 million to support a review covering the period from July 2009."

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In the very odd occasion, ZANU PF people do appear in court on charges that could possibly see them being removed from parliament under the conditions that are highlighted earlier in this posting. But, more often than not, these people get away with their activities and, if convicted, are fined rather than imprisoned.

And example is the ZANU PF senator that was fined for culpable homicide a year of so ago.

And then there is the alacrity at which they are given bail - and bail is set as low as possible... If this was an MDC person, then they would be banged up in a prison cell somewhere.

"ZANU PF politburo member and former Mayor of Bulawayo Joshua Malinga on Thursday appeared in a Bulawayo magistrate court facing charges of undermining the authority of the police.

The 65-year-old politician and businessman was remanded on US$50 bail to July 31.

He was not formally charged with contravening Section 177 (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act when he briefly appeared before magistrate Sithembiso Ncube.

His lawyer, Job Sibanda of Job Sibanda and Associates Legal Practitioners told the court that there was no need to put the charge to his client, as he was aware of it.

He added that his client was coming from home and had no complaints against the police.

The case had to be moved from Court Two on the first floor of Tredgold Building to Court Seven on the ground floor because Malinga moves with the aid of a wheelchair.

Clad in a gray suit, Malinga listened carefully as his lawyer addressed the court and relatives wheeled him out of the courtroom after the remand with a prison officer holding the court record so that they could pay bail before he would be allowed to go home."

The defence lawyer is remiss in stating that there was no need to read the charge as the accused was aware of it. The charge has to be formally read to the accused person in court and then that accused person is asked how they plead to the charge.

The defence lawyer is looking for a loophole through which he will defend the former mayor.

"Prosecutor Evans Mungoni told the court that on February 11 this year, at around 10am, constable Raphael Somerayi was on duty manning the High Court building reception and was dressed in police uniform.

Malinga parked his vehicle at the corner of 8th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street with its tail allegedly encroaching into the road thereby blocking other cars.

Somerayi approached Malinga and spoke to him in Shona requesting him to park properly.

The state is alleging that Malinga responded by insulting the complainant in English saying; "You are stupid, idiot officer speaking Shona in Matabeleland."

The police officer requested to see his drivers’ licence but Malinga allegedly refused with it saying there was no law that forces him to carry it on his person.

Malinga allegedly threatened to put the police officer in "hot soup" for interrupting him."

I expect nothing less of ZANU PF people. They are self-opinionated and believe that the law is there for others to abide by, but because ZANU PF is headed by Mugabe, they have no case to answer.

If a policeman, or anyone for that matter, speaks in Shona, Sindebele or English, that language choice should have no bearing on their character. Malinga is wrong - but is being treated with kid's gloves - as often happens in Zimbabwe when dealing with ZANU PF members.

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"To anyone who cares,

I write this in the wake of the recent letter I wrote to the Prime Minister regarding “where truth becomes the casualty.” The letter was about the widespread break-down in the rule of law on the farms in Chegutu District.

It is time that the truth was told. Minister Welshman Ncube from JOMIC has now denied that there are any land invasions. If he were to come here right now he would see Minister Shamuyarira’s men busy reaping thousands of US dollars worth of Mike Campbell P/L sunflowers in broad daylight with complete impunity using Mike Campbell P/L tractors on land that Mike Campbell P/L has court orders and international judgments protecting.

We have video footage of this and the looting of the other crops. Mike Campbell P/L did the land preparation; Mike Campbell P/L bought the fertiliser and seed and planted the maize and the sunflowers and fertilised them and weeded them; and now land invaders continue to reap thousands of US dollars each day of crops that they never sowed or did anything for.

Day after day, week after week and now month after month this has continued since the 4 April 2009 when the invasion took place and they reaped the mango crop and the orange crop. Not a single mango, orange, maize cob or sunflower head has been reaped by the owner from that date. The invaders are now interfering with the cattle and saying that the several hundred head of cattle on the property belonging to Mike Campbell P/L are now owned by Shamuyarira too!

Workers have been beaten, abducted and hospitalised; houses and sheds have been broken into; people have been terrorised; water has been cut off by the invaders for weeks and they have plunged the workers into darkness by cutting off their electricity as well; tens of thousands of productive fruit trees have been left without irrigation, fertilization or spraying.

Police know all about it and refuse to arrest anyone or even stop them despite the two High Court orders saying the invaders must be evicted and the SADC Tribunal judgement saying that Mike Campbell and his family and workers should be allowed to farm without disturbance.

The Honourable Professor (Ncube) has white-washed such situations by saying it is only where there are “eviction letters” and the farmer is not complying, that there are “land disputes.” There is not a farmer in the country who has not vacated immediately on being given an eviction order from a court. The alternative is jail. I challenge JOMIC to give just one example anywhere in the country where a farmer has not complied with an eviction order from a court. The disputes are taking place where people clutching offer letters are taking the law into their own hands and carrying out lawless acts with impunity such as what they are doing on Mount Carmel Farm.

Does JOMIC really believe that an offer letter gives the authority for invaders to take the law into their own hands and evict people and take their belongings?

How can a Government continue to condone theft and thuggery with lies and with silence in a starving country with no job creation and no investment taking place? How can the people continue to put up with this sorry situation? What sort of signal is it sending out to anyone wanting to grow food crops this coming summer or put any investment into the country? Why should donors be pouring their tax payers money into Zimbabwe to feed us when, with the re-establishment of the rule of law, we would be exporting food as we did when we had the rule of law prior to the farm invasions?

For the sake of everyone who believes in a future for themselves and their children, a full investigation needs to take place into why the law enforcers allow such nefarious activities to continue to go on in Zimbabwe with such impunity.

Ben Freeth
Chegutu"

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I do note that the Blogger spellchecker is no longer querying virtually every word, but no offers no alternative to any word queried!

From the sublime to the ridiculous...

Take care.

'debvhu

Thursday, 16th July 2009

Howzit

The more hawk-eyed of you may note that the blog counter on the right has lost 90000 hits. What happened was that I was checking things over with various parts of my page, when I noted that the counter was clocking individual page loads as opposed to unique visitors.

When I changed it to unique visitors, I found that it reverted to 709000 - but I would prefer an accurate figure as opposed to an inflated figure.

I am sure that you understand.

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The Hong Kong government has been criticised for their decision not to pursue assault charges against bodyguards who beat up on reporters who were covering a story on Mugabe's daughters.

Not only that, but it also transpired that the bodyguards were in Hong Kong on visas that did not allow them to work.

Mugabe and his loyalists not only break the law in Zimbabwe, but now they break the law in foreign countries and the powers that be allow them to get away with it!

Peter Tatchell was punched senseless in a London street by Mugabe's bodyguards
when he attempted to make a citizen's arrest of the Zimbabwean President.

Mugabe's close security 'deal' with a reporter.

"The government has been accused of protecting the rich and powerful after it refused to prosecute bodyguards for the daughter of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe over their alleged manhandling of two journalists.

On June 8 the Department of Justice decided not to prosecute a police and an intelligence officer serving as minders to Bona Mugabe for the assault of Sunday Times journalists Colin Galloway and Tim O'Rourke outside her Tai Po home February 13. Mugabe's daughter is a student at City University.

In a separate incident in January, Mugabe's wife Grace was granted diplomatic immunity from prosecution after allegedly punching Hong Kong photographer Richard Jones near the Kowloon Shangri-La where she had been staying. Director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross told a Legislative Council panel yesterday that the bodyguards, Mapfumo Marks and Manyaira Reliance Pepukai, had acted reasonably having a genuine concern for the younger Mugabe's safety."

This is beyond a joke. Mugabe now basically has a green light to have his security personnel beat up in any reporter knowing that the chances are that they will not be prosecuted for their acts.

I find it strange that no other head of state seems to have this problem. Is it perhaps that the world is waking up to the activities of Mugabe and his henchmen?

"According to Cross, the bodyguards were concerned about the two strangers who approached unannounced, and whose shifting purpose for the visit and refusal to produce identification led to their manhandling. One suffered minor injuries. Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association Russell Coleman told lawmakers the decision not to prosecute did not impact freedom of the press.

However, legislators were unconvinced Mugabe's minders had exercised sound judgment in their use of force in the February incident."

I do note that the two bodyguards concerned were spirited away to Zimbabwe very quickly and replaced with others.

Here's a thought: Who pays for these security personnel? ZANU PF? I thought that they were broke...

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A government of national unity - which reportedly is what governs Zimbabwe today - needs that all the parties concerned and their different parts work together.

It has been apparent from Day One that ZANU PF is not that interested in working with the MDC and as time has gone on, the activities of Mugabe's party are more and more independent and unilateral.

"Service chiefs have boycotted yet another scheduled meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), highlighting the contempt of army generals for the Prime Minister. Last Friday's meeting of the NSC failed to take place after flimsy excuses from the generals.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was expected to sit down with the recalcitrant army generals but this has failed to take place on several occasions since the National Security Council Bill was passed on February 10. The NSC was created to replace the shadowy junta body, the Joint Operations Command (JOC).

They were supposed to hold one meeting a month, but there has been fierce resistance against the make-up of the NSC from the service chiefs. They see the establishment of the new security think-tank as stripping them of their power.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but a senior official in the PM's Office said: "It shows shocking contempt for the GNU." Tsvangirai told a news conference in June: "We have to regularise the meeting of the National Security Council."

But still nothing has changed. Tsvangirai's deputy, Thoko Khupe, told a news conference that "securocrats" were in denial over the circumstances in the country and were refusing to accept the new order."

What Mugabe has achieved is a window dressing of a government, an attempt to show the world that there is an inclusive government is place, whilst Mugabe continues to rule the country just as he has for the last 29 years.

It is obvious that ZANU PF are no interested in sharing power - even though their party lost the majority in Parliament in last year's election in March.

We see more and more reports of MDC MPs being imprisoned for crimes which are invented, trumped-up and litigated with the full force of the law.

"The NSC consists of President Mugabe as chairperson and his two deputies, Joyce Mujuru and Joseph Msika, Prime Minister Tsvangirai and his deputies Arthur Mutambara and Thokozani Khupe, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the two Home Affairs Ministers Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi.

Within the Council, service chiefs are relegated to the role of ex-officio members. According to sources, this has heightened tensions in the inclusive government. Officials said the latest boycott by the service chiefs of the NSC meeting signalled their on-going determination to scuttle the GNU.

Security forces have long been accused of partisanship, and senior government officials told The Zimbabwean that the Council would have the de-politicisation of the security forces into professional service forces high on its agenda.

The legislation establishing the Council was drafted by the MDC. It was set up to receive and consider national security reports and give direction on how the country's security forces work. However, officials were quick to clarify that the creation of the NSC did not mean the disbanding of JOC. The power-sharing agreement is unfortunately silent about the dissolution of JOC."

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Doug Rogers on Blood Diamonds in Zimbabwe

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"Compensation" is a word that, when used in Zimbabwe, is a double-edged sword.

Mugabe claims that compensation for the dispossessed commercial farmers should be paid by the English government (even though he was given money years ago to pay compensation) and the governors that Mugabe unilaterally appointed are to be compensated for their being removed from office...

Now it transpires that 30 families are to be 'compensated' because a new road it being built that goes to the airport...

"More than 30 families from Harare's Braeside suburb are facing displacement by the end of July as the construction of the airport road starts in preparation for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Leslie Gwindi, the Harare City Council’s director of works said the houses along the airport road would be demolished to pave way for the dualisation of the road.

He added that the residents who have been given notices would be compensated.

The dualisation is part of the plans of the Harare City Council of attracting tourists ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

The Residents who built their residential houses in the medium density along the airport road have registered discontent with the city fathers for giving them a month’s notice to vacate their houses to pave way for the dualisation of the road."

Does the government of Zimbabwe really think that the World Cup in 2010 will increase tourism in that country? I don't think so!

Which reminds me. I was watching a series on television about a celebrity ballooning through Africa. They were in Livingston in Zambia, overlooking Victoria Falls.

The celebrity said that it had been considered that they flew the balloon over the falls, but there was concern that the wind might blow them over into Zimbabwe.

The celebrity stated: "We are not that crazy!" - or words to that effect...

If the land grab is anything to go by, compensation will be a mere pittance and no doubt violence will be visited on those families that are prepared to make a fight of it.

"Some residents revealed that they have been instructed by council officials to list their belongings to enable them to be compensated.

Several residents expressed disappointment as they were still in the dark on how much they would be compensated.

However, others said the expansion of the road is a positive move given the fact that the country has high hopes of hosting tourists arrivals from the 2010 World Cup to be hosted by South Africa."

We wait. We watch.

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It will be very interesting to see just how Mugabe plays this. He has stated that Gono is not a thief for helping himself to money from accounts held by the RBZ to prop up the Mugabe government.

Now the NGOs are wanting their money back...

"Non-governmental organisations (NGO) have asked Zimbabwe’s cash-strapped power-sharing government to return money seized by controversial central bank governor Gideon Gono and allegedly used to prop up President Robert Mugabe’s old government.

The National Association of NGOs (NANGO) said it had written to Finance Minister Tendai Biti demanding that he should outline a repayment plan when he announces a mid-term national budget statement to Parliament on Thursday.

"The government should highlight the government’s strategy in trying to return the money that it owes the local NGOs whose funds were taken by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) in 2008,” the NANGO said in a statement shown to ZimOnline yesterday.

Gono last year seized millions of dollars in hard currency belonging to NGOs including more than US$7 million that belonged to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that the RBZ was holding in trust.

The central bank chief allegedly used the funds to shore up Mugabe and his ZANU PF party, including - according to some accounts - paying for Mugabe’s violent campaign to retain the presidency in a bloody second round presidential election in June 2008."

Theft is the illegal and intentional removal of property of another... That is just what Gono did - and therefore he is complicit in the crime.

"The NANGO said returning money grabbed from its members - all of which had been provided by foreign funders - would help mend relations between the Harare authorities and civic society as well as foreign donors.

"(Returning) the money is critical for the organisations and also for the mending of relations between the government and the donors," it said."

The Zimbabwean government is broke - mainly because it's principals have stolen anything worth keeping. Perhaps Gono should arrange that the money be repaid from the illicit gains made by the senior indivifuals in Mugabe's party that have enriched themselves from the diamond find...

"...the Finance Minister is on record as saying the unity government is bankrupt after years of recession, while rich Western nations are reluctant to provide direct financial support to the government insisting on more reforms first including at the central bank."

Of course, the headlines in the papers report how Mugabe is unhappy that the West will only give aid to Zimbabwe under certain conditions. This is why the West will not give money without conditions - because it would end up in personal accounts of the Mugabe administration...

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"Five war veterans and their families who were allocated plots under the Zanu (PF)'s 2000 land grab have been served with eviction notices because they now support the MDC.

The five, Fanuel Musona, Gift Lemon, Lyson Reason, Gift Mhembere and Lazarus Malunga, received plots at Foothills farm in Bindura in 2000. For the past nine years they have built homes and families on the land. But they have now, together with fellow settlers around the country, become victims of ZANU PF zealots who accuse them of turning against the liberation war movement that allocated them the plots.

MDC Foothills chairman, Collen Langton, confirmed the eviction notices against the five war veterans were issued after they were made to appear Chief Negomo of Chiweshe village on charges of turning against President Mugabe's ZANU PF.

"Though they are still residing at the farm, the fate of whether they will be evicted or not in is in the hands of the village court. The five are being told that they will be evicted because they now support the MDC. They have been told to go to the MDC to look for land," said Langton in an interview."

So the right to own land - or at least occupy it - now rests with the residents' political affiliation?

As if we didn't know that before. Since 2000, Mugabe has heralded the land grab as a return of the land to the landless blacks - and then has given the land seized to his senior henchmen and security chiefs. Now the majority of the land in Zimbabwwe belongs to ZANU PF... All that the land grab has achieved is to substitute one group of owners for another.

The difference is that the commercial farmers were able to feed the country - ZANU PF are not...

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Take care.

'debvhu

Wednesday, 15th July 2009

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates updated...

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This posting is later than usual today because of a late night last night following our attending the local high school's equivalent of "Britain's Got Talent". A most enjoyable evening and we watched some really great acts.

The local high school has got talent...

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We begin today with a story about robbers in Zimbabwe.

"Two bodies lie lifeless on the ground as crowds gather - the bloody end of what police say has been a reign of terror by three armed robbers.

Gift Gibson Mwale, Godfrey Konzemvu Zondai Marimbiri and Felix Mwariwa were shot dead by police sharp shooters after a gun battle at the Somerby Estates near Harare just after 10AM on Monday.

Police say the men had hijacked a Mercedes from Mount Pleasant earlier in the day. Mwale, who also went by the name Give Tyres, was wanted by police since 1999 for armed robbery. Marimbiri, alias Godzebvu, skipped bail in 2006 after he was arrested on firearms charges.

Detectives from a dedicated CID crack team dealing with armed robberies stormed the robbers’ hideout at the Somerby Store, near Snake World, some 20km out of Harare.

Police say Mwale and Mwariwa, both armed with pistols, fired shots at the detectives who returned fire – cutting down all three suspects in a hail of bullets."

This is the depth to which Zimbabwe has fallen. Criminals not only rule the roost, but when cornered, are prepared to attempt to shoot their way out - or die in the attempt.

In all my time in the police in the early 1980s, with the Gukurahundi beginning all around us, I was only shot at probably three times - and whilst it is not a great feeling having to bite dirt hard, it was a comparably safer time.

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The Herald, ever sensationalising anything that would make Mugabe, ZANU PF or any of the armed forces look good, ran a story on a witness's account of the shootout...

"Ms Gumisai Zishenyambi was on her way to the front of the shop at Somerby Estates when all of a sudden several vehicles full of heavily armed men pulled up in front of her.

Before she could gather her thoughts, one of the armed men shouted on top of his voice ordering everyone to lie down and the next thing she heard were heavy gunshots.

"Before I could sense what was happening, I heard gunshots. All I could do was to reach for my cellphone in a bid to phone policemen I know," said Ms Zishenyambi, one of the shop assistants at Somerby Shop near Snake World where three notorious armed robbers were shot dead by police after a shootout on Monday.

Ms Zishenyambi was on her way to look for change that Gift Gibson Mwale alias Give Tyres and Felix Mwariwa had alleged that they had left in the shop. The two were following her, but their motive was not known since detectives from the CID Crack Team had ringed the shop.

They were all at the back of the shop where they had bought pork worth US$6 for braai at the gazebo. Mwale and Mwariwa produced pistols before firing back at the detectives."

If it sounds like something from a rough and ready American gangster movie, it should do - because the robbers were prepared to shoot their way out - or die trying.

"Another eyewitness who preferred anonymity said Mwale shouted to the detectives that he also had a gun before producing it.

"When he was shot, the gun dropped a distance away from where he was and he even crawled to try to reach it to fire back."

Mwariwa was already on the ground, bleeding from the gun wounds and the P1 pistol in his right hand had already dropped.

According to another shop assistant, Mr David Mushipe, Godfrey Konzemvu Zondai Marimbiri alias Godzebvu was drinking Coke inside the shop. When he heard the gunshots, Godzebvu attempted to hide in one of the storerooms in the shop where there was some opaque beer.

"I told him to get out of the room and I didn’t know that he had already hidden a pistol and his jacket," said Mr Mushipe. He said Godzebvu pleaded with him saying: "Sha, unoda kuti ndife here? (My friend, do you want me to die?)"

In the jacket were three mobile phone SIM cards - one South African, one for Botswana and Zimbabwean - among other valuables.

When Godzebvu finally came out of the shop, detectives fired shots, killing him instantly."

This is the reality in Zimbabwe. It is not uncommon to have criminals resorting to desperate measures to pull off their illegal activities.

"No one was injured during the shootout although there were bullet holes on four windowpanes at the shop, one on the wall, and three others on two cars, which were parked.

Some of the people who had fled from the compound returned after the situation was calm and were trying to catch a glimpse of the bodies. The owner of the premises Ms Sheila Mabasa, also known as Cde Yondo, said most of the people coming to Snake World and going to Lion and Cheetah Park frequent the shop, especially during weekends.

"This is the first such incident to occur here and I would like to urge the authorities to put up a police post nearby," she said.

She said police stations were very far from the area yet many people frequent the area to see snakes and other animals.

"I hope some of the criminals have learnt a lesson because he who lives by the gun dies by the gun," said Ms Mabasa."

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I use Google Alerts to get early warnings on events in Zimbabwe, and whilst I was doing this posting (and taking care of my domestic responsibilities as well), I received an email notification of the reaction by the Zimbabwe police chief on the shoot-out.

"Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri yesterday said the shooting and killing of three notorious robbers on Monday was "only the beginning" in the campaign to weed out dangerous criminals countrywide.

In an interview yesterday, Comm-Gen Chihuri said the Zimbabwe Republic Police would continue working hard to bring to book hardcore criminals. "We are working and we will continue working. The robbers must go and this is only the beginning," he said.

Police have been on record as saying they will not hesitate to use minimum force on any criminals resisting arrest and those firing at them when carrying out their constitutional duties. Comm-Gen Chihuri said although the force was operating under difficult conditions, they would continue striving for excellence.

"Right now, the organisation is working under very difficult conditions. The situation is difficult, but we still have Zimbabwe to ourselves and that gives us hope," he said. He urged officers to remain determined in securing the safety of the public and in maintaining peace."Remain resolute in looking after the people and peace. The people will develop their own country. They have the will. Let the world also give the (Zimbabweans) their chance and the ZRP will give support," said Comm-Gen Chihuri.

He said what was needed was to work together in serving Zimbabwe. "All we need is to put our hands together. Let's not have weak connections within the chain.

"We are here to serve Zimbabweans and Zimbabwe," said Comm-Gen Chihuri. Gift Gibson Mwale alias Give Tyres, Godfrey Konzemvu Zondai Marimbiri alias Godzebvu and Felix Mwariwa died on Monday following a shootout with police two hours after they had hijacked a Mercedes Benz in Mount Pleasant."

I have a very simple question - who is going to police the police?

It is a sad reality in Zimbabwe that the police operates outside the law. They support ZANU PF to the core, yet refuse to involve themselves anything remotely 'political'. Nice work if you can get it.

The police are supposed to be apolitical, but the police chief himself is a dyed-in-the -wool Mugabe-ites and feels nothing for the people of Zimbabwe.

This shoot-out allows him to pay lip service to policing in Zimbabwe only.

-o00o-

More misery and mayhem in Zimbabwe...

"The search for more people believed to have died alongside five others who were burnt beyond recognition on Sunday in a Colbro Transport truck has yielded no results.

The truck was sideswiped by another vehicle, forcing it to veer off the road, overturn and catch fire.

Two people who were in the pick-up truck were injured.

Police called off the search yesterday saying there was no hope of finding the bodies since the fire had been completely extinguished.

The accident happened along the Mbalabala-Zvishavane Road at around 6:30pm on Sunday."

The roads in Zimbabwe are deteriorating at a mean clip. This accident has echoes of the accident that killed the Prime Minister's wife earlier this year. The driver of the vehicle that hit their vehicle is claiming the state of the road caused that accident.

"We have since called off the search since we have realised the prospects of finding any bodies are next to none. However, investigations are in progress," said the Matabeleland South police spokesman Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe.

He identified the driver as Paul Madziva (54) of Bulawayo and another passenger Decent Ndlovu of Filabusi. Efforts were being made to identify the other three victims.

It is reported the truck was ferrying cement to Zvishavane and when it got to the 154km peg, the driver encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic lane side-swiping a Toyota Hilux which was travelling in the opposite direction.

The truck driver lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road and overturned once before landing on its roof.

The truck caught fire and the five occupants were burnt beyond recognition while two people in the Toyota Hilux escaped with minor injuries."

-o00o-

The same article in The Herald reports on another accident.

"Two other people died on the spot when a Toyota Hiace kombi they were travelling in rammed into a stationary truck, veered off the road, overturned once and landed on its roof at the 242 km peg along the Masvingo - Beitbridge Road.

The incident occurred at 4 am on Saturday.

Insp Dzirutwe said the kombi was travelling towards Masvingo with 15 passengers on board and when it got to the 242 km peg, it rammed into a stationary Freightliner truck trailer.

As a result, the driver lost control and it veered off the road and overturned twice before lending on its roof.

Two people died instantly while three others were seriously injured. They were rushed to Beitbridge District Hospital where their condition is reported to be stable.

"Of late we have recorded an increase in accidents in our roads, most of them as a result of human error. We therefore urge motorists to be extra-cautious so as to avoid unnecessary loss of life," said Insp Dzirutwe."

All of this tells me just how bad the roads are in Zimbabwe. When I lived in that country, the roads were brilliant. In all my years driving in Zimbabwe - and in other African countries - I was involved in just one accident and that was in Harare in 1986 when a heavy vehicle ran over my small Alfa Sud at an intersection...

-o00o-

Mugabe has called himself "Hitler - tenfold'" and then the police arrested and prosecuted a woman for calling Mugabe "a Hitler".

In Zimbabwe, the law is so warped that the authorities are capable of prosecuting someone for agreeing with the President!

Gono admits taking money from accounts in the RBZ without permission - but Mugabe says that Gono is not a thief!

And just to add insult to injury: "Police arrest and detained a Bulawayo-based MDC activist Shareck Chifamba on allegations that he had insulted Robert Mugabe."

According to the MDC in a statement, Chifamba was detained for five days.

"Chifamba was last week detained for five days at Bulawayo Central Police Station on false charges that he had insulted President Robert Mugabe," said the MDC.

Four armed men who refused to identify themselves picked up Chifamba, 35, of Ilanga at his workplace.

The four men then drove him around the city threatening to kill him and asking him why he was an MDC supporter."

It is my understanding that it is a criminal offence to threat to kill someone.

Now - which crime is worse (supposing for just one second that Chifamba insulted Mugabe)? And which 'crime' is to be punished?

Ja - you guessed it - the one that seeks to protect Mugabe...

"He was only released after his wife reported the case to a local human rights lawyer who then facilitated his release from the unlawful custody.

However, Chifamba managed to identify one of his assailants as Joram Chiyangwa, a known ZANU PF official.

If one is found guilty of insulting the president in Zimbabwe they face a still charge of at least 3 years in prison."

Based upon that last sentence, then I am due to spend a few lifetimes behind bars...

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Tuesday, 14th July 2009

Howzit

First of all, there was this: "Militants from President Robert Mugabe’s party disrupted the opening of a national conference to draw up a new constitution for Zimbabwe.

Monday’s opening remarks by Parliament Speaker Lovemore Moyo were drowned out by militants singing revolutionary songs.

Moyo is a member of the former opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, which is headed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Under Zimbabwe’s unity government agreement that brought Mugabe and Tsvangirai together in February, a new Constitution must be drawn up ahead of new elections within two years.

Moyo was forced to withdraw from the hall after ululating militants began dancing in front of the stage.

Other former opposition delegates walked out in protest.

There are no details on when proceedings will resume."

It is very easy to sit here in the United Kingdom and pass opinion on events in Zimbabwe some 6000 miles away - but then there are some political decisions in that country which are ludicrous and will do very little more than invite some stinging criticism from far and wide.

Before we even start on the article, Tsvangirai is not Mugabe's deputy. He is the Prime Minister...

"Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe and his deputy, Morgan Tsvangirai have ruled out a probe into the causes of the violent disruptions which took place today (Monday), and made to close a parliamentary meeting set for the drafting of a new constitution for Zimbabwe.

However, one of the councillors, Gilson Chitakunye, sustained serious head injuries after he was brutally assaulted by the ZANU PF thugs who were also openly filmed on camera.

"The question of whoever orchestrated that disruption is neither here nor there. We need to move forward for the benefit of the people. Let us put national interests above partisan interests," Tsvangirai said."

I am staggered by this decision. It is obvious just who broke up the meeting, and it is obvious who handed out the beating - yet Mugabe is happy to have the facts hidden, while Tsvangirai is obliged to play the same game or there will be more violence to follow.

One wonders if anything has changed at all in Zimbabwe.

"On the other hand President Mugabe would say, "We are here to say that we will not brook any further disturbances in the future.

We must have this Constitution done."

Mugabe systematically blocks any probe that might show his party in a bad light. The Gukurahundi, Operation Murambatsvina, Willowgate, the diamond fields...

-o00o-

Operation Murambatsvina was a horrendous time in Zimbabwe and, if the truth be told, the country has not recovered from that violent 'clean-up'.

"A planned urban clean-up campaign in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, motivated by health and safety concerns has evoked fears among some residents of a re-run of President Robert Mugabe's iron-fist ed Operation Murambatsvina in 2005.

Operation Murambatsvina left hundreds of thousands of people homeless after "illegal" structures were demolished by soldiers and police on the orders of the then ruling ZANU PF government, and was widely seen by analysts as the punishment of city-dwellers for giving their overwhelming support to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

However, the proposal for an urban clean-up this time comes from the MDC city council, in the wake of a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 4,000 people and affected about 100,000 others, and the growing perception that Harare is turning into "another Kibera", a reference to one of Africa's largest slums, on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi."

If the 'clean-up' were to be re-visited upon the Zimbabwean people, then I really don't know anymore. A repeat Murambatsvina would be catastrophic - and if it is something put forward by the MDC, then I really am going to be confused.

I was under the impression that the MDC represented the people, whilst ZANU PF represented every fear and loathing - and if the MDC propose a new clean-up, then they make the difference between the two parties almost indiscernible.

"We should not promote anarchy; let us remove all the illegal structures as soon as possible and bring back order," said deputy mayor Emmanuel Chiroto.

The mid-winter timing of the clean-up project is reminiscent of Operation Murambatsvina (Throw out the Trash), which left more than 700,000 people homeless, and affected more than two million throughout the country.

Murambatsvina drew international outrage and prompted the United Nations to dispatch Special Envoy Anna Tibaijuka, who condemned its "indiscriminate and unjustified manner" and "indifference to human suffering."

-o00o-

I read this article with some interest. An election is private and confidential - but if someone wishes to show their ballot paper to another, that is their choice and does not render that election null and void.

In my understanding at least...

"The High Court has indefinitely reserved judgement in a case in which independent MP, Prof Jonathan Moyo (Tsholotsho North) is seeking to reverse the election of the mainstream MDC chairman, Lovemore Moyo, to the position of Speaker of Parliament.

Justice Bharat Patel reserved judgement on the legal challenge by Moyo seeking to invalidate the Speaker’s historic election, in a plot said to be spearheaded by a number of so-called hawks within ZANU PF. The party’s own candidate for the position of speaker, who was a member of the smaller MDC party led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, was defeated in the election.

MP Moyo, represented by lawyer Terence Hussein, has declared his ultimate objective as being to bring the tenure of Moyo as Speaker of the 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe to a premature and inglorious end. Hussein said the election of the Speaker was flawed because the ballot papers were revealed to other legislators.

He says the election of Moyo breached Parliamentary rules as it was not a secret ballot, with legislators showing each other their unfolded ballot papers.

Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma was accused of dereliction of duty by failing to call the House to order amid the alleged chaos."

Moyo is an independent member of the house - but a former member of Mugabe's ZANU PF. His need to bring this action is just another case against the MDC - of either faction - and shows the real colours of Moyo.

He hasn't left ZANU PF. All he has done is dress himself in clothes that he believes are more acceptable to the voting public.

"The Speaker has come out fighting, insisting that the doctrine of separation of powers outlawed the courts from interfering with parliamentary processes.

Speaker Moyo’s opposing papers state that the applicants should have brought a motion in Parliament seeking the reversal of the Speaker vote instead of rushing to the law courts.

Speaker Moyo has also queried Prof Moyo’s standing in the case and questioned why the aggrieved party, Themba-Nyathi, had not brought the challenge and what Prof Moyo’s interest was in the matter.

The Zimbabwe Times understands the legal challenge was mooted at the Kadoma Ranch Motel during a so-called strategy workshop of the Mutambara faction in September last year.

Prof Jonathan Moyo, who by all indications has now returned to the ZANU PF fold, checked into the motel for the duration of the workshop, sources say. At the height of the dispute last year, the MDC issued a statement stating that the MPs’ vote for Moyo was a true reflection of the will of the people of Zimbabwe."

-o00o-

The diamond question in Zimbabwe comes up with frightening regularity. If the fields are as big a find as indicated, then I do wonder how big a chasm is Mugabe and his loyalists intend to fill with money that is not going into State coffers?

Is there no end to their avarice?

"Zimbabwe is relaunching a military crackdown on illegal diamond hunters in the eastern region - risking renewed criticism from human rights groups, state radio reported on Monday.

Following the launch of Operation Hakudzokwi (No Return) in Marange last year, human rights groups say dozens of panners were killed by troops, although the government insists there is no evidence of this.

Only last week, the international diamond certification group, the Kimberly Process, released a preliminary report accusing the army and police of looting diamonds in the area. The KP report also said the security forces had committed human rights abuses and recommended their withdrawal from the zone.

But in a report on Monday, ZBC radio reported: "Operation Hakudzokwi which was jointly carried out by security personnel to restore sanity at Chiadzwa diamond fields is bouncing back bigger and more re-invigorated to deal once and for all with illegal diamond dealers and panners, says the Governor and Resident Minister for Manicaland province, Cde Chris Mushohwe."

Two questions I would care to raise here.

1) If the crackdown was the success that Mugabe's people say it was, then why do the State coffers remain empty?

2) If the fields were as uncontrolled as alleged, then how was Gideon Gono, the governor of the Reserve Bank, able to quantify the losses so easily?

"Following the launch of the operation last year, Herald columnists Nathaniel Manheru - thought to be President Robert Mugabe’s press secretary George Charamba - described Marange as the “wild-wild East” where security forces were employing "shock therapy" against panners.

He wrote that captured diggers were being made to use their bare fingers to refill gullies they dug."

The sad thing is that until and unless Mugabe allows a strict procedure to be introduced in the diamond fields, very little will ever be realised except further death and anxiety, whilst the country will continue to lose money hand over fist.

-o00o-

I am not the only one that queries where the money for the diamonds has gone...

"Several months ago it was reported that there were buckets of rough diamonds kept inside the vaults of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. These were sold on the black market and used to keep the ZANU PF regime afloat, when ordinary Zimbabweans were on their knees and battling the destroyed economy. Last week the country’s security chiefs convened a press conference in Mutare and basically told the unity government to go to hell, after it gave them a half-hearted instruction to gradually withdraw from the diamond fields. This followed a report from the anti-blood diamond group, the Kimberly Process, implicating the army in mass murder and child labour practices.

All these events have combined to expose the key role played by the diamonds (and the country’s other mineral wealth) in keeping Mugabe in power. The diamonds, as one analyst put it, helped Mugabe keep the army happy at a time when his government did not have the money to pay proper salaries. With the soldiers turning the diamond fields into a lawless 'wild west' there was, and continues to be, no accountability over proceeds and this suits ZANU PF in the current unity government. Mugabe’s reluctance to remove Central Bank governor Gideon Gono, even at the cost of the coalition government, has pretty much given the game away. Gono remains a key figure in this diamond syndicate."

I will state it again. If the government is in control of the diamond fields, then why is the country broke?

Where has all the money gone? Who took it and for what reason?

The diamonds in the Marange/Chiadzwa fields are a national resource - they are not the property o Robert Mugabe of ZANU PF...

"Newsreel spoke to a businessman who explained how the transactions are supposed to work. The Central Bank buys the diamonds from those doing the mining. The bank then sells the diamonds outside the country and retains the profit. This profit, or agency fee, then goes into a fund run by the Reserve Bank. The government, through the Finance Ministry, will only get money from these transactions via taxes. Given that the former mine owners in Marange, the London-listed African Consolidated Resources, were kicked out of the claim, it means the army is effectively mining the diamonds, while exploiting cheap labour from both adults and children in the area.

Mines Minister Obert Mpofu last week told a mining publication that there was no dispute over ownership of the Marange diamond fields. This is despite owners African Consolidated Resources still challenging the matter in court. Mpofu insists the government is the sole owner of the claim, through the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation. But judging from last week’s press conference in which police, army and CIO provincial chiefs in Mutare put their foot down and said they were not leaving the diamond fields, the army appears to be running the show."

Military insubordination... which won't worry Mugabe - as long as he keeps the armed forces sweet with the illegal proceeds from the sale of the diamonds.

"The big tragedy is that with an estimated US$200 million per month being generated from the various diamond mines in the country, that money could take care of many of Zimbabwe’s economic problems. Sadly senior figures in the army and ZANU PF just continue to line their pockets.

It’s a reminder once again, that rebuilding a country is never about a shortage of money - just a shortage of political will."

I couldn't have put it better myself...

-o00o-

In ZANU PF, you are not guilty of a crime - unless you get caught - and the catching of someone breaking the law is viewed to be more serious than the breaking of the law... if that makes any sense.

And then, when a Mugabe big-shot is implicated, strange things begin to happen. People die suddenly, or leave the country unexpectedly, and paperwork just disappears...

"A police docket implicating two ZANU PF stalwarts who include President Mugabe’s blue eyed boy, Emmerson Mnangagwa along with ZANU PF longtime guru, Webster Shamu has vanished from Zimbabwe Attorney-General Johannes Tomana's office.

As the MDC sought a probe into the matter, efforts to provide Tomana a copy of the docket saw the police superintendent who was in charge of the investigations being immediately transferred from his posting at Bulawayo Central police station to a rural centre in Mashonaland Central’s Nzvimbo, a growth point in Chiweshe, more than 500 kilometres away from Matebeleland.

The two high-profile figures had been implicated in massive poaching of rhinos in Zimbabwe’s national parks, after the arrest of a Chinese national early this year who was found with six rhino horns at a police roadblock along the Hwange-Bulawayo Road."

And the matter will just be allowed to amount to very little. No further action will be taken - even if the ZRP wanted it...

Mugabe has a habit of making things happen that appear to exonerate his colleagues - bu,t in reality, these cases are held in abeyance, to be reignited if the person concerned steps out of line.

"Mnangagwa, who earned notoriety as the head of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) ministry in the early 80s, is the current defence minister in the government of national unity.

Shamu is the media and information minister.

The two government ministers are said to have been launching their operations from HKK Safaris, a conservancy Shamu co-owns together with South African businessman, Charles Davy. Davy is father to English-Royal Prince Harry’s former girlfriend, Chelsy.

Davy has in the past been accused of violating hunting quotas and Zimbabwe’s then stringent foreign currency regulations at their conservancy near Hwange national park but has been shielded from prosecution by Shamu. He is also said to be a personal friend of President Mugabe.

"The President (Mugabe) is very, very embarrassed," said environmental and natural resources management minister, Francis Nhema, last week. "He asked me for the names of the ministers involved."

Nhema, however, refused to admit or deny the two Mugabe right-hand men were the ministers in question."

Mugabe embarrassed? That'll be the day! But he must be approaching the "enough!" stage...

"Tomana’s appointment as attorney-general and Gideon Gono’s re-appointment as central bank governor have been referred to SADC for arbitration as they were unilaterally made by Mugabe without the consent or agreement of the two MDC leaders. This matter has also seen a bitter feud between Finance minister and Mugabe appointed central bank governor, Gono.

Under the new global political agreement (GPA) senior appointments such as these have to be agreed to by all parties in the unity government. Since the year 2000, many dockets implicating ZANUF PF members have disappeared into 'thin air' In March 2000, another docket implicating then leader of the war veterans, Chenjerai Hunzvi disappeared after a week of having been opened. Many other dockets would soon follow the same trend that has seen many ZANU PF members protected by loopholes in the state security structures."

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Monday, 13th July 2009

Howzit

Foreign currency mid-rates update...

-o00o-

Is there not enough death and destruction on the earth without Mugabe adding to it by supplying arms to warring nations?

"Zimbabwe is not only stockpiling modern weapons, but is also circumventing sanctions by exporting arms to the US via Eastern Europe, according to a report that is due to be released this week. The International Peace Information Service (IPIS), a Belgian-based research hub, says this state of play is a good example of why the UN-proposed Arms Trade Treaty needs to be as comprehensive as possible to stem the flow of weapons into Zimbabwe.

The report says that throughout last year, when the political climate was most volatile, it tracked shipments of arms in and out of the country, which not only pose a threat to Zimbabweans, but outline the dubious nature of arms deals that continue to take place with a country that is heavily sanctioned.

In the space of 48 hours last August, 53 tons of ammunition were allegedly flown from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Harare by Enterprise World Airways, aboard a Boeing-707-3B4C aircraft registered as 9Q-CRM, say Brian Johnson-Thomas and Peter Danssaert, authors of the report.

The first shipment on August 21 contained 32 tons of 7.62x54mm cartridges, according to the UN's Groups of Experts on the DRC. A second shipment, which they say arrived two days later, contained 20 tons of 7.62x39mm cartridges, the kind of ammunition used in AK-47s.

The ammunition was received in Zimbabwe four months after a separate and controversial arms consignment from China was turned away at Durban on the so-called ship of shame in April last year, only to be flown into the country a month later from Angola, the report also claims.

Despite denials from Luanda and Beijing, an employee of the state-owned Zimbabwe Defence Industry (ZDI) in Harare told Ipis in June that the shipment, which contained mortar bombs, rockets and rounds of ammunition, had arrived in the country - something that Information Minister Bright Matonga also suggested in May when he told a TV-recorded panel discussion that "the shipment is already in Zimbabwe". Matonga could not be reached for comment this week.

"Zimbabwe has no national legislation on the import, export or transit of arms and ammunition that conforms to international stands," the report's authors say, suggesting the country's borders are dangerously pervious and proof of what happens when there is no arms treaty in place."

Mugabe and his senior loyalists will stop at nothing to make a few bucks. The farms, the harvest from those farms (although the new 'farmers' never set foot on the land), the diamond fields and now arms shipments all have been used to enrich the few whilst the rest of the country starves.

"All does not have to be lost in the absence of a treaty, Guy Lamb of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) argues.

"Illicit and corrupt arms trading, as well as arms transfers to conflict zones or countries where governments are responsible for human rights abuses, can be restricted in Africa by more comprehensive and consistent implementation of existing regional arms control agreements at the national level," the head of the arms management programme at the ISS points out.

"Examples include the SADC firearms control protocol and the Nairobi small arms and light weapons protocol."

However, what could happen and what does are very different things. The researchers also tracked the shipment of 1349 stripped MAG58 machine gun bodies, 2051 barrels and various other machinegun parts from Harare to Podgorica airport in Montenegro in February last year, which they claim later found their way to the US in a roundabout deal that breached the sanctions imposed by the government of George W Bush.

According to the airway bill, or shipping document, the consignment was dispatched by the ZDI to its Montenegran counterparts, a deal they say was brokered by the Swiss-based company BT International. That company is run by Heinrich Thomet, the Swiss man who appeared on the US arms trafficking "Watch List" three years ago.

Earlier this year, during a visit to the Montenegro Defence Industry, the authors of the report were informed "that the machineguns supplied from Zimbabwe had been bought for refurbishment" and "that the overhauled machinegun parts, with the exception of the barrels and receivers" were later shipped on to the United States in a transaction that was also facilitated by BT International.

An investigation into the trans-Atlantic deal pointed to Ohio Ordnance Works as the recipient of the gun parts, a dealer that supplies the US armed forces and which previously supplied the allied forces in Iraq."

Zimbabwe has a history which is steeped in violence and death. And, for personal gain, Mugabe and his stalwarts are more than happy to continue making money out of war and combat.

Mugabe and his closer senior echelon no longer see themselves as 'liberators' of Zimbabwe, but international war lords...

-o00o-

Almost every week, we read of the MDC-T MPs being jailed for various 'crimes' and it is obviously an attempt by ZANU PF to overturn the slender majority that the Tsvangirai faction of the MDC holds in Parliament.

"MDC-T MP for Chipinge South Meki Makuyana was last week sentenced to 12 months in prison for kidnapping two ZANU PF supporters in the run-up to the 2008 harmonised elections.

This brings to four the number of MDC-T MPs convicted of various crimes, while several others are facing different charges in the courts. Chipinge provincial magistrate Mr Samuel Zuze convicted Makuyana, along with Councillor Chisumbanje Hardwork Masaiti, and two MDC-T party supporters Wedzerayi Gwenzi and Simon Chaya, after a full trial.

The four had pleaded not guilty."

The part of the heavily loaded pro-Mugabe report in The Herald that got my attention was a reminder that any triggered by-election, under provisions of the Global Political Agreement, the seat can only be contested (for the first 12 months or as long as the unity government exists) by the party that held the seat in the first place.

This perhaps does not help the mix of seats as far as ZANU PF are concerned, but it will allow them to perhaps place an MDC candidate that is sympathetic with Mugabe's rule.

"Prosecutor Mr Last Goredema said the four kidnapped two ZANU PF supporters - Isaac Ndlovu and Joseph Dhliwayo - when they were attending a rally at Chisuma Primary School ahead of the 2008 harmonised elections.

"The four accused persons, who reside in Chisumbanje, were at an MDC-T rally at Chisuma Primary School when they observed that ZANU PF supporters were also having their meeting at the same school and about 100 metres from where they were. Dhliwayo was addressing the ZANU PF meeting.

"Makuyana asked Masaiti, Gwenzi and Chaya to go and stop the ZANU PF meeting and order everyone who was there to attend the MDC-T rally.

"The ZANU PF supporters refused and Masaiti, Gwenzi and Chaya went back to inform Makuyana that they had refused to attend the MDC-T rally," he said. He told the court that the three teamed up with Nyasha Madhodha - who is still at large - and went back to the ZANU PF meeting where they assaulted the people there with sticks and chairs.

Ndlovu and Dhliwayo were apprehended and forcibly marched to the MDC-T rally, he said."

Read into this what you will - ZANU PF obviously hold sway in the criminal courts in Zimbabwe...

"Lynette Karenyi (Chimanimani West) was sentenced to 20 days in prison or a fine after being found guilty of forging her nomination court papers last year.

Shuah Mudiwa (Mutare West) was jailed for seven years for kidnapping a 12-year-old girl.

Mathias Mlambo (Chipinge East) was slapped with a 10-month prison term for obstructing the course of justice. A further five MDC-T MPs are on trial on fraud charges stemming from their alleged abuse of the Government’s farm inputs programme.

These are Hega Shoko (Bikita West), Edmore Marima (Bikita East), Tichaona Maradza (Masvingo West), Hamandishe Maramwidze (Gutu North) and Ramsome Makamure (Gutu East).

Blessing Chebundo (Kwekwe Central) is also before the courts on allegations of raping a minor."

-o00o-

"Two Harare men allegedly connived with a security guard at a car sales and drove away undetected in a Nissan Hardbody truck worth US$20000.

The vehicle, which belonged to Red Cross International Zimbabwe, was at Alex Harrisons car sales in the city.

Paradzai Gora (39) and Farai Chidavarume (26) last week appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts facing car theft charges.

However, nothing was said in court about the security guard."

I worked in the motor trade and was the Sales Manager at a dealership in Harare.

Unless there is serious connivance with the security guards, it would have been almost impossible to steal a motor vehicle - even if that vehicle was parked in the stock yard.

I find it very interesting that the vehicle has not been recovered.

"Appearing for the State, Miss Lethiwe Maphosa said the offence was committed last month when the security officer guarding the premises connived with the two to steal a Nissan Hardbody truck.

The car has registration number 214-TCE157 and is white in colour. They took the car under the pretext that it was going out for cleaning.

The two avoided the normal company procedures of booking vehicles in and out of the car sale so that they would bypass the security authorities.

The two were arrested in Harare but the vehicle is yet to be recovered."

-o00o-

Sometimes this page begins to resemble a Zimbabwean Criminal's "Who's Who"...

"Two Chitungwiza men were on Wednesday fined US$300 each for illegally possessing ivory and zebra trophies valued at US$13000.

Benjamin Smart and Naboth Chisuko, who separately appeared before magistrate Ms Olivia Mariga, should pay the fines before the end of July.

If they default payment, Ms Mariga ruled, the duo risk spending two months in prison.

The two pleaded guilty to breaching the Parks and Wildlife Act before the court fined them."

Even twenty-odd years ago when I prosecuted in criminals courts in Esigodini, Plumtree and Gwanda (and, quite frequently, at Tredgold Building in Bulawayo), convicted criminals were given time to pay fines.

In the current environment, I fully understand this, as prisons are in a poor state of repair and they do not have the funding to even feed or clothe the prisoners adequately - and this has, in recent weeks, fallen on the families and friends of those so incarcerated.

At least someone is thinking on their feet.

-o00o-

"The Minister of Education, Sport, Art and Culture David Coltart's mother, Mrs Nora Coltart, has died. She was 81.

Minister Coltart said his mother lost a long battle with breast cancer at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo at 7am yesterday.

"She passed away this morning (yesterday) as a result of complications caused by breast cancer which she fought bravely for many years," he said."

My deepest sympathy to the honourable Minister.

"Mrs Coltart survived by her only child - Minister Coltart following the death of the Minister's father in 1999.

Mourners are gathered at number 5 Murton Close, Burnside."

-o00o-

Zimbabwe's 'comical Ali' may have fallen from the headlines in a political sense, but his domestic life is back in the papers.

"The dirty linen of a former Deputy Minister’s family is set to be washed in the public.

Anne Elizabeth Matonga - the estranged wife of Mhondoro Ngezi MP Bright Matonga - has filed papers in the High Court suing businesswoman Sharon Mugabe for adultery.

Anne, who is locked in divorce proceedings with Matonga, says Mugabe ruined her marriage by committing adultery and ultimately brazenly snatching her husband.

To compensate for the suffering she underwent as a result, Anne who is now surviving on charity is demanding $50000 from Mugabe who runs a marketing and communications firm, Imago Y&R.

Mugabe is however denying the accusations. She says she never knew that Matonga had been married to Anne, adding she only got acquainted with him when their marriage had irretrievably broken down.

But according to Anne’s submissions, her marriage to Matonga was well publicised especially after she supported her husband in grabbing a Banket farm from its white owners."

You know what? I don't care about Matonga - or his divorce proceedings - or his love life. I really don't care...

-o00o-

I do note that Blogger's online spellchecker continues to question correctly spelled words - and now with a twist - it questions a correctly spelled word, but has no suggestions as to the 'correct' spelling...

Take care.

'debvhu

Sunday, 12th July 2009

Howzit

I could swear but I won't.

We all know that Mugabe has big problems with the existence of the MDC in government.

"President Robert Mugabe admitted Saturday his ZANU PF party still differed on policy matters with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), his partners in the current inclusive government.

Mugabe said the MDC was too friendly to the Western governments in the process failing to realise the West still had a hidden agenda to recolonise Zimbabwe. "Now it is not a fight with the gun. It is a fight to get properly united and that is why we are saying lets be one," he said."

Mugabe is getting quite boring with the idea that Zimbabwe will be recolonised. Why on earth would the West want to recolonise the country - especially since it is in ruins following the last three decades (decayed?) of Mugabe's destructive rule?

"Mugabe was addressing mourners at the burial of the late PF ZAPU member, Ackim Matthew Ndlovu who died last week at the age of 77 through illness and was declared a national hero by the ZANU PF politburo. The burial ceremony was boycotted by the two MDC parties."

Mugabe asks if the country is unified... No, it is not. Primarily because ZANU PF force the issues if they don't get their own way. People are arrested, beaten, tortured, incarcerated and even murdered in the name of ZANU PF.

The Zimbabwean people are sick of it and they do not want Mugabe or ZANU PF to lead them or represent them...

"Are we truly one in the inclusive government? Are we united? Let’s show that we are united and speak with one voice," Mugabe said, "the voice of the Zimbabwe that is free; a voice that no longer seeks the support of oppressors.

"Those who oppressed us yesterday cannot be our friends today. And we have got to learn that.

"They may talk sweet language to us but deep down they have a deep-seated grievance. Let’s not humiliate ourselves any further."

Which would suggest that ZANU PF should not be the friend of Zimbabweans as they have oppressed the population.

Mugabe goes on to state that he has friends that are prepared to help Zimbabwe rather than dictate conditions to aid - if that is the case, why does he daily complain and whinge about the West wanting more reforms before releasing aid?

-o00o-

Mugabe will not be happy unless he holds the trump card and has the ability to have the last word.

In the article above, he claims that he has friends that will help him - he has already stated that any money raised in the East will be for his party, not the country - but he insisted on firing yet another salvo at the West.

"Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has criticised the West for imposing conditions on aid to his troubled nation.

Mr Mugabe has called on members of the unity government to speak up on the aid issue and show their commitment to the country. The unity government was formed earlier this year, with Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangarai taking the positions of president and prime minister.

Mr Mugabe lashed out at Western nations on Saturday, saying Zimbabwe would not humiliate itself any further by agreeing to Western demands for further political reforms in return for aid."

I find it of double standards that Mugabe can daily hand out criticism to the West, but that no one - repeat no one - can say anything negative about him, his party or what he has done to the country.

"The government has only had limited success in lifting Zimbabwe out of its deep economic crisis marked by years of food shortages and hyperinflation. The progress has been hindered by internal disputes and lack of support from Western nations, who have pledged support but said they wanted to see more progress."

-o00o-

The unity government is in disarray. Mugabe continues to rule as a dictator, Mutambara is slowly shifting his MDC faction closer and closer to Mugabe's way of thinking and Tsvangirai has been taken to task by his faction for not being assertive enough...

"The MDC-T national executive on Friday took Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to task for failing to stand up to President Robert Mugabe whom they accused of violating the Global Political Agreement (GPA), sources said yesterday.

The sources said Tsvangirai was also accused of remaining "aloof" as the 85-year-old leader in power since 1980 continued to flout provisions of the agreement that led to the formation of the unity government in February.

Another bone of contention, the sources said, was Tsvangirai’s continued silence as Mugabe increasingly claims that he is both head of state and government despite the power-sharing arrangement. The state media, which has not changed its pro-Mugabe stance, also refers to Mugabe as head of both state and government."

Very simply put, there can never be a unity government whilst one person continues to work unilaterally and ignore the other party/factions in the government.

Whilst I have high praise for the MDC for even taking their leader to task and allowing the media to know the score, until and unless Mugabe/ZANU PF stands by the signature of their leader, the unity of any government will be in question.

"They have a right to express their views and this shows deep-rooted levels of democracy in the party," Maridadi said. "It (national executive) shows that it does not tell the Prime Minister what he wants to hear but the situation on the ground. "This is what the Prime Minister has been fighting for - democracy."

As things stand right now, the election results mean nothing. ZANU PF lost and continues in power, whilst the MDC won and struggles to be integrated within the inclusive body.

"On Mugabe’s claim to be both head of state and government, Maridadi said the President’s role was clearly spelt out in the GPA. He said Tsvangirai is head of government while Mugabe is head of state.

"If you look at the functions, he (Tsvangirai) becomes head of government. He formulates and implements government policy and this makes him the head of government," Maridadi said.

Turning to accusations that Tsvangirai glossed over Zimbabwe’s problems on his recent trip abroad, Maridadi said Tsvangirai was quoted out of context on the issue of farm invasions and the breakdown in the rule of law.

"The Prime Minister is very clear on the issue of rule of law and farm invasions," he said. "He does not tolerate all these. He is concerned about the on-going selective application of the law, farm disruptions and continued harassment of MPs from his party," Maridadi said."

This is just semantics. Arguing over who is what when nothing is being done on the ground means absolutely nothing to the voters. I don't care if Mugabe calls himself the king of Zimbabwe - what matters is the return of law and order, and the improvement of life in Zimbabwe.

-o00o-

Mugabe doesn't like to be told what to do - by anyone. Especially if it is something within Zimbabwe - even though it is overseen by an international body.

Diamonds in the Eastern Highlands are manna from Heaven for Mugabe. And even if he has to kill people in his endeavour to take control of the diamond fields, then so be it. Sadly, any resources he uses are public - but work entirely for his own personal wealth.

The Marange/Chiadzwa diamond fields have been systemically stripped of the valuable stone by Mugabe and his bigwigs.

The value of the stones in the fields could easily rebuild Zimbabwe many times over, but Mugabe prefers that the money is in his numerous bank accounts.

"A confidential memo by the head of a delegation of the Kimberley Process, which recently wrapped up an investigation into the reports of violence and killings in Marange, has detailed the 'horrific violence' used by the army against civilians there.

The Kimberley Process, a scheme tasked with halting the trade in 'blood diamonds', sent the delegation to investigate Zimbabwe's 'compliance' with international diamond trade standards.

Their visit came days after a Human Rights Watch report detailed the ongoing human rights abuses at the Marange diamond fields, which in turn followed numerous accounts of abuse and killings there. Accounts from survivors of the military onslaught at Marange detailed the killings, speaking of machine-gun attacks by helicopter and armed attacks by troops on the ground. Civilians in the region also reported that anyone attempting to enter the area was arrested and often tortured and killed.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have said that about 5,000 people were arrested during the army operation, with three quarters of them showing signs of having been tortured severely. Government officials have repeatedly and adamantly denied state-sponsored violence at the diamond fields. Mining Minister Obert Mpofu earlier this year, at the start of a separate Kimberley Process mission in March, said the accounts of killings were fabrications.

Most recently, his Deputy Murisi Zwizwai told a meeting of the Kimberly Process in Namibia two weeks ago that no killings had taken place.

The MDC minister's comments have since landed him in hot water with his party, who last week said his comments were 'inaccurate'."

I have repeatedly asked where the money for the diamonds has gone. The army have refused to withdraw and the biggest diamond heist in recent years carries on right under our noses - and we are virtually powerless to stop it.

"In his confidential memo handed over to government officials and which has also been made available to The New York Times, the Kimberley Process team's leader, Kpandel Fayia, told Zimbabwean officials that he was so disturbed by the testimonies of victims that he had to leave as they spoke.

"Our team was able to interview and document the stories of victims, observe their wounds, scars from dog bites and batons, tears, and ongoing psychological trauma," said the memo by Fayia, a deputy minister of the ministry that oversees mining in Liberia."

How do you stop a whirlwind, a hurricane? How does one stop the Mugabe-ites from stealing the country's mineral resources, whilst Mugabe accuses the West of wishing to recolonise the country and rob exactly what he is already stealing?

"Government officials have said they would 'try' to comply with the Kimberly Process standards before the team issued its final report.

Deputy Mining Minister Zwizwai was quoted as saying that Zimbabwe had agreed to remove soldiers from the fields "in phases while proper security settings would be put in place."

But while Zimbabwe could face being removed from the Kimberley Process as a result of the delegation's findings, it appears the human rights violations in Marange could be swept under the rug. The delegation has recommended a temporary suspension in Zimbabwe diamond trading.

But Susanne Emond from Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), an organisation that has been campaigning for the end of conflict fuelled by the blood diamond trade, explained to SW Radio Africa that the Kimberley Process, as a regulatory body, "doesn't have a specific language when dealing with human rights." She said that one of the few tools that the Process has is the suspension of a participating country from the body, therefore preventing the country from trading in diamonds all together.

"This suspension would normally be enough to force a participant to comply with their standards," Emond said. "But it is unacceptable that a country says it is applying the laws while killing people."

-o00o-

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

Saturday, 11th July 2009

Howzit

The internet has a report that Akim Ndlovu would be buried as a hero today. I ask myself, who is Akim Ndlovu? According to the report in The Herald, he was a ZIPRA commander, and I have no reason to argue with the decision to consider him a hero.

But I do ask why Patrick Kombayi was not tagged as a hero? The decision to make anyone a hero in Zimbabwe is laced with political bias and really needs to be sorted out.

-o00o-

In Zimbabwe, a deposit fine is a simple way of admitting guilt and paying a stipulated fine for that offence.

"Police yesterday announced new deposits for fines for those wishing to plead guilty to minor offences and wishing to avoid a court appearance.

The new deposit fines are with immediate effect. Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, warned that for some offences repeat offenders would have to appear in court, and could not simply pay a deposit fine at a police station.

First offenders for the listed offences have the option of appearing in court, if they wish to plead not guilty or if they wish to bring forward mitigating evidence for a lower fine.

Before the release of this schedule, some police officers were applying the US$20 fine indiscriminately.

The new deposit fines are as follows:

Offence Fine in US$

Gambling 10 Rioters 5
Indecent conduct 5
Dealing in prohibited or any knives 20
Threatening language especially in public 10
Obstructing passages, streets, pavements or sidewalks 10
Public drinking 5
Drunk violent or disorderly behaviour on licensed premises 15
Failing to display liquor licence 15
Selling liquor without permit 20
Selling or supplying liquor to any person who is drunk 5
Selling liquor after hours 20
Shops without licence 20
Unlawful possession of identification documents belonging to another person 20
Moving cattle without permit first offence 20
Second offence court
Unlicenced radio or television receivers at home and in cars 5
Failure to renew firearm certificate on time 5
Failure to renew for three firearms 20
Insecure firearms 20
Buying or selling a firearm without a certificate court
Disposal of firearms to unathourised persons court
Failure to register a car 15
Illegible registration mark and number plates 10
Vehicles with no front registration numbers 10
Driving without a licence 20
Learner’s driving without supervision 20
Motorists failing to obey turning arrows 10
Driving into intersection when exit is not clear 20
To cause or permit animals to stray on any roads 10
Failure to obey directions from a policeman in uniform controlling traffic 15
Cars without headlights 20
Driving with an illegal beacon 10
Failure to carry a red triangle 10
Cars without wipers 5
Public service vehicles without fitness certificates 15
Failure to display certificate of fitness 10
Excess passengers 5 per head
Touting 10
Speeding 1km/h 50km/h 5 to 20
Speeding in excess of 50km/h court
Fishing without permission from owner 5
Serving or offering food in a train or railway premises first offence 5
Second offence 10
Third offence court"

I have reproduced the list exactly as it appears in The Herald. Not that I expect an answer, but what is "Failure to renew for three firearms"?

And I note that driving without a driver's licence, a serious offence, carries a fine of just US$20.

Some of these fines are a joke - and all that they prove is that fines of this nature are just another way in which Mugabe and his cronies milk the system for foreign currency.

-o00o-

The Marange/Chaidwza diamond fields in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe continue to be a problem for that country...

"Zimbabwe's army and police on Friday refused to vacate diamond fields where security forces are accused of human rights abuses, despite a pledge last week for their withdrawal.

The announcement came despite a call from the Kimberley Process, which works to end the sale of "blood diamonds", for the demilitarisation of the Marange fields, where security forces are accused of torture, killings and other abuses against civilians.

"The officer commanding Manicaland province, senior assistant commissioner Munorwei Shava Mathuthu, said security forces will remain in place to deal with illegal diamond dealers and panners," said the statement read on state television. Mines Minister Obert Mpofu "concurred with the security forces", state television added - although on Sunday the government had said it would conduct a phased withdrawal from Marange."

I suppose that it could be argued that the withdrawal will be phased - one phase only - and will take place at a later date.

"A team from the Kimberley Process on Wednesday accused the military of being involved in illegal diamond mining in the Marange and of perpetrating "horrific" violence against civilians. The team recomended that Zimbabwe remove the army from Marange by July 20. The team visited Zimbabwe last week on a fact-finding mission, after Human Rights Watch accused the armed forces of using torture and forced labour to control the Marange fields, saying 200 people had been killed last year.

Zimbabwe has denied the allegations."

Mugabe will tell the world that Zimbabwe is a sovereign democracy and will not respond to the orders of others - ie, the Kimberley Process.

What this means is that Mugabe and his senior loyalists will continue to milk the fields for every stone that they can...

The diamond field in Zimbabwe - carat or stick?

-o00o-

Another report on the same subject...

"The army and the police will not withdraw from the Chiadzwa diamond fields, but will remain there to maintain 'law and order', a state controlled newspaper said on Friday.

The weekly Manica Post in Mutare said the security forces will continue with their presence at the diamond fields, despite recommendations by the Kimberley Process team that visited the country last week to demilitarise the fields. The officer commanding Manicaland Province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Munorwei Shava Matutu, told journalists at a media briefing that because of the vast nature of the diamond fields, the security forces will continue using various strategies, including roadblocks and patrols, that he said have resulted in the decline of illegal panning and dealing in diamonds in the province. The briefing was also attended by provincial commanders from the army and the CIO."

Just how the police and the army are expected to uphold 'law and order' when they themselves are the biggest culprits, I will never know.

But you will note a pattern emerging here. Mugabe's people refuse to leave the diamond fields - he refuses to have an audit within the RBZ... His way of covering anything up is just to close ranks.

And to return to a question that I ask a lot... where has all the diamond money gone?

"The Kimberley Process team visited the country last week on a fact-finding mission, after Human Rights Watch accused the armed forces of using torture and forced labour to control the Marange fields. At least 200 people are known to have died in a military crackdown last year, which saw the army at one time use helicopter gunships to flush out illegal diamond panners.

Sox Chikohwero, a former MDC intelligence chief, told us the military’s insistence to remain at Chiadzwa amounted to a ‘mutiny’ against the unity government.

"Two government ministers agreed with the Kimberley Process recommendations and promised to withdraw the armed forces in phases. But the pro-ZANU PF military has refused and this can only be described as a mutiny against the government," Chikohwero said.

The former ex-combatant and officer in the airforce said those defying government recommendations should be arrested. But he said it is an open secret that ZANU PF has directed the military to issue the statement.

"ZANU PF used to get funds from Gideon Gono but because that financial route has been blocked by the unity government, their only source of funds was Chiadzwa. It’s clear the diamond fields have sustained ZANU PF as a party and the top military generals," Chikohwero said.

"Lets not be fooled they will let go of the diamonds fields. They will fight for it, the soldiers will fight for ZANU PF to ensure its sustainability as far as money is concerned. You cannot separate the soldiers from ZANU PF," added Chikohwero."

-o00o-

"Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara says the lifespan of Zimbabwe’s current inclusive government in Zimbabwe is likely to be extended to a full term of five years. Mutambara further described as false, a widely held belief that the duration of the hybrid government had been intended for two years.

"All this is completely false," Mutambara said, "If you look at the Global Political Agreement (GPA), there is nowhere where it says the government is for 18 months or two years. It is silent on the duration of the unity government."

A five year term for the 'unity' government would be playing straight into Mugabe's hands. He is determined to remain at the top of the government - come hell or high water.

"Said Mutambara, "What we say in the agreement is that, after the new constitution is adopted in a referendum, we will sit down as the three parties and discuss whether to continue or to shut down government and go for elections.

"When we were doing the negotiations, we were coming from the opposition; we wanted a short and sharp government, 18 months, and then elections. That was our demand.

"But our brother Mugabe from ZANU PF was saying, "No I was elected on the 27th of June (2008), I want my five years.' So we argued back and forth.

"The reason why we did this in the end is to ensure that people are not in an election mode. We for once work for the country. If we have 18 months or two years as our horizon, we don’t work, we campaign."

Does Mutambara believe that the Zimbabwean people can sit through yet another interminable round of 'negotiations'? When Mugabe and his party 'negotiate' they visit all manner of violence on the people, forcing the hand of those that they 'negotiate' with...

He does, however, make one statement which, in Zimbabwe, will never happen.

"If we behave well as a government, we create conditions for free and fair elections."

-o00o-

"Zimbabwe’s assets in foreign countries are soon to be impounded, after President Mugabe revealed his government will not pay for land expropriated under his violent land reform programme.

In his announcement on Thursday, president Mugabe said that Britain should pay for the compensation of siezed land since a colonial obligation was ‘outlined’ in the Lancaster House agreement made before independence that Britain should pay. At an international investment function held in Harare, Mugabe said he told Tony Blair, '…to keep his money, and we were going to keep our land’ Mugabe said.

"The responsibility for compensating the farmers rests on the shoulders of the British government and its allies," Mugabe added on Thursday."

Mugabe fails to acknowledge that the change of ownership of land in Zimbabwe, as 'outlned' in the Lancaster House agreement, was supposed to be a 'willing buyer - willing seller'. What was so willing about the farmers and their workers being murdered on the farm? What was so willing about the farmers being physically forced off the land?

"However, some of these farms were lands owned by 13 Dutch farmers, some who went into Zimbabwe after independence (1980) and invested in farming business. These Dutch farmers were protected by commercial treaties personally signed by President Mugabe.

Recently, a World Bank tribunal ruled that Zimbabwe should pay US21 million for the breach of these commercial treaties when Mugabe violently siezed their farms. A 21 July deadline was given afterwhich time, interest will be added and the government’s assets in foreign lands will be subject to seizure.

Although the Zimbabwe government had requested that the damages be discounted, the tribunal rejected this request in April.

Government owned companies such as Air Zimbabwe will be siezed unless or until the Zimbabwe government has remitted payment. The tribunal ruling stated that the applicable law governing the dispute under the Treaty was public international law, not Zimbabwean law."

But why should Mugabe worry? His foreign banks accounts are neatly hidden away and he is rich beyond his wildest dreams. All he has to do now is to avoid being picked up for crimes against humanity...

-o00o-

And finally, for today, an article that discusses something which I have written about before...

"Under normal circumstances a government that takes over from another is usually under an obligation to honour contracts entered into and to repay legitimate national debts acquired by its predecessor.

That happens in most democratic nations where transition from one leader to another is undertaken peacefully and where contracts and debts are entered into with the knowledge and consent of the citizenry.

This week one half of Zimbabwe’s government of national unity fired a salvo by declaring that they would not be honouring debts acquired by the previous ZANU PF government of Robert Mugabe.

"Zimbabwe does not have the capacity to pay the debt," Tendai Biti, Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister, told debt cancellation campaigners at a conference in Harare. "We will not pay this debt."

Unequivocal. And when we look at the debts that Mugabe has against his name, we must ensure that the debts run up that did nothing more than bolster his hold on power are not paid by the new government.

And these should include the weapons that he has purchased to arm his army and the police against the population.

"Inter Press Services reports that, according to the latest Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe statistics, released on Jun 30, "Zimbabwe is sitting on a total external debt of US$ 4.6 billion".

It is estimated that approximately 65 percent of these external obligations are in arrears and yet "Zimbabwe requires 8.4 billion dollars for its economic blueprint, the Short Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP) launched by the government in April this year".

"It would be obscene for me as the Minister of Finance to direct that we pay when 90 percent of our people are living below the poverty datum line, surviving on less than US 20 cents a day,” Biti, of the Tsvangirai led MDC, told IPS."

And when you consider that Mugabe has sent his own entourage to the East to beg money from Mugabe's friends, he told whoever would listen that any money raised would be for his party - not for the country...

"The MDC is unwilling to repay loans and debts acquired by Mugabe and his ZANU PF government at a time when they alone were in charge of Zimbabwe.

In addition, civil society is reportedly demanding an audit of the loans and debts to determine how such a colossal amount was used before agreeing to repay the loans.

Civil society organisations want an audit "to determine the extent to which the country’s debts have become illegitimate and odious"."

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu