Howzit
The weather continues to be very hot – but I don’t mind in the
slightest. Having lived in Plumtree and Chiredzi I welcome the heat and am not
looking forward to a change, which, I see, is due within the next few days.
The heat suited me as we attended a get-together of people from
the old country this last weekend, and whilst there were limited numbers, we
had an excellent time and I enjoyed providing the music for a karaoke and
sing-along on Saturday evening…
For those that are interested, there are photographs on Facebook.
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Zimbabwe’s Attorney General agreed on Monday to
drop Mr Trelawny’s prosecution but immigration officials have told The Daily Telegraph they believe he still has a case to answer.
The 41-year-old classical music presenter from London was arrested last Thursday while on stage at Bulawayo City Hall, where he was compèring at a music festival involving 500 local children. Held in police custody over the weekend, he slipped on a patch of water in his cell and was admitted to hospital with a dislocated shoulder.
On Monday, his lawyer persuaded Johannes Tomana, the attorney
general, to release him on the grounds that it had been the responsibility of the festival organisers, rather than Mr Trelawny, to obtain a Temporary Employment Permit (TEP).
Police were informed that the prosecution had been dropped and Mr
Trelawny was to be released and allowed to leave the country.
Mr Trelawny’s flight home was booked for lunchtime on Tuesday and
he was preparing to be discharged from hospital, only to be told that his passport was being held by the Department of Immigration in Bulawayo.
Munyaradzi Ngarayapenga, Mr Trelawny’s lawyer, said that officials
there were refusing to cancel their arrest warrant.
“Immigration has the document from the police stating that no
prosecution will take place but they have told me they are now in consultations with the Attorney General’s office in Harare, and we don’t know what those consultations could be about,” he said.
“Legally, Mr Petroc is a free man but technically, he is not as
the warrant of arrest has not been withdrawn by immigration.”
He said it was not clear whether the delay was deliberate or down
to red tape.
“If he is not allowed to go free I may have to explore other legal avenues,” he said. “Mr Petroc is therefore likely to remain in hospital in Bulawayo for another day.”
B Lunga, Bulawayo’s Chief Immigration Officer, said: “The
department of immigration believes we do have a case against him and have informed the Attorney General in Harare.
“We believe there is a case that should be settled by a court of
law.”
He would not comment on suggestions that Mr Trelawny’s detention
while on stage at Bulawayo Music Festival had been unnecessarily heavy-handed.
Mr Trelawny has now been in custody for 48 working hours and so
under Zimbabwean law, must either be released or brought before the courts tomorrow morning.
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At
least six ZANU PF activists have reportedly been arrested in connection with
the murder of an MDC-T ward official in Mudzi North last Saturday, but already there
are concerns that the arrests are simply a ZANU PF ploy to save face, ahead of
the SADC summit next week.
Cephas
Magura, the MDC-T chairperson for ward 1, Mudzi North,
died from injuries sustained during an assault by ZANU PF thugs at Chimukoko
Business Centre. The MDC-T had organised a rally there with permission from the police.
Graham
Nyahada, the MDC-T information secretary for Mashonaland
East, said there are unconfirmed reports that Newten Kachepa, the ZANU PF MP
for Mudzi North who was implicated in the attack, was arrested at Parliament on
Monday afternoon. He allegedly drove the youths to the rally.
Nyahada
also dismissed statements made by MP Acquilinah Katsande, who claimed Magura
was not murdered, but had simply fallen off a truck at the venue.
“The
ZANU PF people took him from the spot where he was stoned and moved him to the
roadside so they can say he was in the car,” Nyahada said.
He
also expressed doubt that the arrests were sincere, saying ZANU PF has a
history of arresting their own just to save face, then release them later.
“We
have a SADC summit in Angola next week and team from South Africa who jetted into Zimbabwe yesterday. So this is only a
face-saver,” Nyahada explained.
A
similar scenario took place in the mining compound of Shamva last month, when
police officers murdered an MDC-T supporter following a gold deal that had gone sour. The police
officers were arrested after an angry demonstration by the local villagers, but
they were later released on bail.
According
to the MDC-T, Magura was hit with a stone by the
ZANU PF gang, who continued to assault him as he lay on the ground. He was then
dragged to the roadside and left for dead. Seven other MDC-T activists were injured and treated at
the Avenues Clinic in Harare.
One
of the accused ZANU PF thugs, George Katsande and his mother Acquilinah, who is
the MP for Mudzi West, gained notoriety after the 2008 presidential runoff,
when MDC supporters were targetted and assaulted,
livestock taken and homes destroyed in Mudzi West.
A
dossier in the possession of SW Radio Africa shows that Aquilinah Katsande
orchestrated a reign of terror between April and June 2008, which gained her a
reputation for being brutal and heartless.
According
to the dossier, Katsande “was present when most heart wrenching punishments
were meted out on MDC activists in her constituency.” Most of her victims died
instantly or a few days later.
The
son George and Tawanda Mazunze led a gang of ZANU PF militia who abducted
Fianda Katiyo on the 1st June 2008. They took Katiyo to Nyahondo torture
base and subjected him to terrible torture throughout the night. Katiyo died a
week later.
These
ZANU PF officials and thugs were never prosecuted and they lived to repeat the
same actions four years later. Magura’s death last weekend could have been
avoided.
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A
former member of the European parliament has questioned why the British
government is not pushing for Robert Mugabe’s prosecution at the International
Criminal Court (ICC) for “crimes against humanity.”
Glenys
Kinnock, who was Minister of State for Africa in the last Labour government, was
speaking during a parliamentary debate last week Thursday. Her argument was
that crimes against humanity are defined by the United Nations (UN) as, “a
widespread attack on a civilian population.”
According
to Kinnock, Mugabe should be investigated and subsequently indicted by the ICC
over “the Matabeleland massacres in the 1980s, continued
state-sponsored violence against political opponents, and ongoing atrocities in
the diamond fields in Zimbabwe,” because “there is evidence of his
responsibility.”
Responding
to the question the British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, David Howell said: “Zimbabwe is not a party to the Rome statute and to get an ICC charge against
Mugabe would require a UN Security Council resolution. That means getting past
all five of the permanent members.”
Howell
said the reluctance of some permanent members especially China and Russia, “to
see these matters taken up by the UN and remitted to the ICC for charges” meant
people “who have committed unsavoury acts” like Mugabe were outside the reach
of the ICC.
Last
month former Liberian president Charles Taylor became the first African leader
to be prosecuted and found guilty by the international court. A three judge
panel found Taylor guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against
humanity for supporting rebels who carried out atrocities in Sierra Leone.
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Zambia's President Michael Sata on Tuesday addressed
his Zimbabwean counterpart President Robert Mugabe as “grandfather” to
the laughter of guests invited to the launch of preparations for the hosting of
the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly in the
resort town.
“Comrade Sekuru (grandfather) Robert Mugabe was my boss and I was his youth.
Your Excellency may I call upon you to deliver your speech,” Sata
who is 75 years old said.
Mugabe who is 88 years and has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 sighed and
laughed as he stood up to give his speech. He said; “The President of the Republic of Zambia comrade Michael Sata, muzukuru (nephew), grand, grand,
grandson, Sekuru is grandfather.”
The Zanu (PF) party wants Mugabe to contest forthcoming elections
whose date is yet to be announced.
Zimbabwe and Zambia are co-hosting the UNWTO general
assembly next year and the two neighbouring countries will become the only
other African countries to host the general assembly after Senegal hosted the meeting a few years ago.
The signing ceremony on the No-Man’s land on Victoria Falls Bridge was attended by UNWTO secretary general Taleb Rifai, government officials from both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mugabe and Sata welcomed hosting the UNWTO general assembly
encouraging local and foreign tourists to visit the two southern African
countries which share the majestic Victoria Falls.
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South African President Jacob Zuma’s strong facilitation team comprising
senior figures Lindiwe Zulu, Mac Maharaj and Charles Nqakula are in Harare for talks with the negotiators of the
three parties in the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
A South African official moving around with the team confirmed
their presence saying they are on a mission to meet the negotiators of the three political parties in the GPA and to get an update on the progress that has been made in the implementation of the agreement in various areas.
The current visit by the facilitators comes hot on the heels of a
SADC special summit of the SADC Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security in Johannesburg, South Africa last month.
The Troika Summit last month expressed satisfaction with the
progress on the implementation of the GPA and the making of a new constitution in the country.
Robert Mugabe has said that the inclusive government no longer has the people’s mandate as it has overstayed the duration it was given by the GPA.
The visit of the facilitation team is being viewed as a precursor to the SADC summit to be held in Angola this week where the facilitator
President Jacob Zuma will be expected to brief the Southern African leaders on the Zimbabwean issue.
Robert Mugabes frantic push for elections this year faces a
Southern African Development Community (Sadc) test this week when the bloc convenes an emergency meeting in Angola.
Sadc executive secretary Dr Tomz Augusto Salomao yesterday said
although Zimbabwe was not officially on the agenda, the
summit was likely to review the countrys political situation, given the recent discordant remarks over the roadmap to the next general elections.
Yes, there will be a Sadc Extraordinary Summit meeting in Luanda this week, Salomao said
The summit will review the political developments in member states
such as the elections in Lesotho, the conflict in the Democratic Republic
of Congo and so on, and Zimbabwe, though not on the agenda, can be
discussed as well.
The inclusive government is a Sadc-negotiated political settlement, which brought together former protagonists President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Over the past few weeks, both Mugabe and Tsvangirai dispatched
their respective Zanu PF and MDC-T party envoys to various Sadc member states to drum up support
for their positions as tussling over elections and reforms escalated.
State Security minister Sydney Sekeramayi met Tanzanian leader Jakaya Kikwete on Saturday as Mugabe stepped up his campaign to win Sadc backing for
elections he wants held this year.
Media reports said Sekeramayi travelled to Tanzania with a special message from Mugabe after meeting Zambias President Michael Sata in Lusaka last Tuesday.
Before him, Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa had flown to Angola to deliver a special message to President Jos Eduardo dos Santos while Vice-President John Nkomo reportedly met Botswana President Ian Khama on a similar
diplomatic offensive.
Last month, Tsvangirai dispatched MDC-T international relations secretary Jameson Timba to several regional countries to drum up support ahead of the Luanda summit.
Sadc leaders are expected to oppose Mugabes manoeuvres to call for
elections before the completion of major reforms as this might result in a
repeat of the 2008 poll violence.
Last week, United Nations Human Rights chief Navanethem Pillay
advised against rushed polls and urged Mugabe to ensure free and fair future elections. Pillay was in the country on a five-day working visit to assess the human rights situation.
Mugabe (88), who is also fighting against old age and reported ill
health, has maintained that he wants elections this year and it is suspected his emissaries delivered special messages to regional leaders to drum up support for his poll bid with or without reforms.
Meanwhile, Sadc-appointed mediator South African President Zumas international relations advisor Lindiwe Zulu yesterday said her team would be in Zimbabwe today to check on progress in the
implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
The facilitation team is coming to meet the principals tomorrow
(today) to check on the progress made in implementing outstanding issues in the GPA, she said.
It is our responsibility as the facilitation team to check on the
progress and report to Sadc.
Earlier this year, Zulu said outstanding issues in the GPA should
be finalised before the country holds elections.
Regional leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing political
crisis jamming the implementation of the GPA and election roadmap, which is a requirement for the holding of a credible election in Zimbabwe.
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Police on Monday claimed they were not privy to the identities of
members of the terror group Chipangano as Zanu PF and the two Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) parties jointly denounced the shadowy group.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesman James Sabau said police were not aware
who comprised Chipangano. Zanu PF Harare youth leader Jimmy Kunaka is known to be
the leader of the group.
“Who are these people? We as the police don’t know them. If anyone
has their identities they should approach the nearest police office so that
they are arrested,” said Sabau after being quizzed by journalists on why the police were turning a blind eye to the terror's campaign in Mbare where they are reportedly setting up illegal road-blocks among other criminal activities.
In a joint press conference held at the head offices of the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) lunchtime Monday, also attended by ZRP officers
including Sabau, the three chairperson of Zanu PF and the two MDC formations, Amos Midzi, Paul Madzore and
Trynos Mgutshini respectively, disassociated themselves from the shadow group.
In a press statement read by Mgutshini on behalf of the three
provincial chairpersons of the three political parties labelled Chipangano a criminal gang not linked to any of the parties’ signatory to the Global Political Agreement (GPA).
“We as chairmen of the Harare province, representing the three
political parties in the GNU, hereby denounce Chipangano as a criminal gang not affiliated to any of the political parties represented in JOMIC,” read part of the statement from ZANU-PF and the two MDC formations.
Chipangano has, however, been largely associated with President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF.
It has been accused of terrorizing members and supporters of the
two MDC formations, particularly Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s popular faction.
But ZANU-PF has made it clear its structures are well structured and
do not include Chipangano.
The three political parties appealed to the public to report any
criminal activities by members of Chipangano to the police.
“We urge the police to do their work without fear or favour. We
believe there is no one above the law in this country. We want to tell members of Chipangano, whoever there are, that their time is up,” it added.
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Zanu-PF supporters have castigated the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay for calling for the inclusion of gay rights into the Bill of Rights, saying these are Western machinations which attempt to dismantle the solid cultural values of African people.
In her final report after a five day fact finding mission on the Zimbabwean human rights situation, Ms Pillay stirred a hornet’s nest by calling on the country to legalise homosexuality.
Supporters of President Mugabe's party Zanu-PF says Ms Pillay is an agent of neo-colonialisism, who wants to clandestinely smuggle immoral values which are detested by God.
Ms Pillay’s three paged report was not entirely negative as she acknowledged that Zimbabwe is amongst the top African states to
have ratified human rights protocols.
However, her call for the inclusion of gay rights has been widely condemned by President Mugabe and his loyalists and some Zimbabweans, saying the country is conservative and has firm foundations embedded in cultural and religious morals.
What has irked most Mugabe's supporters is that the Westerners are trying to force African people to accept what they say are immoral practices which are even being resisted in their own countries.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean women in Zanu-PF says they are surprised at Ms Pillay’s claims
that the country’s laws are not gender sensitive, after the UN chief claimed that
women need their husbands’ authority to acquire passports.
After spending five days in the country on a fact finding mission on human rights, Ms Pillay on Thursday told journalists in Harare before her departure that she had been surprised that Zimbabwe’s laws require a woman to get consent from her husband to get a passport.
Apparently, the country has no such laws and Zimbabwean women say they have no
clue as to where the UN envoy got such false information from.
The women say they are accorded the rights to access travel documents without need for their husband’s permission, adding that Ms Pillay might have ulterior motives to tarnish Zimbabwe by misleading the international community.
Ms Pillay was in the country last week on a five day fact finding mission where she met representatives from government and the civil society on the prevailing human rights situation in the country.
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Ahead
of Friday's summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Luanda, Angola, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is pulling out all the stops to lobby regional leaders on his plans to call for an early election, with or without the new constitution.
SADC has developed an elections road map, albeit one with disputed issues, to guide the country to credible, free and fair elections.
Mugabe is anxious to have the elections this year, while he is still fit to campaign, and wants to secure consensus and backing for his plans in Zimbabwe and regionally.
He told UN human rights commissioner Navi Pillay that he wanted elections soon because the coalition government is dysfunctional. He claimed the drawn-out constitution-drafting process was being used by his rivals to delay the polls.
Mugabe this week intensified his bid to get regional leaders to back him in his plans. He dispatched a number of envoys in the SADC region to South Africa,
Zambia and Tanzania - a powerful troika on politics, defence and security - as well as Namibia, Botswana and other countries to test their resolve to insist on the full implementation of the global political agreement and the elections road map before the polls.
President Jacob Zuma is SADC's chief facilitator and his team will be in Harare this week, ahead of the Luanda summit, for an update on Zimbabwe's security issues.
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Take care
‘debvhu