Zimbabwe’s arrogant set of generals who vowed never to salute Morgan Tsvangirai were forced to eat humble pie on Tuesday when they saluted the country’s new Prime Minister.
The generals have time and time again said they would not salute anyone without a liberation war history and specifically made it known their loyalty was to Mugabe and not Tsvangirai.
But during Armed Forces Day on Tuesday which was attended by Tsvangirai, the generals saluted their previously sworn enemy.
Several weeks ago Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa told parliament that the generals were not legally obliged to salute anyone outside their military structures.
Mnangagwa further explained that Mugabe was always saluted because he was the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.
“There are two positions: the legal and the civil position. At law, no officer will commit any offence for not saluting a person who is not in the military structure, but morally they should salute senior members of society,” he said
I bumped into Max Chigweda last week and in the course of our discussion he said to me, “At least we are closer to the end than the start”. That just about sums up where we are right now and the territory in front of us is as deadly as any we have traversed so far. As has been the case so often in the past 30 years, we are dependent in part on what the region does or does not do to ensure we can cover the ground that remains.
I am quite encouraged by the news from South Africa where the Prime Minister saw the President on Monday. It seems clear to us that the South African leadership understands the situation we are in right now, both the President and the Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs are savvy, street wise and certainly more committed to a democratic outcome than was Thabo Mbeki. But the ghosts of the Mbeki administration remain and those in the region who want to try and protect Zanu PF from its fate are still embedded in the system and active.
The visit to South Africa and the discussions held with the President are in the same league as the September 1976 visit to Pretoria by Henry Kissinger when the Americans delivered the final blow that led to the demise of the Rhodesian Front and the eventual transfer of power to Mugabe in 1980. Because of the nature of diplomacy it will be some time before we see the final outcome of all this diplomatic manoeuvring.
If we look back over the past six months since MDC entered the transitional government, we can point to a number of key achievements – we have stabilised the economy, secured a resumption of all basic services – health, education, water, sanitation and communications. We have been able to restore markets and get the retail and wholesale sector back into business.
The finances of central government are recovering steadily – total revenues to the State have grown from $4 million in January to $70 million in July. My guess is that the theft and plunder of public assets has been reduced from perhaps $1,5 billion last year to $250 million. That is partly because we have closed down the Reserve Bank and partly because there is not much left to steal.
We have been able to partly restore our relations with the international community – the World Bank and the IMF are both back in Zimbabwe with limited programmes of technical assistance and the Bank is making its first forays into local finance since 1997. We have made formal contact with virtually all the OECD States as well as the Non Aligned countries; international grant aid has reached $100 million a month and lines of credit negotiated, although we have yet to see the colour of this money.
On the downside we have seen little progress in media reform. No changes in the attitude or the activities of the security agencies and no changes to repressive legislation or improvements in the management system for elections. The constitutional reform process has started, but faces a difficult and tortuous path over the mountains in its way. The judicial system as a whole is being used as an instrument of oppression and a political weapon. No progress has been made in agriculture where output and activity continues to decline.
Yesterday the South African Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs said that she wanted to see “the acceleration of the implementation of the Global Political Agreement”. In fact I think she said the “full implementation” and that would be even better. More we could not ask for, as the GPA, even though it has numerous weaknesses and faults, is the only way forward.
I attended the annual Congress of the Commercial Farmers Union this week in Harare. It was a courageous and well organised affair and Deon Theron was elected President. I was glad to see both – it is vital that while we work on the solution to our problems and negotiate the difficult terrain ahead of us that we keep what is left of our economic institutions alive and operational. Deon will make a good President and is an important player in this situation.
The keynote address was given by a farmer from Zambia who is the current President of the International Association of Agricultural Unions. It was an excellent summary of the global state of agriculture and it was good to see a farmer from Africa in such an influential position. Zimbabwe’s displaced farmers are making a huge impact on agriculture throughout the continent and are a real testimony to what we have lost in the way of human capital.
C G Tracey died the other day and his book “All for nothing?” was on sale at the CFU Congress. It is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in this country and wants to see what has gone on over the past century – no man played a bigger role in building the country and served its best interests more than “CG”, as he was known. The title was suggested by his wife before she died and all he did was to add the question mark to emphasise that it is not yet all over.
I hear rumbles that JZ may visit Zimbabwe for talks with Mugabe shortly. The Vice President of SA is here for the funeral of our Vice President who died last week and he will be buried on Monday and no doubt talks will take place on the sidelines – funerals are great events for this sort of activity. Certainly we will have to wait for a couple of weeks to ascertain what is going to happen on this front.
If (as usual) we are let down by the region, we will have to fight our way through some very tough terrain. There is no doubt in my mind where the people are and if we can mobilise the resources required, we could stun Zanu PF yet again with a significant electoral victory in the bi elections. I was listening yesterday to some music especially written for the MDC and one song in particular asked “if you vote for Zanu, where are you going?” That just about sums things up.
This is not the time to relax or to abandon the prayer mat – we need to work and pray. At its heart this is a spiritual battle and both activities are vital to our eventual victory.
Harare — An AFM reverend’s daughter in Bindura was left in the lurch after her intended failed to show up for the wedding, with families and relatives of the bride waiting the whole day in excited anticipation.
Gamuchirai Letticia Chivasa the first daughter of Reverend Chivasa, cried bitter tears all the way back home after her wedding failed before the crowds gathered at Hermann Gemeiner High School in Bindura on August 1.
The bridegroom, Walter Mutsvene, and his family did not show up for the wedding that would otherwise have been one of the most enviable in Bindura. The bridegroom’s family gave no reason for the no-show.
Gamuchirai’s parents refused to comment, saying they were still nursing their wounds of disappointment. They said an interview with The Herald would only add salt to the wound.
“If you want to help us honestly pray for us,” Mrs Chivasa said, “because our role is to pray for the people.
“But if it is like this, it is we who are involved vanofanira kukunamatirai (they should pray for you).”
Rev Chivasa said his wife and family were still trying to come to terms with the incident that left tongues wagging in Bindura. Efforts to contact the bridegroom were fruitless. It is believed that Walter had now relocated to South Africa. Source: The Herald.
(MISA/IFEX) – The Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo has denied media reports of a deadlock resulting in the alleged concealing of results for the interviews conducted to appoint potential candidates to the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC).
He claimed it is normal that people voice concern if their preferred candidate received low marks and confirmed that the matter has been finalised.
“I am happy to say we have fully concluded the matter with 12 names to be sent to His Excellency and six to be sent to the minister of media, information and publicity anytime from now'” confirmed Moyo.
A list of six will be submitted to the President who will in turn appoint three members to serve with the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). However, still in contention, of which the public is owed an explanation, is how the Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC) also bundled the ZMC interviews with those for BAZ.
The advertisements placed for applications to be submitted for interviews by the Committee were specifically for the ZMC and made no mention of the possibilities of the interviewees being also considered and shortlisted for BAZ appointments.
President Robert Mugabe on Monday lashed out at “racist” western states wary of Zimbabwe’s power-sharing deal, saying foreign handouts were not a solution to the country’s economic woes.
“The West seeks to divide us and disturb our peace. If they do not want to deal with us why should we continue to want their help,” Mugabe told thousands gathered at a funeral for his ally and deputy Joseph Msika.
“Zimbabwe need not be tied to any one corner of the world, least of all, to a corner of former imperialist and racist colonisers. We are not part of western Europe and the United States.”
Mugabe’s rhetoric comes days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed for greater reforms while on a visit to South Africa where the two countries pledged to work together to speed up Zimbabwe’s power-sharing pact.
The 85-year-old leader joined Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in a unity government in February after disputed polls saw him lose his first post-independence majority.
But Western powers have pushed for evidence of reform and an international chill remains towards Mugabe amid reports of continued rights abuses and internal power-struggles over key posts.
Mugabe spurned foreign assistance, saying “great nations” were built on their own endowment at the funeral of Msika who was one of two deputy presidents from his party who joined the unity arrangement.
“Let everyone in the inclusive government and the country generally know that our nation will never prosper through foreign handouts,” he said.
Msika was one of the founder nationalists who waged a liberation war against the British colonial rule, and died of hypertension on Wednesday.
His burial was attended by senior government officials including Tsvangirai, deputy prime minister Mutambara and representatives of regional leaders including South Africa’s deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe. AFP
Robert “The Solution” Mugabe, in a shock move, has offered Dumiso Dabengwa the vice-presidency left vacant by death of John Msika.
Only a few minutes ago, I confirmed this with two senior ZANU PF and government officials.
Mugabe is said to have called Dabengwa yesterday and spent more than hour talking to him. Two emissaries have been dispatched to Bulawayo today to try and talk the former ZIPRA Commander into accepting the offer.
Mugabe, in explaining his motivations yesterday, said that, most importantly, he would like to be “flanked by fighters” in the ZANU PF presidium. He also mentioned the fact that John Nkomo, who many consider the logical choice, only got eminence during the late 1970s, when the Frontline States (Kaunda, Nyerere and others) pushed for a common front between Joshua Nkomo and Mugabe through the UANC of Bishop Muzorewa.
John Nkomo, the current ZANU PF chairman, was nominated by ZAPU to be their representative within Zimbabwe for the UANC.
Mugabe appears to be reluctant to confirm John Nkomo, to the extent that he even said that he would consider Simon Khaya Moyo, Zimbabwe’s current ambassador to South Africa.
Khaya Moyo was Joshua Nkomo’s aide during the Liberation War.
Mugabe told Dabengwa that it was he, Dabengwa, who had thrown ZANU PF away and that ZANU PF had never thrown him away. He pointed to the fact that the party has never formally expelled him.
Most interesting, though, is Mugabe’s claim that Msika himself had explicitly said his wish would be for Dabengwa to take over from him. This he apparently said late in 2007 when he wanted to retire and was forced by Mugabe to stay on. Msika subsequently repeated this in the last few months of his life, apparently.
Mugabe is reported to have told the late Vice-president when he wanted to retire: “You can never quit a struggle.” He still believes that he is fighting a “Third Liberation War”.
Mugabe appears to have been hinting at his approach to Dabengwa during his speech at the Msika home on Wednesday night. He repeatedly told the gathering that Msika had wanted “unity” amongst the people and that he implored Mugabe to ensure that unity prevailed in the country.
Of course, we all know that Mugabe considers his unity with ZAPU to be almost sacrosanct and he thinks everyone should see it the same way, no matter what wrongs are being done.
Dabengwa is said to be reluctant, but we now all know about Mugabe’s plotting and his seeming ability to resurrect himself from political ashes like the proverbial Phoenix.
Dabengwa himself knows that, were he to accept Mugabe’s offer, he would lose credibility with his constituency.
As one speaker said to him during the Bulawayo meeting last year when Dabengwa endorsed Simba Makoni’s bid for the presidency: “DD, we have always loved you, but we hated the jacket that you were now wearing (ZANU PF)”.
Still, Dabengwa has been invited to the burial of Msika on Monday and Mugabe has already indicated that he will want to speak to the ZAPU leader again on that day, after the proceedings.
This is going to be an extremely interesting week, then.
The way ZANU PF operates, Mugabe chooses his own deputies and no one else really has any say in it. Once Mugabe makes his choice known, the party always falls in line behind him, endorsing his choice.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti has warned that if Zanu PF does not resolve its long running succession dispute over who will replace President Robert Mugabe, the country could descend into Somalia-like chaos and see military coups.
“The succession debate in ZANU PF should be resolved very urgently as it can result in a military coup in this country. It is not a secret that there is chaos in ZANU PF about succession,” said Biti at a weekend meeting with business leaders in Bulawayo.
Internal fighting within Zanu PF is said to have escalated following the death of Vice President Joseph Msika last Tuesday. Two factions, one led by Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa and the other by retired army general Solomon Mujuru are said to be jostling for control.
Biti believes any one of those factions could resort to a military coup to seize power.
“We don’t want a military coup because of a failure to replace the leadership. Zimbabwe will be like Somalia and Ivory Coast if the succession issue is not urgently dealt with…a failure to deal with this issue will affect future generations of Zimbabweans.”
Kaizer Chiefs and Zimbabwean defender Onismor Bhasera is on the verge of sealing a move to English Premiership side Portsmouth after impressing during trials. The United Kingdom Home Office has however scuttled the deal by denying him a work permit.
Portsmouth Chief Executive Peter Storrie admitted even before the application that Bhasera stood little chance of getting the permit because of stringent UK Home Office rules.
Only footballers whose countries are ranked within the world’s top 70 can be considered for any permits. According to the latest FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings, Zimbabwe is currently 97.
Storrie however vowed they would appeal on compassionate grounds given Zimbabwe’s current situation.
“The lad is a good player and has been on trial. We will now apply for a work permit. He’s played all the games for Zimbabwe; there are no issues with that at all. But unfortunately Zimbabwe needs to be in the top 70 but are 97th, so it would mean an appeal process,” Storrie said.
I had not realised the true extend, and impact of the Zimbabwe crisis on ordinary Zimbabweans until last weekend I embarked on a four and half hours drive from Johannesburg to Kabokweni, a tiny, far-flung township situated in a valley near Nelspruit, in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province.
I was visiting my two brothers, a cousin, a nephew and an uncle who now, due to circumstances back home, are trying to eke out a living there. To my utter amazement I soon discovered there are literally hundreds of Zimbabweans there, perhaps without a thought of returning home soon.
Commenting on how he has been forced to put away his degree certificates and resort to doing odd, often degrading jobs just to survive, all that my uncle said to me was, “Look what Mugabe has done to us!” I felt a deep sadness in the depths of my soul and began to agonise over the root causes on the crisis in Zimbabwe.
This morning, while taking a shower, that is usually my time of greatest inspiration, it suddenly occurred to me that the primary driver of the crisis in Zimbabwe and the consequent misery and suffering of the people is greed on the part of those in authority. For the avoidance of doubt, authority in Zimbabwe resides in ZANU-PF and its allies the so called war veterans, green bombers, and security forces.
Greed has so consumed those in authority so much that they have ceased to care about anything except their excessive desire to accumulate massive wealth which they neither deserve nor need. Political power, for them, is the vehicle through which they can satisfy their greed, and therefore, they would be prepared to shed blood to acquire and retain that political power.
In their twisted sense of logic, they are therefore justified in unleashing waves of electoral violence and coerce people to ‘vote’ them into political power, or to use other fraudulent means to attain political office.
Understanding that greed is the primary driver of the Zimbabwean crisis would lead to a better understanding of the paradoxical situation of Zimbabwe that, in the midst of all this suffering, you find multi-millionaires in United States dollar terms, on the streets of Harare.
This also explains how a person like Joseph Chinotimba, a mere municipal guard(no offence to this humble profession intended), who was virtually penniless before he discovered the benefits of ZANU-PF membership, can claim that due to loss of his mobile phone for just a week, he had lost business worth US$19 million! And this is not one of those Chinotimba jokes doing the rounds. What business is he into?
Clearly there are a few people who are directly benefiting from the suffering on millions of Zimbabweans. That same group of people is reaping where they did not sow. Again, this is not just a figure of speech, scores of those aligned to ZANU-PF are currently on an invasion spree of white-owned commercial farms and are literally reaping where they did not sow.
Mugabe & Tsvangirai share smile
Zimbabwe has enough resources to support all those who live in it, and also to support the region, but a few, politically connected and greedy people are busy plundering Zimbabwe and eating everyone’s share. I would not be surprised if there are people in Zimbabwe whose daily prayer is that the crisis never ends!
Greedy political leaders who do not care about the people they purport to represent invariably breed misery and suffering. This breed of political leaders often have the following distinctive characteristics:
(1) Although generally incompetent and lacking in business acumen, they are involved in all kinds of businesses;
(2) they measure they political achievements by the amount of wealth accumulated or cars they own;
(3) they publicly speak against the West and pose as pan- Africanists while privately sending their children to school in the West, drink wines imported from the West and do not miss on their monthly satellite television subscriptions;
(4) all their ill-gotten wealth is derived exclusively from their political connections;
(5) their lavish, and outlandish lifestyles are at odds with their professional salaries (for example, it is not surprising in Zimbabwe to come across a mere journalist working for state media, but with powerful political connections, owning several properties that he can never acquire on his journalist’s earnings).
This breed of political leaders is beyond redemption and cannot be expected to reform and be like the biblical Zaccheus, the chief tax collector who repented and gave away his ill-gotten wealth. Politicians of this kind, who unfortunately at present dominate the political scene in Zimbabwe, must be removed from office and mechanisms put in place to ensure that this breed becomes extinct.
This legacy of leaders who doggedly pursue self-serving interests must be broken. Without such a paradigm shift, charting a new political direction for Zimbabwe will remain a pipe dream. It is worthwhile noting for political leaders in government, particularly those in the MDC whom many of us look up to in hope, that greed is not a trait confined to leaders from one particular political party.
Zimbabwe desperately needs political leaders with integrity, who deeply care for others, and have the ability to self-transcend. Political leaders are judged not on the basis of the political party they belong to, but on content of their character and their service to humanity.
I am absolutely convinced that if we had leaders who really cared then Zimbabwe would not have gone through the horror, pain and suffering which characterised the past decade and continues. It is not an act of God, neither is it a freak of nature, that Zimbabwe finds itself in this multi-layered socio-economic, humanitarian and political crisis.
The issue boils down to want of able political leadership. Want of leaders who have already distinguished themselves in their private and professional lives who now take up public life leadership roles to serve, deriving satisfaction from putting a smile on an old woman’s face.
Dewa Mavhinga is a human rights lawyer and regular contributor on Nehanda Radio.
We have been able to partly restore our relations with the international community – the World Bank and the IMF are both back in Zimbabwe with limited programmes of technical assistance and the Bank is making its first forays into local finance since 1997. We have made formal contact with virtually all the OECD States as well as the Non Aligned countries; international grant aid has reached $100 million a month and lines of credit negotiated, although we have yet to see the colour of this money. 
(MISA/IFEX) – The Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo has denied media reports of a deadlock resulting in the alleged concealing of results for the interviews conducted to appoint potential candidates to the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC).
As one speaker said to him during the Bulawayo meeting last year when Dabengwa endorsed Simba Makoni’s bid for the presidency: “DD, we have always loved you, but we hated the jacket that you were now wearing (ZANU PF)”.
Biti believes any one of those factions could resort to a military coup to seize power.
Storrie however vowed they would appeal on compassionate grounds given Zimbabwe’s current situation.
