Bodies Removed From Mass Grave

Source: Inter Press Service

“War veterans” associated with the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front party have exhumed at least a thousand decomposing bodies from an abandoned mine in Mount Darwin, 100 … [read more]

New surge in political violence

(IRIN) – Elvis Marume, 42, a teacher at a faith-based school in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West Province, has been threatened with death by alleged elements of the ruling ZANU-PF party’s youth militia in response to rumours that he had spoken disparagingly about the country’s land reform policy.

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ZANU PF Early Election Delusion Reckless

By Kevin Ngwenya

The deranged mandarins in ZANU PF led by the increasingly senile geriatric, Robert Mugabe are, in their wisdom or none of it, clamouring for early elections without the necessary roadmap as required under the Global Political Agreement (GPA), which was signed by ZANU PF and the two MDC formations, one led by Morgan Tsvangirai and the other by Arthur Mutambara.

It is this GPA that led to the formation of the government of national unity (GNU) which has put some brakes on the looting spree that had characterised past ZANU PF governments’ conduct in public offices.

When the GNU was formed, the country was at a crossroads, the economy had collapsed, and everything was in meltdown, the government printers Fidelity, was working non-stop printing worthless paper money called bearer cheques.  All that could go wrong went wrong in Zimbabwe.  The entire economic system had ground to a halt.

Mugabe had been soundly beaten by Tsvangirai in free and fair elections held in March 2008 only to declare himself winner in a stage managed brutal election run-off in June 2008.  The sham election cost the country hundreds of lives through state-sponsored violence and was duly condemned by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the international community at large.

For almost a year, Mugabe failed to put together a government because his regime would not have had any legitimacy.  With his tail between his legs, Mugabe accepted what was thought unthinkable – to share power with his sworn enemy – Morgan Tsvangirai.

This marriage of convenience has however managed to stabilise the economy despite the poisoned and acrimonious atmosphere that characterise Zimbabwe’s current political landscape.  Now that the MDC has helped to arrest the economic decline that Mugabe presided over for decades without any grain of remorse, Mugabe seemingly buoyed by the recovery and the recent discovery of the largest diamond field in Southern Africa in the last hundred years, now wants to go it alone.

These two factors have suddenly energised ZANU PF to the extent that they now see no reason to continue working in partnership with the MDC formations.  The call for early elections with or without a credible roadmap for the holding of free and fair elections should be viewed within this broad context.  In any case, ZANU PF has a well-documented disdain for free and fair polls.  No wonder why they are not even interested in the roadmap.

In fact, the roadmap is their worst enemy, because they cannot win a free and fair election contest and the worst part is that they have known it for a long time now.  This is why they have perfected violence as a reliable weapon, which is deployed with reckless abandon every time there is a general election.

This time, President Zuma of South Africa should tell the blundering geriatric North of the Limpopo to go and hang.  Mugabe cannot be allowed to continue to drag the once prosperous country downhill in order to pursue his selfish interests of clinging on to power till Kingdom come.

No right minded people would want early elections that would lead to more violence and a disputed plebiscite.  Investors demand security for their investment and markets require stability.  Reckless calls for self-serving elections should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.

Witless Didymus Mutasa unashamedly told whoever cared to listen that whatever Mugabe says stands without question.  Anyway, we all know Didymus as one of those ministers who was fooled by Rotina Mavhunga into believing that pure diesel can be extracted from a rock, ready for the tank.  What gibberish!

What pains ZANU PF is that the unity government is now making it difficult to loot at will , especially the precious diamonds as they have done other national resources.  Elections can and should wait.  A genuine and credible roadmap first, after which all other things can follow.

HAT News is precluded from expressing a corporate view: the opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.

*Kevin Ngwenya is an MDC activist and human rights campaigner based in Leicester

Zanu PF’s Subversion of the Constitution Making Process Unacceptable

By Vimbainashe Mangoma

The Mugabe regime has a historical infamy for dictating and imposing its perspectives and authoritarian policies on Zimbabweans. Subjugation has been Zanu PF’s main weapon of mass destruction from the days of the liberation struggle to the present. It may have made sense to legitimise violence against the settled oppressors during the liberation struggle, but, there is no rationalisation to employ state-sponsored violence, intimidation, torture and terrorism to prevent its people from making free choices which are consistent with justifiable universal democratic norms and values.

Zanu PF use interminable rituals and impulsive violence to frustrate the fundamental human rights of its citizens. The brutal mass killing of Ndebele people in Matebeleland during the 1980 is a chilling and grave reminder of the Mugabe regime’s disregard for universal human rights and freedom of choice, expression and liberty. It is clear that the subsequent Unity Government between the former ZAPU Party was borne out of repression. They used violence and brutal repression to impose a one-party state friendly Zimbabwe Constitution.

The process should be a free, fair and transparent one yet, the Mugabe’s regime is undermining it through continued violence, subterfuge and propaganda. The same repressive methods, which undermine people’s fundamental and universal human rights are being used again with arrogant impunity against defenceless citizens.

It is tragic that the United Nations Security Council has for the past years ignored the brutal repression of human rights in Zimbabwe despite compelling available evidence.  The Zimbabwe Government violated its own constitutions with impunity from the advent of independence in 1980 to date. It has disregarded international law human rights protocols by refusing to honour judgements by legitimate international courts and tribunals.

The fraught land reform programme, which is responsible for the current constitutional failures was ruled illegal by Mugabe’s own courts. Typical of its dictatorial and repressive passions, it contrived to manipulate the constitution to suit its partisan politics.

Mugabe’s regime has been in power for 28 years yet, it never bothered to make a new and legitimate constitution after the Lancaster House Agreement had expired.  Instead, it took great comfort in making piece-meal amendments rather than engage in a meaningful constitutional reform process for a legitimate and acceptable democratic constitution for Zimbabwe.

The security forces, that is, the army, air force and police force are being used to subvert and corruptly deny, the collective wills of Zimbabweans to choose and write their own constitution.

The Joint Operations Command brazenly refused to recognise the MDC Leader-Morgan Tsvangirayi despite his impeccable political credentials. There is endemic violence in Zimbabwe, which has disrupted on going constitutional outreach meetings. Both anecdotal and empirical evidence testifies to the deliberate under-hand activities of the so-called security forces. They continue to be Mugabe’s tools of repression by perpetrating state sponsored violence against law-abiding citizens. It is evident that they are bent on manipulating and rigging the constitutional referendum outcome in order to maintain the status quo.

History has a tendency of repeating itself, first as farce and second, as a tragedy. It is not over-reaching to assume that the Draft Constitution Making Process is seriously flawed and fraught with irregularities and is bound to be manipulated to safeguard ZANU PF’s selfish interests. The time for right minded Zimbabweans to stand up to this dictatorship in order to ensure that a people-driven constitution ushers in a genuine democratic dispensation is now.  Ahoy!!

Vimbainashe is a volunteer Community Reporter and co-editor of HAT news based in Nottingham. In July 2009, she graduated in BA Honours Mixed Media Textiles design at De Montfort University Leicester. Her most prominent work called ‘Child of our time’ was exhibited at the 2009 Graduate show at the same university.

HAT News is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.

Mugabe’s Decision to Pardon Perpetrators of Violence Laughable

By Mbiriyashe Chiratidzo Mungaraza

Zimbabwe’s illegitimate President, Robert Mugabe’s decision to pardon ZANU PF’s thugs that have been and continue to terrorise defenceless and innocent civilians in the spirit of national healing is as preposterous as it is laughable. Let it be known in no uncertain terms that any healing process that does not involve the truth, reconciliation and the discharge of justice is hollow. It is not surprising though that a man who boasts degrees in violence would want to protect that violent lot in his party.

Mugabe’s unbearable tenure in office is down to violence and as such he owes his marauding rag tag army of blood thirsty foot soldiers a huge debt of gratitude. In this regard, it is not surprising that Mugabe sees it fit to repay these amenable and dim-witted thugs in a way that defies all logic.

It is a classic case of putting the interest of perpetrators first at the expense of law abiding and defenceless peace loving Zimbabweans. Zimbabweans are in the midst of crafting a home-grown constitution which it is hoped will pave the way for the holding of free and fair elections that are expected to usher a new democratic political dispensation.

What baffles the mind is that, hordes of ZANU PF thugs have been disrupting the constitutional consultative process through violence, barring people who are believed to hold views different from their own, from giving evidence regarding their vision of a new Zimbabwe. ZANU PF wants to impose their will on the people by deliberately denying the majority a voice during constitutional consultative process.

MDC members and supporters are being targeted and victimised willy-nilly and their rights are being trampled upon with impunity. Since independence, Mugabe has deployed violence as a reliable political weapon that ensured the longevity of stranglehold on power.

Violence is the same political tool that he used to subdue Joshua Nkomo’s ZAPU in the 1980’s forcing a once vibrant opposition party into a marriage of convenience as a junior partner in the Unity Accord between the two warring parties in 1987.

The emergence of a viable opposition in the name of the MDC has ruffled Mugabe’s feathers. The year 2000 witnessed unprecedented levels of violence with Mugabe’s blessings as he starred political oblivion right in the eye. Since then, Mugabe has deployed violence with alarming regularity causing mayhem in the cities and countryside.

With a loyal army, police and secret service at his disposal, coupled with overzealous party thugs, Mugabe’s political existence has largely depended on institutionalised violence than the exception.

Because no one is prosecuted, the culture of violence has become so pervasive such that it is now the accepted rule rather than the exception. It is high time that the cycle of violence is broken.

Right minded people are appalled by Mugabe’s warped logic. It is high time the geriatric leader is made to see sense.

Mbiriyashe Chiratidzo Mungaraza(left) is a Zimbabwean based in Leicester)

HAT News is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.

Zanu PF’s Political Conundrum

By Mbiriyashe Chiratidzo Mungaraza

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to realise that ZANU PF has no political future to look up to. If anything, the once popular liberation movement’s political fortunes have vanished in spectacular fashion.

The main problem with ZANU PF is that they have always lived in the past, with their heads firmly buried in the sand.  As such, the imbeciles that constitute the majority within the party’s political hierarchy cannot understand why the electorate has turned en masse against them. Their Party President, Robert Mugabe, has always, at any given opportunity, parroted past achievements to remind people of the good old past instead of focusing on policies that are forward looking. Mugabe has single handedly turned a robust economy, once the envy of many in Sub –Saharan Africa into a laughing stock of the region.

Without the aid of famine or war, he has systematically dismantled all the pillars of the economy and turned what was at one time Southern Africa’s bread basket into a begging bowel. Such plunder of Zimbabwe’s wealth and resources by the unrepentant and callously corrupt ruling elite is unprecedented and unrivalled both in Africa and abroad.

The economy faltered under the heavy burden of corruption and policy bankruptcy while agriculture collapsed in spectacular fashion under the shambolic exercise called land reform. The land reform program was driven more by political expedience rather than economic prudence and as such the disastrous consequences of such a chaotic calamity are not difficult to discern.

As Mugabe’s political fortunes diminished, he unleashed a rag-tag army of war veterans and youths who ran riot on farms creating havoc that halted production effectively killing off a fragile economy. The consequences of such a mindless misadventure with the country’s economic state has brought misery, hunger and starvation on the entire population. As the economic meltdown persisted, the party’s policy bankruptcy was finally exposed as people embraced en masse, the MDC led by the former trade unionist, Morgan Tsvangirai.  The MDC won the hearts of the hard pressed citizens through their message of hope and change.

As it stands, ZANU PF cannot win free and fair elections. To be honest, Zanu Pf has won an election in 1995 for the simple reason that there was no viable opposition and not because it had any appealing policies to write home about.

Unfortunately for ZANU PF, it has relied too heavily on the charisma of its geriatric leader at the expense of party renewal. As such the party is stuck in the mud with its despot who does not seem to know or has completely forgotten when to quit. Mugabe has killed off any talk of quitting by making himself available for re-election as and when the next round of elections are held.  Rather than plan for retirement, Mugabe is indulging himself with the outdated idea of a life president.  His often recited excuse that he will continue to lead his party if asked to do so is as trite as it is nauseating. When Mugabe and ZANU PF were humiliated by MDC in 2008 March elections, it was the case of the obvious having been delayed. Although there was no official winner of the presidential vote, it was clear Tsvangirai won the disputed election but was thwarted by Mugabe’s thuggery and vote rigging.

The following presidential rerun was marred by state sanctioned violence and Tsvangirai’s MDC withdrew citing unprecedented violence. The sham June presidential election was roundly condemned locally and internationally forcing Mugabe to form a Government of National Unity with his sworn enemy, Morgan Tsvangirai. A period of negotiations and bickering ensued leaving the country in limbo, without a government for almost a year.

Mugabe grudgingly accepted to share power with Tsvangirayi who was made Prime Minister. Mugabe never thought the MDC would join, they were caught unaware. In their wisdom or non of it, Mugabe and his mandarins offloaded key ministries finance, education, healthy to their adversaries hoping that MDC ministers would fail and become unpopular. What they did not realise was that the MDC had a sound programme of action. Not only that, by giving them key ministries, ZANU PF inadvertently made MDC very visible. Time and again they feature in the media making policy pronouncements, something that was anathema prior to the marriage of convenience that led to the birth of the unwanted child – the so called Government of National Unity (GNU).

The MDC have staged a coup by pulling a rag from under ZANU PF’s feet. No wonder why ZANU PF is desperately trying to thwart the constitutional reform programme currently underway by throwing spanners in the works at every turn. Furthermore, Mugabe is refusing to implement in full the provisions of the global political agreement that gave birth to the GNU. He has refused to swear in the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Roy Bennett, and to dismiss the RBZ Governor and Attorney General.

Whatever tactics Zanu PF employs, it is a party of the past. It cannot win any free and fair election as long as the tired and out sorts 86 year old is in power. It is a party on its death bed and ready for the mogue and eventual burial. For the first time in its 57 year history, ZANU PF finds itself in an untenable and unenviable position, starring political oblivion right in the eye.

Mbiriyashe Chiratidzo Mungaraza is a Zimbabwean based in Leicester

HAT News is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the author.

Violence, abductions and torture: Zanu PF’s reliable political weapons

By Mbiriyashe Chiratidzo Mungaraza

Zimbabwe’s once popular political party ZANU PF, has undergone a major metamorphosis which has seen its political life hanging by a thin thread as the MDC emerged from the harmonised general elections in March 2008 as the dominant political force of new Millenium.

ZANU PF has mastered the art of political coercion to perfection. It has within its rank and file, a rag tag army rabble rousers who are trained to intimidate, torture, maim, injure, rape and kill with impunity. These hired mercenaries, easily amenable to manipulation, are mere pawns in a dangerous political game that has pushed a once promising country to the brink of anarchy.

MDC supporters, human rights activists, lawyers, teachers, journalists, and members of the general public branded enemies of the state, are subjected to all forms of degrading treatment. Thousands of Zimbabweans have fled the country to seek sanctuary in neighbouring countries and abroad, depriving a once prosperous nation of its much needed professionals.

ZANU PF’s onslaught on the people has a long and consistent history. It started soon after independence when the former guerrilla movement unleashed the North Korean trained fifth brigade to fight dissidents in the Matebeleland region. The fifth brigade was Mugabe’s personal army not accountable to the country’s central military command structure. The notorious fifth brigade was responsible for the death and disappearance of over 20000 civilians who were butchered with impunity. While the geriatric leader, Mugabe has acknowledged that this war on civilians was ‘a moment of madness’, he has never apologised for the senseless and merciless killings that continue to defy all logic.

It appears such a murderous campaign has hardened Mugabe’s resolve to the point of no return.  Regretably, he has come to accept violence as an important political tool, especially in situations where his political fortunes are threatened and appear doomed. In fact, for a long time now, Mugabe has relied heavily on coercion through violence in order to maintain a ruthless stranglehold on power.

Zimbabwe has never experienced free and fair elections because violence has been deployed reckless abandon and alarming regularity, since 1980. What is more shocking is ZANU PF’s willingness to use force whenever and wherever, with no due regard for its consequences. In fact, Mugabe and his mandarins are aware that they do not owe their political positions to the electorate. In their wisdom or none of it, political expedience is paramount, whatever the socio-economic ramifications of their heinous actions. At the core of their political survival strategy has been the systematic abduction, torture and murder of perceived political opponents. Such blatant human rights violations have persisted with no recourse to justice for the innocent victims. What made the situation worse was the arrival of a viable and vibrant political movement in the MDC, which offered hope for a realistic change of government as opposed to the token challenges offered by the previous one-off fly by night political parties.

The MDC’s political prospects shook ZANU PF’s fortunes to the very core. After successfully campaigning for a NO Vote in the referendum for a new but defective constitution in 2000, sponsored by Mugabe’s government intended to give him absolute power, the then young political party’s supporters were systematically targeted.  The fact that the MDC successfully campaigned against Mugabe’s preferred position and won, sent shock waves that shook the revolutionary party to the very core of its foundation. This marked the beginning of a systematic and well orchestrated violent campaign against a properly constituted and legitimate opposition.

In order to nip the growing popularity of an emerging workers union sponsored political party in the bud, ZANU PF deployed their preferred, trusted and reliable political weapon – violence. It has served them well since 1980 and has continued to serve them effectively since then.

As such, ZANU PF’s potent weapon of mass destruction’ was unleashed with calculated malice from 2000 onwards. Hundred were tortured, raped, injured, maimed and killed, all in the name of political expedience. Perpetrators of violence are given state protection and a stay from prosecution. They know they are untouchable and have maximum protection from state security agents.

The persecution of human right activists, teachers, journalists, political activists and ordinary supporters of the opposition MDC, intensified since 2000. MDC politicians, activists, members and supporters continue to endure arrests, torture, imprisonment and ill-treatment at the hands of state agents.

In recent years calculated and targeted attacks have been deliberately and carefully executed. Notable among the victims are prominent people within civil society who are being harassed and intimidated for obvious political reasons. Their only crime is their courage to challenge the political establishment to account.

Mugabe sees political enemies everywhere. He is even afraid of his shadow. Such paranoid has reached dangerous levels. To worsen, matters Mugabe is showing no signs of relinquishing power. He has clearly stated that he is available for re-election if his party nominates him for leadership.

What boggles the mind is that an 86 year old still wants to continue ruining a country that desperately needs a captain with fresh ideas that can steer this sinking ship from the murky waters. The Global Political Agreement which was supposed to usher a new political dispensation characterised by compromise, is being scuttled by a deep sense of selfishness from a government that claims to champion the people’s cause.

Tsvangirai, the MDC leader has tasted Mugabe’s ruthless violent machine when he was arrested at a legal rally and was tortured while in police custody. Right now as I write, there is widespread violence in rural areas. ZANU PF’s foot soldiers are disrupting, with the blessings of corrupt and power hungry ZANU PF leaders, the activities of the constitutional committe gathering people’s views regarding the new constitution.

The period between 2009 and 2010 has seen a marked increase in politically motivated abductions. Under a normal government that respects the rule of law, the natural course of justice is allowed to take its course. Natural justice dictates that you investigate in order to arrest. Yet in Zimbabwe one is arrested in order to investigate. ZANU PF is allergic to normalcy. Opposition politicians are arrested willy-nilly on trumped up charges. It is high time the seemingly toothless SADC grouping stood up to Mugabe to ensure sanity prevails.

Mbiriyashe Chiratidzo Mungaraza(left) is a Zimbabwean based in Leicester)

HAT News is precluded from expressing a corporate view: the opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.

© HAT News 2010

Life is just not getting any better

(IRIN) – The death of Zimbabwe’s secretary for agriculture, Renson Gasela, and two other senior officials from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in a car accident recently has highlighted the country’s inability to respond to accidents, emergencies or disasters.

It took more than eight hours for the men to receive assistance after the accident because police in the nearby southeastern mining town of Zvishavane had no transport, and fire brigade units had no fuel to make the 25km journey. Emergency services only arrived after the MDC secretary general, Welshman Ncube, provided fuel.

“That incident alone is a small representation of how the coalition government has dismally failed the people of Zimbabwe,” political analyst John Makumbe told IRIN, because the response time probably would have been quicker if senior officials from ZANU-PF – the other party in Zimbabwe’s unity government – had been involved in an accident.

“The truth of the matter is that the inclusive government is failing to deliver, or to improve the lives of Zimbabweans. When schools opened recently, a majority of students were turned away because their parents or guardians could not afford to pay school fees; supermarket shelves are full of goods and food, but a visit to many households will reveal that people are starving in their homes.”

The unity government – a fragile coalition between President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, and an MDC breakaway faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara – has failed to inspire since its formation in February 2009.

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