-
-
Police Seize Zimbabwe Opposition Party members
Police have arrested multiple Opposition lawmakers Wednesday (Aug 27), right after the President announced he would include them in his cabinet.
Police said the arrests were not politically motivated, but were related to violence in the run up to the run-off election for President earlier this summer.
The Movement for Democratic Change, however, said police made the arrests to reduce the numbers of opposition lawmakers in parliament.
Power-sharing talks between ZANU-PF and the opposition -- mediated by South African leader Thabo Mbeki -- are scheduled to resume this week. Police have arrested multiple Opposition lawmakers Wednesday (Aug 27), right after the President announced he would include them in h... more -
Mwanawasa's death a blow to Southern Africa
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa's death has dealt a double blow to Southern Africa, not only generating fears of possible political instability in Zambia but also concern about the impact on the process of finding a solution in Zimbabwe, according to analysts.
Under the current constitution, which is under review, Zambians will have to head for fresh polls within 90 days.
Mwanawasa, as chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), was one of the first regional leaders, together with the past and current presidents of Botswana, to openly criticise Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's policies.
Mwanawasa died in a French hospital on 19 August, nearly two months after he was admitted as a result of suffering a stroke, said Zambian vice-president Rupiah Banda. He was 59.
Describing Mwanawasa as a "good friend and comrade", the leader of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, said he had "left us at this most trying time".
The late Zambian president had been "a champion of the democratisation of the SADC region in particular, and the African continent in general; as such, his passing-on is a sad day to the Zimbabwean people, who at this stage are yearning for a new beginning which can unquestionably be characterised as democratic and a reflection of the will of the people," said Tsvangirai.
"The region has truly lost one of the most influential figures [contributing] to resolving the Zimbabwe situation. It now leaves Botswana alone."Mwanawasa was an outspoken critic of Mugabe, and once likened Zimbabwe to a "sinking titanic". During the violent clashes before Zimbabwe's general election in early 2008, he described what was happening in the neighbouring country as "embarrassing to the region and the continent".
His last statement as chair of SADC, read on his behalf on 16 August, was yet another strongly worded criticism of the ruling Zimbabwean regime, in which he labelled the events leading up to and including the run-off election on 27 June to elect the Zimbabwean president as "a serious blot on the culture of democracy in our sub-region."
Lee Habasonda, executive director of the Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes [SACCORD], a regional good governance and human rights watchdog, said: "The region has truly lost one of the most influential figures [contributing] to resolving the Zimbabwe situation. It now leaves Botswana alone."
Botswana has said it regards Mugabe as an illegitimate leader because he lost the legitimate election on 29 March, and won the run-off 27 June as sole the candidate after MDC leader Tsvangirai withdrew because his supporters were being violently attacked.
"His [Mwanawasa's] leadership was slowly beginning to take away that conservative and freedom fighter mentality which has been undermining governance and democracy in the region. The onus now is on the [other] regional leaders to consolidate on that," Habasonda commented.
Ian Khama, who assumed the Botswana presidency on 1 April, chose to boycott the last SADC summit in Johannesburg on 16 and 17 June because Mugabe had been invited. The SADC is trying to negotiate a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and Tsvangirai. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa's death has dealt a double blow to Southern Africa, not only generating fears of possible politi... more -
Zimbabwe Parliament to be Sworn in Next Week
"Zimbabwe's government plans to convene parliament next week despite deadlock in talks to end a post-election political crisis that has worsened the country's economic decline and seen inflation hit 11 million percent.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change said it was not opposed to the opening of parliament but would reject any moves by President Robert Mugabe to appoint a cabinet before a power-sharing agreement is sealed.
"If he (Mugabe) goes further and appoints a cabinet, it will be against the letter and spirit of the MOU," party spokesman Tapiwa Mashakada said, in reference to a Memorandum of Understanding between the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition on the negotiations."
This doesn't seem to be getting any better at all. You have to wonder when the UN will step in, as the AU couldn't get anything done. "Zimbabwe's government plans to convene parliament next week despite deadlock in talks to end a post-election political cris... more -
Zimbabwean opposition leader Tsvangirai would accept prime minister post
"Zimbabwe's opposition chief would accept the prime minister's post and concede the presidency — and command of the military — to Robert Mugabe to settle a political crisis in his country, the Associated Press learned Saturday.
Morgan Tsvangirai outlined his proposal for resolving the contentious issue of who would lead any unity government in Zimbabwe in a speech Friday to regional Cabinet ministers gathered for the Southern African Development Community summit. The AP obtained a copy of the speech on Saturday, the day the summit opened.
Tsvangirai's proposal, which he said his Movement for Democratic Change presented during the deadlocked negotiations with Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, would mean a major curbing of the powers Mugabe has wielded since the country gained independence in 1980.
But it also would leave Tsvangirai working closely with a leader he has reviled as a brutal dictator. After months of attacks on opposition supporters blamed on soldiers and police, the prospect of Mugabe remaining commander in chief was worrisome to some.
Elphas Mukonoweshuro, Tsvangirai's foreign policy adviser, acknowledged in an interview Saturday there was "a possibility of abuse," but said regional leaders who were expected to endorse a deal could keep a check on Mugabe.
The opposition may have little choice. Top military leaders have said publicly they would not recognize Tsvangirai's authority.
"This whole process is about sharing power," Mukonoweshuro said, adding, "Mr. Mugabe will be head of state and Mr. Tsvangirai will be head of government with executive power."
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has been mediating Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks, spent much of the past week in Zimbabwe trying to push Mugabe and Tsvangirai to strike a deal. The question of Mugabe's role has been a major sticking point, with the longtime president reportedly refusing to yield any power and his administration publicly mocking Tsvangirai's claim to have the mandate to lead Zimbabwe.
In his speech Friday, Tsvangirai said the two sides remain unable to agree on how powers would be divided between him and Mugabe. A South African Cabinet minister closely involved in the talks, Sydney Mufamadi, said Saturday that a deal was close but said it was unclear if a breakthrough would come during the summit.
Tsvangirai walked out of talks in Harare on Tuesday, but his chief negotiator, Tendai Biti, said Saturday that the negotiations were back on track.
Friday, Tsvangirai said compromise is necessary because Zimbabweans would reject a deal "if any party is greedy."
"We have agreed that Mr. Mugabe will be president whilst I become prime minister," he told the SADC ministers. "We envisage that the prime minister must chair the Cabinet and be responsible for the formulation, execution and administration of government business, including appointing and dismissing his ministers .... A prime minister cannot be given responsibility without authority and be expected to deliver." "Zimbabwe's opposition chief would accept the prime minister's post and concede the presidency — and command of the mil... more -
Hundreds of angry protesters greet Mugabe at South African Summit
"African leaders gathered for a weekend summit in South Africa on Saturday as hundreds protested nearby, angry at the inclusion of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
The protesters planned to march to the summit venue in Johannesburg to call on the leaders not to recognize Mugabe as a head of state after June's widely discredited presidential runoff that returned the longtime president to power.
Zimbabwe's political crisis is expected to dominate the summit of the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional group set up to promote democracy and economic growth in the region.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, SADC's appointed mediator for Zimbabwe, had hoped to host the summit having clinched a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. But after weeks of back-and-forth talks among the parties, Mbeki has been unable to get them to agree.
Inside the summit venue, Mugabe sat on the dais along with the other invited leaders, while Tsvangirai sat in the audience with other guests.
One leader was missing from the line-up -- Botswanan President Ian Khama, who said he was boycotting the summit because he considers Mugabe's presidency illegitimate.
Talks on Zimbabwe are continuing throughout the weekend on the sidelines of the summit, but the sides appeared far from reaching a deal. The sticking point is how much power Mugabe would retain in a future unity government." "African leaders gathered for a weekend summit in South Africa on Saturday as hundreds protested nearby, angry at the inclusion o... more -
Officials claim Mugabe signs power-sharing deal without Tsvangirai
Officials say Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has signed the power-sharing deal without opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Even so, the opposition party denies the claim.
Mugabe's party said the deal did not involve Tsvangirai. This deal, however,promises cabinet positions with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)'s splinter group.
Tsvangirai says he is still involved with in the discussions and that the deal with the MDC was part of a larger deal that was never signed.
Spokesperson for the MDC's splinter group, Welshman Ncube, said that his party has not signed the deal with the Zimbabwean President, even though the Mugabe' s party states that he has signed the deal with Arthur Mutambara who is chief of the group.
The South African President, Thabo Mbeki, the mediator of the talks, did not confirm the signing of the deal. He did say that Mugabe and the splinter group have formed an "agreement" and were waiting for Tsvangirai's stance on some of the deal's points.
--------
read article for more. Officials say Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has signed the power-sharing deal without opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Even s... more -
Is Africa a Cold War Battleground?
The human, social and economic wounds inflicted on Africa by the last Cold War are still very raw. Mozambique, Angola and Namibia are littered with millions of land mines and other unexploded military ordinances, which will kill people for centuries to come. Algeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda are fighting self-destruct wars, while Somalia ceased to be a state in 1992, thanks to western weapons.
...
Overall, the last Cold War left Africa on the life-support machine of western food aid administered by the World Food Program, while their leaders pay lip service to cure the patient.
...
That is not surprising. The West is less interested in human rights in Africa than in justifying and setting the stage for a new Cold War. The BBC reported on 13th July it “has found the first evidence that China is currently helping Sudan's government militarily in Darfur.”
...
Check out the original article for the full story. This goes hand in hand with things I have heard about the US and China/Russia funding opposing sides of the ongoing conflicts in Africa. Not to mention all around the world. The human, social and economic wounds inflicted on Africa by the last Cold War are still very raw. Mozambique, Angola and Namibia are ... more -
Amnesty plan for Zimbabwean Pres. Mugabe
Under a gracious exit plan, Robert Mugabe will become Zimbabwe's ceremonial president during the forthcoming transition, after which he will retire as the Founding President and father of the beleaguered nation, protected under a blanket amnesty.
According to a draft settlement, in the possession of The Star, Morgan Tsvangirai will run the country as the new executive prime minister in a transitional government that will pave the way for fresh elections in the future.
The 50-page plus draft was circulated between the two rivals when they circumnavigated the Pretoria talks two weeks ago and liaised indirectly with one another in Harare via intermediaries.
The draft agreement will also provide the basis of the face-to-face meeting between the two men in Zimbabwean capital tomorrow, which will be facilitated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Although there is still no deal on the table, sources say the parties are receptive to the draft.
According to the document, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change will head the country through a period of transition.
While the MDC is pushing for a 24- or 30-month term, Mugabe's Zanu-PF is negotiating for five years. A compromise has still to be reached. Under a gracious exit plan, Robert Mugabe will become Zimbabwe's ceremonial president during the forthcoming transition, after wh... more -
Revaluation cuts 10 zeroes off Zimbabwe dollar
"The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe yesterday lopped 10 zeroes off the value of the Zimbabwe dollar, thereby revaluing Z$10bn of existing currency to one Zimbabwe dollar from tomorrow.
Gideon Gono, central bank governor, said the revaluation was necessary to 'address cash constraints in the payments system' as well as "challenges" to financial and accounting IT systems caused by the proliferation of zeroes.
Independent estimates put Zimbabwe's inflation rate well above the official 2.2m per cent - the world's highest. The economic crisis has been blamed on President Robert Mugabe's policies, whichhave led to shortages of food and foreign currency.
While bankers and economists welcomed the move, one warned it was 'a Band-Aid that will ease the currency crisis for a few months and no more'."
(End of excerpt)
Full article at link by Tony Hawkins// Financial Times
-----
Photo by flickr user ZeroOne
http://www.flickr.com/photos/villes/2693551009/
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en "The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe yesterday lopped 10 zeroes off the value of the Zimbabwe dollar, thereby revaluing Z$10bn of existi... more -
Zimbabwe: nuova banconota da 100 miliardi di dollari... locali
"La banca centrale dello Zimbabwe ha annunciato che introdurrà lunedì una nuova banconota da 100 miliardi di dollari del paese, nell'ambito della disperata lotta contro l'iperinflazione.
La popolazione dello Zimbabwe sta soffrendo una mancanza cronica di carne, mais, carburanti ed altri prodotti chiave a causa del collasso dell'economia, una volta prosperosa, di cui vengono ritenute responsabili le politiche del presidente Robert Mugabe.
Il governatore della banca centrale Gideon Gono ha annunciato mercoledì scorso che l'inflazione ha superato 2,2 milioni per cento, anche se alcuni economisti la fissano ancora più in alto.
Sul quotidiano ufficiale Herald oggi, Gono spiega che la Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introdurrà una speciale banconota da 100 miliardi di dollari per aiutare i consumatori, che hanno bisogno di molto contante anche per le più semplici transazioni.
"Questa nuova banconota speciale da 100 miliardi di dollari sarà in circolazione da lunedì", spiega la nota sul giornale.
Finora, la banconota dal valore più alto in circolazione era da 50 miliardi di dollari.
Gono ha aggiunto che sta prendendo in considerazione l'ipotesi di aumentare il quantitativo di contanti che le persone possono ritirare quotidianamente dai loro conti correnti.
La banca centrale ha imposto un limite di 100 miliardi, che però bastano appena per due viaggi in autobus o due filoni di pane, ammesso di trovarli."
(Reuters, 19 luglio 2008) "La banca centrale dello Zimbabwe ha annunciato che introdurrà lunedì una nuova banconota da 100 miliardi di dollari del paese, n... more -
Zimbabwe leaders close to signing 'deal'
After the catastrophic and extremely violent Zimbabwe elections which saw Robert Mugabe re-elected as the country's leader in a somewhat one-sided vote, the BBC is reporting that Zimbabwean leaders are 'close to a deal outlining a framework for talks on the country's political crisis.'
A UN envoy spokesperson has said that Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe are believed to have agreed a draft memorandum that could see the start of much needed crisis negotiations. The opposing leaders were due to sign the deal last week but Tsvangirai pulled out, due to continuing discrepancies about who rightfully won the country's elections. After the catastrophic and extremely violent Zimbabwe elections which saw Robert Mugabe re-elected as the country's leader in a s... more -
Mugabe recruiting vicious mercenaries: campaign of terror steps up
Opposition supporters in Zimbabwe now face even more danger of abuse and persecution: "vicious" mercenaries, from nearby countries such as Kenya and Uganda, have been recruited by Mugabe to step up the pressure on MDC supporters.
Eyewitnesses report that the men are more bloodthirsty even than the Zimbabwean militiamen, routinely "cutting out the tongue, removing eyes and genital parts.": not normally local 'practices'. These new groups incite even more fear against defying the Mugabe regime, as they reportedly "know no bounds": with other sickening reports of gang-rape and abduction of young women also common.
The death toll stands at over 100, but it is as yet impossible to determine the number who have suffered a worse fate, with reports of brutal torture and rape commonplace. Opposition supporters in Zimbabwe now face even more danger of abuse and persecution: "vicious" mercenaries, from nearby cou... more -
Zimbabwe sanctions vetoed: UK and US furious
The US and Britain have both condemned Russia and China for vetoing a UN security council draft resolution which moved to impose sanctions on 14 key members of the Zimbabwean ruling party Zanu-PF, including 'President' Robert Mugabe.
Russia had apparently previously suggested it would back the action, and British foreign secretary David Milliband called their veto "incomprehensible". Other countries who vetoed the draft included South Africa and Libya.
Boniface Chidyausiku, the Zimbabwean ambassador to the UN, said that he was happy to see the "machinations" of the UK and US failing.
Although claims by the countries who vetoed this vote that sanctions would "not help to encourage the various factions engage in political dialogue and negotiations", the UK said that the UN had "failed in it's duty", and that the security council had failed to offer the Zimbabwean people "an end in sight to their suffering."
The MDC opposition party in Zimbabwe has so far reported that 113 of its supporters have been killed, a worry 5,000 are "missing", and more than 200,000 have been forced from their home. Suffering indeed. The US and Britain have both condemned Russia and China for vetoing a UN security council draft resolution which moved to impose sanct... more -
Mugabe is ready to form a unity government ... no really.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Zimbabwe's foreign minister said Tuesday that President Robert Mugabe is ready to form a unity government, but remained vague on the role opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai would play.
The announcement follows international calls for such a union, but neither the opposition nor the government has taken any strong action in that direction.
Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said the way forward is for Mugabe to form "an all-inclusive government where all the political parties take part."
But he did not discuss the position that the country's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai would serve in any such government. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Zimbabwe's foreign minister said Tuesday that President Robert Mugabe is ready to form a unity govern... more -
Bush slams 'sham' Zimbabwe poll as G8 steps up pressure
AFP reports:
"US President George W. Bush said Monday he was "extremely disappointed" with Zimbabwe's "sham" election, as world leaders pushed for sanctions against the regime.
"I care deeply about the people of Zimbabwe, I am extremely disappointed in the election, which I labelled a sham election," Bush said on the sidelines of a summit of rich nations at this mountain resort in northern Japan.
President Robert Mugabe's re-election on June 27 has been widely criticised. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who won the first round but fell short of a majority, pulled out of the contest, citing a campaign of violence and intimidation." AFP reports: ... more -
Film shows Zimbabwe vote rigged
Reuters (London) reports:
"A film secretly taken by a Zimbabwe prison guard and smuggled out of the country shows the extent of the rigging that took place for the June 27 presidential run-off vote, the Guardian said on Saturday."
"The film taken by Shepherd Yuda using a camera supplied by the newspaper shows prison staff being told by a war veteran how to fill in their ballot papers for Robert Mugabe."
I tried to upload the video but couldnt link it. You can watch it by finding it on the link provided. Reuters (London) reports: ... more -
Thorpe calls for Mugabe assassination
Jeremy Thorpe, the former leader of the Liberal Party, has called for the assassination of Robert Mugabe. "I think he is a ghastly, wicked man", but when asked how he should be dealt with, he hardened his line: "He should be assassinated." Jeremy Thorpe, the former leader of the Liberal Party, has called for the assassination of Robert Mugabe. "I think he is a ghastl... more
-
Zimbabwe Un-Elections
The Zimbabwe elections are over but the political discourse seems to have just begun. The White House has joined many other countries around the world in voicing a negative response to the so-called democratic elections. The Zimbabwe elections are over but the political discourse seems to have just begun. The White House has joined many other countries ... more
-
400,000 defy Mugabe
Almost 400,000 Zimbabweans defied the threat of violent retribution by Robert Mugabe's thugs to vote against him or spoil their ballot papers, according to official results released on Sunday. Announcing the inevitable outcome of Friday's second-round presidential poll, election officials claimed that Mr Mugabe had almost exactly doubled his tally from the first round in March, in which he was defeated by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
According to the Zimbabwe Election Commission's figures the turnout of 42 per cent was almost exactly the same as the first round – although many polling stations were virtually deserted throughout election day.
But the body unwittingly handed a propaganda coup to the opposition, whose activists and supporters have faced intense intimidation and political violence, including murder and rape, in the run up to the second round. Officials said that Mr Tsvangirai had received 233,000 votes, with another 131,481 spoiled papers, even though the opposition leader pulled out of the election in the face of widespread and sustained violence. Almost 400,000 Zimbabweans defied the threat of violent retribution by Robert Mugabe's thugs to vote against him or spoil their b... more -
Mugabe sworn in after one-man election
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was sworn in on Sunday after being declared overwhelming winner of a one-man election which observers said was scarred by violence and intimidation.
Mugabe was the only candidate and went ahead with the vote despite a wave of international censure. The United States, which says it is preparing new sanctions, called on Sunday for strong international action.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew a week ago saying a systematic campaign of violence, which killed nearly 90 of his followers, had made a free and fair vote impossible.
The electoral commission said Mugabe won 85.51 percent of the vote. He had 43.2 percent in elections in March which Tsvangirai won with 47.9 percent -- short of the absolute majority needed for a first-round victory.
The commission said turnout was 42.37 percent, almost exactly the same as in March. Human rights groups and witnesses accused pro-Mugabe militias of forcing people to vote in some areas.
The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) observer mission also said on Sunday the poll had been marred by pre-election violence and did not reflect the will of the country's people, dealing a serious blow to Mugabe's legitimacy.
The regional grouping, which has stood by the veteran leader in the past, said the vote did not conform to regional election guidelines, despite voting on election day being peaceful. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was sworn in on Sunday after being declared overwhelming winner of a one-man election which observe... more
-
related topics
Robert Mugabe
Contributors (131)
Robert Mugabe
