We would work with anybody who wants to push the national agenda forward

TO BE NOTED: From FP Via Freakonomics:

"Exclusive Interview with Morgan Tsvangirai

Posted May 2009

Zimbabwe's former opposition leader explains what it's like to share power with Robert Mugabe -- the man who (probably) tried to have him killed.

DESMOND KWANDE/AFP/Getty Images

Unlikely bedfellows: Zimbabwe's hopes rest on the uneasy relationship of two bitter enemies, Tsvangirai and Mugabe.

Imagine yourself working side by side each day with a man who -- for the last decade -- has repeatedly arrested you, charged you with treason, detained and beaten your friends, and may have plotted your assassination just a year earlier. You are prime minister and he is president, even though your party won elections to oust him from power last year. The fates of an entire country and 11 million people depend on your having a good working relationship. And now imagine that the country has multi-million-percent inflation, hundreds dying from cholera, and a pattern of political violence that has chased thousands out of the country in recent years.

Welcome to the life of Morgan Tsvangirai, prime minister of Zimbabwe and leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Since September, Tsvangirai has endured grueling negotiations to set up a power-sharing government with President Robert Mugabe and his party, ZANU-PF. Three months into its operation, the pace of progress is slow, Tsvangirai told Foreign Policy's Elizabeth Dickinson. Remaining disagreements over the appointment of ministers, the ongoing arrest of activists and journalists, and basic day to day operations have plagued the arrangement. Donors in the West have refused to send aid to the broke Zimbabwean government so long as Mugabe is still at the reins. Still, Tsvangirai is thinking big about how to get the country back on track. An economic plan will aim to get the country functioning again over the next 100 days -- tackling even the contentious issue of land redistribution. In short, Tsvangirai says, "Ours is the transformative challenge: to transform old habits and introduce a new governance culture, and you know it's difficult in a coalition government."

Foreign Policy: How did it feel on day one, walking into the position of prime minister knowing all the challenges before you? What did it feel like?

Morgan Tsvangirai: It is obvious the level of economic degeneration that just hit us in the face when we went into government. There was a sense of euphoria, which was very short-lived because the decision to go in was influenced by a number of factors, one of which was that we could not be authors of chaos, and that if there was chaos in the country the outcome would be unpredictable; it would engulf us all. So, yes, there was a sense that we have made the right decision, but we didn't know what we were going into.

FP: You said yesterday that elements of ZANU-PF are holding up the progress of the unity government. Can you update us on the status of talks to resolve these remaining issues -- for example, the position of the Central Bank governor?

MT: The discussions amongst the principles are going very well; we certainly hope that tomorrow we'll be making an announcement on the outstanding issues. You must be conscious that this is a coalition government. There are sensitivities and emotions that need to be navigated and negotiated. One would be a bit overambitious to expect everything we're grappling with to be resolved within three months.

It's frustratingly slow, in our assessment, that we have gone this far without at least indicating how the outstanding issues will be resolved. But I'm glad to say that we have made progress. The issues that we have agreed upon -- and those we are still in disagreement about -- will be announced to the nation so that the nation is able to make an assessment as to if there has been progress or not.

FP: You have shown an incredible spirit of reconciliation -- saying on Friday, "Robert Mugabe was part of the problem but he is also part of the solution, whether you like it or not." But are Zimbabweans ready for that kind of reconciliation?

MT: There is a sense of cautious optimism that this inclusive government will be a successful experiment because no one wants to go back to the November, December, January, situation. So therefore, when you present national union as one of the democratic challenges, people accept that there is need for national healing for progress. But of course, there has to be a process of that national healing, otherwise people will continue to [have] that frustration.

FP: President Robert Mugabe has a sinister reputation in the United States and elsewhere. But are there things that the West is failing to understand about Mugabe?

MT: I'm sure this perception is what has been built up over the years -- some of which is a reality. But one of the underlying things is that I am prepared to work with President Robert Mugabe -- not because he's right but because of the national interest: We would work with anybody who wants to push the national agenda forward. But instead of [the international community] taking a cue from us as to how to proceed, it would appear that people have made this judgment [not to help], and they have thrown out the baby with the bath water.

FP: How do you react to donors when they tell you that they can't give aid to Zimbabwe yet, until more democratic progress is made?

MT: My beef with all the international community and diplomats is that, look, those of us who are pushing the democratic reform agenda should be supported so that we can sustain this experiment.

I was saying to somebody this morning that it would appear that by raising the bar every time there is progress -- or every time there is an attempt [by the international community] to ignore the progress that has taken place because of one or two [outstanding] issues [unresolved in the coalitional government], you are invariably becoming a part of the [internal government] negotiations. And for the negotiating parties who are actually on the field, who are negotiating with ZANU-PF, you actually go to the extent of undermining the influence that we are trying to build among those skeptics [of international aid] inside the country.

FP: You've announced a new 100-day economic recovery plan. Can you tell us some of the things that will be happening as part of that plan?

MT: I'm sure that you know that we've just completed the first three months of this inclusive government, and the first phase was to try and consolidate the government, which I believe has now been achieved.

Now we go to the second phase in the next three months. It's a short-term program to try to intervene in various areas of our economy. And there are really five clusters: economic, social, infrastructure, rights, and security. We have done [this division] in order to build the priority programs in each ministry with the key results areas in target -- the milestones. So I would say that the next 100 days, the key priorities are to set the policy framework in various ministries; to ensure that we are able to rehabilitate some of the dilapidated infrastructure; and to ensure that the education and health delivery systems are on their feet. But above all, we need to mobilize the resources so that we can support these programs. So the 100-day plan is a test of the synergies within ministries -- across ministries -- to ensure that the whole government is working as a cohesive team.

FP: Where does land reform fit into this plan?

MT: In the 100 days, what we would expect from the Ministry of Land is first and foremost to do an assessment -- a country-wide assessment on the so-called land invasions [that occurred under Mugabe's previous government] -- if there are still any. The second part is to set up a land audit in terms of the global political agreement, a land audit that is meant to reveal whether the independent land commission is the basis to do proper land reform. We've got a plan on the land, and I think this is the only way that this issue will be finalized.

FP: In spite of your own resolve, is it difficult to motivate other members of the MDC in light of so many challenges?

MT: We have to keep focused. We know that from time to time, some of the old habits of violence will remain. But we don't lose focus on the need to create a democratic playing field so that when the new constitutional dispensation is created -- we can hold free and fair elections down the line. That's still the objective.

In other words, ours is the transformative challenge: to transform old habits and introduce a new governance culture, and you know it's difficult in a coalition government. But we know that within the transitional phase, it is important to unlock some of these mindsets that have taken us this far down. So how do I motivate our people? Our people know that we have not yet arrived as a full democratic Zimbabwe. But we are on the journey.

Morgan Tsvangirai is prime minister of Zimbabwe."

The authorities in Zimbabwe have continued their persecution of two officials of the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party

TO BE NOTED: From AI:

"Zimbabwean authorities continue persecution of political activists

© Private">

Gandhi Mudzingwa

© Private

29 April 2009

The authorities in Zimbabwe have continued their persecution of two officials of the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Gandhi Mudzingwa and Kisimusi Dhlamini have been detained under armed police guard in a Harare hospital since 20 April, despite having been released on bail on 17 April.

The two men are receiving medical treatment at the Avenues Clinic in Harare following alleged torture by Zimbabwean security agents. On Monday, their lawyers made an urgent High Court application to remove the armed police guards posted at the hospital.

Amnesty International has written to the Zimbabwean authorities calling for the immediately withdrawal of the armed police.

"Their presence amounts to unlawful detention of people who have been granted bail by a Zimbabwean court," said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International's Africa Program, in a letter to the Commissioner-General of Police in Harare.

A High Court judge reserved judgment on the matter to 30 April. Prior to the hearing which took place on 27 April, the State made a court application on 25 April in which it argued that the three accused persons were improperly released and should be sent back to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.

The police are reported to be searching for freelance journalist Andrison Manyere, who was released on bail at the same time Gandhi Mudzingwa and Kisimusi Dhlamini. The police have so far failed to locate him.

All three men were released on bail by the High Court on 17 April 2009 after the State did not lodge a notice to appeal against the bail order within the prescribed seven days, as required by law. Their lawyers deposited bail with the Magistrate’s Court in Harare.

Following the payment of bail, their lawyers were issued with “warrants of liberation” on the basis of which Gandhi Mudzingwa, Kisimusi Dhlamini and Andrison Manyere were released from custody.

Read More

Last of activists abducted in December released by Zimbabwe's authorities (Good News, 20 April 2009)
Zimbabwe independence celebrations overshadowed by human rights abuses (News, 17 April 2009)
Zimbabwe activists including Jestina Mukoko bailed (News, 4 March 2009)
New Zimbabwe government urged to prioritise human rights (News, 10 February 2009)"

It was a political problem and not an economic one that drove us into the difficulties this nation experienced,

TO BE NOTED: From Reuters:

"Is Zimbabwe’s Gono going?

Post a comment (3)

Posted by: Matthew Tostevin

Tags: Africa, Zimbabwe crisis, aid, central bank, economy, Gono, hyperinflation, investment, MDC, Mugabe, Tsvangirai, ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe

The acknowledgement by Zimbabwe’s central bank governor that it raided the private bank accounts of companies and donors to fund President Robert Mugabe’s government during the economic crisis has increased speculation over his fate under the new national unity government.

Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono said the central bank took foreign currency from private accounts to help pay for some $2 billion in loans to state-owned companies and utilities and for power and grain imports. He said the government still had to repay about $1.2 billion, so the bank could repay the money it owes.

Heading the central bank at a time Zimbabwe was suffering economic collapse and hyperinflation that touched at least 231 million percent a year (according to official figures) was never going to be a badge of honour for the governor, but as he made clear in his statement, Zimbabwe’s problems went beyond economics.

“It was a political problem and not an economic one that drove us into the difficulties this nation experienced, and quasi-fiscal operations were a response to those political challenges we have now resolved through the inclusive government,” the statement said. “Our call is to let bygones be bygones and for everyone and every entity to start anew and open a new page.”

Gono has come under pressure from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to resign since the former opposition party joined Mugabe in a unity government in February. Western diplomats have also said Gono’s departure could help bring a resumption of badly needed aid.

Are his days numbered now Tsvangirai and Mugabe seem to be working together more closely than many might have expected?"

You're not suggesting that American could end up in a situation like Zimbabwe with totally out-of-control inflation?

From Clusterstock:

"Peter Schiff Slams The Fed's Zimbabwe Economics

Joe Weisenthal|Mar. 19, 2009, 7:39 AM|9

Print

Tags: Economy, Financial Crisis, Debt, Federal Reserve

Peter Schiff, the EuroPacificCapital chief that's been a fierce bear on the dollar, slammed the latest fed move in an interview with ABC radio in Australia:

STEPHEN LONG: But some reckon that printing money, in effect, will make it a whole lot scarier.

PETER SCHIFF: Well, I don't think it's going to rescue us from anything. I think what we're doing is the equivalent of selling our financial souls to the devil.

STEPHEN LONG: Peter Schiff, the head of Euro Pacific Capital in Connecticut, speaking to me last year when this kind of intervention was first mooted.

PETER SCHIFF: I mean if we think we can solve our problems by creating inflation, we oughta send some of these guys down to Zimbabwe to see how well it's working out for them.

STEPHEN LONG: You're not suggesting that American could end up in a situation like Zimbabwe with totally out-of-control inflation?

PETER SCHIFF: No, no, yes, I am. I'm not only suggesting that, I'm saying that.

Of course, Schiff has had his clients positioned against the dollar for some time, a move that's had limited success given the ongoing flight-to-safety trade. But eventually, the Fed could, in theory, print more than enough to satisfy this demand, prompting a real decline.

One counterpoint, as Hayman Capital has argued, is that ultimately other countries, where the banks have grown to even larger percentages of national GDP, will be forced to print even more.

Meanwhile, here's a good picture of what the dollar collapse looked like when the Fed's move was announced. Straight down.

Me:

Don the libertarian Democrat (URL) said:

Mar. 19, 11:39 AM

This is what happened in Zimbabwe:

http://cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9481

"On the economic front, the situation is dire. The economic crisis that was precipitated by Mr. Mugabe's seizure of commercial farms in 2000 has put four out of five Zimbabweans out of work. The government's tax revenue collapsed as did most of the public services. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe was ordered to print money to make up for the budget shortfall, leading to the first hyperinflation of the 21st century."

It should be understood that politics plays a huge part in how crises are dealt with. In Zimbabwe, these actions are a designed policy to keep a despot and his minions in power. If deflation would have worked, he would have done that. Just so we know what's actually going on in Zimbabwe.

Make no mistake, Mugabe is as directly responsible for these deaths as if had shot them himself.

TO BE NOTED: From Enough:

"More Grim News from Zimbabwe

Posted by John Norris on Feb 21, 2009

According to the U.S. Agency for International Development and the World Health Organization, Zimbabwe’s cholera problem continues to spread.

Since the outbreak began last August, “the disease has spread to all of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces and 56 of Zimbabwe’s 62 districts,” according to USAID. More than 78,900 cases of cholera have been reported, causing more than 3,700 deaths. USAID also noted, “If current daily cholera rates continue, the total caseload could enter the lower range of WHO’s worst-case scenario, currently estimated at 81,000 to 115,000 cases, in less than one week.” This is even more appalling given that cases may actually be under-reported given the dismal state of Zimbabwe’s health care system.

It sounds like although the number of cases continues to rise, the percentage of fatalities has actually dropped a bit as case management has improved. Zimbabwe’s people, both literally and figuratively, are sick to death of President Robert Mugabe. Make no mistake, Mugabe is as directly responsible for these deaths as if had shot them himself."

Bennett, arrested little more than an hour before Zimbabwe swore in 36 cabinet ministers from across the political spectrum

TO BE NOTED:

"ZIMBABWE: Abduction threatens unity government

Photo: Movement for Democratic Change

Roy Bennett

HARARE, 13 February 2009 (IRIN) - The future of Zimbabwe's 48-hour-old unity government may hang in the balance after a leading member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was abducted by police outside the capital, Harare, on 13 February.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was installed as prime minister on 11 February, while President Robert Mugabe retained the executive post he has held for 29 years in a deal designed to heal the political divisions that have brought the once prosperous country to its knees.

The MDC said in a statement on 13 February: "Roy Bennett, MDC Treasurer General and Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, has just been abducted by police from the Law and Order section at Prince Charles airport, just outside Harare. The police were led by one Assistant Commissioner Nyongwe."

Bennett, arrested little more than an hour before Zimbabwe swore in 36 cabinet ministers from across the political spectrum, was expected to be installed as a deputy minister next week.

Richard Cornwall, a senior researcher at the South Africa-based think-tank, the Institute for Security Studies, told IRIN the abduction bore the hallmark of "hardliners" attempting to "scupper this deal [unity government] before it gets off the ground."

He said the focus has been on the divisions between Mugabe's ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai's MDC, but recent developments showed "what sort of divisions exist within ZANU-PF, not all of who agree with the unity government." The next few days would determine Mugabe's "ability to bring the hardliners to heel," he commented.

Cornwall said it was understood that the "hardliners" were from the Joint Operations Committee (JOC), which comprised security chiefs of the army, police, Central Intelligence Organisation and the prisons department, and was coordinated by Emmerson Mnangagwa, at one time a presidential pretender.

The appointment of Bennett, a white farmer whose land was taken during the government's fast-track land reform programme in 2000, may have been seen as "a signal" to ZANU-PF hardliners that the MDC would renegotiate land ownership in Zimbabwe, Cornwall said.

Bennett fled his homeland and spent three years in exile after being accused of plotting to kill Mugabe, and only returned to Zimbabwe a few days ahead of Tsvangirai's inauguration.

Signs of tension

Indications that the unity government was facing severe challenges came within 24 hours of Tsvangirai assuming office, when he visited detainees ahead of their release from Harare's high-security Chikurubi prison.

A few hours earlier on 12 February, the Harare Magistrate's Court ordered the release of Jestina Mukoko, a veteran journalist and human rights activist, and two MDC activists accused of undergoing military training in neighbouring Botswana in order to topple Mugabe's government.

Harrison Nkomo, one of the lawyers representing the more than 30 detained activists, including Mukoko, told IRIN the three detainees had initially been taken to a private hospital in Harare after their release was ordered.

There is no doubt that they need urgent medical attention. For example, when Justina [Mukoko] was abducted on December 3 in 2008, she weighed 70kg but now she weighs 52kg

"Prison officers later came during the afternoon on Thursday [12 February] and returned them to the high-security prison complex before [taking] them [back to the hospital] at midnight. A private doctor and a government medical officer have examined the three, and they both agreed that they needed urgent medical attention."

Nkomo told IRIN the government was opposed to the three detainees receiving medical attention. "There is no doubt that they need urgent medical attention. For example, when Jestina was abducted on December 3 in 2008, she weighed 70kg but now she weighs 52kg, meaning she has lost 18kg in the two months that she has been detained."

At his inauguration, Tsvangirai said the jailed activists would not "remain in those dungeons any day or any week longer". Bennett's whereabouts remained unknown at the time of writing. "

Will this decision work? Will it bring change and help ease the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans?

From Reuters:

"New hope for Zimbabwe?

Post a comment (8)

Posted by: Marius Bosch

Tags: Africa Blog, abdoulaye wade, Africa, democracy, election, kgalema motlanthe, Morgan Tsvangirai, Movement for Democratic Change, Mugabe, raila odinga, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change has agreed to join a unity government with President Robert Mugabe, breaking a crippling deadlock four months after the political rivals reached a power-sharing deal.

The decision could improve Zimbabwe’s prospects of recovering from economic collapse and easing a humanitarian crisis in which more than 60,000 people have been infected by cholera and more than half the population needs food aid.

Zimbabweans have long wished for a new leadership that can ease the world’s highest inflation rate and severe food, fuel and foreign currency shortages. Millions have fled the suffering to neighbouring countries, straining regional economies.

Western aid and financial assistance tied to the creation of a democratic government and economic reform could be crucial to rescuing what was once one of Africa’s most promising countries.

South Africa’s President Kgalema Motlanthe was optimistic and told Reuters in Davos that his country would help rebuild Zimbabwe.

But Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga cast doubt on whether the deal would work and said President Mugabe must go.

Will this decision work? Will it bring change and help ease the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans? What do you think?"

Me:

“But Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga cast doubt on whether the deal would work and said President Mugabe must go.”

This has to be one of the more obvious political conclusions that we can make.

- Posted by Don the libertarian Democrat Your comment is awaiting moderation.

The EU only last December added 11 names to a list of some 160 officials, including Mugabe himself, banned from entering the bloc.

Finally. From Reuters:

1 of 1Full Size

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will next Monday step up pressure on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to share power by urging a probe into whether diamond sales are being used to support his government, a draft showed.

The bloc's foreign ministers, who meet in Brussels on January 26, will also add names to a list of Zimbabwean officials banned from travelling in the EU because of their links to alleged human rights abuses, a draft EU paper obtained by Reuters showed.( FINALLY )

"The (EU) Council supports action to investigate the exploitation of diamonds from the site of Marange/Chiadzwa and their significance in possible financial support to the regime and recent human rights abuses," the document, which will be presented to EU ministers, said.

The draft urges the Kimberley Process -- an international certification scheme set up to ensure diamonds do not fund conflict -- "to take action with a view to ensure Zimbabwe's compliance with its Kimberley obligations".

Alongside platinum and gold, diamonds are among the natural wealth that Zimbabwe could expect to profit from if it emerges from a humanitarian and economic crisis that has seen thousands die of cholera and inflation rocket to stratospheric rates.

The World Diamond Council industry body has put Zimbabwe's production of rough diamonds at 0.4 percent of world production, mostly exported with the Kimberley Process certificate. However in December it raised concern about possible illegal exports "for the personal gain of a few".

Despite growing international pressure on him to step down, power-sharing talks between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai remain deadlocked in a dispute over cabinet posts.

"The (EU) Council condemns the regime for its ongoing failure to address the most basic economic and social needs of its people ... The Council urges stakeholders to comply with the power sharing agreement," the EU draft said. ( THANK GOD )

Critics say Mugabe's policies, such as the seizure of white-owned farms, have ruined Zimbabwe's economy, but the ruler -- in power since independence from Britain in 1980 -- blames Western sanctions for the crisis. ( HE'S A LYING DESPOT )

The EU only last December added 11 names to a list of some 160 officials, including Mugabe himself, banned from entering the bloc. The EU draft did not say how many more would be added."

Get going!

High profile South African leaders and individuals will be fasting in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe

From The Zimbabwean:
Save Zimbabwe Now launched today

Thursday, 22 January 2009

The launch of the movement Save Zimbabwe Now was launched today, 21st January 2009, at Central Methodist Mission, Johannesburg. Speakers included: Graca Machel - Member of The Elders and wife of Nelson Mandela, Kumi Naidoo - Honorary president of CIVICUS, Nomboniso Gasa - Chair of the South African Gender Commission, Bishop Paul Verryn of the Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg, Louisa Zonda - Consultant and former CEO of the Human Rights Commission, Pastor Mugabe - Board member of the Zimbabwean National Pastors Conference and member of the Christian Alliance, Makoma Lekalakala - Steering committee member of Ceasefire and member of several women’s and community based organisations and Sipho Theys - Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum. “Southern African leaders have the blood of hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans on their hands for failing to solve the crisis”, said former Mozambican First Lady Graça Machel at the launch. “We trusted too long, it’s time we tell the leaders we lay the lives of all those who passed on… in the hands of SADC … They, as a collective leadership, took the responsibility to solve the conflict…,” said Machel. “It [the Zimbabwean government] has lost completely any kind of legitimacy”. The movement aims to galvanise the solidarity and support of the people and organisations in Southern Africa, and to provide a range of opportunities to offer solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. Several civil society groups in Zimbabwe have welcomed and pledged their support for this initiative and we envisage a collective passage forward in aspiring to assist the democratic journey for Zimbabweans through inspiration and action. The first action of the movement will be a fast. High profile South African leaders and individuals will be fasting in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. Some of the support already galvanised include: Among them are Moeletsi Mbeki, Chairperson of Endemol, Sipho Theys from the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum, Piers Pigou - Director of SAHA, Elinor Sisulu - Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Selvan Chetty - Solidarity Peace Trust, and Yasmin Sooka - Foundation for Human Rights. Individuals like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Ivor Jenkins of IDASA and Hugh Lewin, director of SACST will be fasting one day a week, every Wednesday. Other participants, including Kumi Naidoo and Nomboniso Gasa will be fasting for up to 21 consecutive days whilst residing at the Central Methodist Mission. Rev Priscilla Everson, Anglican Priest in the JHB Diocesse, Bishop Paul Verryn of the Central Methodist church. The fast will continue for a period of 3 months unless meaningful and tangible gains towards the demands put forward are met. FASTING HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO SYMBOLISE THE HUNGER AND DISCOMFORT FACED BY MILLIONS OF ZIMBABWEANS EVERY DAY IN VARYING FORMS OF SEVERITY. Information on how to join the fast are available at www.savezimbabwenow.com

"The southern African country is battling hyperinflation and has endured food shortages since 2000"

Checking in on Zimbabwe. From Reuters:

1 of 1Full Size

By Paul Simao

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Graca Machel, the wife of Nelson Mandela, on Wednesday described Zimbabwe's government as illegitimate and said regional leaders had allowed hundreds of thousands of people to die needlessly in the African nation.( THANK GOD )

Zimbabwe is facing a humanitarian catastrophe as President Robert Mugabe and the opposition bicker over a stalled power-sharing deal. Rights groups say scores of opposition activists have been murdered, tortured and beaten.( TRUE )

"Any government that goes out and assaults its people, its citizens, it has lost completely any kind of legitimacy," Machel said at a news conference where Zimbabwean activists launched a hunger strike to pressure Mugabe and the SADC regional body.( GREAT )

Asked if the veteran Zimbabwean ruler, in power since independence in 1980, should step down, Machel said: "The people of Zimbabwe have already said so ... the ballot has spoken."( WOW )

The Mozambican-born Machel joined a growing list of prominent Africans who in the past year have criticised Mugabe's authoritarian rule or called for the removal of his government.

Mugabe lost the first round of a presidential election last year to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, but he won the second round overwhelmingly after Tsvangirai pulled out of the race, citing violence against his supporters.

For almost a decade South Africa and other nations in SADC (Southern African Development Community) have used quiet diplomacy to try to nudge( WITHOUT EFFECT ) Mugabe toward democratic reforms and halt Zimbabwe's meltdown.

An apparent breakthrough was reached last September when Mugabe and Tsvangirai agreed to form a unity government, but the deal has unravelled over control of key ministries and many doubt it can be salvaged.

In the meantime, food shortages have worsened and the healthcare system has all but collapsed, exposing the population to diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cholera, which has killed more than 2,100( 2100 ) people in recent months.

Machel, who was barred from entering Zimbabwe on a humanitarian visit late last year, said hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved had the leaders of SADC taken stronger action to end the crisis.( YES )

"We trusted too long. It's time to tell our leaders we lay the lives of all those who passed on ... in the hands of the SADC leaders because they took responsibility to stop the mess there," she said.

Machel, however, said she would not join the hunger strike and rotating fasts, which are due to last for three months.

A total of 55 activists have joined the protest, according to Kumi Naidoo, one of the hunger strikers.

The protesters are demanding, among other things, that SADC recognise that Mugabe's government is illegitimate and a transitional authority be set up to implement the power-sharing deal if the deadlock continued past the end of February."( YES )

And more bad news:

1 of 1Full Size

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe faces another huge food deficit in 2009 due to continued falls in farm production, mounting political uncertainty and economic instability, a report by a farmers' union said on Wednesday.

The southern African country is battling hyperinflation and has endured food shortages since 2000, when President Robert Mugabe's government began seizing farms from whites to resettle landless blacks.( A TERRIBLE POLICY )

A power-sharing deal signed by Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai last September looks fragile due to bickering over control of key cabinet posts, dimming hopes the ruined economy will be rescued.

The Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU), which represents most of the few remaining white commercial farmers, said agricultural output would continue to fall sharply until the country's political crisis was resolved.

"Investment in agriculture is long-term and its risk factor very high, therefore under the present unstable conditions prevailing in Zimbabwe at the moment, production in all sectors is expected to be extremely low this season," the CFU said in a report.

The CFU added that the economic meltdown had also hit farm operations.

"The super-hyperinflation prevailing in the country and the unavailability of cash from the banks has also impacted negatively on any meaningful production this season," the union said.

The last official inflation rate, for July last year, stood at 231 million percent.

Donor agencies say more than 5 million Zimbabweans, almost half the population, currently rely on food handouts and expect the number to rise following another poor agricultural season.

The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) says its $140 million emergency food aid appeal for Zimbabwe has come up $65 million short.( NOT GOOD )

The CFU said continued disturbances on farms, where some white farmers are still being forced off land or prosecuted for failing to do so( THIS NEEDS TO BE CONDEMNED ), had also hit production.

Less than 500 white farmers remain active on their farms, down from over 6,000 before the land seizures began.( THIS HAS WORKED WELL )

Mugabe's government has said it would press on with the prosecution and eviction of white farmers still on land earmarked for acquisition, despite a ruling by a regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) tribunal stopping such action( UNREAL ).

Critics say Mugabe's land policies have ruined Zimbabwe's once prosperous economy, but the veteran ruler says the seizures were meant to reverse colonial land imbalances."( WHAT A DISASTER MUGABE HAS BEEN. )

Mugabe should be condemned by the entire planet.

" At least 5.5 million people - over half Zimbabwe's population - are in need of food aid "

Checking in on Zimbabwe. From IRIN:

"ZIMBABWE: Corruption bedevils farming inputs

---

Photo: IRIN

Food in short supply

HARARE, 19 January 2009 (IRIN) - An audit of an agricultural inputs programme aimed at rewarding productive farmers has unearthed cases of corrupt reselling of the aid by senior government officials and parliamentarians. ( SURPRISE )

Brig-Gen Douglas Nyikayaramba, in charge of logistics of the "Champion Farmers" programme, told the official Sunday Mail newspaper that some senior ruling party officials, including eight parliamentarians, had resold the free inputs, or hired farmers to farm on their behalf with the intention of splitting the profits from harvest sales.

"We will soon reveal the names of the members of the august House who have been caught up in the scam. This is tantamount to corruption and the culprits will be charged accordingly," Nyikayaramba was quoted as saying.

The government's Champion Farmers scheme, designed to boost production, has been mired in controversy over its lack of transparency and potential for politicisation. The delays in distribution, with the rainy season well underway, have also been criticised for undermining whatever benefit could have been achieved.

A farmer in Chegutu, about 80km south of the capital, Harare, told IRIN that his maize crop was waist high and in urgent need of ammonium nitrate fertiliser, but none was in the shops and he was not a beneficiary of input aid.

"All we hear are that some of our neighbours have received fertiliser, but we don't know what criteria are being used by the soldiers to distribute the fertiliser. The lack of transparency in the whole exercise will have the effect of creating more man-made food shortages."

Speaking on condition of anonymity, for fear of victimisation, the farmer said, "It is the ordinary Zimbabwean farmer and citizen who are being affected by the corruption because the inputs are surfacing on the black market, being sold at extortionist rates."

Renson Gasela, secretary for agriculture of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change faction led by Arthur Mutambara, said anomalies in the Champion Farmer programme were not surprising, and doubted that ZANU-PF officials would be prosecuted.

"To start with, the army should not be playing an active role in the distribution of farming inputs - they are only likely to give them to their friends and a few well-connected farmers," he told IRIN.

South Africa has provided Zimbabwe with a R300 million (US$32 million) agricultural inputs package, which been distributed without an agreed monitoring mechanism( SILLY ) involving NGOs and regional governments in place to ensure transparency, IRIN reported on 14 January.

At least 5.5 million people - over half Zimbabwe's population - are in need of food aid as a result of a series of poor harvests and an economic crisis that has robbed farmers of the ability to afford seeds, fertiliser and fuel. "

It just goes on and on.

Someone appeals for bolder regional action, saying: "Please SADC take our problems seriously, don't neglect us."

From Africa Can...End Poverty:

"Letter from Zimbabwe

Submitted by Shanta on Fri, 01/09/2009 - 13:16.

I received this missive from a friend:

December 11, 2008

Harare, 1.00am

It is just after midnight in Harare. I have just returned from a midnight tour of the ATMs in Harare with a cousin. There are queues of people still waiting to get their weekly cash withdrawal limit of $100,000,000,000 (US$2.50). I saw the queues this morning when I went for my first meeting at 7.45am. I did not know then that I would be seeing them throughout the day. Most of the ATMs had run out of money. Rather than go home, people saved their precious place in the lines by lying down where they stood and taking a nap. Covering themselves with sacks, newspapers and whatever warming clothing they had. Those ATMs that were still paying out cash had queues of policemen and soldiers. I dared not pull out my camera then( YIKES ). When I did pull out my camera, it was of people too tired to care. Needless to say, picture quality from a moving car using a micro camera is not the best. This is not a normal interpretation of 24-hour banking; seven days a week.

Three hours earlier, I had gone to one of the cholera infected areas where my aunt lives. I had not intended to stay long. It is a way out of town and I did not want her worrying about my safety getting back into the city. There was a power outage from 6 p.m. and it had taken us two hours to find a house I last visited 20 years ago as a boy. But I did ask how she was coping in Harare; and to her nephew she poured her heart out. No clean water for weeks on end, no food in the shops and constant power cuts. She drives an hour and half across the township in search of clean drinking water, which she brings back in plastic containers. When the city council water does run through the taps in the house, the water is discolored with sewer water. The shops in the neighborhood are empty of basic necessities including mealie meal. Her husband now lives at their farm in another town so that he can plant, guard and harvest the maize that they will live on next year. There are groceries in some shops in the city, but they are sold in US$ and priced beyond her means. I am glad I brought her a suitcase of groceries. Groceries that, 20 years ago, my parents once drove from Lusaka to Harare to buy when Zambia was going through similar madness in the 1980s.( UNREAL )

December 12, 2008

Today the Reserve Bank increased the cash withdrawal limit from $100,000,000 to $200,000,000 (US$4). It also introduced two higher-denomination notes, $200,000,000 and $500,000,000. As expected there was a mad rush to withdraw and spend the cash before it loses value( A RUN OF ANY KIND IS SERIOUS. HERE, IT CAN BE LIFE OR DEATH. ). It is widely expected that retailers will increase their prices in line with the higher withdrawal limits. There were long (and I mean l…l…o…o…n…n…g…g) queues at every single working ATM. Offices were abandoned. I took pictures of the lines outside Barclays bank by walking to the first floor offices of government labor department. In a large pool office with at least 20 desks there was a lone clerk who looked up at me for all of two seconds. As I walked across the room to the window facing the bank, the files lay unattended on people’s desks…probably untouched for weeks. With civil service wages eroded by hyperinflation, people necessarily spend more time in the parallel economy trying to make ends meet. Interestingly, there are no runs on banks. The value of the withdrawals is so meaningless that the banks will be able to meet depositor demands with ease.( I GUESS THIS IS A WAY TO END RUNS. )

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• Zimbabwe

More from the Zimbabwean:

"The Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) is an independent Trust that works to promote freedom of expression and responsible journalism in Zimbabwe.

MMPZ notes with disappointment the punitive US-dollar-denominated fees to be paid by foreign correspondents and news agencies operating in Zimbabwe for applications, accreditation and registration to practice their profession, as reported in the January 6 issue of The Herald. This new fees structure, published pursuant to the provisions of the draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, clearly represents an intensification of the Zimbabwean authorities’ sustained campaign to block access to the foreign media seeking to cover the Zimbabwean story, thus depriving Zimbabweans (and the world community) of a variety of alternative sources of information to the output of the government-controlled media( THIS MUST BE PUBLICIZED. ). In fact, MMPZ believes that all such registration and licensing regulations that exist under the Act constitute a clear violation of regionally and internationally recognised guarantees safeguarding freedom of expression and of the media and should be condemned( YES ). Such regulation of the media and prohibitive fees structures also contravene the spirit of the global political agreement signed on 15th September 2008. ( YES )
MMPZ therefore calls on the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately revise any fees charged for the registration of any journalist or media organisation to no more than a token administrative cost.
Most importantly, MMPZ urges any new government to commit itself to the following:
• Ensure that any media activity is not rendered dependent upon any form of statutory registration or admission and that mechanisms promoting media self-regulation are created and strengthened;

• Encourage a diverse and independent print and electronic media, including foreign media;

• Repeal of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act as a matter of urgency, and remove all those clauses in the Broadcasting Services Act, Public Order and Security Act, and all other pieces of legislation that hinder the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas without hindrance, as guaranteed under Zimbabwe’s Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Such repressive laws have no legitimate purpose and are not necessary in a democratic society."( ABSOLUTELY )

And here:

"HARARE, Zimbabwe - Opposition members accused of being involved in a bomb plot in Zimbabwe told a court Thursday that they were tortured into making false confessions( THIS IS HOW TORTURE REALLY WORKS ). The allegations were made a day after the seven were formally charged with terrorism, banditry and insurgency. All pleaded not guilty. They face the death penalty if convicted.( UNREAL )

The seven are among a number of rights activists and opposition party members detained in recent weeks in what the opposition calls a crackdown on dissent.( IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME )

In a separate case, another group of detainees has been accused - but so far not formally charged - of attempting to recruit fighters to train in neighboring Botswana to overthrow President Robert Mugabe.( EVERY TIME )

The arrests have raised tensions in Zimbabwe, where Mugabe and the opposition are locked in a long dispute over allocation of cabinet posts under the power-sharing agreement, seen as the best chance of easing a deep economic crisis.

Morgan Tsvangirai has threatened to pull his Movement for Democratic Change party out of negotiations over the issue. Many of the activists in custody are MDC members and the party has said they were abducted.

Tsvangirai won the first round of voting in March elections, but fell short of the majority needed to become president, triggering a run-off which Mugabe won after the MDC leader pulled out, citing violent attacks on his supporters. - msnbc.msn.com"

And here:

"CIVIL society organisations in SA are to press the government and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to hasten resolution of the crisis in Zimbabwe.( PLEASE )

Helping to co-ordinate the campaign, expected to start in the next 10 days, is Kumi Naidoo, honorary president of the global alliance for citizen participation, Civicus.

Naidoo said Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu had committed himself to a weekly fast, together with Bishop Paul Verryn of the Central Methodist Church. Tutu is a member of the Elders, whose delegation was denied entry into Zimbabwe late last year.( A GREAT MAN )

"We need to up the ante a bit in terms of the types of activities that put pressure on the government," said Naidoo, who is also co-chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.

Together with Pastor Raymond Motsi of the Bulawayo Baptist Church, Naidoo has committed himself to a hunger strike.

The planned campaign is expected to impress upon the continent, as well as South African society, including members of the African National Congress, the wider implications of the crisis in Zimbabwe.( PLEASE )

Naidoo was part of a delegation that spent Christmas in Zimbabwe where he met scores of Zimbabweans and compiled some of the testimonies into a film, Time 2 Act . Copies of the film will be given to President Kgalema Motlanthe, to other SADC heads of state and to the African Union .

In the film are descriptions of the humanitarian crisis. For instance, a woman speaks of overcrowding in the mortuaries, which has pushed the cost to $300 a body. Someone appeals for bolder regional action, saying: "Please SADC take our problems seriously, don't neglect us."

Naidoo said many of those interviewed could not understand SA's position on Zimbabwe, especially its stance at the United Nations Security Council, where it voted against tougher action on the authorities in Zimbabwe( IT'S NOT ISRAEL ).( A DISGRACE )

"Overall we were struck by how much worse it (the Zimbabwe situation) actually was in terms of the humanitarian crisis and on the political repression again significantly worse."( EVERY DAY IT GETS WORSE )

The team found a breakdown in the school system. Garbage collection had also come to a standstill in the major centres, further contributing to the cholera outbreak.

Even respect for the dead had gone. "One of the mortuaries was closed while we were there and what it means is that families have to put some sand inside the house, put some water in that sand and put the (deceased) family member there," Naidoo said. - businessday.co.za"

This is another disgrace that we allow to happen through simple indifference.

"Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is picking up speed, with a total of 1,732 deaths out of 34,306 cases"

From The Hub, more bad news from Zimbabwe:

"UNICEF: The tragedy of Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak

By: Priscila Néri

Posted: Jan 6 09

Zimbabwe

HARARE, Zimbabwe, 19 December 2008 Deep grief is evident in Nigel Chigudu's eyes. In a tortured voice, he slowly recounts the harrowing tragedy that saw him lose five siblings in five hours to the cholera epidemic that has been sweeping across Zimbabwe.

"Zimbabwean children are already vulnerable, a quarter of them are orphaned, most have fewer meals than their peers across the globe," said UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe Roeland Monasch. "These children now feel the severity of a national cholera crisis, which in some instances is robbing them of their lives. It is vital that we bring them life-saving interventions now."

As urgent relief, UNICEF has provided hundreds of thousands of water treatment tablets with a capacity to treat and purify water in more than 3 million households. It has also distributed thousands of oral rehydration salts, IV fluids and drips to treat diarrhoeal dehydration, as well as washing soap and buckets.

To read the full story, visit: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/zimbabwe_46902.html"

And from Unicef:

"Nigel's Story: The tragedy of Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak

© UNICEF Zimbabwe/2008/Myhren

Nigel Chigudu, 15, lost five siblings to cholera in one night. UNICEF has appealed for help to contain the epidemic that has been sweeping Zimbabwe.

By Tsitsi Singizi

HARARE, Zimbabwe, 19 December 2008 – Deep grief is evident in Nigel Chigudu's eyes. In a tortured voice, he slowly recounts the harrowing tragedy that saw him lose five siblings in five hours to the cholera epidemic that has been sweeping across Zimbabwe.

"They started vomiting and had serious diarrhoea," recalls Nigel, 15. "The youngest, Gamu, was 14 months old, and Lameck was 12 years old. It was in the middle of the night; I could not take them anywhere. I just watched them die.

"Two days later, my grandmother also passed away," he adds.

Cholera epicentre

Nigel lives in Budiriro Township, Harare, the epicentre of Zimbabwe's latest cholera outbreak. Across the road from his family's home, at a UNICEF-supported cholera treatment centre, a grieving mother collects the body of her two-year-old baby who has also succumbed.

These stories are not unique. They echo in the lives of an increasing number of people across Zimbabwe—the stark consequence of water outages, a failed sewer and sanitation system, and garbage piling up on the streets.

In Budiriro, burst sewage pipes have left puddles and a permanent stench while months of uncollected refuse litter the streets. Filthy conditions like these have prompted UNICEF to make an international appeal for help to control the epidemic, which is spread by contaminated water.

Disease spreading fast

Across Zimbabwe, in high-density urban areas such as Budiriro in Harare and Dulibadzimu in Beitbridge, cholera is spreading like wildfire. Nine out of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces have reported cases. More than 16,000 cases and almost 800 deaths have been reported since August.

"Zimbabwean children are already vulnerable, a quarter of them are orphaned, most have fewer meals than their peers across the globe," said UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe Roeland Monasch. "These children now feel the severity of a national cholera crisis, which in some instances is robbing them of their lives. It is vital that we bring them life-saving interventions now."

As urgent relief, UNICEF has provided hundreds of thousands of water treatment tablets with a capacity to treat and purify water in more than 3 million households. It has also distributed thousands of oral rehydration salts, IV fluids and drips to treat diarrhoeal dehydration, as well as washing soap and buckets.

'A window of opportunity'

In addition, UNICEF is trucking safe drinking water and mounting community-based water tanks in cholera-affected communities. There is also a drive to intensify hygiene education and health promotion.

"The cholera outbreak is symptomatic of the general collapse of infrastructure and services," said Mr. Monasch, "Health and education sectors face immense challenges and require support."

To galvanize this critical support, UNICEF has embarked on a $17 million emergency programme for the next 120 days. This programme will fund medicines for 70 per cent of the population; scale up community-based therapeutic feeding; carry out outreach immunization services, and provide incentives for teachers and nurses to return to work.

"In the next four months, we have a window of opportunity to reverse the deterioration of the social services. We cannot afford to miss this chance," said Mr. Monasch. "However, we cannot do it alone; we need support in raising the funds required for this response."

Today from Reuters:

"Zimbabwe cholera death toll tops 1,700 - WHO

06 Jan 2009 13:07:43 GMT

Source: Reuters

(Adds UN agency comments) GENEVA, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is picking up speed, with a total of 1,732 deaths out of 34,306 cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. A cholera update dated Jan. 5 showed a further 59 deaths and 731 new cases, up from 32 deaths and 379 fresh cases reported the previous day, it said. The epidemic is adding to the humanitarian crisis in the country, where President Robert Mugabe and the opposition are deadlocked over a power-sharing deal and the veteran leader is resisting Western calls to step down. The waterborne disease, which causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration, has spread to all of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces because of the collapse of health and sanitation systems. On Monday Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said the epidemic could get worse as the rainy season develops. The rainy season peaks in January or February and ends in late March. Floods, which can affect Zimbabwe's low-lying areas, may increase the spreading of the disease. "Social service delivery is collapsing, notably education, health and water supply infrastructure," said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). It said the U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) planned to help feed 4.5 million people a month until March when the main cereal harvest is due to start, while the Consortium for Southern Africa Food Security Emergency (C-SAFE) would handle another 1.8 million over the same period. "WFP and C-SAFE pipelines combined will assist more than 50 percent of the population of Zimbabwe with food," OCHA said. (For more information on humanitarian crises and issues visit www.alertnet.org) (Reporting by Jonathan Lynn; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)"

"it is local and international aid workers and non-political social activists who will likely be the real agents of change in Zimbabwe in 2009."

Checking in on Zimbabwe. From the Guardian:

"What does 2009 hold for Zimbabwe?

Will a government of national unity, if finally formed, be the solution to the country's problems?

Comments (11)

• 
• • Knox Chitiyo
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 4 January 2009 12.00 GMT
  • Article history

As Zimbabwe limps agonisingly into 2009, there is one immediate question which the MDC has to answer; will they join the still notional government of national unity, or not? Morgan Tsvangirai stated that unless well-known activists Jestina Mukoko and other civil society and opposition figures are released, he will ask the MDC's national council to suspend negotiations.

After the tumultuous silence following their abductions, Mukoko and her co-accused were suddenly produced, rabbit–style, out of the police hat. Allegedly, the accused were involved in the recruitment and training of saboteurs to overthrow Robert Mugabe from bases in Botswana. Even if this were true( COME ON ) – and there is as yet no wisp of evidence to support the state's case – the inhuman treatment of the activists is utterly unconstitutional and goes far beyond any crimes they have supposedly committed( IS THIS A SURPRISE ? ). If the MDC wish to give force to their ultimatum, they should not allow themselves to be steamrollered by Zanu-PF, South Africa and Southern African Development Community (SADC), into joining a Government of National Unity (GNU) just so they can all feed from the same trough.( AMEN )

"Operation Chimumumu"

Here's what that is:

"MARONDERA – Zanu (PF) has launched “Operation Chimumumu” - a nationwide campaign aimed at eliminating MDC officials and activists and some staff of targeted NGOs – in a desperate attempt to force MDC President, Morgan Tsvangirai, into a marriage of inconvenience.
The MDC has continued to resist being pressurized into the formation of an inclusive government in which Robert Mugabe continues to wield all the power – in contravention of the letter and spirit of the agreement signed in Harare on September 29.
Thirty armed men are reportedly being accommodated at a house owned by a senior Zanu (PF) politburo member in Winston Park, Marondera. The gunmen are allegedly dressed in riot gear and have been arresting locals before whisking them away to killing zones.
Mugabe and his military junta continue to thwart the legitimate power-sharing demands of the MDC - with the connivance of former South Africa president, Thabo Mbeki, and other undemocratic regional leaders."

The post continues:

"– the late 2009( 2008-DON ) assault on opposition and civil society activists by the Police and Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) – is part of the carrot and stick strategy; the carrot is the shiny new passport for Tsvangirai (and the promise of a seat at the edge of the high table as Prime Minister if he plays ball). The stick is the inevitable arrests, abductions and torture of opposition and civil society activists and the threat of worse to come if the MDC does not co-operate( YES ). Oddly enough, Zanu-PF may have given the opposition succour in making their choice. High court judge Yunus Omerjee ordered the immediate release of most of the accused. He also ordered that they be given access to proper medical treatment (many of them bear the signs of torture( TORTURE ) ), full access to lawyers, and normal visitation rights. Instead, the state has placed them in the notorious Chikurubi maximum security prison – a facility originally designed for the most violent criminal offenders.

There are other issues which need to be resolved – the ministerial posts, the governorships and the question of who will control the finances. But both MDC groups should insist on an unconditional end to political violence as a precursor to a GNU. Zanu-PF has alleged that the MDC is training military recruits in Botswana. If this is the case, then indeed the MDC has a case to answer; but Zanu-PF has not yet produced any proof. There is currently a SADC investigation into these claims. The MDC should insist that the findings be published before any GNU is formed, otherwise it will simply be yet another stick that they will be beaten with( LITERALLY ). The state is also making a distinction( UNREAL ) between humanitarian politics and human rights politics. Humanitarian aid organisations have been allowed ingress into Zimbabwe's blighted communities; human rights activists, in contrast, have not been spared the rod. The MDC then, if it were to join a GNU, would need to be aware of what it was getting into. It can hardly be part of a coalition government while civilians are being abducted and killed. There is no "acceptable" level of political violence, and the GNU cannot be Zimbabwe's redemption if the drums are beaten on human skin.( TRUE )

And what of military intervention? I don't see it happening. The most common suggestion is a military invasion of Zimbabwe from, or by, a neighbouring country (possibly Botswana)( I'D BE FOR IT ). Idi Amin's removal by Tanzania's Julius Nyerere in 1979 is cited as a useful precedent. There are many similarities between Mugabe's Zimbabwe and Amin's Uganda; a brutal leadership, a broken economy, the flight of millions, and a restive military. But there are some vital discrepancies – Amin provoked Tanzania and sent Ugandan forces into his neighbour's country in a hunt for Ugandan "dissidents". Mugabe has been very careful not to overstep the mark in his war of words with Botswana, and it would be difficult for the Botswana Defence Forces or other neighbouring country to justify invading Zimbabwe, other than in self-defence( A FAIR POINT ).

That leaves the UK and the United States to mull the challenge of direct intervention( NOT A GOOD IDEA ). This won't happen; UK and US forces are at full stretch in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Caucasus and Middle East will always be considered more important than Africa; there is also little public or state appetite further military adventures in far away places. It would be a huge operation and there is little indication that anyone is willing to pay the costs. In addition, humanitarian military intervention is best applied when civilians are clustered in readily identifiable camps or zones which can be cordoned off and protected by an international mission. This is not the case in Zimbabwe at the moment – although there has been tremendous dislocation, most people are still in their rural or urban homes, and this makes it difficult to imagine how an operation such as this would work. More importantly, at the first intimation of a major military offensive against it, the security sector in Zimbabwe would target the opposition leadership for elimination or for use as hostages.

This is not to say that Zanu-PF will not face a military threat. Growing dissatisfaction within the rank and file of the security establishment, increasing indiscipline and possible small-scale mutinies might be complemented by a possible "third force" of anti-state military operatives beginning a campaign of violence if the politics remain unresolved. This third force, if it comes into being, would be a threat to both Zanu-PF and the MDC. It would not be an MDC organisation, but its existence would be used by Zanu-PF to justify further repression. For Zanu-PF, an open military challenge would bind supporters together, but it would also widen the fissures in the security sector periphery and lead to overstretch.

The year 2009 will start the way 2008 ended; with the Zimbabwe question unresolved. Zimbabwe will be on the SADC agenda in its January meeting, and it will also feature at the UN Security Council meeting early in 2009. Although the regime v opposition polemic will continue, for ordinary people what really matters is how their daily lives can be transformed for the better. In this regard, it is local and international aid workers and non-political social activists who will likely be the real agents of change in Zimbabwe in 2009."

A sad but realistic appraisal. We could do more. Certainly South Africa could.

"If convicted they could face the death penalty."

Mugabe has been using this same tactic of arresting the opposition for years. When will it end? From the FT:

"Zimbabwe activists to stay in jail

By Tony Hawkins in Harare

Published: December 31 2008 10:23 | Last updated: December 31 2008 10:23

In a decision which could put an end to months of on-off negotiations to establish a coalition government in Zimbabwe, a magistrate on Wednesday ruled that 16 human rights campaigners and opposition supporters must remain in custody pending a Supreme Court hearing of their case.

Prominent human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko and 15 others are charged with recruiting people to undergo military training in Botswana with the aim of toppling President Robert Mugabe’s government. If convicted they could face the death penalty.( THIS HAPPENS EVERY ELECTION )

EDITOR’S CHOICE

News in depth: Zimbabwe - May-15

Western calls have little impact on Zimbabwe - Dec-22

Last week a High Court judge ruled that the detainees be transferred to a hospital for medical treatment, but government lawyers are challenging his ruling and police have refused to obey the order to take the prisoners to hospital.

The police were supported on Wednesday when at a brief hearing in Harare magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe said “This matter remains to be decided in the Supreme Court and the accused cannot be released.” Two other activists facing lesser charges were freed.

The decision could have far-reaching political consequences because three weeks ago opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai gave an ultimatum that he would break off coalition talks with President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF party if appropriate legal procedures were not followed by December 31.

Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change is deeply divided over the issue of whether to participate in the unity government agreed in September.

In recent days party opinion appears to have hardened against the deal, largely because numerous actions by the Mugabe government cast doubt on its sincerity.

These include the abductions of more than 30 opposition supporters and human rights campaigners, only some of whom have been brought to court, the charging of five MDC officials on counts of terrorism and sabotage, including the head of the party’s security department and a senior adviser to Mr Tsvangirai, the re-appointment of the unpopular governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Gideon Gono, and the repeated use of the security forces against opposition and civil rights groups.

If he sticks to his word, Mr Tsvangirai will abandon the talks, but he is under intense pressure from the South African government( SHAMEFUL ), which is desperate for a deal that would leave Mr Mugabe in effective control.

The opposition leader also has a long record of flip-flopping on key issues, issuing numerous threats and ultimatums and then backing away from them.

Were the opposition to withdraw from the talks, President Mugabe has said he would call fresh elections which neither party wants and the outcome of which would not be recognised internationally.

Mr Tsvangirai, who has been out of the country for the last 10 weeks is understood to be considering returning, now that the Zimbabwe authorities have issued him a new passport, but there are serious concerns that he could be arrested, or worse, should he fly back to Harare.

He is under pressure also to agree to the deal because of the rapidly worsening humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe with the World Health Organisation estimating that 1608 people have does from the cholera epidemic afflicting the country. The WHO warned this week that the situation could get worse in the weeks ahead."

Mugabe really knows how to use the suffering of his country's citizens to keep himself in power. In essence, they're hostages.

"she wanted their farm and intended to get it through the government’s land redistribution program."

More on Zimbabwe from the NY Times by CELIA W. DUGGER:

"CHEGUTU, Zimbabwe — Edna Madzongwe, president of the Senate and a powerful member of Zimbabwe’s ruling party, began showing up uninvited at the Etheredges’ farm here last year, at times still dressed up after a day in Parliament.

Skip to next paragraph

The New York Times

Several farms in Chegutu have come under assault.

Mr. Freeth circulated photographs of his injuries online after the invasion of his farm.

And she made her intentions clear, the Etheredges say: she wanted their farm and intended to get it through the government’s land redistribution program( I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS POLICY AT ALL. THIS ARTICLE GIVES ONE REASON. CRONYISM. IF THERE NEEDS TO BE REDISTRIBUTION, IT SHOULD COME THROUGH TAXES ON THE FARMERS WHICH THEY CAN AFFORD ).

The farm is a beautiful spread, with three roomy farm houses and a lush, 55,000-tree orange orchard that generates $4 million a year in exports. The Etheredges, outraged by what they saw as her attempt to steal the farm, secretly taped their exchanges with her.

“Are you really serious to tell me that I cannot take up residence because of what it does to you?” she asked Richard Etheredge, 72, whose father bought the farm in 1947. “Government takes what it wants.”

He dryly replied, “That we don’t deny( WELL PLAYED ),” according to a transcript of the tapes.

Mr. Etheredge this year became one of dozens of white farmers to challenge the government’s right to confiscate their land, and they sought relief in an unusual place: a tribunal of African judges established by the 15 nations of the Southern African Development Community regional trade bloc.

The case is rooted in one of the most fraught issues facing not just Zimbabwe, but other nations in the region, especially South Africa: the unjust division of land between whites and blacks that is a legacy of colonialism and white minority rule( AGAIN, USE TAXES ).

But the tribunal’s recent ruling, in favor of the white farmers, is also a milestone of particular relevance to Zimbabwe. It suggests that a growing number of influential Africans — among them religious leaders and now jurists — are confronting Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s 84-year-old liberation hero and president, for his government’s violations of human rights and the rule of law( FINALLY ), even as most regional heads of state continue to resist taking harsher steps to isolate his government.

Zimbabwe’s handling of the land issue has had disastrous consequences. Since 2000, when Mr. Mugabe began encouraging the violent invasion of the country’s large, white-owned commercial farms — once the country’s largest employers — food production has collapsed, hunger has afflicted millions and the economy has never recovered( WELL DONE ).

Mr. Mugabe presents this redistribution as a triumph over greedy whites( THAT DESTROYED FARMING IN THE COUNTRY. A GOOD TRADE-OFF? ). But it set off a scramble for the best farms among the country’s ruling elite, who often had little knowledge or interest in farming, and became a potent source of patronage for Mr. Mugabe. His own relatives, as well as generals, judges, ministers and members of Parliament, were beneficiaries, farmer and human rights groups say.

By this year, the number of white-owned commercial farms dwindled to about 300 from 4,500. Even many of the remaining ones came under assault in this year’s bloodstained election season.

Among those singled out were farms here in Chegutu, where some owners had dared to take their cases to the S.A.D.C. tribunal, challenging Mr. Mugabe before judges he could not entice with gifts of land.

In March, the tribunal ordered the Zimbabwean authorities not to evict any farmers seeking legal protection, pending resolution of the case. But as with other international efforts to influence Mr. Mugabe and his allies, Zimbabwean authorities apparently decided to ignore the tribunal’s order( OF COURSE ).

On June 17 — just 10 days before the discredited presidential runoff between Mr. Mugabe and his rival, Morgan Tsvangirai — dozens of youths led by a man named Gilbert Moyo surrounded Mr. Etheredge’s son, Peter, 38, at the main gate of the farm, family members said.

“Moyo told me he’d been sent by Edna,” Peter recalled, referring to Mrs. Madzongwe, the Senate president. Peter said Mr. Moyo threatened to kill him if the Etheredge clan did not clear off the farm immediately.

Peter, his twin, James, and their families fled.

Mrs. Madzongwe denied hiring Mr. Moyo and his gang. “If a farm is acquired, there are rules,” she said in a recent telephone interview. “I go by the book.”

But Jason Lawrence Cox, a local farmer, swore in an affidavit that he saw her on June 21 drive past piles of the Etheredges’ belongings, dumped at the side of the road, and onto their farm.

The gang had looted the three family homes on the farm of all but the large mounted heads of an eland and a kudu, according to photos taken before and after the invasion. They used a jackhammer to break through the foot-thick wall of the walk-in safe. The haul from the homes and the farm included 1,760 pounds of ivory, 14 handmade guns, 14 refrigerators and freezers, 5 stoves, 3 tractors, a pickup truck and 400 tons of oranges, the family said.

Eleven days later, a far more violent farm invasion occurred at the home of Mike and Angela Campbell, also here in Chegutu. Mr. Campbell, 76, was the first farmer to take on Mr. Mugabe before the tribunal.

A gang came that Sunday afternoon, pouring out of a pickup truck and a bus, Mrs. Campbell said. Her son-in-law, Ben Freeth, 38, said that he was bludgeoned with rifle butts and that his skull and ribs were fractured. Mike Campbell was also severely beaten.

Mrs. Campbell, 66, said she was dragged by her hair, after her arm was broken in multiple places, and dumped next to her husband. The doctor who treated them in the capital, Harare, signed affidavits confirming the severity of their injuries.

“Mike was so battered, I hardly recognized him,” Mrs. Campbell said. “I didn’t know he was alive until he groaned.” The three of them were loaded into the Campbells’ truck and driven to a nighttime vigil of youth loyal to the ruling party at Mr. Moyo’s base camp, she said.

It was cold, and men poured freezing water over them. Mr. Campbell drifted in and out of consciousness. By the flickering light of bonfires, the youths denounced the Campbells as white pigs, Mrs. Campbell said, and ordered her to sing revolutionary songs. She remembers singing a children’s song instead, which enraged one of her intoxicated tormentors. He charged at her, she said, trying to thrust a burning stick into her mouth.

Later that night, the Campbells and Mr. Freeth were again stuffed into the back of the Campbells’ truck. Before they were dumped, Mrs. Campbell said, the kidnappers insisted that she sign a paper promising not to press the tribunal case.

Within days — just as the international outcry mounted over the state-sponsored beatings of thousands of opposition supporters — photographs of the grotesquely battered faces of the Campbells and Mr. Freeth circulated on the Internet.

By July 4, the police informed the farmers here who were part of the tribunal case that they could go back to their land. Peter Etheredge speculated that the authorities might have relented because the photographs were spreading online just as Mr. Mugabe was meeting with Africa’s leaders about his country’s political crisis.

On Nov. 28, the farmers gathered in Windhoek, Namibia, to hear the final ruling of five judges of the S.A.D.C. tribunal. As Justice Luis Antonio Mondlane of Mozambique read the full 60-page decision aloud, it dawned on the farmers that they had won.

The tribunal found that the government had breached its obligations under the trade bloc’s treaty, which committed it to respecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, by denying the farmers compensation for their farms and court review of the government’s confiscation of them.

More broadly, it rejected the government’s claim that the land redistribution program was meant to right the wrongs of a colonial era when a white minority ruled what was then Rhodesia. Instead, the court found that the government had itself racially discriminated against the white farmers.

In a stinging rebuke, the tribunal, citing an earlier legal case, said it would have reached a different conclusion( THIS IS SAD. LAND EXPROPRIATION DOESN'T WORK ) had the government not awarded “the spoils of expropriation primarily to ruling party adherents.”

The usually stoic farmers wept. “We burst into tears, the whole lot of us,” Mr. Freeth said.

The reaction of the government was defiant. Didymus Mutasa, the minister who oversees the distribution of seized land, told the state media that the judges were “daydreaming” if they thought Zimbabwe would heed the ruling.

The government would take over the rest of the white-owned farms, he vowed. And the state has since moved to prosecute four Chegutu farmers, though not yet the Etheredges or the Campbells, for illegally occupying land they owned before the government claimed it, the farmers’ lawyer, Dave Drury, said.

Perhaps it was a banner at the recent funeral of a ruling party boss that best captured the government’s rejection of those who question its righteousness, even a panel of distinguished African jurists.

The banner said: “The Rhodesian Tribunal Can Go to Hell( SAY HELLO TO MUGABE WHEN YOU GET THERE ).”

These Land Expropriations are a disaster. A tax, which farmers can afford, could have been used to provide a social safety net, loans to small businesses, education, etc. By the way, this historical righting of wrongs can easily spread to tribal conflicts, if it isn't humanely and legally dealt with.