2005 An Annus Horribilis For Zimbabwe

2005 will never be forgotten by Zimbabweans, it will go down in history as one of the worst years. Lets look at the facts: The purchasing power of the average Zimbabwean in 2005 fell back to the same level as in 1953 when the Confederation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was established an astonishing reversal of 52 years of progress in only 6 years. The price of bread rose by 1, 160% this year alone, milk prices also rose by 1,720%. Unemployment is at a staggering 80% of the population and inflation at 600%, as Mugabe's regime continues to print money. 3 million Zimbabweans face starvation and 2.7 million people have been displaced by operation murambatsvina.

Amongst the events that made 2005 unbearable for Zimbabweans was the destruction of homes and livelihoods of 2.7 million people during the still ongoing operation murambatsvina (Shona for drive out filth). The split of the only viable opposition in Zimbabwe MDC. Pro-Senate faction throwing away six years of hard work so that they can be part of Mugabe's gravy train.

While 2005 will not be forgotten, the cloud has a silver lining. Its been reported on SW Radio Africa that The African Commission on Human and People,s rights has adopted a strong critical resolution on Zimbabwe. Its commendable but still not enough for these regional and world bodies. We will wait and see if heads of government within the AU adopts it. 2006 will be different I hope, Mugabe cannot hold us down any longer. The economic hardships that every Zimbabwean faces will turn the the tables soon an uprising is in the offing.

I wish everyone, readers of my blog, comrades in MDC those in Zimbabwe and those based abroad, a happy new year!

The Pro-Senate Faction of MDC Is Driven By Greed

When the creation of an upper house in Zimbabwe was announced, the MDC members of parliament vehemently voted against it in parliament. It had been agreed amongst the MDC leadership (which includes members of the pro-senate faction namely the MDC VP Gibson Sibanda, the spokesperson Themba Nyathi, the secretary general Welshman Ncube) that senate elections would be a waste of time. For obvious reasons like the fact that MDC do not hold a majority in parliament the Senate bill was passed. The fact that the Senate bill had been passed did not change the MDC's policy for participation in senate elections. So when the pro-senate faction went ahead and participated in meaningless elections for a useless upper house risking 6 years hard work with MDC it was surprising. As I pointed out earlier when this whole furore started the real drive behind the pro-senate faction was and still is greed. This report vindicates our embittered President Tsvangirayi in his arguments that whole exercise would be a waste of tax payers money. With 3 million facing food starvation, the infrastructural breakdown of major cities such as Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Gweru, the ever rising cost of living, would it had been wise if the money which is going to be wasted on Senators been used to alleviate problems in some areas.

I believe President Morgan Tsvangirayi when he says that a secret deal was struck between the pro-senate faction and Zanu PF to oust him and neutralise the real MDC leadership to make way for a government of national unity. That idea has been doing rounds for a long time now, its not the first time that it’s been reported that Zanu Pf were preparing for a unity talks 2. The idea was cooked by Thabo Mbeki sold to Tony Blair and adopted as a policy to work on which Mbeki called the quiet diplomacy. The idea was to start negotiations between MDC & Zanu PF and then announce a government of national unity. The idea backfired when President Tsvangirayi resisted the charm, at one time he is calling Mugabe a dictator at another he is in bed with him. It would have been a political coup for Mbeki in terms of clout but it will never happen now.

For those MDC members like myself that still believe implicitly that President Tsvangirai is the only alternative to Zimbabwe. The events of October 12 by the dissidents led by Welshman Ncube should not shirk your resolve that MDC (Tsvangirai) is the real deal!

Our Worst Fears - A Military Dictatorship?

I have just read a disturbing analysis by Trevor Ncube published by Institute Of War & Peace Reporting that as things stand now in Zimbabwe the army and the dreaded CIO are running Zimbabwe. They are responsible for the catastrophic Operation Murambatsvina and are busy implementing another way of entrenching their positions by denying targeted individuals their human right of leaving and returning to Zimbabwe. The analysis is spot on you just have to look at the shambolic way in which these seizures of passports is being handled. One hand of Zanu Pf does not know what the other hand is doing.

A military government is one of my worst fears for Zimbabwe because basically it would be more repressive than the civilian government. For if there is going to be a military rule in Zimbabwe the army will have to overthrow the present government by carrying out a coup and then rule by decree. If there is little political activity now in the era of Mugabe's tyranny imagine what it would be like under a military government. In order to bring stability to the nation the military would suspend political activity, people whom they perceive as threats would be kidnapped, tortured and jailed. The military would impose their own timetable based on their own agendas to hold elections and hand over power back to a civilian government. Zimbabwe would be subjected to the same circus that has engulfed military run countries like Nigeria, Pakistan etal.

Unless a revolution backed by an umbrella body of civic, political and religious organisations takes place and forces the present despotic government to allow a new constitution which would pave way for elections, we have reasons to be very afraid.

United We Stand

The call for a united front of both civic and political bodies to fight Mugabe's dictatorship is the most positive directive of worthy from the embattled MDC president. The absence of an organised united front is the reason why Mugabe has not been disengaged. So far the struggle has been fragmented resulting in a threadbare effort with no desired effect. Its commendable that Tsvangirayi has called for this united front because world over politics is littered with ententes and detentes. You can see the pattern right from Zimbabwe's fight against colonialism, even though Zanu PF and PF Zapu were ideologically different they cooperated and presented a united front against Smith's regime. During the fight against apartheid ANC became an umbrella body of both civic and political organisations. ANC is the perfect example for MDC and all other political and civic bodies in Zimbabwe to learn from. While fighting apartheid ANC realised that an isolated approach was not working they then formed a tripartite alliance consisting of ANC, COSATU the trade union body and the South African Communist Party. All three organisation were and still are ideologically different but it was their desire to end apartheid that brought them together.

Its no different in Zimbabwe today, all the political and civic bodies share a common denominator that of a free and democratic Zimbabwe. Therefore its imperative that against an onslaught of a repressive regime a united stand is adopted. The bottom line of MDC, WOZA, NCA and ZCTU is to remove Mugabe and his despotic government and a collective effort will be more effective than a disjointed front.

While they are fine tuning the constitution to make sure noone can fight legally that is when their passport has been impounded they have had to hand back the passports of Trevor Ncube and Paul Themba Nyathi. To show how the implementation of this policy is in shambles while other authorities were giving back seized passports of Ncube & Nyathi they were seizing Raymond Majongwe's passport as he landed in Harare from Abuja.

The socio-economic meltdown in Zimbabwe knows no ally its no surprise that the state machinery of repression the army and the police have resorted to crime to sustain the crumbs they get while their political masters continue to live lavishly. It is against this backdrop that the army's top brass so it fit to issue a warning that support of MDC will not be tolerated. Many analysts say that Zanu PF can smell a revolt in the air and its true with the way the cost of living continues to escalate it will difficult for the tyrannical government to stop it. Its not only the cost of living which will force Zanu PF's hand peep this depressing report aptly titled Dying In Zimbabwe A Luxury Only The Rich Can Afford.

As Mugabe continues to shift the political goal posts its important that all that want a free and a democratic Zimbabwe across the whole spectrum should unite, with a united stand a revolution cannot be held back.

Christmas From Hell

Its 12 days before Christmas, I guess your preparations for the festive season are well advanced if not finalised. You might have got all the pressies for everyone, you have got your turkey/chicken/(put your favourite food here)early to avoid shortages and your favourite tipple is well stocked. If you are Zimbabwean you might have sent money or put together a suitcase containing a few bits for your loved ones a camera here a suit there for that wedding and scored the net for couriers to make sure that amidst the famine that 5 million Zimbabweans face your family is well looked after . With all the brouhaha that christmas brings and its commercial connotations spare a thought for Zimbabweans this christmas. In yester-years christmas in Zimbabwe was the most anticipated time. For children they would get new clothes, adults would also indulge themselves. During the hey days, employers would give they workers double pay and business would record boom times. Everyone would benefit, people would visit relatives in the rural areas, coincidentally christmas time would coincide with the rainy season in Zimbabwe providing another divine benevolence to the agro based economy.

This year its christmas from hell, as a I write 2.4 million Zimbabweans have been displaced from their homes and livelyhoods. All will be without a roof over their heads, no drinking water, no sanitary conditions, no schools or clinics, no jobs to provide an income. Almost 6 million Zimbabweans face starvation, even when Western donors have pledged to help the starving, aid has been denied them. Over 80% of the population are unemployed. For those in gainful employment it cannot get worse if you thought its better.

The average monthly wage in Zimbabwe today is ZAR$3.5 million. It costs ZAR$5 million to rent a 4 roomed house. A loaf of bread is costs ZAR$35000, a shirt cost over ZAR$1 million. There are shortage of fuel exemplified by the grounding of the national airline recently.

don't even say, because truly there is nothing MERRY about this christmas. It might holiday time for most of us but its hellday time for all those trapped in Zimbabwe

57th Annivesary For The Declaration Of Human Rights

Today is the 57th anniversary for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by UN on 10 December 1948. Yet it’s a sad day to celebrate human rights if you are Zimbabwean. The present illegal and despotic government led by Mugabe is violating every article of human rights which was adopted universally in 1948.

Take Article 1:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Zimbabwean can attest to the fact that we are not born free, when a Zimbabwean child is born he/she already owes over ZW$125 000 to debt laden Zimbabwe. The fact that Mugabe has continued to mortgage Zimbabwe and borrow to oil the machinery that suppresses Zimbabwe's citizens means that no child is born in Zimbabwe free!

Article 2:

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Ask Trevor Ncube and Paul Themba Nyathi whose passports have been impounded by the tyrannical government of Mugabe, they are no longer entitled to the rights of freedom. Mainly because Ncube publishes the last two independent newspapers in Zimbabwe and Nyathi is the former MDC spokesperson. The consification of these two men's passports is also in direct breach of Article 13:

1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country

Article3:

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person

It will be difficult to those who lost their lives fighting for democracy in Zimbabwe, they were denied the right to life. The right to life continues being denied to other millions of people in Zimbabwe who have been displaced by operation murambatsvina

Article 4:

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

I recently did an article on Slavery In Zimbabwe check it out here but authorities in Zimbabwe continue abusing human rights with impunity.

Article 5:

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Torture is the order of the day in Zimbabwe where anyone from journalists to opposition party members is subjected to torture. As we celebrate Human Rights Declaration today spare a thought for Gabriel Shumba whose case is being heard by the African Union in Abuja. He also faces threat that if he goes back to Zimbabwe he might not be able to leave as his name appears on the 64 names that have been published by the Zimbabwean government for people who passports should be consficated.

Article 6:

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law

Zimbabwean asylum seekers in both Britain and South African have faced a very difficult time trying to be granted refugee status. It’s beyond me really that Home Office authorities in both countries can doubt that people are fleeing persecution in Zimbabwe when all the human rights abuses are well documented.

Article 9:

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile

Opposition party members continue to be arrested arbitrarily and detained without reason, some are never released they disappear. Some like this writer have been forced into exile.

There were 30 articles that were adopted universally in 1948 as binding to all people and governments. Yet the government of Zimbabwe continues to fragrantly breach these articles with impunity.

Even on a day like today Mugabe and his evil cohorts continue to abuse Human Rights, its been reported that the party started by former disgruntled Zanu PF members including Jonathan Moyo the erstwhile Minister of Mis-Information their members are being tourtured by the notorious CIO.

A sad day for Human Rights in Zimbabwe today!

See No Evil, Hear No Evil Policy No Longer Works

For Thabo Mbeki and all other African leaders who have adopted a see no evil, hear no evil policy towards Mugabe and Zimbabwe it can no longer work. I have written before how regional and global bodies have been ineffective in the struggle to bring democracy to Zimbabwe. Take the African Union who have taken sides with Mugabe all along, being drawn into the hallucinatory accusations that the West's criticism was an attempt to recolonise Africa. There has been silence from AU and SADC as regards the devastating operation Murambatsvina. It has taken UN much more pressure to send Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka to assess the humanitarian crisis. In her report she recommended that those responsible for the Operation should face prosecution. The UN has sat on those recommendations however they cannot continue to ignore the recommendations of its special envoys. The second UN envoy to be sent to Zimbabwe has also recommended that Mugabe and his cohorts be prosecuted. It is no this premise that I base my arguments that see no evil hear no evil towards Mugabe can longer work. How can African leaders, Thabo Mbeki included including regional bodies such as AU and SADC continue to ignore the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans against such backdrop?

The news that Mugabe can face trial for his deeds was the only News of positive note amongst depressing reports coming out of Zimbabwe. Trevor Ncube, the former owner of Financial Gazette and owner of the last two independent newspapers in Zimbabwe namely The Standard and The Independent also owner of SA's Mail & Guardian had his passport confiscated yesterday as he arrive in Zimbabwe from South Africa. His name is amongst 64 names of people who the evil regime of Mugabe have been banned from leaving or entering Zimbabwe.

Dubbed the Post Code Chicken by Zimbabweans in the Diaspora because of its chemical make up has found its way to Zimbabwe.

Beggars Cannot Be Choosers

A young man is in court accused of brutally murdering his parents in cold blood and just before sentencing he is asked if he has anything to say in mitigation. There is silence in court he coughs and says is it possible that he gets a lighter sentence now that he is an orphan. Not only is it laughable but its also insulting and shows lack of remorse. Believe it or not this is the same ploy that Mugabe is using against United Nations.

Mugabe destroyed homes and livelihoods of almost 2.4 million Zimbabweans in the still ongoing Operation Murambatsvina (Shona for drive out filth) leaving them without shelter or source of income to feed and clothes themselves. In steps the UN after the scathing report by UN envoy Mrs Anna Tabijuka to assess the damage and estimate the work needed after Mugabe had initially refused UN assistance. The UN is offering temporary shelters of tents but its been reported Mugabe has refused the offer with his usual chutzpah saying "Zimbabweans are not tents people we believe in houses" Its ridiculous that Mugabe refuses the tents that tthe UN is offering for the internally displaced people when he created the crisis himself. There was nothing wrong with the way people were living prior to this evil driven operation. It was a strike against the urban population that had voted consistently for the opposition and which was demanding better government. By depopulating the urban areas and forcing people into modern day concentration camps in order to control them, he would be assured of victory in the urban areas where his party has failed to garner votes at the hands of MDC.

Mugabe cannot choose what type of shelter the UN can provide for the victims of his own made crisises. It’s not really like he has the people's concerns at heart. It goes back to the heart of the illustration I gave you earlier; it’s an insult to the people whose homes and lives he has destroyed. He does not even have the decency to accept these temporary shelters offered by UN as an act of remorse. He continues to make unreasonable demands like he is a paying customer rather than a begging fool that he has become. He thinks the country can be run on favours like he begged Libya for oil in the process illegally mortgaging the country until Ghadaffi saw him for a phony he is who continues to blame the West for his government's shambolic running of once a very beautiful country. Recently he asked South Africa for an emergency loan to fend off being booted out of IMF. At first after Mrs Tabaijuka's report he refused UN help, leaving it in the last minute when the rain season has begun in Zimbabwe making the displaced people more vulnerable, if you think sleeping in the open is unbearable try sleeping in the open while it rains with no food, clean water and sanitary conditions.

To mark the new senate Mugabe chose to deliver at State Nation Address with the usual pomp and ceremony inherited from the British. As usual the evil government's propaganda machinery was ready to churn out the filth that comes out of his mouth only to get a slap in the face when there was a blackout
In the same speech he promises to look at alternative sources of energy trust him to build us a nuclear reactor and the joke is on you.

United Nations My Arse!

 

Zimbabweans do not fear Mugabe as a person, he is 85 years old for god sake. He is evil old man its not what he can personally do to you that you fear its the spectre of torture at the hands of his goons, jail, disappearance or death that most Zimbabweans fear. We all await the news of his death eagerly and we should declare a national day of celebrations to mark a new era without an evil dictator.

While it’s understandable that citizens of Zimbabwe who are unarmed, unfed, without shelter and no cleaning water fear Mugabe. It baffles me why world leaders do not come out and condone Mugabe. Why do they fear Mugabe so much? Take Thabo Mbeki who will not utter a bad word about Mugabe despite the fact that the socio-economic melt down in Zimbabwe has a profound effect on South Africa. I have in my past postings on this blog gave you a picture of Mbeki, he wants the world to notice and help Africa through Nepad when he fails to acknowledge that Mugabe's policies are detrimental to the survival of Nepad.

United Nations lost its credibility as an organisation that can foster humanity and peace when it failed to stop the US led invasion of Iraq. United Nations has failed to give hope to Zimbabweans by denouncing the stolen elections before. When they sent Mrs Anna Tabaijuka they thought they could cover it up. But they underestimated Mrs Tabaijuka's resolve and failed to see that she is was people oriented . That’s why the recommendations contained in her report like arrest and trial for Mugabe who ordered the urban depopulation to ensure noone votes MDC have gone unheeded.

Now UN has sent another envoy to see the resettlement of these internal displaced people. He is preparing for the visit of Koffi Annan a lame duck secretary general of the soon to be defunct world body. If Koffi had the balls then after reading Mrs Tabaijuka's report, he should have issued an international arrest warrant for Mugabe and his entire government for making 2.4 million Zimbabweans destitute in their own country.

The Collapse Of Once A Beautiful City!

 



This picture that was taken when Harare used to be called a sunshine city a very clean city by African standards.

You remember when I commented on the the burst of sewage pipes in the capital leaving a horrible stench and posing a health hazard. Its getting from bad to worse its being reported that now garbage has gone uncollected for weeks. Added to the internally displaced people living on the streets with sanitary conditions. To say its shocking is understatement buts its truly sad that once a thriving city has come to this. Sometime during the 90s I visited Mozambiquean capital Maputo its infrastrure had broken, then it was clear it was city which has been at war for 16 years when Renamo Bandits waged war against the its own government. But for Zimbabweif you consider its a country which has not been at war for 25 years the deterioration is really jaw dropping.

Slavery In Zimbabwe!

 


For many people, the image that comes to mind when they hear the word slavery is the slavery of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. We think of the buying and selling of people, their shipment from one continent to another and the abolition of the trade in the early 1800s. Even if we know nothing about the slave trade, it is something we think of as part of our history rather than our present. But the reality is slavery continues TODAY. Millions of men, women and children around the world are forced to lead lives as slaves. Although this exploitation is often not called slavery, the conditions are the same. People are sold like objects, forced to work for little or no pay and are at the mercy of their 'employers’. Slavery exists today despite the fact that it is banned in most of the countries where it is practised. It is also prohibited by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1956 UN Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery.

After being publicly chastised by the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mugabe went on to label Rice a slave. Sometimes what that idiot says in public as a defence for his evil policies is laughable. The joke really is on Mugabe, after the war veterans, ministers and state officials had forcibly taken over commercial farms including their workers isn't it sad that the farm workers working on these farms are working under conditions similar to that of slavery. Its being reported that they are working for over 12 hours a day without a break. Some have gone for months without being paid those that might have been are getting as little as ZAR36 a month. Workers Union officials have been barred from contacting members and educating workers. Peep this report on ZW News it makes a very sad read. When real heroes of Zimbabwe like Joshua Nkomo and Josiah Tongogara fought against colonial rulers, he fought to free ordinary Zimbabweans including farm workers from slave like conditions that was the order of the day during Smith's regime. The socio-economic collapse has birthed these barbarous and callous employers who care nothing about their workers except how much profit can they make on their backs. What is particularly sad about this situation is that its people that we had entrusted to uphold human rights like government ministers, not only that but the fact they are fellow Zimbabweans, our own kith and kin who choose to exploit us.

The warring MDC is a forewarning to the people of Zimbabwe as to what type of leaders had they been successful elected to government they were going to be. I am so glad just like millions of Zimbabweans that had put faith in MDC that it has taken this dispute to show us exactly what type of leaders we are dealing with.Our situation is very similar to what happened in Zambia after Kenneth Kaunda. The Zambians that had got tired of Kenneth Kaunda overwhelmingly voted Frederick Chiluba. After a pro-longed period of tyranny an alternative to the current status qou is easily accepted. There is danger in doing so, for those that followed Zambian politics will testify to this. At first the election of Chiluba was hailed a success, but just like his predecessor Chiluba was also a dictator in the making. At first he amended the Zambian Constitution to disqualify candidates that had not been born in Zambia to participate thereby eliminating Kaunda to contest the presidential elections. He failed though to change the constitution to allow him to run for a 3rd term. He was later arrested and jailed for corruption instigated by his deputy Levy Mwanawasa. Just like MMD in Zambia the MDC is party borne out of labour movement. While the candidates are in the shadows waiting they seem ideal until there are actually ruling that all the ideals they advocated for and promised are just brushed aside. If Tsvangirayi disregarded his executive council and ordered that the party should not participate in the farcical senate elections and violated the MDC constitution he should be applauded. There are valid arguments for the participation in this non-event. As a matter of fact the pro-senate faction's motives needs to be carefully examined. It’s the same argument that I have posted before on this blog how can MDC deliver freedom from tyranny when they are in cahoots with dictator. They already sit in parliament alongside people that keeping passing laws to further suppress the Zimbabwean population. If the motives were not selfish then I wonder why there were needs to participate other than ensure themselves of the perks and salaries to be offered to the senators.

The present despotic rule of Mugabe has been named the worst offenderof housing rights. Its no surprise Mugabe and his army and police terrorists destroyed homes and livelihoods for an estimated 1.5 million people, their crime was that they were poor. Slowly every edifice of Zimbabwe is being demolished to satisfy irrational thirst to rule.