THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 09 2010 17:01 | LAST UPDATED Feb 09 2010 17:01 |
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The widening rift between Zimbabwe's "parallel governments" has raised the spectre of renewed political violence in the country. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said it was receiving an increasing number of reports from its rural supporters of attacks by Zanu-PF militia, much of it in the largely Zanu-PF Mashonaland West and East provinces, Manicaland in the east and Masvingo in the south. The party said Zanu-PF was launching the attacks in "retaliation" for its disengagement from the unity government. The party also alleges mounting intimidation of its officials. On Saturday, armed police raided an MDC house, purportedly searching for weapons stolen from an army base in Harare. Two MDC members of Parliament were detained overnight near Bulawayo, accused of involvement in the disappearance of the arms. They were later released without charge. Days later, the party said, a member of staff was abducted on his way home, hours after what it called an attempted abduction of another official in Harare. "We expect this to increase and escalate on a national level. We take this very seriously. We are possibly on the brink of another storm of persecution and intimidation," said MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa. Last week the MDC launched a boycott of Zimbabwe's Cabinet in support of its demands for a raft of reforms. In response, President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF this week announced a plan to "replace" MDC ministers. This infuriated the MDC, which is looking to the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) troika on politics and security to help end the dispute. Appointing his own ministers to posts allocated to the opposition under the political agreement would signal the end of the unity agreement, the MDC warned. The SADC troika was expected to hold talks with the feuding parties on Thursday, but diplomats said it was unlikely the MDC would get what it wanted from the regional grouping -- a summit of heads of state that would press Mugabe to implement the coalition deal fully. Regional leaders, including President Jacob Zuma, do not believe the stand-off is beyond resolution by the Zimbabweans themselves. The region appears fatigued by the Zimbabwe crisis. SADC secretary Tomaz Salomão has suggested to the MDC that its pull-out and its efforts to gather heads of state appear to be a plan to cast Zimbabwe as being "a crisis in perpetuity". Further evidence of such impatience came from African Union Commission head Jean Ping, who said the AU would intervene only if it was convinced "the country cannot sort out the dispute" internally. With no real prospect of firm regional intervention, the divisions between the two centres of power have grown more visible. The unity government's failure to dismantle Zanu-PF's structures of violence remains a real fear among opposition supporters and aid workers. Such fears have been sharpened by a new government audit report that reveals how Zanu-PF, through the Youth Ministry, illegally put 10277 youth militia on the government payroll in May last year. The MDC appears not to have a plan B if SADC mediation fails. "If the mediation fails, unfortunately we have to start preparing for elections," Chamisa said, adding that such elections would have to be supervised by the AU and the United Nations. But Arthur Mutambara, the third member of the coalition, who mediated in abortive talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai on Monday, warned that calling a fresh election would only lead to an eruption of violence. "A fresh election after a pullout will be clearly unfree and unfair, and we all know what that means," Mutambara said on Wednesday. To dramatise the emergence of parallel government structures, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Wednesday overruled Mugabe's decision to bar a UN torture expert from entering the country. Mugabe had denied Manfred Nowak access to Zimbabwe, but Tsvangirai went ahead and invited him. TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
Comments
Alisdair Budd on October 30, 2009, 1:08 pm
Alisdair, what do you think about your government deporting Zimbabweans? You cannot excuse it by saying what the government thinks and what the people think is different because this is the British government for the British.
If your government thinks things are fine in Zimbabwe then they must be fine. Considering how much they "care" about ordinary Zimabweans they would not send them back into the lion's den would they?
Fungayi Dzvinyangoma on October 30, 2009, 2:53 pm
If anyone is interested, whilst the person that used Zim Govt troops as Mercenaries in his bodyguard in the Congolese war (Since he didn't trust his own troops) Kabila is making up excuses for Mugabe,....
They have started machine gunning peasants again at the farms supposedly "protected" by the SADC Tribunal that has asked the SADC heads for "Enforcement Action". Any more of this and Black Africans might start realising what SADC looks like to the rest of the world in its attempts to protect Mugabe, so he can die in office and escape prosecution for crimes against humanity at the ICC: http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/ Dear CIO Agent Fungayi Dzvinyangoma Could you explain why after repeatedly stating that the British lie, you now state they tell the truth? Otherwise people might notice you are a two faced hypocrite. And whilst you may have diplomatic immunity as operating out of the Zim enbassy (Like Grace in Hong Kong), the rest of us are quite well acquainted with the hypocrisy of the UK Immigration Service. As trying to get out Black Zim relatives to join us in the UK after living for years as refugees in SA.
Alisdair Budd on October 30, 2009, 3:15 pm
Alisdair you probably missed the sarcasim because you take everything too seriously even those things that you know very little about. Are you blaming Mugabe for the hypocrisy of the UK immigration service too?
Do not worry about black Africans because they know that the whole noise about Mugabe is because of white farmers. For info the SADC Tribunal has got no jurisdiction over Zimbabwe's land reform. Their judgement was only accademic based on some idealism but not reality. Since the Tribunal has asked for some enforcement action, what have you heard afterwards? Do you think they are going to send in bailliffs to enforce their judgement because that's what a real court would do? Have they charged the Zimbabwe government with contempt of court because that's what a court with real jurisdictional authority would do? The Tribunal passed a judgement inline with requirements of their financial backers like the EU and the US. Even by your standards of exageration this one takes the biscuit, (They have started machine gunning peasants again at the farms supposedly "protected" by the SADC Tribunal that has asked the SADC heads for "Enforcement Action".) Have the machine gunned peasants been buried yet and where?
Fungayi Dzvinyangoma on October 30, 2009, 4:51 pm
Crisis ? What crisis, there is not crisis in Zimbabwe - Mbeki
Andre Scheepers on October 31, 2009, 8:48 am
New terror fear in Zim
The inglorious International Community also has no plan B - they refuse to countenance the use of a fraud-proof voting system especially designed for Zimbabwean, Nigerian, and/or Conflict Zone conditions. The use of that system would blow Mugabe out of the water - he would get less than 10% of the votes. But it would also spell the end of the road for the myriad of pro-western dictators who litter the landscape of Africa, the Middle East and the rest of the Third World. Because of that Zimbabweans must suffer and die. A dismal day for mankind, another moneymaker for the inglorious. Mr Alex Weir, Baghdad and Harare
alex weir on October 31, 2009, 10:05 am
Its all about money and power! It will end when the money stops rolling in from other taxpayers worldwide. They are already making noises about where their hard earned taxes are going. The Uk is in big trouble with their open door policy and the rightwing politicos are making inroads. A trip to London will show you that living conditions are as bad as living in Soweto if not worse! SA is trying to stop and repatriate those who have come across our boarders and so too the UK - before that tiny island sinks under the sheer weight of numbers. Bring in ti CIA and take out the trouble makers - that should teach the buggers to rule properly or find some other way of skinning the public.
sue topham on October 31, 2009, 12:16 pm
New terror fear in Zim
The inglorious International Community also has no plan B - they refuse to countenance the use of a fraud-proof voting system especially designed for Zimbabwean, Nigerian, and/or Conflict Zone conditions. The use of that system would blow Mugabe out of the water - he would get less than 10% of the votes. But it would also spell the end of the road for the myriad of pro-western dictators who litter the landscape of Africa, the Middle East and the rest of the Third World. Because of that Zimbabweans must suffer and die. A dismal day for mankind, another moneymaker for the inglorious. Mr Alex Weir, Baghdad and Harare
alex weir on October 31, 2009, 12:20 pm
Dear CIO Agent Fungayi Dzvinyangoma,
http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/5070 PS. This is on one of the Farms "protected" by the SADC Tribunal, its a South African Farmer, "protected by the SA ANC Govt and the "bi-lateral investment treaties", and its the Black Farmworkers being shot. Oh and here's a Black Farmer "Protected" by the SADC that's just had his farm stolen, just to point out that ZANU will steal from any skin colour: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-06-04-zimbabwe-defends-seizure-of-black-farmers-land
Alisdair Budd on October 31, 2009, 4:52 pm
Logic would dictate that the frigate has a bow, stern, port and starboard side, is not very long and should be easy to navigate, not so! It was not uncommon for me to be rescued by a good humoured ship-mate as I tried to negotiate my way around, usually racing and running late to get to the next exercise or event that needed to be filmed. I am slightly comforted by the reassurance that it takes at least 10 days for a newbie to orientate them self around the ship, in my case it may have been a little longer…
My name is Dumsani Scott If you are thinking of joining the Reserves or are already a member and thinking about doing and an overseas deployment, the question needs to be asked, well why wouldn’t you? It really was an awesome experience and one I would strongly recommend to anyone.
Exhiled Zimbabwean on October 31, 2009, 11:33 pm
Alisdair Budd you can bombard us with that propaganda website called sokwanele but that does not prove anything. Like I have said to you before the SADC Tribunal is a non existent authority. Their decisions are academic which means they are not enforceable in Zimbabwe. They can please you but some of us deal with reality not wishes.
Speaking of BIPAs, Zimbabwe has not yet signed that with SA so this guy is a squatter on state land. You need to get your facts right first. If there was such an agreement I am sure the SA govt would have come to this squatter's aid by now. As for the black farmer who defaulted on his loan repayment, you cannot honestly want to lump him in with the Rhodies. His case is totally different as he is trying to use the land reform process to protect his farm from being taken over by the bank. Infact he actually wants the government to protect him from the bank by saying that his land is now state land. Once again get your facts right. If farm workers are being used by their white squatter employer to threaten the rightful owner it's unfortunate they will be casualties. We have always had blacks being used against their own by selfish Rhodies and Boers who have a hold on them. However without the full facts of what really transpired resulting in them being shot I will not comment further on that.
Fungayi Dzvinyangoma on November 1, 2009, 12:24 am
Fungayi, by your logic I am a stooge of the West since I support my brother's fight against dictatorship and the elitism of ZANU PF. Well, I don't mind joining the 3 million external Zimbabwean stooges, or the other millions inside Zimbabwe who have tried to vote Mugabe out.
It appears that the "non-stooges" are in fact the minority now, so please step aside and let us bring back properity to Zimbabwe. We will even show tolerance and allow you to continue spurting your nonsense in newspapers that nobody will read, or radio stations that nobody will listen to.
Alex Nhando on November 1, 2009, 3:05 pm
Fungayi, the fact stands. You are spewing all your nonsense from the UK. Not from Zimbabwe. But from the UK.
You fled the country, or, getting an education overseas, or, working for an overseas company, paying taxes to Brown. You are a hypocrite. If your propaganda was anything to go by, then you would rather die, then set foot in the UK.
Sinudeity @gmail.com on November 1, 2009, 8:02 pm
1980 You had food in Zim - 2009 You cannot get food in Zim... 1994 You had food in SA - 2012 You cannot get food in SA... I wonder why... ???
Sipho Hu on November 2, 2009, 4:21 pm
And nobody's talking about kicking Zimbabwe out of the Olympics or the General Assembly of the United Nations...
Jon Low on November 3, 2009, 3:15 am
SADC has proved itself an irrelevant organisation and should disband itself.they have supervised zimbabwe's self destruction and value their comradery with mugabe over the people of zimbabwe.in the 70's the then OAU and other regional organisations supported idi AMIN while he killed and maimed Ugandans.Only one courageous man Nyerere(God bless him)had the courage to stand up against the monster.sadly great men like Nyerere do not exist anymore and Zimbabwe shall continue to fall and darken ever more.p.kaitakirwa,kokstad
peter kaitakirwa on November 3, 2009, 8:14 am
How anyone can regard Robert Mugabe as being a hero really baffles me. He is a horrible individual that needs to answer to an international court for all the atrocities he has committed! As for our so-called government's quiet diplomacy stance. It is nothing short of disgusting. The flood of refugees into SA and other neighbouring states is proof of this!
Gordon Smith on November 3, 2009, 9:25 am
Gordon, it is a very strange African cultural phenomenon, explained to me a few years back by a well educated (in Africa) African man (who loves Africa and won't leave) - "that's the way it is" he said. It basically comes down to those with power having earned the "right" to act as they please - and being allowed to - while seniority is everything amongst such leaders - which is why Mbeki, Zuma, et al are powerless. It explained to me why Africa is in its current condition and will stay that way - depending of course to what extent the Chinese will rape and enslave it (which may differ notably from how Europe did it, as China could not care a hoot what the rest of the world has to say). Africa has African "solutions" - as Dingaan, Shaka, and the others have impemented. European solutions aren't welcome, only their money. As Mbeki demanded: SA must become more African - perhaps in the way Zimabawe is becoming more African (read: poor, ragged, dilapidated, embattled, etc.)?
Thinus Oosthuizen on November 3, 2009, 10:53 am
White farmers grabbed most of the land. Used little of it for tobacco and maize. We had to struggle to buy YELLOW MAIZE or as it was called Kenya. COZ of their greed there was a shortage of maize during 60's 70's even early 80's.
But as the blacks had fed the nation b4 the brutal maize acts of 1934 and other similar evil acts. They started to grow more maize groundnuts ect. So be bitter all you want - even your own children can see thru the pretence and why you keep saying We wathh to feeth the africans thats all.
maria moya on November 3, 2009, 4:40 pm
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Meanwhile it hasn't occurred to SADC what they look like to their fellow Africans such as ECOWAS, whose "African Solution to an African Problem" is to stop molly coddling a dictator and suspend his country, like they just did to Niger:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/2009/10/091021_niger_ecowas_analysis.shtml
Something the Southern African press seems to be trying to bury, to stop the Black African Peasants finding out what their politicians could actually do rather tham make excuses for Black African Dictators.