Zuma Holds Talks With Zimbabwe Leaders

HARARE -- South African President Jacob Zuma arrived in Harare on Thursday on a mission to break a deadlock threatening Zimbabwe’s six-month old power-sharing government.

Zuma arrived at the Harare International airport at 6.30 pm and was met by both President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Some of Zimbabwe’s military commanders and several government ministers were also at the airport.

Upon arrival, Zuma was immediately whisked away to Mugabe’s State House presidential palace for a state dinner with the Zimbabwean leader and Tsvangirai.

Zuma, who chairs the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that is a guarantor of Zimbabwe’s power-sharing agreement, was scheduled to meet one-on-one with Tsvangirai after the dinner.

“The arrangement is that he will attend a dinner at the State House and then meet the Prime Minister after that,“ Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, James Maridadi, told Zimonline. He declined to discuss the agenda of the meeting.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai are deadlocked over a myriad of outstanding issues, among them Mugabe’s arbitrary appointment of two top allies to head the central bank and attorney general’s department in violation of the power-sharing agreement that says such appointments should be by consensus.

Other issues include delays in swearing in of provincial governors and Roy Bennett – Tsvangirai’s appointee as deputy minister of agriculture – as well as a police crackdown on legislators from Tsvangirai’s MDC party.

Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, who heads a breakaway faction of the MDC that is the third partner in the coalition government, wrote to Zuma over problems in the implementation of the power-sharing pact.

But Mugabe’s ZANU (PF) party about two weeks ago accused its former opposition foes of reneging on a commitment to urge Western countries to lift sanctions on the party’s senior leaders.

* Zimonline

Zimbabwe's President Mugabe Treated in Dubai Hospital

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has received treatment in a Dubai hospital after falling unwell, a South African newspaper reported on Wednesday.

But there was no official comment and The Times newspaper quoted Zimbabwean sources as saying Mugabe was still expected to return to Harare before a visit by South African President Jacob Zuma scheduled for Thursday.

"It emerged yesterday that Mugabe, who is 85, was not well and was undergoing specialist treatment in the UAE (United Arab Emirates)," the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources.

Speculation regularly surfaces over the health of Mugabe. He has been in power since independence in 1980 and in February formed a unity government with old rival Morgan Tsvangirai to try to end political crisis and economic decline.

The Times said it was believed Mugabe was being treated by a Malaysian urologist.

SADC Chairperson Zuma Expected in Zimbabwe on Thursday

HARARE – South African President Jacob Zuma will tomorrow hold talks with leaders of neighbouring Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government to try to break a deadlock threatening the coalition government, his office said Tuesday.

Zuma is chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that alongside the Africa Union is a guarantor of a power-sharing agreement signed by President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara last September.

The South African leader’s office said in a statement: "In his capacity as chairperson of SADC, President Zuma will be holding meetings with the leaders of ZANU-PF and the two MDC formations to be briefed on the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (power-sharing agreement).”

Zuma, who arrives in Harare Thursday, will also open Zimbabwe’s annual agricultural show on Friday before flying back to South Africa later the same day.

Mugabe’s office had last week claimed that the South African leader would limit his visit to the agricultural show and not tackle problems related to the power-sharing agreement.

While some political analysts have said that even if Zuma were to discuss the power-sharing pact with Zimbabwe’s political leaders there was little he could achieve in one day and suggested that the South African President would probably use the trip to see for himself the various problems gripping the fragile Harare coalition.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara are deadlocked over a myriad of outstanding issues, among them Mugabe’s arbitrary appointment of two top allies to head the central bank and attorney general’s department in violation of the power-sharing agreement that says such appointments should be by consensus.

Other issues include delays in swearing in of provincial governors and Roy Bennett – Tsvangirai’s appointee as deputy minister of agriculture – as well as the continued arrest, conviction and sentencing of legislators from the Premier’s MDC party.

While Tsvangirai and Mutambara have written to SADC over problems in the implementation of the GPA, Mugabe’s ZANU PF party about two weeks ago accused its former opposition foes of reneging on a commitment to urge Western countries to lift sanctions on the party’s senior leaders.

Zuma is considered more sympathetic to Tsvangirai but he will next month step down as SADC chairman with Mugabe ally and Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila assuming the rotating regional chair.

* Zimonline

Zimbabwe Cabinet Ministers Gather to Assess 100-Day Plan Results

Cabinet ministers in Zimbabwe's unity government were to gather Saturday in the eastern town of Nyanga for a two-day retreat to review their progress - or lack of it - towards the fulfillment of the 100-day plan they drafted in an April retreat in Victoria Falls.

The ministers will also consider a report from the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee on the strengths and weaknesses of the unity government formed in February, taking into account so-called outstanding issues troubling the power-sharing scheme.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Economic Planning Minister Elton Mangoma were scheduled to brief ministers on economic stabilization measures, and look ahead to the 2010 budget.

A panel on healing and reconciliation was to present a report on moves to heal the wounds inflicted on Zimbabwean society by political violence after the 2008 elections.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Acting President Joyce Mujuru were to attend.

Minister of State Gorden Moyo, attached to the prime minister’s office, told reporter Ntungamili Nkomo of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the ministers in retreat will evaluate whether government policies have been effective or not.

Formed in February by President Robert Mugabe's long-ruling ZANU-PF and both formations of the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change, the government launched a Short-Term Emergency Recovery Program in March to stabilize the economy.

Political analyst and former Harare East member of parliament Margaret Dongo told VOA reporter Blessing Zulu that she considered the retreat a waste of time and resources.

* VoA

Tsvangirai: Zimbabwe's Health Care System Still in ICU

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Friday the country's public health system was far from recovering after last year's collapse, although there were signs of improvement.

Tsvangirai and arch-rival President Robert Mugabe formed a unity government in February in a bid to end a political and economic crisis that had paralysed most public services, including the health sector.

A cholera outbreak killed almost 4,300 people out of some 98,000 cases between August 2008 and July this year, highlighting the collapse of a health system once regarded as one of the best on the African continent.


"Sadly it is a far cry from the shining example that it was a few years back. One might say it is itself in intensive care," Tsvangirai said in an address at a medical conference in Harare.
"I am glad that the situation has since improved but there is still a lot of work to be done. This is one of my top priorities as prime minister."

Zimbabwe's hospitals have suffered under hyperinflation, which officially reached 231 million percent last year although analysts said it was much higher, and lack drugs and equipment.

The country has also lost key skills as doctors and nurses leave for better pay in Britain and neighbouring countries.

State doctors, who earn a basic wage of $170 (102 pounds), started a job boycott last week demanding $1,000 per month, paralysing operations at the country's four major hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo.

Tsvangirai said the doctors' strike was regrettable and vowed to improve their working conditions.
"It's almost a recurrence that every year we have a doctors' strike. That must be arrested," Tsvangirai said.

"I also urge those health professionals who have embarked on industrial action to recognise the efforts that the Ministry of Health has made, even prior to the industrial action."

The new unity government, which says it needs at least $8.3 billion to fix the economy, has so far failed to attract significant aid, especially from Western donors who have demanded broader political and economic reforms.

SA President Zuma Expected in Zimbabwe Soon

HARARE – South African President Jacob Zuma is expected in neighbouring Zimbabwe next Thursday to meet the three leaders of Harare’s power-sharing government to try to resolve several outstanding issues threatening to torpedo the six-month-old administration.

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s office confirmed the planned visit by Zuma who is chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that alongside the Africa Union is a guarantor of a power-sharing agreement signed by Tsvangirai, President Robert Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara last September.

The South African leader is also expected to officially open Zimbabwe’s annual agriculture show on Friday, a day after meeting Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara to discuss the nagging issues arising from last year’s Global Political Agreement (GPA) that gave birth to the unity government.

“I can confirm that we have been notified that President Zuma will be meeting the Principals on Thursday 27 August, 2009,” said Gorden Moyo, minister of state in Tsvangirai’s office. “We are aware that he will be in Harare next week,” Moyo said.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara are deadlocked over a myriad of outstanding issues, among them Mugabe’s arbitrary appointment of two top allies to head the central bank and attorney general’s department in violation of the power-sharing agreement that says such appointments should be by consensus.

Other issues include delays in swearing in of provincial governors and Roy Bennett – Tsvangirai’s appointee as deputy minister of agriculture – as well as the continued arrest, conviction and sentencing of legislators from the Premier’s MDC party.

While Tsvangirai and Mutambara have written to SADC over problems in the implementation of the GPA, Mugabe’s ZANU PF party this week accused its former opposition foes of reneging on a commitment to urge Western countries to lift sanctions on the party’s senior leaders.

Zuma is considered more sympathetic to Tsvangirai but he will next month step down as the SADC chairman with Mugabe ally and Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila assuming the rotating regional chair.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai met on Monday this week in desperate attempts to sort out their differences before Zuma’s visit.

Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara formed an inclusive government last February to try to end Zimbabwe’s multifaceted crisis.

* Zimonline

Zimbabwe Set to Review Citizenship Laws

HARARE – Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s office has said Zimbabwe’s unity government will review a controversial law used to strip hundreds of people of their citizenship and right to vote because they were once citizens of other countries or because their parents were once foreigners.

A top Tsvangirai aide, Gorden Moyo, said the Premier’s office was working on a policy document on the citizenship law that will be submitted to Cabinet. He said changes to the law were necessary to enable thousands of Zimbabweans who lost their citizenship or who have acquired citizenship of other countries to participate in national affairs.

“All we are saying is that let’s discuss about these issues,” said Moyo, a minister of state in Tsvangirai’s office. “There are a lot of children who were born out of the country and acquired citizenship of their resident countries but they are also Zimbabweans who have lost their citizenship because of the dual citizenship law.”

Zimbabwe bars dual citizenship, while a 2003 amendment to the Citizenship Act tightened the law by requiring Zimbabweans who were once citizens of other countries or whose parents were once foreigners to formally renounce that “foreign citizenship” in order to qualify for Zimbabwean citizenship.

The law saw hundreds of Zimbabweans removed from the citizenship roll, in what Tsvangirai’s MDC party said was a ploy by President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party to whittle down its support.

Most of those affected by the law were white Zimbabweans of European origin or black workers on white-owned farms whose parents migrated from neighbouring countries and who largely supported the MDC.

Moyo said the proposed changes to the citizenship law were part of wider efforts to restore the rights of an estimated three million Zimbabweans or a quarter of the country’s 12 million people living in exile and to encourage them to participate in the recovery of the country.

“We are working on a policy document that is going to increase the participation of Zimbabweans in the diaspora in the economy and other spheres,” he said. “We are still on the discussion stage but the policy is going to deal with issues such as the remittances of investments, repatriation of skills, refugees, restoration of voting rights and the citizenship question.”

Tsvangirai, whose MDC party formed a power-sharing government with President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party in February, has called on exiled Zimbabweans to return home to help rebuild the country. – ZimOnline

ZANU-PF Divided Over Vice President Msika's Successor

Serious divisions have emerged in the long-ruling ZANU-PF party of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe over the succession to the late Vice President Joseph Msika, setting the stage for potentially bruising battles at the party's December congress.

ZANU-PF sources say two rival factions - one led by Retired Army General Solomon Mujuru and the other by Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, a close Mugabe associate – have stepped up a long-running struggle to control the party in an uncertain future.

The Mujuru faction is said to back ZANU-PF Chairman John Nkomo to fill the vice presidential slot. But this would leave the chairmanship vacant, setting up another succession fight.

Mnangagwa lost the chairmanship to Nkomo in 1999 and is said to be interested in it now.

Political sources say the Mujuru faction's strategy here is to block Mnangagwa by arguing that Msika's position, which Mr. Mugabe controls, must filled by a former member of the PF-ZAPU party of liberation leader Joshua Nkomo, who preceded Msika in the vice presidency.

Some argue this is necessary if ZANU-PF is to stanch defections by historical members of PF-ZAPU to a revived ZAPU led by former Home Affairs Minister Dumiso Dabengwa.

Following bloodshed in the mid-1980s between ZANU and PF-ZAPU - with most of the blood shed by PF-ZAPU members at the hands of the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade - the two liberation formations merged with the 1987 Unity Accord to form ZANU-PF.

Sources say Mr. Dabengwa was approached recently about the vice presidency, but rebuffed ZANU-PF over what he termed the intransigency of President Mugabe.

Others seeking the post include Bulawayo Governor Cain Mathema, Ambassador to South Africa Simon Khaya Moyo and Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, though considered long shots.

Harare-based political analyst Charles Mangongera told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that if ZANU-PF does not handle the Msika succession properly, the fallout could damage the party severely and even spell its demise.

Elsewhere in the former ruling party, lobbying is under way to ensure that Mr. Mugabe is re-elected party president at the upcoming December congress.There is little doubt Mr. Mugabe will be re-elected. But the ZANU-PF provinces of Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Masvingo, Midlands and Manicaland are taking no chances and have already endorsed President Mugabe's reaffirmation in the post.

Insiders say some ZANU-PF officials are less than eager to re-elect Mr. Mugabe because of his advanced age but are afraid to openly challenge him. Mr. Mugabe turned 85 in February. He has ruled as prime minister or president since independence from Britain in 1980.

London-based political analyst Brilliant Mhlanga told reporter Ntungamili Nkomo that it is inconceivable for any ZANU-PF official to stand against Mugabe to head the party.

* VoA

MDC-M Mulls Charges Against Speaker of Parliament

HARARE – Zimbabwean Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara’s MDC formation said on Thursday it intends to lay corruption charges against Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo if he does not formalise the suspension from Parliament of expelled members of the party by next Tuesday.

“The national council has endorsed the letter written by the standing committee to the Speaker advising him of the provisions of Section 4 of the Anti Corruption Act which criminalises any act by a public officer which shows favour to a particular person on the basis of that public officer’s interests," MDC-M secretary general Welshaman Ncube told journalists after the party’s national council meeting in Harare.

“We have drawn the Speaker’s attention to this section of our law and given him until Tuesday next week to rectify the situation. If he does not do so we will lay a formal complaint to the police that he is acting corruptly in violation of Section 4 of the prevention of corruption Act."

Ncube accused the Speaker of acting in bad faith by protecting and perpetuating the tenure of the MDC-M‘s expelled members in Parliament.

He said the main faction of the MDC that is led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is persuading expelled MDC-M members to join it and leave Mutambara’s party.

“He has an interest. They are the ones recruiting our Members of Parliament (MPs). We noted that the failure by the Speaker to implement their expulsion is in fact because he is an interested party," said Ncube.

The MDC-M last month expelled Nkayi South MP, Abednico Bhebhe, Lupane East MP Njabuliso Mguni and Bulilima East’s Norman Mpofu over charges of indiscipline and disrespecting the party leadership.

After their dismissal, Ncube advised the Speaker of Parliament of the vacant seats to pave way for by-elections.

According to the country’s Electoral Act, a presidential proclamation should be gazetted within 14 days after Parliament has notified the President of a vacant seat to pave way for the by-elections.

The three lawmakers have petitioned the High Court to set aside the decision of the disciplinary committee, arguing that it was improperly constituted and that the hearing was flawed.

All three legislators have continued to attend Parliament sessions, including chairing portfolio committees and acquired vehicles under the parliamentary car scheme.

MDC-M leader Mutambara said the MPs are now no longer members of his party.
“Those members are no longer members of our party and the party is busy preparing for by-elections," said Mutambara.

But Bhebhe dismissed the announcement made by the party leadership, accusing them of being ZANU PF conduits.

“I don’t attend ZANU PF meetings because Mutambara and Ncube are ZANU PF employees who should go out of the party. We are going back to the structures of the party who now have to decide on the way forward at a special congress where they will come face to face with the people," said Bhebhe. – ZimOnline

Zimbabwe's Mutambara MDC Formation in Disarray Following Expulsions

Disarray within the formation of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara increased on Thursday as the party’s leadership issued an ultimatum to the House speaker to oust three lawmakers the grouping has expelled.

Mutambara MDC Secretary General, Welshman Ncube told a news conference in Harare which was attended by the deputy prime minister that if Speaker Lovemore Moyo fails to declare the House seats vacant the party will refer the matter to judicial authorities.

But expelled Mutambara MDC dissident Abednico Bhebhe fired back, dismissing the National Council meeting as a kangaroo court and vowing to convene a special congress to rally members to his side, correspondent Thomas Chiripasi reported from Harare.

The MDC formation led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, meanwhile, said its national executive council will meet Friday to discuss problems in the national unity government ahead of a visit later this month by South African President Jacob Zuma – who is also chairman of the Southern African Development Community until SADC’s September summit.

Mr. Zuma has been asked by the Tsvangirai MDC to mediate seemingly intractable issues that continue to trouble the government including in particular the leadership of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Office of the Attorney General.

The party is also disturbed by the rising number of MDC lawmakers who have been prosecuted and in some cases convicted of serious offenses, putting their seats and the MDC House majority at risk.

Tsvangirai MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the meeting will also examine the general health of the party.

* VoA

Khaya Moyo Tipped For Top Zanu-PF Post

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa Simon Khaya Moyo is tipped to become ZANU PF national chairman when the incumbent John Nkomo replaces the late vice president Joseph Msika at the party’s congress in December.

ZANU PF insiders yesterday said it was faiti accompli that Nkomo would become the vice president ahead of Mines Minister Obert Mpofu and Bulawayo governor Cain Mathema, while Moyo would takeover the chairmanship.

The insiders said Nkomo and Moyo belong to a faction in ZANU PF led by Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and were guaranteed to be elected at the congress.

The Mnangagwa camp is fighting to succeed President Robert Mugabe and take charge of ZANU PF with another faction headed by retired army commander Solomon Mujuru.

Mnangagwa wants to be president, while Mujuru is pushing for his wife Joice – already a Vice President of ZANU PF and Zimbabwe – to takeover from the 85-year-old Mugabe when and if the veteran leader leaves office.

“The Mnangagwa faction has the support of seven provinces, which are more than enough to decide the party’s presidium,” a senior politburo member said. “It is on this strength that Nkomo and Moyo will be elected vice president and chairperson respectively.”

Nkomo was previously associated with the Mujuru camp but appears to have switched sides in the ever-changing ZANU PF succession battle.

In terms of the party constitution, provinces nominate the president, the two vice presidents and national chairman. Candidates with the support of more than six provinces are automatically elected into the presidium.

Mnangagwa does not have the support of the three Mashonaland provinces, a crippling disadvantage given the provinces are the last bastions of ZANU PF support.

The politburo sources said contrary to reports that Mnangagwa was also eyeing the chairmanship, the defence minister was fully backing Moyo and had put an elaborate plan in place to secure his and Nkomo’s resounding victory.

The sources said the Mujuru faction which is backing Mpofu to replace Msika would put up a fight, even though their chances are next to zero.

Msika died last Wednesday after a long illness and was buried at the National Heroes Acre on Monday.

ZANU PF deputy spokesperson Ephraim Masawi yesterday said it was too early to speak on the would-be people to succeed Msika.

“We are still mourning our vice president to start discussing his would be successor,” Masawi said. “We will deal with the matter at the appropriate time.”

Moyo at the weekend wrote a newspaper article self-praising himself and chronicling his role in the liberation struggle of the country, while Nkomo had countless interviews narrating his closeness to the late Msika. – ZimOnline

Verdict Mixed on Zimbabwe Unity Government Six Months On, Observers Say

The six-month anniversary of the formation of Zimbabwe's national unity government arrived this week without much fanfare, upstaged by the burial of Vice President Joseph Msika.

Among those taking note of the six-month milestone was the Civil Society Monitoring Mechanism, or CISOMM for short, which issued a report saying that most of the expectations of ordinary Zimbabweans have not been met by the so-called inclusive government formed by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The civic group is tracking the government’s performance on the economy, constitutional reform, freedom of expression, human rights and in other key areas.

It said progress has been too slow on the reform front, that distrust among political players has not been dispelled, little action has been taken to address and heal last year’s political violence and too little has been done to revive the agricultural sector.

For perspective on the unity government's accomplishments and failures, reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe turned to CISOMM Coordinator Dzimbabwe Chimbga of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, and economic transition expert Richard Richard Kamidza of the University of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa.

Despite the government’s shortcomings, Chimbga noted there has been a marked improvement in the country's socio-economic environment.

* VoA

Zimbabwean Commanders Finally Salute Tsvangirai

HARARE – Some of Zimbabwe’s top military commanders on Tuesday saluted Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, in what was seen as a sign of easing relations after the security commanders had previously vowed not to salute the Premier.

Airforce of Zimbabwe commander Perence Shiri and Zimbabwe National Army commander Philip Sibanda rose to salute Tsvangirai as he arrived at a ceremony to mark Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day in Harare.

The two commanders were also seen shaking hands with the former trade union leader who last February agreed to bring his MDC party together with President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF party in a unity government to try to ease political tensions in Zimbabwe after inconclusive elections last year.

The coalition government has done well to stabilize the economy and end inflation that private economists at one time estimated at more than a trillion percent at the height of the country’s economic meltdown last year.

But analysts have remained doubtful about the administration’s long-term effectiveness, citing unending squabbles between ZANU PF and the MDC, refusal by rich Western countries to financially back the government and open refusal by hardliner security commanders to recognise Tsvangirai’s authority.

However, there were signs that relations between military commanders and Tsvangirai could be thawing after the generals finally agreed late last month to attend the National Security Council meetings that they had boycotted because the MDC leader is a member.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman James Maridadi told the media that the meeting had helped break the ice between the two sides and claimed generals now recognised the Prime Minister.
“This is why you saw some of the service chiefs saluting today. I hope this marks the beginning of a good working relationship,” said Maridadi.

Zimbabwe’s army and police are credited with keeping Mugabe in power after waging a ruthless campaign of violence last year to force Tsvangirai to withdraw from a second round presidential poll that analysts had strongly tipped the former opposition leader to win.

Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe in the first round ballot but failed to achieve outright victory to avoid the second round run-off poll.

The former foes eventually bowed to pressure from southern African leaders to agree to form a government of national unity that analysts say offers Zimbabwe the best opportunity in a decade to end its multi-faceted crisis. -- ZimOnline.

Mugabe: All Inclusive Govt is Succeeding!

Harare - President Robert Mugabe said on Monday that if the West can't support Zimbabwe's struggling coalition government, it should "leave us alone".

Mugabe spoke at the funeral of 85-year-old Vice President Joseph Msika, who served alongside Mugabe for two decades and died last week after suffering from heart disease for many years.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and other top officials in the five-month-old coalition government joined Mugabe and some 20 000 other mourners at Harare's Heroes Acre cemetery. Mugabe was the only one to speak.Mugabe often turns his addresses at state funerals into fiery political speeches.

His speech on Monday came after US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited neighbouring South Africa last week and called on Pretoria to help Zimbabwe cope with what she called the "negative effects" of Mugabe's leadership.

Mugabe did not name Clinton on Monday, but said his coalition with former opposition leader Tsvangirai was working and supported by southern Africans.

"Who is the real judge of the political arrangement that we have done here in southern Africa?" Mugabe said. "Why should America not recognise the work we are doing as an inclusive government? These Anglo-Saxon nations are giving us problems. We tell them today, "Leave us alone, we don't need your interference because we can do it alone."

Mugabe is accused of bringing a once-prosperous nation to ruin during his decades of authoritarian rule.Former South African President Thabo Mbeki brokered Zimbabwe's coalition agreement after Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the first round of presidential polling in 2008, and then pulled out of a run-off against Mugabe because of state-sponsored violence against opposition supporters.

Since joining the coalition, Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe hard-liners of stalling political reforms and continuing to harass Tsvangirai supporters.

- AP

Zimbabwe Still Facing Significant Food Deficits for 2009-2010 Crop Year

The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance says Zimbabwe's food security outlook remains doubtful with just 45% of humanitarian funding requirements met or some US$315 million of the US$718 million sought in a U.N. coordinated appeal.

OCHA said a recent food assessment by Harare and the World Food Organization pointed to a 2009-2010 shortfall of some 900,000 tonnes of cereals, in part because the winter wheat harvest is shaping up to be a poor one.

U.N. Information Officer John Nyaga told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that another US$ 400 million dollars is needed to meet Zimbabwe's needs.

* VoA

Mugabe: New Zimbabwe Govt Must Stand up to the West

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe on Monday accused Britain of wanting to dictate terms to Zimbabwe’s power-sharing government and said Harare may have to reconsider relations with London and its Western allies.

Mugabe called on Zimbabwe’s new unity government to stand up to the West, appearing to reject efforts by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who has been pushing to restore relations with Western nations that are capable of providing badly needed financial aid to Harare.

Speaking at the burial of former top ally and vice president Joseph Msika, Mugabe said: “Let everyone in the inclusive government know that our nation will never prosper through foreign handouts, no nation ever did with merely a dime here for drugs, a dime for food, a farthing here for disease and another farthing for your budget. Nations are built on their own endowments.

“We must assert ourselves as the inclusive government, we must say no you (Britain) cannot come to us as principals to tell us what to do. We say no to British rule, no to colonialism.”

Tsvangirai and another former opposition leader Arthur Mutambara, who both attended Msika’s burial, agreed to form a power-sharing government with Mugabe last February to try to tackle Zimbabwe’s multi-faceted crisis.

Analysts say the coalition government offers Zimbabwe the best opportunity in a decade to restore stability and end a devastating economic and humanitarian crisis that had seen the once prosperous country suffer rampant inflation, acute food shortages, record unemployment and deepening poverty.

But the administration, which says it needs US$10 billion to revive the economy, could fail to deliver on its promise unless it is able to unlock vital financial support from Western donor governments that have remained reluctant to provide aid until they see evidence that Mugabe is committed to genuinely share power with Tsvangirai. – ZimOnline

SA's President Zuma Keeps Popular Touch in Face of Crises

JACOB Zuma has shown his touch as a people’s president in the face of violent protests and economic pressures that have deflated his ambitious election promises.

Having just completed his first 100 days in office, the charismatic leader of Africa’s biggest economy has already faced anger over poor service delivery, mass strikes and the country’s first recession in 17 years.



But in a marked shift from his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, Zuma has shown signs of being more willing to listen and acknowledge problems, while mending fences with critics and opposition parties.

“It is a bit of a first 100 days from hell,” says political analyst Susan Booysen of Johannesburg-based Wits University.

One of the positive aspects of Zuma’s government is its reassurance to citizens and stated willingness to tackle challenges instead of pretending they don’t exist.

“We’ve seen very welcoming recognition that there is a crisis, and caution that much less is achievable,” she says. “(But) I don’t think they have been upfront enough about the jobs situation and the poverty situation.”

In the midst of an economic crisis, promises to create 500 000 jobs have proved overly ambitious and Zuma has had to tone down expectations. Some 270 000 jobs have been lost this year alone.

However, Booysen says initial responses to the crisis, which comes amid massive unemployment and poverty 15 years after the fall of apartheid, have been sluggish.

“We have heard of a number of plans but we haven’t seen things turned around with great effectiveness and visibility.” She warns of growing dissatisfaction with service delivery saying patience “could really, really start running thin”.

While Mbeki’s aloofness saw him fall in popularity, Zuma stunned residents in a township this week when he made an unannounced visit, finding the mayor at home in the middle of the day.

* City Press

Gono: Amnesty is Way to National Healing

HARARE – Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono has called for a blanket amnesty for people who committed political crimes over the past decade in order to promote national healing and reconciliation.

Gono who has been accused of running a parallel government at the RBZ and operating outside the law, did not say why he felt the amnesty should cover only the last 10 years.


The RBZ chief, who made the amnesty call in his latest mid-term monetary policy review statement, said: "As a central bank, the advice we give to our leadership in the various stations in our communities is that we build genuine national healing through the implementation of a stakeholder-defined amnesty.”

He said the general pardon should cover, “all those Zimbabweans who may have injured sections of society due to the cloud of suspicions, mistrust and conspiracy theories that characterised the country's socio-political and economic landscape over the past 10 years or so."

"For the avoidance of doubt, I am neither advocating for the closure of our courts nor the opening of freedom flood-gates at all our prisons, but rather the construction of a platform for stakeholders to submit cases that merit consideration for amnesty in the spirit of true national healing,” said the RBZ governor.

Arguably Zimbabwe’s most controversial central bank governor to date, Gono, is accused of printing money to fund activities ordinarily undertaken by the government ministries through allocations from the national budget.

Critics say most of the money Gono printed actually went to funding President Robert Mugabe’s political programmes and paying for the lavish style of top officials of Zanu (PF) party and security chiefs who back the veteran leader.

Many Zimbabweans have called for Gono to be investigated for overshooting the statutory limit of US$1 billion that he is allowed to borrow without Cabinet approval.

Gono has admitted to borrowing more than US$5.25 billion since June 2004 to finance his activities although there is no tangible evidence that the money went to good use.

* The Zimbabwean

Clinton Rebuilds USA Ties With SA

Durban - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with South African President Jacob Zuma on Saturday in a bid to improve strained ties with the country.

The pair held talks in the port city of Durban, a day after Clinton praised a warming in ties between the United States and South Africa since the recent elections in both countries of new presidents.

President Barack Obama is eager to remake a relationship that had suffered during the Bush administration due to differences with former South African President Thabo Mbeki's government over the cause and treatment of Aids and the crisis in Zimbabwe.

"In both countries there are two new administrations which are taking that relationship a level higher. That is what we are trying to do," Zuma said after the 45-minute long meeting.

Clinton said that Zuma and Obama had told her and South Africa's foreign minister "to put meat on the bone, to get to work to make sure the expectations of President Zuma and President Obama are met."

The top US diplomat is on the second leg of a seven-nation tour of Africa aimed in part at bolstering trade and development. On the table during her discussions with Zuma, Clinton said, were African issues "from Somalia to Zimbabwe to Sudan."

* News 24

Multipartisan Mourning for Late Zimbabwe Vice President Joseph Msika

Both formations of Zimbabwe's former opposition Movement for Democratic Change issued statements on Thursday praising the late Vice President Joseph Msika of the formerly ruling ZANU-PF party as a true hero of the country's liberation struggle of the 1970s.

The MDC formation headed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai described Msika as “untainted with corruption, one of the few bigwigs who did not join the gravy train.”

It said the country has lost a selfless leader who spent more than half his life fighting for national liberation.

Statements from ZANU-PF and the office of President Robert Mugabe said Msika passed away at West End Clinic in Harare early Wednesday. But there have been conflicting reports suggesting that he died earlier, perhaps even as early as the weekend.

Spokesman Nelson Chamisa of the Tsvangirai MDC told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the party shares the grief of Msika's family and the nation.

Speaking for the MDC grouping headed by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, Edwin Mushoriwa called Msika’s passing a true national loss.

Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya remarked that while Msika was a true nationalist, some will also recall the unrestrained diatribes he launched against the MDC in opposition.

* VoA

Clinton Steps up SA Pressure Over Zimbabwe

PRETORIA, South Africa — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought further support Friday in efforts to solve the crisis in neighboring Zimbabwe and promised to “broaden and deepen” American ties to South Africa, a continental heavyweight that the United States hopes to work with more closely.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday.

Mrs. Clinton met with South African officials on the second stop of her fast-paced seven-nation Africa tour and spoke of how the two countries will “work together to build a global architecture of cooperation.”

But she was short on specifics, especially on the touchy subject of Zimbabwe, a nation ruled by a repressive autocrat, Robert Mugabe, whom most of the world has vilified. For months, the American government has been pressing South Africa to become more involved in Zimbabwe, which in recent years has been wracked by political killings, a cholera outbreak, economic meltdown and a crippling food shortage.

But the firmest commitment Mrs. Clinton seemed to get on Friday from her South African counterparts was a pledge to urge Mr. Mugabe to stick to his agreement to share power with the opposition.

“We promised to continue to work with the people of Zimbabwe to implement the agreement that they signed,” said South Africa’s foreign minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
Mrs. Clinton said, “We had an open, free-flowing conversation.”

The meeting took place at the presidential guest house, a Dutch-style mansion with a soaring, red-tiled roof that overlooks the green hills of Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital.

With Africa’s largest economy and enormous political clout on the continent, South Africa could be a crucial ally for the United States. The Bush administration tried to enlist South Africa’s help to solve African crises, like Mr. Mugabe’s oppressive rule and this year’s political turmoil in Madagascar, but often failed.

* NY Times

HARARE – The vice President of Zimbabwe, Joseph Msika, has died.Born on December 23, 1923, Msika had been Vice President since December 1999 when he took over after the death of former PF-Zapu leader Dr Joshua Nkomo.

Msika collapsed at home in March 2005, apparently having suffered a stroke and a blood clot in the head and was rushed to hospital. He then underwent an operation in South Africa.


He has been ailing since then. President Robert Mugabe informed his Zanu PF party’s central committee in June that Msika was not well.

It was reported in the press that Msika had, in fact indicated that he wanted to step down from the office of Vice President but Mugabe had insisted that he stay on.

At 86 Msika was Mugabe’s senior by two months.

The Financial Gazette reported in June that the Vice President had been admitted to St Anne’s Hospital in Harare twice within a fortnight to correct complications arising from the operation he had in South Africa.

Msika did not run in the March 2005 parliamentary elections, but Mugabe appointed him to one of the thirty unelected seats in Parliament. He also did not stand for election in the March 2008 parliamentary election. Mugabe, however, appointed him to the Senate in August 2008 and then swore him in as Vice President on 13 October 2008, together with Joice Mujuru.

In January 2009 Msika was apparently well enough to stand in as acting President when Mugabe went on his customary annual leave.

Msika was originally a member and vice-president of Nkomo’s PF-Zapu. The party merged with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF in December 1987 under a unity agreement which brought the Gukurahundi massacres in Matabeleland and the Midlands provinces to an end.

A veteran politician Msika was arrested in 1964 and held in detention until 1975. Msika was a member of the ZAPU delegation to the Lancaster House Conference that negotiated independence for Zimbabwe in 1980.

At a rally held in Bulawayo in October 2006 Msika dismissed Mugabe’s previous apology for the Gukurahundi killings, condemned internationally for the violence unleashed on innocent Ndebele peasants over a four-year period.

“When we asked him about the massacres he apologized, but I was not convinced about his sincerity,” Msika said.

* Zimbabwe Times

Driver Accused of Susan Tsvangirai’s Death Escapes Jail Term

An aid truck driver involved in an accident that killed the wife of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has been fined US$200 dollars over the incident.

Chinowona Mwanda, who was driving a truck contracted by USAID to transport medical supplies, had denied causing the accident. He was found guilty of negligent driving that accidentally caused Susan Tsvangirai’s death.

"According to the law, if one is convicted of an offence involving gross negligence, he or she should be jailed, but ordinary negligence attracts options of a fine or community service," magistrate Tapera Bvudzijena said when handing down the sentence at Chivhu court.


"In this case, I cannot send the accused person to jail. I will look at other options of which a fine of 200 United States dollars is appropriate considering that he earns about 200 to 300 British pounds monthly."

The magistrate said that while Mwanda was negligent he was not entirely to blame due to the bad state of the road. Many roads in Zimbabwe are in a state of disrepair, including huge potholes, after years of neglect.

The March 6 accident also injured Tsvangirai and occurred two weeks after he became prime minister in a new power-sharing government aimed at ending a ruinous political crisis.
He and his family were to attend a family function at their rural home in Buhera when the accident happened.

* Afrik

Tsvangirai Meets Zuma as all Levers of State Power Shift to Mugabe

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is in South Africa for crucial talks with President Jacob Zuma about widening cracks in Zimbabwe’s inclusive government, headed by ageing President Robert Mugabe.

Tensions between Tsvangirai’s MDC and Mugabe’s Zanu-PF have hit breaking point over control of the security forces, including key appointments such as the Reserve Bank governor and the attorney-general.


Mugabe has made it clear that he will not reverse the appointments of Gideon Gono and Johannes Tomana as the Reserve Bank governor and attorney-general, respectively.

According to the MDC, all levers of state power have completely shifted into Mugabe’s hands while security chiefs also refuse to recognise Tsvangirai’s authority.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, James Maridadi said the meeting will deal with sticky issues of the unity government such as the appointments of the Reserve Bank governor and attorney-general.

"He will further brief President Zuma on the state of the nation - the economy, health matters and other socioeconomic issues affecting Zimbabweans."

The meeting between Tsvangirai and Zuma comes as tensions continue to grow between the MDC and Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe.

* Afrik

37 Killed in Zimbabwe Road Accident

Harare (Xinhua) Thirty-seven people were killed Sunday when the passenger bus in which they were traveling collided head-on with a truck in northern Zimbabwe, officials said.

The accident occurred at around 8 a.m., 80 km south of Harare.

Police spokesman Andrew Phiri said 33 people died on the spot, while four others died later.Twenty-nine people were injured in the accident.

Phiri said the accident occurred when the bus driver tried to overtake a vehicle.One person from the truck was also killed.He, however, did not mention who many people were on board the vehicles at the time of the accident.

Zimbabwe PM Tsvangirai Urges Diaspora to Return Home

JOHANNESBURG — Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai got a warm reception on Saturday in Johannesburg as he appealed to exiled Zimbabweans to invest in and return to their country.

"The reconstruction cannot be done by government alone, by people in Zimbabwe alone," he said at a rally of about 300 Zimbabweans singing protest songs and greeting his speech with cheers, claps and whistles.

"You and everyone else will have to play their part in that reconstruction agenda. Zimbabwe is changing," he said. "It is slow and it can be frustrating, but it is changing."

The rally at the University of Witswatersrand here contrasted sharply with his welcome in June in England, where Tsvangirai was jeered when he appealed to Zimbabweans to return to their country.

"I think he's a true leader. He's a person who can take Zimbabwe from darkness to the sunny side," said one attendee at the rally, Mduduza Mcube, 29.

Several people wore shirts saying the Zimbabwe's President Robert "Mugabe must go" and waved the Zimbabwean flag.

Many at the rally were reluctant, however, to return to a country which is still plagued by economic and political instability.

Farai Madamombe, 39, was disappointed by Tsvangirai's speech, which he said did not give him a "roadmap" back to his country.

Madamombe moved to South Africa three years ago after losing his job as an accountant in Zimbabwe, and said he could not return until there were job opportunities there.

South African investors on Friday evening were also receptive to Tsvangirai but appeared hesitant to commit money to Zimbabwe, saying it would be a humanitarian investment unlikely to reap financial benefits.

"This country's economic stability requires access to foreign markets, finance, technologies, skills and ideas, which are only made possible by all the key stakeholders working together as partners committed to Zimbabwe's development," Tsvangirai said at a dinner for South African industry leaders.

Tsvangirai and Mugabe formed a unity government in February after Mugabe, Zimbabwe's only ruler since its independence, lost a first round vote last year.
The government was formed to end the violence that erupted after the vote and to rescue the floundering economy.

Tsvangirai arrived in South Africa Friday and was due to meet with South African President Jacob Zuma before he leaves on Tuesday to discuss the problems Zimbabwe's unity government is facing, according to MDC spokesman Sibanengi Dube.

* AFP

Zimbabwe to Allow Banned Newspaper to Print Again

HARARE — A Zimbabwean newspaper banned nearly six years ago has won a new licence to resume printing, documents showed Friday, as the BBC and CNN were allowed back into the country after restrictions were eased.

The Daily News, a popular newspaper renowned for it willingness to criticise President Robert Mugabe, survived bombings of its premises and arrests of its journalists until authorities finally shut it down in September 2003.


Its publishers, Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, have repeatedly tried to challenge the ban without success.

But the head of a special government committee set up to look into The Daily News case has now written a letter to the company informing that they can resume publishing.
"This letter serves to advise you that your application for registration as a mass media provider was successful," read the brief letter by Edward Dube, head of the committee, dated July 30, 2009.

Mugabe's government introduced stringent media laws in 2002 which essentially banned foreign reporters and privately-owned daily newspapers.

Under the unity deal that brought together Mugabe with his erstwhile rival Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister in February, the government is meant to commit to greater media freedom.
A few steps have been taken. In addition to The Daily News, two new private dailies are in the works for Zimbabwe.

Local journalists last month won a court case that found reporters no longer need government accreditation to perform their work.

The BBC said Thursday that Zimbabwe had lifted its ban on the broadcaster, which has had no official presence in the country since 2001, when its Harare correspondent was told to leave the country.

CNN also said Zimbabwe agreed last week to allow it to resume working in the country.
But media watchdogs and journalists' groups were quick to note that journalists are still being prosecuted.

* AFP