World Cup 2010: Brazil to Play Zimbabwe in Friendly

Zimbabwe's Warriors will face world football heavyweights Brazil at the National Sports Stadium next Wednesday.




In a report posted by the Herald, the Zimbabwe Football Association chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya and Paul Leisegans, a representative of Kentaro, Brazil's sports agent, officially signed the contract that will take the Samba Boys to Harare for Wednesday's clash.



Zimbabwe minister for tourism and hospitality, Walter Mzembi, said Brazil's visit was a fulfillment of the objectives and tasks that cabinet had given his ministry, which included bringing at least one of the 32 World Cup teams to the country.



"It's now confirmed that Brazil will play Zimbabwe on June 2 in Harare.



"It's the fulfillment of objective number one, which was the luring of teams to come and play in Zimbabwe. The other objective was to increase the number of tourist arrivals in the country before and after the World Cup.



"Through our partnership with NetOne [mobile phone operator], we will also have fan parks with NetOne funding 16 public viewing points - eight each in rural and urban areas - but the aim is to have the fan park project spread to all the 73 districts.



"Luring teams has been a tall order from the time we travelled to Brazil, but as I have said before, if you lure Brazil you have lured the rest of the world.



The minister and Mr Leisegans insisted the costs of bringing the Samba Boys were not as high as the figures of between US$1.5 and US$1.8 million that had been thrown around.



"The deal is signed and we are all happy about it. We have come to a price that I know and I am certain that we are all happy about. The Government of Zimbabwe is happy and we are happy. The deal is 100 per cent confirmed.



"But it is far lower than the figures that have been reported," Leisegans said.



Dunga and his World Cup squad flew into South Africa yesterday morning with the Samba Boys immediately heading to their base within Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg.

* Goal.com

Zimbabwe Arms to Leave Marange Diamonds Fileds

KIMBERLEY Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) monitor Abbey Chikane has urged government to put in place proper security measures at Chiadzwa diamond fields to facilitate the withdrawal of soldiers accused of gross human rights abuses.




Chikane said although there was need to remove the military, the process would have to be gradual to avoid the flooding of the diamond fields by panners and smugglers.



Pressure is mounting on government to demilitarise Chiadzwa diamond fields in a move that human rights activists say would stop gross rights abuses and stem the smuggling of gems by security forces and their cohorts.



The demilitarisation process could however be slowed down by official fears that the removal of soldiers, whose presence at Chiadzwa has been widely criticised amid accusations of serious human rights violations, could open the floodgates for panners to invade the area again.



Moves to demilitarise Chiadzwa came as more than 10 families from Chirasika Village in Marange face eviction without compensation to pave way for mining activities. Mutare Rural District Council last week gave the families a verbal two-week notice. This is contrary to KPCS's recommendations that evicted families should be compensated and moved to adequately resourced areas.



Chikane told journalists yesterday that he had convinced authorities that Marange diamond fields must be demilitarised, although gradually.



He said removing soldiers at once from unsecured areas would create a free-for-all situation. Gradual withdrawal was therefore the best option, he said.



"The general consensus was that although the area should be demilitarised, the army would have to remain until a conducive environment for Canadile and Mbada who have mining rights in the area has been created," said Chikane.



Chikane, who has been in the country since Monday to assess whether diamond mining in Marange met minimum KPCS requirements, said demilitarising Chiadzwa was under serious consideration, an issue which he said was critical to ensure Zimbabwe fulfils KPCS procedures.

* Zim Independent

Zimbabwe Police Free Gay Rights Activists

Two members of a Zimbabwean gay rights association have been freed from custody, their lawyers say.




They say the two are facing charges of possessing pornographic material and insulting President Robert Mugabe.



Ellen Chadian - administrator of the group, Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe - and Ignatius Muhambi - an accountant - were picked up during a raid.

* BBC


Homosexual acts are illegal in Zimbabwe but the group has been allowed to operate openly.



Magistrate Munamate Mutevedzi released the two on Thursday until a trial set for 10 June, when they will face penalties of imprisonment or a fine.



"The magistrate has released them on a $200 [£137] bail each," Dzimbabwe Chimbga, a lawyer representing the pair, told the AFP news agency.



New charge



Their employer said that the two were assaulted by police while in custody after their arrest last Friday.



The two were accused of insulting President Mugabe "The initial charges are that they were found in possession of pornographic material," Mr Chimbga said earlier this week.



"Now the police want to add a charge of insulting the president," he added.



Police told by AP news agency say that they had found a letter undermining President Mugabe during the raid.



Mr Mugabe has in the past described same-sex partners as "lower than dogs and pigs", but arrests of gays are rare in Zimbabwe, correspondents say.



Homosexual acts are illegal in most African countries.



Last week a judge in Malawi sentenced a gay couple to 14 years in prison with hard labour after they held a traditional engagement ceremony.

Thousands of Carats of Diamonds Being Smuggled Out of Zimbabwe Field - Report

The Center for Research and Development issued a report saying employees of Canadile Mining, a partner in a joint venture with the government, and members of the military, have become the chief suppliers to illegal buyers



Thousands of carats of diamonds are being smuggled out of Zimbabwe from the Marange diamond field in the east of the country, a Zimbabwean research institute in nearby Mutare, Manicaland province, said Tuesday.


The Center for Research and Development issued a report saying employees of Canadile Mining, a partner in a joint venture with the government, and members of the military, have become the chief suppliers to illegal buyers who pay pilots to smuggle the gems out on their way to markets in China and Israel, among other countries.


The report came as Kimberly Process monitor Abbey Chikane pursued a second fact-finding mission in Zimbabwe, having declared that critical information was withheld from him by the government on his first visit. Chikane arrived in Harare on Monday and toured the Marange fields Tuesday. He was to meet Wednesday with a Cabinet task force responsible for Marange.


Center for Research and Development Executive Director Farai Maguwu told VOA Studio 7 reporter Ntungamili Nkomo that lack of security cameras at the Canadile plant in the Marange field made it easy for employees to loot the gems, and he said the Harare government must urgently move to put a stop to the plunder.


Commenting, analyst Joy Mabenge of the Johannesburg-based Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe said it is increasingly clear that elements of the Harare government do not want to crack down on Marange.


Mabenge told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that the country must be careful that diamonds being smuggled out of the country do not fuel conflict as has happened in other countries like Sierra Leone and the Congo.
* VoA

Zimbabwe Growth May Slow Without Reforms

Washington - The IMF on Tuesday urged Zimbabwe to take corrective measures to repair its economy and warned that without them economic growth could slow significantly this year undermining progress made so far.
In its annual review of Zimbabwe's economy, the International Monetary Fund said there were signs that economic and humanitarian conditions were improving following a decade of steep economic decline and hyperinflation.

After a contraction of about 14 percent in 2008, growth resumed to about 4.0 percent last year amid a pickup in manufacturing and services.


Meanwhile, most schools and hospitals have reopened and incidence of cholera has declined, the IMF added.


It said a track record of good policies will help restore donor funding to Zimbabwe and could eventually lead to the cancellation of the country's foreign debts.

Zimbabwe's economy has stabilized since a unity government formed by rivals President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last year adopted the use of multiple foreign currencies to replace a worthless local dollar.


The IMF said the multi-currency system "would serve Zimbabwe well in the coming years."

It said the Zimbabwe dollar could be reintroduced once the government had established a track record of sound policies and adopted a framework focused on price stability.


The IMF report cautioned that the outlook for 2010 was "highly uncertain" and urged the authorities to reduce the wage bill and non-essential spending to preserve gains made so far.

* Angola Press

Zimbabwe PM Tsvangirai Heads To South Korea Seeking Investment

Western nations have withheld development aid pending more convincing reform in Harare while foreign investment has been discouraged by the indigenization and black empowerment program Harare is now deploying.


Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was schedule to embark on Saturday on a trip to South Korea where he hopes to generate interest among investors there in opportunities in the Southern African country.



Western nations have withheld development aid pending more convincing reform in Harare while foreign investment has been discouraged by the indigenization and black empowerment program the government is deploying.



Both Mr. Mugabe and President Robert Mugabe have tried to reassure investors, but to little avail given the high level of uncertainty around the share stake the government will require to be allocated to black Zimbabweans.



Mr. Tsvangirai’s delegation to Seoul is to include Science and Technology Development Minister Heneri Dzinotyiwei, Energy Minister Elias Mudzuri and Small Enterprises Minister Sithembiso Nyoni of Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF.



Minister of State Gorden Moyo, attached to Tsvangirai’s office, told VOA Studio 7 reporter Ntungamili Nkomo that his boss is hoping to woo South Korean investors and strengthen bilateral ties with that country.



The prime minister's trip is seen as part and parcel of the Look East policy introduced by Mr. Mugabe in 2003 at a time when his government and the West were becoming increasingly alienated over human rights and other issues.



Peakford Management Consultancy Chief Executive Officer Albert Mandizvidza told VOA reporter Blessing Zulu that South Korean investors might want to put capital to work in Zimbabwe if the terms are attractive.

* VoA

Zimbabwe MDC Leader Bennett Recieves His Passport at Last

Mutare - The MDC announced that Tsvangirai’s top ally – Roy Bennett – yesterday received his passport from the Mutare Clerk of Court after his lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court Thursday seeking the immediate release of the passport from the AG’s office.


"The MDC treasurer-general and deputy agriculture minister-designate, Senator Roy Bennett was today given his passport back by the Clerk of Court in Mutare,” the party announced in a separate statement.


“The passport had been unlawfully taken from the Clerk of Court in March by one Michael Mugabe, a nephew to President Mugabe who works in the Attorney General’s," said the MDC.


The passport had been surrendered to the Mutare Clerk of Court as part of Bennett’s bail conditions before he was acquitted from charges of plotting to assassinate Mugabe at the High Court early this month after the state’s evidence was heavily discredited. The state has since appealed the MDC politician’s acquittal. – ZimOnline

Zimbabwe's MDC Leader Bennett Acquitted of all Charges

MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett has been acquitted on charges of plotting to overthrow the former ZANU PF government. High Court Justice Chinembiri Bhunu ruled on Monday that the State, represented by Attorney General Johannes Tomana, had failed to prove that e-mails linking Bennett to arms dealer Peter Hitschmann were genuine. All charges against the MDC official have been dropped.




Bennett had just returned from South Africa where he had been living in exile, when he was arrested in February last year, soon after the formation of the coalition government.



Using these trumped up charges against Bennett as an excuse, Robert Mugabe has consistently refused to swear him into the new government.



But a statement from the MDC on Monday said: “The judiciary has clearly assisted in the resolution of one of the outstanding issues of the inclusive government. As a party, we look forward to the speedy swearing-in of Hon Bennett to his position as Deputy Minister of Agriculture where the party deployed him.”



“His acquittal leaves the enemies of real change with no excuse whatsoever as to why Hon Bennett cannot be allowed to serve his country. His acquittal is also an indictment on the person and office of the Attorney General who has wasted the taxpayer’s money in besmirching and persecuting an innocent Zimbabwean.”



Soon after the verdict, the former white commercial farmer said: “I have always been innocent and under prosecution for a number of years. We stand firm that we are fortified and stronger to continue our fight for a better life and a new Zimbabwe and real change for the people of Zimbabwe.”



Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa said Bennett denied reports in the state media that claimed he had told a British newspaper that he had agreed to relinquish the post of Deputy Minister of Agriculture.



“He said to the media today it was not up to him to decide, he was misquoted and was not aware of any such deals,” reports Muchemwa.



* SW Radio Africa

Amnesty International Criticises Zimbabwe Political Arrests

The Zimbabwe authorities must stop harassing political opponents and government critics, Amnesty International said today, following the acquittal of a critic of President Robert Mugabe accused of plotting to overthrow him.




Roy Bennett, a Movement for Democratic Change official, had been charged with “conspiring to acquire arms with a view to disrupting essential services” following his arrest in February 2008. He was acquitted by a Harare court on Monday.

.

"While welcoming the acquittal of Roy Bennett, we remain concerned about persistent abuse of the law against perceived opponents of the former ZANU-PF government,” said Michelle Kagari Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Africa.



“We urge the unity government to immediately end all malicious prosecutions of people exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”



Roy Bennett was previously adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International in 2004 after he was sentenced to a 15-month jail term by a parliamentary committee.



Despite the creation of the unity government in February 2009, police continue to arbitrarily arrest and detain human rights activists, journalists and political activists aligned to the former opposition parties now sharing power in the inclusive government.



In the last three months human rights activists attempting to facilitate public debate on past human rights violations have been specifically targeted and their activities barred by police.



Between 26 and 28 April, police in Masvingo, Gweru and Chinhoyi stopped exhibitions of photographs depicting organised violence and torture that followed the March 2008 elections. The exhibitions were organised by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) to facilitate public debate as part of the national healing process.



In Masvingo, ZimRights’ regional chairperson Mr Joel Hita was arrested and detained overnight. He is still facing unspecified charges.


For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK

www.amnesty.org

New DSTV Rival, Top TV Claims Runaway Success

Massive response to ODM’s newly launched TopTV service leaves the company struggling to cope with demand

On Digital Media (ODM) launched their TopTV service on Saturday, offering consumers seven different pay-TV bouquets priced between R99 and R249 a month.

This is the first time MultiChoice and DStv have gone head-to-head in the local pay-TV market, and the response to ODM’s TopTV offerings were much better than expected.

According to TopTV they sold out all their decoders on Saturday – the first day their services became available to the public – and have ordered another 150,000 to try to keep up with demand.  ODM could not confirm when the new decoders will hit the shelves.

The TopTV call centre is also buckling under the strong demand from consumers.  TopTV spokesperson Melinda Connor has confirmed that the call centre is experiencing very high load – around 1000 calls per hour – and the 40 call centre agents can simply not keep up with the call volumes.

The company is actively looking at addressing the high demand for its services – something which is a short term hassle but bodes well for ODM in the long term.

In related news ODM has confirmed that a fourth sports channel called Top Sport which will compliment Setanta Sport, Eurosport News and Fuel TV is under development.  “This channel will cover all major sporting events,” ODM said.