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Monday, 17 September 2007

"ITS UP TO AFRICA TO ASK FOR HELP OVER ZIMBABWE!!!"

LINK!!!!!

It's Up To Africa To Ask For Help Over Zimbabwe

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, writes in the Guardian about how "saving Zimbabwe is not colonialism, [but] Britain's duty":

In one of his last actions as Prime Minister, Tony Blair visited Africa to defend his 'thoroughly interventionist' foreign policy towards the continent. At the end of his trip, at a press conference with South African President Thabo Mbeki, the Prime Minister admitted that when it came to the issue of Zimbabwe, only local pressure would do the job. 'An African solution,' he said, 'is needed to this African problem.'
Yet... Zimbabwe cannot any more be seen as an African problem needing an African solution - it is a humanitarian disaster....
The time has come for Mr Brown, who has already shown himself to be an African interventionist through his work at the UN in favour of the people of Darfur, finally to slay the ghosts of Britain's colonialist past by thoroughly revising foreign policy towards Zimbabwe and to lead the way in co-ordinating an international response.
The time for 'African solutions' alone is now over...(The Guardian)

Yes, Zimbabwe needs international intervention - but it is up to Africa to invite us in. Until they accept that Mugabe is "the worst kind of racist dictator" and has "enacted an awful Orwellian vision", there is nothing that can be done. As it is, Brown's refusal to even potentially have a "Straw moment" with Mugabe has led to African nations refusing to go to a summit, so how much worse a reaction would be received if he - or any other non-African nation - suggests direct intervention?

In this article, Sentamu has a weird argument with regards to colonialism, using it as a basis of both intervening and not intervening in Zimbabwe. He says that "saving Zimbabwe is not colonialism, [but] Britain's duty", that "the time has come for Mr Brown... to slay the ghosts of Britain's colonialist past by thoroughly revising foreign policy towards Zimbabwe and to lead the way in co-ordinating an international response" and also that "Britain needs to escape from its colonial guilt when it comes to Zimbabwe." All of these cannot be true. I don't think that Britain's colonialist history is anything to be ashamed of or to feel guilty for. To start with, it happened in a different time and culture, and we were by no means the worst perpetrators of the bad aspects. If anything, we should feel more guilty for ending colonialism in much of Africa when we did than for doing it in the first place.

When it comes down to it, I think that we do need into intervene in Zimbabwe, but in the current political climate, we can't until Africa - or at least much of Africa - asks for us to do so. Whilst they stand beside Mugabe and his dying Zimbabwe, there is nothing that the rest of the world can do. Zimbabwe may not be a problem that Africa alone can fix, but no-one else can do anything to help until Africa asks for it.

Friday, 14 September 2007

ZIMBOS "BANKING ON A FALSE PREGNANCY?"

LINK!!!!!

Banking on a false pregnancy?

By Joram Nyathi

Last updated: 09/14/2007 14:20:05

THE talks between Zanu PF and the MDC are becoming a veritable conundrum. South African president Thabo Mbeki told the recent Sadc summit in Lusaka that there was progress in the talks.

Zanu PF's pointman at the talks, Patrick Chinamasa, trashed the subject at the same summit, saying there was no need for constitutional changes because "Zimbabwe is a democracy like any other democracy".

The MDC had made a new constitution one of its key demands at the talks although no one seriously believed they would get one before next year's synchronised presidential and parliamentary election. It was a demand with more tactical value than electoral advantage.

Then on Friday it was reported that the Zanu PF politburo was happy with the progress of the talks. They were responding to a report on the issue by the same Chinamasa.

While they were patting Chinamasa on the back, MDC faction leader Morgan Tsvangirai was thanking Australia's John Howard for a job well done in piling pressure on the Zanu PF government to change, and for expelling the children of government officials studying in that country. Is there any sense that these people share a common vision for the future of Zimbabwe?

Closer to home, Mbeki insisted from the onset that he would not be discussing anything with MDC "factions". So the two pointmen, Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti, go to South Africa as representatives of the MDC. But back home the two MDCs can't sit around the same table. So what do they tell Mbeki when they meet in Pretoria? What do they talk about when they meet Zanu PF's Nicholas Goche and Chinamasa?

But that is not the end of the jigsaw. It is common knowledge that Mbeki and Howard don't see eye to eye because of Mbeki's sin called quiet diplomacy, which in part explains why Tsvangirai said what he said to Howard.

Howard wants President Mugabe out yesterday while Mbeki and his Sadc comrades prefer a well-managed transition. So what is the substance of the "progress" in the talks, especially on the MDC's part?

Then Tsvangirai reports that he has postponed the launch of his presidential campaign pending the outcome of the talks. I don't know what this means in terms of election strategy. Perhaps he will soon elaborate.

What is evident though is that time is not one of Tsvangirai's allies. What is it to be this time? To vote or not to vote, depending on what it is hoped Mbeki can wring out of a false pregnancy? The more tactical blunders the MDC leaders commit, the more reckless Zanu PF seems to get, seeing there is no imminent threat to its hold on power.

Why should Zanu PF negotiate to share power with the MDC when the MDC is too arrogant to talk to itself? Pressure for Zanu PF to change needs to come from a united MDC, not from Australia, the UK or Sadc. A fractured MDC is unlikely to get any significant concessions from Zanu PF. They should not expect Mbeki to tell them this elementary reality.

Why should it be Mbeki's unenviable burden to parachute the MDC to power through a new constitution when the party can't decide whether it wants to get there through the ballot or jambanja? When is the momentous decision going to be made? We know Zanu PF is already in campaign mode, with chiefs and war veterans at the forefront — something not even a new constitution can change.

In short, it is not Mbeki who will decide the outcome of next year's elections through a new constitution, but those Zimbabweans who are registered to vote. Is this banal fact beyond the MDC's grasp? How does it hope to win the election if it is still wedded to the myth that communal areas are Zanu PF strongholds?

Which leaves the MDC leadership in a fine dilemma: to take part in the election with little preparation and lose the vote or to continue its national boycott and lose both relevance and credibility.

The MDC will have to make the best of a terrible situation, making late electoral preparations with many odds stacked against it; the biggest being a penchant for fighting itself instead of the foe.

It's a pity that the faction leaders are too arrogant to acknowledge this fact and they have surrounded themselves with insecure sycophants who see the MDC as the only sure way to power and wealth.

In this they believe that foreigners, in this case Thabo Mbeki and John Howard, are better placed to pave the way.

All said, if the MDC decides to fight the election as factions, the outcome is a foregone conclusion, itself rendering an unflattering verdict: that they are unworthy of the presidency of this nation, a nation in sore need of a leader to move it from liberation war politics to accountable governance.

So far, unfortunately, Zanu PF has no more than spineless schemers; the MDC pretenders who have atrophied before maturity. The best determination that the MDC/Zanu PF talks can give us though is that the elections are conducted in peace and that the parties abide by the outcome of the vote.

We have had the longest electoral dispute of any country not in a civil war: which should be cause for grievous shame to any leader.

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Friday, 7 September 2007

MBEKI MISLEADING WORLD OVER ZIM ELECTION SCENARIO!

LINK!!!!Analysts challenge Mbeki over free and fair election forecast

Constantine Chimakure

ZIMBABWE cannot have free and fair polls next year if there are no radical political and electoral reforms in line with Sadc election guidelines, analysts said this week.

The analysts argued that last week’s pronouncement by South African President Thabo Mbeki that Zimbabwe would have free and fair polls ignored the political situation on the ground where the ruling Zanu PF has an upperhand against the opposition.

Zanu PF has unfettered access to state resources and public media for a glitzy campaign, while the majority of the opposition survives on shoe-string budgets.

Mbeki told his parliament that he was assured by the Zimbabwean leadership, civil society and non-governmental organisations of a free and fair poll.

"Now I believe the Zimbabweans about their own country," Mbeki said.

Mbeki was appointed by Sadc in March to mediate between Zanu PF and the main opposition MDC in a bid to find a solution to Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis.

In his report to Sadc heads of state and government in Lusaka, last month, Mbeki said there was progress in his mediation efforts and that he was optimistic of a pact between Zanu PF and the MDC in the near future.

However, political analysts said it was day dreaming for Mbeki that there would be free and fair polls next year.

"President Mbeki’s pronouncement was off the mark," said David Chimhini, executive director of the Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust.

"We cannot have free and fair elections when we have failed to adopt the Sadc election guidelines of which we are a signatory."

Chimhini argued that there was need to level the playing field, which is currently tilted in favour of Zanu PF.

"We have to start from the basics — the electoral process. We are already gearing for the elections, but there is insufficient voter education. Next year’s election results have already been predetermined with Zanu PF insisting that it will have to win at all costs. How then can one say the polls will be free and fair?" questioned Chimhini.

He said reports from rural areas throughout the country were that Zanu PF has since politicised food relief using traditional leaders.

"Chiefs were recently in Victoria Falls and they pledged their support for President Robert Mugabe. These are opinion leaders in rural communities and are charged with the responsibility of distributing food. Obviously, food will be given to those who support the ruling party and, likewise, they will be expected to vote with their stomach," Chimhini added.

Political scientist Michael Mhike said Mbeki’s pronouncement was ill-timed since Zanu PF and the MDC were still engaged in negotiations.

He argued that the outcome of the negotiations should be the barometer of whether or not Zimbabwe would have free and fair polls.

"It was wrong for Mbeki to suggest that next year’s polls would be free and fair when the main parties are still in negotiations. We have to await the outcome of the negotiations to see if we can have free elections," Mhike said.

However, he added that the course of the talks was heading nowhere given what Zanu PF chief negotiator, Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, said at the sidelines of the Sadc summit in Lusaka.

"Chinamasa told the whole world that there was no need for the current talks because Zimbabwe is a democracy. From his statement, one can be excused for drawing the conclusion that the government wants the status quo to remain and that means there will not be free and fair polls," Mhike said.

In Lusaka, Chinamasa ruled out political reforms in the country.

"Political reform is not necessary in my country because we are a democracy like any other democracy in the world," he said.

He also suggested that the talks were irrelevant.

Chimhini said from a Zanu PF perspective, Chinamasa was partially correct to suggest that the talks were of no consequence to the ruling party.

"It is the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe who need the talks more than Mugabe and Zanu PF," Chimhini said.

"Zanu PF cannot negotiate itself out of power and that is why it continues to sell the ruse that MDC is Western-funded and has called for the imposition of sanctions."

Pro-Zanu PF analysts argued that the recent visit to Australia by leader of the other formation of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, was meant to cajole Canberra to tighten sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Further, they argued that Tsvangirai’s visit compromised the Mbeki-mediated talks.

Tsvangirai met Australia Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign minister Alexander Downer.

Speaking at the Australian Institute of International Affairs’ Victorian branch in Melbourne, Tsvangirai hailed Canberra for doing more than any other country to force Mugabe out of power.

"Australia, I think, has moved far ahead of other countries in ensuring that at least pressure is applied through multilateral interventions, than any other country so far," Tsvangirai said. "So in my communication to him (Downer) I am going to congratulate Australia …there are many measures that have been taken by Australia that I admire and that I think are on the right path."

Tsvangirai said he was supportive of Australia’s intentions to revoke visas and deport children of ministers and government officials studying in that country.

He also supported the Australian government’s decision to ban its national cricket team from visiting Zimbabwe this month.

In response to Tsvangirai’s utterances in Australia, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, George Charamba, said the MDC leader had sacrificed ongoing negotiations under "the aegis of President Mbeki by patronising white Australia".

He said keeping foreigners out and respecting Zimbabwe’s sovereignty was a clearly "spell out precondition" for talks from Mbeki to the MDC.

Other conditions set by Mbeki include that the negotiations should not be through the media and that there should be no calling for sanctions because they were hurting the economy and ordinary Zimbabweans.

At a Sadc extraordinary meeting in March in Tanzania, the regional bloc condemned economic sanctions against Zimbabwe and foreign interference in the country’s affairs.

Sadc reiterated this position at the Lusaka summit last month.

Tuesday, 21 August 2007

SADC TRYING TO COVER UP THE ZIM MESS!

VETERAN politician Simon Zukas yesterday said all the SADC statements at the just ended heads of state summit tried to cover up the mess in Zimbabwe.

And Zukas said the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) Bill was a shortcut that would achieve very little for Zambians.

In an interview yesterday, Zukas said there was a mess in Zimbabwe and all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) statements tried to cover it up.

“On the ground, we know otherwise. People who are arriving here from Zimbabwe. We are not talking about cross border traders, we are talking about skilled people, intellectuals. They tell us what mess is there and how repressive the regime has become. Now we are allowing them for the sake of preaching solidarity.

For the sake of unity, we are trying to allow the Zimbabwean statements to hide all this. It won’t get us anywhere,” he said
Zukas wondered how Zimbabwe would be supported as suggested by SADC.spreads evenly, it will all go one way. People have to be very careful about that because it's secondary industries that create employment."

And Zukas said there was a mess in Zimbabwe and all the SADC statements during the heads of state summit in Lusaka tried to cover it up.

"On the ground, we know otherwise. People who are arriving here from Zimbabwe, we are not talking about cross-border traders, we are talking about skilled people,
intellectuals, they tell us what mess is there and how repressive the regime has become. Now we are allowing them for the sake of preaching solidarity. For the sake of unity, we are trying to allow the Zimbabwean statements to hide all this.

It won't get us anywhere," he said
Zukas wondered how Zimbabwe would be supported as suggested by SADC."What are we going to do? Are we going to give them the foreign exchange of our own budget or what? Are we going to transfer some of our foreign exchange that we get from donors? Are we going to transfer that to them?" he asked.

And Zukas said the NCC Bill was a repeat of history.

"Under Chiluba, he had a chance to create a new constitution after the Mwanakatwe recommendations. He was not interested; he had his own agenda he pushed through.

The only thing he wanted to change was to make sure that Dr Kaunda does not stand," he said.

He said as far as the MMD was concerned, President Mwanawasa and justice minister George Kunda were only interested in a few changes and had never been in favour of a new constitution.

Zukas said President Mwanawasa and Kunda were playing along with the public but were never going to give way to the general demand for a new constitution.

He said certain amendments in the Constitution would not solve basic problems and would not make the constitution stand the test of time. Zukas said the best way to go in adopting the constitution was through a constituent assembly.

He said there was need for people to participate in the process and the government should narrow down its opposition for change.
"Willa Mung'omba and his team made recommendations and we need to follow them.

Why spend all that time and ignore them? The Oasis Forum is not a foreign body, it's a Zambian body, it's not an imperialist body, and it should be listened to.

It represents a wider sector of the public opinion. NCC is a shortcut which will

achieve very little," he said.
On the crumbling of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Zukas said from the

word go, UDA was a syndicate and nothing more. He said it had no organic unity

and this had proved so.
Zukas said even during the election for which it was formed, co-operation between

the various elements was not really there because UDA partners were undermining

each other in many places.
"It has no future. The three parties each have areas of influence and support and

they will not be a combined opposition because there is no organic base between

them. It was an adhoc arrangement, syndicate, I think, is the right word for

them," he said.
Zukas said in every case if there was going to be an alliance, there should be

good principles.
"They can't each have their own manifestos and then say 'we are an alliance', it

doesn't make much sense. The way to do it is whoever wants to come together, they

have to hold a joint conference, make it as inclusive as possible, agree on

principles which are going to unite them and I mean political principle not just

tribal principles and then move forward with leadership elected by that

conference or convention. That to me would be an organic unity, not these adhoc

arrangements," he said.
Meanwhile, Zukas said at the micro-level and higher economic level, Zambia had

done quite well.
"We have attracted a lot of investment, new mining and agriculture. But in

service delivery, I don't see that we have gone very far. As far as I can see in

health, the pattern is still as it was before the improved situation. With drugs,

people are still sent away to buy their own drugs," he said.
He said the trickle-down effect had not spread out because of lack of funds.

Zukas said the key areas should be education and health.
"The allocation of resources should be focused and concentrated on those two

areas to make an impact on poverty alleviation," said Zukas.

LINK!!!!!!!!

Monday, 20 August 2007

LIST OF SO-CALLED "HOSTILE" WEBSITES!

Floyd Nkomo 18.AUG.07
LONDON -- TalkZimbabwe exclusively publishes a leaked list of news websites that are under surveillance from the Zimbabwean government and which are possible targets of government censorship because of their 'virulent propaganda' aimed at 'delegitimising the struggle against Anglo-Saxons'.

A fortnight ago the Zanu PF government of President Robert Mugabe signed into law the Interception of Communications Act, which in principle allows the government to spy on the private communications of ordinary citizens.

The comprehensive array of websites contained in a document leaked to us yesterday from the Zanu PF headquarters (HQ) in Harare, includes news publishers accussed of "promoting a negative image of Zimbabwe and its people."

Our source, based at the Zanu PF HQ reveals that the Zanu PF secretary for Science and Technology, Olivia Muchena was instrumental in blacklisting these online publications, accusing them of peddling reports aimed at demonising the ruling Zanu PF party.

The websites are listed under three categories, viz hostile websites, websites under constant monitoring, and hostile blogs.

"Hostile websites have been BLACKLISTED and accussed of deliberately peddling false information about the government of Zimbabwe. The government says these websites have a long history of falsifying information on the issues unfolding in Zimbabwe and attack individual Zanu PF members on baseless accusations," says our source.

"Websites under constant monitoring are considered less hostile, but are being monitored."

"Hostile blogs are said to be run by individuals who are bent on discrediting the government of Zimbabwe and the ruling Zanu PF party."

According to our source, the government is also secretly compiling a list of individuals who are directly connected to these websites, but it is not clear what this list will be used for.

The blacklisted online publications, our source says, are the prime target of a 'cyber warfare plan' which will see Zanu PF setting up a variety of websites to counter bad publicity. The publications are considered unpatriotic and hostile "to their own people" and are blamed for some of the problems currently bedevilling the government of Zimbabwe.

One of the recommendations in the document is that the government of Zimbabwe should urge some of these hostile websites to reconsider their position and report favourably on the situation in the country to boost international perception and help develop the general perception of the country.

"The editors of these publications should seriously reconsider their position and realise that the war against Western Imperialism cannot be won without their help. They should realise that they are Zimbabweans first and this war cannot be won if they continue to discredit the efforts of their Government," said the document.

The government of Zimbabwe is said to have spent over US$1 million in an image-making campaign with New African magazine, and many other efforts are underway to improve Zimbabwe's image.

This new call by Muchena is seen as part of a general government strategy to correct the "lies spread by these online publications." The strategy also includes legislation aimed at enabling the government of Zimbabwe to monitor all telecommunications activity. The Interception of Communications Act passed on 3 August 2007, will "enable government, to keep news and information under close control," says Reporters Without Borders.

The organisation said. "Zimbabwe had already given itself one of the world's most repressive legislative arsenals as regards press freedom. Now all forms of communication have been placed under surveillance."

Here's a list of online publications listed (in alphabetical order) in the memo dated 15 August 2007:

HOSTILE WEBSITES

ALLZIMBABWE.COM
AMNESTY.CA
CATHYBUCKLE.COM
CHANGEZIMBABWE.COM
ABYZNEWSLINKS.COM
AFRICANTEARS.NETFIRMS.COM
DELZWE.EC.EUROPA.EU
DFAT.GOV.AU
EDDIECROSS.AFRICANHERD.COM
GLOBAL VOICES ONLINE
GLOBALVOICEONLINE.ORG
GOZIMBABWE.COM
HARAREUSEMBASSY.GOV
HRFORUMZIM.COM
INSIDERZIMBABWE.COM
IPSNEWS.NET
MTHWAKAZIONLINE.ORG
NEWZIMBABWE.COM
SOKWANELE.COM
SWRADIOAFRICA.COM
TECHNORATI.COM
THEGREATZIMBABWE.COM
THESOUTHERNAFRICAN.COM
THEZIMBABWEAN.CO.UK
THEZIMBABWETIMES.COM
TOPIX.NET
UK.ONEWORLD.NET
UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN HARARE
USIP.ORG
VOANEWS.COM/ZIMBABWE
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
WORLDPRESS.ORG
WOZAZIMBABWE.ORG
ZIMBABWE.8M.COM
ZIMBABWEDEMOCRACYTRUST.COM
ZIMBABWEPOST.COM
ZIMBABWESITUATION.COM
ZIMDAILY.COM
ZIMDAYS.COM
ZIMGREATS.COM
ZIMLOXION.COM
ZIMOBSERVER.COM
ZIMONLINE.CO.ZA
ZIMPOLITICALANALYST.NET
ZIMUPDATE.COM
ZIMVIGIL.CO.UK
ZIMWORLDWIDE.COM
ZVAKWANA.ORG
ZWNEWS.COM

WEBSITES UNDER CONSTANT MONITORING

FINGAZ.CO.ZW
M&G.CO.ZA (ZIMBABWE SECTION)
TALKZIMBABWE.COM
THE GUARDIAN (UK)
THEZIMBABWEINDEPENDENT.COM
THEZIMBABWESTANDARD.COM
WASHINGTON POST

HOSTILE BLOGS

AFRICANTEARS.NETFIRMS.COM (CATHY BUCKLE)
CRYBELOVEDZIMBABWE
INSIDEZIMBABWE
MUGABEMAKAIPA
PETATHORNYCROFT
QUOTINGMUGABE
ROLLOFHONOUR
ROLLOFHONOUR
THEBEARDEDMAN
ZIMBABWECHAOS
ZIMBABWESCRYFORJUSTICE
ZIMFINALPUSH
ZIMPUNDIT

LINK!!!!!!