Zimbabwe: Outpost of Tyranny

"No Cause for Celebration on Mugabe's Birthday"

That is the title of an article that appeared yestrerday in zimbabwejournalists.com, written by Trevor Grundy, an author, broadcaster and journalist specialising in religious affairs and Zimbabwean issues.  He lived and worked in Zimbabwe and other central African countries from 1966 to 1996 and is currently collaborating with Susan Woodhouse in writing the official biography of Sir Garfield Todd, the liberal prime minister of Rhodesia between 1953 and 1958 before he was ousted by white hardliners.

Read the whole article here.

Mugabe Visit to Namibia Today: Courageous Namibian Civil Society Leaders Write Open Letter to the Namibian President to Protest the Sanguinary Zimbabwean President's Policies.

The Executive Director of the Namibian "National Society for Human Rights",  P. ya Nangoloh, has written the following open letter to Namibian President Lucas Hifikepunye Pohamba, to register the outrage of Namibian civil society at the "unacceptable human rights, political and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe", on the occasion of the official visit of Robert Mugabe today to Windhoek.

Read the whole letter below:

February 25 2007

OPEN LETTER

H.E. President Lucas Hifikepunye Pohamba

President of the Republic of Namibia

Office of the President

Windhoek

Fax: 221 780/221 770/245 989

Mr. President:

SUBJ: STATE VISIT BY PRESIDENT MUGABE

May this please your Excellency!

I am writing on my own behalf and indeed that of all my human rights colleagues as well as many voiceless Namibians and Zimbabweans both in this country and in Zimbabwe.

Mr. President, the reason for this letter is both to formally and directly inform you and thereby obtain your understanding of our intention to register next Wednesday our outrage about the unacceptable human rights, humanitarian and political situation prevailing in the Republic of Zimbabwe.

Hence, the rationale behind this Open Letter is not to embarrass your Excellency and or your Administration.

Mr. President, I am also writing to let you know about our solidarity with the oppressed people of Zimbabwe. Their oppressor is the Government of Zimbabwe under the leadership of President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, who, we are aware, is arriving in Namibia late next Tuesday afternoon on a three-day State visit.

Needless to say, the situation in Zimbabwe is outrageous and unacceptable inter alia because human rights groups and labor unions are under siege, the independent print and electronic media have been banned, peaceful political activity, if any at all, have been severely restricted, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary have been undermined and or are virtually non-existent. An 80 percent unemployment rate and an inflation rate of nearly 1 600 percent have exacerbated hunger, poverty, homelessness and disease, which are on the increase in Zimbabwe.

Mr. President, due to the above state of affairs, for which President Mugabe’s Government is held directly responsible, more than 5 million Zimbabwean have fled their country since the year 2000 alone. Following President Mugabe’s 2005 Operation ‘Murambatsvina’, more than 700 000 Zimbabwean were left homeless. Yet this situation did not yesterday deter President Mugabe from marking his 83rd birthday with lavish and luxurious and therefore insensitive celebrations.

As we know your Excellency, you personally also do not agree with nor do you accept the situation prevailing in Zimbabwe. But we also understand that, as Namibian Head of State, you have the duty and, hence, you are compelled to receive Mr. Mugabe. Hence, we are appealing to you, Mr. President, in your personal discussions, to impress upon Mr. Mugabe that the situation in Zimbabwe is totally unacceptable and embarrassing and, as such, should be brought soonest to normalcy.

On our part, together with other civil society colleagues, we will be holding next Wednesday a peaceful demonstration in front of the Zimbabwean embassy in Windhoek to register our strongest disapproval of the human rights, humanitarian and political situation in Zimbabwe and to express our solidarity with the oppressed Zimbabwean people.

Thanking you in advance, Mr. President, for your consideration I remain,

Sincerely yours,

P. ya Nangoloh

Executive Director

National Society for Human Rights

"Signs are mounting that Zimbabwe is finally reaching the end game, witnessing the last, desperate throes of a regime that has...forced a third of its people into the diaspora and the rest into poverty that is killing hundreds of thousands."

The International Herald Tribune keeps up its excellent recent reporting on Zimbabwe with an article in yesterday's edition that describes the growing signs that the end game for Robert Mugabe is begining to play itself out in Zimbabwe.

This blog has written during the past month of the increasing activism and pressure on the regime being exerted by pro democracy political and civil society forces and of the signs that this increased assertiveness and bravery of the Zimbabwe people, combined with the effects of the economic collapse and divisions within the ruling party may be contributing to a "perfect storm" that may sweep Mugabe from power.

Eddie Cross, in his weekly essay yesterday, also employs a meteorological metaphor (as a real cyclone swept across Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe), saying that storm clouds are gathering in Zimbabwe as ordinary Zimbabweans, suffocating under the economic and political stranglehold imposed by Mugabe, demand political change.

The IHT piece states that years of abuse are resulting in an "untenable crisis" that even the master escape artist who is Mugabe will be unable to evade:

"Signs are mounting that Zimbabwe is finally reaching the end game, witnessing the last, desperate throes of a regime that has destroyed one of Africa's few successful economies, forced a third of its people into the diaspora and the rest into poverty that is killing hundreds of thousands"

International focus on the Zimbabwean tragedy appears to be increasing as the New York Times and IHT devote regular attention to the story.  Read the IHT article in full here.

National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Statement on Regime's Ban of Rallies and Demonstrations.

This statement has just been released by NCA by email in response to the Mugabe regime's ban on public gatherings, demonstrations, rallies, etc:

Press Release:

Police ban on rallies and demonstrations must be ignored

National Constitutional Assembly is condemning in strongest terms the statement made by the police when they publicly announced that political meetings and demonstrations are banned for 3 months.

Officer Commanding Mbare district, Chief Superintendent Tsitsi Sadzamari and Chief Superintendent Thomsen Jangara, Officer Commanding Harare South, came out in two separate press statements banning rallies and demonstrations on Wednesday February 22, 2007.

The NCA position in regard to the partisan nature of the police is thus vindicated. The police unashamedly blocked an MDC rally at Zimbabwe grounds, which had been sanctioned by the High Court after they had initially denied them permission to hold their rally.

The reason given by police for the refusal is that they did not have enough manpower to provide security. Surprisingly, there was enough security to block MDC supporters from attending the rally. All this happened despite the fact that the MDC was granted a court order by the high court to continue with their rally.

If the police can defy court orders then who will be the custodians of our laws in the country? As NCA we are surprised by such blatant double standards by the police force. After successfully disturbing the MDC rally the police are now saying that they have banned political gatherings and demonstrations.

As NCA we know that we have never been allowed by the police to demonstrate and we have always done our demonstrations in defiance. We have always demonstrated for a people-driven constitution that does not allow police to restrict people right to freedom of expression. Police intention to refuse people to demonstrate is reminiscent of the Smith era where political gatherings and demonstrations were banned.

The difference between Smith’s era and Mugabe is that the present police have perfected the art of oppression. We want to make it clear to the police that as NCA we will not listen to partisan orders that are meant to protect a failed regime that is desperately clinging to power. The police should come out clear and declare their allegiance to Zanu-PF as it is wrong to put on two hats at the same time, attempting to confuse the whole nation.

Police are still beating up innocent and suffering people in high-density suburbs and this is all done under the disguise of maintaining order and peace. As NCA we deplore such unwarranted provocation of peace and stability by the same people who are supposed to safeguard it. We note with great sadness that the police are amongst the least paid civil servants yet they spend their energy on victimizing fellow citizens who are demanding a humane life.

The police must know that they are responsible for the chaos that is prevailing in Harare following their heavy handedness in dealing with a clearly sanctioned event. It must also be known that if the people decide to defend themselves from the violent police force the blame should be surely rest in the hands of the state.

As NCA we also want to inform the public that its not a crime to defend oneself from an unlawful attack and if need be they should protect themselves from a partisan violent police force that aim at perpetuating dictatorship and increasing the suffering of the ordinary masses.

As NCA we will continue to demonstrate for a new democratic and people driven constitution .We will not be threatened by the police as we are aware that they are fighting a Zanu-PF agenda that does not have anything to do with their duties. We will continue to fight for a democratic constitution and a new governance system with a non-partisan police that respect the rule of law and protect the citizen’s rights. For as long as the police continue with their arrogant stance to ban demonstrations and political gatherings they will not get respect from citizens. NCA will not recognize the authority of a partisan police force and we urge all citizens to ignore such dubious orders from misguided elements of the brutal police force.

23 February, 2007

National Constitutional Assembly

Information Office

For more information, contact: Madock chivasa on +263 11 608 692 or +263 91 286 804

_____________________________________________________

National Constitutional Assembly

348 Herbert Chitepo Avenue

Harare, Zimbabwe

Tel: +263 4 736338

Fax: +263 4 721146

South Africa Office

12th Floor West Wing, Auckland House

185 Smit Street, Braamfontein 2017

Johannesburg

Brian Raftopolous in Today's Zimbabwe Independent: "Mugabe Faces a Diemma."

Should he ratchet up the repression or open the Pandora's box of piecemeal reform?  That is the dilemma that Mugabe is now facing, according to noted Zimbabwean academic and intellectual, Brian Raftopolous (now the head of the Africa programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in Cape Town, South Africa), as the economy collapses, the democratic political opposition and civic society ratchet up their own pressure on the regime, and as support from his own ZANU-PF party appears to be begining to crumble:

"All the indications are that 2007 will be a crucial year marking the Zimbabwean crisis.  If Mugabe continues to deploy authoritarian strategies in response to the political opposition, both the economic and the political conditions will deteriorate further, and the international isolation of the regime is likely to continue.  On the other hand if Mugabe attempts a controlled reform process, the new political spaces opened are likely to provide additional momentum for the political and civic opposition, and the internal threat to Zanu PF will intensify.  Caught between an unproductive confrontational strategy that he would prefer and a reform strategy whose consequences he is unlikely to be able to control, Mugabe is faced with a very difficult political dilemma."

Read "Rafti's" thoughtful piece in today's Zimbabwe Independent and decide for yourself which way the dictator will go.

Eldred Masunungure in today's Zimbabwe Independent: "No 'harmony' in hiding Mugabe ploy behind polls reform."

U.Z. (University of Zimbabwe) political science Professor Eldred Masunungure points out the truism that "harmonization" (the word Mugabe and his cronies have been using to mask their scheme to keep him in power 2 years beyond his 2008 expiry date) is neither an apt nor honest description of what the regime is attempting to shove down the collective throats of Zimbabweans:

THE dictionary definition of harmonising is "to bring into harmony, accord, or agreement". The word sits rather awkwardly as a description of what is being intended because you normally harmonise relations between two or more people. You do not normally harmonise things to do with inanimate matter and processes like elections.   Ideally, and in respect of elections, we should rather talk about sychronisation or rationalisation or even consolidation. To synchronise is "to occur at the same time or coincide or agree in time". I note, with considerable satisfaction, that the "harmonisation" crusade is a public admission of the irrationality of the original decision to "disharmonise" the elections. It is an admission that political parties, like human beings, err.  Correcting an error is salutary. It suggests that Zanu PF is now open to admitting some of its past errors, and I think that is something positive. Assuming that "harmonisation" is the appropriate descriptive term of what is intended, I also note with irony that the intended harmonisation has immediately disharmonised society and especially the sponsoring organisation itself, the ruling Zanu PF party.  The harmonisation project appears to have wreaked more havoc in this party than any other single issue since the divisive one-party state project that had to be abruptly abandoned in mid-1990s. In short, Zanu PF wants to harmonise elections before it has harmonised itself."

Read the whole article about harmonization by Professor Masunungure in today's Zimbabwe Independent.

Mugabe Regime Savage Repression of Opposition Rally on Sunday: Picture Worth 1,000 Words.

In spite of a Zimbabwean High Court ruling that stated that the peaceful MDC rally could go forward, Mugabe's thugs meted out savage beatings on those who attempted to gather on Sunday in Harare.

A picture (in this case of one of the victims of Sunday's police brutality) is worth a thousand words:

Eddie Cross: "Storm Clouds Gather"

This blog wrote, last week, about the signs that a "Perfect Storm" may be in preparation in Zimbabwe that may have the potential of sweeping the dictator out of power.

Eddie Cross draws a similar analogy today (not up on his website yet and so I append his piece below) in a piece entitled "Storm Clouds Gather".  He also comments on the force 4 cyclone that is working its way up the Mozambique coast and that is expected to batter eastern Zimbabwe with heavy rains and winds and draws the political parallel to the political storm brewing here in Zimbabwe.  A must read, as always.

Storm Clouds Gather

As I sit at my desk and write, a force 4 cyclone is on its way up the Mozambique coast and I hear that the Eastern Highlands are being blown around by the winds associated with it. I am told that such a cyclone is quite a fierce animal with 200 kilometers per hour winds and heavy rain. The UN issued a warning yesterday that it was standing by for emergency assistance to Mozambique.

If you are watching television you will have seen the pictures of the Zambezi River spilling over its banks and the 150 000 or so refugees now housed in tents courtesy of the Mozambique emergency services. Kariba is still far from full – about 7 metres to go and rising slowly, so these floods on the lower Zambezi have nothing to do with the Congo or Angolan wet season. Here in the south of Zimbabwe we are on severe water rationing and do not have enough water in our dams for the rest of the year – so we are desperate for this particular cyclone and what it might bring. So much so that we have all been following it via satellite for two days.

There are two other storm systems developing out at sea and over Madagascar and we might see another cyclone shortly. Some welcome such an event, others dread it and think that it will just make life even more miserable than it is at present.

Our politics is a bit like that – last night it was clear skies, brilliant stars, I have seldom seen Venus in the evening sky showing such brilliance. There was also a thin sliver of moon just appearing. For those of you who live in wetter climes, the evening sky here is something to behold – especially on a dark night after rain when the air is washed clean of dust and smoke. The Milky Way just blazes across the sky. I put my three-year-old grandson to bed the other night (the girls were at a piano concert) and he demanded to go outside and lie on the ground looking up at the wonder of the night sky. Kids know what is important.

Right now the edge of the cyclone system is just beginning to wash over us – it is quite different to our normal sky and you can feel the change in the atmosphere.

You might also have been watching Zimbabwe on the news this week. The street activity has been slowly gathering momentum and on Friday and then Sunday there was some serious street rioting in Harare. The crowd demonstrating or just trying to attend a rally responded fiercely when the Police waded in using excessive and unwarranted force. Cars were smashed and burnt, Herald House had a few windows broken and a number of Police were injured.

But this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to political agitation here at present and I think everyone senses that a storm is coming. Like our cyclone, some dread its arrival and others pray for it to come quickly and then wash the land with its aftermath.

Zanu PF has broken into several pieces that simply can no longer be reconciled. Mugabe wants to extend his tern by two years and then run again for another 6 years. But his Party – long just a rubber stamp for his slightest whim, is saying no. Both the Central Committee and the Politburo have been unable to reach consensus and the matter is now back in the Provinces where the debate rages. It seems to me that Mugabe may lose this one – only his second major political defeat in 27 years.

So the debate is on whether to hold both Parliamentary and Presidential polls next year in March or to simply go to the Presidential poll as required by the Constitution. Either option is possible at this stage.

This particular storm is gathering strength from its environment – just like a cyclone. On the one hand the melt down in the economy is still gathering momentum. Inflation at 50 per cent a month (8 000 per cent per annum) and shortages of just about everything that is essential to life. Bread, cooking oil, flour, sugar, fuel and maize meal are all difficult to come by and only at a price.

Then there is the diplomatic sea we operate in – France at long last said enough is enough and sent a polite invitation to attend the annual Franco/African summit in Paris, but on condition that Mugabe stayed at home! So no one went and the government issued a sour note saying that it was time that developed States stopped inviting African Heads of State to attend meetings in their capitals as if they were all lackeys – I agree with that sentiment. But when Mugabe was invited, with all other African leaders to China recently – he went and dutifully stood in line to shake hands with the Chinese President before being wined and dined in aristocratic splendor.

When the Chinese leadership toured Africa in recent weeks, the third such tour in a year, they studiously ignored Zimbabwe and visited nearly all our neighbors – all except those who do not have assets to plunder like Malawi. As all who have worked in the diplomatic sphere know – this was a massive slight to Mugabe and Zanu PF.

Today there is speculation that Namibia is about to offer Mr. Mugabe – guess what? Refugee status after he has retired because of the understanding that he simply will not be allowed to remain in Zimbabwe without the threat of some sort of legal action after he retires in March 2008! Apparently his old friend Sam has a home in a National Park, and Mugabe is invited to join him there. Now there would be a tourist attraction if ever there was one!

Add that all together and you might even feel a bit sorry for the old man of Zimbabwe politics. After all the adulation and respect garnered over a lifetime of struggle, to end his days in disgrace (with Grace) and isolation. Not even able to control the debate in his own Party. As Wilf Mbanga said today – there is time to redeem yourself, but to do so you have to do the unthinkable – apologize to your own people for what you have done and then step down with as much dignity as possible.

With this particular storm on its way and building up its strength, time is not on his side anymore. For the rest of us – batten down the hatches and get your brollies and gumboots out. When we come out of our bunkers, the sun will be shining, our rivers running and our country clean. I cannot wait.

Eddie Cross

Bulawayo, 22 February 2007

Mugabe Gets Ready to Eat Cake While Fellow Zimbabweans Can’t Find Bread on Shelves

That is the title of another front page article by Michael Wines in the New York Times in today's edition. (Apologies for the one week plus lapse in our posting on this blog--we will be more regular starting today). 

Mugabe's charmed life seems to be vanishing like a gambler's lucky streak as the opposition, civil society, and ordinary Zimbabweans say that enough is enough and continue their defiance of the regime (more on the weekend opposition demonstrations and clashes with police later).

Wines writes about the increasing desparation of the Zimbabwe people (as bread, a staple of the population, especially the poor disappeared yesterday from store shelves) and of the regime (as they imposed a quasi state of emergency, banning all rallies and demonstrations for the next 3 months):

"Zimbabwe’s economy is so dire that bread vanished from store shelves across the country on Wednesday after bakeries shut down, saying government price controls were requiring them to sell loaves at a loss. The price controls are supposed to shield consumers from the nation’s rampant inflation, which now averages nearly 1,600 percent annually.  In Harare, the capital, the police banned demonstrations and political gatherings in the city’s sprawling townships on Wednesday, citing the threat of looting and vandalism. Slum dwellers clashed with policemen on Sunday after the police blocked a court-approved rally by political opponents of Mr. Mugabe."

Read the scond front page article in the New York Times by Michael Wines this month.

Death Toll Reaches 110 in Union-led Protests Against Guinea Dictator, Lassana Conté.

Another ruthless dictator, on the other side of the continent, Guinea's "diabetic, chain-smoking" General Lassana Conté has declared martial law in response to the popular union and civil society-led uprising against his despotic rule.  The Washington Post has the story today:

"Guinea's military enforced draconian martial law measures across the West African state on Tuesday, quashing protests and arresting curfew-breakers to halt a widening revolt against President Lansana Conté's rule.  Conté, who has resisted opposition calls to step down, declared an 11-day state of siege late on Monday, handing sweeping law and order powers to the armed forces which have faithfully supported him since he seized power 23 years ago."

A modest recommendation to our opposition party (MDC) and organized labor (ZCTU) friends in Zimbabwe:  How about releasing a statement of support and solidarity for our Guinean brothers and sisters who are also standing up to dictatorship?

Read the Washington Post Article here.