Living Zimbabwe

Category: Politics

  • Heather Bennett Says It All

    MDC Treasurer, Roy Bennett returned to Zimbabwe on the 30th of January after living in exile in South Africa since 2006. He flew Zimbabwe to support MDC decision to join forces with Mugabe’s Zanu PF and also after assurance from Morgan Tsvangirai that everything would be okay if he returned. He was however arrested on February the 13th at Charles Prince Airport whilst on his way back to South Africa. He was first charged with treason but they have since changed to attempt to commit terrorism, banditry and sabotage and now he being charged under Section 61 of the colonial, Apartheid type law, Public Order and Security Act (POSA) – conspiring to acquire arms with a view to disrupting essential services.

    He is being held at the Mutare police station and he is no stranger to prison. In 2004 he spent eight months in prison after a scuffle with the then Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa who called his ancestors ‘murderers and thieves’. A short while after his release from prison the secret police were after him again with all sorts of accusations which is when he decided it would be best to slip out of the country.

    Heather Bennett, Roy’s wife spoke to SW Radio Africa about her husbands arrest and there were a couple of things she said that struck a cord viz;

    “If Morgan Tsvangirai has no power to protect his top leadership, the rest of the country is in big trouble because nothing is going to change.”

    “If they get away with this Morgan Tsvangirai may as well not even be there because they will walk all over him. And unless he shows the leadership now it is going to be a waste of time having an inclusive government anyway.”

    This is the start of power sharing and it just goes to show who is in control. Roy Bennett’s arrest is something that is unwarranted and those holding him know it too – just look at how they can’t decide on what to charge him with. Going back to Zimbabwe at the time he did may not have been a good idea and why he decided to is anyone’s guess. Nonetheless, what Mrs. Bennett had to say about the GNU was straight to the point and a fact that cannot be ignored. If Tsvangirai cannot protect Roy Bennett, what is the point of him being Prime Minister?

    Listen to Heather Bennett’s interview on SW Radio Africa here

    Roy Bennett – Movement For Democratic Change Treasurer

  • Tsvangirai Now Sleeping With the Devil

    Its official, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is sleeping with the devil. February 11, 2009 was the day that he was officially sworn in as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe by his long time rival Robert Gabriel Mugabe. This event is supposed to pave the way for a unity government but is it really going to be a unity government? Mugabe and Tsvangirai are hard nuts to crack and both have different ideologies on the way the country should be run.

    The chance of Mugabe being a willing and co-operative partner in a unity government is something that one can only believe when it happens. As crazy as he is, he is a smart man who has managed to outwit his opponents and brainwash entire organisations such as SADC who seem to see no reason to remove him from power.
    He has a strong personal connection with Zimbabwe but his misdirected passion has resulted in an almost failed state. Regardless of all of that, he still declares Zimbabwe as being his. With that being his frame of thought, what are the chances of him really sharing power with MDC?

    Tsvangirai on the other hand, however unhappy he may have been with the way the whole agreement was to be played out still went ahead with it. With the way events have unfolded in the past few months it seems as if Morgan was forced into the agreement if he wanted to play any sort of meaningful role in Zimbabwean politics. He was given ultimatums by Mugabe and SADC that basically said take what you are being offered or have nothing at all. MDC is now part of the unity government and they have made many promises to the people of Zimbabwe. Now we all wait and see if they will live up to them.

    Click here to read the full text of The Inauguration Speech of the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Morgan Tsvangirai

  • Why Mugabe Killed A Nation

    A short and interesting video with a brief history about how it all went wrong:

    Could we really have been better off if Joshua Nkomo had gotten his way?

  • Increasing Calls For Mugabe To Go!

    Rice, Bush, Tutu, Odinga, Brown and Sentamu are amongst the growing number of world figures speaking up against Mugabe and saying that it is time for him to step down. Whether or not the increasing number of calls for him to step down will have an effect is yet to be seen.

    As far as Mugabe is concerned, he has and is doing all he can to keep Zimbabwe alive. He is just going to continue blaming all of Zimbabwe’s problems on sanctions imposed by the West. Zimbabwe’s information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu was quoted as having said the following to reporters earlier in the week:

    “I don’t have kind words for all heads of state who have made utterances against Zimbabwe, one by one and I hope this is the last time they open their dirty mouths on Zimbabwe”

    “After squeezing and strangling the country with sanctions and contaminating it with cholera and anthrax, the West is seeking to use the window of opportunity provided by the disaster to justify military intervention”

    With that being the case, what are the chances of Mugabe listening to ultimatums from the West?

  • Zimbabwean Soldiers Gone Crazy!

    A Store Looted By Zimbabwean Soldiers

    Alex Magaisa wrote an insightful post, “Why did the soldier cross the road?” which highlighted the actions of the soldiers who looted vandalized shops in Harare at the beginning of the month. In the article he highlighted speculation as to why the soldiers acted they way they did. The more commonly held theory that he highlighted was that of the soldiers being sent to wreak havoc by Zanu PF so that a state of emergency could be declared. A state of emergency would effectively put an indefinite hold to any sort of unity government. But, this is only one of the theories out there as to why they behaved they way they did.

    Being a soldier means having a high standard of discipline which entails following orders given by high ranking officers and carrying them out without question. So, if the theory of Zanu PF wanting to shake things up was in fact true and soldiers in the Zimbabwe Army were still loyal, it could have some truth to it. Another likely scenario is that the soldiers may have been acting on behalf of their disgruntled Generals who have had enough of the whole Zimbabwe situation. The Generals in a show of just how much power they and the army wields may have wanted to make a point to show the powers that be that things can change. There are so many examples in history where the military has taken over which is something that could happen in Zimbabwe.

    Another scenario could be that it wasn’t in fact members of the army but individuals in possession of military clothing. In the past, certain groups of people were given army clothing to go out and intimidate the people of Zimbabwe. For some reason, that uniform strikes fear into the hearts of average people who will only be thinking about staying out of harms way when confronted by someone in uniform even if they are unarmed. These individuals who in the past were given uniform to wear on their ‘missions’ got a bit to carried away with their actions and tarnished the image of the Zimbabwe National Army which is why it became forbidden for civilians to wear camouflage material. These individuals may have banded together and seen it as a way of getting their hands on something to carry them through a few days.

    Or, it could simply be a case of soldiers just having had enough and in a moment of madness decided to go on a rampage through the streets of Harare. As Alex pointed out in his article, soldiers are not immune to the economic meltdown, collapsed infrastructure, cholera………… and the list goes on. They and their families have to contend with all of these woes like the rest of Zimbabwe and they being human are bound to snap at some point. It was reported that they went on the rampage after they failed to withdraw cash from a bank. The difference with them is that being soldiers they have to behave accordingly especially when in uniform.

    Whatever the truth is, it is scary to see people who are trained to kill acting in such a manner. Even for Mugabe himself (if it was not his doing) it must leave him worrying a bit and with a few ‘what ifs?’ going through his mind. Whatever the case may be, hopefully the events do not escalate into yet another difficult situation that Zimbabwe has to deal with.

  • The Mugabe, Tsvangirai and SADC Circus

    The Mugabe, Tsvangirai and SADC Circus

    The cartoon (courtesy of newzimbabwe.com) describes the one word that comes to mind when I think of Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Mbeki and SADC, ‘CIRCUS!’ The only difference with my mental image is that I see Mugabe as the ringmaster. The ringmaster is the most visible performer in a circus and guides everyone through the show in a dramatic manner. Mugabe seems to be the one calling all the shots and laying out how the sharing of power will be played out. SADC are bunch of clowns who are just there to do their job and Tsvangirai is there as a performer who wants to be the ringmaster. With that being the case he rebels against how Mugabe wants the show to be played out with the end result being the show not being played out at all.

    Almost two months after signing the power sharing agreement there is no power sharing and still no government. The main things that have taken place that are causing dispute include Mugabe taking control of ministries that Tsvangirai feels he should be in control of. SADC has once again been called upon to reach some kind of resolve but no nothing comes of the hours and hours of discussion. If anything, SADC seems to be leaning more towards being in favour of what Mugabe decides upon. How they show any sort of support for Mugabe is a mystery. What is it that he has that SADC cannot confront him with the honest truth about his actions and what he really needs to do?

    This is all that SADC had to say about Zimbabwe at the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government in South Africa on November 9, 2008 (extract from the summit text):

    10. The Extra Ordinary Summit considered the political and security situation in Zimbabwe and observed that no government has been formed subsequent to the holding of the elections and the signing of the Global Political Agreement. As a result, the country is unable to effectively address the challenges facing the people of Zimbabwe .

    11. In view of the above, Summit decided that:

    (i) the Inclusive Government be formed forthwith in Zimbabwe ;

    (ii) the Ministry of Home Affairs be co-managed between the ZANU-PF and MDC-T;

    (iii) the efficacy of the arrangement referred to in paragraph 2 above, be reviewed after six (6) months by the Parties with the assistance of the guarantors, SADC, AU and the Facilitator.

    (iv) to give effect to these decisions and the provisions of the Global Political Agreement, the Parties must, without any further delay, introduce the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 19.

    12. The Extra-Ordinary Summit appreciated the efforts of His Excellency Thabo Mbeki, Former President of the Republic of South Africa and the Facilitator of the Political Dialogue on Zimbabwe in finding an amicable solution to challenges facing the Republic of Zimbabwe and encouraged him to continue with his mediation efforts.

    13. The Extra-Ordinary Summit will continuously remain seized with the ongoing political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Zimbabwe.

    What they proposed is basically the same thing that they have been asking Mugabe and Tsvangirai to do over and over again over the months. The same things keep getting repeated and all parties are caught in a vicious cycle that they clearly cannot get out of.

    Solidarity Peace Trust Zimbabwe Hunger Alert – 10 October, 2008Zimbabwe is hanging on a thread and sees a unity government as the one thing that will bring it out of its crisis. Foreign donor agencies have clearly stated that Aid will not be delivered to Zimbabwe until a new Government is formed. As Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Mbeki and SADC leaders continue to go back and forth and hold talks for hours and hours the people of Zimbabwe who have run out of options and don’t know what to do to survive wait to die. It is estimated that at the beginning of next year, 5.1 million Zimbabweans (45% of the population) will need food assistance. In October Solidarity Peace Trust put out a Hunger Alert report that follows the plight of two children; one with kwashiorkor and the other marasmus (click on the photo of the child with kwashiorkor to read the report). With all of that being the case, a World Food Programme appeal for funds to feed Zimbabweans just went completely unfunded. As a leader, just seeing a picture of a child like that should be more than enough to prompt you to do something about it.

    Zimbabwe wants a change, Zimbabwe needs a change. Where is our Obama?

  • Robert Gabriel Mugabe, It Is Time For You To Go!

    Mugabe, Please Help Us, We Are Hungry.

    Just the other day, these Zimbabwean women didn’t just hold up these placards for the fun of it. They held them up hoping that you would see them and actually have a heart to do what is right. They are suffering like most of the people in Zimbabwe. They are fast running out of options and are taking whatever steps they can to try and make sure that they and their families get the basics they need in order to survive.

    You signed the power sharing agreement with MDC more than a month ago and for many it brought a glimmer of hope that there was finally going to be a change for the better in Zimbabwe. To this day nothing fruitful has come of it and as you and the opposition continue to bicker over the power-sharing deal and once again get Mbeki in to mediate, the country continues on its downward spiral. Zimbabwe has collapsed and people who could once make ends meet are really struggling to survive. It’s not normal for a country to have an inflation rate in the hundreds of millions in this day in age. One where the currency is continually being revalued and new bank notes being put into circulation. Steps taken to try and revive the economy have not worked and I don’t think you or your government know what you are doing anymore.

    Talking about monetary issues gets me thinking about the large sums of much needed foreign currency that you and your cronies have spent on spoiling each other at home and on overseas trips. That money or even a portion of it could have gone towards improving or should I say getting a vital piece of infrastructure up and running again. How many people do you think would still be alive today if you had put a couple of hundreds of thousands of US dollars towards the health system? So many people have died preventable deaths and any amount of money would have helped prevent some of them. A human life is precious and taking steps to prevent ‘x’ amounts of deaths is commendable.

    You walk around smiling as if everything is okay and should be the way it should be and when you are given the chance to speak to an international audience you are very quick to point the finger at the Bush’s and the Blair’s of this world. Yes, George W. Bush and Tony Blair have made their fair share of errors but they are not related to the collapse of Zimbabwe. You pointing the finger at them and others around the world has done nothing to provide food, clean water or a functioning health infrastructure. Do you not see it for yourself as you are driven around in your luxurious Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman?

    Right now I am angry at how you have taken Zimbabwe from being the breadbasket of Africa to where it is today. I am dumbfounded at how us Zimbabweans have managed to let it happen. You need to take a good look at yourself and ask yourself if all that you have done and achieved was in the best interests of the people. Was it all worth it? But, your madness may have taken you past the point of logically reasoning and you are unable to see any wrong doing in your deluded efforts over the years.

    My family, friends and the rest of Zimbabwe are suffering and taking extreme measures in order to survive. Living life day to day requires a bit of ingenuity and even ruthlessness towards other people. It doesn’t need to be like that, it shouldn’t be like that. Please do what is right. If you don’t know what that is, dig deep down into your Christian roots; you will find the answer there.

  • ZANU-PF & MDC Power Sharing Deal: Thoughts, Video, Text

    Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara, Mbeki After Signing the Power Sharing Agreement, 15 September 2008

    15 September 2008 was the day that President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara signed the historic power sharing agreement that leaves Mugabe as President, Tsvangirai as Prime Minister and Mutambara as Deputy Prime Minister. This was something that I did not think would happen because of what Mugabe has had to say about MDC and the number of times an agreement has tried to be reached but failed. For the first time in 28 years Mugabe will not have a complete hold on power. Amongst other things, the agreement leaves President Mugabe in charge of the armed forces and he will continue to chair cabinet. Prime Minister Tsvangirai will be in charge of the police and will lead the new council of ministers.

    In a way the signing of the agreement was history repeating itself as Mugabe went through the same thing on April 18 1980 when he became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. During his speech, Tsvangirai quoted Mugabe’s speech from 1980 and said, “Let us turn our swords into ploughshares. If you were my enemy yesterday, today we are bound by the same patriotic duty and destiny.” Quoting that up left me feeling more unsure about having Tsvangirai in the position he now sits in. His speech may have gotten louder cheers than Mugabe’s but what he had to say did not seem like something that was from within and something that he meant. It seemed like something that was put together to please whoever was willing to pay serious attention to it or that person who has lost all hope and needed to hear someone say “I will make things better.” Is he going to be the person to rebuild the infrastructure and bring in international support?

    Mugabe’s speech was entertaining and I enjoyed it more than Tsvangirai’s even though he is a man gone mad. He went up to the podium with no notes and spoke his mind. He stated that there were parts of the agreement that he does not like and that the formation of a unity government would not be smooth sailing. Staying true to form, Mugabe took the opportunity to attack the British and American’s and blamed the problems of today on our former colonial power.

    During Mugabe’s speech the camera focused on Tsvangirai now and then and it looked as if he deliberately had his hand over his face with closed eyes as if to show that he could care less about what his new political partner had to say. The other leaders on stage such as Thabo Mbeki and King Mswati looked like they were paying attention to what Mugabe had to say. Tsvangirai’s posture and mannerisms showed a lack of etiquette, the kind of behaviour I would expect from a rebellious boy.

    One thing that Mugabe brought up that caught my attention was ‘democracy’ where he said: “Democracy in Africa. Its a difficult proposition, because always the opposition will want much more than what it deserves. The opposition will want to be ruling party and it will devise ways and means of getting there. Including violence. I’m not just refering to the system as we see it in Africa.” He later said that he was committed to the agreement but I find that hard to believe because of his stance on democracy. With that frame of mind how can someone be confident that the union will be fruitful?

    As far as Mutamabara goes, I was not too impressed by his speech. He sounded unsure of himself and what he had to say. I will leave it at that.

    Power is addictive and once someone gets a taste of it they want more and more. For most if not all this leads to a shift in their purpose and the reason why they wanted to be in the position they are in. All politicians are liars and they will say what they need to in order to be elected. It is up to us to choose whoever we think will work towards our best interests. Mugabe has failed the nation and needs to go but I do not see Tsvangirai as the one will bring the nation back to its former glory and I am not at all optimistic about this agreement. Tsvangirai mentioned that he was praying to God for wisdom, I am praying to God and continue to have faith that Zimbabwe will be delivered from the abyss soon.

    I am lost for words………………….


    Here are some documents that may be of interest:

    Agreement Between Zanu-PF and MDC – 15 September 2008

  • Video of Mugabe Being Booed and Heckled in Parliament

    The opening of parliament went ahead as planned on the 26th of this month but it was not as smooth as Mugabe may have hoped. Members of the Movement for Democratic Change took the opportunity to boo and heckle Mugabe as he was addressing parliament. During the speech Mugabe had an irritated and disbelieving look on his face but continued as if nothing was happening. At a dinner later in the day he told dignitaries that the MP’s behaviour was “barbaric and nonsensical”. Watch the video……………


    Mugabe jeered and heckled
    by CNN_International

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  • Will There Ever Be An Agreement Between Mugabe and Tsvangirai?

    Mugabe and Tsvangirai at a Deadlock Over Government of National Unity

    It has been over a month since ZANU-PF and MDC signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) where the parties agreed to talks to reach a solution on the Zimbabwe situation. As of yet no resolution has been reached and the parties are very much at logger heads. As the cartoon depicts (courtesy of newzimbabwe.com) you have two people wanting to be in control and steering in opposite directions with the only outcome in such a situation being a stall. A stall is exactly what has come of the talks as both parties try to figure out how much power Mugabe or Tsvangirai will have in a unity government. On one hand you have got Mugabe who does not want to and will not let go power and on the other you have Tsvangirai who wants complete power and Mugabe out of the picture.

    Tsvangirai was reportedly offered a Prime ministerial role with Mugabe remaining as President. He refused to sign the document stating that it left him “without adequate authority to engineer economic recovery and overcome repression”. One of his main concerns with the Role of Prime Minister document was paragraph two which states that he would be a Member of Cabinet and its Deputy Chairperson (Click here to read the Role of Prime Minister Document) which leaves Mugabe as the head of cabinet (Click here to read an extract from the Constitution of Zimbabwe outlining the role of the President) and basically an overall say in matters of the state.

    The impasse between the ZANU-PF and MDC has not stopped the political process in Zimbabwe as Parliament is set to open on August 26 even though under the MoU was not meant to happen until an agreement had been reached. Mugabe was reportedly also given the green light to convene parliament by SADC. This move raises a few eyebrows because it seems as if SADC is leaning more towards a government that is headed by Mugabe.

    Whilst Tsvangirai is protesting this move he is slowly getting sidelined once again as parliament opens and on top of that Mugabe has appointed ministers and governors, some of whom lost their seats during the March elections. Many in the West are crying foul over the decision to convene parliament before an agreement has been reached but this will do nothing to stop Mugabe going ahead with his plans. Mugabe is not a stupid man and is doing what it takes to keep in power and it was only earlier in the year that he said MDC would never rule Zimbabwe.

    Chances are Tsvangirai will not get anything better than what he is being offered at the moment, not as long as Mugabe is at the helm. If he does not wake up soon he will be sidelined as has been the case since he started trying to remove Mugabe from office. ZANU-PF and possibly other MDC members will move on and continue to rule the country however they see fit and continue to ignore Tsvangirai’s cries for freedom. In this case is it better to have a deal or no deal at all?