ZWNEWS 28 February 2002 - 9 days to go

ZWNEWS
28 February 2002 - 9 days to go
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SW Radio Africa : Until Friday 22 March, SW Radio Africa will be broadcasting an extra hour of coverage between 1pm and 2pm Zimbabwe time. The lunchtime broadcast will be on a different frequency - 11 670 KHz in the 25 metre band. The evening broadcasts, between 6pm and 9pm Zimbabwe time, will remain at 6145 KHz in the 49m band. As before, outside the broadcast area, you can listen to SW Radio Africa over the internet at www.swradioafrica.com .

In this issue :
* Crucial court rulings - FTimes
* 'Zimbabwe in fear' says SADC monitor - DTel
* Polling agents attacked - News24
* Harassment continues - News Room
* Not the way to govern - IHT
* Degrees in violence

From The Financial Times (UK), 28 February

Court rulings boost Zimbabwe opposition

Harare - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe suffered two potentially serious setbacks in the courts yesterday when both the Supreme and High courts gave judgments against his government that are likely to boost the opposition vote at next month's presidential election. The legal challenges were mounted by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and civil rights groups. One of the three controversial bills rushed through parliament last month - the General Laws Amendment Act - was struck down by the Supreme Court in a four-to-one judgment. This act contains 40 different laws covering a range of electoral issues, including the appointment of monitors, voter education and the security of ballot boxes after the polls close. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai's advisers believe the judgment will boost his campaign.

The act precludes election monitors other than those appointed by the government. Now this has been struck down, there will be demands for international and independent domestic observers to be accorded monitor status, which will enable them to keep a much closer watch on the actual polling process and reduce the extent of vote-rigging. One of the act's provisions entitles polling officers to demand evidence of residence or citizenship from people already registered on the voter roll. Opposition activists feared this would be used by government polling officers to minimise the turnout, since it is widely believed that a large turnout on March 9-10 will favour Mr Tsvangirai. The General Laws act has also been used to give Mr Mugabe temporary powers to take over white-owned commercial farms without going through the courts. This too has been struck down, which means that government land acquisition orders can again be challenged in the courts.

Because the act was struck down by a majority in the Supreme Court, the government cannot appeal against the judgment. Lawyers say, however, that Mr Mugabe may use his presidential powers to override the Supreme Court, as he has done in the past. By contrast, the High Court ruling by Judge Ismail Adam, which extends the period during which residents with dual citizenship may renounce foreign citizenship, is likely to be taken to appeal by the government. The judgment is electorally important because it means thousands of Zimbabweans who have a technical right to citizenship of another country, but who did not renounce that right by the end of last year, will still be eligible to vote.

From The Daily Telegraph (UK), 28 February

Zimbabwe in fear, says poll monitor

Harare - The leader of the Southern African observers of Zimbabwe's election condemned the campaign yesterday as "not free". In an unprecedented attack, he also described the country as being in a "state of fear" after Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was detained yet again by police. Mr Tsvangirai was held for 30 minutes after officers raided a private house in Harare and claimed that it was being used for an "illegal gathering". Mr Tsvangirai was meeting Dr Rene Loewenson, a health policy consultant, at the house in the suburb of Milton Park. Dr Loewenson is a specialist on Africa's Aids epidemic and Mr Tsvangirai had sought her advice. She was also arrested and taken to Harare central police station by plain clothes officers. She was released without charge several hours later.

Duke Lefhoko, head of the Southern African Development Community's observer mission, said after learning of the incident: "This is way out of line, that someone can be arrested at a meeting in a private house. I am shocked by this and some things I have seen here." SADC, a grouping of Southern African states, has been generally supportive of President Mugabe and its observers gave the parliamentary election of 2000 a clean bill of health. But Mr Lefhoko added: "The political situation in Zimbabwe, as of today, is not free. People are nervous, reserved, there is a general state of fear, but we have more than a week to go and are hoping for improvements."

Mr Lefhoko condemned the police, who stand accused of turning a blind eye to atrocities committed by mobs loyal to Mr Mugabe. "We have seen the police in action with our own eyes, and they are unresponsive, uncooperative, and won't talk to people," he said. That an African observer has spoken out in this way reveals a new strength of feeling and a determination not to be misled by propaganda. At least 24 political murders have been recorded so far this year and Mr Mugabe's gangs are working from 60 bases scattered around Zimbabwe. Mr Lefhoko added that his delegation had met John Nkomo, the home affairs minister, and been given assurances that the police would be "more pro-active" in future.

Mr Mugabe suffered a defeat at the hands of the Supreme Court last night. The justices threw out legislation giving his regime sweeping powers over the entire electoral process. The court ruled that the law illegally passed through parliament in January after being defeated at its final reading by opposition MPs. The judgment means that postal votes will be allowed and civic groups will be permitted to conduct programmes of voter education. In practice, the decision comes so late that it will make no difference. With only nine days before polling begins, there is no time to take advantage of this easing of the draconian restrictions which critics say were designed to favour Mr Mugabe.

From News24 (SA), 27 February

MDC polling agents attacked

Harare - About 50 trainee polling agents of the opposition MDC party were attacked and severely injured on Sunday after Zanu PF supporters raided a house at a local mission school, 20km west of Gweru, where they were being trained. Police confirmed the attacks and said some of the injured were still at Lower Gweru Mission Hospital while others were at Gweru General Hospital. "We have arrested five suspects, among them two war veterans identified as Silas Wafawanaka and John Ntini," said an official at Gweru Rural Police Station. Renson Gasela, the MDC Member of Parliament for Gweru Rural described the attacks as unfortunate as they were unprovoked. The latest attack is part of a series of disruptions on the activities of the opposition countrywide in which police and war veterans banned 120 political rallies, especially in the rural areas.

"Our polling agents were being trained on how to conduct themselves on election dates March 9 and 10 when they were beaten up badly," he said. The training was being conducted at MDC activist Livingstone Moyo's house. The attacks occurred a few minutes before a Zanu PF campaign rally addressed by parliamentary Speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa, kicked off just two kilometres away. "The Zanu-PF supporters locked us inside and attacked us with stones, logs and machetes. We only managed to force our way out when they threatened to set the house on fire," a shaken Moyo said. The supporters later looted several household goods and fled to their hired buses. They are believed to have been bussed from Gweru and Kwekwe on Ziscosteel Company and Gweru Teachers' College buses. Moyo said the police only arrived at the scene of the attack six hours later although the police station is just two kilometres away. On Tuesday, several groups of observers, including two South Africans visited the area and talked to some of the survivors, he said.

President Mugabe seems determined to do everything possible to win the election. The government has reduced polling stations in opposition party's strongholds, while increasing the numbers in areas where the ruling Zanu PF enjoyed support. "Many Zimbabweans will be disenfranchised by the Registrar-General's decision on the number of polling stations," said Learnmore Jongwe, the MDC information and publicity secretary. "The strategy is carefully designed to produce long queues in MDC strongholds, slow down the voting process and frustrate the people in these areas so that they will not all vote." In Harare and Chitungwiza, both MDC strongholds, the number of polling stations have been reduced by 30% from 240 in the June 2000 parliamentary election to 167 in next month's election.

For example, in Harare East constituency, the number of polling stations has fallen from 21 to 11. In Harare North, the polling stations have been slashed by nearly half from 17 to nine, while the Zengeza constituency now has seven polling stations compared to 12 in the June 2000 election. In Bulawayo, which has eight constituencies, the polling stations have been reduced by 18% from 164 to 134. Bulawayo North has lost eight polling stations. For Gweru, the number of polling stations has been reduced by 34% from 44 to 29. In Kwekwe, the polling stations are down to 13 from 17 during the last election. No explanation for the reduction of polling stations was given. "While the urban constituencies have lost polling stations, rural areas, which are erroneously perceived by the ruling party as its strongholds, have made significant gains. In rural Midlands for instance, the number of polling stations has increased by 34% from 497 to 699. The major beneficiaries are the Gokwe constituencies which have gained 124 new polling stations," Jongwe said. The chief elections officer, Retired Brigadier Douglas Nyikayaramba, said he knew nothing about these developments. "The Electoral Supervisory Commission has not yet been presented with the full list of polling stations by the Registrar-General. We are having a meeting on February 28 with the Registrar-General when we will know the exact figure of the polling stations," he said.

From The News Room, 27 February

Harassment continues

Nine MDC activists, arrested on Saturday in Marondera appeared in the local magistrates? court on Wednesday morning. They are accused of planning and executing a petrol bomb attack on a Zanu PF vehicle parked at Marondera police station. The nine deny the charges, and in addition showed the magistrate the injuries they claim to have received during beatings by the police while in custody. They were remanded in custody until Thursday morning when the hearing will continue.

Tafadzwa Musekiwa, the MDC MP for Zengeza, had his house severely damaged after an attack by Zanu PF youths from the party's base in the area. The attack, which took place in the early hours of the morning, was carried out by an estimated 200 youths who chanted anti-MDC slogans. The roof of the house was severely damaged while neighbouring houses had their windows broken. Police did not attend to the incident; they termed the incident political and therefore outside their jurisdiction. Musekiwa said he would institute legal action against the police and government.

In Karoi on Tuesday, Biggie Murove was recovering from a stressful day he had spent at the police station arranging for the release of eight MDC activists jailed for the past month without trial, when a group of about 300 Zanu PF youths were dropped by council trucks a few metres from his home. At around 10 pm, the youths started throwing stones at his house. Although police witnessed the incident, they were unable to stop the attack. The gang later went on the rampage in Chikangwe Township where they destroyed and burnt fruit, vegetables and other items at Mrs Murove's open market. They also destroyed all windows of houses belonging to the eight MDC supporters and a shop belonging to a retired Catholic elder. Early on Wednesday morning, the police arrived at Murove?s house claiming they were searching for "fugitives". Their search was unsuccessful.

Comment from The International Herald Tribune, 27

Not the way to govern Zimbabwe

Pierre Schori

Last Friday, after my expulsion from Zimbabwe on Feb. 16 and the consequent departure of the other observers from the European Union, two members of the South African observer mission were attacked while meeting with members of the leading opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change. The meeting place was surrounded by more than 200 members of Zanu PF Youth, a branch of President Robert Mugabe's ruling party. The building was stoned and at least two MDC members were taken to the hospital. The South African car was also stoned. On Sunday three observers from the Southern African Development Community were attacked by Zanu PF elements in Chinhoyi. A car belonging to the Commonwealth observer team was also stoned. These incidents confirm one of the elements of my report to the 15 EU foreign ministers in Brussels, namely, that compared with the parliamentary elections of 2000, violence is greater and has spread to urban areas. This time various government branches are interfering more brutally in favor of the president. Military top brass recently declared that they would not accept an election result which went "against the revolution." Freedom of the media and the right of citizens freely to express their views have been drastically restrained by new laws, just in time for the elections.

In my case, the Immigration Office was unleashed upon me four times in order to force my signature on a document in which I would state that I was in Zimbabwe on holiday. The reason for this was that, according to the government, a tourist cannot talk to the press or be employed. It was clearly said that talking about the EU mission would be seen as a political statement and hence a breach of law, as well as "working" in that mission. As I had not entered the country with a tourist visa nor ticked "tourist" in the appropriate box of the entry form at the airport, it was necessary for the government to get me to sign in as a tourist. They would then feel free to restrict my speech and activity as head of the EU observers. I refused to do so, while expressing admiration for the beauty of the country, so they cancelled my visa and ordered me to leave the same day.

The government had invited the EU (with the exception of Britain) to observe the elections. Then, when the EU had designated me as chief observer, the authorities excluded another five states. The remaining mission would also have to be integrated with the ACP group, which consists of 77 countries from Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific regions, and come under its leadership, a surprise also to the ACP. Given the restrictions and harassment that we were confronted with, I came to the sad conclusion that this was no environment for a credible and effective EU election observer mission. The only other time I have been expelled from a country was in October 1969, during the colonial dictatorship in Portugal. The reasons: for meeting with the opposition leader, Mario Soares, later the democratically elected prime minister and president, and also, ironically, for Sweden's support of the liberation struggle in Southern Africa, including that of Robert Mugabe. Eight years later, at a UN anti-apartheid conference in Lagos, Mugabe asked to meet me and Olof Palme, then Sweden's opposition leader. Mugabe thanked us for our solidarity and expressed admiration for Sweden. He said he wanted to send his wife Sally to study our social welfare system.

The European Union has supported Zimbabwe ever since its independence in 1980. Today Zimbabwe receives two-thirds of all its foreign assistance from the EU; the aid is mainly focused on poverty alleviation and anti-AIDS projects. Zimbabwe also has trade privileges for export of tobacco, beef, cut flowers and ferro-alloys. President Mugabe has been in power since 1980. Our recommendations after the 2000 elections said that it was imperative for the government to move swiftly to re-establish the rule of law and to act against those who had been involved in human rights abuses. Instead the human rights situation has worsened with increased political violence and severe restrictions on the media and political parties. All this is in contradiction with international standards for free and fair elections.

The EU foreign ministers agreed on Feb. 18 that Zimbabwe was in violation of the Cotonou Agreement, signed in June 2000, which regulates, for the next 20 years, an integrated framework of privileged relationships between the EU, the largest donor and trade partner of developing countries, and the 77 ACP countries. The agreement covers trade and investment policies, development aid and the environment, gender issues and culture, institutional reforms and political dialogue, good governance, human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and the involvement of civil society. The EU wants to build a strong partnership with a democratic Zimbabwe and has shown its commitment to this goal for more than 20 years. African leaders met last year in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss Zimbabwe. Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique and Malawi have since voiced their concern, as has UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan in a Jan. 15 statement.

This is not a confrontation between developed and developing countries. It is not about "the EU being an arrogant bully with colonial attitudes," as the government newspaper, The Herald, keeps repeating. It is a matter of universal values, laid down in the UN Charter and the Cotonou Agreement. It is about the principles that the peasant is equal to the president on election day, that the power of the people lies in the secret vote, that the revolutionary legitimacy of the bullet must be replaced by the democratic legitimacy of the ballot. Above all, it is about how we must work together in this increasingly unjust, highly competitive and globalized world, where sound economic performance, good governance and international cooperation are a must. In Zimbabwe the Cotonou Agreement is encountering its first major challenge. Developed and developing countries must forge new and lasting relations in forthcoming UN conferences, in March in Monterrey, Mexico, on financing for development, and in September in Johannesburg, on sustainable development.

The writer, Sweden's ambassador to the United Nations, who led the EU observer mission for the presidential election due in Zimbabwe on March 9 and 10, was expelled from that country last week. He contributed this comment to the International Herald Tribune.

From ZWNEWS, 28 February

Degrees in Violence: Robert Mugabe and the Struggle for Power in Zimbabwe by David Blair

A new book on Zimbabwe is published today. Enquire at your local bookstore. This book is probably not available in Zimbabwe...

Robert Mugabe is a unique figure among African leaders. Having led the struggle against colonial rule, he has held office uninterruptedly since independence. Now, after 21 years of dominance, Mugabe is waging a bitter struggle to hold power against an opposition born from the spiralling economic and social collapse of Zimbabwe. This timely and compelling book tells the story of Zimbabwe from the hopeful era of new independence to the present reality of petrol queues, food riots and a terror campaign waged by Mugabe supporters. David Blair is a staff foreign correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. Born in Malawi in 1973 he grew up in Lesotho and began working as a journalist in Uganda. He was recently named Young Journalist of the Year by the Foreign Press Association. He was forced to leave Zimbabwe in June 2001 as Robert Mugabe's government sought to silence the media. He left a country in turmoil, gripped by a ferocious battle for power.
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