Saturday, February 14, 2009
By Vusumuzi Sifile
SOUTHERN African Development Community (Sadc) leaders Monday face their sternest test so far when they meet in South Africa for an extraordinary summit.
The summit will either save or mark the end of the stalled power-sharing deal on Zimbabwe.
Zanu PF and the MDC formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai go into the meeting with parallel hard-line stances that, barring a miracle, could all but confirm the collapse of the envisaged all-inclusive government.
Tomorrow’s meeting also comes amid reports President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai held a secret inconclusive meeting on Thursday to resolve their differences.
But MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said he was not aware of the meeting.
Tsvangirai, whose party has insisted on an equitable distribution of key cabinet posts before the September 15 deal is consummated told civil society organisations at a meeting in Harare the dialogue could not go on for ever.
He said tomorrow’s meeting would be the last under Sadc mediation.
This was after the civic groups, who are among the MDC-T’s key backers, told Tsvangirai to come out openly on “whether there is an all-inclusive government or not”.
His silence, the MDC leader was told, had crippled a number of activities.
Prospects of the deal’s collapse heightened last week when a Sadc team led by President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa failed to break the impasse between the two parties, hence tomorrow’s summit.
Since then the parties have been firing accusations at each other over the collapse of the deal.
Both Zanu PF and the MDC are understood to have over the last week prepared dossiers to be presented at the summit.
Mugabe would seek to convince Sadc to endorse his decision to unilaterally form a government without the MDC, while the MDC would also insist on its five demands tabled at last week’s meeting.
The MDC position paper proposes that Mugabe, among the 10 key ministries, retains control of Defence, National Security, Justice, Foreign Affairs and Land.
Tsvangirai’s party is also demanding equitable sharing of the 10 provincial governors, as well as the release of political detainees.
Chamisa yesterday confirmed the party’s position, saying they were confident Sadc would address their concerns.
“It would be tragic if Sadc leaders were to continue to endorse the arrogance and rigidity of Zanu PF,” Chamisa said.
“We hope they will have an objective eye, a receptive ear and an open mind to address and understand the extent, scope and nature of the crisis in Zimbabwe.”
Chamisa said Zanu PF had “a casino mentality, where they are just concerned about who wins most and who loses most”, ignoring the plight of the people of Zimbabwe.
Addressing journalists, Zanu PF chief negotiator Patrick Chinamasa said his party was “not going to agree to a reopening of the subject on allocation of ministers” and the appointment of provincial governors.
He said abducted and currently detained political activists would also not be released.
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairperson, Dr Lovemore Madhuku yesterday said Sadc was unlikely to give in to all the MDC’s demands, but would “want to be seen to have met the MDC halfway”.
Meanwhile, in a move that could cloud the Sadc extraordinary summit in Pretoria tomorrow, police yesterday banned an MDC rally that was scheduled for Huruyadzo Shopping Centre in St Mary’s, Chitungwiza today saying there was too much anxiety on the fate of tommorow’s talks.
Although police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena was not immediately available, MDC officials confirmed police had stopped them from holding the rally.
MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said in their communication, the police said the rally had not been banned, but “postponed”.
“They said there is currently a lot of anxiety because of the inter-party talks,” Chamisa said.
The rally was meant to update supporters on the state of the stalled inter-party talks.
The MDC leadership was also expected to use the rally to get an appreciation from supporters on the current cholera outbreak, which has claimed close to 3 000 lives.
Published in The S
Thursday, November 13, 2008
ZIMSEC strike exposes education shambles
THE government’s decision to go ahead with public examinations for Grade VlI, Ordinary and Advanced Levels despite problems facing the education sector could backfire as the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council only has "skeletal staff" to compile answer sheets from examination centres.
It has also emerged that workers who are supposed to compile a database for the examinations have been on strike for months, protesting against poor salaries. As a result, the database, which is usually compiled months before the examinations, has not been completed.
The database is used to allocate candidate numbers to students from various centres, and to develop statements of entry for all students. It is not clear how students managed to write the examinations without going through the vital process and educators warned that there could be a massive mix-up of examination results.
Zimsec employees now report for duty once or twice a week. This has thrown into disarray the compilation of the examination database, a key part of the examination process.
The development could compound the confusion in the administration of the examinations, which have already seen some papers being invigilated reportedly by headmen, youth militia and police officers.
Two weeks before the government defied calls by teachers’ unions not to hold examinations, Zimsec employees petitioned the acting Minister of Education, Flora Bhuka to urgently address the "unsustainable remuneration at Zimsec".
"For a long time, Zimsec staff have been subjected to deplorable conditions of service. The salaries given to Zimsec workers are so extremely low that it is a wonder that we have managed to report for duty," reads the letter, dated October 13.
Bhuka was not available for comment. But workers’ representatives said she had promised to "look into the issue".
The letter indicates that the salaries workers received for October were not enough for one trip to work on public transport. The workers accused their superiors of "general insensitivity", which they said "makes it impossible" for them to continue performing their normal duties.
On Friday, Zimsec spokesperson Ezekiel Pasipamire was said to be out of office. It could not be immediately established whether his absence was part of the protest. An official who answered the phone said he "just didn’t come to work".
Dr Stephen Mahere, the Secretary for Education, said: "We cannot be talking of a database when examinations have already been written", and then requested to have questions faxed to him. However, Mahere had not responded by Friday close of business.
Mathias Guchutu, the spokesperson for the National Education Union of Zimbabwe, which covers Zimsec workers, said they were not happy that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s decided to award cash benefits to invigilators only.
"The union is happy that the RBZ intervened in the education sector by providing money for the invigilators, but why not extend that to the Zimsec employees who are on a minimum of $7 000 (revalued) a month," he said. "The Zimsec employee is critical to the quality and professional administration of examinations."
Guchutu said the current examination process would not "produce any quality thing".
"The employees can hardly afford to go to work. There is currently skeleton staff, and the administration of the examinations from what we have seen so far has also been skeletal.
"If the government is serious about the examinations, something must be done quickly."
Talks in jeopardy
ACCUSATIONS that the government is trying to sabotage today’s make-or-break Sadc summit on Zimbabwe in South Africa, cast a dark shadow over the deadlocked power-sharing deal, The Standard can report.
The MDC yesterday said several of its activists were arrested for allegedly "planning an insurgency", while Botswana dismissed Zimbabwe’s allegation that it had offered the insurgents bases as "false, baseless, and completely unfounded".
Botswana requested Zimbabwe to provide documented evidence on the allegations and invited the Sadc Organ Troika, together with Zimbabwe, to undertake a fact-finding mission to Botswana "at the earliest opportunity".
The Troika accepted the invitation.
Botswana said it was invited to an extra-ordinary meeting of the Sadc Inter-State Defence and Security Committee of the Organ Troika in Maputo, Mozambique on Wednesday last week.
At the meeting, Zimbabwe alleged that Botswana was interfering in its internal affairs and alleged that Botswana had been training MDC-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) youths to destabilise Zimbabwe since 2002.
Botswana requested that Harare provides documented evidence on the allegations.
The Troika requested Zimbabwe to provide it with documented evidence, which would be availed to Botswana.
At the Maputo meeting, Botswana re-affirmed its continued adherence to principles and policies of good neighbourliness, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
But Botswana said it reminded Zimbabwe of the existence of mechanisms for the management of bilateral relations. For example, there have been 25 annual meetings of the Botswana-Zimbabwe Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security, during which no such allegations had ever been raised.The current membership of the Organ Troika is made up of Swaziland (Chair), Mozambique (Deputy Chair) and Angola (immediate past Chair) and Botswana assured the Organ Troika and Zimbabwe that a fact-finding Mission would receive Botswana’s "fullest co-operation".
The arrests of the 11 activists from Banket and Chinhoyi, the MDC said was allegedly a ploy by Zanu PF hardliners desperate to build a case for Zanu PF to hold on to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is in charge of the police.
The Sadc leaders meeting today to tackle the Zimbabwean crisis are expected to put pressure on President Robert Mugabe and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai to conclude the formation of the all-inclusive government.
Sources said Zanu PF planned to present "evidence" extracted from the MDC activists detained at various police stations in Harare in an attempt to buttress its claim that the MDC was training insurgents in Botswana.
This is to justify its demands to retain control of the police.
In High Court papers, lawyers said the arrests of the MDC supporters, Terry Musona, Fanny Tembo, Fidelis Chiramba, Pieta Kaseke, Mr Manyemwe, one Agrippa, Ernest Mudimu, Larry Gaka, Collen Mutemagau, Emmanuel and Concillia Chinanzwavana was politically-motivated.
"The applicants were rounded up in Banket and Chinhoyi by unknown people who claimed to be officers from Law and Order, who were moving in a convoy of six vehicles," reads an urgent chamber application by lawyer Andrew Makoni, seeking the release of the activists, whose whereabouts are unknown.
The victims were taken to Harare, where they were reportedly detained at Braeside, Rhodesville, Highlands, Avondale, Mabelreign and Borrowdale police stations. But lawyers who visited the police stations were told the activists were not being held at the stations. Makoni said they were able to get the detention book numbers for Tembo, Chiramba and Kaseke.
The application will be heard in Chambers on Tuesday before Justice Charles Hungwe.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Women petition SADC heads over Cabinet deadlock
By Vusumuzi Sifile
WOMEN’S rights organisations have petitioned Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) heads of state "to encourage speedy resolution" of the current deadlock over the allocation of the Ministry of Home Affairs — and as it has now emerged — nine others between Zanu PF and the MDC formations.
Sadc leaders are expected to meet again soon in yet another bid to find a way of implementing a power-sharing agreement signed on September 15. Leaders of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe and the Feminists Political Education Project (FePEP) confirmed to The Standard they have already prepared communiqués to be presented at the Sadc leaders' meeting. Gender activists have also mobilized women to picket at the venue of the talks, which is yet to be confirmed.
"In addition to the communiqué, we will also be sending a delegation of women," said WCoZ co-ordinator Netsai Mushonga. "We will also mobilize civil society wherever the talks would be held to help us in sending our message across. These politicians do not seem to care about what is going on. The consequences on the ground are deadly, especially for women. As women we are very disappointed, as they are clearly negotiating in bad faith."
One of the FePEP co-ordinators, Theresa Mugadza said what was worsening the situation was the secrecy in which the talks were being held.
"The truth is that nobody knows what is happening in this process," Mugadza said. For us, this is more of an information-seeking mission, to find out what is happening."
In their petition, FePEP members said "women are continuing to die of hunger while Sadc refers the matter back and forth; hesitant to make a decision that would save people’s lives".
Reads the petition: "Your Excellencies, it is our firm belief that final resolution of the Zimbabwe question, lies fully with Sadc and history will judge Sadc harshly should it fail to arrest the exploding humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. Sadc has a responsibility and indeed a duty to help Zimbabwean leaders help themselves as they have clearly failed collectively, to resolve the issues affecting their electorate."
On Monday, over 300 WCoZ picketed outside the Rainbow Towers Hotel where members of the Sadc organ on politics, defence and security were meeting the facilitation and negotiating teams. The women, dressed in black and white, all had empty plates and pots "to display our hunger".
Their mission of getting an audience with the heads of state was however not accomplished as the police descended ruthlessly on the women. According to WCoZ, 47 women were arrested, while 11 others were injured.
Over the past month, WCoZ, FePEP and Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) have successfully mobilized women to demonstrate against the snail’s pace on the implementation of the agreement.
The women’s organisations argue "people are dying of hunger on a daily basis". They also want the incoming government to be clear on its commitment on gender parity, which according to the activists means a 50-50 allocation of roles.
Three weeks ago, the women successfully picketed at the Rainbow Towers, and were addressed by the three negotiating teams and their principals, and members of the facilitation team.
Like health, education goes to the dogs
THE government last week tried to show a semblance of normalcy in the education sector by going ahead with Grade VII examinations and holding a graduation ceremony at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), when there was no learning for the better part of the year right from primary schools to universities.
The government also announced that the UZ would open tomorrow for the 2008/2009 academic year — almost three months after the day the new semester was supposed to have begun. Other state universities remain closed.
Lecturers, teachers and students unions on Friday slammed the move to open the UZ when the government — through higher and tertiary education permanent secretary, Washington Mbizo — acknowledged last week that staff records were in a shambles. They said the latest moves were a government attempt to "save face and create the impression that all is well".
"They cannot say they are opening for the sake of opening, like they have been doing with primary schools," said Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) president Clever Bere.
Bere said students "won’t sit idly and cowardly".
"If they want the university to open, they must ensure all is in place for the students to get quality tuition. If our demands are not met, we will not stop; we will continue to tackle the authorities head-on."
On Friday’s graduation, Bere said it was "doubtful if the results are a true reflection of what the students were supposed to have learnt since there were no proper lectures in the last semester".
Announcing the opening of the institution, Mbizo said there would be no student accommodation on campus. He however did not explain how the institution’s dilapidated ablution facilities would handle the more than 10 000 students expected at the institution.
As a result of the accommodation, transport and food, said Zinasu, students would find it "difficult to concentrate whilst hungry".
President of the Zimbabwe State University Lecturers Association (ZSULA), Government Phiri said lecturers were taking a wait and see attitude on the opening. He said it was "not practical" for lecturers to go to work tomorrow, as they will need many times more cash than they can withdraw at the bank for a one way trip.
"As long as our demands have not been met, we can not start teaching. It is not just about getting salaries, but salaries that are enough and accessible," said Phiri.
"We do not have power when it comes to deciding when the institution opens, that’s the administrative role of the Vice-Chancellor and his team. Our power is in the delivery of tuition services."
Lecturers’ representatives are on Tuesday morning scheduled to meet with officials from the Ministry of Finance to discuss payment alternatives. Phiri said only after that meeting would they be able to decide whether or not to resume duty.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general, Raymond Majongwe said the decision to open the UZ and administer public examinations was a "bad reflection on the government".
"Grade VII examinations were conducted in a chaotic and erratic manner. Some schools wrote after others," Majongwe said. "There were several mix-ups. In some cases, people who are not known at some schools were called to invigilate. There were certain instances where headmen also invigilated the examinations."
Although most primary and secondary schools managed to stick to their calendar, there was not much activity as teachers were on strike for the better part of this year. The situation was worsened by the political shenanigans before and after the March and June elections.
Last month, Zinasu petitioned Parliament to urgently act on "the grave distress of the students". The students union said "the infrastructure at all state institutions is in a dilapidated state" and that "reading and teaching materials are either not sufficient or not available".
The petition said because of the current economic melee, it had become "really difficult for students to sustain themselves".
UZ lecturer John Makumbe said it was a "very unwise decision to open the university now".
"It is a disaster. How can we open when there is no water? The toilets are in a terrible state right now when there is nobody there, and what when there are up to 14 000 people?" Makumbe said. "This is a perfect recipe for a cholera outbreak. It’s an unhealthy situation. There are no lecturers. We know from postgraduate courses that most lecturers have not been showing up for the obvious reason that they are not adequately paid."
At the Midlands State University authorities recalled the October salaries for lecturers. No explanation was immediately given.
Lecturers who spoke to The Standard said the move was just like dismissing them from work.
Secretary General of the MSU Lecturers’ Association (MSULA), Tenson Tawanda Mugodzwa said lecturers had been told to register again for them to be able to access their salaries.
"Although some of the lecturers went to register some did not as they felt that this was demeaning. It has never happened before. We have always known that the registration exercise only applies to students," fumed Mugodzwa.
However, those who registered also had their salaries of between $2 and $2,5 million recalled.
Nhamo Mhiripiri, a senior MSU lecturer, said the withdrawal of the salaries was humiliating. He said this was victimisation of the few lecturers still remaining in the country.
Attempts to get comment from the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Rungano Zvobgo, were fruitless. His secretary said he was attending the UZ graduation in Harare. The Registrar’s phones went unanswered.
The lecturers are demanding that professors at state universities get around US$8 000 and lecturers around US$5 000. Due to the licensing of shops to sell goods in foreign currency, lecturers, like most Zimbabweans, are now struggling to make ends meet as they cannot raise forex.
No official comment could be immediately obtained from the UZ. But speaking at the institution’s graduation on Friday, UZ Vice-Chancellor Levi Nyagura acknowledged "the past academic year had many challenges" but he said despite the challenges "the university remained focused on its core business".
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: Women Demand Movement On Talks
HARARE, Oct 28 (IPS) - Over 300 women gathered outside the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare on the morning of Oct. 27, dressed mostly in black and white. They were there to protest the prolonged impasse over the allocation of Cabinet ministries among Zimbabwe’s rival parties.
As members of the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) and the Feminist Political Education Project (FePEP) were trying to organise the demonstration, armed riot police pounced, and the women fled in different directions.
When calm was restored, 47 women had been arrested, while 11 had been injured.
"I do not see any reason why women who wanted to come into the venue should be stopped," said Theresa Mugadza, one of the FePEP coordinators. Mugadza said the attack was confirmation of "what we have always been saying, that these talks are being shrouded in secrecy."
The women had come seeking information about what was happening in the talks. They wanted an audience with the three signatories to the power-sharing deal signed on Sep. 15 -- President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister designate Morgan Tsvangirai and his designated deputy, Arthur Mutambara, and their negotiating teams.
"Hundreds of women were coming into town to stage a peaceful demonstration because as wives and mothers we want an end to the hard times," said Emilia Muchawa, the chairperson of WCoZ.
They also hoped they would draw the current suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans to the attention of members of the SADC organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, SADC chairman Kgalema Motlanthe and his delegation, and former SA president Thabo Mbeki and his facilitation team.
"For me having women try to come into a venue and being stopped in such a harsh manner is indicative of the problems that we have always had as Zimbabweans in this process. When people are talking about a country, when people are talking about our problems, but we are shut out from what is going on," added Mugadza.
The police charged the women with contravening a section of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which criminalizes any acts likely to cause public disorder. The law has been of late been used to crush many civil society activities, silencing dissenting voices.
Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson, Wayne Bvudzijena was not reachable. But a police officer in Harare said the police "had evidence that there were some hooligans who had infiltrated the women and wanted to disturb proceedings" at the Rainbow Towers.
"They were MDC thugs trying to disguise themselves as women. They did the same thing at the signing of the agreement last month. These are the people who do not want to see the conclusion of the talks, as there would be no more donor funds for their activities," said Musa Ndiraya, who was attending a meeting of former war collaborators at the Zanu PF headquarters, adjacent to the Rainbow Towers.
However Mugadza asserts the women were not up to any mischief, they just wanted information.
"There was going to be a little meeting, maybe some prayers... the idea was that we come into the venue and we are seen maybe SADC or some heads of states, or one of the principals would address the women to highlight where they are, and highlight the challenges.
"It was not a mission meant to antagonise anybody; it was really an information-seeking mission. The truth is nobody knows what is happening in this process."
The women were released late the same evening after interventions from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
Secretary General of the MDC formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti condemned the assaults.
He said his party has over the last few weeks embarked on a campaign to visit all parts of the country to provide information on the deal, and explain the MDC-Tsvangirai view of the current impasse.
"On our part, we are fully alive to the historical obligations on our shoulders and the expectations of Zimbabweans. However, the one instruction that those suffering and abused people have been telling us at our massive rallies all over Zimbabwe is a bold but simple one, a bad deal is no deal at all," said Biti.
As the women were being arrested and beaten in Harare, a judge in Zimbabwe's second largest city of Bulawayo denied bail to Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, leaders of the militant Women of Zimbabwe Arise. The two were arrested on Oct. 16 for leading members of their organisation on a demonstration to challenge the parties to end the impasse as a matter of urgency.
Solidarity actions were also scheduled to take place Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, on Oct. 27 where the crisis in Zimbabwe has a direct impact.
Muchawa said while the talks continued to drag, "it is the women of this country who have to carry the burden of the suffering", adding that "the major concern by women is manifest hunger, amongst other emergencies and the dire concern that failure to resolve the impasse will further exacerbate the situation."
While the women of WCoZ and FePEP -- along with most Zimbabweans -- grow increasingly impatient over the deadlock, the three parties once again failed to resolve the allocation of the contentious ministry of Home Affairs. After more than 15 hours of talks, the SADC troika failed to resolve the impasse, and referred the matter to a full SADC extra-ordinary summit soon to be announced.
Political commentators believe the continued deadlock could ultimately sink the power-sharing deal.
"The agreement has a good promise for the ordinary person, but with the way this thing has been dragging, it would make it difficult to manage the deal.
"These are people who hope to work together in the long term, but this kind of behaviour is daunting any prospects of a smooth implementation of the agreement," said John Makumbe, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Zimbabwe.
(END/2008)
**IPS penname for Vusumuzi Sifile
Is the pen mightier than the virus?
But they are just as vulnerable, especially in Southern Africa, the hardest hit region in the world. "Journalists stand from an externalised view when it comes to HIV - denying, not wanting to know their sero-status because they feel they are the safe breed," said David Kamkwamba a journalist at the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).
"But studies have shown, locally and beyond, that journalists have a low risk perception and are in the high-risk group by the very nature of their trade, which makes them spend most of their productive lifetime outside their homes."
Kamkwamba is head of the recently formed Network of Malawi Journalists Living with HIV and AIDS (MJLWHA), which hopes to support HIV-positive journalists, and also to get journalists to internalise the HIV/AIDS information they report on. He said the network had 10 members so far, but they had yet to publicly disclose their status.
"A journalist who has HIV experiences will make a more effective contribution to the national response than any ... information, education and communication material. After all, human beings learn better by seeing and practicing than hearing and being taught," he told IRIN/PlusNews.
Practice what you preach?
James Mphande, editor of The Daily Times, a local Malawian newspaper, admitted that - as is the case with all people - practising what you preach as a journalist is difficult.
"Like most of the things we write, we do not practise what is written on HIV. You see, journalists take themselves for a vehicle of communication, and the information they disseminate is usually considered to be meant for their readers, listeners and viewers, and not themselves."
He attributed the low number of journalists openly living with HIV to a fear of discrimination and stigma. "The other thing is fear of being looked upon as hypocrites who preach one thing and do another," he commented. "When it is involving other people, we think it is so simple to open up, but when it is our turn we realise how difficult it is."
The other thing is fear of being looked upon as hypocrites who preach one thing and do another ... When it is involving other people, we think it is so simple to open up, but when it is our turn we realise how difficult it is.
Mphande remained sceptical about the MJLWHA, and expressed concern about how a network of HIV-positive journalists would work in a situation "where you have the founders still unable to disclose their identities".
"The founders should have been the first to come out in the open, so as to encourage those who have been hiding themselves. But even if one was HIV positive, how do you start opening up to somebody who is anonymous, and whose HIV status is a matter of speculation?"
Patrick Bwanali, associate editor of Together Magazine, a Malawian youth publication, hailed the formation of the organisation but doubted whether many news writers would openly declare their status by registering.
"We featured one lady who is living positively and has a good job. She challenged the board of my magazine and the journalists to go for HIV tests, but nine months down the line none of us wants to talk about the issue at all," he told IRIN/PlusNews.
Reluctance to get help
The situation is similar in Zimbabwe, where the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) launched a programme to provide antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to its HIV-positive members and their immediate families a month ago. So far only 12 of the ZUJ's membership of about 650 journalists have asked the doctors working with the union about the ARV scheme, but none have come back.
ZUJ national coordinator Chakanyuka Bosha told IRIN/PlusNews the low uptake of the ARV scheme was "worrying", as all efforts have been made to make every member aware of it.
Bosha said the journalists were told they would only get ARVs after undergoing tests to determine whether or not it was safe to start taking the medication, and he suspected this might have discouraged them.
"I think when this news came out, members thought they could just walk into our offices and walk out the next minute with the drugs, but there are procedures that need to be followed. ARVs are potentially very potent drugs if not given correctly."
He noted that the fear of stigma and discrimination often prevented people from accessing the medication. Many journalists had come to Bosha and pretended they wanted the drugs for a close relative, while others said their biggest fear was to wake up to news headlines about their HIV-positive status in the newspapers the next day.
So is the media in Southern Africa its own enemy? Political reporter Vusumuzi Sifile believes this is the case. "Journalists are used to this false sense of power that they wield, giving even the president of a country sleepless nights," he told IRIN/PlusNews.
"Because of the stigma associated with being HIV positive, many journalists fear disclosing their [HIV] status could compromise their status [in the public mind], the same way some of the journalists view positive ordinary people."
But the reality is that journalists are just as affected, and sometimes even more so. "ZUJ began this scheme because of the realisation that many of our colleagues who have failed to access ARVs have been dying of AIDS-related illnesses over the years," said Bosha.
Zimbabwean reporter Caiphas Chimhete called on AIDS awareness campaigns to include targeting journalists. "These organisations come to us and invite us to workshops so that we write stories for them, assuming we are not infected and affected; they forget we are also part of the 1.8 million HIV-positive people in Zimbabwe."
Source: Irin PlusNews, 16 October 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Illegal settlers torch timber plantations
By Vusumuzi Sifile
A wave of land invasions has struck the Eastern Highlands, leaving in its wake 10 000 hectares of torched plantations that will see heavy job losses and a shortage of timber products next year.
The country’s thriving timber industry will suffer a major setback after illegal settlers set fire to vast tracks of timber plantations in the Eastern Highlands recently, destroying timber that could have earned the country billions in foreign currency.Thousands of hectares of mostly pine trees were burnt to ashes within hours on once productive estates. One person, believed to be a commercial farmer, died during the conflagration. There was no immediate confirmation of his identity.
Most affected were two of the country’s leading timber producers — Border Timbers Ltd (BTL) and Allied Timbers — which recorded a combined loss of close to 10 000 ha.
Other companies also recorded significant losses although these could not be immediately quantified.
The Standard last week visited BTL’s largest pine plantation, Charter Estate in Chimanimani, where close to 5 000 hectares of timber went up in smoke in two fires that emanated from Kushinga and Nyaruwa villages, on September 9 and 25, respectively. This is the biggest loss on the company’s plantations since 2002, when fires became prevalent in the wake of the chaotic land invasions.
The settlers, mostly from the Nyaruwa and Chinyai clans, resettled themselves on the timber plantation at the height of the land invasions, arguing that the plantation was situated on land that used to belong to their ancestors. Repeated attempts — including a High Court order — to have the estimated 500 families evicted have been in vain.
Officials at BTL warned that starting next year, there would be a significant decline in timber exports due to reduced harvests. It would take many years for the company to revert back to their normal forestry activities, a move that could result in an uneven estate, causing serious damage to the environment.
“We have had to change our plans because of the problem which will see us taking out volumes worth several years of production,” said Tonderayi Kachale, Forestry Manager for BTL.
“The challenge now is to harvest quickly before the timber deteriorates in quality. We now need to change in order to salvage more timber. We have up to six months to do this.”
Kachale oversees operations at the company’s five estates — Charter, Tilbury and Sawerombi in Chimanimani, and Imbeza and Sheba in Penhalonga.
“It is going to be a problem for us to get the capacity to harvest. We will need to purchase more equipment to handle such volumes,” said Kachale. A reasonable fraction of the trees is now being felled to waste as they had not attained the required diameter to be commercially used.
The illegal settlers allegedly set the plantations on fire in order to clear the land for subsistence farming. Others, it was said, were clearing the forests in search of mice and other small animals to avert pervasive hunger.
“Just a few days after the first fire, we were surprised to find that the settlers had already partitioned a portion of the estate among themselves,” said Norman Mandikiyana, the manager of Charter Estate.
When The Standard visited his home at a valley in Charter Estate, head of the Nyaruwa clan, Happy Nyaruwa, first denied that his subjects were responsible for the fires.
Instead, he said the fires had been caused by BTL employees. He later admitted his subjects “could have been responsible” and stressed the need for co-operation with BTL.
“There is no way I can allow people to burn the forest when even our lives would be in danger. My own hut was almost destroyed by the fire,” said Nyaruwa, in Shona. “We put out that fire all night, but the following morning, we were surprised to see there was another fire. This thing can only end if we complement each other in fighting these fires.”
Ironically, some of the illegal settlements were also destroyed in the fire. A number of settlers could be seen preparing food in the open, while others were reconstructing their shacks – using timber from the plantations’ burnt pine trees.
Kachale said repeated engagements with the authorities on the settlers had only ended in unfulfilled promises.
“We have engaged the authorities on various occasions and at various levels, but it has all been promises and no action,” Kachale said. “We have spoken to the police, the district administrator and traditional leaders. We have also followed the legal route to have the settlers evicted.”
Environment Minister, Francis Nhema on Friday said he was attending a meeting at the Sanganai Tourism Fair in Bulawayo. Attempts to call him later were futile.
The Standard was told telephone lines to Chimanimani police station were also destroyed in the fire.Police national spokesperson, Wayne Bvudzijena on Friday said he would consult his colleagues in Mutare and then comment.
Public outrage over Cabinet deadlock
THE deadlock over allocation of ministries between the country’s political parties has been described as a “sad and tragic development” for Zimbabwe, with ordinary people bearing the brunt of “political selfishness”.
On Friday, the three principals — President Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Professor Arthur Mutambara — failed to reach final agreement on the allocation of ministries.
Politicians, analysts, activists and ordinary people yesterday roundly condemned the deadlock — which has since been referred to the Sadc troika — saying the politicians were now “pursuing selfish ends” ahead of voters’ interests.
While there was widespread condemnation of the collapse of the power-sharing deal over government ministries, one of the principals blasted his two colleagues for not putting the interests of ordinary Zimbabweans first.
Zimbabweans who spoke to The Standard said they were dismayed and felt betrayed that the leaders were arguing a “whole week while Zimbabwe was burning”.
They blasted the leaders saying they were holding Zimbabweans to ransom over “petty party ambitions”.
“You would have thought that each of them would be aware of the suffering of the people,” said one Zimbabwean from the United Kingdom. “Everyone thought we were marking a new beginning.
“But what pains me is that while the whole world is facing a financial meltdown, we want to have 31 government ministries. How are we going to finance them?
“If the rest of the world gives us money they are inclined to believe it will go to finance these ministries.”
Losing presidential candidate, Simba Makoni yesterday said the deadlock was a “tragedy”.
“It is sad and tragic for our people that these leaders’ commitment to their pursuit of power is overriding the welfare of the people,” Makoni said. “For them to be in power is more important than to serve the people of Zimbabwe.”
One of the strongest critics of the power-sharing deal, National Constitutional Assembly chairman, Lovemore Madhuku, said the deadlock was a clear indication that the few leaders negotiating do not care about the plight of the people.
“These politicians never take anyone seriously,” Madhuku said. “They think they are the best thing ever to happen in Zimbabwe.”
Madhuku also lambasted Zimbabweans for “entrusting their destiny into the hands of a few individuals”.
“Zimbabweans are reaping the results of allowing them (politicians) to do what they want. We are the ones who have always been cheering them. Some even slaughtered beasts and held celebrations after the signing of the agreement. Zimbabwe is suffering because of allowing politicians to be signing documents everyday.”
Despite what appears to be hard-line stances taken by Zanu PF and the MDC, Madhuku said the parties “would eventually agree”.
Others looked at everyday issues, saying the effect of the failed formation of an all-inclusive government had sent prices spiralling out of control.
Highlighting the sad realities of the situation on the ground, Marble Sikhosana, a female activist from Masvingo said two councillors in Bikita had informed them that 13 villagers had died of hunger.
“People want food. People are dying out there,” said Sikhosana at a feminists’ conference last week. “Children are not going to school; there are no teachers in the schools. Education has been devalued in Zimbabwe, what with children writing examinations when they did not attend any lessons.”
Most systems in the country are currently at a standstill, awaiting the resolution of the impasse. State universities suspended opening, awaiting the constitution of the inclusive government. There is still uncertainty over school examinations. The Standard understands that staff involved in the preparation of examination material is on strike.
As the nation pondered the impact of the failed talks, Mutambara of the smaller MDC formation turned against President Mugabe and MDC-T’s Tsvangirai, saying they had failed to appreciate what an all-inclusive government entailed “because we will be operating as one government”.
Instead of focusing on the agenda and vision of the new government, the leaders had spent “four days haggling over positions”, Mutambara said, describing it as “a sign of leadership failure”.
He said the focus of their discussions should have been on addressing the pressing humanitarian crisis in the country; a people-driven constitution, facilitating a democratic government; a national healing programme, where Zimbabweans can begin to be viewed a citizens with rights; economic recovery and stabilisation; and economic transformation.
Mutambara said Tsvangirai had secured the Ministry of Finance and the hurdle remained on the Ministry of Home Affairs, where it was agreed it should be rotated every six months between Zanu PF and MDC. Tsvangirai, he said, then asked that the MDC should be first. Zanu PF refused but on Friday, it appeared prepared to let the MDC take the portfolio for the first six months. But Mutambara said, something happened and Tsvangirai changed his mind and said “it was no longer sufficient”.
Mutambara, who expressed frustration, blamed Mugabe and Tsvangirai for the failure, said: “Zimbabweans must continue to suffer more because Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai cannot agree.”
He said he would condemn and campaign for international isolation if there was an attempt to go it alone by his two co-principals.
Today Tsvangirai, Mutambara and Mugabe are expected to travel to Mbabane for a meeting of the Sadc troika of King Mswati of Swaziland, President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique and President Eduardo dos Santos of Angola, amid international condemnation after collapse of the talks. Former SA president, Thabo Mbeki has said an agreement on forming an all-inclusive government is still possible.
While Mugabe said the talks had gone “very well in the wrong direction”, Tsvangirai is believed to have asked for the “reference group” – the African Union and the United Nations – to come in and influence the direction of the talks.
The United States has said it will consider new sanctions against President Mugabe’s government if a power-sharing deal collapses.
Jendayi Frazer, the top US diplomat for Africa, said she was not optimistic after talks remained deadlocked between Mugabe and his main rival Tsvangirai.
“If it doesn’t work then we are going to continue the pressure that we’ve put on the government. We will look at new sanctions against President Mugabe and his regime,” Frazer told a group of reporters in Tokyo.
“Right now we’re not so optimistic. It doesn’t look very good for power-sharing,” she said.
European Union foreign ministers at a meeting on Monday in Luxembourg also warned of fresh sanctions unless Mugabe respected the power-sharing deal.
“The actions of President Mugabe are not consistent with any notion of power-sharing,” Frazer said. “We will have to see whether former president Mbeki will be able to get President Mugabe to agree to what he had agreed to, which was to truly share power.”
France’s new ambassador to Zimbabwe, Laurent Contini, who presented his credentials to Mugabe on Thursday expressed France’s “deep concern” over delay in implementing the political agreement of September 15.
“As recently reminded b y the European Union, France remains highly concerned by the deterioration of humanitarian situation. This situation has led the Commission to release a further 10 million euros in aid,” Contini said. “Because of Zimbabwe’s considerable needs in this area. We remind the Zimbabwean authorities of the necessity to ensure unrestricted access for humanitarian purposes.