Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister, Hon. Morgan Tsvangirai has called for a full investigation into the human rights abuses that took place at Chiadzwa diamond fields in Marange, Manicaland province last year.

Addressing a two-day Mining Indaba in Harare on Thursday, Hon. Tsvangirai said the tragedies that took place in Chiadzwa and other places cannot be repeated.

“We must, as a Government, investigate, in an open and transparent manner, any human rights abuses that took place so that the innocent victims receive justice and to ensure that the protection of our people is paramount in this new Zimbabwe,” he said.

The Zanu PF government last year unleashed hundreds of soldiers into the diamond fields to curb illegal mining but ended up killing hundreds of innocent people in the area.

The army is still maintaining a grip on the rich diamond fields despite calls by the international diamond watchdog, Kimberly Process, for their withdrawal.

President Tsvangirai said mining was a capital intensive, highly technical and a long-term business.

“As Government, our philosophy is that we should be a regulator of this industry but more importantly, a facilitator to investment. In this regard government will support the industry through the creation of a world-class investment environment,” he said.

He said he welcomed the opportunity to work with all stakeholders to ensure that our country receives necessary benefits.

“As a young man, it was in the mines of Zimbabwe that I learnt the value of hard work, teamwork and goal setting. I am proud of this aspect of my life and, in the trials of recent years, I have often fallen back on the lessons I learnt during that time,” he said.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai also said it was necessary for the country to benefit from the country’s minerals.

“In a nation so fundamentally rich, we must ask ourselves if our nation and our peoples are benefiting fully from the presence of these minerals and, if not, what environment is required that will see optimum benefits to the State, the people and the investors?,” he said.

“We must also acknowledge that many of the problems that we have faced historically and continue to face today are home made. There is no international conspiracy against the people of Zimbabwe or any sector of the economy.

“The sooner that all the parties that comprise this inclusive Government accept this fact and start dealing with the real causes of the challenges facing our nation, the sooner that we will be able to deliver real change to the people of Zimbabwe.”

MDC dismisses parallel government reports

The MDC dismisses mischievous press reports alleging that the Prime Ministers office has set up a parallel government with its staff earning salaries of at least $7 000 per month while the rest of the civil service is earning salaries of $140.

For the record, Hon Tsvangirai is the Head of Government and there is no way he can form a government which is parallel to the one he heads. It is inconceivable that the Prime Minister can create another government apart from the one he is in charge of. It is inconceivable that the Prime Minister’s staff complement of 11 people out of an estimated 350 000 civil servants can be said to constitute not just a “government”, but a parallel government for that matter. Out of the 11 employees, only three have had their contracts formalised by the Public Service Commission. The real scandal is not the speculation and lies that the Prime Minister’s staff is being paid salaries from the World Bank. The real scandal is the attempt by the Public Service Commission to undermine the Prime Minister’s Office by failing to formalize the appointment of staff in the Office of the Head of Government.

This scandal is an attempt by Zanu-PF, through its sidekicks, to undermine and soil the image of the Prime Minister’s office through falsehoods and fiction.

The only shadow government is being run by a known civil servant in the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity who continues to peddle hate speech in the public media and to sow divisions by maligning ministers and officials of the inclusive government.

Instead of shadow hunting, we urge certain quarters of the government to start using important space in state media to provide answers to issues of the abuse of rule of law, violence and stability in an attempt to deliver real change to Zimbabweans.

The MDC is a party of excellence. We are concerned with improving the lives of the people of Zimbabwe who have invested their hope in this inclusive government. We want to restore the people’s dignity, security, democracy and freedom, prosperity and hope.

MDC in Government

Finance Minister Hon Biti stops abuse of IMF funds

Finance Minister and MDC Secretary-General, Hon.Tendai Biti on Wednesday said he had blocked possible the unprocedural use of International Monetary Fund (IMF) aid allocated to the country under a global assistance agreement for member states hit by a global crisis.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Hon. Biti dismissed as “rubbish” reports in the State media that he had written to the IMF rejecting $510 million in IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) extended to Zimbabwe because the country has external debts of about $5.7 billion.

“That is rubbish. I did not block the aid,” he said at the press conference, which he had called to address what he called the unjustified excitement over the IMF allocation.

“What I blocked are efforts to unprocedurally convert and to liquidate the SDRs into cash,” Hon. Biti said.

Hon. Biti said it was common knowledge that Zimbabwe was broke and had no foreign reserves, and that the economy was struggling to get off the ground after a decade in crisis.

“This is the net position of Zimbabwe. And so we have to use any money that we get very carefully, under a proper fiscal plan,” he said.

Hon. Biti said he had recommended to Cabinet that the inclusive government uses the IMF allocation mainly to rehabilitate Zimbabwe’s dilapidated infrastructure, including roads, water resources, telephone and electricity network.

MDC in Local Government

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Chombo blocks appointment of senior council official

Gutu – The Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, Ignatius Chombo is meddling in the affairs of the Gutu Rural District Council, in Masvingo and has blocked the appointment of a substantive chief executive, Innocent Matingwina on allegations that he is sympathetic to the MDC.

The rural council interviewed Matingwina for the post on June 23 and approved him chief executive and his name was forwarded to Chombo`s ministry for approval.

However, Chombo instructed his permanent secretary Erastus Negonga not to process Matingwina`s papers as Chombo preferred one Makonya from Bikita who is a known Zanu PF member.

Makonya had failed to make the grade after attending an interview at the council headquarters.

“Chombo has stooped so low because he is causing confusion here. How can a minister sink so low?

“The whole move is meant to dilute the MDC dominance in the council. We do not have a substantive CEO because of Chombo. Last week he bulldozed five special interest councillors from Zanu PF into the council. He wants to impose a CEO for us,” said a council source.

Police order workers to go back to work

Zvishavane – Heavily armed police officers and suspected Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives have descended on the mining town of Zvishavane and are forcing striking Shabanie Mine workers to go back to work.

Nearly a 1 000 workers of the mine have been on strike for the past two demanding their unpaid salaries for the past eight months.

However, the armed police details supported by CIO operatives this week established a base at the asbestos mine and are forcing people to report for duty.

“They are forcing people to report to work and all men who are seen walking in the workers’ compound at anytime of the day are beaten up,” said Alois Zhou an employee at the mine.

Zhou who is also an MDC councillor for Zvishavane Town Council said he and two other MDC councillors, Modercai Masotsha Moyo and Pardon Mushipe were this week arrested and taken for questioning for over 12 hours by the police.

“All we want is to be paid our salaries that we have not received for the past eight months,” said Zhou.

Political violence cases increase across the country

Incidences of political violence by Zanu PF hooligans against MDC supporters are on the increase across the country.

In Mt Darwin North, Mashonaland Central province, two MDC activists from Kapiripiri village have fled their homes after receiving death threats from Zanu PF supporters, whilst others are sleeping in the bush during the night and only return to their homes during daylight fearing abductions.

Rebecca Chavhunduka, the MDC district chairperson for Mt Darwin North and Paul Chamboko, the MDC Ward chairman for Kapiripiri Ward received death threats from Zingange Makabhichi, a Zanu PF councillor. Headman Kudzanai Mutemamombe, a Zanu PF youth chairman gave the two MDC activists 24 hours to leave the area or risk disappearing forever.

In fear for their lives, the two decided to leave their homes and are staying with relatives in Bindura.

The three Zanu PF members said they were acting on the orders of one army Colonel Zonge who last year was co-coordinating Zanu PF’s rein of terror during the one-man presidential run-off election.

Also in Bindura Town, Zanu PF’s losing councillor for Ward 3, Mathias Machiridza and a group of eight Zanu PF youths, assaulted three MDC youths from Kingstone Farm for participating in a clean up campaign that was organised by MDC councillors in Bindura.

Machiridza accused the MDC youths of continuing to campaign for the MDC and participating in programmes to celebrate the MDC victory.

Peter Kasongonya of Tsvekesu village, Ward 2 in Maramba Pfungwe in Mashonaland , was left for dead after he was assaulted by Zanu PF youths last Saturday.

He sustained serious head injuries after the youths pelted him with stones claiming that he should surrender his MDC membership and join Zanu PF.

“They only let me go when I had passed out as they thought I was dead,” he said.

“I reported the case to the police and they advised me to go to Mtawatawa hospital before they could open a docket for his case”, Peter Kasongonya said.

In Mwenezi, Masvingo province, fear has gripped the entire community following the setting up of military base at Nuanetsi ranch.

Villagers who spoke to The Changing Times Online said the range, which lies in Mwenezi West is owned by the Minister of Defence Emmerson Mnangagwa and some Zanu PF heavyweights and it was harbouring fully armed soldiers whose mission was sinister.

The villagers also said the soldiers were intimidating people in the area.

“The range has become a no go area. We suspect the soldiers have a hidden agenda. They also often frequent the local villages intimidating people for no reason,” said one villager.

The MDC has been receiving daily reports that Zanu PF is setting up bases across the country in order to intimidate people ahead of the Constitution-making process.

Zanu PF would like to impose the discredited Kariba draft on the people instead of letting Zimbabweans come up with their own Constitution.

Quote:

“In a nation so fundamentally rich, we must ask ourselves if our nation and our peoples are benefiting fully from the presence of these minerals and, if not, what environment is required that will see optimum benefits to the State, the people and the investors?” said Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai .