* Friday, 26 June 2009*

*Major Highlights ***

10th Anniversary celebratory rally Gokwe Centre on Sunday 28 June 2009.

Burial of Senator Patrick Kombayi on Saturday 27 June 2009 in Gweru at 2.00
pm.

*The provincial consultative meetings to facilitate the writing of a new people-driven Constitution started in earnest on Wednesday with the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Lovemore Moyo, saying the Kariba Draft would not be shoved down the throat of the nation.* *On Wednesday, five provinces namely Harare, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Mashonaland
West held the consultative meetings.* *The other five provinces, Matebeleland North, Midlands, Masvingo, Bulawayo and Matebeleland South will hold their meetings of Saturday.* *Thousands of people from different walks of life and organisations, including churches, human rights groups, women, youths and the disabled attended the meetings.* *Hon. Moyo’s comments came
as Zanu PF was recommending that the 2007 Kariba Draft be recommended as the working document in crafting the new Constitution.* *“Let me assure you that the process will be people-based, people-centred, people-led and therefore people-driven. * *“It is public knowledge that there are those who wish to prescribe what views Zimbabweans should have but it must be restated that the GPA speaks to the fact that it is the fundamental right and duty of the Zimbabwean people to make a Constitution by themselves for themselves.

* *“However, it must be noted that any individual or organisation are free to submit their preferred document to the sub-committee during the national outreach after July 13,” he said.* *Addressing hundreds of delegates attending a hearing in Harare, Hon. Douglas Mwonzora, the co-chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the new Constitution said “the Constitution-making train is leaving station and I want you to be on board.”
*

Hon. Mwonzora said all draft documents, including those produced by churches, the MDC and the National Constitutional Assembly would all be considered.

Addressing a press conference soon after an extra-ordinary national executive meeting in Harare on Tuesday, MDC deputy Secretary-General, Hon. Tapiwa Mashakada, said the party rejected any attempts to have the Kariba Draft adopted as the “Alpha and Omega of the Constitution-making process.

“We believe in a truly people-driven Constitution-making process where the unfettered will of the people must be reflected,” he said.

*High Court frees MDC Director-General*

*

The High Court today granted bail to the MDC’s Director-General, Toendepi Shonhe. This was after High court judge, Justice Felistas Chatukuta, dismissed an appeal by the State denying bail to Shonhe who was arrested last week on trumped-up charges of perjury.

Shonhe was last week granted a US$500 bail at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts but the State invoked Section 121 of the Criminal and Procedure Evidence Act which nullified the bail.

The seven days of the invocation expired on Thursday and the State was attempting to block Shonhe’s release by making an appeal at the High Court.

“I have considered all the submissions and I am more inclined to agree with Mr Alec Muchadehama that there was no misdirection by the magistrates’ court in granting the accused bail,” said Justice Chatukuta. “Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed.”

*The Prime Minister’s office *

*
Prime Minister, Hon. Morgan Tsvangirai is expected back home at the weekend.

*France** worried by human rights situation in Zim*

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Thursday told Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister, Hon. Morgan Tsvangirai in Paris, France, that the international community remained concerned about human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. “The international community remains concerned about the rule of law in Zimbabwe and about security, media freedom and respect for private property,” Mr. Kouchner told Hon. Tsvangirai.

“The monopoly of the State in the media is no longer tenable,” he said, urging the creation of independent newspapers, radio stations and televisions.

“An independent judiciary should go hand in hand with the State’s respect for the rule of law,” Kouchner said, hailing Hon. Tsvangirai for helping fight world record inflation in Zimbabwe by scrapping the Zimbabwean dollar.

Hon. Tsvangirai was in France on the last leg of a tour that has taken him to Britain, the USA, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium. In response, Hon. Tsvangirai told Mr. Kouchner during their meeting that “Zimbabwe is changing” following the formation of the inclusive government.

“After four months we have peace and stability. There is progress and I would be the last one to say everything is rosy. The concern you have is accepted, is a legitimate concern. The media are going to reopen,” he said.

*MDC in Government *

*Businesses challenged to exploit opportunities brought by the inclusive government *

The deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Thokozani Khupe, has challenged the business community to fully exploit opportunities brought by the inclusive government and expand their businesses. Speaking at a three-day Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC)
Bulawayo Chapter business forum, Hon. Khupe, said the businesses should also form bilateral and multilateral partnerships in order to survive. “The intertwined nature of our economic, social and political survival is a means of necessity and we should form bilateral, multilateral partnerships domestically, regionally and internationally in order to grow our businesses”, she said. “The impetus to trade lies squarely with you captains of industry and commerce to exploit fully and expeditiously all trading opportunities”.

Hon. Khupe also urged the business community to change its pricing system since the nation was now using multi-currency system.
“Now that trading and currency conditions have changed, may you please get out of the Zimbabwe dollar mentality and accept normal mark-ups and profit margins,” she said.

She added that the government was making efforts to address issues impacting the business community as well as to create an environment in which businesses can prosper.

*MDC in Parliament*

*Saturday 27 June 2009*

* *

*0800: Church service*

* *

*1400: Burial*

* *

*Senator Kombayi to be buried on Saturday*

The MDC will on Saturday join the Kombayi family in giving a hero’s send-off to the late MDC Midlands South provincial secretary, Senator Kombayi. Senator Kombayi, who died last Saturday after battling for 19 years with gun-shot wounds inflicted during the State sponsored violence of 1990, will be buried at the Kombayi homestead on Saturday at 14.00hrs.

The MDC national executive, at its extra-ordinary meeting in Harare on Tuesday, resolved that Senator Kombayi, a liberation war hero, was a people’s hero and his contribution to the nation cannot be contested.

Hon Kombayi, who was the party’s provincial secretary for Midlands South, was a living testimony of the barbarism of State-sponsored terrorism.

The MDC Acting President, Hon Thokozani Khupe will give the keynote address at the burial.

Senator Kombayi was an icon, a democrat, a liberation war hero who will be sadly missed by all in his fight for a truly liberated Zimbabwe.

Mourners are gathered at Nova House, Lot 61/62, Umusungwe Block, Ridgemont, Gweru.

* *

*MDC in Local Government *

*The late Gweru Mayor was a champion for democracy: Chamisa *

The late Gweru Mayor Farai Desmond Mupfunde has been described as a man of the people who always stood for people’s rights and democracy. The late Mayor of Gweru, who died on Monday at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare, was buried at Mtapa Cemetery in Gweru. He was 60 years old.

Speaking at the burial of the Mayor, Hon, Nelson Chamisa, the MDC national spokesperson, said Mayor Mupfunde during his time as the Mayor of Gweru had shown a sterling performance yet working under very strenuous conditions.

“This was shown among other challenges when he tried to work very hard to tackle the cholera outbreak that had hit the nation late last year and this year,” said Hon. Chamisa, who gave a keynote address on behalf of the MDC President, Hon. Morgan Tsvangirai.

The cholera outbreak killed over 4 000 people and was only contained this year when the MDC joined the inclusive government.

“The City of Gweru and the country at large have lost a great man. However, it is sad that he failed to arrive to a new Zimbabwe, which he had worked tirelessly for,” Hon. Chamisa told over 2 000 mourners.

Mayor Mupfunde was born on 10 June 1949 and was elected mayor of Gweru last year when he won the March council elections for Ridgemond area. He joined the MDC at its formation in 1999 and speaker after speaker described the late mayor as a humble and dedicated MDC cadre who had fought hard for democracy.

His death was a serious blow to the people of Gweru as it followed hard on the heels of the death of the Gweru-Chirumanzu Senator Patrick Kombayi on Saturday.

Clr Mafunde is survived by his wife, Rosemary, four children and four grandchildren.

* *

* *

*Programme mooted to assist victims of violence*

A programme to provide psychological and physical support to MDC members, who were affected by political violence unleashed by Zanu PF militia and State security agents, last year, has been launched in Masvingo province.

The programme is being held under the banner, Heal Zimbabwe and a workshop was held in Masvingo Town for widows and widowers of political violence from various districts in the province.

“This programme is part of a national healing process. The first stage is to assist widows and widowers.

“In the first phase we will pay school fees for the children and we will also give the spouses of the deceased, blankets and kitchen ware among other things.

“In the second phase we seek to help those who lost property and houses in helping them in recovering from the violence, by assisting them in repairing their homes and restocking their livestock where possible,” the director of the programme said.

He said a similar programme would be held in all districts that were affected by political violence last year adding that the programme was part of the national healing process.

Over 500 MDC activists were murdered by Zanu PF supporters assisted by State security agents following the defeat of Zanu PF by MDC in the March 29, 2009 harmonised elections.

Thousands of MDC activists had their homes burnt, property and livestock looted during the bloody political violence period.

*Abduction of Mukoko was illegal *

* *

A State prosecutor on Thursday conceded that the manner human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko was abducted by State security agents, was illegal.

The 53 year-old former news reader, has taken her case to the Supreme Court, seeking a permanent stay of her prosecution.

Mukoko, the director of Zimbabwe Peace Project was among 40 MDC and civic society activists including two-year Nigel Mutemagau, who were abducted by State security agents in pre-dawn raids at their homes late last year.

Other abductees were; Concilia Chinanzvana, the MDC provincial Women Assembly secretary, 72-year old Fidelis Chiramba, Zvimba South district chairperson, Chris Dhlamini, the MDC director of security, and Gandhi Mudzingwa, the former personal aide of MDC President, Hon Morgan Tsvangirai.

Advocate Jeremy Gauntlet who was representing Mukoko along with lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, had told the court that Mukoko’s rights had been grossly violated, including by being denied medication and a lawyer, and by being kept in solitary confinement. She had also been tortured.

The state also conceded they did not dispute Mukoko’s evidence and had not questioned the security agents who had abducted her.

Asked by the bench if Mukoko statements were accurate, Maxwell said the allegations as they stand, and if proved, were a clear violation of the three rights in the constitution. These are the right to liberty, the protection of the law and the right to freedom from torture.

The court reserved judgment on the matter indefinitely.

* *

*Quote: *”*After four months we have peace and stability. There is progress and I would be the last one to say everything is rosy. The concern you have is accepted, is a legitimate concern. The media are going to reopen,” said Hon Morgan Tsvangirai in Paris.***