The United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee has warned of new targeted U.S. sanctions on Robert Mugabe’s government if there is no progress toward political power-sharing.
In an interview with reporters, Ambassador McGee said he saw no easing of conditions until President Robert Mugabe starts to act in good faith on power-sharing with ,the President of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
He said despite the economic crisis, including runaway inflation, Mr. Mugabe has been able to funnel money to key allies and maintain their support, and that getting him to yield powers will not be easy.
“He has made it clear that he is not easily going to give up power here in Zimbabwe,” said McGee. “SADC, the Southern African Development Community, clearly came out with statements saying that there should be a unity government, there should be power-sharing, and Mugabe has pretty much said that Morgan Tsvangirai would never sit in a government here in Zimbabwe with any true power.”
But he nonetheless insisted that international sanctions targeted against Mugabe, family members and close associates, have had real impact. He made clear the Bush administration is ready to move on further sanctions in the absence of a political breakthrough.
“We have additional sanctions that we are prepared to roll out, if this political impasse continues,” said McGee. “Right now we continue to look carefully at what is going on here in the country. And we feel that unless something does happen in the very, very near future we have no choice but to become more, difficult, tougher, on our sanctions.”
The U.S. envoy said there will no reductions in the U.S. humanitarian aid program to Zimbabwe, which is well in excess of $200 million a year.
McGee creditedthe government for easing financial and travel curbs on non-governmental organizations trying to distribute aid in the countryside, but said he was alarmed by conditions he observed on a recent trip to Harare from South Africa.
“It is grim,” he said. “It is very, very grim. There are a lot of people standing around, doing absolutely nothing. There are a lot of distended bellies out there among small children. A lot of people picking non-nutritious foods from trees, trying to find anything to eat. When you pass through villages, it is a total look of hopelessness on the peoples’ faces there.”
And MDC will preach that there are NO sanctions on Zimbabwe with straight faces. IDIOTS!
ZANU(PF) is not Zimbabwe. You fools always want to think that Mugabe and his few hangers on are Zimbabwe. What is this nonsense that sanctions against ZANU(PF) are sanctions against Zimbabwe? Its only the imagination of fools like you “mukoma pedzi”, a CIO agent who thinks that the few ZANU(PF) maggots represent the 12million Zimbabweans. Why does Mugabe want to travel to Europe in the first place. Its simple, he wants to do shopping to impress his bitch Grace and Chiwenga’s bitch Jocelyn. Now they cant shop easily. Just watch next year when South Africa goes full swing with elections. Thats when you shall see how difficult life shall be for ZANU(PF)
mugabe’s stooges,cronies ……………………..hell fire is coming
Hamusati manyatsokwata vanhu veZimbabwe. Kana makwata muchataura against maSanctions iwayo. Problem is most people who like them are in the diaspora so do not feel the heat. Mati madii henyu.And you continue to say there are no sanctions. If they are travel bans, then they want to ban them kechingani? Use your brains mhani and Learnmore. Munoramba kuti hakuna asi ivo ana nyakuisa masanctions havasi kuramba. nxa!!!
‘mukoma pedzi November 21st, 2008 6:25 am’ – You are a very silly person if you still do not understand that the sanctions talked about are targeted very specifically at Mugabe and his cronies. We don’t want him or his like anywhere near us, not in Europe or the US, or Botswana…… A pity the African ‘brothers’ couldn’t also stick up for the poor of Zimbabwe who are being annihilated by their own leader, rather than the ‘brothers’ who systematically pillage the country and stack their millions of ill-gotten dollars in overseas banks……
To those who keep on about MDC supporting sanctions against Zimbabwe, read the article below from 7 years ago:
http://www.zimbabwemetro.com/politics/tsvangirai-vows-to-beat-mugabe/
It’s very disturbing and sad that most Zanu PF followers still do not understand what the sanctions are all about. And of course we have Mugabe to blame for that. He’s been brainwashing his followers for so long that they now all think the whole world is against Zimbabwe. Blaming the sanctions have been his perfect cover to hide all his illegal operations. We all know that the sanctions target specific looters and launderers in the Mugabe government, and with the Mugabe family being on top of the list.
Faraway , you’re very far away from reality…Its’s you who’s naive & brainwashed by Western propaganda …The whole of africa knows that Zimbabwe is under economic sanctions that have caused untold suffering to the ordinary people…Sadc, Comesa, Au have all roundly condemned them ..For the first time the western sponsored MDC-T acknowledged this in article iv of the GNU deal that the illegal sanctions, declared and undeclared have had a ruinous impact on the nation’s economy…The puppets conceded that their own supporters are under economic sanctions..Therefore Faraway don’t be an absolute idiot who still denies existence of economic strangulation on zimbabwe when leaders of his party now admit exactly what they really are….Oops! let’s hope you’ll not say mdc-t and mdc-m were trapped to agree to this clause.!!!!
According to the Politibull they are Zimbabwe. They want ’sanctions’ removed so that they can bank in Switzerland, shop at Harrods, visit their kids in western universities and get treatment in France UK, USA etc. Zimbabwe to them is the money spinning workshop and they want to enjoy it somewhere else. Iam Smith was a racist but he used Gvt money to build himself, his kinsman and us Africans hospitals so that all could get treatment in their own country. People were healthier even though oppressed. Now people are oppressed and sickly and hopeless. Talk about independence, Independence for the politibull and their whore wifes with insatiable appetite for luxury. The level of corruption in our country is synonimous with lunatics milking a cow thats not feeding.
Fungai, naPedzi muri ma dicha. Muri miswe yemakonzo chaiyo. Blinded from reality by these thieves.Muri vananzvi ve musuri
There is a clique that refused to accept the electorate’s 3/29 verdict; that beat, tortured, raped, abducted and heinously murdered the electorate for daring to pass that verdict; that prevented relief food from reaching the starving electorate. This is the very clique that is now shedding crocodile tears, lamenting about sanctions hurting the same electorate. What an impressive change of heart!
In life never be moved like Mugabe
Never give up like Tsvangirai.
Grab opportunities like Mutambara
Strive to grow like inflation
When they chase you away, keep coming back like the zeros
Pedzi uri dutyu remunhu,kuzadza dehenya nemadhodhi uchi**** pfungwa.
ana pedzi tinyararirei there is a distinction between zanu pf and zimbabwe pane minda yamakatora chii chabuda ko iyo south africa zvayavakuramba norubatsiro haasi masanctions here iwayo .
You know what , we have real issues in zimbabwe and it will be difficult to find a way out. A gnu will only do so much but for how long? What i see is a polarisation of ideas and beliefs. On one hand you have the liberation sons and daughters of zimbabwe who clearly stand for zimbabwe to be in charge of its destiny-understand how sanctions operate-know who the real enemy of zimbabwe is-will not give in to foreign bullying and hence the popular vote for mugabe in March even though he lost the parliamentary elections by a margin of 1 seat to mdc-t.
On the other we have those who just want to have accesss to jobs and get their minimum wage atbthe end of the week. These are the die hard mdc supporters and they will not listen to common sense. You can give them facts until you are blue in the face but they will still not budge because they belong to a different generation.Most now reside outside the country and have access to foreign influence and media garbage that they do not respect their own institutions back home.We are now too divided to ever be able to work together.We have now joined the ranks of congo-rwanda -kenya-uganda and becoming one of the nations of instability. From now on the logical progression is the formation of more and more different parties within zimbabwe in the name of democracy and that really spells the end for us. You can tell straight away with the emergence of zapu again after all these years.
All this fuss will come back to haunt us.Cracks will soon appear and as zapu gathers momentum there will also be the ethnic feel to it.We had managed to overcome ethnic divisions in zimbabwe but zapu you always felt had something up their sleeve.Now is their moment to make a move because most attention is on mugabe and morgan at this hour.The zapu move is the one that we will all feel in the long run.To begin with , it will divide zanu pf and also weaken mdc-t and mdc-m. The ndebeles do not like to be run by shonas. They have never wanted that.They only ever voted for any party that was not zanu pf in matland. Look at morgan with all their support but sadly he will have to lose it all now.Mutambara too may suffer.
Disillusioned voters also have to consider Mavambo the dead projetc because it may rise again at some point with some unhappy zanu pf heavies who will lose out in the GNU deal.The future is tasty and i hope you are all prepared for the ride.The best thing is just to focus on your own family and do whats best for them.Politicians will not solve your problems-you have to bring food on the table. The only way zimbabwe can turn around is if you make the effort.All this criticism of the country should end.The truth also is that morgan will not rule on his own if maybe that is what you are after.This country is now under shared ownership from now on.Even puppets have been allowed a stake in our country..we are now sharing with the british represented by the mdc.
**** i**** chete, ZANU PF is the mother of all hell, they need pple’s vote but not the pple
Rape, murder, destruction of properties & belongings is the order of the day- the so called CIO manipulate everything for the Octogenarian & he pays them handsomely with public money
Never be woodwinked by the so called sanctions, these guys are mega thieves. Imagine if the opposition controls the Police force, everyone in ZANU PF will be locked up & they will never let go this potfolio.
so the sayings goes” **** I****”
anyone can go to newzimbabwe today and read the headline there-but be warned because pane picture ye black mamba…look at those sexy eyes …scary stuff!!!!! wozoti kushata plus no o level ..hondo inenharo.I dont know who took that photo but it loks like the mdc leaders face. is it true that is morgan’s face?
Soon it will be zanu pf trapped us with Homeaffairs..last week it was finance and yet he was the one who cried for it…mbwende.
iwe Jon musoro wako unotenderera sebhora ,uri **** yemunhu nekuda kwako zanu ikoko
Scarface still believes that everyone who went to war and came back has Zimbabwe in mind. You are day dreaming. The people who are fighting for Zimbabwean’s downfall has always be ZANU(PF) people with Mugabe at the helm. If Mugabe likes Zimbabwe, why does he send ZANU(PF) maggots’ children to schools and universities outside Zimbabwe. Why does he get treated outside Zimbabwe. Why does he bank his money outside Zimbabwe. Why does he spend more than 365 days outside Zimbabwe since his rule. Its simple, Mugabe and ZANU(PF) fight for personal satisfication and nothing more.Fidel Castrol, a true hero under true sanctions, will never be treated in another country. He will never send Cubans to outside schools. And Scarface you want to equate Fidel Castrol’s revolutionary zeal to thieves like Mugave. If they had Zimbabwe at heart as you parrot Scarface, then Mugabe should have accepted defeat in March. He was defeated hands down but still hangs on unashamed and then talks of patriotism. Mugabe is a mafia leader thats all. And these are the last days of the mafia. Look at how all those close to Mugabe are sufferering from HIV, George Charamba, Gideon Gono, Patric Chinamasa, Chiwenga, Chihuri, etc are all HIV including Grace and Mugabe himself. Garce was sleeping with Kuruneri and Makamba before Mugabe punished them after discovering that he is sick. Look at Mugabe achikwenya pamberi pake most of the time. Yaora. The blood of innocent people is crying. God told this to Cain in the Bible.
The West imposed smart sanctions on ZPF. In retaliation, ZPF blocked the food that the West had sent in to feed ordinary Zimbabweans.Thus any further tightening of targeted sanctions on ZPF will see the regime putting more punitive measures against Zimbabweans. In short, ZPF’s response to smart sanctions is to make the electorate part of the ‘collateral damage’ by turning them into a human shield.This is what ZPF means when it says sanctions ”are hurting our people.”
The MDC recognises this suffering in the GPA.
Peter Maputi and Learnmore are celebrating economic sanctions imposed on their own mothers and fathers vakavabereka……Uku ndiko kukonya chaiko manje!!!! Zvandikona izvi………….
……..by the way ,peter and learnmore do your parents in Zim know that you’re celebrating economic sanctions imposed on them????
HARARE – A bomb blast, the second this week, has hit Harare central police station, shattering windows and damaging halls.
There were no casualties reported as a result of the blast which occurred some minutes before 8 pm on Thursday.
It is the second bomb explosion to hit a Harare police station in less than four days.
Highly placed sources have revealed Thursday’s bomb blast occurred on the third floor of the central police station block which houses the investigations section.
On Monday evening, a similar blast hit the police CID headquarters at Morris Depot and damaged a toilet while shattering windows in the eastern wing that houses the CID Scenes of Crime section.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed that incident.
However, efforts to reach him for details of Thursday’s incident were unsuccessful.
But a senior police officer who cannot be named as he is not authorized to talk to the press told The Zimbabwe Times Friday morning that police were still trying to figure out the motive behind both the bomb blasts.
“It seems it was a very powerful bomb,” he said of Thursday’s explosion. “Walls were damaged and some bricks fell off as a result of the blast.
Expect a lot more of this to happen.
The wheels are coming off.
fungai. Do you know the difference between targeted and economic sanctions. Try looking them up to help you understand that your baboon and certain individuals of his pathetic party are under targeted sanctions and not the country.If you were under economic sanctions then South Africa would have closed its doors to you a long time ago.Can you prove to us that you are under economic sanctions and show us the evidence to support your suspicions.
BOMB HERE BOMB THERE —MR BABA YOU WAIT TILL THE NEW ANTI TERROR LAWS ARE IMPOSED -MUCHATI BABA. ALL THESE DISSIDENT ACTIONS WILL COME TO NOTHING. YOU SEEM TO BE THE ONLY PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE TERRORISM. I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOUR MASTERS -WHAT DO THEY REALLY THINK? IF THEY THINK TERRORISM APPLIES IN ZIM THEN I WILL LAUGH MY HEAD OFF. MAKAIONA HERE MESSAGE YAKA PIHWA MUKOMA OBAMA RECENTLY…HONDO YACHO KANI..MUCHANZI STATE OF EMEGERNCY MHA AND THATS IT.
THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN DISSIDENT ACTIVITIES WILL PAY THE PRICE LATER. SOON WE WILL GIVE MORGAN HIS BELOVED HOMEAFFAIRS BUT BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. MABOMB ACHO ANOZOITA EVEN WORSE.
IWE BABA IMI your foolishness is beyond reason. you spend the whole day in front of the computer writing ****.what do you gain and who pays you? these so called targeted sanctions are not what they seem. it takes the educated mind to understand that. The BRITISH and their friends failed to convince the United nations to impose blanket wide sanctions on zimbabwe , so they opted for the evil unlawful sanctions under the guise of targeted sanctions to bypass the united nations.united nations under people like Kofi anan was and still is a toothless bulldog.They are just put there as puppets to serve the interests of the United states and britain.
anyways i dont want to talk anymore about sanctions -what good will it do? what is the point? the fact is people are suffering right now and they need help.Morgan has given the gvt 2 months to fall. He thinks he will claim the presidency then -hostage democracy style . good luck to him.**** all this mdc crap-my family comes first.
land should be given back to its rightful owners the white farmers-fact ot fiction?
black empowerment should be scrapped-fact or fiction?
zimbabweans should have 51% stake in the resources of the country -fact or fiction.
The ministries are too many -fact or fiction.
Now all you mdc spooks , i need you to discuss these issues in a very intelligent way. prove to me that you have o levels at least better than your leader. please let me know your positions on these issues.
good luck!!!
breaking news ——————————breaking news
THE complaints lodged by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party led by Morgan Tsvangirai over the drafting of Constitutional Amendment Number 19 Bill are unfounded as it is the prerogative of the State to draft legislation, according to the Permanent Secretary for Information and Publicity and Presidential spokesman, George Charamba.
Charamba pointed out that Amendment Number 19 Bill will not only cater for the creation of an inclusive government, but some other outstanding constitutional issues that are outside the scope of the current power-sharing talks between the MDC formations and the ruling Zanu PF party.
He added that the drafting of such other clauses cannot be left to any other body except a government body.
“Constitutional amendments are initiated by Government through the responsible ministry,” said Charamba adding that “production of the draft of Amendment Number 19 Bill is, in fact, the duty of the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and they are fulfilling this mandate.”
Charamba said the document that was drafted by the MDC-T will only remain an opinion and will be considered during the 30-day window period when the Bill is presented for discussion and scrutiny, at which stage any inconsitencies will be debated and rectified.
He added that Government will not be hampered by anyone in the discharge of its constitutional role.
“Any other draft existing anywhere on earth, in heaven or in hell can only be an opinion that can only find relevance at an appropriate stage. No one will hamstring Government from discharging its constitutional role,” added Charamba.
“The substance of Amendment 19 is not singular. It piggybacks several outstanding constitutional issues with the creation of executive offices being but one of many issues. Constitutional issues arising from Zanu-PF and its two political interlocutors is not the matter but rather it is only one matter. Let there be no narrowing of the agenda.”
The other issues that are incorporated into Amendment Number 19 are believed to pertain to the Zimbabwe Media Commission, citizenship laws, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Committee on Standing Rules and Orders.
Charamba indicated that the content of Amendment Number 19 Bill will be guided by the outcome of the discussions between the two MDC formations and Zanu PF – discussions which started almost two years ago and culminated in the signing of a power-sharing agreement on September 11.
He said the complaints from the MDC-T party are ‘needless’ as sections pertaining to the power-sharing agreement will reflect the discussions concluded, in some instances “word for word”.
He said the draft amendment derives from the agreement already signed and the MDC-T’s “views are known and spelt out in the agreement”.
Charamba said President Mugabe had stressed that only a draft that reflects what was agreed by the principals and negotiators will be acceptable.
“President Mugabe has been most insistent that the spirit of tripartism, which animated the whole process, must be upheld; that the role of the office of the facilitator as the conduit for document circulation and as a platform for consultations and negotiations should be respected,” said Charamba.
In an interview with the Zimbabwe Guardian yesterday Charamba stressed that the Bill will reflect the outcome of the discussions by all parties to the power-sharing agreement.
scarface
THIS week there was an announcement that a ‘group of Elders’ was planning on visiting Zimbabwe to assess the extent of the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Many reports have been issued on the crisis in the country.
The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) issued a report this month saying “very poor availability of maize seed will delay and limit planting for the 2008/09 agricultural season” and that this would lead to severe food shortages in the country.
The report also stressed that “Forecasts predict an increased likelihood for below-normal to normal rains over key cropping areas … resulting in low yields.”
“The pace of commercial and humanitarian imports into Zimbabwe needs to accelerate if the country is going to bridge its cereal deficit in the current marketing year,” added FEWSNET.
“Very poor availability of maize seed will delay and limit planting for the 2008/09 agricultural season. Forecasts predict an increased likelihood for below-normal to normal rains over key cropping areas … resulting in low yields.”
FEWSNET recommended that “The pace of commercial and humanitarian imports into Zimbabwe needs to accelerate if the country is going to bridge its cereal deficit in the current marketing year.”
The Global Fund approved US$169million for Zimbabwe’s fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The cholera epidemic was covered extensively in both independent and state media showing the extent of the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Zimbabwe activated the Civil Protection Unit, its national disaster response agency, to help open cholera clinics and provide public information to combat the epidemic. The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have also been assisting in the provision of safe drinking water.
As we publish this piece, the UN is asking for a record US$7 billion to help 30 million people in Africa and the Middle East. John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, at the Consolidated Appeals Process launch in Geneva on 19 November, said this money was needed to “keep people alive” and avert humanitarian crises in Africa and the Middle East.
Kenya, DRC, Burundi, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan (Darfur), Burkina Faso, Uganda, etc all need food aid. The World Food Programme has increased assistance in all these countries with Zimbabwe alone set to receive 500-million-dollars and 350,000 tonnes of grain to millions in the country.
As we commemorated World Food Day on 16 October 2008, global forecasts estimated that the world economic slowdown was going to push 100m people into poverty, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It is therefore clear that the situation in the region is one of grave concern.
In the case of Zimbabwe, more action (not rhetoric) is now needed to avert the crisis. Talking of increasing sanctions when millions are being driven into poverty and death is irresponsible global governance.
Zimbabwe does not need any more people to visit and assess the humanitarian crisis in the country; especially in the form of Elders. The WFP and the UN Humanitarian Affairs office have done a sterling job of identifying the crises in the country. Urgent action is now needed.
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been privy to many reports before on the country, but he chose to not use his good offices then to deal with the crisis in the country. The humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe and the region is not new and Mr Annan knew about this crisis all along. There is nothing more to assess. Action is now needed to rescue millions from starvation.
In any case, Mr Annan still has to finish the work he started in Kenya – a country which is also facing a serious humanitarian crisis. Millions in that country are facing starvation and malnutrition and millions of children are dying on the streets of Nairobi.
The country is still reeling from the effects of the presidential election violence that killed 1,300 people and drove 300,000 from their homes.
We urge the former UN chief to finish off reading the Waki Report, the result of an official inquiry into the bloodshed in Kenya, which accused 10 unidentified senior individuals in the Kenyan government of systematically planning murderous tribal attacks, before he can concentrate his efforts on the Zimbabwean crisis.
mugabe hausati,uchasura zvako
Zimbabwe army guns down 12 people searching for diamonds
An army helicopter shot and killed at least 12 impoverished Zimbabweans as they scrabbled in the earth looking for diamonds.
The group were gunned down as they dug for stones in the ground in the latest brutal attack under Robert Mugabe’s regime.
The security force raid was backed up by an armed support unit and mounted police in a bloody night battle in which dogs were also speared to death and a horse died from its injuries.
One man escaped after falling into a cave as army sharp shooters sprayed the d****s with automatic fire in an alluvial diamond field, in a tribal area, about 20 miles north east of Mutare, near the Mozambique border.
The 38-year-old from Harare, who used to work in the plastic industry in Harare until 10 weeks ago, quit his job because the central bank limited daily cash withdrawals which meant he could not buy enough food to feed his family.
Like many thousands before him in the last 18 months, he headed to Zimbabwe’s south east and made what he considered a small fortune digging for diamonds.
“The lights were on us which made it difficult to hide,” the diamond d**** said. “The dogs were let loose on the people and when police realised people were killing the dogs with mugwara (iron bars used for diamond digging) then the police began firing live ammunition.
“People started running, some climbed in trees, and army guys in the helicopter started shooting at the people below.
“Some fell from the trees. The people then started killing the dogs and a horse was also killed and several policemen were injured.
“There were bodies scattered all over the place, some were injured and some were dead with their intestines hanging out.
“I ran over the dead bodies, that’s when I fell into a cave and I remained there for eight to ten hours.”
He said he thought 16 were killed that night, another d**** from Harare who was also there said 14 died.
An estimated 10,000 people were there at the start of the raid before fleeing, police went through the pockets of both the injured and the dead – taking their stones and money.
Ko macomments angu haasi kupostwa sei, Mr Editor? I thought you were fair and balanced and that you do not publish propaganda from anyone whether its propaganda from Zanu PF or MDC-T or MDC-M?
Kusaziva kufa vana veZimbabwe! Read for yourself and make up your own mind.
************************************************
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
***********************************************
The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (S. 494) is an act passed by the United States Congress which sanctioned Zimbabwe for its involvement in the Second Congo War and the government’s unwillingness to make the transition to democracy
*****************************************************
From Whitehouse.gov
******************************************************
Statement by the President
Today I have signed into law S. 494, the “Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001.” This Act symbolizes the clear bipartisan resolve in the United States to promoting human rights, good governance, and economic development in Africa. My Administration shares fully the Congress’ deep concerns about the political and economic hardships visited upon Zimbabwe by that country’s leadership. I hope the provisions of this important legislation will support the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to effect peaceful democratic change, achieve economic growth, and restore the rule of law.
Section 4(c) of the Act purports to direct the executive branch to oppose and vote against the extension of loans or the cancellation of debt in international financial institutions unless and until I make a certification or national interest determination. I am concerned that this provision burdens my constitutional authority in the area of foreign affairs to conduct negotiations and cast votes in international organizations. I will construe the provision as being subject to my exclusive authority to negotiate or vote in international financial institutions.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 21, 2001.
********************************************
From CNN.com November 15, 2008 — Updated 1303 GMT
*********************************************
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistan’s government has agreed to a $7.6 billion aid deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan’s top finance official said.
The IMF endorsed Pakistan’s homegrown program after a review and agreed to the aid package to be paid out overtwo years to help Pakistan meet short term financial needs, including balance of payments, said Shaukat Tareen, the finance advisor to Pakistan’s prime minister.
“The only thing which we debated was the interest rates,” Tareen said. Pakistan agreed to a two percent interest rate, he said.
Pakistan expects to receive the first installment before the end of the month with further payments spread over a two-year period, according to The Associated Press.
The loan will be used to bolster Pakistan’s dwindling foreign currency reserves amid concern that a run on the Pakistani rupee could force the country to default on its international debt, AP said.
The U.S. sees nuclear-armed Pakistan as a crucial regional ally in the so-called “War on Terror” and is concerned that economic instability in the country could undermine the government in Islamabad’s efforts to counter insurgents in the semiautonomous northwestern tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.
The United States is tightening financial sanctions against the government of Zimbabwe. President George W. Bush issued an executive order that will increase the number of individuals under sanctions, make it easier to target companies connected to government leaders; and give U.S. authorities the power to impose sanctions on the spouses and children of top Zimbabwean officials.
The sanctions are in response to clear signs that the government of President Robert Mugabe is not serious about restoring democratic freedoms. The blatant rigging of the March parliamentary elections showed that the government has contempt for democracy. The destruction of tens of thousands of low-income homes – the so-called Operation Murambatsvina showed that the government has contempt for Zimbabwe’s people.
U.S. sanctions are not aimed at the general economy and do not impose an economic “blockade” on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean firms not connected to government leaders are free to do business with American firms; Americans firms are free to invest in and trade with Zimbabwe, so long as they avoid business deals with top officials. Moreover, the United States will still provide humanitarian aid and help Zimbabwe confront the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Since 2002, the U.S. has provided more than three-hundred-million dollars of food assistance to Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans should not suffer because of the crimes of their leadership.
The government of Zimbabwe is lying when it blames the country’s economic collapse on sanctions. The economy is collapsing because of government corruption, mismanagement, and the undermining of the rule of law. In Zimbabwe today, government cronies get farms while food prices are soaring. Ruling party insiders get contracts while fuel is in short supply. Government ministers take trips abroad while inflation eats up salaries of ordinary people.
Zimbabwe, says President Bush, “has not been a good case study for democracy in a very important part of the world.” The suffering of the Zimbabwean people will not end until Zimbabwe has a real political dialogue and accountable, transparent government.
The government of Zimbabwe lies a lot, everyone knows that. But anyone who says there are only targeted sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe is also a liar. Here are the reasons why:
The suffering that you see right now in Zimbabwe is mainly because of Zanu PF corruption, greed and selfishness. BUT the suffering of innocent Zimbabwean people is compounded by sanctions targeted at ruining the economy.
Any decent independent economist who is honest will tell you that sanctions are compounding the situation.
In black and white its written in the ZiDER Act that the US will oppose any financial support to the Zimbabwean Government from the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank. ZiDERA is targeted at the Reserve Bank by preventing it from managing the economy like any other central bank in the world. For example, look at the case of Pakistan which is borrowing 7.5B to stabilise its currency. Zimbabwe can not stabilise its currency like Pakistan by borrowing from the IMF because the US would oppose that. If the currency (Zim dollar) is unstable the dollar will devalue, which causes all imports to sky-rocket, which causes inflation and a thriving black market, which further causes the dollar to devalue, so its a vicious cycle. Its like a nuclear reaction out of control. Lets also not forget that loans from IMF are not ‘aid’ as such because they are loans. The global economy as it is was created by IMF in such a way that poor countries and developing countries open their markets without fear of running out of forex because the IMF will always be there to provide forex loans in times when those poor countries are experiencing low inflows of forex. That facility is called ‘balance of payment support’ and is not available to Zimbabwe but is available to other countries, for example, Pakistan.
So, the point I am making in simple terms is that the sanctions written in black and white are targeted at ruining the economy. Who suffers when there is inflation and devaluation? Ordinary people of course because they can not steal money from the Reserve Bank like Bob and Gono.
I support MDC and I want Tsvangirai to be President instead of Bob. But, I carry out my own researches in order to find the truth. I wish every Zimbabwean could do the same. Read vana veZimbabwe. Kusaziva Kufa!
mhofu-pamberi nechokwadi.
AS the country struggles to extricate itself from close to three
decades of President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF’s dictatorship which is
associated with gross human rights violations, any new political order
should deliver justice to victims of the state.
International law requiring punishment of atrocious crimes and, most
critically, international pressure for compliance can provide important
counterweight to pressure from Zimbabwe’s ruling elite responsible for the
Matabeleland and the Midlands massacres, the June 2008 burning to death of
opposition activists at Jerera growth point in Masvingo province, and other
heinous criminal activities.
I want to argue that when prosecutions are administered and
undertaken, pursuant to the provisions of international law forbidding acts
such as genocide, crimes against humanity, torture and war crimes, they are
less likely to be perceived or opposed as acts of revenge.
In my view, it is easy to believe that prosecutions that come after
the fall of a dictatorship are politically motivated when a decision to
institute them is a matter of unbridled discretion; justice is readily
mistaken for vengeance hence the need to deliver justice to Zimbabweans
under strict provisions of international law, such as the provisions of
Convention Against Torture and some aspects of domestic law which forbid
torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of citizens.
It has been mistakenly argued that amnesty laws may be necessary to
mend social divisions because, in my view, amnesty laws are not the only way
of achieving reconciliation in troubled countries such as Zimbabwe where the
rule of law has been sacrificed in pursuit of unbridled thirst for power by
President Mugabe and his ruling elite.
There are other means to pursue reconciliation in Zimbabwe without
allowing impunity to be celebrated. I want to point out that amnesty laws
can be used to promote reconciliation in post-Mugabe Zimbabwe, provided they
do not cover atrocious crimes which domestic and international laws require
states to punish.
Those in Zimbabwe, the region and the international community
struggling to end the country’s political and economic woes should
appreciate that international human rights law require States to punish
certain crimes committed in their territorial jurisdiction. Zimbabwe, under
the Zanu PF dictatorship, should be no exception and amnesty laws should not
be invoked to cover up years of rampant human rights abuses in the country.
Several human rights treaties which form part of international law
such as the Convention Against Torture to which Zimbabwe is a party, as well
as the United Nations Charter, require state parties to criminalize
particular abuses such as genocide and torture, investigate violations and
seek to punish wrongdoers. These treaties make it clear that a state party
fails in its duty to ensure the cluster of rights protecting physical
integrity if it does not investigate violations and seek to punish those who
are responsible.
I know and accept that people in Zimbabwe will legitimately accuse me
of writing under the comfort of the United States when I make these views
but I remain convinced that in the case of Zimbabwe, I would prefer to
suffer longer under Mugabe’s tyranny in the hope of a fully satisfactory
political outcome, than to make progress through untidy promises.
I am of this view because it is important for the country to exorcise
the ghosts of the Zanu PF administration by laying bare the atrocities
associated with it through a proper and independent investigation, and the
prosecution of serious crimes against humanity to the fullest extent
possible, so that future generations will not be haunted. The rich, poor,
powerful and weak should be equal before the law and this cannot happen when
there are elements in the security forces and the ruling elite who think
that they can continue to get away with murder for the rest of their lives.
Zimbabwe needs its political leadership to be accountable to its
misdeeds in order to create a law-abiding culture in the country. It is
important to have such critical, complex and in some respect controversial
circumstances in order for future political leaders in Zimbabwe to respect
the call to act responsibly when they assume the leadership of the country.
More so, that kind of accountability will make political players
instil in their supporters respect for the rule of law, allow the security
forces to realise their constitutional mandate and desist from operating
like militias and political commissars of rogue political leaders.
Zimbabwe is currently littered with numerous cases of impunity because
of the total disregard for the rule of law that is supported by the country’s
ruling party. In order to return to law and order there is need for those
responsible for gross human rights violations to account to the justice
system in order to heal those whose fundamental rights were violated.
In my view, beyond taking criminal proceedings against human rights
violators in the country in order to promote reconciliation, not the type
Mugabe promoted in 1980 which was not statute based but rhetorical, a truth
commission which strives to investigate past human rights abuses; provide an
official forum where victims of Zanu PF and security forces’ abuses and
perpetrators alike can tell their stories and offer evidence and prepare an
authoritative report that documents the events, makes conclusions and
suggest ways in which similar abuses and atrocities can be avoided in
future.
The findings and recommendations of such a body should be made public.
I say so because Zimbabwe is littered with commissions of investigations
including the Chihambakwe and Dumbutshena one into the Matabeleland and
Midlands disturbances whose findings remain hidden at State House while the
victims of that sad chapter in the history of the country still wait for
justice.
Any post-Mugabe truth commission must make recommendations for
reparations to be given to the victims of state organised murders, violence
and abuses, which must take the form of cash payments, pensions, free access
to health care and psychiatric treatment, or public memorials and national
remembrance days. But beyond that, efforts should be made to seek
compensation from the perpetrators such as senior government and ruling
party officials and security forces, rather than relying on government
alone.
Even if amnesty could be exercised, like in the case of South Africa,
it should not be unconditional. In order to foster a democratic society, no
person should be given amnesty unless he or she applies for it, makes a full
disclosure of the crimes, and establishes that the crimes were committed
with a political objective. In this regard, wrongdoers and hardliners within
the political establishment in Zimbabwe who fail to follow this course
should be prosecuted.
Both the international human rights law and international humanitarian
law demand that people responsible for gross violation of human rights
should be held accountable for their crimes. For this reason, the granting
of unconditional, blanket amnesty would be unacceptable and should be
avoided in Zimbabwe.
In the case of Zimbabwe, Parliament should be allowed to exercise that
role. This is because Zimbabwe has seen numerous amnesties by the present
government which have benefited the perpetrators of violence rather than the
victims. Some of the people that have benefited from Mugabe’s self-styled
amnesties since independence should be behind bars.
If Zimbabwe is to return to democratic legitimacy, any new government
or political order after Mugabe should further respond to human rights
violations by adopting laws which bar certain categories of former
government officials and party members from public employment. Such measures
would not be new to Zimbabwe; they have worked well in post-communist
governments in Europe and Latin America.
It is argued that a successful transition to democracy demands the
removal from public institutions of individuals who may have taken part in
violating human rights. Such elements are rampant in the country’s public
service particularly in the security forces. Those who are making peace in
Zimbabwe should not forget the plight of the regime’s victims. They are
waiting for justice.
*Pedzisai Ruhanya writes from the University of Minnesota Law School,
USA.
/
Saturday, 22 November 2008 19:51
THE country’s first commercial bio-diesel plant, commissioned amid
pomp and fanfare last year, is operating at less than five percent capacity,
investigations revealed last week.
Workers at the gigantic plant in Harare – once touted as the panacea
to the country’s perennial – said they were producing “a few hundreds of
litres” of diesel and cooking oil a month.
They attributed the false start to an acute shortage of Jatropha,
cotton seed, sunflower, soya beans and maize to produce diesel and cooking
oil.
When standardbusiness visited the plant just before midday on
Thursday, the plant with a capacity to produce between 90-100 million litres
of diesel annually was silent.
“For the past year, we have been using cotton seed for the production
of diesel and cooking oil but it has run out,” said a worker speaking on
condition that he was not named.
“We can’t use maize or soya beans because there is hunger. People need
them for food.”
At least 500 tonnes of seed oil is required annually to produce the
targeted 100 million litres of bio-diesel.
“We have to wait for the Jatropha seedlings to mature otherwise we are
wasting our time,” said another worker.
It takes between two and three years for a Jatropha seedling to
mature.
The worker said when the fuel is available at the plant anyone can buy
using foreign currency. He said initially they were selling the diesel for
US$1.35 a litre, but the price was being reviewed following the drop in fuel
prices globally.
Only one of the tanks was said to be full of diesel, which was being
sold in foreign currency.
Most of the fuel, the workers said, was being sold to the Reserve Bank
of Zimbabwe (RBZ), which was heavily involved in the setting up of the
plant.
Edward Madyavanhu, finance and administration manager of Transload
Enterprises – a company that manages the plant – refused to comment
referring all questions to the company’s managing director, Douglas Musiiwa.
Musiiwa could not be reached for comment.
During the plant’s commissioning last year, government officials said
it would meet 10% of Zimbabwe’s annual diesel requirements, which translates
to foreign currency savings of US$80 million annually.
RBZ Governor Gideon Gono said the central bank has set aside funds to
support a Jatropha feed stock growing programme.
“Under the programme beneficiaries of Zimbabwe’s land reform programme
will receive support to grow Jatropha on marginal land as the country works
towards its target of achieving fuel self-sufficiency by 2010,” said Gono.
He also announced government would set up one bio-diesel plant for
each of the provinces by 2010.
However, the project seems to have stalled.
RBZ spokesperson Kumbirai Nhongo did not respond to questions emailed
to him last week.
Experts however say there is need to guard against diverting
productive land and food crops to the production of biofuels at the expense
of regional food security.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says over five million people will need
food aid at the beginning of next year.
Saturday, 22 November 2008 20:03
THE revival of PF Zapu, now in full swing in Matabeleland, is likely
to weaken both Zanu PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in
the region if managed properly, analysts said last week.
They said politicians who joined the country’s two major parties from
the former liberation movement that was swallowed up by Zanu PF after the
signing of the Unity Accord had only sought a temporary political home.
Zanu PF, which is still smarting from its worst electoral performance
in history, is battling a serious rebellion from structures mainly in
Matabeleland where calls to break away from the unity accord continue to
gather momentum.
Although the ruling party has played second fiddle to the MDC in the
restive region since the opposition entered the political scene in 1999, it
has won a number of constituencies in previous elections. It had also
maintained structures in all the provinces with offices mainly taken over
from PF Zapu.
Analysts said if PF Zapu was revived, this could result in the total
collapse of Zanu PF in Matabeleland.
“The split is definitely going to erode both Zanu PF and MDC-T support
in Matabeleland but the ruling party will suffer the most,” said Jethro
Mpofu, a Bulawayo-based analyst.
“If you look at the former Zapu people, there are those die-hards who
took a break from politics after the signing of the Unity Accord and joined
the MDC at its formation, and those who went to Zanu PF with reservations.
“The Zapu revivalists have a chance to tap into all those groups. So
if carried out properly the revival will create a new political force,
especially when those who are expected to form a unity government continue
dilly-dallying.”
Negotiations to set up a unity government between Zanu PF and MDC are
currently stalled over the distribution of ministries and the dispute looks
set to spill over to next year. The PF Zapu revivalists led by former Home
Affairs Minister, Dumiso Dabengwa, say they are not happy with the September
15 power-sharing agreement between the two major parties.
The re-launch of the party that was once led by Vice-President Joshua
Nkomo has been greeted by mass resignations of senior Zanu PF officials in
Matabeleland and the Midlands. But Cont Mhlanga, who was part of the Zapu
2000 that rattled Zanu PF with calls for the review of the Unity Accord,
said the revival of the party was ill- timed.
“It is good to see that there are people from Zanu PF who have finally
responded to people’s calls to pull out of the accord which did not benefit
them,” he said. “When we started Zapu 2000 these politicians said we were
lost and now I am wondering if it was a matter of us being nine years ahead
of time or them being nine years behind.
“The bottom line is that they have to answer questions like what were
they doing in Zanu PF all along.”
Gorden Moyo, the director of Bulawayo Agenda, fears the revived party
might suffer the same fate as Simba Makoni’s Mavambo/Kusile project as its
backers would find it difficult to shed the Zanu PF tag.
“Their names are tarnished and their credentials are tattered,” Moyo
said. “I think they will face many hurdles because we saw that with people
who tried to revive Zapu in the 1990s and were not tainted by Zanu PF, but
still they found it very difficult.
“Already we have two parties calling themselves Zapu led by Agrippa
Madlela and Sikhumbuzo Dube.”
Makoni, who was viewed as one of the few popular leaders in Zanu PF,
performed badly in the presidential election where he came behind MDC’s
Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe.
Analysts blamed Makoni’s poor performance on his links with Zanu
FORMER South African president Thabo Mbeki has cancelled a meeting of Zanu PF and the two MDC negotiators he had called to discuss Draft Amendment Bill Number 19, after a snub by the MDC lead by Morgan Tsvangirai.
Draft Amendment Number 19, which formalises the posts of prime minister and two deputies was written by Government and submitted to the facilitator, Mbeki who called for a meeting of the main parties to dicsuss its contents.
A report in teh Financial Gazette (FinGaz) newspaper revealed that on Tuesday Mbeki asked the negotiators to converge in Johannesburg for a meeting that was scheduled to be held yesterday to deliberate on the Draft Amendment Bill made available to him by the authorities in Harare, but the MDC resolved to boycott any further Sadc initiatives until the regional body addresses what the party regards as “critical outstanding issues”.
According to the FinGaz, “sources in Pretoria said Mbeki, who was eager to have a new government in Zimbabwe as early as possible, reluctantly postponed the meeting to next Monday after being informed that the MDC’S chief negotiator, Tendai Biti had prior engagements in the United States.”
“The facilitator had invited the Zanu PF and MDC negotiators to Johannesburg for a meeting, which was supposed to take place today (Wednesday), but he has deferred it to Monday after MDC-T said its chief negotiator will not be available,” sources were quoted by the weekly.
The same sources told FinGaz that Biti had indicated he would only be available either on Monday or Tuesday next week.
“Biti, however, told The Financial Gazette that MDC negotiators would not attend the Monday or any further meetings involving the power-sharing agreement until SADC rescinds its resolution and shows ’seriousness’ about resolving the Zimbabwean crisis.
“Our national executive council rejected the SADC resolution that the three political parties should form a government. So we are not meeting anyone as we have a problem with the SADC resolution,” said Biti.
“We cannot legitimise an illegal and ill-conceived SADC resolution by meeting anyone in South Africa. As MDC negotiators, we have no mandate to meet anyone in South Africa on any SADC business as the SADC resolution was rejected by the party’s national executive council. I repeat we are not meeting anyone,” he said.
Biti denied asking for the postponement of yesterday’s meeting until Monday on the pretext that he was travelling to the USA. “It’s just a blue lie. I am not going anywhere. I am in Harare and will be in Dotito while they meet in South Africa. The truth of the matter is that we are not going to that meeting. We have stated our position and we are not going anywhere and are not meeting anyone,” said Biti.
FinGaz says it is reliably informed that both Zanu PF and MDC-M strongly believe the Tsvangirai camp and particularly Biti, is deliberately sabotaging the talks. “SADC leaders know our position and that we are committed to the power-sharing arrangement, but pretend not to know,” said Biti, denying any intention to sabotage the negotiations.
After its national executive council meeting last Friday the MDC-T said it would only enter into a coalition government only after the Constitutional Amendment Number 19 has been passed into law and other six allegedly outstanding issues have been ironed out, including the issue of the appointment of the 10 provincial governors and other senior government officials such as permanent secretaries and ambassadors.
Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga, the deputy secretary general of the MDC-M, confirmed they were due to meet yesterday, but the meeting had been moved to next week. “Yes, we were supposed to meet sometime this week in South Africa, but the meeting has been postponed to next week,” said Misihairambwi-Mushonga.
“The purpose was to look at draft Amendment Number 19,” she said.
Priscilla Misiharirambwi and Mutambara your boss are chancers vakomana. I forsee zanu loosing its greep now and they have made a lot of enemies, it will be difficult for them to go on their own and form a government. Mutambara will not help the process as well, there cannot be a government withouth Tswangirai whether you like it or not zanu idiots. We will never give in mabenzi ezanu we are focused we want to reclaim Zimbabwe.
reality news stop lying to the masses and to your self, you know how MDC was formed from the ZCTU, Tony Blair was not involved in any way there. Just leave out party alone we don’t interfere in your thug way of handling issues and day light robbery in zanu. So don’t tell us about Tony Blair and MDC. The majority of Zimbabwean voted for Morgan you idiot.
Both Zanu PF and MDC are to blame on the situation in Zimbabwe.Zimbabweans are just unfortunate people to have leaders who do not have people at heart.
Cabinet is extremely concerned about the political impasse that is creating a humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. The reported outbreak of cholera in parts of that country is a clear indication that ordinary Zimbabweans are the true victims of their leaders’ lack of political will and failure to demonstrate seriousness to resolve the political impasse. The Government is disappointed to note that political interests have taken priority at the expense of the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.
South Africa calls on the leaders of Zimbabwe to take urgent steps to finalise the amendments to their constitution, the allocation of the remaining Cabinet posts and the formation of a representative Government without any further delay and before the situation of ordinary Zimbabweans degenerates any further. No amount of political disagreement can ever justify the suffering that ordinary Zimbabweans are being subjected to at the moment. Like SADC, South Africa would like to see a political settlement sooner rather than later so that the region could start focussing on the most urgent measures needed to rebuild Zimbabwe’s economy.THAT’S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, son of the soil
F**CK sanctions! This old man requires some sterner measures. haanzwi!!!! didnt he say it himself, “zimbabwe cant be taken by a pen when it was got by a gun” or some such stupid statement, i dont even remember the exact words. I go back to Morgan’s statement “if you wont go peacefully……” i mean hapana imwe iripo yekutamba.
muchazozvigaya too late mofa nemanyoka eCholera. think how vulnerable we are paying and receiving Gono’s worthless notes, i wash my hands thoroughly after counting a brick of that stuff. chete you can’t be vigilant at all times in all places, no one is safe guys. and we still wanna talk and hope for more sanctions against Bob and cronies!!!
THAT NIGGA SCARFACE NEEDS SOME SERIOUS REHABILITATION, UM TALKING MENTAL TREATMENT. CAN’T BLAME HIM THOUGH. HE MUST ALSO BE BENEFITTING FROM THIS ROT SOMEHOW- MU YOUTH WE ZANU. A$$H0LE!!!!