‘Zimbabwe Today’ by Robb WJ Ellis (10-01-2008)

Isn’t it handy to know that Gono has potentially got a list of all of the politicians that are running the ‘cash barons’, and yet Mugabe and his comrades are reluctant to call for that list or any evidence that the Reserve Bank chief may have? Probably, as you and I both know, the list of politicians has the ability to unseat Mugabe and his government.

Now Gono says he is able to name the politicians that are behind the theft of newly ‘minted’ bearer cheques. I says ‘minted’ because bearer cheques are just printed on normal paper and have no security features. What a way to run a country!

“Zimbabwean police officers have failed to arrest the big guns who are allegedly behind the theft of the newly-introduced Z$250000, Z$500000 and Z$750000 denominations of the country’s currency for fear of political interference.

Trunk loads of the newly introduced bearer cheques, with an estimated total value of Z$1 trillion, were reportedly smuggled out of Fidelity Printers in Harare days before the money was introduced into the market by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono.

Sources within both the central bank and Fidelity Printers, who printed the money, told The Zimbabwean the theft was the work of a well knit syndicate involving top politicians belonging to the ruling ZANU PF party and other high ranking officials of Fidelity Printers.

The money was smuggled into Zambia three days before it was introduced into the Zimbabwean banking sector, but was intercepted in Zimbabwe‘s northern neighbour, while being distributed on the street parallel market there.“

What do you suppose the Zambian authorities will do? Mwanawasa was recently shouted down by Mugabe in a meeting in Lusaka. Any chance that the Zambian police may work in collusion with the RBZ? I don’t think they have much choice, do you?

Mugabe’s reach is much further than his own international borders.

“However, several trunk-loads of the cash, running into billions, had already been distributed in exchange with the Z$200 000 note, which was meant to be phased out.

“The were intercepted by RBZ Surveillance Unit officers, who were deployed there after the governor (Gideon Gono) had heard about the smuggling. More than 10 people are in custody after they were found distributing the cash, but those who employed them were not arrested. The RBZ authorities have also put a tight lid on the case for fear of stepping on protected toes” said an RBZ source.“

We saw this reluctance to follow through in investigations when the female cash barons was caught between Christmas and New Year – when, although she was able to provide evidence as to the identity of her RBZ contact, his case was chucked out of court and he was allowed to go free.

Justice in Zimbabwe is not for the rich and powerful, who use their influence in the country as an immunity to any prosecution. That, and their affiliation to the ruling party and Mugabe’s office…

“Gono has also blamed the country’s thriving parallel foreign exchange on ” politicians, politicians, politicians”.

Gono said he was prepared to name those only involved, but only before a parliamentary committee. He challenged the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee to summon him to give evidence. However, the committee has surprisingly said that it is not in a hurry to summon Gono to a hearing over the matter.“

Not before it papers over and few cracks and puts its own house in order.

In an attempt to quantify 1000%, I thought I might use the visitors’ stats for this page. On average I enjoy anything between 200 and 250 unique visits to this page each day (it may not seem a lot, but I am more than happy). If I was to experience a 1000% increase in visits, this page would have a quarter of a million people visiting every day!

“Government has moved to stave off another crippling strike by awarding teachers a 1000 percent pay rise, with immediate effect. With schools set to open in a few days a strike by teachers looked likely given the country's galloping inflation. In November last year teachers served notice they would strike if their Z$15 million per month salaries were not reviewed. Under the new pay structure a junior teacher will earn a gross salary of Z$260 million. This is broken down into a Z$150 million basic, Z$78 million transport allowance and Z$30 million in housing allowances. Senior teachers will earn in the region of Z$330 million. Additionally, transport and housing allowances will be exempt from tax.“

Now, these figure may look huge on paper (the screen, sorry…), but in real terms they do very little to alleviate the teachers’ lifestyles. And these are people who, unlike politicians in Zimbabwe, do not live in the lap of luxury. These people have overheads, which soon take care of any disposable income.

And these are the people that are dedicated to educating the next generation!

“Although the figures and percentage increase look spectacular, one teacher interviewed said the increases would do little to protect them from the harsh reality of a hyperinflationary environment. The two major unions were heading for a showdown with government over their demands for better wages. A series of strikes last year got their salaries raised to Z$15 million but within weeks that figure actually made them far worse off. The new offer of a 1000 percent pay hike is almost exactly what the unions had demanded. The problem is, from the time the demands were made in November up to now, prices of basic commodities and services have gone up massively. And salary increases in an inflationary environment do nothing more than lead to higher inflation.“

And inflation – at a rate now no longer released to the public, but gauged in excess of 25000% – will take care of any good that the increases will give. And very simply, the market will react to the injection of so much money into the teaching sector’s back pocket, and prices will rise in the market yet again.

It is a continuous cycle. A continuous, self-defeating, self-fuelled cycle.

“Teachers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. With a corrupt government intent on plunder and incapable of managing the economy, there is little they can do.“

One of the big stumbling blocks in the ZANU PF/MDC mediated talks – more on them later – is the date of the elections.

ZANU PF are adamant that they will take place in March. The MDC wants them moved to June.

ZANU PF have all their ducks in a row. They are ready. They have spread their threats and intimidation, the voters’ roll is suitably re-engineered to reflect a ZANU PF victory, the constituency boundaries have been reworked to allow maximum ruling party benefit, and their youth militia, war veterans, police, army and air force are all ready…

“Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party is planning mass demonstrations later this month to press for the postponement of elections that President Robert Mugabe insists will be held in March, sources told ZimOnline.

The MDC, that is in talks with Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF party, wants elections moved to June to allow democratic reforms and other legal changes the two parties might agree at the talks to have effect on the ground before voting can take place.

The demonstrations are planned for January 23 and could be the first real test to Mugabe's commitment – he has previously banned public protests by the opposition – to opening up democratic space ahead of the key presidential and parliamentary polls.“

I will never understand the want of the MDC to give such public notice of their intended protests. This will result in re-run of last March’s violent encounter with pro-Mugabe forces, that put Tsvangirai and many others in hospital.

And emergency medicine in Zimbabwe is fast becoming a distant memory…

“The demonstrations are planned for 23 January in Harare. Mass mobilization is on,” said a source, who added that the MDC wrote to the police on Tuesday this week requesting permission to hold the demonstrations.“

Although the POSA regulations have allegedly been relaxed (though I do not think that they have been signed into law as yet…), the police can refuse the request if they believe that violence will follow. The police are aware that violence will be the order of the day – as they themselves will be the aggressors, but I somehow think that the protest will be allowed, so that the ensuing violence can be blamed on the opposition – giving Mugabe enough excuse to point an accusatory finger at the MDC claiming that they are a violent party…

“Police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka said he was unable to comment on the matter because he was yet to be briefed about the request by the MDC to hold public protests.

“But if their letter (requesting permission to protest) is with the police, then no problem. We will treat it in the usual way,” Mandipaka said.“

Just what is “the usual way”?

The SADC mandate to broker talks between the ruling party and the opposition was given to Mbeki in March 2007. In January 2008 we now read that Mbeki will personally intervene.

So where has he been for the last 10 months? Who has been mediating the talks?

“Top Zimbabwe opposition officials left Harare on Wednesday for emergency talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is pushing to revive dialogue between the opposition and President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU PF party.

Authoritative sources within the MDC told ZimOnline last night that Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti, the principal negotiators for the divided MDC, left Harare for Pretoria at the express invitation of South Africa's Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi.

Mufamadi is leading Mbeki's mediation team at the talks that were initiated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) last March to push for a negotiated settlement between ZANU PF and the MDC.“

Who is Mafamadi? What qualifications has he got to mediate the talks? Apart from being the South African Local Government Minister? What pedigree does he have to mediate in talks which could, conceivably, see Mugabe’s tenure in office extended over the thirty year mark?

But, more than that, where has Mbeki been? He was the one given the mandate by SADC – and to all appearances has not been involved at all!

“Biti and Ncube left today and we believe that Mbeki is desperate to save the dialogue process which has hit a snag following deadlock in the talks,” a national executive member of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC said yesterday.

“Mbeki obviously wants to protect his legacy and he will obviously try to convince the two parties to continue with dialogue but we believe that Mugabe and ZANU PF are dragging us along the garden path because all evidence shows that he is not sincere in dialogue.“

I am amazed that it has taken Mbeki ten months to finally want to do something himself! What of the ‘breakthrough’ that he was expecting in August/September?

Why the need for the media blackout on the talks? Nothing was happening anyway!

What an unqualified, unmitigated disaster! And the people who will suffer for Mbeki’s short-comings will be the good people of Zimbabwe… so he won’t feel a thing!

To say that I am irritated by his inaction is an understatement.

Chinese fighter aircraft. Luxury motors vehicle for the top chefs in government and the armed forces. Just these two pathetic items on his shopping list are unneeded, are extravagances that the people could live without and have reduced what little money the government had (note the past tense) to virtually nothing.

Last month the government allegedly sold ZIMASCO for an extortionate amount of money. What has Mugabe done with the money? Spending it on his shamwaris and his frequent junkets around the world (well, at least where he is allowed to go…).

“The situation spells bad news for the one in seven Zimbabweans estimated to be living with HIV. A month-long prescription of Stalenev 30, a common antiretroviral drug, now costs Z$85-million, more than six times a teacher’s salary, the Herald said.

More than 90000 Zimbabweans are currently believed to be taking antiretrovirals.

Medicines against malaria, another of Zimbabwe’s biggest killers, are also proving hard to come by. Simple anti-mosquito repellents that are smeared over the body now cost an average of Z$20-million per bottle where available.“

Good darts, Mugs! Well thought out. Well executed!

“Mugabe and his ministers blame the forex crunch on Western sanctions.“

Of course he does! Do you really expect him to put his hands up and accept responsibility? Mugabe’s stock answer here…

I laughed aloud when I read this article. Of course the British government is behind the suspending of flight to/from Harare! A straight economical decision…

“Zimbabwe‘s transport minister says he suspects the British government was behind British Airway’s decision last year to stop flying to Harare, reports said Wednesday.

BA, which had been flying the London-Harare route for decades, flew out of Harare for the last time on October 28.

“I strongly suspect that the British Government had a hand in the pulling out of BA,” Christopher Mushowe said in comments carried by the state-controlled Herald newspaper.

Mushowe said the airlines country representative had explained to him that BA was having economic problems with the London-Harare route.“

I suppose Mushowe will allege that the British government were behind the withdrawal of flights by the Zambia national carrier in December?

Please! When are those that are so close and cosy with Mugabe realise that their love of the aging leader is unwarranted, unrewarded and unwanted? When will they realise that the demise of the Zimbabwean economy is down to one man and his draconian policies and regulations?

Why is it that anything that happens in Zimbabwe is the fault of the British, the Americans, the Australians? When will they get it through their thick skulls that they, and they alone, have killed a country that was once the pride of Africa?

“Mushowe said Zimbabwe‘s own cash-strapped national carrier was looking at ways to boost its fleet from its current eight planes ahead of the 2010 World Cup to be held in neighbouring South Africa.

“Air Zimbabwe will either acquire or lease modern aircrafts to meet demand,” he said. “We have talked to the Russians, the Chinese, Boeing, Airbus.“

Here’s a question – whatever became of the aircraft that was ‘seized’ in Harare which was carrying ‘mercenaries’ to Equatorial Guniea?

Take care.

‘debvhu