‘Zimbabwe Today’ by Robb WJ Ellis (07-05-2008)

“Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga on Sunday claimed that the controversial shipment of arms from China, initially blocked by South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia, was now in Zimbabwe. Responding to criticism of the shipment during a panel discussion on Iranian sponsored ‘Press TV’ Matonga is said to have derisively retorted, ‘in any case that shipment is already in Zimbabwe.’

Press TV™s ‘Four Corners’ programme hosted a debate between Matonga, Briggs Bomba from Africa Action, ZANU PF apologist George Shire and an unnamed journalist. Bomba spoke to Newsreel Tuesday and expressed his disappointment at how Angola, contrary to its official position, might have helped Mugabe™s regime get their hands on the deadly cargo.“

This is exactly what I talk about, when I say that Mugabe is allowed – and assisted – to carry out the most audacious activites, and he is never stopped from carrying out whatever it is that he is doing – regardless of what it is and at what cost – invariably to the long suffering Zimbabwean population.

This arms shipment, to arrive in Zimbabwe, would have had to be flown or driven in. You cannot tell me that someone in reasonably high circles in Zimbabwe, Angola and whatever other country the weapons were transported through, was working within the laws of the region… and was somehow magically allowed through without so much as ‘by your leave’…

This is an inside job. Mugabe and at least one other regional leader knew what was going on. At least one other government is complicit in this.

I wonder how much money changed hands – how much it cost to allow the arms through… How much does cost to double-cross an entire population?

“The Chinese ship ‘An Yue Jiang’ was carrying 3 million rounds of ammunition for AK-47™s, 1500 rocket propelled grenades and 3000 mortar rounds and tubes. Pressure from trade unions and civil society groups in the SADC region ensured the ship spent weeks failing to get permission to offload. Emerson Mnangagwa, the man in charge of Zimbabwe™s terror campaign through the Joint Operations Command, is said to have travelled to Angola and met President Eduardo dos Santos last week, in an effort to have the shipment allowed through.“

When the people start to drop like flies when the armed forces begin to use these weapon on them, we must recall at all times, that another African government has played right into Mugabe’s hands.

I am sickened that another leader, another government, have taken it upon themselves to facilitate the arming of Mugabe’s forces – to go to war against their own people. That person (or persons) will be disclosed by someone at a later date – and whoever it is, they deserve everything that they get.

“A cache of arms that was being transported to Zimbabwe was paid for with eight tons of ivory poached from elephants in Zimbabwe. This came out during the release of a report by international conservation groups on the illegal ivory trade.

Care for the Wild International, the Humane Society Institute and Save the Elephants say the bulk of the ivory that ends up in the United States (US) is coming from Africa through illegal means.

Some conservation groups say that at one point, the African elephant population was halved by poachers, and identify the Chinese as the main culprits.“

Until such time as evidence emerges in the public domain, there is not a lot that we can do about it. But we have to bear in mind that it is wrong, without any doubt, for Mugabe to use the country’s resources to purchase weapons to turn on the Zimbabwean people.

“It™s very clear to us that we need to do something about this. We would like to see Congress taking action to make the sale of ivory much tougher if not illegal altogether. We would like to see consumers developing an understanding that by buying ivory they are contributing to the potential decimation of elephant herds in Africa.“

“We are looking at our state of preparedness and only after that will we be able to say when we are ready and be able to set the polling date,” head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) George Chiweshe told AFP after a meeting of the body.

The country’s laws state that a run-off between President Robert Mugabe and challenger Morgan Tsvangirai should be held within 21 days of the publication of results of the first round, which finally happened last Friday.

“But if the 21 days are not enough we have powers to extend,” said Chiweshe, in a hint that the three-week deadline might not be respected.“

I am sure that the decision to extend will not lie with the ZEC, but will lie with the military junta and Mugabe. They will wait until the country is at its most vulnerable and then pounce.

“In comments carried by the state-run Herald newspaper, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU PF)’s information secretary said party supporters should refrain from attacking their MDC opponents.

“We are urging our people to go and campaign peacefully,” said Nathan Shamuyarira. “We are also urging the opposition to avoid violence and respect people’s lives.”

Shamuyarira said some Western governments, including former colonial power Britain, wanted to turn the southern African region into a war zone.

“They want southern Africa to be a theatre of war and confusion so that they are able to tap into our resources.“

I don’t think so. This is ZANU PF making the obligatory ‘smile for the camera’ appearance – where they have to say the right things in a pathetic effort to show that they are ‘peace loving’. (Even if I saw Mugabe in a Caribbean shirt, wearing sandals and smoking a spliff, I still would not believe that he is a man of peace…)

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