Rare photograph of Joseph Mwale

By Alex Bell
22 February 2012

It has emerged that the Prime Minister’s long awaited tour of the controversial Chiadzwa diamond fields included an appearance by the equally controversial ZANU PF villain, Joseph Mwale.

Mwale, a state security agent who has Robert Mugabe’s protection, is said to have been part of the security entourage during the tour last Thursday, which saw Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and other government officials visit the diamond firms mining the area.

Although the tour was also witnessed by several reporters from both the private and state media, Mwale’s appearance as part of the tour has not yet been reported on.

But SW Radio Africa was informed this week that he did make up part of the security delegation during Tsvangirai’s tour.

Some observers have said this inclusion of Mwale in the security detail was intended as an insult to the MDC-T, because he is responsible for the deaths of activists from Tsvangirai’s party.

Mwale was implicated almost 12 years ago in the brutal murder of MDC activists Talent Mabika and Tichaona Chiminya. But he continues to enjoy high level protection from the Mugabe regime, including avoiding arrest on murder charges, despite at least three different directives.

In the run up to parliamentary elections in 2000 Chiminya, and fellow activist Mabika who worked as campaign aides to Tsvangirai, were brutally murdered when Mwale, Kainos ‘Kitsiyatota’ Zimunya, and two others petrol bombed their vehicle during an ambush in Buhera.

Witnesses to the attack have told SW Radio Africa that Zimunya and Mwale threw petrol into the car and set it alight. Mabika and Chiminya were seen fleeing the car and running away “burning like balls of flames.”

In 2004 the regime charged Mwale’s co-accused, Webster Gwama, Bernard Makuwe and Morris Kainos (alias Kitsiyatota). The three were indicted on two counts of murder. Tsvangirai at the time expressed reservations over what he saw as a “token prosecution” since gang leader Mwale was being left out. He said the move was calculated to “confer future impunity by facilitating acquittals rather than ensure justice”.

In 2006 police were reportedly too scared to enforce a written order from the Attorney General’s office to arrest Mwale. That same year High Court Judge James Devitte ordered Mwale to be brought to trial for the murders. But instead of being brought to justice, he was instead promoted within the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO).

In 2009 the then co-Home Affairs Minister from the MDC-T, Giles Mutsekwa, announced that: “We have directed that all people with criminal cases should be arrested, Joseph Mwale included.” But SW Radio Africa understands that the docket relating to the Mwale case has vanished.

Meanwhile journalists who joined the Chiadzwa tour have denied receiving a US$300 dollar ‘allowance’ pay out from the Zimbabwe Mining and Development Corporation (ZMDC) which organised the event last week. SW Radio Africa was told this week that private and state media reporters all signed for and received the cash payout. But sources in the journalist community have denied that this happened.

To contact this reporter email alex@swradioafrica.com

MDC-T Director General, Toendepi Shonhe

By Lance Guma
22 February 2012

MDC-T Director General, Toendepi Shonhe, was reportedly arrested on Sunday over sensational allegations that he plotted the assassination of Smart Mesa, a member of the party’s security department.

Shonhe was arrested soon after his arrival from South Africa where, according to police, he allegedly fled when the plot was uncovered in January. MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora confirmed the arrest and said Shonhe is the one who went to the police station after hearing that they were looking for him.

It’s claimed that Shonhe hired three bouncers, identified as Skipper, Tiger and Diva, who were led by Moffat Aliseni, to kill Mesa together with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s personal aide, Dennis Murira. It’s further claimed that another official in the security department, hired to help in the plot, tipped off Mesa.

But members of the party who spoke to SW Radio Africa said there was more to this case than appeared on the surface. It was pointed out that Mesa, the alleged victim of the assassination plot, was in 2009 accused of being a CIO agent by a commission of inquiry into the assault of former MP Trudy Stevenson.

A copy of the report sent to the party hierarchy reads: “Indeed, the Commission’s attention was drawn to one member, Smart Mesa, who in its enquiry appeared to be an informer or an operative of the Central Intelligence Organization. The member stated that he is a retired officer of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

“The Commission believes that he was more than just an officer of the Zimbabwe Republic Police. He has made his way into the Party structures, to the highest levels of the Harare Province Security Department, yet nobody could explain to this Commission how he had gone from being an ordinary member of the security structures for the province, to heading it almost overnight.”

Political commentator Phillan Zamchiya blamed infighting for the whole saga. He told SW Radio Africa: “I think there are deep seated divisions within the party. I don’t know the merits of the charges at the moment but what I can say politically is that there are deep seated divisions within the party.”

“Most of them (divisions) emanate from the pre-congress conflict and it is up to the party at the moment to come up with a clear post congress, conflict management strategy, otherwise these cases will keep on recurring.” Zamchiya said: “Knowing both Shonhe and Murira as democrats” it was difficult to believe they could plot to kill each other.

“It’s quite unfortunate that the aggrieved parties are also rushing to lay charges to the police. It’s their legal right, its their constitutional right but Zimbabwe is an exception in that we all know the police, members of the security and the judiciary are highly partisan and are infiltrated by the intelligence and there is no official of high standing in the MDC who will get a fair trial.”

Zamchiya also had a warning for those in the MDC-T, telling them: “If ZANU PF sees that you are into women, they will corrupt you through women. If they see that you like money, they will corrupt you through money. If they see that you are into plots, they will corrupt you through those plots.”

Zamchiya meanwhile has told Tsvangirai, Thokozani Khupe and Tendai Biti, as the top leaders of the party, that they must help in healing the rifts. If they don’t “there will be attempts to manipulate these cases to the advantage of the ZANU PF and to the detriment of the MDC-T,” he warned.

The deputy Minister for Information, Murisi Zwizwai

By Tererai Karimakwenda
22 February 2012

The deputy Minister for Information, Murisi Zwizwai, has insisted that the MDC-T will not enter into any election without the media reforms that were agreed to by the Principals, as they are the key to a free and fair election.

Zwizwai was responding to contradictory comments made by Robert Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba, who told the press this week that the Principals had not agreed to reconstitute the boards of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), Mass Media Trust and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).

Zwizwai dismissed Charamba’s comments, saying he does not speak for the inclusive government or the Principals to the Global Political Agreement (GPA). “Charamba is one of the hardliners within ZANU PF who are so resistant to change,” Zwizwai insisted.

The deputy Minister added: “Media reform is one of the requirements for the attainment of a free, fair and unquestionable election.”

After a meeting of the principals on Monday Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, had said orders had been given to the Minister of Information, Webster Shamu, to oversee the reconstitution of the media boards. “They have to comply with that directive,” Tamborinyoka was quoted as saying.

But Mugabe’s mouthpiece George Charamba dismissed this, insisting no directive had come from the Principals “because the boards in question are in order”. Charamba also reportedly said: “There is no law that states that staffing a board is based on a political formula, MDC must go for elections, win and then appoint their board members.”

Zwizwai dismissed Charamba’s comments, saying the MDC-T will remain resolute and adamant about media reforms before any election.

Asked what the party is doing about the two FM licenses granted to ZANU PF allied organizations by the Broadcasting Authority, which is considered “illegal”, he said: “We totally don’t agree with the adjudication and licensing of players by BAZ. We demand a credible process.”

But adding to the confusion is the fact the MDC formation led by Welshman Ncube dismissed any media reforms agreed to by the principals. Spokesman Nhlanhla Dube told SW Radio Africa that agreements that include deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara are not recognized as binding because he does not represent any party. A legal battle over who heads the smaller MDC formation is still in the courts.

Many observers and media experts in Zimbabwe say the political crisis in the country has become messy, chaotic and embarrassing. This gives ZANU PF more time and space to continue their grip on power while everyone else bickers over minor issues, instead of uniting against the powers that be.

Chikurubi maximum security prison

By Tichaona Sibanda
22 February 2012

Yvonne Musarurwa is an MDC-T Harare Youth Assembly member who has just spent 9 months in Chikurubi, which she said was a ‘nightmare.’

At one time Yvonne and her colleague Rebecca Mafukeni thought they were Zimbabwe’s ‘most isolated women’ after they were held in an extreme form of solitary confinement under a ‘no human contact’ order for months. The two only got 20 minutes a day for laundry, bathing and exercise.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa’s Hidden Story program on Wednesday, Yvonne opened up her heart and said when she looked in the mirror after her release she gave thanks to God for keeping her and Rebecca alive.

‘During the first few weeks, we couldn’t cope with living in prison. Rebecca and I broke down completely. We thought we were going to die. But slowly, when we realized there were people who have been there many years before us, the condemned prisoners, we thought okay, we might make it as well,’ she said.

Yvonne and Rebecca were part of the Glen View 7 who were granted bail last week Friday by the Supreme Court, after spending 9 months in remand prison, ‘for a crime I did not commit.’

The other five are Glen View Councillor Tungamirai Madzokere, brothers Lazarus and Stanford Maengahama, Phineas Nhatarikwa, and Stanford Mangwiro. The seven were among the first to be picked up by the police after Inspector Petros Mutedza was murdered at a beer hall in Glen View.

The more the group spent time with the law and order officers, instead of homicide who investigate murders, the more they realized police were struggling to build a case against them.

‘This was a murder case but we were being interrogated by officers from the Law and Order section and this looked weird,’ Yvonne said.

The group was denied bail on several occasions by the High Court, as the judges claimed they were a flight risk.

‘That was the most shocking part, being denied bail for something you know very well you were not part of. The day the police officer died, I wasn’t even near Glen View and I only got to know how he looked like when I saw his picture in the newspaper.’

According to witnesses, Mutedza was killed in a violent clash with unknown assailants who had been drinking at a beer hall, although there had been an MDC meeting nearby. Glen View residents described Mutedza as a violent thug who would use his rank to confiscate goods from vendors.

‘The first weeks in police custody were the toughest. We were being interrogated, beaten and tortured. I’ve never felt so much pain in life before. I sustained a broken hand; lacerations all over the body and the only thing I got for all that were a few tablets of paracetamol,’ Yvonne said.

‘They said we were MDC and that there was every chance we would influence the other prisoners and clash with others from ZANU PF. This is why they kept us in solitary confinement. The conditions though were very bad. We stayed in cells that had raw sewage passing through and we cleaned that up using our bare hands. That was the most difficult part and I told myself the day Zimbabwe is free from tyranny, I will personally go to the Minister of Justice and those in charge of prisons to tell them exactly what needs to be done.’

John Robertson

By Alex Bell
22 February 2012

A leading economist has warned that the public will continue to pay the price for worsening corruption, which has been steadily rising across all sectors of Zimbabwe in recent years.

The scale of Zimbabwe’s corruption problem has featured strongly across news headlines in recent weeks, with everything from MPs being caught out in fraud, to allegations that Zimbabwe’s foreign aid dependency is fuelling high level corruption.

Most recently, an MDC-T MP who has been accused of theft of council funds was arrested this week. St Mary’s MDC-T legislator Marvellous Khumalo stands accused of squandering US$50,000 allocated under the government’s Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Government set aside a budget of US$8 million for the CDF in 2010 and the money was to be used for development projects by the legislators. Each constituency received US$50,000, but some have failed to account for it.

Other MPs also facing arrest for failing to account for the CDF allocations are Peter Chanetsa (ZANU PF Hurungwe North), Franco Ndambakuwa (ZANU PF Magunje) and Cleopas Machacha (MDC-T Kariba).

Also implicated were the Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, Sekai Holland, Public Service Minister Lucia Matibenga and Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister Douglas Mombeshora.

More corruption was then unveiled this week when a Chitungwiza Town Clerk was placed under house arrest over fraud charges. Godfrey Tanyanyiwa is facing charges of defrauding the council of over US$700 000.

Meanwhile, a detailed report on the unity government’s spending has also provided a clear picture of the level of legalised corruption in the country. The report published by the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper accused that country’s foreign aid spend in Zimbabwe for allowing corruption to run rampant.

The report, titled ‘How we aid profligacy’ shines a light on Zimbabwe’s national budget for 2012, saying that it shows the “grotesque sense of priorities of the two men (Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai) who run one of the poorest countries in the world.” This includes US$45 million on travel, and hundreds of millions for their separate offices.

“Meanwhile, ‘capital expenditure’ for secondary education in 2011 was, well, a blank. If page 207 of the national accounts is correct, Zimbabwe’s government spent precisely nothing on capital assets for secondary schools last year, an omission that was probably unique in the world,” the report reads.

The report accuses the UK International Development department, DFID, and other Western donors of filling in the gaps and funding the areas government is not putting money into, such as health and education. The report blasts this behaviour for enforcing corruption, and not actually benefiting Zimbabwe.

“By covering the cost of basic essentials that the government chooses not to fund, we risk underwriting — albeit indirectly — the monstrous way in which Zimbabwe’s leaders spend their country’s resources,” the report says.

Economist John Robertson told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that Zimbabwe’s corruption is linked to senior officials “claiming entitlement to get their hands on whatever they want.”

“They behave like its legitimate conduct and that they are just exercising the rights that come with their authority,” Robertson said.

He added: “This corruption just adds to the costs everyone else has to bear.”

Robertson said that with barely any sector free from corruption, inflation is driven higher and higher because the cost of doing basic business “always comes with another price.” He warned that the people who bear the brunt of this are ordinary Zimbabweans.

To contact this reporter email alex@swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
22 February 2012

Senior officials within ZANU PF forced several churches and all businesses in Biriri district of Chimanimani West, Manicaland to shut down last Sunday, and forced everyone in the area to attend a political rally they had organized.

Local activist Peter Chogura told SW Radio Africa that ZANU PF’s secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, Mutare Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, and Central Committee member Munacho Mutezo, addressed an estimated 400 people at the rally, telling them to victimize anyone who supports theMDCand to deny them state funded benefits.

“All the churches such as the Methodists, United Baptists and even the African Apostolic Church were closed for the rally. And all the shops at Biriri Business Center and nearby were also shut down,” Chogura explained.

He added that anyone with a car or truck was ordered to transport people to the venue. White farmers in the area were told to let all their workers go and to use their cars for transport, or they would be evicted from their farms if they refused.

According to Chogura, MDC supporters went to the rally and had to listen to these threats. Many knew that if they had refused they would be put on a list and denied inputs such as maize, seeds and fertilizer, although these inputs are supposed to be given to everyone no matter what party they support.

Chogura said ZANU PF used a gang of thugs that were bused in from Mutare to go around the shops and churches gathering people.

Forcing people to attend rallies has been part of ZANU PF’s strategy around the country for years. Unfortunately, the creation of a coalition government over three years ago has not stopped the victimization of theMDC-T and its supporters.

Zimbabweans in London protest Mugabe's continued control of the country

By Alex Bell
21 February 2012

As Robert Mugabe was celebrating his 88th birthday in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, hundreds of Zimbabweans across the Diaspora gathered to call for an end to his control of their country.

Expensive celebrations to mark the ageing ZANU PF leader’s birthday are expected to take place this weekend. He has already marked his 88th year by vowing to stay in power and insisting elections will be held this year.

Mugabe told the state run ZBC on Monday that even at his age he “can still go some distance.” He said ZANU PF would choose his successor at the right time, but he had no intention of stepping down for now.

“Our members of the party will certainly select someone once I say I am now retiring, but not yet,” he said in the interview.

In the Diaspora this sentiment has been greeted with anger and discontent, and on Tuesday Zimbabweans across the world called for Mugabe to go.

Tuesday was round two of the monthly Free Zimbabwe Global Protest, dubbed the 21st Movement, which are calling on South Africa’s government to make good on its promises to usher in a new, democratic era in Zimbabwe.

The protests, which are organised outside South African embassies and consulates around the world, kicked off last month and are going to continue on the 21st of every coming month. Protesters from around the world will be calling on the South African government to help solve the ongoing crisis as well as force ZANU PF and Mugabe to honour the Global Political Agreement (GPA). Petitions with these and other demands will be handed over every month to embassy and consular staff during the demonstrations.

In London on Tuesday, scores of people gathered outside the Zimbabwean embassy, the starting point of a peaceful march to South Africa house where a petition with their demands was handed over.

Protesters told SW Radio Africa that they have had enough of Mugabe’s grip on the country, and it is time for South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma to ensure that Zimbabwe makes a proper democratic transition.

Waving placards that said ‘Mugabe must go now!’ and ‘Zuma, Enforce the GPA!’ the singing group of Zimbabweans said these monthly protests are only the start of what they hope will be an ongoing, well supported movement.

One protester said: “We are tired of this. We have had enough. Enough is enough!”

See photographs

Douglas Mwonzora

By Tichaona Sibanda
21 February 2012

The three parties to the Global Political Agreement have so far reviewed six chapters out of 18 contained in the draft constitution, including the much talked about clause on the executive president.

Chapter 6.4.2 stated that a person is disqualified for election as President if he or she has already held office as President for one or more periods, whether continuous or not, amounting to ten years.

State media reported on Tuesday that COPAC had removed the clause from the draft. But COPAC co-chairman representing the MDC-T, Douglas Mwonzora, told SW Radio Africa the report was incorrect.

‘We did not remove anything from the draft. What we actually did was to add three words to that clause. The three words added are (under this constitution),’ Mwonzora said.

He explained that people had misinterpreted the clause as it did not seek to bar the current incumbents.

‘This is a new constitution and people speak as if it has already been promulgated. It’s still being drafted, and only when it comes into law can people see who is eligible or not.

‘We didn’t have Mugabe in mind but we specifically looked at events in Russia where a president serves two terms, goes away to become a Prime Minister. After serving one term as Prime Minister that person goes back to seek another term as President,’ Mwonzora said.

He continued: ‘We can’t just leave that area grey. We have to have limits like we have done to the Judges and service chiefs.

The MDC-T MP for Nyanga North said a meeting to review progress on the constitution went very well on Monday night. The meeting was attended by all party negotiators, including the management committee from Parliament.

In an interview with the state media Robert Mugabe heated up the rhetoric over elections saying he will definitely call them this year, while describing as ‘cowards’ politicians who say polls cannot be held until 2013. Mwonzora however said elections can only take place after a new constitution is in place.

Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu

By Lance Guma
21 February 2012

Zimpapers Talk Radio, one of the two radio stations controversially awarded a broadcast licence last year, is set to be on air by the end of next month according to group chief executive Justin Mutasa.

Mutasa said this while assessing work being carried out at the studios and offices near Mbare in Harare. Also present was ZANU PF MP and Media, Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu, along with the project architect Daniel Mandishona.

Mutasa said: “We are confident we will meet the March 31 target. We are putting final touches on the equipment and the rest of it will be in the country soon. Some of our guys are out of the country working on this and everything will be digitalised to keep with the latest trends in the broadcasting technology.”

Given the location of the station in Mbare, and that it is owned by Zimpapers, a company that runs ZANU PF controlled newspapers, the new station is already being nicknamed Chipangano Radio,  after the notorious ZANU PF Chipangano gang behind incidents of political violence and extortion in Mbare.

Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) “maintains that the awarding of broadcasting licenses to Zimpapers’ Talk Radio and AB Communications was not a milestone in diversifying the media environment in Zimbabwe, but a major setback.”

In a statement issued on Tuesday, ZACRAS said: “When the nation called for media diversity and plurality, they meant having different voices in the media industry. Awarding licenses to organisations believed to have ties to ZANU-PF  is to give the nation a dosage of the same old voice.”

ZACRAS said Zimpapers dominates the print media and, “is infamous for praise singing ZANU-PF. It is most likely that similar to Zimpapers print media publications, Talk Radio will be singing from the same hymn book in a bid to amplify ZANU-PF propaganda.”

ZACRAS called for the licensing of community radio stations to widen access to information and promote freedom of expression. “The licensing of community radios will offer communities platforms to engage in public debate, irrespective of their educational level, social standing or language,” the group said.

On the 8^th February Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his Deputy Arthur Mutambara met Mugabe at State House for two and half hours, and one of the key issues discussed was the broadcasting authority. Tsvangirai and Mutambara later issued a statement in which they said it had been agreed among other things that Minister Shamu must;

“Immediately implement the Principals’ directive to reconstitute the boards of ZBC, Mass Media Trust and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe in line with the agreed formulae. The licenses already issued by the illegally constituted BAZ board should be revoked forthwith.”

But it seems clear from the fact that Zimpapers Talk Radio is going ahead, that the coalition government is dysfunctional and that Tsvangirai and Mutambara have no power to implement any changes.

Gift Mambipiri, who chairs ZACRAS, told SW Radio Africa that ZANU PF wanted to show its coalition partners that they were ‘lame ducks’ in the government.

Dr Maxwell Shumba

By Tichaona Sibanda
21 February 2012

A wage dispute between management and workers has forced national airline Air Zimbabwe to put the resumption of domestic flights on the back burner.

The struggling airline suspended its domestic, regional and international flights in January this year following a strike by employees who were demanding their salaries and allowances, outstanding since 2009.

Last week Air Zimbabwe’s acting chief executive officer, Innocent Mavhunga, announced the resumption of limited services for four days a week from Harare to Bulawayo and Harare to Victoria Falls, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

But pilots demanded payment of their outstanding allowances first, before thinking of taking their positions in the cockpit.

‘The money issue is still to be resolved and I guess it was premature for the management to announce the resumption of flights before striking a deal with the pilots,’ a worker at the airline said.

Dr Maxwell Shumba, a political analyst and CEO of Elfama Travel Agency, said the only solution to the crisis at Air Zimbabwe was to overhaul the whole company, from management down.

‘Speaking from a business point of view, the reputation of Air Zimbabwe has been soiled to an extent that they will struggle for passengers even if they take to the skies again.

‘They need to rebrand as the name Air Zimbabwe does not sell. The name of the airline invokes bad experiences…it brings sour tastes in clients’ mouths. Look at the debacle in December when passengers were stranded at Gatwick airport. That was a shame and it left the reputation of the airline in tatters,’ Shumba said.