Zanu PF takes over Red Cross society in Zimbabwe
The Zanu PF regime has allegedly taken over the running of the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society in a move seen as an attempt to control food distribution in the country. According to New Zimbabwe.Com the clandestine takeover will see Mugabe’s regime benefit from money and aid coming from donors. The government is said to have been recommending the employment of government workers and ruling party supporters into the society’s influential positions.

Zimbabwe bugging bill heavily criticised at public hearing
Zimbabwe ’s civic organizations, opposition parties and business communities urged the government to drop the Interception of Communications Bill 2006, during a public hearing in Harare on Wednesday. Concerned stakeholders told the parliamentary committee on Transport and Communications – chaired by Robert Mugabe’s nephew Leo - that more extensive debate on the bill’s constitutionality was needed.

Church leaders says government has done nothing for Murambatsvina victims
15 months after Operation Murambatsvina, thousands of victims are still homeless. This is according to a report published by The Solidarity Peace Trust, a grouping of church leaders in Southern Africa . The church leaders say the government’s so-called clean up exercise has left even more people impoverished and failed to live up to its promise as almost nothing has been done to house the 700,000 displaced people.

Prices up again as Zimbabweans struggle with new currency
Less than a week after we reported that maize meal and fuel had become very scarce and prices had increased, prices went up again this week & there is confusion over the new currency introduced by the Reserve Bank. People are trying to adjust to the colours of the new notes which are not yet familiar. Many are getting the wrong change from large notes & losing money if they do not realise it before they leave the shops.

Allegations of MDC intra-party clashes in Hwange
Just days after it was reported that the two rival MDC camps had signed a non-aggression pact there were allegations Monday that the two groups had clashed over who should use the party’s Matabeleland North provincial office in Hwange. Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Tsvangirai MDC , alleges that Abednico Bhebhe the Nkayi MP aligned to the Mutambara MDC , organised a raid on the office using a gang of over 20 youths. MP Bhebhe, who is accused of directing the raid denies there were any clashes in the town.

Another court victory for Women of Zimbabwe Arise
A Harare Magistrate on Monday threw out charges against 63 WOZA members saying giving roses and singing on Valentine’s Day is not a nuisance. More than 200 WOZA members had intended to march to the parliament building in Harare on the 14 th February, giving out roses and cards for Valentines Day, but riot police descended on them before they had spread much of their message of “Bread and Roses”, a protest call for affordable food and a dignified life.

Former Town clerk challenges legality of Harare Commission
The state’s Herald newspaper reports that lawyers for the suspended Harare town clerk Nomutsa Chideya have challenged the legality of the Commission running the affairs of the capital and also that of the inquiry committee set up by the commission. A hearing on Monday regarding Chideya’s removal was deferred to August 31st to allow the commissions lawyers more time.

Minister Elliot Manyika faces arrest over Bindura political violence Police officers in the mining town have revealed that the Zanu PF National Commissar and Minister without portfolio Elliot Manyika has been implicated in a reign of terror stretching back to May of this year. On Friday 9 Zanu PF supporters were arrested after the burning down of 4 houses belonging to MDC supporters. A 19-year-old irrigation assistant at a farm in the area was killed during the skirmishes.

Church leaders in Zimbabwe to apologise for slavery and colonialism
A delegation of European Christian leaders’ is attending a week long Prayer Network Conference at the Harare International Conference Centre to formally apologise for vices committed during the slave trade era and through colonisation. However, political commentator Dr John Makumbe says the timing is politically naïve as it will be used by Mugabe as political fodder.

Makumbe says GMB boss’ arrest, a smokescreen
A retired army colonel and head of the Grain Marketing Board, Samuel Muvuti, was arrested Friday on fraud charges. It’s reported that the GMB boss had been using the company’s salary coffers to pay his own farm workers. Observers say people should not read too much into these ‘anti-corruption’ arrests as they are meaningless as the “big fish” escape the net.

ICG recommends new strategies to pro-democracy groups
The International Crisis Group has released a report suggesting ways the opposition and civic society can help set Zimbabwe on the road to change. The international think-tank said that to avoid an explosion in Zimbabwe that could cost thousands of lives and shatter Southern Africa , the opposition movement needs to unite and launch a strategy of nationwide, non-violent protest.

Mugabe buys 6 Chinese jets while country teeters on the brink
The ‘cash strapped’ regime of Robert Mugabe has apparently coughed up US$120 million for six Chinese fighter aircraft. This is despite a collapsed economy now famous for 1200 percent inflation and devastating shortages of essential commodities like fuel and maize. Parliament was told by the Defence Secretary Trust Maphosa that the country ‘ will be receiving six aircraft from China sometime this year.’

Zupco chief jailed for corruption while Chombo looks set to walk
The head of the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company Charles Nherera was on Monday convicted of corruption charges and sentenced to 3 years in jail with hard labour, with one year suspended. Despite findings by magistrate Lilian Kudya that local government minister Ignatius Chombo also had a case to answer, nothing significant has happened to suggest he will be brought to book.

Zanu (PF) regime silent on rural district council elections
The Zanu (PF) regime, well known for keeping its electoral opponents guessing, are back at it again. They have remained silent on the forthcoming rural district council elections amid reports government has no money to roll-out such a mammoth task. According to the Rural Councils Act, notice for the nomination courts for elections in all the 57 Rural District Councils should have been sent out this week.

Prosecutor refuses to continue with Chinamasa case
Levison Chikafu who is prosecuting in the corruption trial of Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa has apparently refused to present his final arguments saying he is now under siege. According to the weekly Standard newspaper Chikafu is complaining about intimidation and wants a Z$100 million lawsuit against him by State Security minister Didymus Mutasa settled before he can proceed to prosecute in Chinamasa’s trial.

Daily power cuts create health hazards and increase robberies in Mashonaland West
People storing water in buckets and other unsafe containers are creating an environment for water borne diseases in Chinhoyi and other parts of Mashonaland West Province. Our correspondent reports that there are daily power cuts that cause the water to be shut off as well. He said people have resorted to keeping emergency water supplies in containers that are not refrigerated and the water goes stagnant.

Chibhebhe’s lawyer accuses Bvudzijena of stage-managing assault
The policeman who assaulted trade union leader Wellington Chibhebhe did not know who his victim was at the time of the incident. According to Chibhebhe’s lawyer Alec Muchadehama, it is only when one of the policemen present at the roadblock identified him that police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena was alerted to the potentially damaging incident.

Wellington Chibhebhe released
On Wednesday Chibhebhe was travelling from Masvingo to Harare over the Heroes holiday before being stopped at the roadblock. The union leader attracted the wrath of the police after questioning the legality of the currency searches. He was slapped twice by officers in the full view of his wife and children. Critics have slammed the assault as a deliberate attempt to harass the ZCTU leadership.

Government owes millions for maize as supplies run out
As Zimbabweans run around from shop to shop and to black market vendors looking for scarce maize meal, it has been revealed that the government owes millions of U.S. dollars to companies that have been supplying the Grain Marketing Board for years.

WOZA to continue protests & to create male wing
Women Of Zimbabwe Arise held their annual assembly last weekend at a secret location in Matabeleland. WOZA coordinator Jenni Williams said that all 312 delegates made it to the rural location without serious problems at roadblocks. 25 men and nearly a dozen civic society partners joined them for the assembly they called “Sheroes”.

Brain drain wrecking Zimbabwe’s economy
An article by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting has highlighted how the brain drain is having a devastating impact on the country’s economy. The institute says the country’s skills base is shrinking fast. The much talked about economic recovery plan bandied around by the Reserve Bank governor is set to hit the wall as analysts predict a bleak future made worse by this loss of skilled manpower.

Two busloads of church women stripped at roadblock
A group of women returning from a religious retreat and holiday in Plumtree have said that they were forced to remove their underwear at a roadblock 20 kilometres outside Bulawayo Monday night. The location was one of many search points set up as part of the Reserve Bank money changes that require Zimbabweans to turn in their old money for new.

Mumbengegwi allowed to travel to Canada
Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengwgwi was allowed into Canada for the international AIDS conference which opened in Toronto Monday. Mumbengegwi, former High Commissioner to London, was allowed in despite a ban on visits from senior Zanu-PF officials.

Police release MDC officials without charge in Bulawayo
Opposition officials from the Mutambara MDC who were arrested in Bulawayo Saturday were released without charge Monday. They had been accused of holding an illegal meeting and were detained for 2 nights.

63 women testify individually as WOZA appears in court
Women in South Africa celebrated 50 years since the historic march against discriminatory laws last week, while in Zimbabwe 63 women appeared in court facing charges for distributing roses on Valentine’s Day. Their lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said the idea that handing out flowers is a crime is astounding on its own.

Chiyangwa found hiding two stolen luxury vehicles
Two stolen cars were last week found hidden at the home of former Zanu (PF) legislator for Chinhoyi, Phillip Chiyangwa. A report in the Sunday Times of South Africa said police from that country recovered the two luxury cars from Chiyangwa and a third car was seized from the house of Zanu PF Senator, Vivian Mwashita.

Police burn blankets and legal documents of Zimbabweans in S.A.
The Rev Dr. Martine Stemerick, who is visiting South Africa reports that the police burned blankets and legal and medical papers belonging to Zimbabweans at an established settlement on the outer edge of downtown Johannesburg last Thursday. It was the coldest week of the year so far and the police decided to raid all areas known to house refugees.

Zanu (PF) infighting escalates to new heights
In-fighting within the ruling Zanu (PF) regime is now threatening to plunge the party into a political crisis not seen since the turmoil after the death of its former leader Herbert Chitepo. A source in Harare told us Friday that public statements and conversations behind closed doors allege that a group led by former army general Solomon Mujuru is involved in a conspiracy to politically destroy strongman Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Bulawayo Agenda officials questioned by police in Gwanda
In what has been described as panicking by the government, 2 officials from Bulawayo Agenda were summoned by the police and interrogated about the leadership training programme they conducted over the weekend in Gwanda. BYO Agenda director Gordon Moyo told us the police tried to gate-crush the workshop meant for Residents Associations and Civic groups.

Human rights group blast SA police for abusing Zimbabweans
Human Rights Watch has just released a study criticising the S.A. police for abusing & extorting money from Zimbabweans. The report says migrants are frequently detained in deplorable conditions before being deported. The police are also accused of making few attempts to verify legal status or identity the migrants they detain. Human Rights Watch say the number of deportees has increased from 75 000 in 2004 to nearly 100 000 in 2005.

Insanity plea an option for Zimbabwean hijacker
Legal experts following the case of Tinashe Rioga, the Zimbabwean who attempted to hijack a passenger airliner, believe he stands a good chance of avoiding a custodial sentence by claiming insanity. The 3 rd year information technology student at the University of Cape Town has said the plot to hijack the plane was apparently not motivated by religion or politics, but personal fear.

Magistrate says Minister Chombo has corruption case to answer
On the day Zimbabwe United Passenger Company chief Charles Nherera was convicted on corruption charges, magistrate Lilian Kudya said minister Ignatius Chombo also had a case to answer. Last Friday she blasted Chombo’s evidence in Nherera’s trial as leaving a lot to be desired before urging police to ‘dig deeper’ into the case.

Mugabe regime feels pressure of a united coalition
The embattled regime of Robert Mugabe last week Friday arrested and detained Bishop Levee Kadenge and two other pastors in the Christian Alliance in an apparent sign they are not happy with the alliance’s role in unifying the country’s opposition parties.

Youth militia and police strip women in search for currency
In the wake of the chaos caused by the new currency introduced by the Reserve Bank this week the state controlled media has focused on the number of arrests and on the billions of dollars seized at roadblocks, border posts and in raids. But there has been no mention of the violations of human rights taking place as youth militia and police subject innocent Zimbabweans to humiliating public searches and interrogations.Otto Saki of The Zimbabwe Lawyers for human Rights (ZLHR) confirmed Friday that they had received reports from people who had been abused and women who were strip-searched at the roadblocks being manned by the youth along with police and RBZ officials. He said the lawyers had received instructions from one particular woman to take up her case. Saki criticised the presence of youth militia and questioned the extent of the powers vested in them.

Bulilima faces unprecedented deathtoll from HIV/AIDS
MDC member of Parliament for Bulilima in Matebeleland South, Moses Mzila-Ndlovu, on Friday said his constituency was facing an unprecedented deathtoll from HIV/Aids because of lack of commitment by Robert Mugabe’s regime to deal with the pandemic. The south-west border constituency is having to bury 100 villagers each week and Mzila-Ndlovu gave a stark warning when he said he doesn’t think authorities in Harare yet realise the terrible situation that has visited rural constituencies. ‘I don’t think the government yet realises the full, incomparable horror of Aids and its inexorable spread around the border constituencies. Unofficially we have set aside Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as burial days in the constituency,’ Mzila-Ndlovu said. In this drought prone region Aids seemed far-away, a distant danger haunting big cities.

Tsvangirai MDC dismiss talks of new united opposition party
Reports that opposition parties in Zimbabwe will unite to form a rainbow coalition similar to the one that ousted former Kenyan leader Daniel Arap Moi have been dismissed as untrue. Nelson Chamisa a spokesman for the Tsvangirai MDC says they have made no such undertaking to form a New Patriotic Front (NPF) and that the format would not work in Zimbabwe. He says although they are committed to working with the other groups as discussed during the Save Zimbabwe Convention organised by the Christian Alliance last week, there was no way they would join a new grouping. He says they have spent over 6 years building the MDC brand and people know what they stand for. All these groups Chamisa says, have different constituencies and different interests and combining them would be problematic.

State Security minister accused of intimidating magistrates
Magistrates in Manicaland have refused to try Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, citing intimidation by the State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa. It is no secret that the independence of the judiciary in Zimbabwe has been compromised for years now but this is the first time that all magistrates in a province have turned down a case, due to interference by a government official. As Justice Minister Chinamasa runs the courts, yet he is facing charges of obstructing the course of justice.

New money in short supply as Zimbabwean rush to convert
Zimbabweans trying to get rid of their old money before the 21 st of August, as stipulated by Reserve Bank gGvernor Gideon Gono this week, are finding it is not going to be easy at all. It is reported that the new bearer cheques are already in short supply and some people were receiving old cheques at the banks. It is not clear why this is happening just days after Gono announced that 3 zeros would be dropped from Zimbabwe’s currency and gave people 21 days to convert their old notes. Police, youth militia and RBZ officials are reported to be manning road blocks at all major entry points leading to the capital.

UK politicians wary of deporting failed Zim asylum seekers
Thereis a glimmer of hope for over 15 000 failed asylum seekers from Zimbabwe who face immediate deportation from the UK following indications from influential British politicians that the issue needs to be looked at carefully before the forced returns begin. Despite the Home Office on Wednesday winning the right to send them back home, top politicians from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties are uncomfortable with the British government sending people back to a brutal regime whose intolerance to different political views is well documented.

MDC election expert deported from Zimbabwe
The man credited with rigging several elections for Robert Mugabe has engineered the deportation of Topper Whitehead, a computer expert who helped the opposition MDC build up evidence of the rigging. Last month the Registrar Generals office led by Tobaiwa Mudede refused to renew Whitehead’s Zimbabwean passport and instead issued him with a Prohibited Immigrant (PI) order, signed last year. This follows a long history of harassment in which the election expert has had his home ransacked by police this year under the pretext they were looking for subversive materials. The raid however saw security officials confiscating valuable evidence that the MDC wanted to use in the election petitions.

Police and RBZ teams raid businesses
The new monetary policy put in place by the Reserve Bank this week has continued to bring chaos and confusion around the country as the police, aided by RBZ teams, clamped down on businesses and individuals. RBZ Governor Gideon Gono had announced the new policy saying it was meant to ease money transactions by cancelling 3 zeros on the currency, but the campaign is proving to be much more than an effort to help Zimbabweans deal with numbers.

UK Home Office wins right to deport failed Zim asylum seekers
Over 15 000 failed asylum seekers from Zimbabwe face immediate deportation from the UK after the Home Office Wednesday won the right to send them back home. The Home Office indicated soon after the judgement that enforced returns to Zimbabwe could be as early as next week. Steve Simmons, a solicitor from the refugee legal centre who was representing Zimbabweans, has advised all failed asylum seekers to seek legal advice from their lawyers.

Zimbabweans to demonstrate at UN offices in Pretoria
Zimbabweans, under the auspices of Crisis in Zimbabwe-SA Chapter and several civic society groups in South Africa, are set to converge on the offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Pretoria. The march has been organised to hand over a petition to the UN offices and highlight the humanitarian crisis caused by last years Operation Murambatsvina.

Chinese to help open political schools in Zimbabwe
In the beginning it was buses, aeroplanes and broadcasting equipment but now Zimbabwe can expect the setting up of a ‘political school’ thanks to a visit by a group of Chinese academics. Led by a Professor Xie Chuntao, it did not take long for the Chinese delegation to convince Zanu PF officials that brainwashing Zimbabweans via a special school that would teach party ideology was the best way forward. Those might not have been the actual words used but analysts point out that this is the ultimate aim behind political commissar Elliot Manyika announcing the move.

Chaos and pandemonium over new financial measures
The Reserve Bank governor has called it ‘Project Sunrise’ but many Zimbabweans are in the dark over the new currency that has had 3 zeroes chopped off. Thousands of people countrywide queued at several banks to deposit their money and beat a 21-day conversion deadline set by the central bank. There are reports of long winding queues at banks with people jostling to make deposits. Limits of Z$5 million for those bringing Zimdollars into the country have been condemned as too low and a deliberate strategy to keep millions of notes out of the new circulation of money.

Youth militia harassing travellers and stealing money at borders
There is deep concern over the role of the youth militia squads that have been deployed at border posts by the government. Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono announced during his mid-term monetary review this week that the youth would be stationed at all border crossings to monitor the illegal movement of money. The RBZ chief said the youth would work along with the Zimbabwe Republic Police and immigration officials. But according to our correspondent, travellers using the Beitbridge border post say the youth militia were deployed there weeks ago and have been harassing people and stealing money.

South African police use rubber bullets on Zimbabweans
Police in South Africa last week resorted to using brutal force in their quest to flush out illegal immigrants allegedly blamed for the recent upsurge in serious crimes.As police intensified their campaign against well armed gangs of robbers in Johannesburg, their conduct in some of the raids is likely to come under mounting scrutiny. Eyewitnesses to one such raid said police stormed a block of flats, Citrine court in Bellavista, Johannesburg and indiscriminately fired rubber bullets into flats occupied by Zimbabweans. Windows were shattered and doors smashed as heavily armed police fired at the unarmed civilians.