Zim death toll tops 85

The death toll from state-sponsored violence ahead of Zimbabwe's presidential run-off next week has reached at least 85, independent observers say.

Fourteen killings were reported in a single day yesterday, including four opposition activists burnt to death in a petrol bombing. Human rights groups fear the real toll may be far higher, with many opposition supporters believed to be held in torture camps and police cells, and unidentified bodies being found every morning.

As the killings have increased, the Mugabe regime that has ruled for 28 years has faced unprecedented criticism from fellow African leaders. The Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, head of a regional Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) observer mission, said it was now impossible for the election to be "free and fair".

The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said at a UN security council meeting on Zimbabwe that "by its actions, the Mugabe regime has given up any pretence that the 27 June elections will be allowed to proceed in a free and fair manner" . The UN is not expected to take action at this stage.

African election monitors have publicly questioned the viability of any vote after their observers witnessed two people being shot dead while they were being deployed to polling stations.

A day after the South African President, Thabo Mbeki, failed in his attempt to get Mr Mugabe to delay the vote, Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) confirmed it had come under heavy pressure from its supporters and officials to pull out of the run-off.

"We have a multiplicity of voices in the party urging us to quit this sham election," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said. "The party has not yet decided on such a drastic step but it is something gaining wide attention and discussion within our ranks."

Mr Chamisa said the MDC was dismayed by the failure of the SADC and the African Union to take effective measures to rein in the 84- year-old President and his backers in the police and army. T

he South African leader's diplomatic mission, in which he failed to persuade Mr Mugabe to talk to the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who beat him by a clear margin in the first round of voting, has done nothing to alleviate the political crisis.

An influential Zimbabwean politician close to the Mbeki discussions, who did not want his name used, said: "As long as the so-called mediation is based on appeasing Mugabe instead of confronting his evil regime head on, nothing is going to be achieved. It is understandable that some among opposition ranks want the MDC to pull out. Mugabe has been allowed to create this farce with impunity by his peers who fail to deal with him decisively."

With Tanzania as current chairman of the African Union, Mr Membe said he and the foreign ministers of Swaziland and Angola would write to their presidents "so they do something urgently so we can save Zimbabwe".

SADC is sending 380 monitors to Zimbabwe for the vote. Although Mr Tsvangirai won the first round, heavily delayed official results purported to show he failed to get the outright majority needed to avoid a run-off.

The MDC said the four party activists killed overnight were abducted in Chitungwiza, 15 miles south of the capital, and assaulted with iron bars, clubs and guns. Witnesses said that the victims were forced on to trucks and taken away by militias chanting Zanu-PF slogans.

A further 11 killings were recorded by civil society groups including that of Abigail Chiroto, the wife of the MDC mayor-elect of Harare. She and her four-year-old son, Ashley, were seized at their Harare home on Monday night. The boy, who was left at a nearby police station, said he saw his mother being blindfolded and taken into the bush.

Britain has warned the security and military establishment in Zimbabwe that "they are playing with fire" by allowing the political violence to escalate. "They are digging their own graves," said Lord Malloch- Brown, the Foreign Office minister for Africa, who suggested that existing sanctions against Mr Mugabe and his "hard men" could be widened and deepened after the election. "They will never be able to travel or hold bank accounts outside Zimbabwe, they will lose the ability to send their children to school outside the country. They will be trapped in Zimbabwe."

If Mr Mugabe does manage to steal the election, "it will be by such egregious theft and intimidation that the international community, and neighbouring countries, will see that this is without legitimacy and act accordingly", he said.

Lord Malloch-Brown predicted that Mr Tsvangirai could still secure a "big win" from Zimbabweans who have refused to be cowed by the continuing intimidation and harassment. But he also said that the MDC leader would be expected to share power even in case of a convincing victory. "But with a solid win, he would be able to govern on his own terms."

A day in the life of Mugabe's violent regime

* Four MDC activists were abducted in Chitungwiza yesterday by Zanu-PF supporters and killed in an attack with iron bars, clubs and guns. Amnesty International says that a total 12 people were tortured to death after being abducted by Zanu-PF militias around Zimbabwe yesterday.

* Emmanuel Chiroto, MDC mayor-elect of Harare, described how the body of his murdered wife, Abigai,was hard to identify because her head had been smashed by a blunt instrument. Mrs Chiroto was abducted on Monday with her son, four. The boy was later released unhurt.

* The MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been denied a new passport, his party said. His deputy, Tendai Biti, appeared in court yesterday, accused of subverting the government.

* The UN said a human rights senior official had been expelled without explanation after meeting aid workers and UN human rights workers.

Source: Zimbabwe Situation

Shakira in town

Sometimes newspapers and online sites forget about people, just people without the news. Like what would the world be like if we published all the photos of those we love, we cherish or hold in high esteem for any reasons, personal and every otherwise?

Bob has a comfortable head-start

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will have a comfortable head-start of at least 130 000 votes through early voting by security officials, sources claim.

They say this is the start of a plan to rig elections by stuffing ballot boxes in areas where the opposition has been violently removed. The Independent Foreign Service spoke to several sources in the armed forces yesterday about their special vote on Friday.

They say the spouses and children of members of the army, air force and police have been forced to cast ballots, and instructed to do so in favour of Mugabe. Armed forces members in Zimbabwe are usually asked to cast their votes ahead of the actual voting day.

For the June 27 run-off they were told to fill out the ballots in front of their station superiors - which the sources say flouts voting procedures.

Armed forces heads, with police chief Augustine Chihuri in the forefront, have publicly declared that the opposition Movement for Democratic Change will not be allowed to rule despite winning the March 29 election.

The MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round of voting on March 29 with 48% of the votes, against Mugabe's 43%. The sources estimate that Mugabe could have between 130 000 and 150 000 votes before the June 27 poll.

It is the first step in a comprehensive plan to rig the elections, the sources claim. State-sponsored violence has forced thousands of Tsvangirai's supporters to flee their homes in rural and peri-urban constituencies.

They will not be able to vote elsewhere because of a requirement, being stringently enforced, that voters can cast their ballots only at polling stations where they are registered.

Source: Independent Foreign Service

Gold output down as Zim meltdown worsens

By: Oscar Nkala

Mining company RioZim says gold production at its mines declined from an expected 200 kg to a mere 91 kg in the third quarter of 2007 because of difficulties in obtaining foreign currency, a worsening power crisis and the absence of oxygen used in gold recovery processes.

Group chairperson Eric Kahari said at the company's annual general meeting, last week, that most of the problems the company faced in 2007 had been carried over into 2008.

"Principal among the problems was the unavailability of foreign currency. We were unable to access our own foreign currency or to receive the foreign currency due to us [from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe] for gold deliveries and this made for difficult relations with suppliers of inputs and spares.

"The situation became so serious that we were forced to scale back operations at Renco mine . . . As a result, gold production in the third quarter was only 91 kg instead of the level around 200 kg which we would aspire to in normal circumstances," Kahari says.

He added that the worsening power crisis had also hit its refineries at Renco and Empress Mines very hard.

While power supplies showed signs of improving, with direct supplies from Mozambique in the last months of 2007, Kahari said things had worsened again this year, with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) failing to submit its approved invoices to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa).

"Early in 2008, it became apparent that the approved invoices which we submitted to the RBZ were not resulting in payments to Zesa. The future of this arrangement is, therefore, in doubt, leaving us again vulnerable to Zesa's and, indeed, the region's power supply problems."

Although the company says it is yet to feel the effects of the loss of skilled workers, Kahari said it was clear that it would be negatively affected in the long term. He said the company was already paying some workers in foreign currency to retain critical skills.

Kahari said the company was exploring the possibility of setting up a thermal power station at its Sengwa coalfield, in Gokwe, in partnership with foreign investors.

He said that exploration was continuing in other parts of the company's lease area at Sengwa with the objective of locating a viable area of the known coal resource to meet local market demands.

The prospects of expanding the Murowa Diamond Mine, which has reportedly recovered from production difficulties experienced in 2007, had brightened following the completion of an investigative study, Kahari said.

Source: Mining Weekly

Zim threatens to seize mines

By: Oscar Nkala

The Zimbabwe government says is considering seizing unexploited mining claims so that they may be parceled out to locals in line with its indigenisation drive.

The last police crackdown on mining, which was focused on small-scale gold mines, took place between November 2006 and February 2007 and forced over 3 000 indigenous operators out of business.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Amos Midzi says the government has realised that many companies are holding on to unexploited claims for speculative purposes when the country has many potential indigenous entrepreneurs who can make good use of the claims.

"These people, whether individuals or companies, must develop their claims or lose them. Many foreign-owned companies are sitting on vast claims which they are using for speculative purposes.

"The prices of most base metals, as well as precious metals such as gold and platinum, which are abundant in this country, are going up on the international market and that creates a rich ground for speculation. Our resources must be put to good use," Midzi says.

He said any claims seized by government will be given to deserving locals. However, he also hints that they may be given to foreign investors, including Russians and Chinese.

"We have been engaging investors from these countries who are keen to invest in the mining sector. We are still considering their offers and proposals, but we are really keen to do business with them," Midzi says.

He says the crackdown will come when Parliament, which has officially been nonexistent since the March 29 elections, reconvenes to debate the draft Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill.

The Bill, which was presented in Parliament in December 2007, deals with amendments to the general provisions of the acquisition and maintaining of exploration and mining titles.

It also provides for the granting of mining leases based on the life-of-mine principle and provides for different ways of acquiring mining titles for large and small-scale operations with a special provision for changing between the two, depending on the size of operations.

The Bill also seeks to retain special mining leases but says special grants will apply only to coal and hydrocarbons. The second component deals with indigenisation and economic empowerment.

President Robert Mugabe's government wants locals to hold a 51% stake in all current and future foreign-owned mining companies.

The indigenisation clause has caused concern across the world, with commentators suggesting that its implementation may ring the death knell for an industry already facing severe difficulties as Zimbabwe's economic and political crisis worsens.

Source: Mining Weekly

I hereby declare all NGOs closed: Goche

"It has come to my attention that a number of NGOs involved in humanitarian operations are breaching the terms and conditions of their registration as enshrined in the Private Voluntary Organizations Act [Chapter 17:05], as well as the provisions of the Code of Procedures for the Registration and operations of Non Governmental Organizations in Zimbabwe (General Notice 99 of 2007).

As the Regulatory Authority, before proceeding with the provision of Section (10), Subsection ( c ), of the Private Voluntary Act [Chapter 17:05], I hereby instruct all PVOs/NGOs to suspend all field operation until further notice.

Nicholas Goche. Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare

3000 brutalised in Zim: doctors

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe doctors have treated nearly 3,000 victims of political violence over nearly two months, a medical association said Sunday, three weeks before a tense presidential run-off.

"We have noticed with great concern the increase in politically motivated violence to our fellow Zimbabweans," Specialist Doctors in Zimbabwe said in a statement.

"Many victims, including children, are currently under our care with severe injuries sustained over the past few weeks."

The association includes the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Anaesthetic Association, National Physicians of Zimbabwe and the Paediatric Association of Zimbabwe.

A total of 2,900 victims had been recorded throughout the country, it said, adding that some 200 among them had to be hospitalised. "Sadly, a number have succumbed to these injuries," the group said.

Violence has mounted ahead of the June 27 run-off, when opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will be seeking to defeat President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change says around 60 of its supporters have been killed by pro-Mugabe militias.

Mugabe blames the opposition for the increase in violence, but the United Nations' chief representative in Zimbabwe has said the president's supporters are to blame for the bulk of it.

Zimbabwe's government has also suspended all aid work ahead of the vote, leading charities to warn of a possible humanitarian crisis in a nation with the world's highest inflation rate and major food shortages.

Zim detains three more South Africans

Three people thought to be South Africans have been arrested in Zimbabwe, the department of foreign affairs said on Wednesday.

The three were being held on charges of immigration violation, foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said in a statement. "The South African embassy, in Harare, is in urgent engagement with the Zimbabwean authorities on this matter," he said.

"Consular assistance shall be rendered according to standing procedures." The arrests follow the jailing of South Africans Bernet Hasani, Resemate Chauke and Simon Maodi for six months each on Monday.

A court in Zimbabwe convicted them of possessing broadcast equipment without authorisation, in breach of the country's media laws, according to a state newspaper.

The three were found in possession of equipment bearing the logo of Britain's Sky News channel when they were pulled over at a roadblock last week. Sky intends appealing on their behalf.

Source: SAPA

War if Mugabe loses: CIO

HARARE - A senior official within the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) has warned villagers in Zimbabwe's Mashonaland Central Province that there will be an outbreak of war if Zanu-PF is defeated on June 27.

Mernard Muzariri, the deputy director general of the fierce organisation, which is known for its loyalty to President Robert Mugabe, warned that Zanu-PF would launch another armed liberation struggle should Mugabe lose to the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai in the forthcoming run-off.

Tsvangirai is widely tipped to win the re-run of an election which he won on March 29 by a margin of 47, 9 percent of votes polled to Mugabe's 43, 2. An orgy of bloody violence by Zanu-PF militants, including in the security forces, in the aftermath of the election has been strongly condemned both in and out of Zimbabwe.

Muzariri was quoted in the government media as saying Mugabe and Zanu-PF were defending the land "which did not come on a silver platter". Muzariri was speaking at Nyamahobogo Primary School in Mt Darwin where 63 supporters of the MDC, including two recently elected councilors, promptly announced they had "defected to Zanu-PF after realizing the MDC was taking
us for a ride".

In the face of sustained violence by Zanu-PF, some opposition supporters have taken to crossing to the former ruling party as a strategy to safeguard their lives and property.

The CIO boss said Zimbabweans should therefore "vote wisely" to avoid another war, adding that the people of Mashonaland Central had fought in the forefront in the previous liberation struggles and should not join hands with "sell-out opposition parties".

"Mbuya Nehanda was resident in this province and she died while defending land. On December 22 1972, the first AK rifle was fired (in this province) heralding the beginning of the Second Chimurenga and that gun was fired in Centenary, which again is in Mashonaland Central."

Muzariri hails from Mashonaland Central Province. The warning by the CIO boss comes in the wake of similar warnings by a top police officer, Senior Assistant Commissioner Musarashana Godwin Mabunda that voting for the MDC was tantamount to voting for war.

Senior Zanu-PF officials have repeated similar messages at several rallies.This also comes at a time when politically motivated violence is escalating throughout the country. The violence is blamed on the security forces, the war veterans and Zanu PF militias.

Source: Zimbabwe Times

Zim considers fresh crackdown on mines

BULAWAYO, 3 JUNE 2008 – The Zimbabwean government says it will soon unleash the police for a fresh crackdown on the mining industry with the objective of the seizing unexploited mining claims so that they may be forfeited to the State and eventually parceled out to locals in line with its new 100 per cent indigenization drive.

The last police crackdown on mining, which was focused on small-scale gold mines was took place between November 2006 and February 2007 and forced over 3000 indigenous small-scale miners out of business.

Mines and Mining Development minister Amos Midzi says the government has realized that many companies are holding onto unexploited claims for speculative purposes when the country has many potential indigenous entrepreneurs who can make good use of such claims.

“These people, whether individuals or companies, must develop their claims or lose them. Many foreign owned companies are sitting on vast claims which they are using for speculative purposes.

"The prices of most base metals, especially gold and platinum which are abundant in this country, are still going up on the international market and that creates a rich ground for speculation. Our resources must be put to good use,” Midzi says.

He said any claims seized by the government would be given out to deserving locals. However he also hinted that they may still be given to foreign investors, some of them Russians and Chinese.

“We have been engaging investors from these countries who are keen to invest in the mining sector. We are still considering their offers and proposals, but we are really keen to do business with them,” Midzi says.

Midzi says the crackdown will come when parliament, which has officially been non-existent since the March 29 elections, reconvenes to debate the draft Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill.

The Bill, which was presented in parliament in December 2007, deals with amendments general provisions of the acquisition and maintaining exploration and mining titles.

It also provides for the granting of mining leases based on the life of mine principals and provides for different ways of acquiring mining titles for large and small-scale operations with a special provision for changing between the two depending on the size of operations.

The Bill also seeks to retain Special Mining Leases but says special grants would apply only to coal and hydro-carbons.

The second component deals with indigenization and economic empowerment and forms the basis of the government’s argument for a need to grant locals a 51 per cent ownership stake in all current and future foreign owned mining companies.

The indigenization clause has caused concerns across the world that its implementation may ring the death bells for an industry already on the brink of collapse as Zimbabwe’s economic and political crisis worsens.

70 opposition supporters arrested

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Police arrested at least 70 opposition supporters accused of political violence, state-run media reported Monday. A newly elected opposition lawmaker also was detained, his lawyer said.

The suspects detained in the district of Buhera, 150 miles south of Harare,are accused of attacking and injuring ruling party supporters during a spateof violence last week that left several homes torched, according to thestate-run Herald newspaper.

The opposition denies any campaign of violence targeting the ruling ZANU-PF party but acknowledged reports that some of its supporters retaliated during the political unrest in Zimbabwe since disputed the elections March 29.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai faces longtime President Robert Mugabe in a runoff scheduled for June 27.

Rights groups and opposition supporters have cited widespread violence and intimidation in the run-up to the second-round vote, and there are widespread fears that Mugabe will try to steal the election.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change says more than 50 supporters have been killed and thousands driven out of their homes, especially in rural areas.

U.S State Department spokesman Sean McCormack condemned the arrests. "It's troubling, it's disturbing, and it's part of a continuing pattern on the part of Zanu-PF to try to intimidate those who would like to speak up with views different from those held by the government," McCormack said.

He said it was incumbent on the international community to apply as much pressure and leverage as possible to ensure the runoff election is "executed in such a way that people can actually vote their conscience, that they canvote for the candidate of their choice."

Police detained MDC lawmaker Eric Matinenga when he went to visit the Buhera suspects Saturday, his lawyer said. Matinenga, himself an attorney,represented opposition leaders in a string of High Court cases.

The allegations against him were unclear, lawyer Innocent Chagonda said. At least six other opposition lawmakers also have been arrested since the March 29 elections. On Sunday, Arthur Mutambara - head of an MDC faction - was jailed in Harare for allegedly making false statements that endangered state security.

Mugabe was in Rome on Monday for a U.N. food summit. "We're very confident that he's going to win and that's why he could afford to go to Rome to represent Zimbabwe in this crucial meeting," Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said. "This is about more than politics;
it's about people's stomachs."

Source: AP

70 opposition supporters arrested

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Police arrested at least 70 opposition supporters
accused of political violence, state-run media reported Monday. A newly
elected opposition lawmaker also was detained, his lawyer said.

The suspects detained in the district of Buhera, 150 miles south of Harare,
are accused of attacking and injuring ruling party supporters during a spate
of violence last week that left several homes torched, according to the
state-run Herald newspaper.

The opposition denies any campaign of violence targeting the ruling ZANU-PF
party but acknowledged reports that some of its supporters retaliated during
the political unrest in Zimbabwe since disputed the elections March 29.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai faces longtime President Robert Mugabe
in a runoff scheduled for June 27.

Rights groups and opposition supporters have cited widespread violence and
intimidation in the run-up to the second-round vote, and there are
widespread fears that Mugabe will try to steal the election.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change says more than 50 supporters
have been killed and thousands driven out of their homes, especially in
rural areas.

U.S State Department spokesman Sean McCormack condemned the arrests.

"It's troubling, it's disturbing, and it's part of a continuing pattern on
the part of Zanu-PF to try to intimidate those who would like to speak up
with views different from those held by the government," McCormack said.

He said it was incumbent on the international community to apply as much
pressure and leverage as possible to ensure the runoff election is "executed
in such a way that people can actually vote their conscience, that they can
vote for the candidate of their choice."

Police detained MDC lawmaker Eric Matinenga when he went to visit the Buhera
suspects Saturday, his lawyer said. Matinenga, himself an attorney,
represented opposition leaders in a string of High Court cases.

The allegations against him were unclear, lawyer Innocent Chagonda said.

At least six other opposition lawmakers also have been arrested since the
March 29 elections. On Sunday, Arthur Mutambara - head of an MDC faction -
was jailed in Harare for allegedly making false statements that endangered
state security.

Mugabe was in Rome on Monday for a U.N. food summit.

"We're very confident that he's going to win and that's why he could afford
to go to Rome to represent Zimbabwe in this crucial meeting," Deputy
Information Minister Bright Matonga said. "This is about more than politics;
it's about people's stomachs."

Source: AP

ZANU PF thugs shut down schools

BULAWAYO — About 10 schools in Matabeleland South were reportedly forced to shut down by Zanu PF militia who attacked teachers they blamed for contributing to President Robert Mugabe’s defeat during the 29 March elections.

The closure came as fresh reports surfaced of the militants extorting money and goods from villagers in the province. They were allegedly forcing villagers to pay "fines" for voting for the MDC.

The youths swept through West Nicholson, unleashing a wave of violence that left hundreds injured. In addition, they are said to be forcing the hunger-stricken villagers to share their food with them.

The Standard was told the youths were forcing villagers to cook food and deliver it to their bases — in cases reminiscent of scenes during the 1970s struggle for independence. "Teachers at the schools shut down are sleeping in the bush to escape violence and the night vigils," The Standard
heard.

The schools have been identified as Zhukwe, Sizeze, Stezi, Zezani Mission, Mapane, Khozi,
Wabayi, Nyandeni, Nkazhe and Gohole. The reports could not be independently verified as communication lines were down.

Raymond Majongwe, the PTUZ secretary-general said it was disturbing that schools had become targets of the Zanu PF militia resulting in dozens of them closing down. There was no comment from the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture on the latest developments.

Source: The Standard

---

Opposition rallies banned

Harare- Zimbabwean police prevented the opposition from staging two rallies in the resort towns of Hwange and Victoria Falls that were due to be addressed by its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the party said Sunday.

The rallies were supposed to have been held on Saturday, but police blocked opposition supporters from entering into the two stadiums were the rallies were due to be held.

"Our two rallies that were supposed to be held yesterday in Hwange and Victoria Falls were blocked by the police," Nelson Chamisa, chief spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) told AFP.

"The police are literally trying to be difficult, but acting on the instructions of ZANU-PF," he added in reference to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling party.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai are due to square up in a run-off presidential election at the end of the month. Tsvangirai won a first round on March 29 but fell just short of an overall
majority needed to topple Mugabe, who has ruled the former British colony since independence in 1980.

"They are trying to disenable us to reach out to the people," said Chamisa. "This is a deliberate attempt meant to ensure that there is a blackout on our programmes and so that the president (Tsvangirai) will not be visible on the ground to suit their propaganda and agenda."

Source: AFP