Zimbabwe opposition offices ransacked

NF Reporter · 04-03-2008, 06:39 PM

AP - Intruders ransacked offices of the main opposition party and police detained foreign journalists Thursday in an ominous sign that President Robert Mugabe might turn to intimidation and violence in trying to stave off an electoral threat to his 28-year rule.

Full Story...

waltky · 04-04-2008, 05:54 PM

Mugabe's leadership is pathetic...

Zimbabwe Gets $50 Million Bank Note
Apr. 4, 2008 - Enough For A Loaf Of Bread

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How much does it cost for a loaf of bread in Zimbabwe? With inflation raging at more than 100,000 percent, a loaf costs 50 million Zimbabwe dollars.

Now, Zimbabweans will need only one bill to pay for it. Authorities on Friday introduced a new 50 million bank note, state media reported.

The new Zimbabwe dollar note is worth $1 at the widely used black market trading and can buy just three loaves of bread. It was the third time in three months that the nation's central bank issued a higher denomination note in response to record inflation.

Source

waltky · 04-29-2008, 11:38 PM

Gonna cut off their arms supply...

EU ministers to push for world arms moratorium on Zimbabwe
Tuesday 29th April, 2008 - The European Union (EU) was set to call for a global moratorium on deliveries of arms to Zimbabwe at a meeting in Luxembourg Tuesday, officials said.

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The foreign ministers of the bloc's 27 member states 'will discuss' the question of an international moratorium at their regular monthly meeting, Britain's Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy, said. A decision is 'very likely, I think ... It's about making sure that there's an international effort to stop arms going to Zimbabwe until such time as the situation has been resolved and democracy is allowed to run its course,' Murphy told journalists. The ministers are also expected to express their concerns over reports of intimidation, human-rights abuses and violence against pro-democracy activists in the country, diplomats said.

The EU has maintained an embargo on the sale of arms to Zimbabwe since elections which it judged as undemocratic in 2002. But the row surrounding the attempted shipment of 77 tons of weapons to Zimbabwe in a Chinese freighter in mid-April has lifted the issue to the top of the international agenda. Zimbabwe held elections on March 29, but the authorities have yet to release the results, saying that there must first be a recount in several key districts.

That delay has been fiercely criticized in Europe and the United States, where many politicians say that the move is a last attempt by the regime of President Robert Mugabe to hold on to power. 'In Zimbabwe there should be the government that the people of Zimbabwe voted for, so the election results should be released and those who won the elections should be put in office as the democratically-elected government,' Murphy said. 'The message from EU ministers should be clear ... that we support very strongly EU action in solidarity with the African Union to bring a conclusion to the dreadful situation in Zimbabwe, the stealing of an election and the abuse of human rights,' Murphy said. The ministers are expected to issue a joint statement later Tuesday.

EU ministers to push for world arms moratorium on Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe humanitarian crisis 'serious'
April 30, 2008 : UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today there is a "serious humanitarian crisis" in Zimbabwe and urged the government to immediately release results of the presidential elections.

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"The humanitarian situation is very worrisome. The Zimbabwe government has not released presidential results after four weeks. We know who is the winner. The authorities and President (Robert Mugabe) should release the results immediately," he said. "Because of the increasing violence and the number of displaced people fleeing their homes to other places, there is a serious humanitarian crisis," said Mr Ban during a forum in Geneva.

Zimbabwe has been in a crisis since the elections, with opposition and rights groups accusing the authorities of launching a campaign of violence to intimidate voters. The results of a March 29 presidential election have still not been announced. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has wrested control of parliament from Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party in parliamentary elections held on the same day.

Mr Ban said he has been discussing Zimbabwe with African leaders. He has also met MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who gave what Mr Ban described as a "very worrisome" briefing. "Therefore, taking this opportunity, I urge the authorities of Zimbabwe to release the election results," he said, adding that he will continue to address the issue in close cooperation with leaders in the region.

More Zimbabwe humanitarian crisis 'serious' | NEWS.com.au

waltky · 05-31-2008, 10:52 PM

But wouldn't it be immoral not to assassinate Mugabe??...

Zimbabwe army: Vote for Mugabe or quit
May 26, 2008 -- Top Zimbabwe general tells nation's soldiers to vote for Mugabe or quit the army; Deadlock since disputed election of March 29, presidential runoff set for June 27; International Crisis Group previously warned risk of coup if Mugabe not elected

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A top Zimbabwe army general called on the nation's soldiers to vote for Robert Mugabe in a presidential runoff or quit the military, the official media reported Saturday. Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Martin Chedondo told troops at a target-shooting competition to leave the military if they did not support Mugabe, the state Herald newspaper reported.

"Soldiers are not apolitical. Only mercenaries are apolitical. We have signed up and agreed to fight and protect the ruling party's principles of defending the revolution. If you have other thoughts, then you should remove that uniform," he was quoted as saying. He told soldiers at the Cleveland shooting range outside Harare on Friday that Mugabe was head of the nation's defense forces. "We should therefore stand behind our commander in chief," he reportedly said.

In the past, the country's generals, mostly veterans of the bush war that led to independence from Britain in 1980, have vowed never to salute Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, if he were to become president. In a report released Wednesday, the respected International Crisis Group said that senior military commanders opposed to Tsvangirai were instrumental in preventing a democratic transition after the March 29 election.

The opposition party won a majority in parliament and Tsvangirai won the presidential race, though not by an absolute majority. The crisis group warned that there was a "growing risk of a coup" either before the June 27 presidential runoff as a pre-emptive move to deny Tsvangirai victory, or after a Tsvangirai win.

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waltky · 06-21-2008, 09:39 AM

Mugabe Unleashes Roaming Youth Gangs...

Ahead of Voting, Zimbabwe Youth Gangs Beat, Abduct Mugabe Opponents
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2008 - Opposition Leader Reportedly Considering Pulling Out of Next Weeks' Runoff Vote

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First, there were reports that groups of war veterans loyal to Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe were attacking, and sometimes killing, political opponents. And the military and police were complicit in the violence by either ignoring attacks or taking part in them. Now, according to a new warning by the U.S. Embassy in Harare, youth gangs are roaming the suburbs of the capital forcing Zimbabweans to support the president and his ruling Zanu-PF Party in next week's runoff election. Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is even considering pulling out of the June 27 election, according to reports from the BBC and Reuters. "This political harassment includes verbal and physical assaults, abductions and forced attendance at Zanu-PF political rallies," the embassy warned in a text message sent to Americans in the tense country.

The embassy blamed the latest wave of intimidation ahead of next Friday's vote, on the Zanu-PF Party. The embassy sent out the alert to make sure Americans avoided political arguments or large crowds. "The harassment is random and anyone could become a target," the message said. "Zimbabwe Republic police have been slow to become involved and may not offer protection from these assaults." Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980, came in second in a national election last March but won enough votes to force a runoff against Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change Party. As next Friday's vote nears, U.S. Ambassador James McGee has vocally complained about Mugabe's blunt campaign to intimidate the country into voting for him.

A chorus of diplomatic and human rights groups charge Zimbabwean police have arrested opposition leaders on charges including treason, prevented the country's media from covering his opponent, and unleashed the veterans of his old revolutionary army on his critics. MDC says more than 70 activists have been killed, and thousands of others have been harassed or beaten. Critics charge Mugabe has also banned foreign aid groups from distributing food and fuel to the impoverished population, forcing them to seek aid from the government's meager handouts. But only those who have Zanu-PF identification cards are given food. Others must surrender their national ID cards to receive food. Without a national ID card, they won't be able to vote.

More ABC News: Mugabe Unleashes Roaming Youth Gangs

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Zimbabwe Woman Raped for Opposing Mugabe
Friday, 20 June 2008 - Eyewitness: Raped for opposing Mugabe

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Twenty three-year-old Zimbabwean Maidei [not her real name] struggled to talk about her ordeal at the hands of Zimbabwe's ruling party youths who were keeping her captive. Nearby the Zanu-PF base in rural Mashonaland West province, she told me about how she had been raped and abused for two weeks. "I was taken hostage by Zanu-PF youths who are being led by a major and war veteran," she said.

"One of them said I had to renounce my allegiance to opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). "I had to give in to his demands as he said I could be beaten. "It was against my will and he did not use any protection." Our interview was made possible at the shopping centre near the base by a well-known businessman with connections to the ruling party in the area.

He had been providing the militia with beer and had met Maidei when she had been sent to the shops to collect it. When we arrived with three crates of beer, Maidei was again despatched to fetch it. As she quietly told us her story, she nervously kept an eye out for her abusers. She said she was not able to make a bid to escape as the men knew where her family lived - about three kilometres from the base.

Zanu-PF heartland

waltky · 09-18-2008, 05:58 AM

Monetary shell game...

Zimbabwe replaces $10 trillion banknote
September 17, 2008 -- Z$1,000 note can only purchase a loaf of bread; Zimbabwe's agro-based economy in free-fall for more than a decade; Robert Mugabe blames country's economic collapse on sanctions

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The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has introduced a $1,000 note -- $10 trillion in the old value -- as the country battles to end cash shortages in the hyper-inflationary environment. However, analysts said the new note -- which can only buy a loaf of bread -- will not ease pressure on cash shortages because of the ever-increasing prices.

"It will not make even a small impact. What we need in Zimbabwe is a clear change of policies, start production and then inflation will start easing up," said John Robertson, an economic consultant. "The zeros seem to be coming back no matter how often they slash them." In August, Zimbabwe slashed ten zeroes on the currency; two years earlier the country slashed three zeros. The zeroes keep bouncing back in the country that has an inflation rate of 11.2 million -- the highest in the world. Zimbabwe's agro-based economy has been on a free-fall for more than a decade now.

The situation was exacerbated by the destruction of commercial agriculture in 2000 when President Robert Mugabe's government embarked on a violent land grab from white farmers and gave it to inexperienced black farmers. Mugabe denies that he is to blame for the country's economic collapse, citing economic sanctions that have been placed on Zimbabwe. Since 2000, Zimbabwe's currency has been depreciating against major currency. It is trading around $350 Zimbabwean dollars -- $35 trillion in the old value -- against the U.S. dollar.

Zimbabwe replaces $10 trillion banknote - CNN.com