War veterans demand Biti’s resignation
This article was written by Our reporter on 3 October, at 00 : 13 AM
Hundreds of war veterans on Tuesday stormed Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s office
demanding a review of their monthly pension payouts. Calling for his immediate resignation,
the war veterans accused Biti of incompetence and presiding over the demise of the economy. They also called for his immediate resignation. The war veterans, who came from various places countrywide, also
castigated the minister for failing to prioritise the civil servants’ salaries and working conditions.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Harare Province commissar Rai Gwenyambira, said they were asking for modest pension payouts in tandem with the poverty datum line. Three months ago, she said, Minister Biti agreed to address their plight, but failed. Gwenyambira said to date the former freedom fighters had not received anything from Treasury.
“We petitioned him three months ago and we thought he would do something as he promised, but we are still struggling to make ends meet,” she said.
“Enough is enough and the fact that he has failed means he has to leave office as a matter of urgency.”
Most war veterans are getting US$130 as a monthly pension payout while the poverty datum line is US$596. Gwenyambira said the money was not enough to meet their demands.
“This is not enough to meet our costs which include rent, school fees and medication. We need all those issues to be addressed,” she said.
The former liberation war fighters, including the disabled, sang revolutionary songs and waved placards denouncing Minister Biti. Some of the placards read: “President Mugabe Zimbabwe needs a new Finance Minister”, “Biti has failed and must go” and “You have refused to pay farmers — You must leave office.” The war veterans said they would sleep over at the minister’s office until he addressed them.
ZNLWVA secretary for lands Isso Madzivanyika said their children were being sent away from school for non-payment of fees.
“There is nowhere we can get money except from Treasury. Our children are no longer going to school as we are failing to pay their fees,” he said.
Most of the war veterans, he said, were farmers and Minister Biti was not releasing funds for the grain they delivered to the Grain Marketing Board.
“These are the same people suffering because the funds are not there. He has refused to support the country’s agriculture yet this is a sector that drives our economy,” he said.
Those injured during the liberation struggle, Madzivanyika said, were not getting anything.
“We are not leaving this place until he addresses us. If it means sleeping over here then let it be. Most of us are farmers and we survive on that and when we deliver grain to GMB we expect Treasury to pay us on time.
“We are failing to plan for the forthcoming season because there is no money to do so,” he said.
Labels: NEOLIBERALISM, TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS, ZNLWVA
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MDC-T condemns war veterans' March on Biti's office
03/10/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party has condemned a march on Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s office on Tuesday by a group demanding a review of war veterans’ pension payments.
Veterans of Zimbabwe’s independence war are paid US$130 per month, but the group numbering a few hundred called for an upward adjustment to match the US$596 the government calculates an average family needs to stay above poverty.
Biti, who is the MDC-T’s secretary general, was not at his office when the group arrived but his party says the protesters locked doors and made threats.
The party said in a statement: “The MDC strongly condemns the barbaric behaviour displayed by some self-styled war veterans who locked access doors into the Minister of Finance’s government offices.
“The behaviour is totally uncalled for as it happens when the Finance Minister is frantically trying to source revenue to fund various government projects including the salaries for thousands of civil servants and their bonuses.”
The MDC-T said the “so-called war veterans are hired thugs who have been made to hold a mock demonstration at the minister’s offices in order to divert attention from the real looters of the country’s resources”.
But the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association Harare Province commissar Rai Gwenyambira insisted their grievances were real.
He said: “We petitioned him three months ago and we thought he would do something as he promised, but we are still struggling to make ends meet.
“Enough is enough and the fact that he has failed means he has to leave office as a matter of urgency.”
The ZNLWVA’s secretary for lands Isso Madzivanyika added: “There is nowhere we can get money except from Treasury. Our children are no longer going to school as we are failing to pay fees.
“Most of the war veterans are farmers and Minister Biti is not releasing funds for the grain they delivered to the Grain Marketing Board. These are the same people suffering because the funds are not there. He has refused to support the country’s agriculture yet this is a sector that drives our economy.”
Biti has slashed his 2012 budget by US$400 million, citing low receipts from diamond revenues.
The minister has warned the government could default on salaries for its 230,000 workers. Biti has asked for a bailout from Zimbabwe’s neighbours South Africa, Botswana and Angola.
Labels: TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS, ZNLWVA
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Journalists have 'politics in their heads': Chinotimba
21/09/2012 00:00:00
by Paradzai Brian Paradza
WAR veterans’ leader Joseph Chinotimba accused journalists of being “full of politics in their heads” as he made a surprise appearance at a media analysis event in Harare on Thursday.
Chinotimba said journalists had become active political players by abandoning ethics.
“You are politicians not journalists,” he thundered as he spoke to about two dozen journalists at the forum organised by the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe.
“Why don’t you promote unity among Zimbabweans? You are encouraging conflict in the country; people are fighting because of your reporting. You are full of politics in your heads.
“President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai are drinking tea together; myself when I meet my opponent in Buhera constituency we laugh and share jokes, why are you not promoting peace?”
Chinotimba accused journalists of being pre-occupied with highlighting negative stories, while failing to put more weight to current efforts to correct past wrongs.
“Why are you not writing about the events in South Africa, the killing of miners by the police, you are all quiet? Imagine if that had happened in this country, it would have been a global crisis,” he added.
MMPZ Research and Monitoring Coordinator Eric Matingo said most journalists had abandoned ethics, leading to poor news content.
“As media consumers, we are worried about certain developments and trends. We have noticed a complete disregard of ethics and this has resulted in some media houses losing credibility and eventually readers,” he said.
“When we talk about accuracy, facts and balance we are talking of journalistic standards. Our appeal therefore is can you just be a journalists? Anything outside that is not journalism.”
MMPZ Director Andrew Moyes said while the political environment has contaminated journalism as a profession in the country, ethics must be upheld and adhered to religiously.
He said most journalists have become tainted in their view and appreciation of issues resulting in dramatisation and sensationalisation of issues.
“The political situation has contaminated the practice of journalism but we expect the media to give us balanced news not one-sided views,” said Moyes.
Participants at the forum condemned the country’s media laws for stifling the practice of journalism in the country. Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS
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COMMENT - I wouldn't be surprised at all if some or all of the 6 to 11 white farmers who killed during land reform, were killed by remnants of Super ZAPU and the Selous Scout types, revived as the MDC's Democratic Resistance Committees. They did the same in the 1980s to grab international headlines. Quote:
When in 2008, I was briefed by the security that there were bombings of police stations and burning of houses in rural areas, I quickly realised that we were not dealing with the MDC or any other political party, but this was the ugly head of the Selous Scouts trying to tarnish the image of Zanu-PF.
If they are using South African territory to plan criminal acts in Zimbabwe, they are liable under South African law too.
SA ruling: It’s time for an eye for an eye
Saturday, 19 May 2012 20:24
Sunday Mail Reporter
Diplomats from Southern Africa have said the time might have come for governments in the region to “square up” with former Rhodies and their influential friends in South Africa who are abusing democratic institutions in that country to continue their war against Zimbabwe in provocative ways that are now threatening to destabilise the region.
War veterans in this country have also added their voice, saying the former Rhodies and their friends in South Africa should know that
“we are fully aware that they committed lots of unspeakable atrocities before our country’s independence and
they continue to do so up to this day and so the time is fast approaching to return fire with fire.”
The concerns raised by the diplomats and the outrage from the war veterans follow a ruling handed down recently by Judge Hans Fabricius of North Gauteng High Court in South Africa calling on authorities in that country to probe alleged atrocities in Zimbabwe under statutes of the International Criminal Court (ICC) of which SA is a signatory.
Zimbabwe is not signatory to the ICC and so does not recognise the court which analysts say was established by the West to target African leaders who refuse to dance to their tune.
The ruling followed a petition by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre and the Zimbabwe Exiles’ Forum, organisations that have close links to former Rhodesians who seem to have discovered that their first choice to effect regime change in the country — the MDC — has failed dismally and are resorting to abusing democratic institutions in SA.
Harare lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who has represented top MDC-T officials in court on several occasions, is a trustee at the Southern Africa Litigation Centre.
Diplomats who spoke to The Sunday Mail on condition of anonymity for diplomatic reasons expressed grave concern that what started as a fight between Zimbabwe and the former Rhodesians was fast escalating to levels that are now threatening stability in the region.
“The outrage that has been sparked in Zimbabwe and indeed the whole Sadc region by the unprecedented decision by the South African court is not surprising at all if you consider the fact that the decision was made by a white judge who seemed to be intent on being provocative against both the ANC and Zanu-PF as former liberation movements.
“You must also remember that South Africa is home to very large numbers of former Rhodesians who are now very influential in that country's judiciary, legal fraternity, media, business and NGO community and those former Rhodesians have for some time now been using their critical positions and influence in South Africa to settle their Rhodesian scores with Zanu-PF in reckless and dangerous ways that may end up being very harmful to South Africa's national interest to the detriment of cohesion and stability within Sadc.
But fundamentally the decision has no basis in either South African or international law and is an unenforcable legal nullity which means that it was specifically made for political and propaganda purposes designed to soil relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe.
“If the South African government does not appeal against that decision, then obviously its own interests in Zimbabwe and the region will be in serious jeopardy because Zimbabwe and other countries in the region can retaliate through their own legal systems, not only against former Rhodesians who are now South Africans who committed genocidal crimes during the apartheid days up to as recent as 1994 but also against the South African government itself which is liable to legal claims for compensation,” said a Harare-based Sadc diplomat.
Another diplomat added that the issue about the threat stemming from the actions of the former Rhodies in SA “is being discussed extensively in diplomatic corridors and soon it will be taken to the appropriate levels for concrete action.”
Said the diplomat: “We have been observing what has been happening from the sad days of the disbanded Sadc Tribunal up to the latest ruling in South Africa. As diplomats from the region, we are noticing a worrying trend in the fight by the former white farmers against the Government here. Slowly the issue is spiralling out of control and is fast becoming a Sadc issue in general and an issue for liberation movements in the region in particular. We are still in discussions to see how best we can deal with this issue that has to be contained before the region is plunged into serious security problems.”
War veterans leader Cde Jabulani Sibanda said the people behind the SA court case and the judge who presided over it clearly show “the mentality of the white men in a free Africa”.
“Yesterday, these same people regarded us as sub-human and they ill-treated us. We fought for self-determination through the liberation struggle and we defeated them. Now they are regrouping in South Africa using that country’s white-controlled legal system.
“I can assure you that even if they use whatever techniques and whatever flawed legal system, we will still defeat them. The judgment in SA was not only against Zimbabwe. It was also against the liberation movements in that country and the whole region because it was instigated by former Rhodies and their apartheid friends representing the white struggle.
“We will stand up against this new onslaught and these Rhodies and their friends should know from the liberation struggle that we can return fire with fire. Those who committed violence in 2008 were charged and our courts are very competent to handle such matters,” charged Cde Sibanda.
According to the recently published WikiLeaks, a Harare regional co-ordinator for intelligence for the MDC, Charles Mutama, told the US Embassy in Harare that the security, intelligence and youth branches of the MDC were planning to attack police stations, Zanu-PF-owned shops and gas stations in five cities in the country.
Several police stations and railway lines were subsequently bombed in 2008 while several houses in rural areas were burnt during the same period leading to the arrest of many MDC activists who had received military training in Botswana and South Africa.
Some of the activists who were brought before the courts accused of banditry, insurgency and terrorism include Gandi Mudzingwa, Kisimusi Dhlamini, Andrison Manyere, Zacharia Nkomo, Regis Mujeyi, Garutsa Mapfumo and Chinoto Zulu.
Retired Brigadier-General Dr Felix Muchemwa on Friday described the disturbances that took place in 2008 that saw the bombings of police stations and the burning of houses in rural areas as a “Selous Scout operation.”
“These former Rhodies are saying the violence in 2008 should be investigated but we know that the former Selous Scouts were behind those disturbances. You see, when we took this country in 1980, we took it from General Peter Walls’ special forces. These forces wanted to carry out a coup and take out both President Mugabe and Vice-President Nkomo and so at independence we insisted that these special forces should be disbanded because we knew their machinations.
“When they failed to carry out the coup, they went out on a mission to destabilise the country after running away to South Africa. The Selous Scouts under these special forces carried out dirty tricks to discredit both Zanla and Zipra by carrying out the bombings of the Mambo Press, the Anglican Cathedral in Mbare and two of them actually blew themselves to pieces in a bid to tarnish the image of Zanla and Zipra.
“These Selous Scouts later regrouped in SA and they continued their dirty tricks in 2008 to discredit Zanu-PF. When in 2008, I was briefed by the security that there were bombings of police stations and burning of houses in rural areas, I quickly realised that we were not dealing with the MDC or any other political party, but this was the ugly head of the Selous Scouts trying to tarnish the image of Zanu-PF.
“These former Rhodies know they killed people in 2008 and now they are turning around to say go and investigate. Well, Muchemwa can go to SA today and say charge me but then the courts there have no extra-judicial powers over Zimbabweans.
“You see, the ruling was taken by the white-controlled courts which don’t have the arresting powers. The police have the arresting powers.
Let the police in SA make a wrong move and arrest one of ours and we will also make a wrong move,” warned the veteran soldier. The Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, has already dismissed the ruling, saying it has brought the SA justice system into disrepute while Attorney-General Mr Johannes Tomana dismissed the judgment, saying Zimbabwean citizens will not be subjected to South African and international laws that the country is not party to.
*******
Further reading:
Saving Zimbabwe An Agenda for Democratic Peace
Policy report for the Africa Policy Institute, July
Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria and and Africa Policy Institute, Nairobi/Pretoria 10 July 2008
There were reports of arrests of MDC MPs on the ground of organizing violence. One MDC parliamentarian, Ian Kay, was arrested on 20 May for alleged role in violence in Mashonaland East. Another MP, Among Chibaya, was also arrested the next day for allegedly inciting junior officers in the police to rebel. As violence escalated, on 29 May President Mugabe visited the site of an alleged attack by MDC supporters at Shamva, where a homestead was burned down. Mugabe warned the MDC to “stop immediately this barbaric campaign of burning and destroying people’s homes.”40
Days to the elections, Police Commissioner, General Augustine Chihuri said on 20 June that the MDC was primarily responsible for the violence, alleging that the party was using its Democratic Resistance Committees to intimidate voters in an effort “to influence the outcome of the elections.”
He disclosed that the police had arrested 390 MDC supporters alongside 156 ZANU-PF supporters involved in violence.41 Harare’s officials further claimed that that activists of the MDC, disguised as ZANU-PF members, had executed violence against the population, mimicking the tactics of the Selous Scouts during the war of liberation.
In an article published in the Sunday Mail, it was further claimed that there was a “predominance” of Selous Scouts in the MDC structures, and a new strategy of resistance. The article claimed further that former Selous Scouts are training MDC youth activists in violent tactics at locations near Tswane (Pretoria) and Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.42
41 “MDC-T Behind wave of violence—Chihuri”, The Herald (Harare), 21 June 2008.
42 Although our researchers are yet to confirm the truth about this aspect, our contacts in West Africa spoke of Zimbabwean youths travelling to Guinea for training. API telephone interview, Zimbabwean political analyst, Dakar, Senegal, 7 July 2008; Ralph Mutema, “Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai Asked Khama for Armoured Car”, The Zimbabwe Guardian, 2 June 2008.
What I can't get out of my head, is that there were only very few few white farmers were killed during the Fast Track land reform process (2000 to today). Was this, because their killings were the result of Super Zapu, an organisation that likely only numbered 100 people, and that was heavily supported by the South African apartheid government and former members of the Rhodesian special forces in Rhodesia? And did so for the very same reasons they had in the 1980s, which was to grab international headlines and tarnish the image of the Zimbabwean government?
This is what the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace had to say on Super Zapu tactics, in the March 1997 report:
" While they operated, South Africa provided ammunition for Super ZAPU, and some of this found its way to other dissident groups in the country: arms and ammunition used by dissidents frequently indicated South Africa as the source of origin, particularly during 1983. Super ZAPU were also directly responsible for the deaths of white farmers in southern Matabeleland, during their time of operation. "
Source: REPORT ON THE 1980’s DISTURBANCES IN MATABELELAND & THE MIDLANDS
Compiled by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe, March 1997
Labels: COURTS, JABULANI SIBANDA, RHODESIANS, SADC, SOUTH AFRICA, WAR CRIMES, WAR VETERANS
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War vets demand money for projects
03/04/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
WAR veterans have claimed they are living in abject poverty and demanded that the coalition government comes up with a
loan facility to enable them to start self help projects. The independence war fighters believe they are entitled to such facilities under the 1997 War Veterans Act.
War veterans were handed payouts of Z$50,000 in 1997 helping trigger the so-called “Black Friday” on November 14 of the same year when the Zimbabwe dollar lost 71,5 percent of its value and the stock market crashed 46 percent.
Experts say although the country’s economy properly hit the skids beginning 2000, the roots of the crisis could be traced to the unbudgeted war veterans’ payouts as well as Zimbabwe’s participation in the DRC civil war.
However, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Cairo Mhandu, a member of the parliamentary portfolio committee on defence told state radio Tuesday that war veterans were living in poverty and needed more money to start self-help projects.
“From 1997, Ministers of Finance since then have totally ignored the War Veterans Act. War veterans are being disadvantaged in terms of accessing loan facilities,” he said.
“We are saying the government should make sure that we get these loans now because since 1997 we have been waiting, the economy is recovering and something should be done to assist us.”
Joseph Chinotimba, another war veterans’ leader added: “war veterans are for the country, they fought for the liberation of the country.
“When the authorities deal with our issues, they must not see us as Zanu PF war veterans as we fought for everyone, even for those who go to church.
“We are living in abject poverty yet some members of the society have access to loans.”
Under the 1997 legislation, the war veterans are entitled to a gratuity, settlement benefits, loans, and education benefits, medical as well as funeral benefits.
The ex-fighters – dismissed by critics as shock troopers for President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party – are also entitled to a monthly state pension which many say is inadequate.
Labels: WAR VETERANS
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Ex-governor Masvingo embroiled in land dispute
05/02/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
WAR veterans re-settled on a farm in Chiredzi have accused ex-Masvingo governor, Willard Chiwewe of fraudulently acquiring an offer letter for the same property and vowed to resist his efforts to evict them.
The war veterans – who include retired army officers – said they were allocated Maranatha Farm in Chiredzi some ten years ago but had not been able to carry out any production over the past five years after their water pump was vandalised. The six farmers said they have since managed to install a new pump allowing faming activities to resume.
They claimed that each farmer is expecting to earn about US$150, 000 in gross revenue from supplying sugar cane to Hippo Valley Estates which has attracted the interest of Chiwewe.
“Chiwewe fraudulently got an offer letter from ‘the top’ and he now wants to use his ailing political muscle and corrupt political and civil connections in the province to evict the farmers who are now busy contributing to the resuscitation of the sugar industry in the Lowveld,” the farmers said in a statement.
“His name is not known in the Sugarcane Association and he does not have a milling quota with Hippo Valley in addition to the fact that he has never farmed and supply Hippo valley with the cane.”
The war veterans claimed that Chiwewe had threatened to enlist the help of riot police to kick them off the property along with the white former owner who still resides in the farm house.
“The war veterans have vowed that no politician should be allowed to take land that has already distributed to the black farmers,” they said.
“We agreed at a recent meeting to take the matter up with the Masvingo provincial leadership, and failing to get help there, appeal to President Robert Mugabe.”
Chiwewe could not be reached for comment.
A former permanent secretary for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Chiwewe is said to own several farms in the province, most of the acquired during his tenure as governor.
He was accused of owning at least three farms but argued that one belonged to his wife while the other one had been allocated to his daughter.
Chiwewe also refused to move off a farm he tried to seize from a black family which had bought the property from its white former owners.
Labels: LAND REFORM, MASVINGO, WAR VETERANS
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War vets speak on new constitution
Saturday, 07 January 2012 20:54
Sunday Mail Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) has called on the Constitution Select Committee (Copac) to stop the ongoing drafting of the supreme law of the country, saying the process has been marred by chaos and disregarded the views of the public.
This comes as Copac members and drafters converged on Manicaland for the final phase of the drafting process which is due to be completed on January 19.
In a statement yesterday, ZNLWVA chairman Cde Jabulani Sibanda said the drafting had gone against the views of the people.
“It has become abundantly clear that Copac is not drafting or causing the drafting of the new constitution in accordance with the views of the people,” he said.
Cde Sibanda said the three Copac co-chairpersons had given conflicting statements on the matter, thereby clearly showing discrepancies.
“Honourable (Munyaradzi) Paul Mangwana says the National Report published in the Herald of 23 December is correct and reflects the views of the people of Zimbabwe.
“. . . He even goes on to refer to the National Report as the National Statistical Report which is in two versions.
“According to Mwonzora, the National Report becomes complete if it includes views from the Diaspora, views from Zimbabwean institutions, views from people living with disabilities as well as views from children.
“Hon Mkhosi says the report is correct but is meaningless without a narrative. Simply put, the co-chairs of Copac are giving conflicting stories on the issue of the National Report and how the views of the people were captured and recorded,” he said.
Cde Sibanda accused the Copac co-chairpersons of tampering with public opinion and challenged them to “produce a National Report whether in one version or two including the narratives”.
Cde Sibanda accused Copac of fraud.
“Our position is that a reading of the first four chapters, so far drafted, proves beyond doubt that Copac has betrayed the views of the people and may, in fact, be committing fraud by purporting to be drafting or causing the drafting of the new constitution being guided by the views of the people when in truth and in fact it is not doing so,” he said.
“. . . The drafters wrote that ‘the new constitution cannot solve the land issue in Zimbabwe. It can, however, provide a mechanism — we suggest a Land Tenure Act.’
“In our constitution, we cannot subscribe to the Land Tenure Act being proposed by drafters . . . We fought to remove the colonial regime.
“We fought imperialism. We fought nepotism. We fought to repossess the land. No more Land Tenure Acts. The constitution must deal with the land issue,” he said.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, JABULANI SIBANDA, WAR VETERANS
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Chaos at Copac briefing
Saturday, 14 January 2012 00:00
Herald Reporter
A COPAC stakeholders' briefing ended in disarray yesterday after war veterans and civic organisations rejected a progress report presented by the co-chairpersons.
Copac spokesperson Jessie Majome prematurely called off the meeting after a war of words erupted between stakeholders and the co-chairpersons.
The stakeholders were arguing that
the progress report showed that Copac had not captured the views of the people. Chaos began during the question-and-answer segment when Copac co-chairperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T) had finished reading out the Copac statement.
War vets accused the Copac team that included co-chair Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana and Mr Rejoice Ngwenya of tampering with the public's views.
They challenged them to produce an authentic national report.
The war vets said raw data in the national report would help them to "fairly" judge the draft against the people's views.
They argued that failure to furnish them with the national report would "license" the drafters to abuse the people's trust and hold the nation in contempt.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association representative Cde Denias Dzedze accused the Copac team of fraud, describing them as "brainless people".
"You have to know that for you to be where you are today it is because of our sacrifices. We want to see the national report now for us to compare what people said with your draft, otherwise you are putting your own views," he said.
Cde Dzedze said the Copac team was disregarding peoples' views adding, "this is fraud at its highest level. Maitiro enyu anoita kuti tikubvondorei izvezvi because hamuna njere uye hamufunge mese muri vashanu kumberi kwedu (Your conduct forces us to be hard on you because you have no brains and you don't think all the five of you leading the process)."
Cde Mangwana responded: "We have not come for war here. Musativhunditsire, musatityisidzire nekuti tinoremekedzwawo kwatinobva. Hazvinaki kutituka nekutivhundutsira (Do not intimidate us. It's not good to insult us because we are also honourable and we were chosen by our respective political parties to represent you.)
"The national report has been delayed, it's a fact, but we expect it out by next week. We will never hide it because it contains the people's views."
Others said the Copac team was delaying because some political parties in the inclusive Government were afraid of elections.
Said ZNLWVA Harare Province secretary-general Cde Claudius Mutero: "The constitution which was supposed to be people-driven has now been hijacked by foreign agencies using the MDC formations.
"We wonder why you are still giving excuses. Is it because of the allowances you are getting or because some of you are afraid of elections? You are taking this programme as a money spinning venture and this has to stop."
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Collaborators representative Mr Charles Ndawana said divisions in Copac were rife with the three co-chairperson giving conflicting statements in most cases.
"You pretend to be united yet there are differences, " he said.
"You give conflicting statements on the issue of the national report and how the views of the people were captured and recorded. It means we are going nowhere."
The war vets also exchanged harsh words with representatives of the civic organisations before some of them walked out of the briefing.
Mr Mwonzora said the draft would be completed by month end.
He said four chapters had been submitted to the Select Committee for review.
"The Select Committee, in line with its terms of reference accorded by Article V1 of the GPA, has completed the process of identifying and filling the gaps existing in the information gathered during the outreach..."
He said the drafters were following instructions from the Select Committee.
"The drafting process shall be iterative and interactive to allow the parties to achieve consensus," he said.
"The select Committee for the meantime is busy reviewing the preliminary four drafts which are merely works in progress and doing further research where this is necessary..."
The drafters resumed the drafting this week after it had been suspended because of disagreements between political parties.
Zanu-PF accused the drafters of failing to use information gathered from the outreach programme.
Some of the issues ignored include land, citizenship and minority rights.
Sources said the majority of people who took part in the outreach said they did not want dual citizenship and castigated homosexuality.
Labels: COPAC, JESSIE MAJOME, WAR VETERANS
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War vets fight Mohadi over farm
05/01/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
POLICE in Beitbridge have arrested eight suspects, including two war veterans, for allegedly vandalising property at co-Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi’s farm in Beitbridge west.
Given Mbedzi, his mother Philani Ndou, Soforia Ndou, Jameson Mbedzi and Alifa Mbedzi, who won plot at Jopembe Lot 9 farm, are accused of tampering with locks on one of the structures at the property.
The suspects, who have a long-standing dispute with the Zanu PF minister over some plots adjacent to his farm, were arrested at the farm last weekend and charged with malicious damage to property.
The dispute appears to have triggered by the fact that Mohadi’s son, Campbell Junior was in 2009 given an offer letter for a farm that had been allocated to Given Mbedzi in 2003. The minister’s son was reportedly issued the plot after Mbedzi allegedly abandoned it.
Meanwhile, trial of the case however, failed to take off at the Beitbridge magistrates’ court on Wednesday and was referred to the Gwanda provincial magistrates’ courts on the instruction of Matabeleland South area prosecutor, Blessing Gundani.
The group was further detained at Beitbridge main police station pending transfer to Gwanda for trial on Thursday.
Lawyers however said the group would deny the charges and argue, instead, that the case is part of ongoing attempts by Mohadi to force them off their plots.
Philemon Marubini Ndou, Ignatius Ncube and Knowledge Muleya, who are employees of Mbedzi, are also accused of cutting a 5 km stretch of fence, which the Minister had reportedly erected at his property.
They are out on $30 bail each and will jointly appear with the rest of the group at the Gwanda magistrates’ court.
Soforia Ndou is also facing charges of stock theft, after she is alleged to have cut a piece of fence from the same farm which resulted in several head of cattle straying. The stock remains unaccounted for.
Labels: KEMBO MOHADI, LAND REFORM, NEW FARMERS, WAR VETERANS
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Invaders threaten leading timber company
02/01/2012 00:00:00
by radiovop.com
ONE of Zimbabwe’s leading timber companies, Border Timbers is facing closure after scores of
villagers settled themselves in the company’s timber plantations. The company’s
vast timber plantations at Charter estate in Chimanimani have been virtually
turned into small pockets of maize and rapoko fields.“About
2,500 hectares of our estate has been illegally taken over by villagers who have parcelled themselves pieces of land. Our hands are tied because the invasions are being coordinated by politicians,” said an estate manager who refused to be named for fear of victimisation.
The manager said the most affected estates were Zipras, Chinyai and Skyline where the illegal settlers have cleared all the timber and substituted the trees with maize and rapoko crops.
“At Skyline the invaders have also cleared all the indigenous trees which the company had left for soil conservations purposes. The soil in the area is very porous, mountainous and is not suitable for any agricultural activity,” he said.
The manager said repeated high level efforts to engage the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the politicians concerned over the rampant environmental degradation in the area has not yielded anything.
The company’s official also accused the invaders of causing veld fires which has destroyed most of the newly planted trees. The councillor for the area, Micah Chimene said the issue of settlers in timber plantations has sharply divided the Chimanimani rural district council.
“I recently moved a motion in council for the eviction of the invaders from the plantations but our colleagues from Zanu (PF) are against the idea.
About 70 percent of our revenue comes from Border Timbers and if the estate closes down, the council’s coffers will be crippled,” said Chimene.
Labels: LAND REFORM, TIMBER, WAR VETERANS
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Foreigners welcome as partners: War vets
Saturday, 19 November 2011 00:00
ZIMBABWE'S sovereignty is non-negotiable and outsiders will only be welcome as partners in exploiting natural resources for the nation's development, war veterans have said.
Speaking during a war veterans and youths tour of Chimoio shrines on Wednesday, Zanu-PF central committee member Cde Hubert Nyanhongo said the country's destiny lies in the hands of Zimbabweans. The group comprised members from Harare South Constituency and Mutare Women's League.
"Freedom came through a protracted armed struggle and only Zimbabweans have the right to determine their destiny," he said, while warning agents of regime change that their efforts were futile.
The group visited the Chimoio shrines to acquaint themselves with the history of the liberation struggle and view the mass graves where thousands of men, women and children massacred by Rhodesian forces were interred.
Cde Nyanhongo, a survivor of the Chimoio attacks, and Zanu-PF legislator for Harare South Constituency, implored youths to respect liberation war heroes and the sacrifices they made regardless of having different beliefs and political affiliations.
"This respect does not matter which political party you support. They died fighting for the freedom you are enjoying today and without them some of you would not have formed the opposition parties that you have.
"Let us accord them the honour they deserve," he said.
Zanu-PF national consultative assembly member Cde Alice Mutindori and war veteran Cde Washington Bangalila - both survivors of the Chimoio massacre - showed the group around the shrines.
Cde Bangalila said youths should spurn cheap political ideologies seeking to advance imperialist interests.
"These are the occasions where we examine and re-examine our past and present in relation to our ideals and virtues in order to ensure that they will continue to be affirmed, asserted and enhanced by fulfilment in future," he said. He challenged Government to spruce up the Chimoio area.
"The National Museum and Monuments should do more at these shrines. The flags need to be changed as they are old and more toilets need to be built and those who look after the area also need to be catered for," he said. Cde Mutindori, who led the Mutare delegation, said Zimbabweans should make an "introspection" and help war veterans in defeating the agents and machinations of regime change.
"Our country came from somewhere and people should know the reality. There was five days of extensive bombing here and a lot of blood was shed. We want you to help us in defending the country at all cost," she said.
The youths pledged to defend the nation at all costs. Twelve-year-old Kudakwashe Murozvi said he was touched by the history that surrounds the Chimoio massacre.
"I am going to tell my friends, even my parents, about the importance of defending the country. When you are first told about these stories for the first time you will think that its all about politics but now
I have saw the truth on the ground and I will support people with a history," he said.
The group spent the night at the shrines celebrating the lives of the heroes and many war veterans gave testimonies of how they survived the brutal attacks.
Labels: NEOCOLONIALISM, WAR VETERANS
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War vets blast Tsvangirai
Monday, 17 October 2011 18:21
War veterans have castigated MDC-T leader, Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai over utterances he made about compensating victims of political violence from his party describing the move as political grandstanding which is aimed at inciting unemployed youths into political violence.
The veterans of the war of liberation say Mr. Tsvangirai’s desperation to win votes by promising members of his party some money will do more damage than good saying this could culminate in fuelling a culture of violence among Zimbabweans.
Some of the war veterans who spoke to ZBC News said Mr. Tsvangirai should think of compensating thousands of families which were directly affected by the war of liberation instead of concentrating on divisive politicking.
Other survivors of the war of liberation questioned the source of such funding at a time the country is facing serious liquidity problems and urged the Prime Minister to desist from acting like an opposition leader and help in rebuilding the nation.
Early last week, Mr. Tsvangirai was quoted by some sections of the media saying he has set up a fund to compensate what he termed political violence victims of his party without taking into cognisance that some of the so-called victims were actually perpetrators of such barbaric activities.
Labels: MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, WAR VETERANS
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War veterans seek audience with Biti
Wednesday, 12 October 2011 00:00
Herald Reporters
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association leaders have accused Finance Minister Tendai Biti of avoiding them when they want to discuss critical issues.
Minister Biti has on several occasions avoided meeting the war veterans to discuss their welfare. The war veterans' leadership visited Minister Biti's offices demanding soft loans for agricultural inputs. However, the war veterans led by Cde Joseph Chinotimba failed to meet the finance minister. He was
reportedly in a meeting elsewhere.
"What we want is money for inputs. We have the land but we do not have money for inputs.
"What is disturbing us is the Minister has been avoiding us for the past months and he is insensitive to our concerns.
"We can only put the blame on the honourable Minister if he doesn't act after meeting him rather than accusing him now. We want to meet him and iron out issues." Cde Chinotimba said the war veterans believed in dialogue.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS
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Chamisa defends Chinotimba laptop gift
01/09/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
INFORMATION Technology Minister Nelson Chamisa has defended his decision to give war veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba a laptop under the country’s much-vaunted e–government computers programme. Chamisa has already parcelled out laptops to President Robert Mugabe, all cabinet ministers and their permanent secretaries.
It was revealed on Thursday that Chinotimba, the militant leader of the war veterans who achieved notoriety during the land invasions in 2000, had also benefited.
Chamisa said: “As you may know, as a government, we launched the ZimConnect document which is our e-government flagship. It’s a roadmap to make sure we increase literacy on ICT, turning our country from a techno-phobic to techno-savvy society which looks at a laptop as a daily requirement for workstyles and lifestyles.
“After we had given laptops to ministers, permanent secretaries and principal directors, Cde Chinotimba came to our offices with a group of other war veterans. They said as farmers they wanted laptops to use in their farming activities, and that fits very well with our programme. We want farmers to use internet to enhance productivity.
“We said look, to the extent that there is appetite from Cde Chinotimba, we will satisfy that appetite. So it happened that Cde Chinotimba’s hands were happy recipients of the goodness of this ministry.
“We are a government for everyone, we represent across the spectrum from the high end of society to the low end. Cde Chinotimba represents our being as a country, these are our war veterans we have to make sure that we empower them.”
Chinotimba, asked what he wanted to use the laptop for, shot back with typical humour: “What do you use laptops for? It is a government exercise for people and I want to write down all the farms we took under the land reform programme, and also to have names of the remaining farms so that we take them and give people like you.”
Chamisa said the programme would soon be expanded to cover MPs, police commanders, judges, prosecutors, councillors and chiefs.
He added: “We want to cascade this programme down to the whole population. We are also committed to the PC-per-classroom policy which we are shortly launching at Chogugudza High School in Mashonaland East.
“Wherever there is electricity, there is going to be internet connectivity.”
Chamisa says increased computer literacy and access to information communication technology will “send inconvenience and pain in people’s lives to an early grave”.
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He added: “ICT is the only bridge that is going to help the underprivileged in our society to join the rest of the world. People up and down the country lose a lot of money and time doing things they could easily take care of at the click of a mouse.
“Why should someone from Tsholotsho, for instance, travel to Harare for a birth certificate and passport? My ministry’s mission is to change this and ensure that these services are available online.
“When we give out computers it’s not charity, we are not father Christmas. We are doing this for an objective.”
Chamisa said they had set up training centres in Harare and Bulawayo for government workers to improve their ICT skills.
“Empires of the future are empires of the mind. The highest result of education, the ultimate effect, is tolerance. Tolerance is good for society and good for development while ignorance has the worst side effects,” the minister added.
Zimbabwe has great potential for rapid internet and social media expansion. In June 2011, internetworldstats.com reported that nearly 1,5 million Zimbabweans (11.8% of the population) are internet users.
According to the Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation (ZARF), 24 % of urban adults have access to the internet and 83% of them use it at least once a week.
Zimbabwe’s largest cell phone service provider, Econet, launched Zimbabwe’s first 3G wireless broadband mobile phone service in 2010, allowing the 86% of Zimbabweans with mobile phones to access the internet and social media that way. Currently over 30% of Econet’s subscribers (1,8 million people) are now using this service.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, LAND REFORM, NELSON CHAMISA, WAR VETERANS
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MDC-T a violent party: Nguni
Friday, 27 May 2011 22:33
Herald Reporter
MDC-T is bent on perpetrating violence against Zimbabweans, ZIMBABWE Today publisher and political analyst Mr Goodson Nguni has said.
Speaking at the launch of a monthly magazine portraying MDC-T political violence activities on Thursday, Mr Nguni said MDC-T had former Rhodesian elements who schooled them on violence against their own people.
The magazine titled: "Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T): The Culture of Violence", has pictures and stories duplicated from both public and private newspapers on MDC-T violence.
About 150 000 copies of the magazines have been printed and would be distributed for free.
Fifty thousand are in English, 50 000 in French and another 50 000 in Portuguese.
Mr Nguni said they wanted to distribute the magazines throughout Africa, including French and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Mr Nguni accused the MDC-T of deceiving the world saying Zanu-PF was violent when in actual fact it is them "hence the need to set the record straight".
"We have decided to document the stories that have been written and pictures taken on MDC-T violent actions in order to set the record straight.
"They have been going around telling the world that Zanu-PF was responsible for political violence when in actually fact it is them.
"We felt there was a need to answer some of the things they have been saying about Zanu-PF.
"They have been saying the war veterans are raping women and to me that is declaring war against the war veterans who brought them independence," Mr Nguni said.
Labels: GOODSON NGUNI, MDC VIOLENCE, WAR VETERANS
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Biti buckles under pressure from war vets
By: Ralph Mutema
Posted: Friday, March 25, 2011 4:19 am
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti yesterday buckled under pressure from Zimbabwe's War Veterans who demanded payment of their children's school fees. Biti had dodged the veterans for two days, but finally agreed to meet them as it became clear they were not going to give up.
The minister finally met the war veterans' representatives at his offices and undertook to pay school fees arrears that Government owes them. The war veterans first tried to meet him on Monday and then on Wednesday without success.
The wa veterans also wanted Biti to clarify statements he made to private media saying "If Zanu-PF wants war, we will give them war".
Yesterday war veterans expressed satisfaction with Minister Biti's commitment to pay outstanding arrears for their children's school fees within two days.
They said the Finance Minister also promised to pay next term school fees within seven days of opening.
However, they said Minister Biti did not make any commitment to improve civil servants salaries.
They said the minister had also not undertaken to pay their healthcare dues and to raise their monthly pensions from US$116 to at least US$200.
The war veterans are also furious that Minister Biti - who was exposed as a key figure in structuring illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe - had done nothing to call for the end to the widely-discredited embargo as required of him and his MDC-T party in the Global Political Agreement.
Labels: SCHOOL FEES, TENDAI BITI, WAR VETERANS
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War vets say no human rights lectures from Coltart
By: Floyd Nkomo
Posted: Thursday, November 11, 2010 11:19 am
THE vice president of the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans’ Association, Joseph Chinotimba, yesterday slammed Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart over his claims that there was genocide in Matabeleland.
Chinotimba dismissed the claims saying the only genocide in Zimbabwe had been perpetrated by Minister Coltart’s kith and kin against blacks during colonialism; who systematically killed people with black skin.
He said
Coltart was not qualified to talk about human rights in Zimbabwe and asked
why Coltart was quiet on the 50 000 "comrades" who were killed by Ian Smith during the Chimurenga war; in Nyadzonia and Chimoio, among other places.
"The article was a despicable attack on war veterans and all Zimbabweans.
"The utterances are unacceptable and an insult to our country’s liberation struggle, national reconciliation and the legacy of national independence."
Chinotimba said Zanu-PF and PF-Zapu had merged to form a united Zanu-PF in 1987 and the spirit of reconciliation was being cultivated in Zimbabwe; but the minister was trying to stir up controversy for political gains.
He added that a "man like Coltart cannot preach human rights to us, we brought democracy to that country which the whites denied us for very long in our own country."
"If Coltart wants to open up old wounds, let him come out in the open," said Chinotimba.
"It is quite preposterous in the extreme for Coltart to preach about human rights violations and post-independence disturbances when taking into cognisance his background as a former member of the brutal and murderous Rhodesian Selous Scouts," he said.
He added: "Coltart owes us and the rest of the nation an apology within seven days. We cannot continue folding our hands and watch former Rhodesians insulting us.
"Your utterances have given us second thoughts on those white farmers who are still on our land yet you benefited from the reconciliation policy."
In a separate interview with NewsDay, Chinotimba said the war veterans will never salute MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai even if he won elections.
He said Tsvangirai should salute those people who brought independence and democracy to Zimbabwe, which they were denied by the minority white governments.
"He (Tsvangirai) should clearly understand who war veterans are and why they are important in Zimbabwe. If he does not salute us, it would become a very big problem," said Chinotimba.
Chinotimba said whites used free and cheap labour on the farms they stole from blacks, and black resettled farmers are paying those people and their dignity has now been restored.
"When the whites took over our land, the Rhodesian Front supported them with cheap labour by Africans and they never paid for electricity and water," said the angry Chinotimba.
When asked about divisions among war veterans, Chinotimba said the only divisions he knows are those in the MDC.
""Have you ever heard of a group called War Veterans –Mugabe or War Veterans – Nkomo?'he asked.
Labels: DAVID COLTART, JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS
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Interview: Joseph Chinotimba
by Veneranda Langa
08/11/2010 00:00:00
JOSEPH Chinotimba says in a new interview that war veterans, whom he leads, want President Mugabe declared "life President" in the new Zimbabwe constitution which is at drafting stage.
Chinotimba (JC) tells NewsDay's Veneranda Langa (ND) that he entertains ambitions of being Education Minister, but has no interest in the presidency: "It would take me 3,000 years to reach that position."
ND: President Robert Mugabe has announced that the country will go for elections in June 2011; do you think the country is ready for those elections?
JC: My view is that Mugabe is 100% right. We need elections soon in this country, whether other people want it or not. We become surprised when we hear other leaders in the GNU saying they do not want elections.
ND: But they have said they want elections in a free and fair environment?
JC: It is not true that there was intimidation during elections. People should now choose whoever they want.
ND: Are you saying the environment for elections has always been free and fair?
JC: Even in court when someone is accused of stealing they deny the charge. As I see it myself, the previous elections were free and fair.
Even when you study the American elections, you will find that they also disagree.
However, Zimbabwe is the only country where people say elections are not free and fair.
In Afghanistan, where there was a lot of killing the Americans said the elections were free and fair.
I can confirm to you that there are many war veterans who were killed and beaten up by MDC supporters during elections. So, let us go for the elections.
ND: Supposing Morgan Tsvangirai wins the elections, are you going to endorse the results and salute him?
JC: If I cannot vote for Tsvangirai, how can I salute him?
Mugabe will win, but if Tsvangirai wins the elections, he should know that war veterans brought independence and he is the one who is supposed to salute us. It would be very dangerous for him to expect that we will salute him.
How can people who did not vote for Tsvangirai salute him?
He should clearly understand who war veterans are and why they are important in Zimbabwe. If he does not salute us, it would become a very big problem.
Even the British know that the two MDC factions should salute war veterans and if they do not do that, it would be a big mistake.
We will only salute Mugabe because we suffered together with him in the bush and we have never been cowards. As war veterans we will only salute leaders who are war heroes.
ND:What are your sentiments on life presidency for Mugabe?
JC: What is the problem with that?
If he dies today, would we not say he was a life president?
We do not know when he is going to die and why should we start asking why he is not dying? We are not talking about death here; we are talking of someone with leadership qualities to be a life president.
What we are saying is that Mugabe should always be there for the benefit of Zanu PF. We still need him even if it takes 20 more years.
In the new Constitution, the people should indicate that they want Mugabe to be life president. How can we stop people from saying that when it is their wish?
Right now, we do not have anyone with leadership qualities in the country like Mugabe and so he must remain President.
War veterans say that he is our leader because we were together in the war.
ND: Is it true that there is factionalism amongst war veterans?
JC: War veterans have no factions. War vets will always be war veterans. If we were divided into factions, we would have a situation like the one in MDC where there is MDC-T and MDC-M.
Have you ever heard of a group called War Veterans –Mugabe or War Veterans – Nkomo?
We are united; it is only the Selous Scouts who want to divide us like the Minister of Education, David Coltart. We do not have two names.
Even those war veterans who are in the MDC factions work for us and we planted them there.
Even the war veterans who are in leadership positions in Zanu PF work for us. We send people to do our work in political parties.
ND: Do you have any political ambitions for high-ranking government posts?
JC: I can be an MP, senator or minister, especially the Ministry of Education, Arts, Sports and Culture. I can handle that one; it is a very good post for me.
I cannot be President myself because we already have a President. When he dies then we will have another President. It would take me 3 000 years to reach that position. The Presidency is for Mugabe, Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Vice-President John Nkomo and they will succeed each other by death. That is what we do in Zanu PF.
ND: But you are young and when all these people are no longer available to take the post of Presidency, would you not be interested?
JC: We do not know when they are going to die and we are not prophets.
As a child you cannot be too ambitious to want to take your father’s position whilst he is still alive.
That is witchcraft and I cannot comment on that.
The only position I want is to be Minister of Education, or even the Ministry of Lands.
ND: Would you agree that the land reform programme spearheaded by the war veterans was chaotic?
JC: That is a Coltart style of talking and that is cheap politics. People are doing very well in the farms.
When the whites took over our land, the Rhodesian Front supported them with cheap labour by Africans and they never paid for electricity and water.
Labels: JOSEPH CHINOTIMBA, WAR VETERANS
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ZDTC, war veterans sign empowerment pact
Herald Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Diamond Technology Cen-tre yesterday signed agreements with representatives of war veterans, women’s groups and the disabled for their members to operate cutting and polishing businesses once construction of the centre is completed.
ZDTC chief executive officer Mr Love-more Kurotwi said the centre would assist the groups find partners with the requisite knowledge.
"As we have said before we want to empower our people and we thought of beginning with these vulnerable groups that also played a big role in the liberation of our country. We will also assist them find partners to add value to their businesses," he said.
Speaking on behalf of women’s groups, former Gutu South Member of Parliament Cde Shuvai Mahofa welcomed ZDTC’s gesture.
"We fought for this country so that we could live well and have access to our resources. We thank ZDTC for sharing the country’s resources and wealth with others, this is what independence is all about," she said. Zanu PF Youth Secretary Cde Absolom Sikhosana said Zimbabweans should work hard to shame the country’s detractors.
"We fought to have Zimbabwe and all its wealth and that is what we are witnessing today.
"We have enemies who want to bring us down but we should work hard so that their efforts fail. We are here to witness this milestone that will empower our people," he said.
Retired Brigadier General Richard Ruwodo who represented war veterans said it was up to the beneficiaries to make use of the factory shells they were given.
"Given this opportunity, we should work because we have been given everything because this is a culmination of the vision held by Zimbabweans," he said.
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority director general Mr Geshem Pasi said the empowerment of the groups would result in an increase in economic activity and added revenue to the coffers of the country.
When completed, ZDTC will house various businesses in diamond works, banks among others.
Labels: LOVEMORE KUROTWI, WAR VETERANS, ZIMBABWE DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
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War vetarans arrested in Matabeleland land wars
by Lindie Whiz
08/07/2010 00:00:00
TWO war veterans have been arrested in Matabeleland North province amid rising tensions over the allocation of land to people – often politically-connected -- from outside the region. Andrew Ndlovu and Stanley Ncube were due before Bulawayo magistrates late Thursday to face charges of threatening newly-resettled farmers in Bubi and Umguza districts.
The pair’s arrest by Inyati police came a day after Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube – also the chairman of a monitoring body of Zimbabwe’s power sharing government – warned that tensions over the land allocations were threatening to “degenerate to the levels of the violence that we saw in the streets of Kenya where neighbours were killing each other with machetes”.
Meanwhile the opposition ZAPU said Thursday that “through Ncube and Ndlovu’s efforts, and those of fellow community members in the two districts, the ‘new farmers’ were in most cases unable to occupy the farms.”
“The two were actively involved in the on-going opposition of resettling people from outside Matabeleland in the Umguza and Bubi districts, at the expense of locals,” ZAPU said in a statement, claiming the two men as its members.
ZAPU said politically-connected individuals from other provinces were “using the police to drive away white farmers” in Matabeleland North and South, then moving in to occupy the farms.
Ncube called for an urgent review into the work of government-appointed land committees which he said had usurped the powers of chiefs – leaving local communities extremely aggravated.
The minister said: “The land issue is an important issue and if you look at the GPA [Global Political Agreement], you will realise that it takes up quite a chunk of the document. It’s an emotional subject.
“The Boers took our land, making us leave the graves of our ancestors, and now that the land has been re-claimed under the land reform programme, we should be resettled back on our original land.
"How is it that other people are being taken from elsewhere to come and be resettled here?
"We should sort that out. If the issue is not resolved, it will degenerate to the levels of the violence that we saw in the streets of Kenya where neighbours were killing each other with machetes. We should not allow that issue to spiral out of control.”
A case being cited is that of Chief Jahana of Gokwe, who is struggling to return to Debshan in Insiza with his people where they were removed by colonial settlers in 1965.
The President of the Chiefs’ Council Senator Fortune Charumbira said: “Land belongs to the Chiefs. That power of the chiefs was taken away from us in a criminal manner during the colonial era. Now that we have had land reform, we should have full power over the land.
“Land committees were put in place because it was an issue of crisis management. They should now be disbanded. If there are commercial farms, you have to beg for an offer letter from a district administrator or provincial administrator.
“We are in those committees as beggars with no power of influence. Those committees are not chaired by traditional leaders.
"We should be shown respect as traditional leaders by being given back our powers to allocate land."
Labels: LAND REFORM, WAR VETERANS
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