PM hails President Mugabe

Tsvangirai has saluted President Mugabe for declaring during Independence Day celebration

on Thursday that violence will not be tolerated before, during and after the forthcoming harmonised elections. Mr Tsvangirai said this on Saturday at Chinhoyi Stadium in Mashonaland West province while addressing church members during a peace prayer meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Pastors Fellowship — an association of churches in Zimbabwe.

“I want to start with what President Mugabe said at Independence Day celebration in Harare. President Mugabe made a very strong message of peace to Zimbabweans . . . Peace message has never been said like this in the country. I support that. It’s a message that builds the country. Even if we have different parties, the issue is Zimbabweans should not beat each other up again,” he said.

President Mugabe urged the police to decisively deal with anyone fanning political violence irregardless of political affiliation ahead of harmonised elections due this year.
The President urged rival political party leaders to tell their supporters at grassroots level to co-exist and shun violence.

He said he receives briefings of the socio-political environment from Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri every Monday and he instructed the police to decisively deal with perpetrators of violence.

There have been isolated cases of inter and intra-party political violence. The President said he receives reports that people were even fighting over issues of one’s party’s regalia.

Said PM Tsvangirai; “As the spokesperson of the principals of the Government of National Unity GNU), if President Mugabe, (Deputy Prime Minister Arthur) Mutambara and myself sit down and discuss matters, I am the one who will tell the nation what we will have discussed. Today I am bringing you the message of peace from the principals.

When I go back, I will tell them that Chinhoyi has received the message.”  
MDC-T organising secretary Mr Nelson Chamisa spoke on behalf of the MDC-T, Chinhoyi constituency aspiring candidate Cde Phillip Chiyangwa stood in for Zanu-PF provincial chairman Cde John Mafa, while the other MDC formation was not represented.

PM Tsvangirai said the principals were unanimous that the country should never adopt a culture of violence.
“I have worked with President Mugabe for four years and at times we wonder why the people beat up each other. When President Mugabe says let’s have peace in the country,

I am surprised why other leaders in Government want to continue fanning violence. That is not congruent with the statement being given by President Mugabe,” he said.
Mr Tsvangirai thanked the people for voting peacefully during the referendum, where the “Yes” vote triumphed over “No” vote.

Cde Chiyangwa told the PM that no peace could be addressed when the people were starving, adding that it was the duty of the Government to make sure that there was enough food for the people. Food shortages have been used by some non-governmental organisations to cause unrest among hungry people to sway votes in favour of their party, the MDC-T.

“If everyone has enough food and jobs, there will be no violence to talk about. The people must have money…PM, please take this to Government, there must be jobs and food. Here in Chinhoyi there is hunger and the clinics also do not have medicine. If people fall sick, they will die. That must be addressed,” said Cde Chiyangwa.

Cde Chiyangwa donated a stand to the Zimbabwe Pastors Fellowship and another one to be sold to raise money to finance the operations of the church.
Mr Chamisa also said his party wanted peace to prevail during the forth coming elections and called on everyone to shun peace.

“The people should emulate the way the inclusive Government is operating. If there is peace in the country, there will be jobs, there will be enough food. Those who win, we should congratulate them like what my bother (Chiyangwa) said,” said Mr Chamisa.

The president of the Zimbabwe Pastors Fellowship Reverend Watson Furayi said the organisation was holding such meetings countrywide and thousands of people from different churches were attending.

“We have decided to bring political parties under the Government of National Unity. Whenever we go for elections people butcher each other. So we have decided to bring in GNU members here to hear their peace programmes. We have Zanu-PF here represented by (Cde) Chiyangwa, you have seen (Mr) Chamisa here representing the MDC-T and the PM spoke on behalf of the inclusive Government.

“We need to know their commitment towards peace as parties, we need peace in the country, we know this will help 

We will fight back – MDC-T

MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora yesterday told hundreds of party supporters not to take political violence lying down, but fight back in self-

defence should Zanu PF supporters attack them.

Addressing a campaign rally organised by Harare West MP Jessie Majome at Mabelreign shopping centre in Harare, Mwonzora said although the MDC-T was campaigning for peaceful elections, party supporters had a right to fight back if provoked.

“If you see someone wearing a Zanu PF T-shirt going about their business, leave them alone. But if you are beaten by Zanu PF supporters, fight back. It is allowed because you will be doing it in self-defence,” he said.

He said the MDC-T had worked hard to quell the violence that had become characteristic of the country’s politics although a lot still needed to be done.

“We came into government and reduced violence which had taken away some of our cadres including Tonderai Ndira. We came to stop it. We are not there yet because we are still dealing with the demon of violence. We are doing something about it,” he said.

Turning to the economy, Mwonzora said the MDC-T had significantly turned around the country’s economic fortunes for the better compared to the situation that prevailed just before they came into power when supermarket shelves were virtually empty and hospitals had no drugs or staff.

“(Prime Minister Morgan) Tsvangirai came in to restore the situation. We came and took away the Zimbabwe dollar and brought in the US dollar,” he said.

One of the reasons they came into the power-sharing arrangement with Zanu PF, he said, was to draft a new democratic constitution.

“When the colonisers came to Zimbabwe, they got the constitution from the Queen. When Zanu PF came into power, they had the Lancaster House Constitution and now we have this new constitution to usher us into power,” he said.

Meanwhile, MDC youth chairman Solomon Madzore challenged the party youths to go and register to vote ahead of the next elections. “There is no point for you to come to this rally and swell the numbers while doing the slogans yet you are not registered to vote. It’s as good as if you are not a member of the party,” he said.

The rally was also attended by Chisipite Senator Obert Gutu and MDC-T deputy national chairperson Morgan Komichi, among others.

Battle lines drawn in Manicaland

CONTRARY to reports in some sections of the media, the Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial executive was still in office as the fact-finding mission dispatched to investigate problems there had no mandate to fire anyone. Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon

Khaya Moyo leads the team which comprises national political commissar Cde Webster Shamu and deputy secretary for security Cde Kembo Mohadi.
Secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa — who is being accused of fuelling problems in the province — was also roped in, a development observers feared could detract findings as it emerged that cracks ravaging the province pitted groups aligned to him and Women’s League boss Cde Oppah Muchinguri.

“I do not have the powers to fire anyone. As a committee, we were just sent to Mutare listen to what the people were saying, compile a report that we will send to the President and Politburo for recommendations. That will be absolutely irresponsible for the committee to do that (firing the Mutare executive),” Cde Khaya Moyo said.
The team concluded its mission over the weekend and will forward the findings to the party’s supreme decision-making body, the Politburo.
Zanu-PF lost ground to MDC-T in the province in the last election, managing six seats out of a possible 26.

The probe team separately met Politburo and Central Committee members, war veterans and ex-detainees at Marymount Teachers College on Friday and Saturday in “a no-holds barred meeting”.

The meeting started at 10am on Friday and ended at 2am on Saturday.
The probe team has finished restructuring Bulawayo Province and after Mutare it will descend on Harare Province.
Cde Khaya Moyo said no province would be spared.

Als

“We met all the members, the Central Committee, Politburo, war veterans and we had extensive discussions.
“Our role was to listen and they spoke. We finished with a provincial co-ordinating committee meeting, involving all the members. We thanked them for the frank deliberations. It was a productive meeting. By the end it should benefit the people of Manicaland.

“We were assessing the preparedness of the party and no one should go to the media before we present the report.
“We are still compiling what the people said. The reports will be sent to the politburo and it shall come up with it recommendations,” he said.
While some officials reportedly openly expressed discomfort over the inclusion of Cde Mutasa in the investigation team, the meetings went ahead peacefully.
Information gathered by the Herald shows that a group of party officials reportedly aligned to Cde Mutasa are unhappy with a recent decision by some officials allegedly linked to Cde Muchinguri to petition the party leadership over challenges facing the party in the province.

They do not recognise the petition which they claim is fake and “was crafted by individuals scarred of losing their seats during primary elections”.
They alleged that they only read about the petition in the media and have never seen it hence those who wrote it “jumped the gun” as they did not conduct proper consultations.

A camp aligned to Cde Muchinguri reportedly wrote the petition in which they outlined to President Mugabe challenges facing the province.
The party subsequently sent a team to investigate the problems in Manicaland.

The petitioners were reportedly unhappy over an alleged attempt to impose candidates by Cde Mutasa ahead of Zanu-PF primary elections whose date is yet to be announced.
Allegations are that Cde Mutasa, the most senior official in the volatile province, wants to reinforce his clout by surrounding himself with “his people”.

A case in point is reportedly in one of the constituencies in Makoni where Cde Mutasa stands accused of backing aspiring candidate Cde Basil Nyabadza to push out Cde Patrick Chinamasa.

But individuals in Cde Mutasa’s alleged camp deny the charge saying it was coming from individuals who were scared of losing in the primaries and were hitting back at Cde Mutasa for failing to protect them.

“They want Cde Mutasa to protect them from aspiring candidates who have made serious inroads in their constituencies. Because Cde Mutasa is not willing to protect anyone, they now accuse him of siding with the aspiring candidates. They have seen that their chances of winning in the primary elections are slim and want to create unnecessary friction and to raise false alarm,” a source said.

Those said to be aligned to Cde Mutasa blame the state of affairs on the suspended provincial leadership of Cde Mike Madiro, whom they accuse of unprofessionally running the affairs of the party in the province.

“During the meeting, some party officials reportedly expressed their unhappiness over the suspension of Cde Madiro. They openly said it was wrong to institute legal charges against him and pleaded with the probe team to ensure that the case be solved amicably,” another source said.

 

North Korea threat Real or just a public display.

Lessons from past confrontations will be key to Kim Jong-un's strategy

 

As the world still asks itself if the eminent threat by the North Korean militaria on a possible millitary action against the states , the true question is that is this real or its just a pubilc display of power by Kim Jong-un.

 

North Korea has a long history of confrontation with the outside world over its weapons' programmes. In the past it has claimed historic diplomatic victories over the United States and it has set out yet on another quest ao consolidate its power.

 

Kim Jong -un took over the leadership of North Korea as the supreme leader two years ago after his fathers' death. Unlike his father and grandfather before him , he is more of a statesman and a general combined. He does public adresses and is often seen standing with his army on the front line as the General he seeks to prove he is.

 

The question still stands wether the Obama administration will take the unexperienced leader seriously and like the Clinton and Bush administrations back down or it will take action .If it does take action the repacations might lead to a third world war. China , Russia and Japan will be the side of Northen Korea .

 

The North Korean Leader who before aking over the reigns of leadership was unknown an there was a possible risk of the military power of the country being looked down upon .As the events unfold , the world is yet to find out if he will stand on his threats or he just wants to be recognised like his father before as a leader of a great military nation.

 

Kim Jong-il "humbled a superpower"

 

THE PRESS FIGHT BEGINS AS NEWSPAERS BATTLE ON FACTS

Months away from the election date yet to be announced the local print media has emerged to have their differences in factual gathering. In a worrying partten that has been part of the Zimbabwean media since forever ,the "Partisan" form of journalism has started to emerge.

 

In a recent development  the Herald and the Newsday recently wrote on the story about the case involving the prime minister and the president . The Herald in its claim say  that the Prime Minister lost the case against The President , while the Newsday was on the story that he withdrew his court case.

 

It a question on wether a true journalist approach is being taken or now the print media is more of a money making business.The stories as reported by both sides :

 

Tsvangirai withdraws election fight: NEWSDAY

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday withdrew his High Court application in which he was seeking to block President Robert Mugabe from proclaiming June 29 as the date for harmonised elections.

REPORT BY CHARLES LAITON

This was after it emerged the dispute was not about harmonised elections, but by-elections for three Matabeleland constituencies.

Judge President George Chiweshe said the impasse between Mugabe and the three former MDC legislators had nothing to do with the Tsvangirai.

“I am interested in finding out on whether we should have by-elections or not and I am not here to decide on the general election date. The Prime Minister has nothing to do with the holding of by-elections,” Justice Chiweshe said.

Tsvangirai had submitted a joinder application with the three MPs after Mugabe had sought to hold harmonised elections by June 29. The Premier approached the High Court last Thursday requesting to be included as the fourth respondent in the matter together with three former MPs – Abednico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu.

The trio has been fighting Mugabe in court demanding that he proclaims by-elections in the three constituencies that fell vacant after they were expelled from their party in 2009.

Justice Chiweshe is today set to decide on whether the current Parliament should be dissolved on June 29 according to Mugabe’s application, as opposed to October 29, an argument advanced by the former MPs.

“If Parliament will be dissolved on June 29, then it would not be possible to call for by-elections, but if it does on October 29, there will be time to do so,” Justice Chiweshe said before rolling over the matter to today.

The argument over the dissolution of Parliament came about after Mugabe abandoned his earlier application seeking interim relief from the courts to be allowed to conduct harmonised elections by the end of June.

Advocate Prince Machaya, who is representing Mugabe, indicated that his client’s application was now centred on the feasibility of conducting by-elections in June if Parliament would be dissolved around the same time.

Machaya said: “Our application does not involve the date on which harmonised elections should be held. Although we have indicated the terminal date in our papers, the interim relief initially sought now falls away.”

Tsvangirai’s lawyer Chris Mhike told the court that he would consult with his client on the possibility of withdrawing his joinder application now that the dispute centred on by-elections and not general elections.

“The basis for a joinder falls away and my learned friend (Machaya) is still taking instructions from his principals in finding an amicable solution to the matter,” Mhike said.

Tsvangirai loses court challenge : HERALD

PRIME MINISTER Morgan Tsvangirai has no role to play in the by-election case pitting President Mugabe and three former MDC legislators, Judge President George Chiweshe said yesterday.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai had filed an application to be included as a respondent in the proceedings in which President Mugabe made two urgent chamber applications seeking an extension of the March 31 by-election deadline to June 29 this                      year.

The President was last year ordered to set by-election dates for three constituencies — Nkayi South, Bulilima East and Lupane East — by March 31.
This followed an application by Abednico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu, all former MDC legislators for the constituencies in question.

The Prime Minister had argued that he was never consulted when President Mugabe came up with June 29 as the date by which the harmonised elections would have been  held.
The Judge President said the PM had no role in the dispute after the Deputy Attorney General Advocate Prince Machaya said they were abandoning their application for an interim relief and doing away with references made in their application concerning harmonised elections.

Dep AG Machaya said they would now seek a final order doing away with insinuations of the harmonised elections, prompting Mr Tsvangirai’s lawyer Mr Chris Mhike to concede that the PM’s application would fall away as there was a possible amicable way of solving the matter with President Mugabe.

He, however, said he would consult Mr Tsvangirai on the matter.
Judge President Chiweshe, however, said; “The Prime Minister has no role to play even if you consult it will not sway the court . . . But if it was harmonised elections then he has a role to play,” he said.

EARLIER

• Tsvangirai files application to be part of Poll hearing

The Judge President also told the parties that he cannot set dates for harmonised or by-elections, adding that the issue should be on whether Parliament is dissolved by June 29 or October 29.
Advocate Thabani Mpofu, who is representing the deposed, all former MDC legislators, for the constituencies in question said according to the Constitution, Parliament would be dissolved on October 29 while Dep AG Adv Machaya said it should be dissolved by June 29.
Judge President Chiweshe said if Parliament ends in June it is not feasible to hold by-elections but it can be possible if it ends in October.
The two parties would today argue on the lifespan of Parliament while Mr Mhike would attend as a friend of the court after the Judge President accepted his request.
President Mugabe made two urgent chamber applications seeking an extension of the March 31 by-election deadline to June 29 this year.
In the applications, President Mugabe argued that the idea of holding by-elections and a few months later hold harmonised elections did not make economic and/or practical sense.
In the other application, the Zimbabwe National Youth Service Graduates’ Association obtained a High Court order compelling the President to set dates for by-elections to be held in all vacant constituencies countrywide.
However, President Mugabe seeks to be excused from complying with the March 31 deadline provided harmonised elections would be held shortly.
Bhebhe, Mguni and Mpofu filed their notice of opposition through the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights in which they challenged the High Court’s jurisdiction over the application.
They argued that the court had no power to condone or suborn disobedience of its own order.

President casts his vote

story by Bulawayo 24

President Robert Mugabe has cast his vote in Highfield, Harare. He was with his wife, the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe.

Soon after voting the President said: "Zimbabweans are voting to decide our destiny. The constitution determines how our judiciary, parliament and the executive shall be.

"The time frames also given regarding parliament and other areas.

"The freedoms of people, rights of children, women and all citizens all that is in the constitution."

The President also said the constitution helps protect the nation's resources.

"We will have to decide the issue of our sovereignty of our state, the right to determine which way we shall go in governing ourselves.

"The right to our resources that is land, minerals, forests and animals.

"We shall not brook with anyone who intereferes with our country."

Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Arthur Mutambara cast his vote just before 8am this morning at Courtney Selous in Greendale in Harare.

The Deputy Prime Minister said, "Today is the day of the Zimbabwean people because those who govern must govern with the consent of the nation."

The Executive Secretary of SADC, Mr Tomaz Agusto Salomao, was at Courtney Selous in Greendale where he was seeing how Zimbabweans are casting their votes.

Voting was peaceful at most polling stations in Harare

Farewell to the Good Reverend Dr. Sifobela

It was a sad day today as students together with the whole nation paid their last respects to the Late Dr s Sifobela who passed away on this week.

The funeral service was held at the National University of science and technology,' s ceremonial hall.the service stated at 1200hrs where a lot of speakers described the late Rev as a great man who will be sorely missed.

Miss S. Magida described him as an "insiperer" and that she learn t a lot from him , before she broke down in tears during her speech.

Other speakers including the former Vice - Chancellor had a lot of good words to say about the late Dean of students. Among the high profile people at the service where various Deans from various universities around the nation.

Dr Sifobela  died on Monday evening after he collapsed in his car a kilometer away from his house. Students have described him as a great father figure who was always there to help. He will be remembered for his contributions for the past 22 years as the founding Dean through his work like the cardetship programme and the CIMAS medical aid cards.

He will be buried at his rural home in Mberengwa on the 18th of March .

                                           Shardolite Ndou at Sifobela Residents

                                          some of the mourners at the Ceremonial hall