News Roundup – 31 March 2006

n Friday March 31 are only available online at www.africacircle.com, capacity is limited and tickets are not guaranteed to be available on the door.

Both Mann Friday and Rockafella will be playing at this benefit gig in aid of Sharing Health Empowerment, which sponsors doctors, health professionals and specialists to visit Zimbabwe and share their skills with the local healthcare community, with specific emphasis on HIV management and the welfare of AIDS orphans and child headed families. Mann Friday will be releasing their new single The Rise, proceeds from which they are donating to Sharing health empowerment. – For further information please visit: www.mannfriday.com; www.sharinghealth.org.uk

Support group helps orphans

BULAWAYO – A third branch of Support Group Of The Families Of Terminally Ill has started in Emakandeni in the Western suburbs. The other branches are in Mpopoma and Pelindaba.

This volunteer, non governmental support group offers psychological and emotional support to those who have lost loved ones in the devastating Aids pandemic.

The organisation also runs an occupational therapy group within which women knit and sew using donated material that has been donated.

SGOFOTI also focuses on orphans who are among the most affected by this terrible scourge. One of the counsellors, Patricia Tshabalala, has started a sister organisation called Vulindlela guardians where vulnerable children are entertained, taught skills and made to feel wanted.

ZCTU charged US$7,000

HARARE – A consignment of sanitary pads donated to Zimbabwean women will finally be allowed into the country after the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) agreed to pay US$7,000 duty to the country’s revenue authority.

The sanitary pads have been stuck in Johannesburg for weeks after the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) refused to waive duty on the consignment, insisting the labour union could not be considered for an exemption of duty because it was not a welfare organisation.

ZCTU spokesman, Mlamleli Sibanda, said the union had raised the cash to pay duty for the badly needed 12 million pads. “This consignment was part of the ZCTU’s efforts to ease the crisis most women are facing in this country. We did not want to make it a political issue hence the decision to pay duty and have the pads distributed as a matter of urgency,” he said.– ZimOnline

Pro-senate faction claims rally disrupted

CHITUNGWIZA – The split in the MDC leadership is now also creating friction among opposition supporters and making it difficult for journalists to get at the truth.

Morgan Changamire, the party’s deputy secretary for information and publicity, said a jubilant crowd of more than 5,000 people attended a weekend rally in Chitungwiza led by Arthur Mutambara, and alleged that thugs affiliated with the Morgan Tsvangirai MDC tried to disrupt the rally.

Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Tsvangirai camp, denied the allegations saying they had no time for games. Chamisa also denied accusations that he had sent text messages threatening Mutambara supporters and saying the rally was a flop.

Other observers estimate the crowd at less than 1,000.

Changamire said a group of youths at a nearby football pitch began making noise and disturbing the proceedings. The police intervened and dispersed the rowdy youths, but

according to Changamire, they returned wearing Dynamos colours and waving Dynamos football flags.

Chamisa said Mutambara’s rally was guarded by 300 police officers and no one was assaulted. He believes the group is angry because the rally was poorly attended and they are making false allegations against him.

Conflicting statements about events on the ground have become a regular feature since the MDC split late last year. Ownership of the party name itself is still being claimed by both sides. After having separate congresses and electing separate structures what is definite is that the opposition has been weakened in numbers. Analysts say this gives Mugabe an advantage, because neither side can ever defeat him in an election. – By Tererai Karimakwenda, SW Radio Africa

One doctor for 19 clinics

BULAWAYO – Zimbabwe’s brain drain has forced the Bulawayo City Council’s 19 clinics to share one doctor.

A report by Director of Health Services, Dr Zanele Hwalima, says 11 doctors have resigned from the council in the past several months.

“Council has not been spared from the effects of emigrating health workers as doctors have resigned for greener pastures,” she said. “We should ideally have 433 nurses and six doctors but we only have 240 nurses and one doctor.” The council’s health institutions are also facing severe drug shortages. – Health reporter

Open letter to UZ vice-chancellor

HARARE – Student leader Mfundo Mlilo has written an open letter to the vice-chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe telling him that posterity will judge him harshly.

“You have expelled and suspended more students from UZ than the colonial governments combined,” says the letter. “Simply because you want to be used by Robert Mugabe, or rather you have chosen to be angry on his behalf. What a shame. It is easy to think that I am begging you to come back. On the contrary, I am a beacon of hope to students and Zimbabweans in general who are silent because people like you have forgotten that the fullness of time shall come. My greatest advantage is that I am young and will see a future that all of you will never see and so never expect me to sit and watch you destroy that future .In the fullness of time Nyagura how will you justify the indignity of sleeping in a cell with human waste and urine all over and being tortured and detained because I told you the students were hungry?” says the letter.

Mlilo quotes from Nelson Mandela, telling the vice-chancellor: “All my life I have fought for academic emancipation … I am not deterred. Even if we leave the country we shall be back to enjoy our motherland. The struggle is our birthright. I cannot say I am tired when I have only fought for a year. Mandela fought for 27 seven years.”

Women in Prayer promise action

JOHANNESBURG – Christian women’s delegations from three different countries in Southern Africa are on a week-long mobilization mission in South Africa to pressure Robert Mugabe to step down.

Women Together in Prayer for Zimbabwe (WTIP), a network for Christian women in the region, will work with organizations and churches in the region to raise awareness of Zimbabwe’s plight of Zimbabwe crisis. It is chaired by Joan Mute fro Zambia.

“We are going to hold prayer meetings for the president to step down as he is old and has totally failed the nation. We need fresh minds to deal with the situation. There should be a complete turnover in the leadership and we need someone with human heart and who is concerned about the plight of the people,” said the chair, Bishop Judith Muyanga.

“As women we need to put pressure on regional leaders to act on the Zimbabwe crisis. There should be also constant updates on the crisis and we intend to mobilize women in Zimbabwe and in the region to fight oppression,” said Ntesleng Mankga of Botswana, who is the group’s secretary.

In Zambia women have started information sharing and prayer meetings with different churches. Botswana held a prayer conference for the Zimbabwe crisis in February where many churches and organization gathered to give solidarity to their struggling colleagues.

In Zimbabwe, WTIPZ is working with more than 15 organizations in fighting Mugabe oppression. – Zakeus Chibaya.

Human rights watchdog planned

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s main political opposition and the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) civic alliance have threatened to call street protests and to go to court to stop the government from unilaterally setting up a commission to monitor human rights in the country.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa at the weekend told the state-owned Sunday Mail that cabinet had approved plans to amend the Constitution to facilitate the setting up of a Human Rights Commission.

NCA chairman Lovemore Madhuku said his group accepted the need for a human rights commission but would not accept one imposed by Mugabe.

Madhuku, whose NCA brings together churches, women’s groups, human and civic rights groups, opposition political parties, the student and labour movement, vowed to “take the state head-on over that matter, in the streets and in the courts”.

The spokesman of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC – seen as the main wing of the divided opposition party – Nelson Chamisa, dismissed the government-proposed human rights commission as a “smokescreen” to cover up on the government’s poor human rights record.

He said plans by the government to “again unilaterally” change the Constitution justified last week’s calls by Tsvangirai for mass protests to demand a new and democratic constitution for Zimbabwe. – ZimOnline

Vic Falls no longer a wonder?

VICTORIA FALLS – One of the seven wonders of the world, the Victoria Falls risks being down rated from its World Heritage status as serious environmental concerns have been raised.

The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation dispatched a team last week to investigate the site. This follows widespread reports of high levels of pollution, rampant dumping along the shore of the Zambezi – a situation that is impacting negatively on the ecosystem.

The government, stung by the unfortunate prospect, has tasked the National Commission on UNESCO (NATCO) to compile an urgent dossier. A four ministerial committee has been set up to investigate.

Environment and Tourism permanent secretary Mrs Margaret Sangarwe confirmed to CAJNEWS that a taskforce has been set up. “Its sole mandate is to investigate the reports of a possible downgrading. The team has visited Victoria Falls this month and a report of its findings will be produced,” she said.

Zimbabwe has five-world heritage sites: Mana Pools National Parks, Sapi and Chewore Safari Area (1984), Great Zimbabwe National Monument (1986), Khami Ruins National Monument (1986), Victoria Falls (1989) and Motopo Hill (2003). – CAJ News