government to stifle democracy and silence any opposition.
This blatant infringement of the freedom of expression will put a check on the dissemination of information through e-mail, which many people have come to rely on in light of raises in postal services. The Bill will make it easy for the government to pry into private business or personal correspondence. The government is trying to create a state where Big Brother will indeed be watching and only one’s thoughts will be safe. It is a pity that Zimbabwe can now be compared to Iraq in the days of Saddam where laws similar to this one prevented citizens from accessing information on the world wide web. No doubt the next step is limiting access to the internet and foreign programmes via satellite to completely lock out Zimbabwe from ideas and criticism.
Terence Shamuyarira, Zimbabwe
MDC in South Africa
EDITOR – Many people have been telephoning asking who is who in the MDC in South Africa? Please let me set the record straight. There is one MDC, the main stream Movement for Democratic Change led by Judge Ncube, better known as Ziwatso. Our President is Morgan Tsvangirai. The organization is growing steadily.
All the branches work tirelessly and many new ones have been established since the visit of the party top brass from Harare. In less than three weeks we have established branches in Diepsloot, Tokoza, Natal Spruit, Zonke Izizwe, Rustenburg, Polokwane, Sebokeng, Tembisa branch four, Lenasia, Pretoria North, Hammanskraal, Mpumalanga and Durban. It was Judge Ncube who stood against the entire old executive of the party in SA during the time of the squabbles. We believe in the total eradication of tribalism and racism. We believe the way forward for all Zimbabweans is unity and working towards democracy in a true sense that will enhance freedom.
Onias T.S Ndlovu, Secretary for Information and Publicity, MDC SA
MDC’s biggest mistake
EDITOR – Does Morgan Tsvangirai’s promise of “a storm” mean that the MDC is going to “storm” back into the courts to sue Mugabe or is he once again saying that he will follow the people’s lead? Meaning that the people must “storm” State House then the MDC will lead them. My understanding of a leader is someone who leads by example. It is his job to organise and then lead the people, not wait for them to lead the way. The MDC’s biggest mistake was by not going to the streets after the June 2000 elections when the momentum was there. The people were waiting for the call to go to the streets. The international press was on the ground to witness what was going on in Zimbabwe. At that time the support for MDC was massive and Mugabe’s circle of dependants was a lot smaller. He would have gone! Even if he had used force to stay in power and killed people it would have been seen by the world. Considerably less people would have died than have in the last six years of the destruction of Zimbabwe. This would have made it virtually impossible for Mugabe to pass as the “Anti Western liberator”. Mbeki would not have been able to hide behind “Quiet Diplomacy”. But the MDC decided it was safer for them to go to court! These were the same courts that had issued orders that Mugabe and his cronies had ignored time after time (e.g. Econet, The Farmers, etc). Yes! Many members of the MDC have shown courage but the MDC has continuously “lost the initiative” and let Mugabe dictate the agenda. If Tsvangirai does nothing this time then it will be his doom. He will have let Zimbabweans down once too often. Unfortunately now the people are too busy trying to survive and many are too afraid to resist Mugabe. It is going to be a lot harder to motivate them now. The MDC must realise that they have also to take some of the blame for Zimbabwe’s destruction.
Leonidas, Salisbury, UK
Crazy economics
EDITOR – One Kenyan paper recently said the ZWD was trading at Z$1,000 to US$1. Things are so crazy in Zimbabwe that at the moment I seriously doubt even Zanu has a clue what the current exchange rate should be. The highest I have seen in recent history was Z$307,000 ZWD to US$1, but that was a month ago, and I doubt anything has leveled out. I really need a lot more numbers before I can make any suggestions for change, which would be taken remotely seriously. Here are some interesting things to ponder: Despite almost constant decline in the past month Zimbabwean stocks offer the best YTD returns of any country. Yet these returns of 80% are meaningless, because it is at best one tenth of inflation. It is also quite volatile. Yesterday I bought lunch and an economics textbook for US$120, the monthly minimum required living wage for a family of five in Zimbabwe. If one member of that above stated family had a job paying US$1 an hour, working a 40- hour week would pay for all the family’s expenses. The problem is that unemployment is above 80%, making the above fact impractical. Zimbabwean Dollars are the most non-liquid currency in the world. Most currency converters have given up trying to give an exchange rate. The ones that do offer it are quite low in their estimates. It would take 35,000 Z$2 notes (lowest bill ever printed) to buy a loaf of bread at last stated price.
Keenan Topp, USA
Love thy neighbour
EDITOR – As a missionary Pastor who is witnessing and also challenged by the life and situations gone through by all called illegal immigrants from Zimbabwe, I would like to express my sincere concern over this economic, political and social crisis that has affected the entire region. I suggest that deportation of all those branded illegal immigrants who have flooded your countries is not a solution to this crisis which I would want to think its no longer a Zimbabwean crisis alone but a regional one. These people are looking for jobs, food and security. Who is their neighbor? I think they are looking for a Good Samaritan. I am calling upon all our regional leaders to end this crisis. The truth alone shall solve the crisis of Zimbabwe. (JOHN 8V32) most people in Zimbabwe have been forced to break the laws in order for them to survive, yet Jesus said while teaching his disciples on how to pray; “And lead us not into emptations but deliver us from evil”.
Rev Cliff Shanganya, SA
Their days are numbered
EDITOR – This is an open letter to all Zimbabweans to remind us all that where there is God there is hope. Where there is God there is motivation. Let me remind you that God is for everyone. Unlike us humans, God is unselfish and kind. Never give up regardless of how high the mountain is. Together we can still crash the walls of Jericho. It is transparent that the days of “the Regime” are now numbered. I guess all Zimbabwe will return to its former glory. It might not be today but let’s persevere, and stick to what we believe in – Democracy. We all know it is easy to destroy than to build. Hopefully we will leave politics to politicians. This is no longer about race or tribe, but about humanity. Once again thanks for the wonderful job you guys are doing at The Zimbabwean.
Delight. M. Masuku, Harare
Pro-Senate faction confusion
EDITOR – Mr Nyathi, representing the Pro-Senate faction has been at pains trying tell us that his faction should not be called Pro-Senate and yet indeed that was the basis on which their faction was formed. He has tried to throw mud at Mr Tsvangirai but the mud simply fell off. Some members of the faction have even gone to the extent of suing Tsvangirai personally in order to destroy him. How malicious can some people become sometimes! Their split has certainly caused an untold agonizing and suffering to many Zimbabweans and has derailed the whole struggle for a government change in the country. It is common cause that the split was on their personal differences with Tsvangirai and not on fundamental MDC policies and principles. In fact they have spent time and energy trying to destroy him and indeed MDC as a whole, and in so doing they have forgotten the really enemy of the people for democratic change. I am happy that the Anti-Senate faction has not spent time in character assassinations of members in the other faction. Surely patriotic individuals cannot split a major party like MDC on personal differences of leadership. The MDC belongs to all Zimbabweans and this Pro-Senate faction had no mandate from the general membership of the party, to split it. The “conspirators” tried very had to eliminate Tsvangirai from the presidency but failed. If indeed their main aim to remove Tsvangirai from the presidency was genuine, they should have waited for the congress, which was not very far from October 2006, to decide on the matter. Alas they did not want to do that! They did not even come to the congress although they were invited to attend. There is now only one option remaining for them, that is, to form their own party.
Paul Ndlovu, Gwanda
Similarities with USSR
EDITOR – The similarities between Zimbabwe and Russia under communism are startling. After WWII, the allies repatriated Russian prisoners of war to Russia, in accordance with the Yalta Agreement, February 1945.
Many of the prisoners of war did not like communism and were sent to the camps to die. Illegal defection was the only way Russians could escape to the West. Zimbabweans can still obtain passports and travel once they surmount the barrier of the enormous cost to do both. Family members, already in the West, willingly give financial assistance to cousins or siblings to join them. Others swim the Limpopo, it is cheaper but more hazardous. Their chances of repatriation are higher and, if they are sent back, they are doomed to serious hunger unless they escape again, very soon. People ask why Zimbabweans don’t help themselves? Before the Iron Curtain broke and the people behind it were freed, a similar situation ruled in USSR. Since the Bolshevic relolution in 1917, half the population had been wiped out by state killings and punishment camps. The people were afraid to rebel again. Such is the aim of some of our politicians – to finish off half the population. Propaganda is important. We mostly don’t read local newspapers for fear of being lead astray. Official pronouncements can be blatant propaganda like the ‘setting aside’ of enormous sums of money for this or that. Reading between the lines we see that the amount is not all that great in real terms and one wonders where it is coming from anyway. Is it going to be more paper money from the printing presses? As in communist Russia, many Zimbabweans have lost their faith but hide their true feelings. If the British have to repatriate certain Zimbabweans, they should use counter-propaganda and give the reasons why – in each case.
A Zimbo, Harare
Why disadvantage us?
EDITOR – I thought the older the wiser but Mahoso is proving this philosophy otherwise. No matter what those in power do to prevent the flow of information, the winds of change are blowing and it is increasingly becoming clearer that Zanu (PF) is on the verge of total collapse. People like Mahoso grew up in a society where they had access to various channels of information yet today they want to disadvantage the rest of us. Instead Zanu should welcome such critical channels of information, get to grips with the concerns of the people and should they address these concerns effectively, they could sway support in their favour. Keeping information out will never do them any good and the moment they will realise that it might be too late.
Clemence Ngairongwe, UK