Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

Robert "The Solution" Mugabe arrives today at Heroes Acre in Harare for the burial of a senior ZANU PF senator who was declared a National Hero this last week. Mugabe used the occasion to call Morgan Tsvangirai "mad" and said he is still committed to working with the madman. He says the parties are talking. The SADC Ministerial team that was here has now left and there will be no Extraordinary Summit to address Zimbabwe's problems, despite all the posturing and propaganda Harare, Zimbabwe, 31 October 2009 Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe with the blessing of Morgan Tsvangirai despite losing losing an election in March last year, told a gathering at Heroes Acre in Harare today that Morgan Tsvangirai is "not mentally stable." He said this even as he insisted that the parties are talking and working through their problems. Wheat. Chaff. Let's separate. Mugabe was speaking today having  addressed the Central Committee of his party, ZANU PF, yesterd...

In this file photo, Tendai Biti is seen with Nelson Chamisa soon after the now Finance Minister of Zimbabwe had treason charges against him dropped to allow the Inclusive Government to be formed. Tonight, the two came face to face with a ZANU PF minister at a function I attended and the coldness of the air was palpable. Harare, Zimbabwe, 30 October 2009 It has just gone pat 8p.m. as I write this and I have just come back from a very interesting function hosted by Trevor Ncube, publisher of the Zimbabwe Independent and Mail Guardian. When I arrived at the function to commissioning of the new Zimind Publishers printing press in Graniteside this evening, Nelson Chamisa and Finance Minister Tendai Biti were already there. (Unfortunately, I was wearing my Spokesperson hat, so I had left my camera behind. I wished I had not...) The function proceeded well with guests standing about and chatting before the speeches started. Trevor Ncube was about half way through his speech when a lady walked...

Mugabe at the burial of Vice President Joseph Msika: the president's reluctance to appoint John Nkomo to the post of VP, which led to him considering Dumiso Dabengwa for the post, is now very apparent within ZANU PF, which has led to a free-for-all, with all sorts of jokers throwing their names into the ring in the hope of catching Mugabe's eye. There is only one other name Mugabe has mentioned besides Dabengwa's as a possible candidate. The rest are simply trying their luck, knowing that they will not be penalised for challenging Nkomo. Harare, Zimbabwe, 30 October 2009 When we broke the story about Mugabe's approach to Dumiso Dabengwa to consider the Vice-presidential post made vacant by the death of Joseph Msika, we also revealed that the Zimbabwean president was not too keen on John Nkomo, who should rightly take over the post as the most senior remaining ZAPU leader within the ZANU PF structures. Other members of ZAPU who have remained in ZANU PF have been embolden...

Thabo Mbeki has "disengaged" from the Zimbabwe issue, Jacob Zuma is proving to be even quieter than his predecessor (despite the assurances we got from half-baked analysts when we pointed out that he would not crack the whip on Mugabe) and the rest of SADC is tired of the Mugabe/Tsvangirai circus. The Ministerial team currently in Zimbabwe will meet with Mugabe and Tsvangirai separately today and fly out of Zimbabwe without committing themselves to anything. For Tsvangirai, it is back to square one. For Mugabe, it is business as usual . Harare, Zimbabwe, 30 October 2009 Details emerging after the meetings the SADC Ministerial team had with ZANU PF and MDC-T leaders yesterday show that we were right yesterday in urging the world not to take the visit seriously as it was simply for show. Inside sources reveal that the team of foreign ministers from the Troika (the Organ on Defence and Politics) listened politely to ZANU PF and MDC-T presentations, made by negotiators from bot p...

The IMF has called on Tendai Biti to budget for the Reserve Bank after the Bretton Woods Institution uncovered scandalous theft of statutory reserve money by the Central Bank to continue funding quasi-fiscal operations this year. Books at the Central bank have also been cooked to allow for the dispersal of money belonging to banks to fund foreign trips by government officials and certain well-known shoppers at taxpayers' expense. Gono did not seek or get approval from Biti for this shady behaviour. He acted like he was the Finance Minister Harare, Zimbabwe, 30 October 2009 We revealed on this blog a little while back that Mugabe had given Gideon Gono widespread ministerial powers and that the MDC-T were aware of this fact. The IMF, after an audit of the Reserve Bank, has effectively confirmed our story, revealing that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe continues to steal funds its custody and using these to continue quasi-fiscal operations. The Central has been taking money belonging to...

As the SADC Ministerial team prepared to land in Zimbabwe (they are now here), the MDC was holding a press conference addressed by Nelson Chamisa, at which Edith Mashaire, the party's Security Administrator, recounted how armed men had attempted to kidnap her in the Harare City Centre two days ago. The police are being dismissive, with the Police Spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena saying this was just a stunt and posturing ahead of the visit by the SADC team. The police, clearly, have no intention of investigating the matter, although number plates have now been taken on two occasions. Harare, Zimbabwe, 29 October 2009 A team of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Foreign Ministers from that body's Organ on Defence and Politics is in Zimbabwe right now meeting with the political leaders of the country. Right off the bat, things are not looking good for Morgan Tsvangirai and his party. The meeting takes place as the MDC has effectively left government, refusing to attend ca...

Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives, seen here surrounding Mugabe in Victoria Falls, derive their power directly from the president, who sanctions their impunity. They work hand in glove with Mugabe's party and are simply there to extend their impunity to cover members of Mugabe's party, ZANU PF. Parliament and the courts mean absolutely nothing to them. Harare, Zimbabwe, 29 October 2009 In a surprising article today from the Financial Gazette, it is revealed that Zimbabwe's notorious Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives are refusing point-blank to pay toll fess at Zimbabwe's newly established tollgates. A parliamentary committee said this last week that this is an illegal move on the part of the CIO. According to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development, the only departments and agencies exempt from tollgate fees are the Fire Brigade, Ambulances and the Presidential motorcade. Everyone else mus...

Simba Makoni earlier today being interviewed by Supa Mandiwanzira for the programme Talking Business, which will air on Zimbabwe Television next week Thursday (05 November) after 9p.m. It was a wide-ranging and engaging interview and I was impressed ********************* Zimbabwe has finished playing against South Africa in the COSAFA Cup at Rufaro Stadium and Zimbabwe won 3 -2. The match has just ended. Dr Makoni, his wife and Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara were also at the game. ************* Now for my article on Simba Makoni. I was at Supa Mandiwanzira's Studios at Newlands today for the recording of an in-depth interview with Simba Makoni. The interview will be broadcast on Thursday next week on ZTV on Supa's programme, Talking Business. It covered familiar ground: the statement issued by Makoni last week in which he lambasted Mugabe and Tsvangirai for the breakdown in government. Makoni was able to dispel various misconceptions, such as the widely circulated lie that whe...

With Zimbabwe's roads still in a deplorable condition, littered with potholes such the one in Harare City above shown in this picture, a senior ZANU PF minister and trusted aide to Mugabe has publicly demanded that Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono return US$7 million that he siphoned from a bank account belonging to Zimbabwe's Roads Agency. He is threatening to let Tendai Biti loose on Gono is the Governor continues to ignore letters sent to him demanding repayment of the misappropriated money. Harare, Zimbabwe, 28 October 2009 A senior ZANU PF minister has turned on Gideon Gono, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in parliament, saying he had stolen money from the bank account of the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (ZINARA) and was refusing to give it back. Minister of Transport and Communications Nicholas Goche (also a negotiator for Mugabe in the negotiations with the MDC, leading to the formation of the Inclusive Government) told a Parliamentary Committee that Gono ...

The wave of abductions from last year has started again, signalling to the MDC-T what awaits them if they walk out of the Inclusive Government. The effort is being led by the security establishment, which even Mugabe allegedly has a hard time controlling. It explains a lot of the behaviour from Morgan Tsvangirai right now, insisting on remaining in government to try and minimise the impact of the inevitable assault on his party by ZANU PF as elections approach, whenever that may be. Harare, Zimbabwe, 28 October 2009 The MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai has confirmed reports that started reaching us last night that one of their employees and activist, Pascal Gwezere was "abducted" last night by armed men in a double cab vehicle. The abduction took place in the township of Mufakose in Harare. Gwezere is a very close relative of MDC-T Morgan Tsvangirai, his mother is a sister to Morgan Tsvangirai's own mother. Gwezere works in the intelligence department of the MDC. This "a...

Ministers from MDC and ZANU PF take the oath of office in front of Mugabe and Tsvangirai in February this year. Mugabe announced yesterday through his Ministers of Information and Agricultural Mechanisation that he may appoint Acting Ministers to take over from MDC-T ministers because government business is being affected by the Prime Minister's decision not to attend cabinet. Harare, Zimbabwe, 28 October 2009 Robert The Solution Mugabe has now come up with another one, this time sending his ministers to spread word that he is considering firing "key" MDC-T ministers and appointing Acting ministers in their stead. This is not posturing or empty threats. Instead, it is a well-calculated move designed specifically to divert attention. Here's how. After Mugabe appoints the Acting Ministers, what will happen is that he would have set the agenda. The end result will be that, all of a sudden, the appointment of Acting Ministers will suddenly become THE issue. People will st...

The new leadership of the University of Zimbabwe Student Representative Assembly pose for a group photo today at the University. They are from left to right as you are looking at the picture: Tafadzwa Mazonde (Committee Member), Stephen Zvinavakobvu (Head of Disciplinary Committee), Stuart Mwale (Secretary-General), Misheck Mugabe (Vice-Chairperson), Samuel Matikiti (Chairperson), Emmanuel Muzanenhamo (Committee Member). They are also the leaders of the Mavambo-aligned Amalgamated Students Union of Zimbabwe (ASUZ) and are active members of the Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn youth structures. Harare, Zimbabwe, 27 October 2009 Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn, the party led by Dr Simba Makoni, has taken control of the University of Zimbabwe Students Assembly. The SRA is now controlled by the Mavambo-aligned Amalgamated Students Union of Zimbabwe, whose leadership is also active in the Youth leadership of the Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn party. Out of the 22 positions in the Council (which popularly elected by the studen...

Harare, Zimbabwe, 27 October 2009 The three main political leaders in Zimbabwe (referred to rather ambitiously as "The Principals") met late afternoon on Monday in a tense meeting that lasted four hours, with Mugabe insisting that he will not budge on any of the issues Tsvangirai wants addressed. Mugabe suggested that it was "pointless" to discuss the matters Tsvangirai has brought up because there was a SADC ministerial mission that is coming to Zimbabwe and he would rather wait to hear what they, as "impartial outsiders" say about who has failed to implement the GPA. This is a direct contradiction of the position taken by the State media today, who were briefed by the President's office that the SADC ministerial team was no coming to Zimbabwe to deal with the issue of the MDC-T disengagement from ZANU PF and the Zimbabwe cabinet. The team mission, duly reported state media, was decided on at the SADC Summit in the DRC in September, before the MDC-T a...

Dumiso Dabengwa, interim leader of the revived opposition party, ZAPU, is seen here attending a National Event, is extremely popular in the southern region of Zimbabwe, and a sizeable following in the rest of the country. MDC-Tsvangirai have now exposed how much they fear him and his party by intimidating supporters ahead of by-elections expected to be held in Matabeleland South after the expulsion of Mutambara MDC MPs from their party Harare, Zimbabwe, 26 October 2009 The resurgent opposition party, ZAPU, which is sweeping Matabeleland provinces at the moment has accused the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai of intimidating its supporters in Matabeleland South province, where by-elections are expected to be called to fill seats that have fallen vacant. There are three seats that are now vacant after the MDC led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara expelled three MPs who had started getting friendly with Tsvangirai's MDC. Ironically, even though Mutambara's MDC and the Tsvangir...

Harare, Zimbabwe, 26 October 2009 The highly inefficient and struggling Zimbabwean National Airline, Air Zimbabwe, is set to be privatised, according to the Zimbabwe Inclusive Government (which is still operational, by the way, because the MDC "disengaged" from ZANU PF and NOT Government). Last week, I told you about the airline's failure to pay its workers since February this year, when the Inclusive Government was formed. The airline previously relied on Gideon Gono and the Reserve Bank for funds to pay salaries and operating costs. It emerges now that the airline has a debt totalling US$28 million. They can not retrench staff because they do not the money for the required retrenchment packages. (like other government-owned companies, the airline has an unhealthy and bloated staff complement as a result of ZANU PF patronage). The culture of entitlement at the airline and in ZANU PF generally has seen the workers gang up through their union to resist any move to retrenc...