Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

IRATE: Mugabe has already told his Politburo that the MDC must not be allowed to table its alternative Constitutional proposal, saying they signed the Kariba Draft and must be forced to "keep their word." The provision for the protection of gay rights in the MDC proposals has the ZANU PF leader hopping mad. Harare, Zimbabwe, 02 October 2009 The Morgan Tsvangirai-led Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has set up a bruising battle with Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF as it presented a proposal to protect gay rights in any new constitution. The party is calling this protection of "personal preferences". The position is contained in a new draft constitution being circulated by the MDC, which was immediately slammed by some MDC MPs and almost all of ZANU PF as "suspicious" and "crafted by shadowy characters". At a Politburo meeting in Harare this week, Mugabe is said to have told his colleagues that he thinks the MDC is not serious and questioned how anyo...

In a tight spot: Morgan Tsvangirai, twisting this way and that, is poised for a battle with his more realistic Secretary-General and Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, who is taking a more realistic approach to the troubles facing the constitution-making process. Tsvangirai's chosen route of being all things to all people is, Tendai Biti, realises, destined to leave the Prime Minister with egg all over his face, since Tsvangirai has made it clear that he is not going to let this issue decide the fate of his precious unity government with Mugabe Harare, Zimbabwe, 22 August 2009 A bruising encounter is brewing between Tendai Biti, the MDC-Tsvangirai Secretary-General (also Finance Minister) and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai over the constitutional process. Biti (as confirmed by this week's Zimbabwe Independent) confronted Advocate Eric Matinenga about his statement that the Kariba Draft Constitution was not a factor in the current process, asking him why he had gone ahead to issu...

It is all about ZIM 1, the presidential number plate in Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai has also now joined the plotting of Mugabe. But it is almost certain that his embrace of the Kariba Draft in the hope that it can help him to secure the presidency will certainly come to grief. It was reported this last Sunday that JOMIC (Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee), which is the arbitrator and overseer of the Inclusive Government's GPA, has now endorsed the Kariba Draft as the basis of a new constitution. It is a victory for Mugabe and ZANU PF, clearly, that this body, which houses very senior figures from all parties (especially the negotiators themselves) has now genuflected to this hard stance taken by the Solution and his cronies. What is more puzzling to observers is why Tsvangirai's negotiators agreed to this travesty at all. Why did they bend (seemingly) to Mugabe's will? The answer is simple enough and was given to me a few moments ago by a senior figure within the MDC-T...

After the All Stakeholders Conference on the Constitution, the National Constitutional Conference (NCA) has now convened its own All Peoples Congress on the Constitution. It started today and there were no kind words for Mugabe or Tsvangirai in that hall. Had a visit today from a resident of the Pfungwe area in Zimbabwe and he told me something that would be funny if it were not so sad. This is the area where an MDC supporter was beaten so thoroughly a week or so back, that she can hardly speak. Apparently, the "talk" amongst ZANU PF hardcores is: " Makabatana kutown ikoko , kwete kunoku " - meaning, "Your unity applies only in the towns, not out here." Mugabe's party enjoys crushing majorities in the area and has done so since Independence. Last year, for the March elections, Mugabe had the bright idea of splitting the area into three constituencies, thereby gaining three seats where he would have got just one. But that was aside. Now, two thing...

Zimbabwe police screen delegates to the Constitutional Conference as it resumed after disturbances by ZANU PF, which has said it is willing to let the Inclusive Government die over the issue of the Kariba Draft. It now emerges that, to Mugabe, the Draft is a crucial ingredient to his succession recipe. It now emerges that Robert Mugabe is using the Kariba Draft to settle the thorny succession issue within ZANU PF. Not many people have bothered to read through the Kariba Draft or to find out why it is objectionable and undemocratic. I have explained here before that Mugabe favours it because of the widespread and dictatorial powers granted to the president under this Draft. But this is not the main reason, an extremely high-placed source within ZANU PF has revealed. One of the provision of the Kariba Draft is that the president will serve a maximum of two terms, after which he is compelled to step down and not contest. Crucially, though, should the president die while in office or shoul...

Jacob Zuma earlier today at Sharm El Seikh in Egypt where the Non-Aligned Summit started. Mugabe, who is seated a few places away from Zuma (and out of shot), has asked the SA president, who is one of his supporters, as well as the Egyptian president to arrange a "low-key" meeting with Barack Obama who will also be attending the Summit. It is a testimony to the acceptability of Obama that he becomes the first American Head of State to be invited to the Non-Aligned Summit, traditionally very anti-American. FIRST OF ALL, MY APOLOGIES: So many of you have written and complained that I update the blog too late every day. The complaints have really mounted, including the instance a couple of days ago when I was confronted with the "accusation" at an office I was visiting near State House (yes, I mean you guys!) I understand that, but in the last few days, with the launch of MKD and stuff, we have been swamped. I routinely do not get to bed until after 3a.m. these days. ...

Even as I write, the MDC-T technically holds no sway in parliament, despite having a speaker in the chair. Their majority, which Veritas warned a month ago was in jeopardy, is now under sustained attack with the complicity of the judiciary and law enforcement agents. As always, MDC-T and Tsvangirai apologists are parroting the line of their discredited leader. Having embraced the most evil dictator in contemporary African history, Robert "The Solution" Mugabe, the Prime Minister and his people are now backing Mugabe's wishes for a new Constitution to be made through parliament and only parliament. "People-driven does not mean Madhuku-driven," they say. Leave them be, for they will be crying in frustration tomorrow, having been outwitted together with their leader by one The Solution. Already, the process as it stands now is guided by parliament. That is a fait accompli that "the people" and Robert Mugabe have decided on and the MDC-T and Morgan Tsvangi...

A ZANU PF supporter is restrained by a policeman at the podium at Harare International Conference Centre, where the MDC-T had tried to resume the All Stakeholders Conference on the Constitution after earlier disruptions. The police had removed ZANU PF supporters while some MDC-T remained seated, including Tendai Biti, the Minister of Finance. The ZANU PF disruptors were brought back into the hall, however, and that is when they stormed the podium and it was clear that there would be no conference. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are now saying they had not been invited to the Conference. A leader and delegate from ZINASU, the Zimbabwe National Students' Union has been arrested by police for allegedly assaulting Mugabe's nephew and former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Patrick Zhuwao. Zhuwao, who happens to be Mugabe's favourite nephew, was not hurt in the attack, it appears. But the eight o'clock television news tonight in Zimbabwe reported the arrest and blamed the e...

L ovemore Moyo, the MDC-T Speaker of Parliament, who was forced to abandon his Welcoming Address at the All Stakeholders Conference on a new Constitution in Harare today. Mugabe, at the burial of a former ZIPRA freedom fighter at Heroes Acre on Friday pleaded with Moyo in his speech, saying, "Please please Mr Speaker, let the process be Zimbabwean". Mugabe was in a heated meeting with Tsvangirai at State House at the time of writing this Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai are holed up at the State House in Harare, both of them refusing t come out to address the Constitutional Conference, which the organisers, especially the Members of Parliament from MDC-T, attempted to reopen about an hour ago. Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose traditional Monday meeting at which the PM reports to the President on government business today turned into a fireworks display, are still refusing to show up at the venue. Riot police, who were called in to quell the disturbances between MDC-T and ZANU ...

Morgan Tsvangirai, who, it turns out has lied to Zimbabwe three times now in the last two months, is seen here leaving No 20 Downing Sreet after meeting Gordon Brown. It is now clear that the Prime Minister also wishes to be a dictator: "You'd better listen to me," as he said to Zimbabweans who booed him last weekend On three seperate occasions this year, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told the media, the nation (at the May Day Rally at Gwanzura stadium, in the presence of Dr Simba Makoni and thousands others) and in a meeting with the leadership of the National Constitutional Assembly, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai stated that the Kariba Draft Constitution would NOT be used as the basis for a new Constitution. He lied. Last week, his party, the MDC-T, as well as MDC and ZANU PF, published the Kariba Draft as an insert in the State media. The draft is now officially the basis for any new Constitution. It may look like thePrime Minister and his party have capitulated ...

A farmer in Chegutu walks past an armed man guarding a confiscated farm in the area. These men are not defence force members but have no problems with the law when they openly carry their weapons like this. It is things like this, constituting the subversion of the rule of law. The contemptuous attitude towards the coalition was displayed again yesterday by ZANU PF which adopted a draft constitution that has been rejected by civil society and disowned by the Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, on at least two occasions since the formation of the Unity Government. In a direct challenge to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and civil society, the ZANU PF Politburo, which met yesterday, has adopted the widely condemned Kariba Draft Constitution as the basis of any new constitution. Morgan Tsvangirai said quite unequivocally on May 1 this year that the Kariba Draft Constitution would not be considered when the process of drafting a new constitution gets under way. He gave the same assurance t...

By law, Morgan Tsvangirai has to have a portrait of Robert Mugabe in his office, where he is seen in the picture above during his press conference yesterda y Robert Mugabe and his new best friend, Morgan Tsvangirai , are planning on completely ignoring the people of Zimbabwe and implementing their own constitution, drafted in the smoky engine bay of a leisure boat on Lake Kariba. Mugabe confirmed this last night in his interview with Tazeen Mandizvidza of the the ZBC. He says a constitution will be put to a referendum in about 24 months, but adds that the constitution is already in place, saying "they" already have one. "They call it the Kariba Draft Constitution," he said, as if this has nothing to do with him at all. Which, in some ways, is true. Tsvangirai, as has now become the norm since he joined government, is likely to just nod or, at the very worst, mumble some misgivings before diving right in there to swim with Mugabe.  They have no intention of holding a...