Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

Harare, Zimbabwe, 19 September 2009 In an extraordinary four-page advertisement in the media on Friday, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who withdrew Zimbabwe from the SADC Tribunal after it ruled against the country in a case brought by white farmers, hurled personal insults at the South African lawyer who questioned the legality of the move. He also attacked the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum. The whole advert, four pages of it, appears to have been taken out to make a single point: the document that the Tribunal refers to as establishing it without need for ratification by member states is null and void because it is not the original that President Robert "The Solution" Mugabe signed. It is a later, amended version, apparently. But it is the language that is astonishing. Here's a taste: "Typical of the patronising nature of Mr Gauntlett he misses the point completely." "Mr Gauntlett is engaging in wishful thinkin...

Another picture of the burning farmhouse belonging to Ben Freeth at Mount Carmel Farm in Chegutu. Freeth and others, who continue to be harassed by invaders, have had their stories dismissed by Tsvangirai as "overblown". On Friday the SADC Tribunal ruled that the Zimbabwe government is in contempt of court for the continuing invasions of Mike Campbell farm and others in Chegutu. They referred the government to the full SADC Summit in the DRC and recommended that they take action against the Inclusive Harare regime Harare, Zimbabwe, 06 September 2009 On Friday, the SADC Tribunal ruled that Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai's Inclusive Government was in contempt of the court's ruling regarding the fate of more than 70 farms being forcibly acquired by the government. The tribunal referred the Zimbabwe government to the full SADC Summit to be held this coming week in the DRC and recommended that they take action against the Harare regime. It remains to be seen whether a...

Ben Freeth, a Zimbabwean farmer from the Chegutu area, is seen here beaten black and blue by Mugabe's thugs in June last year. He and his elderly in-laws had been abducted and then beaten up with the butts of guns to get them to leave their farm so that it could be given to one of Mugabe's high-ranking loyalists, ZANU PF spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira. Five months later, Freeth and 78 other farmers from the area won a ruling at the SADC Tribunal in Windhoek barring Mugabe from taking over their farms. Mugabe has now reacted by withdrawing from the Tribunal, as he did with the British Commonwealth. As he, in fact, does whenever things do not go his way. Harare, Zimbabwe, 02 September 2009 The government of Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert "The Solution" Mugabe has pulled out the SADC Tribunal, citing the fact that the protocol establishing the Tribunal has not been ratified by the required two-thirds of SADC member states. The letter of withdrawal was written on 7 August, ac...