Zimbabwe December 2006 |
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| Mugabe targets foreign mines, (Sunday Times, 2006-12-17):-Zanu-PF leader hints that his next move will be similar to land grab in 2002. The car park resembles a Mercedes- Benz showroom. C-classes, E-classes — and over there is an M-class off- roader imported from Germany. Inside a huge tent are men wearing designer Italian suits — Armani, it seems, is the order of the day. But this is not a Hollywood awards ceremony or a meeting of the world’s top businessmen and political leaders . This ostentatious display of wealth is to be found at Goromonzi High School, 100km outside the capital of Harare on Friday at the opening of the annual conference of Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF — the party which rules Zimbabwe, a country facing economic ruin. Inflation stands at more than 1000% and at least seven out of every 10 people are unemployed. As veteran politicians saunter into the huge tent they are greeted with the chorus: “Gushungo [Mugabe’s family name] tongai zwenyu ranini. [Mugabe you can rule forever until you are tired].” Inside the tent are tons of bottled water, a luxury in a country where the capital city’s piped water is deemed unfit for human consumption. For lunch, delegates are treated to a five-course meal including chicken, turkey, lamb, pork and venison. Meanwhile, just outside the school, villagers complain that they are starving as a result of a poor harvest that they blame on the chaotic land reform programme implemented by Mugabe and Zanu-PF. But the highlight of the conference, titled “Consolidating Independence Through Land, Mining Reforms and Economic Empowerment”, is undoubtedly the address by Mugabe, resplendent in Zanu-PF regalia — including a matching scarf and a baseball cap — and waving his fist in his trademark style. And the 83-year-old does not disappoint. “We are here today,” he says, as he steps onto the podium swathed in the party’s signature colours of green, yellow, red and black, “to celebrate the defeat of Tony Blair [the British Prime Minister] and his sponsored opposition MDC [Movement for Democratic Change].” Surrounded by walls emblazoned with his portrait interspersed with slogans such as “Down with Blair”, “No to Sanctions” and “Blair, its [sic] a bilateral issue, period” — a reference to the strained relations between Harare and London, he continues: “We have taken land from the whites, we now must look at mines. We need to empower our people by ensuring that they have shares in the foreign-owned mines. These are our resources and we need all our people to have a share of our God-given resources. “God is with us,” he tells the approximately 10000 delegates drawn from Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces. “We have discovered some minerals such as platinum, which God hid from our former colonisers,” says Mugabe, in a broad hint that suggests his next move will be to nationalise Zimbabwe’s mines in much the same way as he did with land in 2000 when faced with fierce opposition from Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC. “We are a sovereign country. Britain and [US President George W] Bush and their other European friends should not interfere in our internal affairs. “It is because we are black and they are whites that they don’t want to work with us. Hence, the plot to effect a regime change.” The party faithful erupt into a frenzy and visibly drunk youths toyi-toyi and chant Mugabe’s name. Invoking the image of the hated Blair once again, Mugabe also vows to ensure no one starves — a response to humanitarian agencies, which last week urged him to move with speed to import about 700000 tonnes of grain to feed vulnerable people, many of whom are surviving on less than 1 a day. “I know that we did not harvest and Britain and its friends in the West are happy,” he says. “[But] we are going to ensure that no one starves.” In his speech, Mugabe’s right-hand man and confidant, Didymus Mutasa, the Zanu-PF secretary for administration who doubles as security minister, s ays that no one is fit to rule Zimbabwe as long as Mugabe is alive; the conference will later concur when faced with a resolution to extend his term of office. “Long live Mugabe. Forward with Mugabe alone and no one else except Mugabe,” says Mutasa. ýZanu PF moved a step closer to anointing Mugabe life president after delegates moved a resolution to harmonise presidential and general elections in 2010. Mugabe’s presidential term officially ends in 2008 but delegates voted to extend it by a further two years, which would ensure that he serves exactly 30 years in office. BBC online reported this week that Zimbabwe has suspended the issuing of new passports as the passport office has not been allocated enough foreign currency to import special passport paper. Would-be travellers were told to wait until March for passports, with only temporary six-month travel documents being issued. There is a backlog of 300000 passports, AFP reported. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |