News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Protesters turn the screws on Mugabe

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 10:30 PM PDT

Pressure groups in Zimbabwe want Robert Mugabe to rein in corruption or face the risk of crippling protests.

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Harare - Pressure groups in Zimbabwe want President Robert Mugabe to speedily resign and rein in corruption or face the risk of crippling protests in an already struggling economy.

Read also: Businesses feel the heat in Zimbabwe

Protests rolled out across the country on Wednesday, jolting Mugabe’s government, which immediately announced that teachers would receive their salaries yesterday and those in the health services sector today, according to some of the protest organisers.

Data showed yesterday that as many as 19 companies closed down in the first three months of this year, while about 1 000 workers lost their jobs.

Civil servants also downed tools on Wednesday in protest over delayed salaries, following demonstrations in Beitbridge over import restrictions and in Harare over police roadblocks earlier in the week.

Dire situation

Promise Mkwananzi, the spokesman of the Tajamuka (we have had enough) campaign involving various civic society organisations, said yesterday that Mugabe should explain the country’s dire economic situation by the end of August and speedily resign.

“By August 31, Mugabe must have spoken about the crisis in Zimbabwe. He must deliver a clear timeline and indicate when he will resign,” he said.

The campaign, which has relied on social media to spread its messages, also wants the government to abandon its plans to introduce local bond notes in October.

Businesses resumed normal operations yesterday, while economic activity also resumed, although state media reported that it had been “business as usual” despite the nationwide protests.

The bond notes, which the government says are backed by a $200 million (R3 billion) facility from African Export-Import Bank, have been criticised by the business community and ordinary citizens who fear that this could be the precursor to the re-introduction of the Zim dollar.

Zimbabwe, currently battling a cash crunch and declining economic productivity, is using a multiple currency regime hedged around the US dollar. However, the country is now decrying over reliance on the greenback, saying it is making the country highly uncompetitive, prompting job losses and company closures.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said a total of six companies were placed under judicial management, while 13 were liquidated during the first quarter of 2016. Economists said more companies had closed down, but were not reflected in the current statistics, because of the informal nature of the economy.

“During the first quarter of 2016, a total of 949 retrenchments were witnessed. The majority of companies cited restructuring and downsizing as reasons for retrenchments, while other reasons… were viability challenges, redundancy, judicial management, rationalisation and outright closures,” the central bank said in its latest quarterly review report.

Economic difficulties have plunged industry capacity utilisation to below 40 percent.

Protest groups have pledged more demonstrations in Zimbabwe, saying this was the only way that the government would heed the concerns of Zimbabweans over the mismanagement of the economy.

BUSINESS REPORT

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Zim Public Prosecutor suspended

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 11:33 AM PDT

Zimbabwe’s Public Prosecutor Johannes Tomana was suspended from the post and an acting prosecutor general immediately sworn in by President Mugabe.

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Harare - Zimbabwe’s Public Prosecutor Johannes Tomana has become the latest victim of the infighting in the fractured ruling Zanu PF party after he was suspended from the post and an acting prosecutor general immediately sworn in by President Robert Mugabe Thursday to replace him.

President Mugabe on Thursday swore in Ray Goba as the acting prosecutor along with a tribunal consisting of Moses Chinhengo (chairman) Emmanuel Magede and Melania Matshiya.

They were sworn in at a brief ceremony at State House in Harare and will serve for the next three months.

The country’s Judicial Services Commission is reported to have met on May 16 and resolved to recommend Tomana’s dismissal saying he was no longer suitable for the post.

Tomana is facing criminal charges at the magistrate’s court for allegedly illegally releasing suspects accused of plotting to bomb the First Family’s Gushungo Dairies.

The bombings were linked to the succession battles in Zanu PF and Tomana was apparently targeted for allegedly siding with a faction opposed to First Lady Grace Mugabe’s ascendancy to the top hierarchy of the former liberation war movement.

African News Agency

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Zim youth warn of more protests

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 09:31 AM PDT

A group in Zimbabwe calling itself #Tajamuka has warned of more protests in the near future.

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Harare - Normalcy returned to Zimbabwe Thursday after violent protests saw citizens clash with anti-riot police in several areas around the country Wednesday, but a group calling itself #Tajamuka has warned of more protests in the near future.

Addressing a press conference in Harare Thursday, #Tajamuka spokesperson, Promise Mkwananzi said the Wednesday protests had shaken the corridors of power in the country as evidenced by the immediate payment of civil servants’ salaries.

This, he said, had proved people power was able to make leaders accountable for their actions or to recall them when they failed to deliver.

“In that regard, we wish to thank the people of Zimbabwe for their courage and sacrifice.

“There is no going back now. We need to press the regime until it has met our non-negotiable demands. If we retreat now, we stand to lose much more than we will gain from pushing forward until the current government resigns and spells out a peaceful transitional mechanism,” he said.

He added: “We urge you to remain vigilant as we forge ahead with pressuring the government to comply with our demands. This is just the beginning of a historic process in ensuring the transformation and regeneration of our country. We will be advising on the next course of action, in consultation and in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people,” Mkwananzi said.

#Tajamuka, translated as “we have rejected”, was demanding that President Robert Mugabe, in power since the country attained independence from Britain in 1980, should provide a timeline for the transitional process in the country and urgently indicate when he intended to step down.

Government, he said, should immediately reverse its policies on the importation of goods until the economy normalised and also abandon its plans to introduce the bond notes, which he said were totally rejected by the people.

He also called for the immediate release of all the activists arrested for engaging in protests which started across the country last week, adding the police should refrain from using force when dealing with citizens.

“In this regard, government must also return Itai Dzamara to his family. The police must stop brutality (traffic roadblocks) against kombi operators and general citizens and any police officer found wanting must be brought to book,” he said.

The group made several other demands on government, among them electoral reforms to ensure free and undisputed elections in Zimbabwe and to desist from criminalising or intimidating lawful and legitimate operations of human rights and social movements.

The group, however, distanced themselves from messages circulating on social media calling on citizens to march to State House on July 9, saying it was the work of the State which was desperate to criminalise the actions of protesters.

“The problem we now have is that the State is also generating fictitious messages in their desperate attempt to criminalise Tajamuka. We do our things openly and publicly because we believe the things we are doing are very lawful and peaceful, so we are not operating behind the scenes or under the darkness, we are operating in public and our call for President Mugabe to step down, or at least indicate when he intends to step down, is a public call. It is a lawful call so that is how we are going to be operating,” Mkwananzi said.

He however, maintained that the public should expect more action in various forms until all demands were met.

African News Agency

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Eid stampede kills 9 in Ghana

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 08:49 AM PDT

Nine people were killed in a stampede at a party in central Ghana to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadaan.

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Nine people were killed in a stampede at a party in central Ghana to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadaan, a public official told reporters on Thursday.

“We so far have nine people who are dead, six females and three males,” said Nurudeen Hamidan, the head of the Asokore Mampong municipal assembly, in the city of Kumasi.

There was no immediate comment from the police in the city, which is 255 kilometres (160 miles) northwest of the capital, Accra.

But Hamidan said three bodies have been identified so far and six people were injured, one of them critically, and were receiving treatment in hospital.

The party was organised on Wednesday at a community centre in the Asawase area of Kumasi as the climax to the Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of a month of fasting and prayer.

Local member of parliament Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka said carnivals were often held to celebrate the occasion but in the past have been marked by clashes between youths.

Organisers had told police the carnival would end by 9:00 pm (2100 GMT) and a group, thought to number about 300, moved to the community centre, where a fight reportedly broke out, he added.

“In a bid for people to rush out... there was this stampede,” said Muntaka, from President John Dramani Mahama's National Democratic Congress.

But Hamidan said there were conflicting reports about the cause of the tragedy and a security meeting had been called for Thursday afternoon to determine what happened.

“People are saying so many things. Some are saying that there was a lights out and the meter sparked and the sound of the meter made people agitated,” he said.

“Others are saying that they finished the programme, they were leaving and there was a stampede along the way.

“As to what caused the actual stampede the security agencies are working to unravel what happened and we will take it on from there.”

AFP

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Bulawayo tense but calm after unrest

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 06:06 AM PDT

A tense calm has returned to Zimbabwe amid a heavy police deployment in Zimbabwe’s second largest city of Bulawayo.

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Gaborone - A tense calm has prevailed amid a heavy police deployment as the situation slowly returned to normal in Zimbabwe’s second largest city of Bulawayo on Thursday after a day of city-wide riots during which protesters blocked roads with burning tyres, torched vehicles, looted shops and fought running battles with anti-riot police.

The violence erupted early on Wednesday morning as thousands of Zimbabwean heeded calls for a mass stay-away to protest alleged government corruption and force long-time ruler President Robert Mugabe to step down for failing to solve the multi-faceted economic crisis which has deteriorated alarmingly over the last two months.

The stay-away came in the midst of an ongoing industrial action by unpaid hospital doctors, nurses, teachers, and worsened as public transport operators suspended services to protest against the high number of police roadblocks and widespread allegations of bribe-taking by police officers manning the checkpoints.

After a day of shutdown, business slowly returned to normal in Bulawayo and while the police mounted a few checkpoints on key roads leading into the city centre, they were not stopping any vehicles at all. Heavily armed riot squad troopers were also deployed at the checkpoints, while groups of between four and six riot police officers were deployed at street corners in the city centre.

Although some shops remained closed, all government offices, banks, chain shops and the few industries which are still operational had re-opened for business on Thursday. Meanwhile, hundreds of people were reportedly beaten up and 36 arrested on wednesday in the restive suburbs of Makokoba, Mzilikazi and Nguboyenja where protesters had attacked the police and burnt one of their vehicles.

Police in the city also announced the arrest of a man who was allegedly found with explosive and detonators, believed to have been intended for use during the mass action. The government has described the protesters as “hooligans” and vowed to take action against them.

At least 40 others were arrested in connection with the violence and had started appearing in court by midday on Thursday. Home Affairs minster and top official of Mugabe’s ruling ZANU PF party, Ignatious Chombo, said the party was “not shaken” by the protests and reiterated that government would not give in to the key demands of the protesters.

“Zanu PF is focused on what it wants to do and cannot be shaken by the activities of these protesters. We are the the ruling party, and we will not accept anything short of law and order. The party has it on good authority that the protests experienced in Beitbridge were sponsored by the (opposition) Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

“We are also aware that persons from ‘across the bridge’ joined these violent protest because they were beneficiaries from the importation of goods. We know that the protests are sponsored by some Western embassies (in Harare) and some failed political parties and politicians,” Chombo said.

Unrest has been simmering in Zimbabwe since last week when travellers and residents torched the main warehouse of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) at the Beitbridge border post to protest against the imposition of a ban on the importation of nearly all basic foodstuff and specified goods although they are in critically short supply in the country.

African News Agency

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SAPS continues roadblocks near Beitbridge

Posted: 07 Jul 2016 04:12 AM PDT

The SAPS are continuing to keep an eye on the Beitbridge port of entry as tensions simmer in Zimbabwe.

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Musina - South African police in Limpopo on Thursday continued to keep an eye on the border town of Musina and the Beitbridge port of entry, even though violent protests have waned.

Protests erupted around the border area on Friday after Zimbabwe imposed a ban on basic food imports and other commodities from South Africa.

Cross-border traders blocked traffic on the South African side.

A building was torched on the Zimbabwean side of the border.

Zimbabweans also stayed at home on Wednesday and foreign banks and most businesses in the capital shut down, in one of the biggest protests against high unemployment, an acute cash shortage and corruption for nearly a decade.

Provincial police spokeswoman Colonel Ronel Otto on Thursday told African News Agency (ANA) that roadblocks and searches would continue near Beitbridge.

“The roadblock is to make sure that there are no incidents of violence and prevent masses of people from going to the border because we heard there are intentions of blocking the border,” said Otto.

Police are searching vehicles going to the border, checking that passengers have passports.

Those who failed to produce relevant documentation were being prevented from crossing the border.

The International Cross-Border Traders Association and local business formations in Musina said the ban imposed by Zimbabwe was hurting their members.

On Thursday the situation seemed to be returning to normal, but campaigners against the ban vowed to continue to pressure Zimbabwe's 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe and his embattled government to lift restrictions on imports the ban on imports of basic food.

Musina is one of several towns in the vicinity that benefited from the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy.

The unrest in the northern neighbour has resulted in a significant drop in business in Musina.

Restaurant cashier Dzulani Mbavhalelo said: “There is nothing that we are doing now, and it does not look like we will have jobs if the banning of imports continue.”

Some cross border traders were now risking life and limb by smuggling goods across the crocodile infested Limpopo River into Zimbabwe. They are also at the mercy of marauding criminal gangs.

Meanwhile, about 20 people working at a tourist resort, Elephant Walk, in Victoria Falls have been arrested, apparently in connection with growing unrest in Zimbabwe.

Well-known Zimbabwean wildlife artist Larry Norton was reportedly among those picked up on Wednesday by police in Victoria falls, Zimbabwe's premier tourist attraction.

Lawyers in Zimbabwe's second largest city, Bulawayo, say they are seeking the release of about 18 residents of Victoria Falls, some of whom were employed by the wildlife adventure company, Elephant-Walk.

A relative of one of those that were arrested, who asked not to be named, said “the lawyers are speaking with the police today. We don't know why they were arrested.”

The arrests are believed to be in connection with a social media campaign, This Flag, which asked all Zimbabweans to go on strike on Wednesday as a protest against the government, which failed to pay many civil servants’ June salaries.

Evan Mawarire, a pastor whose social media movement #ThisFlag organised the “stay-away”, demanded that President Robert Mugabe fire corrupt cabinet ministers and scrap plans to introduce local bank notes or face a two-day shut-down next week.

Wednesday's protest followed violent clashes between taxi drivers and police on Monday that led to the arrest of 95 people. It also coincided with a strike by doctors, teachers and nurses whose salaries had been delayed.

A devastating drought has compounded economic hardships including high joblessness while an acute cash shortage has angered Zimbabwe's citizens.

The 39-year-old Mawarire started the #ThisFlag campaign in April to protest against corruption, injustice and poverty.

The campaign has attracted thousands of followers who have been speaking out against government excesses. Wednesday's protest was organised via Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Mawarire's campaign includes a series of demands: for Mugabe to fire and prosecute “known” corrupt ministers, for government salaries to be paid on time and for police to remove roadblocks which most people say are posts for bribe taking officers.

“The ball is in your court,” Mawarire said on his Facebook page. We are ready to close down again and this time we will add another day, Wednesday and Thursday. We are not playing and we ask you to take us seriously.”

Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, was not available to comment.

State telecoms regulator POTRAZ said in a statement it would arrest people sending “subversive” messages that cause unrest.

Mugabe, who has held power since Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain in 1980, was attending a scheduled meeting on Wednesday of his party ZANU-PF's politburo, the party's top executive organ. Party spokesman Simon Khaya-Moyo declined to say whether ZANU-PF would discuss the protests.

In the volatile township of Mufakose, to the west of Harare, hundreds of youths barricaded roads to keep people from going to work.

More than 40 people were arrested across Zimbabwe for blocking roads and disturbing the peace, said Charity Charamba, a police spokeswoman.

There was no need to call out the military, Charamba said.

“The military is not there because in our assessment, for now, the situation has not deteriorated (enough) to warrant the presence of the military,” Charamba told reporters.

Zimbabwe last witnessed such a protest in April 2007.

Reuters and ANA

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