The Word Wright

The An Yue Jiang sets sail from Luanda, Angola

2008-05-07T08:46:00.000+02:00

It is no small victory for those in Zimbabwe and in the rest of the world who have been watching the weapon bearing An Yue Jiang with bated breath. It is also no small victory for the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), whose members – in a display of solidarity – refused to unload the deadly arms shipment from China, both in Angola and South Africa. It is suspected that the weapons ordered by the Mugabe regime, were intended to support his re-election during the presidential runoff campaign.

The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) and the ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation), who played an active role in preventing the weapons from reaching Zimbabwe from the time that Noseweek broke the story some three weeks ago, remained in close touch with the Port Workers Union in Angola, who monitored all movements to and from the An Yue Jiang since it docked in Luanda. The Port Workers Union verified that only construction materials (cement etc.) destined for Angola were offloaded from the An Yue Jiang.

In their press statement, the International Taekwon-Do Federation told reporters that, under the watchful eye of Angolan Police, the An Yue Jiang refuelled, took on some supplies and set sail, with its controversial arms cargo still on board: destination China.

The International Taekwon-Do Federation also told the media that they will keep a watch on the movements of the ship and provide an update on its whereabouts later today.

Zimbabwe: The Runoff Election Farce

2008-05-06T21:48:00.002+02:00

It is useless saying that the presidential runoff in Zimbabwe must be or should be free and fair because the truth of the matter is that it simply won’t be. If free encapsulates the human right of choosing freely, without blatant or latent threats of retaliation, and if fair comprises of all things equal and honest, then running a credible election in Zimbabwe is as credible as China’s denial of harming Tibetans (or baby girls for that matter).

Information from the beautiful country of Zimbabwe is scarce and getting scarcer by the day. Only isolated reports manage to find their way to those of us who live in the rest of the world – and then only in drips and drabs. Video footage has all but disappeared as those found recording anything that could be even remotely incriminating are cast into jails on one or another trumped up charge. This is a best case scenario. Some are poorly treated; others are tortured, while others still are killed.
Such is the transparency of the tyrant.

If commentators, spectators and journalists are too scared to venture into the hell hole of current day on-the-spot Zimbabwe politics, how can we expect the average Zimbabwean to play Zimbabwean Roulette with the Mugabe gun? The average Zimbabwean has parents, a husband or wife, children, grandchildren and friends. And, the average Zimbabwean knows that there is an un-penned law of oppression that states that your sins against Mugabe will visit you and those who are near and dear to you. In fact, it may even visit those who simply live near to you regardless of their political persuasions.

Such is the wrath of the tyrant.

Looking forward to runoff day, there will be relative peace. But looking towards the run-up towards runoff day, there won’t: Villagers will be tortured into submission using the techniques learnt from Mugabe’s Chinese handlers. In the sky smoke will rise from the homes and business burnt as a grim warning to those who dare to vote differently. The blood from wounds caused by Chinese supplied arms is set to flow across the Zimbabwean soil. And then, when all have been cowed, maimed, incarcerated and killed, runoff day will dawn quietly. Not with the quiet associated with contentment, but with the eerie quiet associated with death.
Such is the rule of the tyrant.

Is there hope?

Unless UN peacekeeping forces are deployed now and unless UN observers are present on the day and unless these UN observers guard the ballot until the results are released…the answer is…

!NO!

The Mark of the Dragon: China in Zimbabwe…and Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Malawi

2008-05-06T08:58:00.007+02:00

There remains an uneasiness among those of us who have remained as close as is humanly possible to the movement of the An Yue Jiang with its shipment of weapons from China to Zimbabwe. Uneasiness, that stems from the extent of Chinese involvement in the SADC countries, and the fact that most of these countries are unofficially ‘Chinese Colonies’.

Methinks we have lost the plot. We keep looking to the African countries surrounding Zimbabwe for a solution. We look at Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Malawi to stop the weapons, mostly because these countries have proclaimed themselves as democratic states and have said that they are eager for peace in the region. But in Africa, saying and doing are two very different things and everybody seems to forget that these very countries are deeply - perhaps even too deeply - involved with the arms shipment’s country of origin to be in a position to do anything except obey the will of their master.

We chide China for their irresponsibility. A small rap over the knuckles, no more. And China, with an eye on the upcoming Olympics, plays the role of the reprimanded gracefully – withdrawing the errant ship, or at least pretends to do so.

They are smiling to themselves, I am sure. Not in embarrassment, but in glee. The West is wrong – again.

China: Africa's New Partner

You see, China was busy with other things while the rest of the world was busying them with the Middle East and with Eastern Europe. China found somebody to play their own brand of Monopoly with: Africa. And true war masters that they are, the Chinese had their strategy in place long before joining the game. In true Sun Tzu style, they chose each of their battlegrounds with care and won each piece of additional territory without a single shot being fired.

The countries they targeted were easy marks. They were all dead broke, run by kleptocrats (to varying degrees) and heavily indebted to the IMF. The terms imposed by the IMF did not necessarily suit their peculiar brands of democracy. And, considering from whence the IMF funding comes, the terms of these loans have instilled growing resentment towards the haves of the ‘imperialistic’ West.

Hence, when the Chinese arrived on their white dragons, bearing millions upon millions of Dollars in gifts, loans and advances, (initially no strings attached) they were received like long lost brothers – liberators from their imaginary foe, the West. But money, like any other opiate, could be addictive – and, as has been proven time and again, the addicted ends up becoming the lackey of the supplier. In Africa, the extent of the submission depends on the extent of the addiction.

Money is Sun Tzu’s golden thread in this instance: the thing that unites the senseless gluttony of these African leaders and the Chinese hunger for territory, commodities and power.

Want to know why I am uneasy about Angola? Read on.

China: The Angolan Puppeteer
trenched itself in Angola. The CSIS, in their recent report on the Angola China relations, tried to provide a (too) balanced view of the involvement of the Chinese in this country, with China’s involvement made out to be benevolence in exchange for crude oil. Now, I would call China many things, but benevolent isn’t one of these. They have been putting money into Angola, and they want something in return. Full stop. There is no such thing as free Chop Suey.

In addition to oil (Angola is the largest supplier of crude to China - 8.48 million metric tons in the first three months of this year alone), there are diamonds. And, in addition to diamonds there is employment for Chinese nationals. In a country that sports a ginormous unemployment figure, the number of Chinese nationals employed in Angola has increased from 192 in 2004 to 22,043 in 2007. 22,043 jobs that could have moved Angolan nationals from below the breadline to above it - jobs that are filled by people who cannot string two words in Portuguese together, and nearly as little in English. Get the picture?

Vast sums of money have been made available to Angola by the Chinese. Very little has filtered down towards improving conditions for the person on the street. Scholarships to China were donated to ‘enhance Angolan skills’. These only served to enhance the family members of parliamentarians’ skills.

The desire for arms and weapons (Chinese supplied of course) supersede the need of the populace for food. The need to reconstruct the railway between Benguela and Luanda (with Chinese money for Chinese ends) is greater than the need of the population for shelter, basic healthcare and education.

The Dos Santos regime is nominally democratic and but a small margin away from being a one party state. In fact, he could be a Mugabe understudy.

And China? Well, China has proven time and again that they do not particularly care about the fabric of a country’s leadership. The more corrupt the easier it is for them to get around. And, as usual they have no qualms about propping up a dictator as long as he is willing to dance under the big red puppeteer’s skilful hands.

In Closing

So, will Eduardo dos Santos really only allow construction material to be off-loaded? If construction material is indeed part of the cargo carried by the An Yue Jiang...

With things being as they are – and I do hope I am wrong - I would be pleasantly surprised if the alleged construction material does not pan out to be destruction material in the end.

The An Yue Jiang: Lloyds MIU Responds

2008-04-21T18:09:00.005+02:00

Note: For background, refer to my blogs on the Zimbabwe China Arms Deal. The An Yue Jiang, which is carrying weapons from China that are destined for Zimbabwe, and that is thought to be heading to Angola, featured prominently in the last few blogs.

The An Yue Jiang, that was added to the Lloyds list on the 20th of April, disappeared off the casualties list of Lloyds MIU this morning. The last entry on the five-ship free portion of the site that remained after the An Yue Jiang was moved or removed, was a vessel that was reported as a casualty on the 19th of April 2008 – 1 day before the An Yue Jiang.

I requested access to Lloyds MIU by using an online form, but was denied on the grounds that Lloyds “only grant trial access to companies with a legitimate business need“. I suppose being a writer makes me less legitimate than most :).

The correspondence
Then, on my Wordpress Blog’s Comments, up popped a message from Lloyds themselves. Mark Hankey, their representative, had the following to say:

“We never stated that the vessel sank.

We called it a casualty as it failed to discharge its cargo in the manner it expected. This is normal practice for us as we supply a lot of data to the insurance market and this type of information is of use to them.

We currently have no knowledge of the vessel being refuelled/bunkered or being detained by any navy.”

I then emailed Mr. Hankey, asking him the following:

“Thank you very much for the update you provided to my blog. I would like to publish it, but before I do please can you help me understand:

1. You added it to the list as a casualty because it did not dispose of its cargo as expected. Correct?

2. Could you please let me know why it was taken off the casualty list? Did it dispose of its cargo? Or are there are criteria used?

3. I just want to point out that we never stated that it sank. We merely speculated that the vessel may have run out of fuel as it was not allowed to take in fuel at Durban (it was anchored some 12km outside the port).”

In return, I received the following response from Mr. Hankey (Mr. Hankey's reponse is in red):

"1. You added it to the list as a casualty because it did not dispose of its cargo as expected. Correct? - correct

2. Could you please let me know why it was taken off the casualty list? Did it dispose of its cargo? Or are there are criteria used? - it's still there, but due to the timing it has been superseded by more recent casualties on the free part of the database
3. I just want to point out that we never stated that it sank. We merely speculated that the vessel may have run out of fuel as it was not allowed to take in fuel at Durban (it was anchored some 12km outside the port). - cool. Sorry for the misunderstanding. "

The quandary
I am very grateful that Lloyds took the time to point out that the ship is indeed still on the casualties list. Now there remains but one issue - one that I find hard to get to grips with:

From the outset, I want to make it clear that I am in no position to personally verify whether the ship is still on the list or not because I could not get access to the database, so I am giving Lloyds the benefit of the doubt in this respect. There is no reason not to.

The only things that still bug me (and I regret not having taken thorough notes this morning) are:
(1) that the An Yue Jiang was superseded before an older casualty (the 19th of April casualty) was superseded, and
(2) that it took some 24 hours (perhaps longer) for Lloyds to list the ship after it failed to discharge is cargo in an expected manner.

These are questions I hope to clarify with Mr. Hankey during subsequent correspondence, provided that he will humour more questions from me.

The low-down
So, considering Lloyds’ feedback:

We should not necessarily assume that the vessel has run out of fuel.
We should not necessarily assume that it stopped its slow fuel-saving voyage to Luanda.
We should not necessarily assume that the vessel is headed towards Luanda.
We should not necessarily assume that it has been refuelled.
We should not assume that the ship still carries cargo, and we should not assume that it does.
Finally we should also not assume that the ship has been intercepted by any navy or that it is being led back towards any port – naval or commercial.

But that is not all…

Just where is the An Yue Jiang? The Navy won’t tell and Lloyds cannot tell.
Why is the route suddenly such a secret?
Is the cargo still on board? No response on that one either.
And, why all the attention…even my couple of newbie, basic, itty-bitty blogs are being flooded. And, some of the visitors appear not to be popping by out of curiosity only.

Right now there are simply too many questions and not a single answer to show for it.

PS. Original comment published on my Wordpress Blog. You can follow the link from here.

China Zimbabwe Arms Deal: An Yue Jiang now removed from casualty list at Lloyds MIU

2008-04-21T09:22:00.003+02:00

The controversial Chinese ship, the An Yue Yang, which is bearing 77 tonnes of arms and weapons destined for Zimbabwe, set sail from Durban without refuelling. When the vessel was reported as a casualty yesterday morning (GMT+2), it confirmed Jasa’s (Justice Alliance of South Africa) suspicions that the An Ye Jiang had insufficient fuel to reach its destination: Luanda, Angola.

Navy sources said that although the ship switched off its transponder when it left the harbour, it was being tracked via satellite by the South African Navy, the South African Police Services, Interpol and other international intelligence organisations. The navy did not wish to comment on the exact location of the An Ye Jiang at that time. (Source: Beeld)

A rough calculation based on a sea speed of approximately 30km/h, would have taken the ship to Luanda by Tuesday evening. Assuming that it had indeed sailed towards Luanda, the ship will have been located somewhere between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town when it (perhaps ran out of fuel, and) was added to the register.

Now, somewhere between midnight and 8am (GMT+2) today, the controversial arms ship was removed from the Lloyds MIU Vessel Casualty register.

There are only two possible reasons for this: The ship may have been clandestinely refuelled during the night or it may have been intercepted by the Navy. If the latter holds true, the ship could be escorted to one of the commercial harbours or, considering the controversies surrounding the vessel, it may even be taken into a naval harbour instead.

Until the Navy decides to offer further information, all we can do is wait.

China Zimbabwe Arms Deal: An Yue Jiang reported as casualty at Lloyds MIU

2008-04-20T22:30:00.007+02:00

The controversial weapon carrier, An Ye Jiang set sail from Durban Harbour without refuelling which, according to Jasa (Justice Alliance of South Africa), means that it is unlikely to have sufficient fuel to reach Luanda in Angola.

The ship switched off its transponder when it left the harbour and was seen shortly afterwards heading down the coast of South Africa in a southerly direction. Jasa requested that the ports at East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town be placed on alert to ensure that fuel is not clandestinely supplied to the vessel.

It seemingly disappeared until it suddenly appeared 11 hours ago as a casualty on the Lloyds MIU Vessel Casualty register. Does this mean that the ship has run out of fuel as predicted or is it a clever ruse to get hold of fuel without having to re-enter South African waters? Once it has fuel, the Chinese weapons carrier could yet again switch off the transponder and disappear into the blue wide yonder.

Shortly before the order was obtained from the Durban High Court, which prohibited the off-loading and transporting of the arms, an application was filed by the state owned German Bank, which requested that the arms cargo be attached in lieu of an unpaid 40million Euro loan extended in 2000 to the state-owned Zimbabwe Iron and Steel company. This order too was granted.

Should the ship enter South African waters, this order could be executed.

There is also a further option. Navy intervention is possible according to Jasa. The Alliance indicated that should the ship enter South African waters, it could be arrested and taken into one of our harbours. The Jasa spokesman continued to say that: "The arms must then be put in bond until assurances are obtained from the Chinese Government that they will be returned to China. Any promise from the ship owner is insufficient as it becomes unenforceable the moment the ship leaves SA territorial waters. The captain may say he is going home and yet immediately sail for Angola once he has fuel in his bunkers."

The China Zimbabwe Arms Deal: A storm in a teacup OR the tip of the iceberg?

2008-04-19T17:47:00.005+02:00

The China Zimbabwe arms deal is a political hotcake that is getting hotter by the hour. Mozambique, finding that the attention was turning to them in respect of the shipment, was quick to point out that they had been tracking the movements of the An Yue Jiang and that they would never allow a ship bearing weaponry into there waters without prior approval. The Transport and Communications Minister, Paulo Zucula, said that he had confirmed that the destination given to the South African Department of Transport, was Luanda Angola.

The Angolan government has yet to respond. Hopefully their silence signifies that they are rethinking the entire situation. I would be surprised if they don’t. This is 77 tonnes of political hotcake you don’t want in your lap as a developing country right now. If you are sensible, that is…

The China Lie
China too has eventually deigned to comment, albeit in the form of a noncommittal fax to Reuters, which cursively read: “We do not understand the actual situation. China and Zimbabwe maintain normal trade relations. What we want to stress is China has always had a prudent and responsible attitude towards arms sales, and one of the most important principles is not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."

Clearly China too is trying to place some distance between them and a situation that has definitely graduated into being an international incident.

But for this giant country, there will be little reprieve.

1. Although China is trading in arms with Zimbabwe on a continuous basis, they can still (under very, very lenient circumstances), be given the benefit of the doubt, when they say: ‘We do not understand the actual situation.’ But, considering that China has ALSO deployed some of their very own Red Army Soldiers to Zimbabwe, the ‘We do not understand the actual situation’ excuse becomes thinner than paper thin.

I hold it to be an outright lie.

2. The portion of the message that read: “China has always had a prudent and responsible attitude towards arms sales...”, would have been laughable if you had ignored the gravity of the matter. Here are some examples to chew on:

a) The Big Red has been involved in many shady arms deals with destabilized countries: You may recall the Angolan Oil-for-Arms deal with China or even the Shenyang fighter planes, T-59 battle tanks, HY-2 Silkworm surface-to-surface missiles and rocket launchers supplied to Iran or even the 25,000 Chinese-made rifles and 18,000 grenades that they supplied in Nepal.
b) The Big Red is also one of the largest traders in illegal firearms (Norinco pistols in particular) in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and particularly in our very own country - South Africa.
c) The Big Red has refused to date to sign any multilateral agreements that will prevent the export of arms to areas likely to use these for serious human-rights violations.

I hold it to be an outright lie.

3. “ …and one of the most important principles is not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries” In this particular part of the statement, China conveniently ignores their Red Army’s presence in Zimbabwe.

I hold it to be an outright lie.

China Africa’s Most UNWANTED element
Considering China’s secret history on the beleaguered African continent, their propensity for organized crime, their prevailing parasitical opportunism and the active role they play (albeit hidden from plain sight under most circumstances) in sowing (profitable-for-them) dischord, they are unwanted elements in Africa.

Whatever China touches turns to blood and poverty. This is something that we, who are busy trying to build a New Africa, certainly do not need...

New Destination of Zimbabwe Arms Ship: Angola

2008-04-19T15:01:00.003+02:00

Is this a Red Herring or not?

According to the South African Department of Transport, the An Yue Jiang is not going to Mozambique, but to Angola. So, either the Angolans have decided to purchase the arms from the Chinese OR they have decided to assist with the delivery of the arms.

Angola, which is run by an old freedom fighting ally of Mugabe, José Eduardo dos Santos (MPLA), is very likely to allow the weapons and arms to be off-loaded. There are effectively two ways that the arms can be taken into Zimbabwe: Ground and Air

Ground
Once the arms are on terra firma, the logistics of moving the weapons - by road or rail - to Zimbabwe from Angola, which is located on the west coast of Africa, becomes a veritable nightmare. Of all Angola’s neighbours (the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia) only Botswana, Namibia and Zambia can provide ground access for the arms shipment to reach Zimbabwe. However, the likelihood of either one of these countries granting permission is smaller than small. In addition, the roads and the railways running through Angola are by and large destroyed and the terrain extremely rough.

So, ground simply makes no sense at all.

Air
This is probably the most feasible option – albeit still a territorial infringement. Angola can use on of their state-owned airways or their military aircraft to rapidly move the arms directly to Zimbabwe. The aircraft need not cross the expanse of either Zambian or Namibian (who may retaliate) airspace.

1) They could fly to the southern Angolan border and then turn due east, heading towards the border shared between Namibia and Zambia.
2) The aircraft can then cover the short distance by moving between Zambian and Namibian airspace. This will make retaliation difficult because Namibia cannot shoot at aircraft in Zambian airspace and vice versa.
3) There will probably not be time to retaliate either. The distances from the air force bases to that particular border are vast. Once they become aware of the problem, the aircraft will be safely in Zimbabwean airspace already.

What are the options?
The SALC: The SALC can try to seek remedy from the Angolan courts. The chances of succeeding are minute. The country is fairly corrupt (in my ever-present opinion) and the government kleptocratic.
The Mbeki factor: Mbeki could exert diplomatic pressure on Dos Santos, but considering that he has yet to be seen to exert pressure on any of his former freedom fighting cronies, this could be a cold day in hell.
International pressure: Angola is an OPEC member and a beneficiary of World Bank and IMF funding. Both institutions could use this to stop Angola from allowing the weapons to be transported through the country. The World Bank and the IMF may however feel that it is neither ethical nor appropriate to hold a sovereign country hostage in this way.
Zambia and Namibia: These two countries should call Angola’s bluff: They need to proactively engage with Angola and tell them to keep clear of their air space. They should also illustrate their air presence in the area just to be sure. Not sure that they will do this though….

Red Herring or Not?
Having developed mistrust in what is being said by certain South African dignitaries (Department of Transport representatives included); the whole Angola story has a 50% chance of being fact and a 50% chance of being fiction.

So, those interested in spotting the errant ship, should keep an eagle’s eye on both the Angolan and Mozambique harbours.

Zimbabwe: Arms Ship leaves harbour. New destination: Mozambique?

2008-04-19T12:53:00.005+02:00

Durban High Court Judge, Kate Pillay, ruled that the Chinese ship, An Yue Jiang, which is bearing 77 tons in arms destined for Zimbabwe, may not be off-loaded and that the arms may not be transported via South Africa. Soon after the judgement was made, the ship lifted anchor and left Durban harbour.

Considering the complete absence of an appeal and that Captain Sunaijun told the media that he was awaiting instruction from his ‘owner’, one cannot help bit assume that both the wily Chinese government and the desperate Mugabe government have some sort of a contingency plan in place.

Feasibility of a Contingency Plan
A contingency plan could involve setting sail to one of Zimbabwe’s only other two sea bordering neighbours: Mozambique and Tanzania. Tanzania is a ‘civil’ neighbour but not friendly enough to be prepared to handle this particular international political hotcake.

Considering this, Mozambique could prove to be the most feasible alternative.

Robert Mugabe and the Frelimo president of Mozambique, Armando Guebuza, have been firm friends since their freedom fighting days. They had shared enemies – the old Rhodesia, the old South Africa and the Imperialistic West – and shared friends – Cuba, communist USSR, North Korea and China.

It is reasonable to assume that Guebuza will probably be a little worried about repercussions (especially those appertaining to the substantial international grants the country is receiving), that could arise from transporting the arms through his country, but considering that he is highly unlikely to invoke his large South African neighbour’s political wrath, chances are really good that he will grant Mugabe the favour.

There are two ports in Zimbabwe that could potentially deal with the cargo: Maputo and Beira.

The challenge with using the larger, better equipped harbour of Maputo is that the cargo will still have to be transported by road to Beira before being loaded onto trains to Harare. The road between Maputo and Beira is not in a good condition, and there could also be some issues around finding enough trucks to get the job done.

Beira presents a far better option. Once the ship docks, the cargo could be transported by the Beira Railroad Corporation on the Machipanda line which runs through Malverna (Port of Entry between Mozambique and Zimbabwe) and which ends in Harare. The only other available railway line which runs from Beira, the Sena Line, will not be used, as it is not fully operational yet after it was partly destroyed by Renamo during the 80s.

Stopping the Shipment: What are the options?
The SALC: The SALC indicated that should the An Yue Jiang sail to Mozambique, they will seek remedy from the Mozambique courts. The challenge here is that the laws of that country may be insufficient in respect of matters such as these. There is also a very real chance that the courts could be influenced by Armando Guebuza not to grant such an application, even if the application could be granted under Mozambique law.
The Mbeki factor: As an influential economic partner of Mozambique, President Thabo Mbeki could exert diplomatic pressure on President Armando Guebuza not to allow the cargo to cross his soil. Considering that some of Mbeki’s cabinet members (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defence, Secretary of Defence) were some of the respondents in the urgent High Court applications yesterday, and that he has done less than nothing to manage the entire debacle the chances of Mbeki intervention is close to non-existent.
International pressure: Mozambique is the beneficiary of World Bank and IMF funding – funds that the country simply cannot do without. Both institutions could use this reliance on funding to stop Mozambique from allowing the weapons to be transported through the country. The World Bank and the IMF may however feel that it is neither ethical nor appropriate to hold a sovereign country hostage in this way.

These three options are the only options available and none of them are great.

The best outcome will be if Mozambique – in view of international sentiment – had to offer China and Zimbabwe a polite, but firm “NAY!” Considering how quickly the ship rushed away, there is a really good chance that they may have already secured a polite and firm “AYE!”

Zimbabwe: The Chinese Weapons Saga Continues

2008-04-18T12:23:00.002+02:00

The saga of the weapons cargo carried by the Chinese ship An Yue Jiang, continues after the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) announced yesterday that their members will neither unload the ship, nor transport the deadly freight to Zimbabwe. The Union also indicated that they were going to approach the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) for support. Indications are that a further Union may join they fray. The United Transport and Allied Trade Union, told reporters that their members were not happy about the arms shipment and that they will be taking a firm decision in this regard shortly.

In spite of the strong resistance offered by the unions and equally strong criticism from a variety of bodies inside the country, the South African government appears to be doing their level best to get the arms to Zimbabwe. To resolve the logistics, they will be using Armscor (SA government owned) to get the job done.

The SA Government acts as Mugabe’s Forwarding and Clearing Agent
Here are three glaring anomalies:

Anomaly 1
Normally, cargo cleared at a Port of Entry, is fetched and carried by the importer’s own devices and not fetched and carried by the government of the day. At the same time, Maseko sticks to his original story: "South Africa is not at all involved in the arrangement: it's a matter between the two countries.”

Would you agree with Maseko that carting Mugabe’s weapons equals not at all involved with the arrangement? No reasonable person would…

Anomaly 2
Normally, well before cargo that consists of arms and weaponry is shipped, a conveyance permit will be sought by the exporter. No conveyance permit was requested by China before shipment because said shipment was rushed: it left China on the 15th of March and arrived in Durban on the 10th of April 10. An urgent conveyance permit was issued by Defence Secretary January Masilela (and herein lies the irony) in between sittings of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC). Then Maseko commented that "It would be possible, but very difficult for South Africa to start intervening and saying that we will not allow the shipment through.”

Would you agree with Maseko that he could not stop or at least seriously delay the shipment? Considering the lack of paperwork, BOTH Masilela and Maseko had every opportunity. Any reasonable person would have found a way to cause a delay…

Anomaly 3
The very same NCACC chaired by January Masilela has a policy NOT to export weapons, arms and ammunition into conflict areas or to countries (to quote there policy verbatim) where "systematic violation or suppression of humanitarian rights and fundamental freedoms" exist. Masilela still went ahead and issued the permit AND defended the decision by saying that the violence etc. in Zimbabwe was nothing more than allegations. He might as well have said ‘conjecture’.

Would you agree that Masilela ALSO had the ability, given the NCACC policy and the strife in Zimbabwe, to stop the shipment? Any reasonable person would say ‘Yes…”

Then what is the Low Down
Weapons kill. That is their only purpose in the hands of an army that is already perpetrating violence, intimidation, torture and murder. By allowing the weapons to land on our soil and facilitating its shipment into Zimbabwe, President Mbeki and his henchmen will be complicit to every life taken and for every person harmed by any one of these bullets and grenades on the cargo list.

The pride I feel to be South African in view of the preparedness of the Unions to make a stand and do the right thing, and the pride I feel to be South African as more and more Groups/Bodies/Parties step forward condemning the SA government’s handling of the Zim / China Arms Crisis, are in stark contrast with the feeling of shame I am filled with by our government’s shoddy behaviour: their blatant, wilful denial of the truth; the lies that are being perpetuated in defence Mugabe - who is nothing more than an ego-driven murdering maniac; and that now, when Mr. Mbeki’s leadership and moral fibre are needed most, all we as South African citizens are witnessing is his pathetic grovelling at the feet of his erstwhile comrade and mentor, Robert Mugabe.

It is a shame indeed…

State Owned Zimbabwe Herald Praises Thabo Mbeki

2008-04-18T09:49:00.002+02:00

Here is an excerpt from the Zimbabwe Herald today:

Mbeki deserves special honour
“… President Mbeki needs to be specially commended and honoured by the whole Zimbabwean leadership and people for the sterling work that he has been doing in the past eight years. His "quiet diplomacy" and "soft power", are actually not as quiet as the world wants to believe.

The backlash against President Mbeki’s presidency and his own personality has been immense. This is why Zimbabwe, as we celebrate 28 years of nationhood today, should say a big "THANK YOU" to this gallant son of Africa, just as we are saying thank you again to our gallant sons and daughters who sacrificed limb and soul for the independence of this nation. There is no substitute for genuine friendship; just like there will be no substitute for homegrown, genuine regional co-operation and integration. The least we can do is name one of our roads after Cde Mbeki and give him the freedom of the City of Harare.

As Wafawarova put it: "President Mbeki has had to face the agony of eight-and-a-half years of a crisis-waving Britain, but the ever alert and revolutionary Mbeki has not been fooled, even once. He saw no crisis with the land reclamation . . . He saw no crisis with the 2000, 2002 and 2005 elections . . ."

Apart from his now famous "No crisis in Zimbabwe" statement, President Mbeki also made the same statement a week earlier when he told dinner guests in London: "We have been very pleased with the manner in which the elections were conducted; the opposition had access to every part of the country, there was no violence, no one was beaten up. You have a very serious effort by the people of Zimbabwe to resolve their problems, we could see there was a common spirit among them and that’s the sense we got. And in the conduct of the election none of the parties came back to us to intervene to say something was going wrong."

Something wrong with this picture
One has to ALWAYS take whatever is said in this Mugabe-an mouthpiece with a couple of bags of salt because it perpetuates half truths and lies nearly all of the time. However, there is an old maxim that says: The enemy of my enemy is my friend and the friend of my enemy is my enemy… or something like that, at least.

Is Robert Mugabe busy blowing sunshine up Mbeki’s behind? Or is Mugabe viewing Mbeki as a friend because he has not, at the face of it, quite given in to the pressure from within and from without South Africa? Or is Thabo Mbeki being viewed as a real friend by Robert Mugabe because he has maintained his soft (or is it wet) approach to the land grabs and the election fixing over the years?

In the final paragraph above, Thabo Mbeki is quoted by the Herald to be saying that All is Well. This may indeed be quoted out of context, or some measure of poetic license may have been applied to it. Who knows? However, regardless of the context, saying that there was no violence etc on the day of the election and then failing to mention the extent of the violence in the nearly three weeks post election, is highly irresponsible, fairly manipulating and somewhat dishonest.

The Political Plague in Africa
Behind the words in the Herald, Mugabe’s imperialistic rhetoric and Mbeki’s deafening silence, is one of the reasons why democracy in Africa is such a resounding failure.

For some reason, some of the African governments have not quite heard the penny drop that when they are democratically elected, they ARE governments and NOT liberation movements any longer. Because the majority of the population support them and have legally and democratically illustrated such support, the whole boring story of Struggle, is neither relevant nor appropriate.

But, for some reason – perhaps it is an attempt to use the past to play the audience – these elected leaders don’t move on, don’t salute the past and embrace the future, and don’t lift their eyes to the horizon. Their regressive behaviour debilitates progressive behaviour. It kills growth and it kills development.

Countries such as Botswana have not stepped into this trap of self-pitying retrospective-ness. That is why their economy is sound, their political landscape stable and their incidence of crime very low when compared to the rest of the continent. Now, Ian Seretse Khama is carrying the torch, which he took over from Festus Mogae, which he took over Quett Masire, which he took over from Ian Khama’s father: Sir Seretse Khama. A torch that burns brightly and that should be viewed as an example of what can be achieved, (by doing the right things), by their counterparts in Africa.

President Mbeki has done many right things during his term, but he has also failed miserably in others - the latest being his inability to manage the abominable situation in Zimbabwe. Fortunately it is nearing the time for him to step down: time to allow somebody younger, somebody more visionary and somebody bearing less baggage to carry the South African torch forward. There is political talent enough in our country. And, when we hold our elections next year, may the best man…or woman…win.

Zimbabwe: Escalating Violence and China rushing to Mugabe’s aid

2008-04-17T13:55:00.004+02:00

It may have been an oversight on the part of President Thabo Mbeki when he omitted the Zimbabwe issue from the agenda of the UN Security Council Meeting he is chairing, but considering said President’s loathe-ness to broach the issue, it probably was not.

The omission did not stop the Council attendees from raising the subject though. With the support of some of the western countries, UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon, pointed out that: “The Zimbabwean authorities and the countries of the region have insisted that these matters are for the region to resolve, but the international community continues to watch and wait for decisive action."

The insistence of SADC leaders – Mbeki and Mugabe in particular – that it is an African issue that should be managed by Africans, was initially respected by the global community. Now, weeks later and with no progress to show, international pressure is mounting on Mbeki, whose ‘quiet diplomacy’ approach towards the problems faced by its neighbour is clearly failing.

Back in South Africa, the ANC too is indicating that they are losing their patience with Mr. Mbeki’s take on the issue. ANC president Zuma, in particular, expressed his concern that: "The region cannot afford a deepening crisis in Zimbabwe. The situation is more worrying now given the reported violence that has erupted in the country."

Zanu-PF violence has indeed been escalating.

Incidents of Violence and Intimidation
1) The number of land grabs has increased to 120. Workers on the occupied farms have been severely beaten, chased off the lands and told that if they return they would be killed. The crops, so desperately needed by the country, are not being harvested and sheep, cattle and chickens are being slain indiscriminately. Police intervention, when called for, is not all that forthcoming.
2) At least 150 cases of torture have been treated by Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights members since the elections ended. This is the tip of the iceberg considering that most of these attacks take place in remote areas and that the overwhelming majority of victims don’t go for treatment.
3) At least two more MDC supporters were killed in Karoi and Mudzi respectively
4) In Magunje, a Chinese psychological torture method was employed by making villagers hold bullets while contemplating their reasons for voting MDC. They were then asked: "Do you want to start a war with Zanu PF?”
5) Mugabe’s private militia have been issued with army combat gear to prevent the victims from distinguishing official soldiers from his private militia.
6) In Magunje, two village elders who defied the threat from soldiers were stripped of their eldership by the soldiers.
7) Villages in the vicinity of Chatsworth and Chiguhuni were raided and polling agents who worked for the MDC during the elections were abducted.
8) More than 500 villagers’ houses were raided and set alight in Mutasa South.
9) An MDC supporter in Gokwe was admitted to hospital after having been shot in both legs.
10) In Seke, Zaka, Tsholotso and other rural areas, a group of war veterans wielding guns, threatened to kill those who voted for the opposition and their families.
11) More than 50 MDC members were arrested as a result of the MDC organised stay-away.
12) Students demonstrating against Mugabe at Bulawayo’s Nust University were beaten indiscriminately by police, which led to the demonstration turning into a riot.

The Chinese Factor
Cracks in Messrs. Mugabe and Mbeki’s ‘By Africans For Africa’ are showing. Over the past 24 hours, there have been at least two Zimbabwe-related incidents that sports direct Chinese involvement:

1) Confirmed: A Chinese ship bearing 77 tons in mortars, ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades, destined for Zimbabwe, were cleared through customs in Durban today. This is in spite of the fact that international sanctions are in place, banning the sale of weapons to Zimbabwe. According to a US-based intelligence organisation, Zimbabwe has also recently bought trainer fighter jets, radar installations, fighter plans and military vehicles worth $240 million. When asked to comment on why the cargo is being cleared, January Masilela -who chairs the Scrutiny Committee of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) in addition to being our Secretary of Defence - said that it was a ‘simple’ transaction between Zimbabwe and China.

2) Confirmed: A group of Chinese soldiers were spotted working with Zimbabwean soldiers in the eastern border city of Mutare. According to the Holiday Inn in Mutare, both the Zimbabwean and the Chinese soldiers are staying in their hotel. The soldiers are armed with pistols, AK 47 rifles, batons, tear gas and water canons. According to the Holiday Inn, the group is booked to remain for a week.

China has everything to gain: A jab at the West, access to Zimbabwe’s largely untapped diamond, gold and platinum resources, and ivory.

These two incidents may well be the tip of yet another iceberg in the Zimbabwean sea. Considering the Chinese involvement in Zimbabwe, is the matter still regional and isolated to the SADC community? Or has it now formally graduated to an international level?

Regardless of the answer, ‘By Africans For Africa’, has acquired a false note in its repetitive chant...

South Africa: Freedom of Speech? Depends what you want to say…

2008-04-16T16:27:00.004+02:00

“Two Laws to rule them all.
Two Laws to find them
Two Laws to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them.”
Adapted from Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

There are two proposed laws that could change the face of one of the fundamental human rights we as South Africans enjoy, forever. The Right to Freedom of Expression… Here are the laws:

Films and Publications Amendment Bill
Very few (if any) South African journalists, cartoonists and writers are not enraged by the prospect of the new draconian Films and Publications Amendment Bill, the parliamentary review of which will (quote ironically) coincide with World Press Freedom Day (2 May 2008).

The Act, which could be passed as early as June this year, is intended to enable more effective control over sexual content, content that could incite violence and war, or promote hatred against any identifiable group characteristic. Nearly all material (news, adverts, movies, radio programmes, speeches, articles) will have to be approved by government before being allowed to go into print, on the air or on the shelves. The problem with the Act is that it could be interpreted in many different ways and that it leaves the door open for government to manipulate what we write and what you hear.

The Protection of Information Bill
In contradiction with the preamble to this Bill, which states that the aim is to “promote the free flow of information within an open and democratic society without compromising the security of the Republic”, the bill will not only hamper the collection and the disclosure of information, but also reward those who do with lengthy jail sentences.

To give you an idea: Any head of a state body, or duly authorized delegate of a state body, has the power to classify a document, a record or a non-physical item, as confidential, secret and top secret. If a writer (or anybody else for that matter) discloses such classified information, they can be jailed for up to five years or even for up to twenty five years if the disclosure is deemed to be “hostile activity defences”. No exemption is mentioned for those who use such classified documents to expose corruption or the abuse of power within government.

Further limitations include finding and reporting on ‘sensitive information’, which is an umbrella kind of category that encompasses a range of motherhood statements, such as ‘national interest’ and ‘pursuit of justice’ and a couple of tangibles, such as ‘security plans’ and ‘information related to criminal investigations’

Two Laws, Better Control
Collectively, the restrictions imposed by these two laws, are worse than was the case during the Apartheid era. For instance, government could (ab)use the proposed Acts to further diminish the already poor level of transparency in government, and prevent journalists from properly investigating and reporting on the Seven Scourges of Government: bribery, corruption, connections to organized crime, abuse of power, abuse of public funds, and the misappropriation of funds. As a journalist, they can throw the book at you: (1) promoting hatred or inciting violence against the identifiable group called government or (2) finding and reporting sensitive information and disclosing confidential information.

It would be more than just a little naïve to assume that the South African government won’t use the opportunity represented by the Acts to improve ‘public relations’. Over the years, the powers that be have proven that they have an aversion to public scrutiny - both from a professional and a personal perspective. Their responses to the criticisms incurred have – by and large - been relatively immature. And, their refusal – in many instances – too heed the outcome of press investigations or exposes where honourable members of parliament were concerned, may even be interpreted as a desire to obscure the incidence of the Seven Scourges in the government of the day.

Let us use a well-known example to prove the point: Zuma was highly infuriated after the appearance of a Zapiro cartoon depicting him with a shower on his head during his rape trial (an image that has stuck since then). The cartoon, which was born from Zuma’s own claim to have showered to diminish the risk of AIDS after having had intercourse with the HIV-infected plaintiff, saw Zuma initially suing the cartoonist for R20 million – an amount that has subsequently been reduced to R 2 million. If the new Acts were in place at that time, the government would have had the wherewithal to prevent the publication of the cartoon, to withhold information from the press and to censor any reference to his trial before it would be allowed to go into print.

Lessons from Abroad
This is how things started in Zimbabwe. Mugabe hates being made fun of, he hates being opposed, he hates being shown in a bad light and he hates being depicted as anything other than heroic. This delusion of grandeur led to him gradually emasculating the press and robbing the Zimbabwean population of their right to honest information and their right to freedom of speech. Now, in Zimbabwe, Mugabe controls every aspect of the media. He filters all information – not unlike the Films and Publications Amendment Bill we are about to implement. He jails those that investigate and report on the grounds of endangering national security – not unlike The Protection of Information Bill.

Soon, the internet will be targeted as well – in fact, it is already in progress. If a similar draconian approach applies, we could find ourselves in the same situation as the Chinese population. The Chinese government employs filters to the internet in order to prevent certain search terms from producing results. Hence, if you had to search in China for Tiananmen Square, the results will come up with zilch, nil, nada, and zero.

To conclude
When these two South African Bills are passed, information will be selectively disseminated to the public. You will only read what the government allows you to read. Am I being neurotic? Perhaps, but when guarding one’s Rights, a dash of Neuroticism is always appropriate. The imminent restrictions should be a warning signal.

We still have some Freedom of Speech – but this offer is valid for a limited period only.

Zimbabwe: To Coup or Not to Coup...

2008-04-15T11:43:00.003+02:00

The courts refused ordering the election results and Mugabe has, according to his own laws, only until Saturday to hold a presidential run-off election. The lack of election results together with a run-off not being planned before Saturday means that Zimbabwe will theoretically be without a government come Sunday morning.

What are Mugabe’s options at that point in time? The one is to carry on regardless, to continue his own personal feud against the rest of humankind and to grudgingly maintain the façade of democracy by putting up with the likes of Morgan Tsvangirai. The other option he has is to stage a coup d'état and to install himself as the de facto ruler of Zimbabwe in that way.

How well is Mugabe positioned to pull off a coup?
To effectively stage a coup d'état, the following elements are required:
1) Control of the military and law enforcement arms;
2) control of the media; and
3) the ability to force the populace into submission.

Mugabe has:
1) The ownership and support of the official military, the police and the courts
2)A private army comprising of war veterans and youth militia.
3) Promoted 407 police officers last Friday: 11 officers from Chief Superintendent to Assistant Commissioner; 42 officers to Chief Superintendent, 72 to Superintendent and 282 to Chief Inspectors.
4) Placed an army general in each and every Zimbabwean province. Since 29 March, the training of new recruits, the regrouping of the war veterans and the mobilization of the Riot Units, all started in earnest.
5) Instructed the governor of the Zim Reserve Bank, Gideon Gono, (who has owned up to this) to bankroll the refurbishment of 260 Defender vehicles for the military, the purchase of police uniforms and to pay for generators and borehole drilling at the Chikurubi Camp.
6) Complete control over the media.
7) Ability to quickly and violently suppress any resistance from within the country.

The answer is: Better Than Most

How likely is it for the coup to be successful?
For a coup to be successful the chances of intervention from outside the borders have to be low and should such intervention take place, it must be defendable by the military

Mugabe has:
1) The diplomatically silent allegiance of Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki is unlikely to oppose the coup by using his armed forces. Of note is that when the MDC started planning protests, the SAPS riot units were placed on standby. (First hand information) I wonder whose side they will be on?
2) No threat from any of the other neighbours. They are simply not strong enough.
3) No threat from the West. There is no oil or anything else of strategic value to gain from this. (Cynical, but pragmatic, I know)

The answer us: His chances of success are very high.

What if he fails?
No risk to the man with the small Hitler-ian moustache. He can seek and will be granted asylum in South Africa, where he is currently building a Beverly Hills type of mansion in the vicinity of the Lipizzaners in Kyalami. Mugabe won’t be destitute as he will still have the proceeds of his blood diamond and mineral mines in the Congo, not to mention income from his other shady little-publicized ventures too. And he will still have his old friend close by for a bit chit-chat after the demands of his current position cease come the time for the next South African election.

Will he do it?
Who knows whether this volatile megalomaniac is going to continue running his kleptocracy on an as-is basis or whether he is going to go for the country’s jugular by means of a coup. The choice is his – there is precious little that will influence it, except perhaps his own delusional mind.

Zimbabwe: Mugabe and the Medium

2008-04-11T17:08:00.001+02:00

There is sometimes a bit of humour hidden beneath the sharp rocks in a dark, seemingly insurmountable abyss. Zimbabwe is no exception…

A True Story

Not long ago, in the middle of yet another fuel crisis, which the Zimbabwean government blamed on sanctions…(but then it is a government of blame: they blame empty shelves on business, the mess in their country on imperialism and their power failures on monkeys)… they were approached by Rotina Mavhunga, a 35-year old Sangoma (spirit medium, for the non-locals).

Rotina told them, that when she became possessed by the Spirits of the Forefathers, she could cause the finest diesel to come forth from the rocks. She produced a sample of her magic, which the Central Mechanical Equipment Department declared as pure. Mesmerised, she was accompanied by some of the ministers who took off their shoes and knelt or crouched at her feet as she, filled with the Spirits of the Dead ancestors, manifested the precious liquid as quite a magnificent fountain.

She was rewarded handsomely by her adulating ministerial followers: 5 billion dollars and a farm.

Then…well then…the truth came out. What her ‘feat of magic’ really was, was diesel bought in Zambia and then piped to the rocks from where it cascaded beautifully. A crude swindle it may have been, but Mugabe and his equally gullible henchmen were taken in - suckered, scammed, conned, hoodwinked!

The highly embarrassed government had her arrested (naturally). Her defence in the magistrate’s court was that it was not her that swindled the entire cabinet. She shifted the blame to one Changamire Dombo, a 17th century Rozvi Empire leader who, according to Rotina is so powerful that his power reaches into the 21st century.

I suppose if the Zimbabwean government can blame their swindles on 17th Century Imperialists, then Rotina could probably blame her swindle on 17th Century Spirits too ;)

Bullard Fired: What happened to Freedom of Speech?

2008-04-11T12:33:00.002+02:00

David Bullard was fired for being offensive in his last column, they say. But, methinks Sunday Times Editor, Mondli Makhanya, had some outside pressures to send the irreverent Bullard packing. Perhaps one of our politicians had a sense of humour failure when he read the last column Bullard wrote. Who knows? Makhanya does, but his approach is deny-deny-deny.

The truth about Bullard is that you either love him or you hate him. There is nothing tepid about his Out to Lunch column. He does not pull any punches where the failure of government to deliver is concerned. He openly points out corruption, he bravely calls the Greedy, greedy and he plainly names the Incompetent, incompetent.

He irreverently mocks the (exaggerated) political correctness of South Africans – the lengths to which they go to prove that they are not racist: how they walk on eggs when having to choose words to describe people on the basis of colour. With Bullard there is NO holy cow. This time he may have stepped on the tail of somebody else’s. But is that not what freedom of press is all about? In Zimbabwe, journalists are not allowed to write things as they see or experience it. Their opinions have to meekly reflect that of the powers that be.

Here I have always believed that life is different.

Even if I - and many others - don’t agree with the opinions aired by a columnist (and columnists are meant to be opinionated), I still respect that opinion for what it is – an opinion. With Bullard being fired because he held opinions that are, as Mondli Makhanya put it: “extremely, extremely, extremely offensive and totally against the values of the Sunday Times and the country.”, I cannot help but feel more than just a little concerned.

Must columnists now bow to the opinion of the paper they write for and by what (or whose) authority does Mr. Makhanya speak on behalf of the country? His comment on 702 reeked like the typical comments made by Anonymous Editor in the Zimbabwean Herald. (Refer my third to last blog entry).

Given the set of circumstances, does it imply that we in South Africa are now in a situation where freedom of speech is conditional and that having an opinion is limited? Do journalists and columnists alike now have to kowtow to ‘those-in-high-places-who-could-take-offence’ in order to retain their jobs?

If this is the case, and I have no evidence to prove the contrary, a very sad day has dawned indeed.

Zimbabwe: Ruling on Releasing Election Results postponed until Monday

2008-04-10T09:31:00.002+02:00

Sigh…

It is a little disappointing that the courts don’t see (or don’t want to see, are not allowed to see, whatever) the urgency of this matter. Another four or more days for Mugabe to ‘cook the books’, another four days for him to intimidate the ordinary folk of Zimbabwe with his megalomaniacal quasi-military campaigns, and another four days for death by ‘natural causes’ of electoral officials and opposition party members…

So, it is more of the waiting game, fellow Africans.

Zapiro’s cartoon is a picture that speaks a thousand words …

Zimbabwe: A Situational Update

2008-04-09T18:37:00.001+02:00

Farm Invasion Update
The farm invasions have grown progressively worse since it started on Saturday last week:

1) Between 60 and 100 farms and 1 game lodge have now been invaded by War Veterans according to Trevor Gifford, the president of the Commercial Farmer's Union.
2) The local media officer from the Ministry of Information, Mr Maunganidze, is said to be paying people to invade the farms.
3) The farm invasions have now spread to include Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central. The land of two black farmers was also grabbed because they were said to have voted for the MDC.

Intimidation & Violence Update
“Militias are being rearmed, ZANU-PF supporters are being rearmed ... The long and short of it is that there has been a complete militarization of Zimbabwean society since the 29th of March 2008," said Morgan Tsvangirai. From the accounts received to date, this is not opposition propaganda:

1) Zimbabwean Police arrested seven election officials, accusing them of undercounting votes cast for President Mugabe, and are to be charged with fraud
2) Zimbabwean police have assaulted more than 80 opposition activists in the western provinces of Manicaland and Matabeleland. The attack is thought to be part of Mugabe’s tactics to intimidate voters ahead of the planned presidential run-off.
3) According to informed sources, 200 senior officers of the armed forces have been deployed to lead the war veterans in a military operation aimed at forcing Zimbabweans into voting for President Robert Mugabe in the run-off.
4) In Nyamandhovu in Matabeleland North, supporters of the opposition MDC and those of independent presidential candidate Simba Makoniave been beaten up and tortured by Zanu-PF youth militias and war veterans.
5) In Sigaba Village two MDC youths, were assaulted by a group of 10 Zanu-PF youths who accused them of being sell-outs.
6) The shop of former ZIPRA freedom fighter, Stanley Wolfenden, was raided and shut down on Friday. He was accused of drumming up support for Makoni during the election campaign.

South Africa’s Attitude Update
Nothing has really changed…

1)Aziz Pahad, South African deputy foreign minister, said that “foreign media and the international community were orchestrating the destabilisation of Zimbabwe and had unfairly accused Mugabe of wanting to “steal” the elections by delaying announcement of the results.”

Sies Aziz!!! Been there of late?

2) Mbeki, Tsvangirai talks ‘not on the diary’

The president is in India now, doing goodness knows what - shirking his responsibilities back home.

3) ANC president Jacob Zuma crtiticised the delays in releasing the election results.

He took no stance in as far as Mugabe is concerned, but this is a good start at least.

4) Archbishop Tutu said: "They are tipping over the precipice. Violence is very much in the air. I would have hoped there would be a great deal more pressure, not just from South Africa but from the international community.On the whole, African leadership has not done themselves proud on this one."

Could not have put it better myself. Not inclined to maintain Diplomatic Silence (hint, hint, President Mbeki), the Archbishop has said his say, and hit the nail on the head. That is why I (and many others) respect him so much!

The Mugabe… I mean… The Zimbabwe Herald Today

2008-04-09T16:45:00.000+02:00

You have to read the state-owned Zimbabwe Herald to appreciate just how ridiculously extensive Mugabe-an control over this excuse-for-a-newspaper is. If the matter was not so serious, it could even be downright funny – like a good old April Fool’s Joke. His propaganda litters all the pages, at an enormous density per square inch. There is no attempt to camouflage it - on the contrary, it is right in your face.

The lies are both blatant and by omission. There was not a single word breathed in today’s paper about the seriously escalating violence in the country today, about the harassment of MDC supporters and the continued invasions of white-owned farms.

The editor and the journalists are anonymous as are most of the sources quoted. The golden thread of the paper is that the mess Zim finds it in is no fault of Mugabe: There are strong conspiracy-type theory undertones; and everything and everybody other than Bob, are blamed. The underlying message is venom and hate. Not a pleasurable reading experience at all.

Here are some of the headlines forced on their captive readership today:

Headline 1: ‘Tsvangirai Begs for VP Post’ by anonymous Herald Reporters
“MDC faction leader Morgan Tsvangirai asked Zanu-PF to accommodate him as one of the Vice Presidents in a government of national unity after being told by his advisors that a possible run-off with President Mugabe for the top job was not in his best interests, The Herald can reveal…”
Okay, you get the gist… the rest of the article – all 975 words – quoted a variety of sources – all of which were (naturally) anonymous and, to appease the Zanu-PF handler, a fair dollop of Anti-MDC Anti-Tsvangirai Anti-The-Rest-OF-The-Evil-World propaganda was added for good measure.

Headline 2: ‘Don’t withhold goods; Govt warns business’ by anonymous Herald Reporters
“GOVERNMENT expects the business sector to fulfil its social responsibility by ensuring continued supply of basic commodities as opposed to dabbling in politics as part of the regime change agenda, a senior official has said.”
This comes in the wake of the increasingly empty shelves in the Zimbabwean shops. So, what is the reaction of Mugabe? You are right, blame business for this and be silent about the fact that his government has not been importing enough Maize and that they are not exactly paying their Maize accounts either… and, to be honest, the warning is not a warning, it is a threat…

Headline 3: ‘Let’s protect heritage during run-off’ by anonymous Editor
“Fellow Zimbabweans, as we head for a possible presidential run-off, let us make an informed decision best for the future generations and us.”
Starting with an impassioned appeal the remainder of the article launches into a full frontal attack on white settlers: past present and future. He pointed to the fate of Malawi under British influence and extolled the virtues of the Cubans. Anonymous editor neither made an attempt at disguising his racial hate speak, nor of his intentions to fuel it. Quite chilling, actually.

Headline 4: Poll results: Solve anomalies first by anonymous Editor
“I have been following election-related events over the past few days and conspiracies and counter-conspiracies that have been emerging over delays in announcing presidential poll results.”
Naturally, Editor blames it all on the MDC. He accuses them of rigging, tampering, yak, yak, yak… and then – as could be expected – dedicates the second half of the article to hurling a variety of personal insults at Morgan Tsvangirai.

Headline 5: White Farmers Free to Apply for Land by {nobody}
“WE salute the police for moving in to stop the new wave of farm occupations that threatened to engulf the countryside, and war veterans for heeding police directives to move out of the farms they occupied in retaliation to threats by hordes of white former commercial farmers.”
Yup, hordes, I am sure…there were 4,000 to start of with, but that was a long, long time ago. Now there are only 300, minus 8, and they are spread all over the country. Also, the farm invasions have not stopped. These were still ongoing last night. Be that as it may.., The article warns (or threatens, you decide) these imaginary hordes of farmers that: ”…those who are lucky enough to still hold farms continue harbouring the unrepentant farmers without counselling against provocative actions, they only serve to brew mistrust in the State and the populace. This mistrust may culminate in a take-over of the remaining white-held farms for distribution to landless black Zimbabweans, many of whom are on the waiting list.” Then, in the very last sentence white farmers who have left Zim are invited to return where they can “apply for resettlement just like other citizens.” Need I say more? Perhaps, best that I don’t.

On the off-beat side, the property and entertainment sections of the newspaper were …well…empty. I wonder why?

Avaaz Petition: Mugabe, Release the Votes!

2008-04-08T19:45:00.002+02:00

I received this Avaaz petition in my Inbox a short while ago. They aim to collect 10,000 signatures to present to Mugabe. Please read, and if you would like to support the cause, click on the Avaaz link. Perhaps the Zimbabwean people need to know that they are not alone in this...

Dear friends,

Zimbabwe is on a knife's edge between democracy and chaos. Results still have not been released from the 29 March elections--and fears are rising that Mugabe will resort to violence and fraud to hold on to power. South African president Thabo Mbeki said today that "it's time to wait"--but time has run out.Observers, NGOs, and the opposition have appealed for international support.

To respond, we're launching a new campaign to all Avaaz members throughout Africa. Click below to add your name to a petition calling for the results to be released, verified, and peacefully honored. We will send the petition to Mugabe's government, and to leaders and media organizations throughout Southern Africa and the world: http://www.avaaz.org/en/democracy_for_zimbabwe/1.php?cl=72012816

Every day brings new developments, and the more time passes, the greater the danger grows that the will of Zimbabwe's people will be ignored. The faster we can grow this petition, the more powerfully we can show that the people of Africa and the world are looking to Mugabe to honour the choice of Zimbabweans.In a crisis like this, a petition is just a small step--but it's something all of us can do, to raise our voices and call for what's right. And as history shows, international solidarity can be a powerful thing.

With hope,

Ben, Graziela, Ricken, Galit, Paul, Iain, Pascal, Milena, and Esra'a--the Avaaz.org team

PS: A year ago, in one of the first Avaaz campaigns, we called together for Mugabe and his government to end their brutal attacks on opposition leaders. More than 45,000 people around the world took part. Now, there's a hope for much more substantial change--a new hope for the 12 million Zimbabweans struggling with hyperinflation, starvation, and HIV/AIDS.

Please do sign the petition, and forward this email to friends and family--they can sign at http://www.avaaz.org/en/democracy_for_zimbabwe/1.php?cl=72012816.

ABOUT AVAAZ

Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

Read it Today - Wrap Fish in it Tomorrow

2008-04-08T14:40:00.001+02:00

Would you eat something if it is considered to be:

Important and over-exploited commercial line fish, with stocks in desperate need of recovery.
Or...
If the west coast fishery of the species had collapsed and the east coast fishery of the species is a high line fish by-catch?

Well, I won’t.

So, let me tell you the story, so that you can make up your own minds.

Yesterday I was paging through the Pretoria News when my eye caught the Verve section on page twelve – a Fresh Fish Guide. The recipes were great, but I was concerned because the article said that they were all (Yellowtail, Soldier, Cape Salmon and Sole) Orange Status Fish. So I decided to double check with Sassia, before heading out to the local Rump and Ocean to make a purchase.

The results were disturbing. Although Yellowtail and Soldier were both Green, Cape Salmon and Sole were not only Orange, but also in a very poor state - both in terms of population and threats. In fact, Cape Salmon (aka Geelbek) was: “Important and over-exploited commercial line fish, with stocks in desperate need of recovery” and Sole was: “West coast sole fishery collapsed. East coast sole fishery high line fish by-catch.”

Needless to say, we settled on Yellowtail.

So, I thought that it would be best to let Verve know of the status of Cape Salmon and Sole; to ask them to be careful about what they recommend to their readers in view of Sassia’s conservation efforts; and perhaps to highlight the status of these species in a subsequent edition of Verve.

I sent a polite email to that effect.

In return, I received an equally polite email from Zenaide Jones, the Verve editor at the Star, stating that: “Angela Day chose fish that can be found for sale - quite legally - at fishmongers and restaurants currently. In our opinion, we provided our readers with the information they needed to make a responsible decision. We even urged them to download the Sassi guide.”

In view of the fact that Verve clearly had access to the status of the fish and the wherewithal to contact Sassia, why did they use these particular Orange Status fish regardless? And why do they abdicate the responsibility for the fish they use in their recipes, deftly moving that responsibility to the reader? Methinks this is a cop-out

It gets worse: In the article Verve ALSO printed a description of what Orange status means in general, thereby creating the impression that Orange is okay. Here is the description:

“These species may be legally sold by registered commercial fishers and retailers. However, an increased demand for these species could, for various reasons, compromise a sustainable supply.”

This description is not even remotely similar to the descriptions attached to Cape Salmon and Sole.
Does Verve believe that they are NOT promoting an increased demand for the species by publishing mouth-watering recipes for their entire (HUGE) membership to see?
Is Verve not in the process abetting the compromise of sustainable supply?

Perhaps I am over reacting. But, I did expect Verve to take some sort of ownership of and responsibility for what they feed us, the masses.

Right now, I cannot help but wonder … Does this mean that when they publish a recipe for a home made hair conditioner that it is an At Own Risk situation too. In other words, if you end up bald – don’t bother sharing…

I, for one, don’t like the idea at all! Scary Stuff…

Or is it just me????????

Mugabe: Divide and Conquer Zimbabwe

2008-04-07T12:00:00.004+02:00

Some people thought that I was crazy when I published my Blog: “Zimbabwe: A New Wave of Land Grabs?” yesterday. Quite frankly, even I was starting to doubt the Associated Press information I received…and wondering whether I was not becoming a sensationalist. Fortunately, it appears that I am still quite sane. The reports on land grabs were confirmed by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7333918.stm) just over an hour ago.

As I write this, there are goose bumps on my arms and heaviness in my heart.

Divide and Conquer
Mugabe’ traditional and unfailing modus operandi is to maintain his dominion by dividing the Zimbabwean population. He achieves this division by inciting hate between different races, ethnic groups, cultures and classes through classical means of disinformation. Disinformation is an easy objective for this dictator. He controls the printed and the broadcast media in the country, and does not hesitate to use these to fulfil his personal agenda.

The land grabs and the disinformation about the land grabs are collectively one of the tactics in a carefully constructed overarching strategy to regain his control over the prevailing Zimbabwean situation.

Mugabe’s current land grabbing tactic was executed as follows:
Violence: His militia (Green Bombers) was instructed to oust several white farmers in Masvingo, a province in the south of Zimbabwe. The latest count is the seizure of eight farms.
Misinformation: He then (mis)informed the media via spokesman, Patrick Chinamasa, that Tsvangirai is "unleashing former white farmers on farms occupied by new farmers to reverse the land reform programme". Mugabe was also personally quoted by the state-run Herald newspaper, as saying that: "Land must remain in our hands. The land is ours; it must not be allowed to slip back into the hands of whites. We cannot afford to retreat in the battle for land."

Conquer by Force
Jabulani Sibanda, leader of the War Veteran’s Association (Green Bombers), which has been instrumental in the seizure of white owned farms since before the 2000 presidential elections, alleged on Friday that several farms have already been ‘confiscated’ from black farmers and restored to their previous white owners.

According to Sibanda the new black farmers were told to leave “or else face the wrath of an incoming MDC government’. He also told reporters that: “Those white people trespassing on the small-scale and medium-scale farms should know that it is an invasion of our country. We will defend our sovereignty. We will be compelled to repel that invasion.”

The Outlook
He may be old and he may be a raving lunatic, but Mugabe is both intelligent and cunning. This is exactly why he is such a dangerous man.

I expect pockets of violence to erupt as he orchestrates his latest offensive and executes on his latest strategy. I expect an increase in hate speech, which could see Zimbabweans turning on one another instead on him. I expect ‘Cleaning out the Filth’ operations in MDC strongholds, which will see many people – yet again – tortured, killed and homeless.

I expect all this, unless a miracle happens. Perhaps the miracle will come in the shape of a Zimbabwean High Court ruling favouring the MDC. Perhaps it will come in the form of South African intervention.

But then, perhaps it will never come at all.

Zimbabwe: A New Wave in Land Grabbing?

2008-04-06T17:27:00.008+02:00

Harare, Zimbabwe: An hour ago, Associated Press reported that three white cattle farmers have been ejected from their land in Zimbabwe by some of Mugabe’s war veterans. A fourth farmer is apparently still holding out against some 50 Zanu-PF militants, who are threatening to break through the gates of his farm.

The forced evictions started yesterday and it is feared that it may herald the beginning of a new wave in land grabbing – similar to those faced by the already beleaguered Zimbabwean farmers in 2005.

On Friday, an increased presence of riot police in Harare, Zimbabwe, coupled with the presence of the notorious Green Bombers, confirmed fears that Mugabe was preparing for a war on the people.

In its present state, the outcome of the Zimbabwean presidential elections that took place a week and a day ago, is estimated to substantially favour the MDC opposition. Mugabe is however preventing the release of the results and demanding a recount of the ballots cast. It is clear that he hopes to tweak the outcome to ensure that a presidential run-off takes place.

Considering that Mugabe is adept at committing election fraud, there is no reason to believe that a run-off will not be the end result should the Zimbabwean court rule in his favour. The run-up to the election will probably include violent intimidation of the voting public, and the incidences of land grabbing that is taking place now, could be the first war cries of the latest Mugabean terror campaign.

Zimbabwe: The Deafening Noise of South African Silence

2008-04-06T13:20:00.023+02:00

Comment: How does one transform so much chaos into one harmonious piece of written work? The answer is: You can’t. So, if the blog entry seems a little incoherent, I apologise in advance.

No, enough has not been said about the matter of South Africa’s spineless approach to the travesty of democracy in Zimbabwe and no, not enough is being done about it either, by anybody.

Yesterday, the Belfast Telegraph reported that Gordon Brown’s renewed efforts to convince South African President Thabo Mbeki - who is attending the Progressive Governance Conference in the UK at present - to intervene, is falling on deaf ears and that Mbeki is not prepared to criticise the vampiric Mugabe regime at all. Does this construe an endorsement of this political vampire’s rule on the part of the South African government?

How I hope that this is not the case…

I read an article written by one of the best journalists ever produced by our country: Justice Malala - http://www.thetimes.co.za/Columnists/News/Article.aspx?id=736745. This, together with a special report that appeared in my favourite newspaper, The Mail And Guardian - http://www.mg.co.za/ -, have inspired me to share with you just how loud the Sound of South African Silence on the Zimbabwean crisis really is.

Drinking the Life Blood of the Press
In addition to the one television station, both the Zimbabwean newspapers are state controlled and, to practice journalism, you have to be licensed by the Mugabe regime. This control enables Mugabe to relentlessly portray the likes of Makoni and Tsvangirai as puppets of the West, sell-outs and agents of imperialism. Makoni, who has left Zanu-PF, has been portrayed as a bull frog and a prostitute, both of which are despised in the African cultural context. This control also enables Mugabe to prevent any hint at positive press for the opposition.

The fate of journalists who do not toe the line, is imprisonment - at best. Here are three examples of how Mugabe deals with journalists:

1) 2007: Edward Chikombo, who was a part-time cameraman for the state broadcaster ZBC, was murdered after releasing pictures of Tsivangirai - after he was beaten within millimetres of death by Mugabe’s henchmen - to the international media.
2) 2007: Around the same time, Gift Phiri, a senior reporter for the exiled The Zimbabwean newspaper, was detained and tortured by police. He was beaten with a baseball bat, a metal handle and a police baton.
3) 1999: Mark Chavunduka, 34, editor of the independent Standard newspaper, and reporter Ray Choto, 37, were detained and tortured by military police after they reported the arrest of 23 soldiers over an alleged coup plot during December that year.

Foreign journalists are not welcomed and many have been detained and deported over the past ten years. During the recent elections, the presence of journalists from CNN, Sky etc., was expressly forbidden.

What was the South African Government’s response? SILENCE

Drinking the Life Blood of Free and Fair Elections
In the 2008 elections no observers were allowed from anywhere in the world except for those from the SADC. As was the case in the previous elections, observers were intimidated and beaten up – even though it neither as severe nor as well reported on this time round. SADC once again endorsed elections that the rest of the world declared rigged, free and fair - a travesty of democracy:

To give you an idea: More than 75,000 members of the security forces were allowed to vote before the election date without observers present and on election day, voters were (kindly) assisted by Mugabean police:

1) The same police, who for the past ten years, have put a stop to any kind of democratic activity by the opposition or civil society
2) The same police who were instrumental in “Operation Murambatsvina”, which destroyed the homes and lives of more than 700,000 Zimbabweans.
3) The same police beat opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to within an inch of his life at the end of March 2007.

What was the South African Government’s response? SILENCE

Drinking the Life Blood of Innocent People
The Green Bombers are being mobilized in Zimbabwe again and were spotted marching through the streets of Harare last Friday.

This murdering Zimbabwean squad was responsible for:
1) The massacres in Matabeleland during 2000;
2) House-to-house raids, harassing and beating opposition supporters during the run up to the previous elections
3) The arrest and torture of opposition activists during 2002, by using water torture, electric shocks and sadistic beatings. The reason for the onslaught was Mugabe losing a 2000 referendum on the constitution. In 2005, several activists were killed or disappeared, and white farmers were terrorized and chased from their land.
4) Shortly after the parliamentary elections of 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Murambatsvina, or "Clean Away the Filth," which left about 700,000 people from urban opposition strongholds uprooted.
5) Then, last year, Tsvangirai and more than 100 activists were rounded up and beaten. This violence is typical of the violence that preceded the 2005 election: a brutal clean-up before the poll, followed by relative peace during the election - while African observers are present.

What was the South African Government’s response? SILENCE

Drinking the Life Blood of the Economy
You cannot call a country where the thieving ruler has his left hand in the cash register and his right hand in every cookie jar, an economy. The country has a 100,000% inflation, bare shelves, no fuel most of the time and an unemployment rate of 80%. The population is, by and large, starving. It is estimated that no less than 4,000,000 have sought refuge in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia.

What is the South African Government’s response? SILENCE

The Silencing of the Lambs
1) Nelson Mandela, our much loved and iconic former president, criticised leaders who hung on to power at the expense of their people (i.e. Mugabe). He was told by Mbeki to shut up.
2) Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a winner of the Nobel Peace Price, was maligned by the two M-s, Mbeki and Mugabe, when he dared to criticise the inhumanity of the goings-on in Zimbabwe.
3) When the gentle Father Paul Verryn gave refuge to hundreds of Zimbabweans, his Johannesburg church was raided by the South African Police who arrested refugee children as young as five months old.

So, what was the South African Government's response? BE SILENT

To conclude
Zimbabwe, under the regime of Mugabe, is a study of villainy – evil in its purest form: There is a Dracula on the loose and no Van Helsing to put the stake in its heart.

Zimbabwe: The Showdown Has Begun

2008-04-04T09:39:00.007+02:00

It is not even two hours after I told you that Zimbabwe might be an option for investment from a property perspective, should Tsvangirai manage to oust the despotic, murdering Mugabe regime. Now it appears that this particular prospect may well be a pipe dream.

I suppose that only the naive could believe that the Zimbabwean president would heed the outcome of any election that he could not substantially rig in his favour. From news articles released (read: Mugabe begins Zim crackdown at http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_2299749,00.html), it appears that this time is not an exception:

1) Tsvangirai's proposed meeting with the current regime generals to reassure them of his honourable intentions under an MDC rule, were cancelled by the generals after being ordered to do so by Mugabe.
2) Mugabe sent his terror-inspiring Special Forces (CIO) and Police to raid the Meikles Hotel in Harare where the MDC had their temporary election offices. According to MDC officials, Tsvangirai is safe.
3) Mugabe declared that a presidential run-off ballot will, if necessary, take place within 90, instead of within the constitutional 21 days. Reliable sources on the ground seem to think that this delay will enable Mugabe to regroup his militia.
4) Foreign and local Journalists were arrested on pseudo-charges of practicing journalism sans licenses.

Where is this going to? For a great many years the rest of the world (and that includes South Africa), has stood by passively, watching how Zimbabwean citizens were being left to starve, and wilfully murdered by somebody who makes even some of the most notorious tyrannical rulers of the past, seem like saints. South Africa, I am afraid, bears the brunt of the guilt. Our president, Thabo Mbeki, has welcomed this political murderer and criminal into our country as a guest on many occasions, instead of censuring his actions as he should have.

The average South African has felt the impact of the influx of Zimbabweans into our country. There are not only a great many of these who come in seeking employment at the expense of the local population, but also a large amount of absconded Zimbabwean militia who come here to rob, rape and murder - something that is felt by everybody, from paupers to princes.

Perhaps, President Mbeki, you will come to your senses now and take the responsibility demanded from the leader of the strongest Southern African country.

Perhaps even, some other world powers will take pity on the people of Zimbabwe and step in to lend the support they so desperately need.

But then, perhaps not.

Like many other South Africans, my heart, my sympathy and my prayers are with you, the Zimbabwean people, right now.