AfricanCrisis

I begin this morning with a report of some serious violence - violence which parallels the brutal murder of the MDC councillor that I posted yesterday...

"A housewife described as a "nice old lady" was beaten to death and her husband left in critical condition after an "extremely violent" attack highlighted

Zimbabwe

’s decline into lawlessness.

Mary Austen, a 74-year-old Briton, was murdered on her farm near Kwekwe, in the centre of the country, and her body discovered two days later. By then her husband, Neville a 77-year-old Zimbabwean, could not move or speak.

Brutal as it was, Austen’s death was a mere footnote in a country where lawlessness, hunger, disease and economic collapse define daily life. Police found furniture strewn all over the house after a struggle between the Austens and their attackers. She died from numerous head injuries.

A neighbour, who knew her well, described the attack as "really brutal - she was absolutely bludgeoned to death. She was a nice old lady who grew vegetables and maize for domestic consumption on a small farm."

This is the real story of Mugabe's Zimbabwe. These are the victims of the political hatred that he has encouraged.

How can anyone - politically motivated on not - attack and kill a 74 year old woman - be she black, white, coloured or indifferent? What did the attackers really think that they would achieve? What was their true goal?

Robbery? Oppression? Murder?

"It has shocked the tiny band of white farmers who see the Austens as the latest victims of Robert Mugabe’s campaign to hand their farms to his cronies. The news came as the regime faced a severe rebuke from a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) tribunal, a body with powers greater than those of the local courts.

The tribunal ruled on Friday that the government had racially discriminated against Michael Campbell, a white Zimbabwean farmer, denied him legal redress and prevented him from defending his farm.

John Worsley-Worswick, of the Justice for Agriculture group, said that the killing of Austen, which was sparked by a dispute with domestic staff, was a sign of the hopelessness in rural areas."

In Mugabe's Zimbabwe, the answer to any resistance to his rulings, rightly or wrongly, is violence. I would think by now that the country has had enough of it.

The Austen's farm will, no doubt, be given to one of Mugabe's loyalists where it will remain, unworked, fallow and wasted.

"The extreme violence of the attack is something we wouldn’t have seen a few years ago. It’s a reflection of the desperation of ordinary Zimbabweans who can no longer secure food or basic medical attention," he said.

"Zimbabwe

, say the farmers, is becoming a "Wild West" state in which hunger and ill-health are rife. In the current epidemic of cholera 9,000 cases have been reported by the United Nations.

Law enforcement is breaking down as police attempt to seize their share of the spoils. In Mutare police units seeking to control the diamond extraction business have fought gun battles, which have left more than a dozen dead in the past week."

A situation that cannot be left to resolve itself. And Mugabe will leave the situation to fester and boil... In my mind, Mugabe is as guilty as those who beat Austen to death.

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Mugabe has decided that the way to handle the soldiers running amok, is to lock them up, instead of addressing the money problem. It's cheaper and easier.

"President Robert Mugabe's regime has begun locking up member of his armed forces amid fear that anger over low pay could spark a revolt by the army.

Restrictions on the amount of cash that can be withdrawn from the country's banks amid an economic crisis and hyperinflation mean that soldiers, like the rest of the population, can only take out the equivalent of 50 pence a day - enough to buy a single banana.

Fourteen soldiers were arrested this week after scores went on the rampage in the capital Harare and the middle class suburb of Braeside, attacking foreign currency dealers with batons."

Typical Mugabe - treat the symptom, not the cause.

"The soldiers had earlier swarmed into a city centre bank demanding more than the allocated maximum withdrawal but neither it nor any commercial banks, including

Britain

's Standard Chartered and Barclays, have enough cash to placate the daily queues outside.

The soldiers had been expecting to pick up an ex gratia payment of Z$10 million (£4) from the department of defence, but the central bank could only pay half that sum, and only to soldiers from one barracks - the King George VI. The mood soon turned ugly.

"They went mad and started beating people up all over the place," said a foreign exchange dealer.

Military police and Mr Mugabe's riot squads were deployed to quell the unrest and make arrests. Later many bars and night-clubs in the city were closed."

And Mugabe will blame the West for this. It's all their fault, he will say - they are attempting to effect regime change, he will rant.

"Well-placed sources inside the army told The Sunday Telegraph that the bulk of

Zimbabwe

's soldiers from captain and below - the vast majority of the 30,000-strong force - are now "extremely dissatisfied, hungry and sick of Mugabe".

The dissatisfaction in the ranks will only add to the multiplying crises - from impending starvation in swathes of the country to a cholera epidemic that has killed at least 400 people this month - that is facing both Mr Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader who is due to become prime minister after tortuous negotiations over a power-sharing government.

Zimbabwe

worthless currency which has had 13 noughts chopped off in 30 months. Nevertheless Mr Mugabe's ZANU PF government has ensured that key figured in his security forces have escaped the hardship the majority endure."

So when the financial situation bubbles over, Mugabe locks up those who react - because it's easier than addressing the problem. Mind you, the majority of Zimbabwe's wealth has disappeared into the personal coffers of Mugabe and his senior lieutenants.

"As an insurance policy that is now being tested to the full, he has made sure that sections of the presidential guard and the military police are paid without fail, while the elite of his military have benefited from gifts of confiscated white-owned land since 2000, so far remaining loyal and trusted guardians of armouries at all of Zimbabwe's 41 military bases.

"The riot police get bonuses every time they go and beat people up," said a police source."

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It never ceases to amaze me that Mugabe will blame the West for everything negative that happens in Zimbabwe. The latest of his administration's allegations is that the cholera epidemic in that country has been deliberately started by powers from across the Western world, and not the fault of Mugabe's.

"The Zimbabwean capital of Harare wants to offer free graves and coffins to cholera victims as the country battles an outbreak which has claimed more than 400 lives, a spokesman said Saturday.

Lesley Gwindi, spokesman for the Harare city council, said the decision was taken during a meeting held earlier in the week.

"Council resolved that graves be allocated to the (cholera) victims," Gwindi told AFP.

"It has also been suggested that as mitigation measures those who die of cholera be also allocated coffins."

And I suppose that Mugabe will expect the population to be thankful for coffins and graves.

But this is just the regime dealing with a consequence rather than dealing with the cause. And the cause is that Mugabe's rule has failed to sustain the population with clean drinking water, clean streets or adequate food.

No - this, according to Mugabe, is the doing of the Western world.

"A grave costs between 25 to 30 dollars (20 to 24 euros), yet locals are only allowed to withdraw 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars per day (0.50 US cents) as the country deals with runaway inflation.

A total of 9,908 cases have been recorded in the impoverished southern African country, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, raising an earlier toll of 389 dead out of 9,463 affected.

The death toll was 412, it said on Friday.

Cholera is now hitting the whole of eastern

Zimbabwe

and spreading, aid agencies have warned."

And Mugabe will stay clear of the affected areas, preferring to 'deal' with the problem from afar. A man sadly disconnected with the needs of the people.

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Entering into any 'agreement' with Mugabe must be done very gingerly. I trust that the MDC has looked at every eventuality in the cold light of day, and not through exhausted eyes.

"MDC-T and ZANU PF negotiating parties only agreed to a Constitutional Amendment (No 19) Bill last week after both made concessions, it emerged yesterday.

Sources told The Standard the parties could have reached yet another deadlock, had they failed to concede ground.

The two parties went to SA determined to ensure the Amendment Bill would guarantee them a stronger position in the inclusive government.

The Bill, expected to be gazetted shortly, could be passed by Parliament early next year.

Sources said ZANU PF negotiators last week brought to the table their own draft amendment containing a clause that would have allowed President Robert Mugabe to dissolve the unity government without giving reasons.

The clause, which alarmed the MDC formations, could have strengthened Mugabe’s position in the inclusive agreement: giving him carte blanche to dissolve Cabinet and thereby destroying the Global Political Agreement, which has been fiercely resisted by some members of his inner circle."

Allowing Mugabe power like this would mean that the establishment of a power-sharing government could be negated at the stroke of a pen. I believe that Mugabe will still attempt to achieve just that, using his other powers, and I can only hope that the MDC are aware of this and take steps to avoid his approaches.

"On the other hand, the MDC-T team also had a surprise for Mugabe’s negotiators.

The formation wanted the Amendment Bill not to carry any provision, which recognised Mugabe as head of government, sources said.

The MDC has in the past refused to sign the agreement with ZANU PF, worried about Mugabe’s excessive powers.

Sources said haggling over these proposed amendments threatened the talks which were also clouded by acrimonious exchanges between the facilitator Thabo Mbeki and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai."

It would appear that both sides have agreed to back down and, as a direct consequence, the beginnings of a 'settlement' are seen - but only if both sides stand by their word.

"Under the Amendment Bill chiefs will now be required to be neutral and not engage in partisan politics. In the past elections, the traditional leaders have assumed the roles of ZANU PF commissars in their areas.

The Amendment Bill also broadens the manner in which people can obtain Zimbabwean citizenship. This could be through birth, by descent or by registration.

The Citizens and Immigration Board would be established to determine the granting and revoking of Zimbabwean citizenship. In the past ZANU PF has been accused of denying citizenship to people suspected of being against it."

I ask one simple question... will persons born in Zimbabwe prior to independence in 1980, be recognised as Zimbabweans? I only ask because I know of numerous people - black and white - who were born in what was Rhodesia, and they are classed as 'aliens' on their identity cards.

I was born in the UK, but moved with my family to Rhodesia in 1964 - and my national identity card classes me as a 'citizen'...

Go figure.

"Reached for a comment yesterday, Nelson Chamisa, the spokesperson of the MDC-T formation, said they were satisfied the Amendment Bill captured the essence of the power-sharing agreement. He however warned that the Bill alone would not solve the problem unless outstanding issues were resolved. Among these is the equity in the distribution of ministries and the role and composition of the National Security Council. The MDC national council is expected to discuss the Bill later this week and decide whether or not to adopt it."

-o00o-

Take care.

'debvhu

"Zimbabwe Today" by Robb WJ Ellis (30-11-2008)