Roy Bennet's trial postponed again

MUTARE- The trial of Roy Bennett, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Agriculture
Designate, has been postponed to 9 November this year at the High
Court in this eastern border city.
The new trial date was reached after both the State and the defence
team consented.
The defence, led by Beatrice Mtetwa, a Harare-based lawyer, complained
they had not been furnished with the necessary papers and other
materials for them to adequately prepare for the trial.
Mtetwa also challenged Bennett’s indictment saying the State had not
followed the proper procedures. She said written statements from some
key State witnesses were not eligible.
Johannes Tomana, the Attorney General, said the State will furnish
Mtetwa and his team with all the required papers by the end of the day
(Monday).
The State will also furnish Bennett’s lawyers with video footage which
will be used as evidence.
Tomana told High Court judge, Justice Joseph Musakwa, sitting with
assessors, Jivas Chidawanyika and David Magorokosho, that the case
should be finalized because it had far-reaching consequences for the
government of Zimbabwe.
He said the matter had divided the government of Zimbabwe and was
threatening the stability of the country. Tomana said the government
wants the matter to be finalized as soon as possible.
“Its importance has a direct bearing on the stability of the
country,” Tomana said in court. “The government, through JOMIC, wants
this case finalized.”
JOMIC was set up to supervise the performance of the unity government,
formed in February this year after a disputed election.
Bennett faces charges of possessing arms for the purposes of
terrorism, sabotage, banditry and insurgency. If convicted he faces a
possible life sentence.
Bennett told journalists outside the court that he has lost everything
that he has worked for his entire life because of the court case.
“I have been victimized from day one,” he said. “I have been in and
out of prison so many times. The sooner this is over the better.”

Kenyan national arrested in Mutare

MUTARE – Zimbabwean police have arrested a Kenyan environmental activist accusing him of making undesirable political statements during a workshop organized by the Zimbabwe Environmental Association (ZELA).

The Kenyan, identified by other participants at the three-day workshop as Patrick Ochieng, was being held at the Mutare Central Police Station last night (as at 6pm). The participants say he is from an organization called Ujamaa Centre based in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

Although details were sketchy at the time of writing human rights lawyers attending to his case Trust Maanda and Blessing Nyamaropa confirmed the arrest.

They said police have not yet preferred any criminal charges against him as yet but had indicated he has a case to answer.

“Police are holding him for an alleged statement which they say he said during a workshop organized by the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association,” Nyamaropa said. “We do not know as yet the statements he is alleged to have said.”

The workshop is being attended by legislators and environmental conversation from across the country.

Some of the participants are drawn from African countries. The workshop started on Monday and was expected to end on Thursday.

Sources at the workshop said Ochieng made a contribution during discussions on how countries should exploit mineral resources without doing harm to the environment.

He is said to have castigated unorthodox ways being used to exploit diamond resources in Chiadzwa by the Zimbabwean government.

Zimbabwe has come under international condemnation over the exploitation of diamonds from Chiadzwa, west of Mutare. Although much of the condemnation has been the violation of human rights by security forces and soldiers manning the diamond fields the government has also been widely criticized for primitive mining methods being used by the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ).

Lawyer warns journalists not to use hate laungage

MUTARE – A senior human rights lawyer has warned Zimbabwean journalists that they risk facing criminal prosecution under international law if they propagate hate language and support violation of human rights.
Tinoziva Bere, a Mutare – based lawyer, told journalists attending an elections reporting workshop held in this eastern border city that journalists who support violations of human rights and the murder of citizens should not only be prepared to face sanctions but should face criminal prosecution under international law.
“Any journalist who supports violations of human rights and the murder of citizens should not only face sanctions from the United States but should face criminal prosecution,” Bere said.
He was responding to a question on whether it was appropriate for the United States to slap travel sanctions on journalists.
Some Zimbabwean journalists from the government-controlled media have been put on travel sanctions along with President Mugabe and his top lieutenants in Zanu PF for not respecting human rights.
Some of the affected journalists include Pilkirayi Deketeke, Ceazer Zvayi, Munyaradzi Huni all from Zimpapers and Rueben Barwe and Judith Makwanya from the public broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. The journalists are accused of complicity in the violations of human rights in Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe and his Zanu PF party have been accused of violating human rights since 2000 when a serious political challenge to unseat the 85-year old former guerilla leader was mounted by the MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai is now Prime Minister under a political settlement reached at so as to ease mounting tensions caused by a flawed presidential run – off held on June 27 last year.
Human rights campaigners estimate about 100 MDC activists and sympathizers were murdered in cold blood during the campaign but such horrendous acts were never exposed in the State controlled media. Instead, newspapers under the Zimpapers stable and the ZBC sought to cover up the violent acts.
Bere said journalists should instead take a leading role in defending the rights of citizens instead of supporting and covering up acts of violence and violations of human rights.
Journalists and media executives from the central African country of Rwanda are serving lengthy jail terms after they were convicted by an international tribunal trying genocide suspects in Arusha, Tanzania.
The journalists and media owners were accused of using their newspapers and radio stations to fan the genocide that saw close to a million Rwandans from the Tutsi ethnic group being slaughtered between April and July of 1994 in Rwanda.

Biti says Mugabe now too old to continue ruling

MUTARE - Tendai Biti, Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister and a top MDC official says President Mugabe has now become too old to continue ruling the country in an effective manner.
Biti, the MDC secretary general, told about four hundred people at Dangamvura Grounds, that Zimbabwe now urgently needed younger politicians like Morgan Tsvangirai to effectively tackle the problems facing the country.
Tsvangirai, the MDC leader, is the country’s Prime Minister under the inclusive government negotiated to end a political stalemate caused by a flawed presidential run off held last year on June 27.
“The major problem is that our country is being led by very elderly people,” Biti said amid applause. “We now need wheelchairs in Cabinet because a lot of too old.”
He was speaking during election victory celebrations held by Giles Mutsekwa, the MP for Dangamvura-Chikanga constituency. Mutsekwa is the home affairs minister together with Kembo Mohadi of Zanu PF.
Biti said it was disappointing when leaders hang on to power despite their very advanced ages. He said if civil servants were forced to retire when they reach 60 years it was imperative for political leaders to also emulate that.
He said President Mugabe and his geriatric lieutenants should move now move aside because of old age and allow Tsvangirai, who is relatively younger and raring to go, to take over.
“Chipai Save wachirikutemwa dzinobuda ropa kuti watonge,” he said, meaning to say: “Give Save a chance who still has the energy to take over.” Tsvangirai is commonly referred to as Save, his totem, in MDC circles.
President Mugabe, now 85, still wants to cling on to power after enjoying close to a decade of unfettered rule which has culminated in the collapse of a country once marveled as the breadbasket of southern Africa.
Biti said it was disheartening when leaders die whilst in office instead of retiring and resting from the hectic political offices.
This was seen as a veiled reference to Joseph Msika, the country’s vice president, who died last week at the age of 87.
Biti said Tsvangirai can not effectively solve the country’s problems as long as “they are two drivers on the stirring wheel”.
Biti said the MDC entered into the power sharing deal with its sworn political nemesis so as to extricate the country from a 10-year unprecedented economic and political crisis.
Biti said the MDC was committed to have a liberalized media in Zimbabwe and bring international news organizations such as CNN, BBC and Sky News into the country.
He said they were also committed to ensure the country goes through a proper national healing process to unite the people divided for almost a decade because of the political rivarly between the two major political parties.
Biti attacked the country’s justice system saying it was being selectively applied to victimize MDC legislators.
He queried why eight MDC Members of Parliament have been arrested and promptly convicted of various criminal offences when at the same time no Zanu PF MP was facing the same treatment.
“The justice system has become effective when it comes to convicting MDC MPs but Joseph Mwale is a free man,” he said.
Joseph Mwale, the reclusive Central Intelligence Organisation operative, continue to be a free man despite calls by the High Court to have him arrested for the gruesome murder of two MDC activists, Talent Mabika and Tichaona Chiminya at Murambinda Growth Point, Buhera in 2000.

Soldiers desert ZNA

NYANGA – UP to 500 soldiers from the Zimbabwe Defences Forces (ZDF) deserted the army during the past few years, a senior army officer has revealed.
Major General Martin Chedondo, the army’s Chief of Staff, made the revelation when officiating at a graduation ceremony for 60 soldiers who had successfully completed six months training programme on Group Company Commanders Course and Platoon Commanders’ Course.
The ceremony was held at the All Arms Battle School in Nyanga.
While addressing the grandaunts, Major General Chedondo said the 500 soldiers who deserted the army were “cowards” who had failed to “withstand the heat”.
However, army sources said Major General Chedondo was being conservative with the figures suggesting the number of deserters could be much higher.
“We have between 400 and 500 members of the force who were coward enough to have deserted the army because of the difficult conditions,” Major General Chedondo said.
He said those who deserted did so at time when the country was facing serious challenges ad needed them most.
But Major General Chedondo said they have now managed to wither the storm and all was now well in the army. “Those who celebrated that the Defence Forces were now torn apart should try it and see,” he said.
The senior military man said the difficulties had been caused by “illegal sanctions” imposed by the Western World.
Zimbabwe has faced serious economic and political which observers and analysts blame on skewed policies by President Mugabe’s Zanu PF political party, which enjoyed 28-years of unfettered rule. But President Mugabe and his lieutenants blame the problems on Western countries which they say wanted to effect a regime change in Zimbabwe.
During the past turbulent eight years millions of Zimbabwean’s, both skilled and unskilled, fled the country to seek a better life in the Diaspora.
Soldiers also deserted the army and fled out of the country’s borders. Many of them joined the British military while others were scattered in neighboring countries prompting the Zanu PF government to claim they had been recruited by the MDC, then in opposition, to invade the country with the help of countries such as Botswana.
The claims were shot down by both the MDC and the Batswana government.
The two rival political parties are now in a coalition government.
Major General Chedondo, meanwhile, told the graduants in Nyanga that the inclusive government should be supported for the country to move forward.
He said the leaders should always remember the country was freed from colonial rule by the blood of thousands of young Zimbabweans and should therefore not allow anybody to reverse the “gains” of independence.

Obituary

CHARLES Fungayi Pemhenayi was laid to rest at the Manicaland Provincial Heroes’ Acre on Tuesday. Weeks earlier he was part to a group of war veterans who embarked on a clean up exercise of the provincial heroes’ shrine as if he knew this was to be his final resting place.
During the clean up exercise of the heroes’ shrines Pemhenayi said it was important to always maintain the shrine because the heroes lying there were an integral part of Zimbabwe’s history which should always be cherished and celebrated.
Befitting a heroes’ send off thousands of people from all corners of the country and from different persuasions thronged the provincial shrine to pay their last respect to a man whose passion was to see the economic development of Zimbabwe.
Pemhenayi was tragically taken in a car accident last Friday five kilometers along the Troutbeck Nyanga road at a prime age of 48.
Pemhenayi was the MP for Mutare North. Admirers and foes alike agree Pemhenayi was endowed with an array of talents. He was a duke of all trades.
He played junior football with the likes of the late great players such as Joel Shambo and Stanley Ndunduma in Mufakose in Harare. Had he pursued a carrier in football Pemhenayi could easily have become a powerhouse in the sporting discipline but he chose to pursue academic studies. His first born child, Batsirayi is also a talented footballer. He is a utility player but like Father like Son Batsirayi has opted to pursue other interests at the expense of football.
Pemhenayi trained as a journalist but again did not pursue the profession. This explains his passion for journalism. He was an active member of the Mutare Press Club where he initiated debates on thorny issues affecting Mutare and Zimbabwe at large.
His presentations at the Press Club became popular not only with journalists but also with fellow politicians from Zanu PF and other political formations, business people, students, civic society and ordinary Zimbabweans.
He was frank and honest in his assessment of issues at hand. As a result Pemehanyi became a permanent feature at important media forums such as the World Press Freedom Day and media advocacy activities. He was an advocate of a free press and was working hard to ensure Mutare has its own community radio station.
During Press Club debates he would always castigate journalists whose works lacked depth and incisiveness. In the same vein, Pemhenayi was also critical of politicians and community leaders who loved to dominate news pages and radio and television news bulletins while their messages were bereft of substance.
“Journalists should resist individuals, irrespective of their status, who enjoy unfettered coverage when thy do not have any meaningful messages to the people,” Pemhenayi could always say.
Pemhenayi was a lecturer in marketing, sales and public relations. He was popular with students because of his lively presentations during lectures.
Some of his former students include Eddie Dube, now a prominent entrepreneur, Moses Maunze, a manager at the Rainbow Cinemas and Chengetai Murimwa, a senior journalist based in Mutare.
Dube once told me he derived a lot of inspiration from Pemhenayi’s lectures. Dube now runs a chain of companies and has asserted himselves as a captain of industry and commerce in Mutare.
“We enjoyed Pemhenayi’s lectures,” Dube said during a social gathering last year. “I drew a lot of inspiration from him.”
Pemhenayi also had his tentacles in farming - becoming one of the leading tobacco farmers in Manicaland within the five years he moved into Have Farm in the Odzi basin.
His exceptional farming skills gave credit to the land reform programme which was largely vilified by the Western World.
Pemhenayi was an excellent communicator. He vowed students at colleges around Mutare during motivational speaking sessions. During one of his motivational speaking sessions at Mutare Teachers’ College, Pemhenayi stole the hearts of hundreds of students in the lecturer theatre. His main message was that they should never give up hope in the face of economic, political and social challenges. His emphasis was to remain positive and hopeful.
Perhaps his major strength was to be able to communicate and interact with people from different persuasions from Cabinet Ministers, business executives, students, peasants and disadvantaged people in the communities.
He was involved in charity work. In 2006 he launched an education fund which paid school fees for orphaned children at Chikanga Primary School.
Then he said: “I grew up as an orphan so I understand the problems that orphaned children go through in their daily lives.”
His parents died in a car crash when he was still a raw teenage boy. In Dangamvura and Sakubva, Pemhenayi also assisted poor and disadvantaged families.
Pemhenayi was also endowed with entrepreneurial skills. He was managing director of several companies. Of note is labour broking concern, Clive Bruce and Charles, which employed several hundreds of people, especially youths.
During his days as a councilor for Ward 10 Pemhenayi distinguished himself as a dedicated city father with in-depth inputs during council debates.
“Every time he raised his hand to contribute during council debates you were sure to hear substance from him,” said Lovemore Chitima, the council’s deputy housing and community services director. During these days Chitima was a committee officer whose tasks also included recording minutes during council debates.
During the March 2008 harmonized elections Pemhenayi preached the word of peace and togetherness. He discouraged violence in Mutare North. At one of his campaign meetings in Nyamajura he told Zanu PF supporters that anybody who used violence as a campaign tool should not be part of his campaign team.
“I do not want anybody to spoil my victory by using violence as a campaign tool,” he told about 2000 cheering supporters. “I want a clean victory.”
There were minimal incidents of violence in Mutare North. He proceeded to win the constituency.
To many especially his colleagues in Zanu PF his victory appeared easy but contrary to that somewhat misplaced belief Pemhenayi worked round the clock to achieve victory.
“Pemhenayi made things look very easy because he had his own unique way of doing things,” one senior Zanu PF politician told me during his burial on Tuesday. “But what appeared so easy could be very difficult to achieve.”
In the constituency he initiated several projects that were benefitting small holder tobacco farmers.
After the June 27 presidential run-off Pemhenayi was one of the first politicians to suggest the need for the need for a poltical settlement between Zanu PF and the two MDC poltical parties.
To drive his point home Pemhenayi wrote a series of articles which were published in the Financial Gazette encouraging Zimbabwe’s poltical leaders to find common ground for the benefit of the nation. His aspirations were realized when President Mugabe and the leaders of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai and Authur Mutambara signed the Global Political Agreement that ushered in a government of national unity.
Pemhenayi was an avid fan of Chimurenga music guru, Thomas Mapfumo and Dynamos Football Club. But he had a soft spot for Jazz and blues.
He served on several boards and also led industrial bodies such as Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe.
In Parliament he was a member of the media, information and technologies portifolio committee. He met his untimely death when his poltical carrier was bossoloming.
During his funeral wake speaker after speaker described Pemhenayi as a affable person whose motivation was to improve the socio-economic status of Mutare and Zimbabwe at large.
He lives behind a young family - his wife, Bridgette and four children. His burning desire was to see his first born child, Batsirayi become an entrepreneur. He always spoke of his strong wish to see her daughter Nangisayi succeed in her studies at Africa University and help him run the farm and his business activities.
Sadily he never lived to see his dreams come true. But he can get solace in that both Batsirayi and Nangisayi have vowed never to let their father down.
Batsirayi’s declaration at the heroes’ shrine that , at the appropriate time, he will fulfill his father’s aspirations of developing Mutare North were touching just as the passionate promise by Nangisayi that she would thrive to succeed in her studies and take charge at Have Farm. We wish them success. In Pemhenayi, the people of Mutare and Zimbabwe have lost a true hero in every respect.
Chirandu, we will always remember you. Rest in eternal peace.

Diamond trade on the increase

MUTARE – The illicit trade in diamonds has surged dramatically in this eastern border city amid reports top police officers and soldiers have formed syndicates with wealthy foreign buyers and illegal miners to smuggle the precious gems from Chiadzwa in Marange.
The illegal practice had stopped about six months ago after the army launched a brutal campaign to flush out illegal miners and traders from the diamond rich area.
But illegal miners and foreign buyers have once again found their way back to Chiadzwa and are operating at full throttle with complete impunity – courtesy of the syndicates they have formed with senior army personnel and police officers.
Police sources this week revealed foreign buyers were enjoying the protection of named top police officers based at the Mutare Central Police station. The sources gave the names of the officers to this newspaper.
The foreign buyers are said to be from countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the West African states of Guinea and Nigeria, Lebanon and Israel.
“These foreigners are enjoying unfettered access to Chiadzwa because they enjoy maximum protection from senior police officers and some in the army,” said a junior police officer based at Mutare Central Police Station.
The emergence of the notorious syndicates involving the top officers from the police, army and rich foreigners come as the government is raising concern over the increased smuggling of precious gems from Chiadzwa.
Daring dealers from Mutare and Harare are also part of the cartels that have emerged over the past month, said police sources.
Giles Mutsekwa, co-Minister of Home Affairs in the inclusive government, at the weekend promised to take action to stop the illegal mining and smuggling of diamonds from Chiadzwa.
He said he would soon consult his co-Minister, Kembo Mohadi on the course of action to take.
Police officers who declined to be named said so powerful have become the foreign buyers such that they can use the police to solve personal issues or matters arising from their illegal dealings.
The sources said a foreign buyer from the DRC has enlisted the services of top police officers in Mutare and Harare to trek down a woman from this eastern border city who is alleged to have disappeared with about US$30 000 belonging to the Congolese.
The sources said the woman disappeared with the cash two months ago after a dispute over payment of commission she was due to receive from the Congolese buyer. The Congolese dealer is now based in Mutare trading in diamonds while also pursuing this woman believed to be in her early 30s. She is believed to have skipped the border into South Africa.
The transaction that turned sour was done in Manica Town of Mozambique.
The sources said it was surprising how senior police officers would seek to arrest the woman and take her to Mozambique because the transaction was not done on Zimbabwean soil. Mozambican police have not made any requests to have the woman arrested and taken to Mozambique.
“What is clear here is that this so called criminal offence committed in Mozambique but what is now surprising if not shocking is that our seniors here are busy pursuing the case,” said one police source.
“Instead they should be asking this Congolese guy what kind of business he is conducting here in Zimbabwe.”