Zimbabwe: after elections, a painful reality sets in - by Justice Sibanda

As Zanu-PF will attest to, rigging an election is the easy part, the hard part is governing, running the economy and ensuring the welfare of the people. On this our Government has fallen short on. It is clear policies before the elections were helping economic recovery as real GDP growth accelerated to a peak of 9% in 2010. The humanitarian situation and provision of social services had improved. Since the election the economic recovery has stalled and the humanitarian situation and provision of social services has deteriorated. There are widespread reports of children fainting at school due to hunger and increased instances of deaths due to malnutrition. Corruption and crime continue to increase unabated. 

Reminiscent of the period from 2002 to early 2009 when Zimbabwe went through an acute economic crisis, winding queues have resurfaced as banks find it difficult to cope with clients due to low liquidity. The 2013 Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) rural livelihoods report, which estimates food insecurity levels, predicts that 2.2 million Zimbabweans will be unable to access sufficient food during the peak hunger period, January – March 2014. This is the highest level of food insecurity since 2009.

Worryingly independent surveys carried out by two civil society organisations, the Zimbabwe Peace Project and the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, reveal partisan distribution of food relief in Matabeleland North and South, the Midlands, some parts of Masvingo and Manicaland. Both reports chronicle incidents of a political nature in the affected areas, where officials are allegedly demanding party cards before food is distributed. Those perceived not to have voted for Zanu-PF are being punished by being denied aid, said the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition report.

Justice Melusi Sibanda 
Organising Secretary – ROHR Zimbabwe/Bradford Branch

Zimbabwe: An anticipated economic train wreck - By Melusi Sibanda

Let’s face the facts we are headed towards another economic disaster. It is unavoidable as the ZANU PF government have no clue on micro-economic issues. It’s been 3 months since they ‘won’ the election and unemployment is back at 90% meaning the job market is basically non-existent. Yet again innocent hardworking Zimbabweans find themselves starring in to another ZANU PF abyss.

Industry is in full decline at an ever increasing rate particularly in Bulawayo were lay-offs are as common as potholes in the streets. Productivity has taken a nose dive and the Reserve Bank is powerless to provide a much needed financial stimulus. They have no resources to kick start the economy with US style quantitative easing. The banks are running out of money...

There are rumours of billion dollar loans from our ‘good old’ friends the Chinese however I wouldn’t hold my breath on that, besides, what would they be receiving in return – our children’s children’s resources. Will the common man ever see this money if it does come through?

So to put it mildly – we are screwed!

Thanks again ZANU PF

Melusi Sibanda – Information & Publicity Secretary ROHRZIM Bradford Branch

Zimbabwe Government Mismanagement, Corruption Risks Lives of Millions by Justice Sibanda

http://www.hrw.org/node/120594

 The water and sanitation crisis in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, places millions of residents at risk of waterborne disease, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Five years after cholera killed over 4,000 people and sickened 100,000 more, the conditions that allowed the epidemic to flourish persist in Harare’s high-density suburbs.

The 60-page report, “Troubled Water: Burst Pipes, Contaminated Wells, and Open Defecation in Zimbabwe’s Capital,” describes how residents have little access to potable water and sanitation services, and often resort to drinking water from shallow, unprotected wells that are contaminated with sewage, and to defecating outdoors. The conditions violate their right to water, sanitation, and health. The report is based on research conducted in 2012 and 2013 in Harare, including 80 interviews with residents, mostly women, in eight high-density suburbs.

Corruption and mismanagement at the local and national levels of government exacerbate the situation, Human Rights Watch said. For example, city budget guidelines specify that most of the revenue from water must be ploughed back into the system for maintenance and improvement, but even government officials acknowledged that the money is diverted for other uses. As a result, key parts of the service delivery system, like purchasing water treatment chemicals, are not adequately funded, leading the city to produce less potable water.  

The government of Zimbabwe is obliged under international law to protect the right to water and sanitation, Human Rights Watch said. In 2010, Zimbabwe voted for a United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing the right to water and sanitation. The government should take a number of steps to improve Harare’s water and sanitation crisis, including investing in low-cost sanitation and water strategies. These include providing community toilets and pit latrines, and drilling and maintaining boreholes so that residents do not have to rely on contaminated sources.

Justice Melusi Sibanda 
Organising Secretary – ROHR Zimbabwe/Bradford Branch

Zimbabwe , The Good, the Bad and the totally Nasty – by Melusi Sibanda

On Thursday 13 November 2013 I watched a report on Aljazeera about farming in Zimbabwe that really rubbed me the wrong way. In the report it was suggested that White farmers (former landowners) were reaching out to black farmers who recently acquired the land to work together and provide expertise and experience with the aim to increase and maximise the output from the land.

Predictably and to my displeasure, the reactions of the local leaders were that of mistrust and total incertitude. One of the local administrators shockingly said something along the lines of, ‘....if the WEST heard that we were turning to the Whites for help, they would declare the Land Redistribution Program a failure!’ At this point I almost kicked my TV out of shear astonishment and frustration.

Come on people!! Is this how we’re ‘rebuilding’ our country going forward? Are we planning on creating an Apartheid-like, segregated environment where our fellow countrymen (4^th generation White Zimbabweans) are not allowed to participate because they are white? Just the thought of us becoming like this is disgusting and vile...we are better than this! As my mother would say, ‘liyenzani?’  Are we turning into a fascist state?

Fascism  -  A governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry and emphasizing aggressive nationalism and racism.

HELLO!! NOT COOL!!!

Come on people, we have the opportunity to correct things and make it better. Let’s take it!

Melusi Sibanda – Information & Publicity Secretary ROHRZIM Bradford Branch

Zimbabwe – The Bitter Sweet Narrative... by Melusi Sibanda

Since the July/August election we have been taken on a roller coaster ride on the goings-on in Zimbabwe. Amongst the usual appalling stories off continuous human rights violations, press harassment, false imprisonments and others - there have also been some green shoots of positivity, namely, the supposed success of the land redistribution exercise and the ever-lauded triumphs of the economic indigenisation program.

From an expatriate viewpoint the messages are mixed, however there is one underlying observation that I think we all agree seems to be dominant in the news coming out of Zimbabwe - that is the rise of the corrupt cartel-like new African imperialist types. These mainly ZANU PF sponsored filthy rich black few have taken control of all major institutions and resources and run a Mafia type parallel economy. It’s difficult to figure out how to deal with such powerful a foe and all I can think of is just strengthening our legal systems and human rights will and continue to collate as much information on any illegal happenings for possible future indictments and prosecutions. We all have to be vigilant because history tells us that this will not last forever – ask the Oligarchs of modern Russia.

That said there a lot of good hard-working Zimbabweans across the land breaking their backs to bring home the bread and bring the credibility back our economy. The same goes to our courts/legal systems and civil service. They all deserve our support and the continuous negative blogging does not help them or our economy in any way. Personally I believe that it is my duty as a Zimbabwean to blog on positive truths in my country, however I refuse compromise in any way when it comes Human Rights violations.

Stay vigilant!!!

Melusi Sibanda – Information & Publicity Secretary – ROHRZim – Bradford Branch

A light at the end of a very dark tunnel...or maybe not- by Kwanele Khupe

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24757351

A small victory, but very welcome nonetheless .

Kwanele Khupe