Conrad Dube Mwanawashe

Treason charge for women dressed in mini-skirts

Conrad Mwanawashe — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:47:04 +0000

All women dressed in mini-skirts and longs must be charged with treason or must be jailed for life!!!
Sounds strange, doesn’t it?
This rant was the contribution of one Chitungwiza girl during one of the constitutional outreach meetings last week.
She believed so much that such women are an abomination to society and should be put away for life.
The contribution, though myopic, exposed some glaring discrepancies or shortcomings of the constitutional programme.
What came out in most of the meetings I attended had absolutely nothing to do with constitution making but political party politics at play.
One party coached its members to defend the current status quo while the other party sought to undo the prevailing situation.
One party sought to consolidate its hold while the other sought to speak into the future.
In the end the whole process turned into a charade of political party contestations as opposed to constitution making.
That the exercise has been suspended until heaven knows when, seems to have vindicated those who had campaigned against it from the onset. But this is not to say that those who opposed the process have better ideas or better processes.
It is worth mention though that their views are taken into consideration for future progress.
The whole exercise has shown that there is nothing that can come out of this process and worse still Zimbabwe has been turned into a political party play ground. Everything that must be done, and that includes consultations with the people has been turned into either in support of this party or that party.
When will Zimbabwe become a society where its people can gather and discuss without political party divisions emerging? When are we going to become human again and not fight over differences in opinions? When will our leaders learn that butchering each other does not show might? And that maiming others is not a sign for strength and bravery?
We need a new crop of leaders, ladies and gentlemen!

Zimbabwe Prime Minister’s Newsletter is here

Conrad Mwanawashe — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:08:23 +0000

PM Edition 59 email

Stop torture, violence-ILO

Conrad Mwanawashe — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:40:53 +0000

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has indicted the Harare to stop arrests, detentions, violence and torture of workers with immediate effect.

The labour organization conducted a Commission of Inquiry into the Zimbabwe labour market last year. The report of the Commission of Inquiry notes that workers were still being harassed and intimidated long after the formation of a unity government last year.

In its report the ILO’s Commission of Inquiry on Zimbabwe said that labour is concerned with the continued decline in the rule of law.

“The Commission recommends that all anti-union practices as set out in our findings-arrests, detentions, violence, torture, intimidation and harassment, inteference and anti-union discrimination- cease with immediate effect and that steps be taken by the authorities to ensure that there is no repetition of such acts in the future,” the ILO said.

It recommended that among other things, that “steps be taken to bring all outstanding and pending court cases against trade unionists to an end”.

It recommended also that the newly appointed Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission be “rendered operational as soon as possible”.

The ILO called for the training and education to key institutions and personnel in the country, “most notably, the police, security forces and the social partners, in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining, civil liberties and human rights”.

“The Commission wishes to stress the essential place of the rule of law and the role of the courts in ensuring that an environment exists in the country in which freedom of association and collective bargaining may be enjoyed in practice,” the ILO report says.

Conrad on new media

Conrad Mwanawashe — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 08:54:52 +0000

I was asked by the Standard Newspaper to do a piece on New media focusing on general aspects.

We hope to follow this up with a more detailed expose on the different aspects of new media.

Kindly enjoy reading from the link below and feel free to send me your comments and areas you wish I can touch on
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/entertainment/23857-new-media–communication-made-easy.html

Zim education in a mess

Conrad Mwanawashe — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:28:57 +0000

Zimbabwe’s education is in a mess.
Read about this and many other issues in the latest edition of Prime Minister NewsletterPM Edition 40 email

PM Newsletter

Conrad Mwanawashe — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:36:13 +0000

PM Edition 39 email

Zim talks progress

Conrad Mwanawashe — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:37:02 +0000

South African president Jacob Zuma has said Zimbabwe parties have agreed to a package of measures to be implemented concurrently as per the decision of the SADC Troika in Maputo.

Addressing journalists at the close of inter-party talks, Zuma, who left Harare on Thursday said the negotiators will however meet from 25 March to 29 March and report to report back to the facilitator by 31 March.

“I believe the implementation of this package will take the process forward substantially,” said Zuma.

He refused to take questions from journalists saying he will present a report to the Chairperson of the SADC Troika, Armando Guebuza of Mozambique before giving more details.

Zim’s Tsvangirai wants peace-keeping force

Conrad Mwanawashe — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:15:19 +0000

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has called for peacekeeping force before elections that are likely to be held next year.

Tsvangirai, who formed a transitional government with President Robert Mugabe last year was speaking at his party’s rally in the satellite town of Chitungwiza. Under the terms of the agreement that formed the transitional government, the country must hold elections after 24 months.

“We agreed that within the next 18-24 months we go for elections, so far we have gone through the first year.We don’t want a violent election but an environment for a free and fair election where a loser accepts defeat and allows the winner to take over. We are not afraid of going for an election. I hear reports about violence about houses being burnt. We have to stop the violence before the election” said Tsvangirai.

“Let’s bring in foreign observers. Why don’t we have a peace keeping force so that everyone is going to exercise their democratic rights. Why don’t we have a peacekeeping force so that we have peace and stability before we conduct an election. If we can’t do it ourselves lets use SADC and AU to create that environment for a free and fair election,” he added.

Tsvangirai called for a conclusion to the interparty talks saying his party was putting measures to ensure that the talks are concluded.

“We are sick and tired of endless talks,” he said. “We shall take measures that there will be no more dialogue for dialogue’s sake. We are a country in a transition, so get ready for elections.”

Zimbabwe may hold elections next elections, but no date has been set. Last week, Mugabe told reporters that he will be his party’s candidate for the elections.
Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the first round of presidential elections in March 2008, but later withdrew from a scheduled second round citing state sponsored violence against his supporters.

Zim escalates repression

Conrad Mwanawashe — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:24:37 +0000

Suspected ZANU PF members working in cahoots with the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation have escalated death threats and harassment of civil society members, a feat described by activists as “serious”.
Addressing a joint press conference in Harare, Wednesday, leaders of various networks of civil society organizations that included Nango, ZLHR and the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, ZimRights director Okay Machisa said despite the formation of the transitional government last year, that the last three months have seen an escalation in the number of threats, intimidation and harassment leveled against members of civil society.
He said last week members of the ZimRights board received a series of mobile text messages warning them against pursuing their mandate to conduct civic eduction in rural areas on the constitution making process. Several other activists such as Nunurai Jena, ZimRights regional chairperson for Mashonaland West, Chitungwiza regional chairperson, Netsai Kaitano, Jabulisa Tshuma, the organization’s treasurer and Machisa had received threatening messages.
Trade unionist and secretary general of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) Getrude Hambira was forced into hiding due to fears for her safety.
Hambira together with the workers union’s leadership were summoned by the feared Joint Operations Command (JOC) and were taken to task overf a documentary entitled “House of Justice” and a report titled “If something is wrong” documenting the brutality surrounding the land reform programme.
“Security agents should strictly observe the principles of the rule of law and should adhere to the lawsd and regulations governing their operations. ZimRights and ZLHR have also taken note of the renewed rhetoric against NGOs emanating from some ministers and governors accusing some NGOs of interfering in the stalled constitution making process,” the statement said.
The civil society leaders said they had approached Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai highlighting the increase in incidents of violence and threats against their members. Their efforts to engage the co-Home Affairs ministers were fruitless.
“That civil society organizations are executing their legitimate and legal mandate of protecting and defending the inalienable rights and freedoms of citizens through such programmes as education, legal aid and information dissemination is undeniable. As such the organizations will not brook any attempts by rogue elements bent on perpertuating the suffering of Zimbabweans by intimidating is into silence and inaction,” the civil society statement said.

IMF restores Zim voting rights

Conrad Mwanawashe — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:40:46 +0000

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has restored Zimbabwe’s voting rights, and its eligibility to use resources from the IMF’s General Resources Account (GRA), following a request from Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Tendai Biti.

But Zimbabwe will not be able to use resources from the GRA or the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) until it fully settles its arrears to the PRGT (SDR 89.4 million or about $140 million), the IMF said in statement Friday.

“Access to IMF lending resources is also subject to IMF policies on the use of such resources, including a track record of sound policies and the resolution of arrears to official creditors, which would require donor support. Following today’s (Friday) decision any remaining issues on further normalization of relations will be addressed over time,” the lending institution said.

The IMF added: “A number of remedial measures remain in place, as Zimbabwe still has outstanding arrears to the PRGT. These are (i) the declaration of non-cooperation; (ii) the suspension of IMF technical assistance, except in targeted areas (see below); and (iii) the removal of Zimbabwe from the list of PRGT-eligible countries.”

The restoration of voting rights signal a new chapter in the Zimbabwe-IMF relations, and the broader international community re-engagement. Zimbabwe has for the last decade been isolated from international lending institutions and Western powers following accusations of gross human rights abuses and a string of stolen elections.