The global. Empower a woman, empower a nation. United Nations theme for this

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1 Empower a woman, empower a nation The global United Nations theme for this year s International Women s Day is Equal access to Education, Training and Science and Technology: Pathway to Decent Work for Women. In our Zimbabwean context, education, training and science and technology may be trivial concerns as women are preoccupied by safety issues in the context of on-going constitutional reform and proposed fresh elections which can potentially make women have ground for political battles. UNDP Administrator, Helen Clark, in her speech for this year s International Women s Day, states that empowered women have a transformative role to play in all our societies, with benefits for all as educated, employed and empowered women break poverty cycles not only for themselves but for their families, communities and countries included. Women in Zimbabwe constitute 52% of the population and they also constitute the majority of the poor people in the country. Research has shown that literacy in Zimbabwean women is lower than in men, confining most women to work in the informal sectors. This increases the vulnerability of women to domestic, political, electoral and other forms EDUCATION FOR LIFE: Countries need to invest in the future if they are going to empower women. This young girl and many others like her can turn into a women of influence if they are given access to education. - of gender-based violence. Zimbabwean women s lack of adequate education combined with other forms of gender discrimination in Zimbabwe has also meant that they become excluded even from the corridors of power. Although women s representation in parliament rose from 9% in 1980 to the current 14,29%, this remains far below the desired 50% representation. Women s participation in politics remains insignificant. Most Zimbabwean women can register for elections but may not go to vote for fear of violence against them during elections. A major issue also affecting the woman of Zimbabwe at present is the availability of adequate and affordable health care services. Life expectancy for Zimbabwean women, at just 33.5%, is the lowest in the world with at least 18% of the women s population living with HIV and AIDS. Zimbabwe has amongst highest maternity mortality rates in the world of about 750/ according to a recent Zimbabwe Maternity and Perinatal Mortality study. Skilled attendance at birth declined from 73% in 1999 to 60% in Institutional delivery fell from 72% to 60% during the same period. Many women are forced to have unsafe homebirth deliveries as they cannot afford the US$50 required for ante-natal care checkups and maternity fees. To add on to these problems, ambulances are scarce and this is leading to avoidable deaths because of delays in getting urgent medical attention. The UNDP s notes that investing in women and girls is crucial for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); we cannot agree more. Reduction of gender inequalities and women empowerment in Zimbabwe will greatly improve the lives of women and the whole country at large. Additional reporting by Rumbidzayi Mataba, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Regional Office, Johannesburg.

2 Things Fall Apart: SADC must act now to avert a catastrophe Coordinator s Note dewamavhinga Zi mbab w e s political drama is so packed with unpredictable twists and sudden turns such that anyone closely following the events there would quickly losing all capacity to be shocked by any turn of events. However, events in recent days clearly indicate that things are falling apart fast amidst soured political relations. President Zuma, the SADCappointed mediator must activate SADC to urgently draw up a watertight roadmap to democratic elections. There has been a sharp increase in t a r g e t e d, politicallym o t i v a t e d arrests and detentions of rights activists and senior leaders of the MDC. In February police arrested MDC legislator Douglas Mwonzora and 22 villagers from his Nyanga constituency who all are in custody on spurious charges of public violence; also arrested were 45 activists on bogus treason charges (39 of whom have now been released) at least 8 of whom claim that they were tortured while in police detention. This week arrested the minister of power and energy (MDC), Elton Mangoma, and another MDC legislator, Shepherd Mushonga. These are not routine arrests related to genuine law enforcement, but politically-motivated arrests by extremely partisan and politicized sections of the police force who remain unrepentant and unreformed under the new inclusive government. While police ignore scores of cases of violence against MDC supporters, they are quick to pounce of rights activists and MDC supporters using the law and prosecution as an instrument of persecution. In a related matter the equally compromised and politicized Supreme Court has this week ruled on appeal that the election of MDC Speaker of Parliament, Lovemore Moyo is null and void. The political significance of this move is that the MDC loses control of parliament, and because of the various arrests of its legislators, will not have a majority in parliament, paving way for ZANU-PF to control both the executive and the legislature enabling it to fast-track the flawed constitutional reform process through parliament. In his response to these developments, MDC leader and prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai issued a press statement noting thus: If there is a breakdown in the relationship of the parties in the GPA, it is important for the parties to agree on a clean divorce. As far as we are concerned, the roadmap that President Zuma has committed himself to draw up is the only solution to this madness. If this trend continues it maybe only a matter of days before the GNU completely unravels. Addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva at the beginning of this month, justice minister Patrick Chinamasa noted that the GPA roadmap towards elections includes a new constitution...the only way to have a transparent and democratic election would be with the supervision and an on the ground presence from SADC. and that he envisages that a constitutional draft will be ready to be tabled before parliament by June, then it will be referred to a national referendum, and harmonized elections will be held immediately thereafter. From recent events, it is self-evident that an environment of genuine freedom, peace and democracy in which Zimbabweans can vote freely does not exist. The GPA roadmap of reforms towards elections and key benchmarks to be achieved before elections have all but been abandoned. Key justice and security institutions in Zimbabwe remain unreformed and partisan towards ZANU- PF, and no democratic constution is likely to come out of this flawed and stalled process, therefore, the only way to have a transparent and democratic election would be with the supervision and an on the ground presence from SADC. President Zuma will be well within his mandate as mediator to recommend to SADC a direct role in running Zimbabwe s next elections. This would include working directly with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission charged with managing elections and an early deployment of election supervisors. The African Union and the broader international c o m m u n i t y must closely observe the elections to ensure full compliance with international standards regarding the conduct of democratic elections. The United Nations will, we expect, specifically monitor the human rights situation in the context of elections. To create a buffer zone between ordinary Zimbabweans and the partisan security forces and the broader electoral violence infrastructure, SADC and the AU should deploy peace monitors on the ground well ahead of elections. And SADC must act now to avert an apparent and imminent cataclysm. feedback: coordinator@crisiszimbabwe.org

3 People, not Facebook cause revolutions - Across the world, Zimbabweans are being derided for their lack of courage to confront the dictatorship in their own country as the Tunisians, the Egyptians, the Libyans and the people in the greater Arab world are doing. How can they be content with so much evil and not do anything to change it. There are several ways of explaining the docility but the most convincing explanation is that the state organises better than the masses. With its few resources and instruments of violence and coercion, the state can easily quash protests or just point them as a threat of what would befall the masses if they dare to take to the streets. Arrests of activists and key political actors over the past three weeks are a useful example of that threat. The biggest reason why the state uses such threats is that it knows to well that its resources will never be enough to contain a protest or uprising of say, one million people. This is precisely the reason why the much-touted via Facebook Million-Man March failed to take place in Zimbabwe on March 1. By that time, the state had caught wind of the intentions of whoever was behind the march and enough fear was injected into those who could possibly participate, including those with even a remote chance to do so. So you can garner enough interest on online and social media networks but on the day it really matters the day of taking over the streets you need that interest to be exported from cyberspace into real-space. What has also been lost in the urgent desire to see an uprising in Zimbabwe is the actual history of the Tunisia and Egypt uprisings especially. So far, the emerging and localised discourse on revolutions seems to have ignored, from the onset, two key points of reference. One is Hannah Arendt s 1963 book, On Revolution. And the other and more immediate reference is the April 6 Youth Movement in Egypt, which gave amazing leadership to what has often been claimed as leaderless revolution. Arendt s incisive and deeply instructive criticism of the French and American revolutions is that these revolutions, exhibit (albeit fleetingly) the exercise of fundamental political capacities that of individuals acting together, on the basis of their mutually agreed common purposes, in order to establish a tangible public space of freedom. It is in this instauration, the attempt to establish a public and institutional space of civic freedom and participation, that marks out these revolutionary moments as exemplars of politics qua action. The above, therefore, clearly invalidates any readiness for Zimbabweans to take to the streets, chiefly because of the illusions created by the government of national unity (GNU) two years ago. This unity government brought a semblance of stability but not the real thing; the setting up of commissions such as the Media Commission and the subsequent licensing of some newspapers gave the impression that public and institutional space of civic freedom and participation was being created. It was all just coming on a silver platter. But such is not the nature of GNUs, to deliver freedom and liberation (yes, there is a difference) on silver platters. Zimbabweans might have seen a silver lining on the dark cloud hanging ominously over them but the cloud never really moved. It is still there. Availability of products in store shelves did not automatically translate into accessibility there are still many Zimbabweans who are struggling to get by in an economy being run on foreign currency. Also, the fact that GNU are power contests in which the parties to the agreement desperately try to swallow each other has meant that a lot less emphasis has been put on getting Zimbabwe working again or at least, a plausible way out of the arrangement. On the other hand, the April 6 Movement in Egypt understood one simple thing; it is imperative to take over the streets. Years earlier, their efforts towards an uprising in their country had failed but the plans were not abandoned. Instead, the youthful team went back to the drawing board and re-strategised, learning extensively from previously successful revolutions. What the world witnessed in Egypt was not a spontaneous revolution as we are being encouraged to think. At least three years in total went into the behind-the-scenes planning. Hence, suggestions that Zimbabweans must quickly hop on to the revolutionary wave and take to the streets are not only immature but seriously fatal too, especially if a solid premium is not put non-violent combat. The state s apparatus for violence must not be given any reason to use brute force against those who come out in the streets they would have had overcome so much to be screwed, literally, by the police or army, or both. Perhaps also the discourse on revolutions in Zimbabwe has been ignorant of one other fundamental consideration; what will be the people be revolting against? The GNU? Robert Mugabe? Morgan Tsvangirai? Arthur Mutambara? Bad governance? It is now very difficult (some might say hypocritical) to single out Mugabe and claim to be demanding his departure from a seat of government he is sharing with other parties. Ultimately, Zimbabweans have to be absolutely clear about what exactly they desire for their country and how they seek to materialize those desires. For now, their greatest say seems to be coming via the ballot. So, it is imperative that they start demanding nothing less than a free and fair election that will lead to a democratic transfer of power to the eventual winner. Levi Kabwato is the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Media & Communications Officer in the Regional Office

4 CIVIL SOCIETY STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE, INSTABILITY AND VICTIMIZATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS, THE MEDIA AND ORDI- NARY CITIZENS We as Civil Society Groups strongly condemn the resurgence of violence accompanying ZANU PF s rush to elections. The violence, typical of ZANU PF campaigns is characterized by beatings; displacing of over 140 Mbare and Epworth residents; charging of 45 civil society activists with treason for watching a movie, detaining CSO leaders and raiding their offices; abducting Civil Society activists; burning newspapers; looting foreign African owned shops, and invading private property. Rural communities have not been spared. In events reminiscent of the bloody June 2008 Presidential Election Run-off, former and fake liberation war combatants have been deployed in communities to coerce them into voting for ZANU PF. As Civil Society, we lament the inaction of the police in maintaining law and order, leaving citizens to be brutalized and businesses looted. Demonstrations against foreign businesses have taken a xenophobic tone, which should not be tolerated by any right thinking nation, especially one whose citizens have been victims of similar attacks Police inaction vindicates Zimbabweans demands for non-partisan policing and the need for security sector reforms to guarantee the security of citizens. We note with disappointment that the country s security sector has not intervened to protect citizen s rights and interests in keeping with its constitutional mandate. We note with concern that Zimbabwe s 7th Parliament has done little to repeal repressive legislation and create an enabling legislative environment for opening democratic space. We demand that the Zimbabwean Government: 1. Respect its primary responsibility of protecting its citizens through arresting the violence, and ensuring that perpetrators of acts of violence and intimidation are brought to book. 2. Desist from targeting Civil Society actors going about their work, through unwarranted police action and interference. 3. Condemn xenophobic and racist attacks, which are being carried out under the guise of indigenization. 4. Rein-in their political followers in order to maintain peace and stability in the country. 5. Respect diversity and freedom of the media to operate without any hindrance. 6. Ensure the transformation of the state media, especially ZBC, into true public service news outlets, which reflect all shades of Zimbabwean opinion. 7. Facilitate the urgent repeal and amendments to repressive pieces of legislation such as Public Order and Security Act, Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and other laws that impede rather than facilitate Zimbabweans full enjoyment of their basic liberties. 8. Urgently reform state institutions, such as the judiciary and the security sector, in order for them to execute their duties in a professional and non-partisan manner that puts the country ahead of partisan interests. W e Urge The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Facilitator of Political Dialogue in Zimbabwe, President Jacob Zuma to: 1. Deliver a road map that countenances these worrying developments against ZANU s rush to rigged

5 elections without reforms in Urge ZANU PF to stop violence and intimidation. 3. Note that the developing crisis in Zimbabwe poses a potent threat to regional security through mass migration of displaced people. 4. Urgently consider calls by civil society for a closer and permanent monitoring presence in Zimbabwe, as talk of elections continues to gain momentum amongst political actors. 5. Declare that given the situation on the ground, key reforms should take place ahead of talk of elections. A Road Map to Elections will lay out clear benchmarks for the holding of democratic elections. The Road Map should, among other things, deal with violence and intimidation of citizens, remove impediments to freedom of expression such as repressive laws and unprofessional and partisan conduct by the justice and security sector. 6. Urge the African Union to come good on its promises of an assessment mission to Zimbabwe in the 1st quarter of the year to assess Zimbabwe s readiness for elections. We urge Zimbabweans to: 1. Exercise restraint and desist from being used as instruments of violence, or being provoked to justify further crack down on citizens, the media and perceived ZANU PF opponents. 2. Stay firm in their struggle and pursuit of a democratic dispensation that will restore their human dignity, economic justice and guarantee the civil liberties eroded by years of tyrannical rule. Signatory Organizations to the Above Statement 1. Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition 2. Media Institute of Southern Africa (Zimbabwe Chapter) 3. Centre for Public Accountability 4. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe 5. Bulawayo Agenda 6. Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association 7. National Youth Development Trust 8. National Constitutional Assembly 9. Students Solidarity Trust 10. Elections Resource Centre 11. Heal Zimbabwe Trust 12. Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (Zim- Rights) 13. Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe 14. Radio Dialogue 15. Youth Forum 16. Youth in Politics 17. Center for Community Development in Zimbabwe 18. Platform for Youth Development Trust 19. Gays and Lesbians in Zimbabwe 20. Coalition against Censorship Zimbabwe (CACZ) 21. Bulawayo Arts Forum (BAF) 22. Nhimbe Trust 23. Christian Alliance 24. Ecumenical Support Services 25. Zimbabwe National Students Union 26. Counseling Services Unit 27. Zimbabwe Farmers Union Development Trust 28. Transparency International- Zimbabwe 29. Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust 30. Zimbabwe Lawyers Human Rights 31. Zimbabwe Young Women s Network for Peacebuilding 32. Doors of Hope Development Trust 33. Katswe Sistahood 34. Savanna Trust 35. Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe 36. National Association for Non Governmental Organizations 37. Restoration of Human Rights 38. Youth Alliance for Democracy 39. Chiredzi Community Development Agenda 40. Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise 41. Zimbabwe Youth Movement 42. Veritas 43. Build a Better Youth Zimbabwe 44. Combined Harare Residents Association 45. Non Violence Action Support Center 46. Zimbabwe Students Christian Movement 47. Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe 48. Zimbabwe United Residents Association 49. Zimbabwe Elections Support Network 50. Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum 51. Zimbabwe Coalition for Debt and Development 52. Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights 53. Institute for Young Women Development 54. Youth Agenda Trust 55. Women In Politics Support Unit 56. National Association for the Care of the Handicapped

6 Supreme Court Dismisses Tomana s Appeal Against Acquittal of Bennett Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku on Thursday 10 March 2011 dismissed an appeal filed by Attorney General Johannes Tomana contesting the acquittal of tormented Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) treasurer Roy Bennett. Tomana in May 2010 filed a chamber application in the Supreme Court seeking leave to appeal against High Court Judge, Justice Chinembiri Bhunu s decision to acquit Bennett, the deputy agriculture minister-designate, at the close of the State s case. Chris Mutangadura, the chief law officer in the AG s Office who filed the application on Tomana s behalf had argued in his papers that Justice Bhunu had misdirected himself when he acquitted Bennett in that he assessed pieces of evidence in isolation rather than adopting a holistic analysis of the admittedly circumstantial evidence adduced by the State. Mutangadura said Justice Bhunu had erred in adopting a piecemeal approach to evaluate the weight of evidence brought before him by the State, whose prosecution team was led by Tomana, assisted by Mutangadura and Florence Ziyambi, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the AG s Office. The AG s chief law officer said the existence of a bank account in Mozambique in Peter Michael Hitschmann s name, the communication between Hitschmann and Bennett, and the s allegedly containing messages pointing to the funding of firearms acquisition all pointed to a conspiracy between the two men. Mutangadura said Justice Bhunu s finding that the s found on Hitschmanns laptop were inadmissible was outrageous and hence his arguments had high prospects of success on appeal. But Chidyausiku on Thursday 10 March 2011 dismissed Tomana s appeal after ruling that there were no prospects of success. In the result, I agree with the conclusion of the learned Judge in the court a quo that this was a proper case in which a discharge in terms of s 198 (3) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Chapter 9:07) was appropriate. I see no prospect of the Supreme Court coming to a conclusion different from that of the court a quo. As there are no prospects of success on appeal, leave to appeal against the decision of the court a quo is refused, reads part of the judgment, which was delivered on Thursday by Chidyausiku. Bennett, who had been on trial since October 2009 on charges of insurgency, banditry, terrorism and sabotage, was acquitted in May last year after Justice Bhunu ruled that the State s prosecution team, led by Tomana, had failed to establish a prima facie case against the former Chimanimani Member of Parliament. Justice Bhunu has sued Bennett for $1 million in damages for defamation. Bhunu s lawyers allege that the damages resulted from wrongful and defamatory words which were uttered by the former commercial farmer during an interview with a reporter from The Guardian newspaper of the United Kingdom, which he granted in May last year, before the High Court Judge delivered his judgment acquitting the former Chimanimani legislator. Bennett denies the charges. From the the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights Information Desk. info@ zlhr.org.zw COSATU Condemns Attack on ZCTU International Women s Day Commemoration COSATU strongly condemns reports about the disruption of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions international women s day commemoration events today. We continue to note the intransigence of the Zimbabwean government and its high-handedness in dealing with peaceful activities of workers, particularly of our sister union, ZCTU, and the mass of organised formations in that country. Meanwhile, we also note the fragility of the Zimbabwean state arising from the panic instilled by the events in North Africa and the Middle East, as demonstrated in recent weeks with the increased arrests and harassments throughout Zimbabwe carried out by state security forces and its auxiliaries. The on-going case of the comrades arrested merely for watching videos of the events in Tunisia and Egypt illustrates that very well. SADC is conspicuous with its deafening silence in the midst of loud screams against state violence. It is a worrying trend that governments in the region continue to tacitly support fellow governments or totally ignore the suffering of the people in SADC member states, while paying lip service to protocols affirming democratic governance. This calls for more practical solidarity with the people through mass action and other forms of solidarity pressures to force SADC and its friends to wake up to the reality of the conditions under which our people live in this region. COSATU, in reiterating its commitment to the cause of solidarity with the sister peoples of Zimbabwe shall be participating in tomorrow s revival process of the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum taking place at COSATU house, to chart a way forward in the work of supporting the struggles of the working and poor people of Zimbabwe. We see that as a critical party of our effort to build and sustain a popular wave for democracy, good governance and social justice in the region, continent and the world. For more information on the work of COSATU, please contact: Bongani Masuku (International Relations Secretary). bongani@cosatu.org.za

7 BOCISCOZ expresses severe concerns about deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe The Botswana Civil Society Solidarity Coalition for Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ) is deeply concerned about reports of increased incidents of human rights violations perpetrated by state officials. In February and early March 2011, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and Men of Zimbabwe Arise, were targeted with their respective members being arrested. The WOZA members were held in custody in Bulawayo and were denied food which had been brought to the police station by their relatives. A nursing mother is amongst the group and has been denied access to her baby. These arrests come against the backdrop of reported cases of ZANU-PF youth assaulting perceived and/or known members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). There have been such clashes reported in Bindura, Gutu, Bikita and Chitungwiza. Police have been accused of selective arrests when they arrest MDC members even when the police themselves have admitted that ZANU-PF members had been involved in acts of violence. Police are also reported to assault those whom they arrest. The integrity of the judicial system continues to be threatened by The Government of Zimbabwe. In Nyanga North in February 2011, when twenty-four (24) members of UPCOMING ACTIVITIES UNDER ATTACK: WOZA s Jenni Williams and other women from the organisation have been repeatedly harrassed by the police. - MDC-T were granted bail in a case in which they have been charged with acts related to public violence, the Government invoked controversial legislation to suspend the bail order. Forty-six (46) activists who were watching television coverage of the protests in The Middle East and North Africa and discussing these, were arrested and charged with treason. This offence carries the death penalty. BOCISCOZ calls for the release of all those detained on what appear to be politically motivated charges devoid of valid legal bases. BOCISCOZ has recently learnt from an article in The Daily News dated 3 March 2011, that local musician, Naledi Kaisara also known as Slizer has been invited to perform today at the birthday gala for President Mugabe. We are disappointed that a Botswana musician, who should be aware of the deplorable human rights situation in Zimbabwe and its effects on Botswana as well as the lack of good governance in Zimbabwe, has found it fit to accept > ZIMRIGHTS Europe tour photo exhibition Dublin, London and Geneva (February 16 to March 12) > UN Human Rights Council Session, Geneva ( March 1 to 12). > Day of Police Brutality Against Zimbabweans - Save Zimbabwe Campaign Anniversary (March 11) > Zimbabwe Church Leaders Meeting (March 23 & 24) Published by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition - South Africa Regional Office Editor: Dewa Mavhinga Sub-Editor/Writer: Levi Kabwato 711, 7th Floor Khotso House; 62 Marshall Street, Marshalltown P.O Box 61113, Marshalltown, Tel: / Mobile: / media@crisiszimbabwe.org an invitation to perform in honour of Zimbabwe s President Mugabe. BOCISCOZ is concerned that the culture of intimidation and violence will lead to Zimbabwean citizens being forced to flee their homes to countries in the region. We recall the environment of violence, intimidation and gross violation of human rights, which accompanied the elections of We call upon SADC to take the necessary steps to ensure that it takes action before it is too late. We call upon Governments in the region to recognise that the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe will lead to internal and external displacement of the population, as was the case in Preventive action has to be taken as a matter of urgency. For more information please contact: DITSHWANELO The Botswana Centre for Human Rights. Tel: / Fax: Cell: Website: