Islamic terrorists back Mugabe

Zanu-PF plots with a South African outlaw group to bring more terror to the country.

Four members of the military junta now ruling Zimbabwe in Mugabe's name are holding secret meetings with representatives of PAGAD, the notorious Islamic terrorist organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa.

The first meeting was held last week in a Government safe house in Kumalo, Bulawayo, when seven members of PAGAD met with General Constantine Chiwenga, Police Chief Augustine Chihuri, prison boss General Paradzai Zimondi, and Air Marshall Perence Shiri.

The meeting was designed to establish a flow of arms into Zimbabwe via PAGAD now the Chinese source has dried up. The South Africans also advised the Zimbabwe strong men on various terror tactics. A further meeting was scheduled for June 20.

PAGAD stands, ironically, for People Against Gangsterism and Drugs, and was first established in 1996 as an off-shoot of the Islamic Qibla movement. Initially it acted as a vigilante group, but its later activities, including the bombings of synagogues, gay night clubs, and similar targets led to it being designated a terrorist organisation by the South African government.

Tsvangirai arrested for his own protection!

Police come up with an original reason for their harassment of the MDC leader

The ludicrous series of arrests of Zimbabwe's leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, were, say the Zimbabwe police, only designed to protect him from assassination.

Tsvangirai was arrested twice yesterday, firstly at the Midlands town of Kwekwe, and then again at Gweru, some 60km south. No charges were made, and on both occasions he and his party were released after a couple of hours.

Polce Commissioners Wayne Bvudzijena afterwards claimed that the arrests were carried out to foil plots to assassinate the opposition leader. "We are simply protecting him from his enemies," he said.

This explanation is repeated in a letter, sent to the MDC by Assistant Commissioner Boyson Mathema, of the Zimbabwe police Law and Order section, stating that the same reason lies behind the enforced cancellation of MDC rallies.

In the past few days Tsvangirai has been forced to cancel rallies across the country, and particularly in Harare's crowded high-density suburbs of Kambuzuma, Mufakose and Glen Norah, all MDC strongholds.

The Alice-in-Wonderland explanation for Tsvangirai's arrests, which ignores the much more likely prospect of government plots to kill him, is echoed in the stated reasons behind the arrest of MDC General Secretary Tendai Biti, who flew in yesterday from South Africa and was grabbed by the police before he'd even reached passport control.

It hasn't begun - but Mugabe is winning!

How Mugabe is already ahead in the June 27 poll

Those who fear for the survival of democracy in Zimbabwe will be gratified to know that Mugabe's Zanu-PF are so keen on the process of one-man, one-vote, they've started already. Yesterday thousands of police and associated uniformed thugs voted in the run-off presidential election set for June 27. And, amazingly, they all voted for Robert Mugabe.

Employing the notoriously unreliable postal voting system, the top cops lined their men up and gave them strict instructions on how to fill in their ballot papers. In Bulawayo it was Senior Assistant Commissioner Lee Muchemwa who addressed the ranks.

"He told us we would vote for Mugabe whether we liked it or not," my police source told me. "We voted in front of members of the Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI), who checked our ballot papers."

'Amazing' Grace heads a new movement

How some of Mugabe's men - and one woman - plot an end to democracy

As if the world of Zimbabwean politics wasn't sufficiently complex, into the fray during this last week has stepped a new force which boasts the intimidating title of the "Revolutionary Council."

It is composed of former freedom fighters and Mugabe hard-liners, its aim is to shelve the current electoral process and reconsistute the old Zanu-PF-dominated parliament, and its patron is none other than the nation's First Shopper, Mrs. "Amazing" Grace Mugabe.

The Council, which is headed by veteran hard-case Chris Pasipamire, says its main objective is to defend the so-called land reforms, under which the white farmers of Zimbabwe were kicked off their land, to be replaced by blacks, most of them top officials in Zanu-PF.

Tsvangirai ordered to stop campaign

Tsvangirai held for second time in a week

Morgan Tsvangirai has been detained and ordered by Mugabe’s government to stop campaigning ahead of the run-off election here on June 27. Rallies in support of Tsvangirai’s MDC party had been planned in the crowded townships of Glen Norah, Kambuzuma and Mufakose. A spokesman for the MDC called the ban “rank madness”.

Tsvangirai was stopped twice today as he was campaigning outside Bulawayo. After the second time he was taken to Esigodini police station and told to cancel all planned appearances in the run-up to the election. He was released after two hours. Tsvangirai’s spokesman George Sibotshiwe told reporters: "We are dismayed that our president has not been allowed to access the Zimbabwean people at a crucial stage in this campaign."

Today was the second time in a week that Tsvangirai was detained by police; the previous occasion was on Wednesday when he was held for eight hours before being released without charge (see June 4 report below).

Government bans all foreign aid

A suspension of all aid operations across the country follows the attack on the diplomats

Field work by aid groups and non-governmental organisations has been suspended in Zimbabwe, in the wake of the outrage caused by the attack by police and War Veterans on British and American diplomats yesterday.

In a move indicating the increased tension in the country in the run-up to the presidential run-off election on June 27, Social Welfare minister Nicholas Goche, has written to all aid agencies, NGOs and private voluntary organisations, ordering an indefinite suspension of activities.

"A number of NGOs involved in humanitarian operations are breaching the terms and conditions of their registration," Goche wrote.

Aid officials believe that the government fear they will witness examples of the intimidation and violence being conducted by Mugabe's militia, as it struggles to eliminate support for the opposition MDC.

A spokesman for Save the Children, Dominic Nutt, said that the suspension of the work would have a "significant and detrimental effect" on the many people the organisation is trying to help.

Almost half the population of Zimbabwe suffer from malnutrition. About 80 per cent of the country's 12.3m people are unemployed, and many depend on food aid.

Meanwhile all members of the diplomatic convoy, attacked and held yesterday, are reported to have been released.

Meanwhile further evidence is emerging that, as previously reported fully on this blog, the government of Zimbabwe is now broadly in the hands of a military junta. The so-called Joint Operations Command has taken over the day-to-day running of the country in a bloodless coup, while retaining Mugabe as little more than a figurehead.

The members of the junta are thought to be Army General Constantine Chiwenga, police commissioner Augustine Chihuri, prison service commander General Paradzai Zimondi, and Air Marshal Perence Shiri.

It was these men who, in order to protect their power and wealth, ultimately persuaded Mugabe not to stand down after his defeat in the first presidential election. They are currently masterminding the terror campaign being waged against the opposition MDC.

Police trap British and American diplomats

Top Western officials held at gunpoint while investigating political violence

Up to 14 diplomats from Britain and the US, returning by car from a fact-finding tour of Mashonaland Central province, scene of recent attacks on civilians by Zanu-PF activists, were detained at gunpoint today by police and militia.

In a confused confrontation, the party, in three vehicles, refused to go to a local police station, and attempted to continue their journey. A car with British diplomats is said to have tried to bulldoze a police vehicle out of its path. The attempt failed when police laid down spikes that blew the tyres.

There are reports that a Zimbabwe driver, working with a US security official, was beaten up, and that some so-called "War Veterans" operating with the police threatened to set fire to the cars with the diplomats inside.

Latest reports say that the diplomats are still being held at the road block, although the Zimbabwe Ministry of Foreign Affairs has promised to send staff to get them released.

An official at the American embassy told me: "It appears Zanu-PF militia are going out of their way to provoke Western officials. There was nothing unusual or unofficial about the trip, and no reason for them to be stopped."

The White House has denounced the incident as "outrageous", and US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the Zimbabwean authorities were being contacted on the matter.

Tsvangirai held by police

MDC leader stopped at official road block

Harare, Zimbabwe, Wednesday June 4, 2.45 pm

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the candidate facing Robert Mugabe in the presidential run-off election later this month, was detained by armed police today in Lupane, Matabeleland North Province.

MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa stated:  "President Tsvangirai has been held by police on the turn-off to Tsholotsho, since 12 noon. He was on his way to Lupan on his victory tour campaign."

The MDC continue to maintain that Tsvangirai won the first presidential election by an absolute majority, and is therefore the true president of the country.

In an interrupted telephone call a short while ago, I spoke to Tsvangirai's spokesman, George Sibotshiwe, who is detained along with his leader and other activists.

Sibotshiwe told me: "They are still holding us. Nobody appears prepared to tell us why, but it seems they are simply trying to disrupt our campaign. We have not been arrested, it is simply an illegal detention. They tell us we will be allowed to leave when the officer commanding the Matabeleland North district arrives from Bulawayo, some 110 kilometres away."

These women need our help

Support the brave ladies who lead the fight for freedom in Zimbabwe

Fourteen gallant leaders and activists of WOZA, our unstoppable femine protest movement in the battle to defeat Mugabe and his thugs, were in court this week. They faced the familiar but ludicrous charge of activity likely to cause public disorder, with the familiar figure of Jenni Williams also charged with causing disaffection amongst the police and publishing false information.

In a typically eccentric legal move, the women were all granted bail by the magistrate, but the state appealed, and now all 14 have been remanded in custody until June 6. They are believed to be in Harare Remand Prison, otherwise known as hell on earth.

These women need all the help we can give them. We are appealing, especially to those of you in the west, to call or text leading Zimbabwean government figures to denounce their treatment and demand their release.

Number one target is the Minister for Justice, Patrick Chinamasa. You can text his mobile, +26311605523, or ring his landline, +263 4 777054/774620.

Alternatively, direct your protests to the office of the Attorney General - +263 4 774587/92,  or to the Director of Public Prosecution, on +263 4 774586/7.

Please, do it now. And if you get any response, please post the details on this site. Good luck. Our women are counting on you.