Friday, August 31, 2007
Listen to African Perspective - Discussion on Zimbabwe, Part 1
Download and Listen to the 28 August discussion on Zimbabwe on CHRY 105.5FM, African Perspective programme. Download here...
"HIV and AIDS Do Not Exist", Part 2
Download and Listen to the 21 August discussion that HIV and AIDS do not exist on CHRY 105.5FM, African Perspective programme. Download here...
"HIV and AIDS Do Not Exist", Part 1
Download and Listen to the 14 August discussion that HIV and AIDS do not exist on CHRY 105.5FM, African Perspective programme. Download here...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Zimbabwe Discussion Continues
This Tuesday 4 September we continue to discuss the Zimbabwean situation that has been described as the worst crisis outside a war zone. We focus on the issues that have brought about the current situation by looking at the bigger picture of the issues and discuss the situation within that context. We also look at the recent SADC meeting in Lusaka, Zambia and its outcomes. Are the SADC leaders failing to control President Robert Mugabe or they understand his position and the decisions he has taken.
We have Innocent Madawo, editor of thesouthernafrican.com a Zimbabwean journalist and a former editor with Zimbabwe's national news agency Ziana.
Listen live on 105.5 FM in Toronto or online on http://www.chry.fm/ worldwide as we discuss this issue. To contribute, call our studio number on +1 416 736 5656 or write to africanperspective@chry.fm
About African Perspective
African Perspective is a current affairs programme that reports and analyses news and events from an African viewpoint. It broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10am-11am Eastern Time/2pm-3pm Greenwich Mean Time on CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto and http://www.chry.fm/ on the Internet worldwide. The programme provides Africans with a platform to articulate their experiences, challenges and celebrate their achievements to both the Canadian public and policy makers.
Presenters: Kuthula Matshazi and Shadya Yasin
We have Innocent Madawo, editor of thesouthernafrican.com a Zimbabwean journalist and a former editor with Zimbabwe's national news agency Ziana.
Listen live on 105.5 FM in Toronto or online on http://www.chry.fm/ worldwide as we discuss this issue. To contribute, call our studio number on +1 416 736 5656 or write to africanperspective@chry.fm
About African Perspective
African Perspective is a current affairs programme that reports and analyses news and events from an African viewpoint. It broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10am-11am Eastern Time/2pm-3pm Greenwich Mean Time on CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto and http://www.chry.fm/ on the Internet worldwide. The programme provides Africans with a platform to articulate their experiences, challenges and celebrate their achievements to both the Canadian public and policy makers.
Presenters: Kuthula Matshazi and Shadya Yasin
The Zimbabwe economy
Excerpt from Letter From The President
ANC Today, Volume 7, No. 33 • 24—30 August 2007
By Thabo Mbeki, President, Republic of South Africa
The Summit Meeting also approved the urgent initiation of a process that would identify the measures that the SADC region should take to assist in the economic recovery of Zimbabwe. The report prepared by the SADC Secretariat in this regard says:
“The restoration of the country’s foreign exchange generating capacity through Balance of Payments support is crucial: however, the most urgent action that is needed to start this process is to establish lines of credit to enable Zimbabwe to import inputs for its productive sectors, particularly for agriculture and foreign currency generating sectors.
“SADC should do all it can to help Zimbabwe address the issue of sanctions, which is not only hurting the economy through failure to get BoP support and lines of credit, but also through reduced markets for its products. Sanctions also damage the image of Zimbabwe, causing a severe blow to her tourist sector.
“Zimbabwe on her part must continue to implement robust policies to reduce the overvaluation of the exchange rate, to reduce the budget deficit and to control the growth of domestic credit and money supply which fuel inflation, and to reduce price distortions in the economy. Equally important is the need to avoid frequent changes in policy initiatives, which have caused uncertainties and led to the view that the policy environment is unpredictable.”
In this regard, on Monday, August 20, the Business Day newspaper published a wholly fabricated story alleging that the SADC leaders were divided over this report, describing a discussion at the Summit Meeting that never took place. This is consistent with an unethical practice in sections of our media in terms of which they manufacture news and information and communicate complete fiction as the truth.
The newspaper manufactured an unbridgeable “rift” resulting in a non-existent paralysis among the leaders, arising out of the discussion that never took place. The fact of the matter is that, acting on the recommendation of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, (the Organ), the SADC Summit Meeting accepted the report on the Zimbabwe economy, as well as the proposal of the Organ that our Finance Ministers, in consultation with the Government of Zimbabwe, should use the report to elaborate specific interventions that could be made by our region.
The hostile allegation that our countries have recklessly turned their eyes away from the problems of Zimbabwe, because of the imperatives of solidarity, has always been nothing more than a product of propaganda, which all thinking persons would recognise as such. The reality is that in a very real sense the problems of Zimbabwe are our problems, in the same way that the problems of the rest of Southern Africa are problems for Zimbabwe as well. Our entire region stands to benefit most directly from the recovery of Zimbabwe, in much the same way as Zimbabwe benefits from the progress of the region of Southern Africa, of which it is an integral and inalienable part.
The Lusaka Summit Meeting reconfirmed these fundamental positions, which include unqualified respect for the sovereignty of Zimbabwe and the right of its people to determine their destiny. At no point will SADC and its member states act as a super-power that has the right to expropriate the people of Zimbabwe of their right to self-determination, as imperial Britain did.
ANC Today, Volume 7, No. 33 • 24—30 August 2007
By Thabo Mbeki, President, Republic of South Africa
The Summit Meeting also approved the urgent initiation of a process that would identify the measures that the SADC region should take to assist in the economic recovery of Zimbabwe. The report prepared by the SADC Secretariat in this regard says:
“The restoration of the country’s foreign exchange generating capacity through Balance of Payments support is crucial: however, the most urgent action that is needed to start this process is to establish lines of credit to enable Zimbabwe to import inputs for its productive sectors, particularly for agriculture and foreign currency generating sectors.
“SADC should do all it can to help Zimbabwe address the issue of sanctions, which is not only hurting the economy through failure to get BoP support and lines of credit, but also through reduced markets for its products. Sanctions also damage the image of Zimbabwe, causing a severe blow to her tourist sector.
“Zimbabwe on her part must continue to implement robust policies to reduce the overvaluation of the exchange rate, to reduce the budget deficit and to control the growth of domestic credit and money supply which fuel inflation, and to reduce price distortions in the economy. Equally important is the need to avoid frequent changes in policy initiatives, which have caused uncertainties and led to the view that the policy environment is unpredictable.”
In this regard, on Monday, August 20, the Business Day newspaper published a wholly fabricated story alleging that the SADC leaders were divided over this report, describing a discussion at the Summit Meeting that never took place. This is consistent with an unethical practice in sections of our media in terms of which they manufacture news and information and communicate complete fiction as the truth.
The newspaper manufactured an unbridgeable “rift” resulting in a non-existent paralysis among the leaders, arising out of the discussion that never took place. The fact of the matter is that, acting on the recommendation of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, (the Organ), the SADC Summit Meeting accepted the report on the Zimbabwe economy, as well as the proposal of the Organ that our Finance Ministers, in consultation with the Government of Zimbabwe, should use the report to elaborate specific interventions that could be made by our region.
The hostile allegation that our countries have recklessly turned their eyes away from the problems of Zimbabwe, because of the imperatives of solidarity, has always been nothing more than a product of propaganda, which all thinking persons would recognise as such. The reality is that in a very real sense the problems of Zimbabwe are our problems, in the same way that the problems of the rest of Southern Africa are problems for Zimbabwe as well. Our entire region stands to benefit most directly from the recovery of Zimbabwe, in much the same way as Zimbabwe benefits from the progress of the region of Southern Africa, of which it is an integral and inalienable part.
The Lusaka Summit Meeting reconfirmed these fundamental positions, which include unqualified respect for the sovereignty of Zimbabwe and the right of its people to determine their destiny. At no point will SADC and its member states act as a super-power that has the right to expropriate the people of Zimbabwe of their right to self-determination, as imperial Britain did.
US backed Zimbabwe land reform
By Martin Plaut
BBC Africa analyst
The key role played by the United States ahead of Zimbabwe's independence in resolving the sticky point of land redistribution has just come to light.
The land issue has always been emotive in Zimbabwe - as can be seen with the current crisis sparked off by the government seizure of mainly white-owned farms in 2000. More...
BBC Africa analyst
The key role played by the United States ahead of Zimbabwe's independence in resolving the sticky point of land redistribution has just come to light.
The land issue has always been emotive in Zimbabwe - as can be seen with the current crisis sparked off by the government seizure of mainly white-owned farms in 2000. More...
My Top 10 Songs of the Week
1. Creep - TLC
2. Don't Want To Fall In Love (New Jack Swing Club Mix) - Jane Child
3. Automatic - Pointer Sisters
4. Gandaganda - Mzekezeke
5. Got To Have Your Love - Mantronix
6. Makin' Happy - Crystal Waters
7. like the Way (Kissing Game) - Hi-Five
8. YU4Me - Mashamplani
9. Love Controversy Part 1 - Loose Ends
10. Heaven In My Eyez - Jaheim
2. Don't Want To Fall In Love (New Jack Swing Club Mix) - Jane Child
3. Automatic - Pointer Sisters
4. Gandaganda - Mzekezeke
5. Got To Have Your Love - Mantronix
6. Makin' Happy - Crystal Waters
7. like the Way (Kissing Game) - Hi-Five
8. YU4Me - Mashamplani
9. Love Controversy Part 1 - Loose Ends
10. Heaven In My Eyez - Jaheim
Thursday, August 16, 2007
This Week on African Perspective
“HIV and AIDS Do Not Exist”: Final Discussion
This Tuesday 21 August we continue our discussion with Hannilie Zulu focussing on HIV and AIDS and probing the facts and the myths on the subject. We have a person from Uganda “stamped HIV positive” coming to the programme to give her perspective on HIV and AIDS.
Zulu is a native of Zambia and is currently based in Denmark. She is the founder of AfriDAD a non governmental organisation that focuses on Debt, Aid and Development in Africa. She has studied international economies, has authored more than 400 articles on the world economy and how it affects Africa. She is the author of 11 books which include: "Negotiating Blood" a book about the world economy, 'The mother of the Matrix' the most oppressed and controversial case of the century, The Evacuation and others. Hannilie is about to launch her new book on HIV and AIDS titled: "Telling AIDS Stamped Relatives They Are Not Ill and Becoming Eternal Enemies with Them", this coming winter.
Listen live on 105.5 FM in Toronto or online on www.chry.fm worldwide as we discuss this issue. To contribute, call our studio number on +1 416 736 5656 or write to africanperspective@chry.fm
About African Perspective
African Perspective is a current affairs programme that reports and analyses news and events from an African viewpoint. It broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10am-11am Eastern Time/2pm-3pm Greenwich Mean Time on CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto and www.chry.fm on the Internet worldwide. The programme provides Africans with a platform to articulate their experiences, challenges and celebrate their achievements to both the Canadian public and policy makers.
Presenters: Kuthula Matshazi and Shadya Yasin
This Tuesday 21 August we continue our discussion with Hannilie Zulu focussing on HIV and AIDS and probing the facts and the myths on the subject. We have a person from Uganda “stamped HIV positive” coming to the programme to give her perspective on HIV and AIDS.
Zulu is a native of Zambia and is currently based in Denmark. She is the founder of AfriDAD a non governmental organisation that focuses on Debt, Aid and Development in Africa. She has studied international economies, has authored more than 400 articles on the world economy and how it affects Africa. She is the author of 11 books which include: "Negotiating Blood" a book about the world economy, 'The mother of the Matrix' the most oppressed and controversial case of the century, The Evacuation and others. Hannilie is about to launch her new book on HIV and AIDS titled: "Telling AIDS Stamped Relatives They Are Not Ill and Becoming Eternal Enemies with Them", this coming winter.
Listen live on 105.5 FM in Toronto or online on www.chry.fm worldwide as we discuss this issue. To contribute, call our studio number on +1 416 736 5656 or write to africanperspective@chry.fm
About African Perspective
African Perspective is a current affairs programme that reports and analyses news and events from an African viewpoint. It broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10am-11am Eastern Time/2pm-3pm Greenwich Mean Time on CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto and www.chry.fm on the Internet worldwide. The programme provides Africans with a platform to articulate their experiences, challenges and celebrate their achievements to both the Canadian public and policy makers.
Presenters: Kuthula Matshazi and Shadya Yasin
Market Failing...
...as taxpayers and innocent investors bear the brunt
If the market demands that governments have limited role in economies, why are they being called then to save economies and private companies that made unwise investment decisions by lending money to people with showdy credit histories?
As a taxpayer I and many others were not involved in the gamble that these private companies undertook in a bid to reap maximum profits and yet we are now being forced to pay for their imprudent lending.
This failure once again shows the volatility of the market economy and its danger to the hard earned investments of innocent people who ultimately become victims. Also, this shows the misguided myth that governments have marginal roles to play in economies.
The market cannot have its cake and eat it too. It desires to embark on unrestrained gambles and when those gambles don't pay off it turns to us for salvation. And yet when we make suggestions about its operation we are sidelined or treated as some lunatics who don't understand how modern economies work.
Interesting book to read: Keen, Steve, Debunking Economics: The Naked Emperor of the Social Sciences, London: Zed Books, 2001.
If the market demands that governments have limited role in economies, why are they being called then to save economies and private companies that made unwise investment decisions by lending money to people with showdy credit histories?
As a taxpayer I and many others were not involved in the gamble that these private companies undertook in a bid to reap maximum profits and yet we are now being forced to pay for their imprudent lending.
This failure once again shows the volatility of the market economy and its danger to the hard earned investments of innocent people who ultimately become victims. Also, this shows the misguided myth that governments have marginal roles to play in economies.
The market cannot have its cake and eat it too. It desires to embark on unrestrained gambles and when those gambles don't pay off it turns to us for salvation. And yet when we make suggestions about its operation we are sidelined or treated as some lunatics who don't understand how modern economies work.
Interesting book to read: Keen, Steve, Debunking Economics: The Naked Emperor of the Social Sciences, London: Zed Books, 2001.
Wall Street slides as Countrywide takes toll
By Hal Weitzman in New York
Published: August 16 2007 14:09 Last updated: August 16 2007 18:08
US stocks plunged on Thursday after Countrywide, the beleaguered mortgage group, said it would have to draw on $11.5bn of credit and an official report showed new homebuilding dropped to a 10-year low in July.
The market jitters over the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis were further fuelled by a strong statement from William Poole, president of the St Louis Federal Reserve, who denied that the subprime issue pointed to a systemic crisis in the financial system and said only a “calamity” would justify a cut in interest rates.
However, a senior Federal Reserve spokesperson in Washington said Mr Poole’s views did not represent those of the central bank’s policymaking Open Market Committee as a whole. More...
Story courtesy of The Financial Times
Other relevant links
Market meltdown continues (Toronto Star, Aug 16, 2007 01:43 PM)
Published: August 16 2007 14:09 Last updated: August 16 2007 18:08
US stocks plunged on Thursday after Countrywide, the beleaguered mortgage group, said it would have to draw on $11.5bn of credit and an official report showed new homebuilding dropped to a 10-year low in July.
The market jitters over the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis were further fuelled by a strong statement from William Poole, president of the St Louis Federal Reserve, who denied that the subprime issue pointed to a systemic crisis in the financial system and said only a “calamity” would justify a cut in interest rates.
However, a senior Federal Reserve spokesperson in Washington said Mr Poole’s views did not represent those of the central bank’s policymaking Open Market Committee as a whole. More...
Story courtesy of The Financial Times
Other relevant links
Market meltdown continues (Toronto Star, Aug 16, 2007 01:43 PM)
Heavy losses sweep world markets (BBC, 16 August 2007, 19:13 GMT 20:13 UK)
Russian central bank intervenes (FT, August 16 2007 15:12)
ECB injects €95bn to help markets (FT, August 10 2007 04:17)
Monday, August 13, 2007
This week on African Perspective
"HIV and AIDS do not exist"
This Tuesday 14 August we discuss the controversial topic of HIV and AIDS. We look at the argument on the flip side of the mainstream understanding of AIDS, which postulates that HIV is non existent and that HIV does not cause AIDS. However, it seems dangerous to assert that line of thought as South African President Thabo Mbeki and Dr. Peter Duesberg, regarded as one of the world's top scientists realised when he had his AIDS funds stopped, and his laboratory taken away because he is said to have proved that HIV does not cause AIDS. Our guest this week, Hannilie Zulu notes that any evidence that challenges mainstream knowledge of HIV and is stifled and the people holding that view ostracised. The Andre Chad Parenzee trial in Australia provides an interesting case.
Zulu is a native of Zambia and is currently based in Denmark. She is the founder of AfriDAD a non governmental organisation that focuses on Debt, Aid and Development in Africa. She has studied international economies, has authored more than 400 articles on the world economy and how it affects Africa. She is the author of 11 books which include: "Negotiating Blood" a book about the world economy, 'The mother of the Matrix' the most oppressed and controversial case of the century, The Evacuation and others. Hannilie is about to launch her new book on HIV and AIDS titled: "Telling AIDS Stamped Relatives They Are Not Ill and Becoming Eternal Enemies with Them", this coming winter.
Listen live on 105.5 FM in Toronto or online on www.chry.fm worldwide as we discuss this issue. To contribute, call our studio number on +1 416 736 5656 or write to africanperspective@chry.fm
About African Perspective
African Perspective is a current affairs programme that reports and analyses news and events from an African viewpoint. It broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10am-11am Eastern Time/2pm-3pm Greenwich Mean Time on CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto and www.chry.fm on the Internet worldwide. The programme provides Africans with a platform to articulate their experiences, challenges and celebrate their achievements to both the Canadian public and policy makers.
Presenters: Kuthula Matshazi and Shadya Yasin
This Tuesday 14 August we discuss the controversial topic of HIV and AIDS. We look at the argument on the flip side of the mainstream understanding of AIDS, which postulates that HIV is non existent and that HIV does not cause AIDS. However, it seems dangerous to assert that line of thought as South African President Thabo Mbeki and Dr. Peter Duesberg, regarded as one of the world's top scientists realised when he had his AIDS funds stopped, and his laboratory taken away because he is said to have proved that HIV does not cause AIDS. Our guest this week, Hannilie Zulu notes that any evidence that challenges mainstream knowledge of HIV and is stifled and the people holding that view ostracised. The Andre Chad Parenzee trial in Australia provides an interesting case.
Zulu is a native of Zambia and is currently based in Denmark. She is the founder of AfriDAD a non governmental organisation that focuses on Debt, Aid and Development in Africa. She has studied international economies, has authored more than 400 articles on the world economy and how it affects Africa. She is the author of 11 books which include: "Negotiating Blood" a book about the world economy, 'The mother of the Matrix' the most oppressed and controversial case of the century, The Evacuation and others. Hannilie is about to launch her new book on HIV and AIDS titled: "Telling AIDS Stamped Relatives They Are Not Ill and Becoming Eternal Enemies with Them", this coming winter.
Listen live on 105.5 FM in Toronto or online on www.chry.fm worldwide as we discuss this issue. To contribute, call our studio number on +1 416 736 5656 or write to africanperspective@chry.fm
About African Perspective
African Perspective is a current affairs programme that reports and analyses news and events from an African viewpoint. It broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10am-11am Eastern Time/2pm-3pm Greenwich Mean Time on CHRY 105.5 FM in Toronto and www.chry.fm on the Internet worldwide. The programme provides Africans with a platform to articulate their experiences, challenges and celebrate their achievements to both the Canadian public and policy makers.
Presenters: Kuthula Matshazi and Shadya Yasin
Friday, August 10, 2007
Zanu PF and the art of managing leadership challenges
Not The Headline I wrote
I cannot take responsibility of the above headline because I do not publish my articles, which in this case seems to freak a lot of people. That headline was written by the editor of NewZimbabwe.com not Kuthula Matshazi.
I am sensitive to this freaking out because people are reacting to a certain framing of the story which I did not mean and did not write. Put that way, I would agree that it could suggest that I am being unnecessarily partisan in my approach to analysis of the issue at hand.
My headline for the original story (see below the original story) I submitted for publishing was "LEADERSHIP CONTESTS DEFINE 2008 ELECTORAL FORTUNES". I cannot be held responsible for how the NewZimbabwe.com editor ultimately decided to frame my story "Zanu PF and the art of managing leadership challenges". This is a wrong way of framing my story and have communicated this to the Editor of NewZimbabwe.com. I hope he will only be professional enough to make amends.
The problem with putting such a changed headline of the story is that it changes the tone of and structure of the story to sound as if I am exhaulting one party at the expense of the other when what I am only doing is making a balanced analysis based on facts on the ground.
Even if the change of the headline was done with good intention, it still has the unintended consequence of communicating something that I did not mean. I chose and always choose headlines very carefully because they demonstrate and frame the story in the way I mean it to be understood.
While I still stand by my analysis I believe there is need for fairness in approaching the issues we deal with.
Kuthula Matshazi
I cannot take responsibility of the above headline because I do not publish my articles, which in this case seems to freak a lot of people. That headline was written by the editor of NewZimbabwe.com not Kuthula Matshazi.
I am sensitive to this freaking out because people are reacting to a certain framing of the story which I did not mean and did not write. Put that way, I would agree that it could suggest that I am being unnecessarily partisan in my approach to analysis of the issue at hand.
My headline for the original story (see below the original story) I submitted for publishing was "LEADERSHIP CONTESTS DEFINE 2008 ELECTORAL FORTUNES". I cannot be held responsible for how the NewZimbabwe.com editor ultimately decided to frame my story "Zanu PF and the art of managing leadership challenges". This is a wrong way of framing my story and have communicated this to the Editor of NewZimbabwe.com. I hope he will only be professional enough to make amends.
The problem with putting such a changed headline of the story is that it changes the tone of and structure of the story to sound as if I am exhaulting one party at the expense of the other when what I am only doing is making a balanced analysis based on facts on the ground.
Even if the change of the headline was done with good intention, it still has the unintended consequence of communicating something that I did not mean. I chose and always choose headlines very carefully because they demonstrate and frame the story in the way I mean it to be understood.
While I still stand by my analysis I believe there is need for fairness in approaching the issues we deal with.
Kuthula Matshazi
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Leadership contests define 2008 electoral fortunes
The Flip Side with Kuthula Matshazi
While there are almost negligible chances that a divided Movement for Democratic Change could win in the harmonised elections that are seven months away it is interesting to see how an equally divided Zanu PF would manage a win.
One quick reason that would be advanced by those opposed to Zanu PF is that since it is the party in power it would rig the elections. This explanation would however fall short in explaining to us how Zanu PF fails to rig in strategic places such as Harare where, for symbolic reasons they need to be seen winning. Harare being the capital city where the central administration of the country is based would ideally be an area Zanu PF would want to control. Matabeleland is critical for national unity. After the early 1980s political tensions and the subsequent unity accord, the government has been eager to be seen as healing the wounds and also bringing into mainstream the marginalised province.
Although Zanu PF is divided into two camps, it is lucky that it has a candidate in President Robert Mugabe that can still hold the party together and still move it forward as a unit. Zanu PF is reported to have two camps namely that of Vice President Joyce Mujuru and Minister of Rural Housing Emmerson Mnangagwa.
On the other hand, the MDC does not have that sort of person who can hold the party as a unit while the fight for leadership positions still continues. Leadership battles have a dilapidating effect. No one leader can be a contestant and judge at the same time and expect an uncontested outcome. This is not to imply though that such scenarios of a leader who is both contestant and judge might not occur and bring a positive result as a general rule. It might occur but successful examples are uncommon. The MDC example demonstrates this point well.
The two MDC leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara are pushing forward the process of leadership while carrying their baggage of vested interests. The problem with such a scenario is that when the two leaders clash in their views, almost everything else is affected. Equally when the leaders are of one mind there is progress. We saw that in the MDC after the March 11 clash of the opposition with the police. The two MDC leaders came together in solidarity and vowed to create a united opposition that would take Zanu PF out of power. For a while, it seemed that the MDC was going to create a united front. Of course, they had not indicated that they were merging, but probably this would have been a step towards the reconciliation of the two sides.
Along the way differences occurred and part of the main problematic issues were of leadership positions and the whole unity effort came down crumbling like humpty dumpty.
If Zanu PF did not have a third candidate, who in this case is President Mugabe it could have faced a similar predicament. However, President Mugabe has helped Zanu PF remain standing amid the fractured units. Not only is he helping to keep the party together, he is also able to keep the opposition weak and defeated.
It is my belief that President Mugabe could indeed retire by December as Dr. Ibbo Mandaza suggested in the British Broadcasting Corporation programme World Debate. But the circumstances of President Mugabe might not be what many people think: that he is being pushed out. I doubt that there is anyone who can be able to push out President Mugabe in Zanu PF right now. And sure, he is not invincible (as teenagers think they are) but experience has shown us that he is much in control even though some elements might want him gone by now because they figure out that it would be to the advantage of their leadership aspirations. I think Mandaza meant that by December this year there would be a consensus within Zanu PF of who might be the new leader after the party would have elected him/her under a generally accepted system. Meanwhile, the message that President Mugabe is the next year’s Zanu PF candidate for the harmonised elections is a trump card on its own because it would dampen the spirits of the opposition especially the MDC who have found him to be a formidable opponent. That way it gives breathing space to Zanu PF to tear each other apart in its bid to come up with a solid restructured leadership. So in what appears to be a Zanu PF chaos currently there might come out an even stronger party that is geared towards the current and future challenges. The leader that emerges in the Zanu PF December congress would be the one with solid support among Zimbabweans and one who has a clear chance of winning the elections for Zanu PF. And that is the person that President Mugabe would be happy to hand over the reins.
The flip side is that Zanu PF might fail to reach a consensus on the candidate and in which case Tsvangirai nemesis President Mugabe would go on to represent Zanu PF in next year’s elections. That would really be a nightmare for Tsvangirai!
Unfortunately, MDC has not been able to organise in much more like Zanu PF where there is a third candidate to rule. While Mutambara has been busy trying to build a party of the future, short circuiting President Mugabe’s rule and getting into power quickly has obsessed Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai appears to have the majority appeal within the MDC ranks. But the fatality of this blind following is that he is myopic because he is looking at immediate individual gratification and failing to articulate current challenges and linking them to the future. Ironically, his myopia has seen many opportunists flock to him hoping for immediate benefits, which have unfortunately not been forthcoming. Now with the possible defeat of 2008 and the lack of leadership and strategic vision Tsvangirai’s faction would degenerate into disillusionment. As other members entertain their ambitions to replace a leader who would have clearly failed, there is likely going to be chaos. Tsvangirai would defend his turf while the new hopefuls push for leadership positions likely causing a nasty battle that results in factions emerging and hopefully not the start of the disintegration of that faction.
From whichever angle one analyses the situation, things are not looking good for the MDC factions going into the 2008 elections. MDC stands to lose the elections because of its failure to manage its leadership crisis. Zanu PF would win because it would manage its leadership transition effectively and the presence of a third candidate would insulate it from the ravages faced by MDC.
While there are almost negligible chances that a divided Movement for Democratic Change could win in the harmonised elections that are seven months away it is interesting to see how an equally divided Zanu PF would manage a win.
One quick reason that would be advanced by those opposed to Zanu PF is that since it is the party in power it would rig the elections. This explanation would however fall short in explaining to us how Zanu PF fails to rig in strategic places such as Harare where, for symbolic reasons they need to be seen winning. Harare being the capital city where the central administration of the country is based would ideally be an area Zanu PF would want to control. Matabeleland is critical for national unity. After the early 1980s political tensions and the subsequent unity accord, the government has been eager to be seen as healing the wounds and also bringing into mainstream the marginalised province.
Although Zanu PF is divided into two camps, it is lucky that it has a candidate in President Robert Mugabe that can still hold the party together and still move it forward as a unit. Zanu PF is reported to have two camps namely that of Vice President Joyce Mujuru and Minister of Rural Housing Emmerson Mnangagwa.
On the other hand, the MDC does not have that sort of person who can hold the party as a unit while the fight for leadership positions still continues. Leadership battles have a dilapidating effect. No one leader can be a contestant and judge at the same time and expect an uncontested outcome. This is not to imply though that such scenarios of a leader who is both contestant and judge might not occur and bring a positive result as a general rule. It might occur but successful examples are uncommon. The MDC example demonstrates this point well.
The two MDC leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara are pushing forward the process of leadership while carrying their baggage of vested interests. The problem with such a scenario is that when the two leaders clash in their views, almost everything else is affected. Equally when the leaders are of one mind there is progress. We saw that in the MDC after the March 11 clash of the opposition with the police. The two MDC leaders came together in solidarity and vowed to create a united opposition that would take Zanu PF out of power. For a while, it seemed that the MDC was going to create a united front. Of course, they had not indicated that they were merging, but probably this would have been a step towards the reconciliation of the two sides.
Along the way differences occurred and part of the main problematic issues were of leadership positions and the whole unity effort came down crumbling like humpty dumpty.
If Zanu PF did not have a third candidate, who in this case is President Mugabe it could have faced a similar predicament. However, President Mugabe has helped Zanu PF remain standing amid the fractured units. Not only is he helping to keep the party together, he is also able to keep the opposition weak and defeated.
It is my belief that President Mugabe could indeed retire by December as Dr. Ibbo Mandaza suggested in the British Broadcasting Corporation programme World Debate. But the circumstances of President Mugabe might not be what many people think: that he is being pushed out. I doubt that there is anyone who can be able to push out President Mugabe in Zanu PF right now. And sure, he is not invincible (as teenagers think they are) but experience has shown us that he is much in control even though some elements might want him gone by now because they figure out that it would be to the advantage of their leadership aspirations. I think Mandaza meant that by December this year there would be a consensus within Zanu PF of who might be the new leader after the party would have elected him/her under a generally accepted system. Meanwhile, the message that President Mugabe is the next year’s Zanu PF candidate for the harmonised elections is a trump card on its own because it would dampen the spirits of the opposition especially the MDC who have found him to be a formidable opponent. That way it gives breathing space to Zanu PF to tear each other apart in its bid to come up with a solid restructured leadership. So in what appears to be a Zanu PF chaos currently there might come out an even stronger party that is geared towards the current and future challenges. The leader that emerges in the Zanu PF December congress would be the one with solid support among Zimbabweans and one who has a clear chance of winning the elections for Zanu PF. And that is the person that President Mugabe would be happy to hand over the reins.
The flip side is that Zanu PF might fail to reach a consensus on the candidate and in which case Tsvangirai nemesis President Mugabe would go on to represent Zanu PF in next year’s elections. That would really be a nightmare for Tsvangirai!
Unfortunately, MDC has not been able to organise in much more like Zanu PF where there is a third candidate to rule. While Mutambara has been busy trying to build a party of the future, short circuiting President Mugabe’s rule and getting into power quickly has obsessed Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai appears to have the majority appeal within the MDC ranks. But the fatality of this blind following is that he is myopic because he is looking at immediate individual gratification and failing to articulate current challenges and linking them to the future. Ironically, his myopia has seen many opportunists flock to him hoping for immediate benefits, which have unfortunately not been forthcoming. Now with the possible defeat of 2008 and the lack of leadership and strategic vision Tsvangirai’s faction would degenerate into disillusionment. As other members entertain their ambitions to replace a leader who would have clearly failed, there is likely going to be chaos. Tsvangirai would defend his turf while the new hopefuls push for leadership positions likely causing a nasty battle that results in factions emerging and hopefully not the start of the disintegration of that faction.
From whichever angle one analyses the situation, things are not looking good for the MDC factions going into the 2008 elections. MDC stands to lose the elections because of its failure to manage its leadership crisis. Zanu PF would win because it would manage its leadership transition effectively and the presence of a third candidate would insulate it from the ravages faced by MDC.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Ottawa criticized for 'abandoning' Africa
TheSouthernAfrican.com
Sunday, 29 July 2007
TORONTO - Canada’s two main opposition parties, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party have laid it on the ruling Conservatives for “abandoning” Africa in preference for Latin America when it comes to aid and development partnership. Participating in a discussion on “African Perspectives”, a Tuesday morning programme on CHRY Radio of Toronto, the Foreign Affairs critic for the NDP, Alexa Mcdonough and the Liberals’ CIDA critic, Mark Eyking said Prime Minister, Stephen Harper is not pulling together with world leaders who are advocating for more assistance to Africa. More...
Sunday, 29 July 2007
TORONTO - Canada’s two main opposition parties, the New Democratic Party and the Liberal Party have laid it on the ruling Conservatives for “abandoning” Africa in preference for Latin America when it comes to aid and development partnership. Participating in a discussion on “African Perspectives”, a Tuesday morning programme on CHRY Radio of Toronto, the Foreign Affairs critic for the NDP, Alexa Mcdonough and the Liberals’ CIDA critic, Mark Eyking said Prime Minister, Stephen Harper is not pulling together with world leaders who are advocating for more assistance to Africa. More...
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Businesses and murky pricing
The story below where British Airways admits to price colluding demonstrates clear evidence of widespread murky nature of the operation of the market and its equally murky "forces". This has resemblance to the Zimbabwean situation where businesspeople were ripping off gullible consumers. How can anyone justify 100 to 1000 percent profits? Its sick and immoral.
The market economy will always be dysfunctional and full of thieves although they are always quick to point fingers at other people. This market economy, which is based on neoliberalism is operated in a very obscure and criminal manner.
BA's price-fix fine reaches £270m
BBC, 2 Agust 2007
British Airways has been fined about £270m after it admitted collusion in fixing the prices of fuel surcharges.
The US Department of Justice has fined it $300m (£148m) for colluding on how much extra to charge on passenger and cargo flights, to cover fuel costs.
It followed a decision by the UK's Office of Fair Trading to fine BA £121.5m, after it held illegal talks with rival Virgin Atlantic. More...
The market economy will always be dysfunctional and full of thieves although they are always quick to point fingers at other people. This market economy, which is based on neoliberalism is operated in a very obscure and criminal manner.
BA's price-fix fine reaches £270m
BBC, 2 Agust 2007
British Airways has been fined about £270m after it admitted collusion in fixing the prices of fuel surcharges.
The US Department of Justice has fined it $300m (£148m) for colluding on how much extra to charge on passenger and cargo flights, to cover fuel costs.
It followed a decision by the UK's Office of Fair Trading to fine BA £121.5m, after it held illegal talks with rival Virgin Atlantic. More...
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