Legacy of failure
Zimbabwe Independent Editor’s Memo I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the piece we ran on our opinion pages last week by veteran journalist Bill Saidi. In a typically rasp allegory, Saidi had this to say about the Anti-Corruption minister Paul Mangwana’s hairstyle: “He will always be remembered for a very peculiar hairstyle; or the lack of one. His
Defiant Tsvangirai interdicted by own party
New Zimbabwe ZIMBABWE’S warring opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party on Wednesday sought a court interdict against its leader restraining him from conducting business on behalf of the party. The MDC has been rocked by factional fighting, culminating in last week’s suspension of Morgan Tsvangirai by the party’s seven-member disciplinary committee. Four members of
MDC’s constitution backs Tsvangirai’s suspension
The Cape Argus (SA) Morgan Tsvangirai has been suspended as president of the Zimbabwe opposition MDC, at least according to the party’s constitution. MDC legal secretary David Coltart, who has refused to be aligned to either side in a dispute which has ripped the party apart, said that according to Article 10.4 of the founding
Massive rigging unearthed in MDC presidential election petition
SW Radio Africa By Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa The MDC legal team led by David Coltart has said that investigations for the controversial 2002 presidential election have exposed massive rigging by the Mugabe regime. The investigations, which will be made public within the next month, will show wide spread voter fraud and breaches of
Analysts Applaud Stronger US Measures Against Zimbabwe
Voice of America – Peta Thornycroft Analysts in Zimbabwe say that extension of U.S. travel sanctions to include more senior members of President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party are welcomed but do not go far enough. The government has not reacted to the widening of the travel sanctions, which now include central bank governor Gideon Gono,
Coltart pleads for tolerance over the senate issue
SW Radio Africa The MDC legal expert David Coltart has spoken out over the controversial senate election that has divided the opposition party. He says positions have become entrenched over this issue and hoped that things can be restored to normal, but added it would be difficult given the enormous amount of damage done to
Drop in violence as Mugabe reins in the MDC
Zimbabwe Independent Harare – Political violence in Zimbabwe has fallen to its lowest levels since the emergence of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change six years ago. Analysts say this is because President Robert Mugabe has successfully subdued the opposition and civil society. The Human Rights Forum (HRF) on Monday released its latest monthly statistics,
Tsvangirai begins election challenge
Independent Online Harare – Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court on Thursday began hearing a petition from opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai challenging President Robert Mugabe’s victory in elections three and a half years ago. A lawyer for Tsvangirai argued that the constitutional rights of the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had been violated because the
Whither Zimbabwe – A failed state? A “Parliamentary democracy”?
(A speech delivered to the symposium organised by Bulawayo Agenda and the Konrad Adenhauer Stiftung at Bulawayo on the 16th November 2005) I have been asked to consider the question as to whether Zimbabwe is now a failed state. It is hard to define what a failed state is because that is such a relative
Constitutional hysteria takes Africa by storm
The Herald WHAT is motivating the wave of constitutionalism sweeping across Africa? Who is behind it? Is this pre-occupation with national constitutions a manifestation of growing consciousness within Africa, or another manifestation of external manipulation? Where does the constitution stand in the resolution of Africa’s ongoing socio-economic and political challenges? Isn’t Africa better off addressing