January 14-21, 2015

Tsvangirai visits ‘terror base’

Independent Media

Newsday, January 16, 2015

“Tsvangirai storms Zanu PF ‘terror’ base” by Moses Matenga

• Upon quickly driving by a Zanu PF-dense part of Budiriro, Harare, Morgan Tsvangirai incstigated a ruckus by means of his presence. Zanu PF loyalists were upset at his being in the neighbourhood and hurled insults at his motorcade.
• Tsvangirai’s ‘visit’ followed a weekend in which MDC members were injured and a melee involving his party loyalists and members of the Zanu PF. Prior to Tsvangirai’s drive through Budiriro, he called for tolerance among supporters of different political parties. He said that youths from across the political divide were victims of political failure.
  
• While at his quick stop in the Zanu PF stronghold, vendors reportedly told Tsvangirai that they were being extorted at a rate of a dollar per day by the local Zanu PF office. This is not on official government tax, but extortion by local Zanu PF members. The extortionists are allegedly acting with disregard to law and order. The article implies that the local authorities dare not interfere with the extortion being practiced in Budiriro.
  

*No state-owned media reported on this subject.

Mutasa continues battle against Zanu PF

Independent Media

Daily News, January 18, 2015

“Mutasa fires back” by Fungi Kwaramba

• Didymus Mutasa has said that no one could expel him from the “real Zanu PF” and that he was determined to save the party from collapse.
  
• Attacks against him are culminating in what is likely to become his expulsion from the Zanu PF in the very near future. His home province of Manicaland has recommended his expulsion from the party.
• Mutasa refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Zanu PF as it stands. He does not accept the expulsions and the new regime which has appeared since the December 2014 party congress which he sees as having been largely flawed.
  
• Mutasa has referred to Robert Mugabe affectionately in his recent rhetoric and writings, and mainly has qualms about recently promoted Zanu PF senior officials (who were given their new posts by Mugabe).
  
• This comes as many senior party members confronted Mugabe on Monday.
  

State-owned Media

The Herald, January 19, 2015

“Manicaland free to fire Mutasa” by Munyaradzi Musiiwa

• If Manicaland province decides to expel Didymus Mutasa from the Zanu PF, the Politburo will not stand in its way, Secretary for the Commissariat Saviour Kasukuwere has said.
  
• Kasukuwere said that Mutasa’s fate lay in the hands of the province, after which he insidiously indicated favouring Mutasa’s expulsion.
  
• Further, Kasukuwere railed against Mutasa’s threats to create his own party and Mutasa’s vague threats toward party cadres. He finished his statement by reaffirming his support for the current Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa.
  

Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, January 19, 2015

“Zanu PF responds to Mutasa”

• Simon Khaya Moyo, Secretary for Information and Publicity, railed against former Secretary for Administration, Didymus Mutasa for the content of an open letter in which he unreservedly denounced the “new” (post-December) Zanu PF. The party was restructured at the party Congress in December after a plethora of wild accusations coming from the state-run press and Grace Mugabe.
  
• Khaya Moyo then said that since it was Mutasa’s responsibility to organize the congress, the allegations levelled by Mutasa were especially worrying.
  
• Mutasa was ostensibly involved in every step of organizing and carrying out the Harare congress and only failed to attend for reasons of ill health, alleged Moyo.

Land grab imminent

Independent Media

NewsDay, January 19, 2015

“Land grab to intensify – Mnangagwa” by Moses Matenga

• Acting President Emmersom Mnangagwa has said that the government will soon step up its land grab. He announced that the government plans to target the few remaining white farmers and several other farmers across the country.
• This will be done to complete the land reform policy of the government. Mnangagwa indicated that the program will ensure economic stability.
  
• Mnangagwa also stated that since political stability has been achieved, the next step was to bring the agricultural sector of the country back to life.
  
• The Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU), composed of many former white farmers as well as some black farmers, indicated the degree of hesitation with which they approach share-cropping. Although the CFU has guarantees from the government, the union said that policy on the subject was inconsistent if not non-existent at times.
  
• This indicates that further land reforms may end up becoming more detrimental to the agricultural sector.
  

*No state-owned media reported on this subject.