5-21 January 2016

1. Human Rights

Domestic media, independent 

Political violence flares up again, January 21, NewsDay

• Mbare councillor, Antony Shingadeya (MDC-T) was brought to emergency care after being attacked by suspected Zanu-Pf protesters, who where besieging an opposition meeting
• Antony Shingadeya, as wel as two other party supporters were assaulted ahead of a scheduled visit by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai
• Efforts to obtain a statement from the police remain fruitless at this point
• MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu confirmed the attack : “I have also gathered similar reports and I’m in the process of verifying them. It’s not surprising at all because the Zanu PF terror group, Chipangano, is very much alive and kicking in Mbare and the surrounding environs. I understand that some Zanu PF thugs attacked Councillor Shingadeya’s residence in Mbare.”

Enough is Enough? Violence Breaks Out In Zimbabwe, Police Heavily Beaten By Protesters, January 5, 2015, The Southern Daily

• Violent crashes occurred Chitungwiza on Tuesday between police and residents as well as several more disturbances in Harare
• According to reports, the confrontation began as a quarrel between Zanu-PF members and a group of young adults. The situation quickly developed, with the authorities deploying ten truckloads of anti-riot police.
• The riot, say analysts, is linked with the delays in salaries for teachers, who are still waiting, as well as many other government trades, for their Christmas pay.

Alarming Chitungwiza orgy of violence, January 10, Zimbabwe Daily

• Lizbert Saruchera (15), Takudzwa Chirwadzimba (16) and Simbarashe Kwezaramba (19) spent two nights in jail until they were bailed out by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
• The three students were arrested along with 32 residents for  contravening to Section 36 of the Criminal Law Act for allegedly committing public violence.
• The arrests followed a demonstration by commuter omnibus operators who are not happy with fees charged by the Chitungwiza City Council.
• Many analysts see this crackdown on youth as a panic attack by a regime who has no more options to defend itself against mounting opposition
• “This is what we are seeing in our motherland. Citizens have a constitutional right to protest and demonstrate in instances where they are not happy with what the government is doing. The events over the past few weeks are regrettable.”

No apology, no reconciliation, Mugabe told, January 20, NewsDay

• Communities in the provinces of Zaka, Muzarabani, Hurungwe and Tsholotsho, told a Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT)-organised workshop in Harare yesterday that most of the violence in their district had been caused by ruling party Zanu-PF members
• The workshop, organized for victims of political violence, brought more doubts about the government’s commitments to the  National Peace and Reconciliation Commission
• “The President’s intervention will not be acceptable. We can’t also send views to the minister because he is appointed by the President. Most of the violence was State-sponsored violence,” one of the victims said.

Chaos in Zim: Opposition Calls War! Harare Set For Intense Anti-Mugabe Demos, January 21, The Southern Daily

•  The newly formed Zimbabwe People Front Party (ZPFP) issued a declaration this week saying the party will not rest until the government stops sleeping on duty
• This is the latest of a series of similar declarations by opposition leaders to stage a massive amount of demonstrations against the government this year
• “People are losing jobs- the ZANU PF dictators should just be removed and the country needs an engine overhaul. Not to recycle those old and senile who are out of touch with reality have no ideas.” Said Owen Kuchata, leader of the new party.

Foreign Media

ZHRC dealt with 400 complainant of human rights violations since 2014, January 21, Bulawayo

• The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) reported this week it has dealt with more than 400 human rights complaints since its inception in 2014, said the commission.
  
• Cases reviewed by the Commissions are mostly concerned about roperty rights, land disputes and labour related cases (e.g. unfair dismissals. 

2. Economic stress

State-Owned Media

Drougth threaten over 500 k cattle in Mat North, January 26, Chronicle

• More than 500 000 cattle in the province of Matabeleland may succumb to the acute drought this year if no measures are taken immediately, especially now that Zimbabwe’s livestock department has declared grazing pastures a write-off
• The Zimbabwean authorities are aware of the food security risked and are doing all they can to provide and distribute additional maize

Mapanzure community bears brunt of mining, January 25, 2016, Chronicle

• Communities in Zvishavane have been devastated by the extractive industry, with dozens of open pits left unprotected
• Disaffected miners, now unable to work in the abandoned chrome pits, have taken over most of the remaining farmland, raising tensions with local farmers already struggling to make ends meet.
• The Zimbabwean Environmental Law Association (Zela) issued a report recommending  an increased participation by the community in chrome mining activities, highlighting the need for communities to participate in the licensing awarding process for mining companies

Food Harvest, Everyone’s responsibility, January 2006, The Herald

• As the prospects of a good rain dry away, it is refreshing to know the government stepped up measures to  ensure nobody starves
• Authorities have so far secured more than $ 200 million in lines of credit to import grain, which should greatly help to sustain grain stocks until 2017
• This is consistent with the Government’s commitment in food security. The authorities have ordered the Grain Marketing Board to import 230 000 tons of maize. Zimbabwe needs 1,8 million tons a year for human and livestock consumption

Independent

Drought-stricken Zimbabwe has probably not seen the worst, January 27, Business Day Live

• President Robert Mugabe has refused to declare food emergency despite a record drought affecting the whopping 70% of Zimbabwe’s population who lives on farming, despite calls by the EU to issue such statement
• Relations with the EU remain tight, despite the EU’s readiness to assist donor organizations in raising money for food aid emergency. Since 2002, the EU has maintained measures including a travel ban and asset freeze on Mr Mugabe and his wife
• Luxon Mabvongwe, a 50-year-old father of 11, told Business Day Live : "Livestock was our bank because people expected to sell and raise money for school fees, but they are all dying and there are no pastures. If you look around you, it’s just barren,"
• Agriculture accounts for roughly 30% of Zimbabwe’s exports earnings, as well as 19% to its GDP. 

AMHVoices: Politicisation of food aid must end, January 12, Newsday

• The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) decried the use of food distribution as a political tool to strengthen Zanu-Pf positions in rural areas of Zimbabwe
• Recently, there has been reports of villagers in Mutasa blocking access to the Grain Marketing Board depot in order to create a petition against politicization of food aid. A similar incident took place in Manicaland in November 2015, as well as in  Chivi and Mt Darwin
• These outcries over the political maneuvering behind food aid comes at a time of unprecedented drought in the country 

Foreign Media

People urged to buy Zanu PF cards to access food, January 23, Southern Eye

• The Gwanda Residents Association (GRA) has pushed local residents to quickly obtain ruling party Zanu-PF membership card to accelerate access to food aid
•  “They (villagers) were told point blank that all MDC-T and MDC members would not be included in the list of beneficiaries and that they must go and ask for grain from their leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube’s wives because the grain due to come is from (First Lady) Grace Mugabe
• Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), a national human right watchdog, has said such politicization of food aid was in violation with the constitution

Summary 

As the drought in Zimbabwean stretches on, the government’s tone towards the opposition is getting more and more bellicose. Last week, it was report that more than half a million cattle were in immediate danger due to lack of footstock. The consequences of this potential catastrophe are far-reaching for Zimbabwe, where 70% of the population depends on agriculture for its subsistence. Farming represents roughly 30% of the country’s GDP. Efforts to obtain more maize on foreign markets, in a period of low commodity price, put an additional strain on the state coffins. The result is a marked raise of tension amidst lower government bodies, closer to the crisis. Opposition activists, denouncing the politicization of food aid distribution, accuse the authorities of limiting the handouts to individuals who plead allegiance to the ruling Zanu party.

Robert Mugabe has refused to offer apologies for the last Harare squabble between Zanu-PF members and participants of an opposition rally. But more episodes like this are on the rise. Reports abound of various Zanu officials, members and affiliates starting squabbles all around the country, leaving hundreds hospitalized.