Kill and rioter- police told

Zimbabwe's police chief Augustine Chihuri said Tuesday his
force was prepared to use firearms to stamp out violence during joint
presidential and legislative elections next month.

Chihuri said police could invoke the public order and security act which
allows an officer to use a firearm "if he finds other methods to be
ineffective or inappropriate."

Chihuri urged political parties to abide by the law to avoid clashes with
police in the run-up to joint presidential, parliamentary, senate and local
council polls March 29.

"In certain circumstances we are also empowered to use force including use
of firearms," he told journalists at police headquarters in the capital
Harare.

In December, President Robert Mugabe urged his supporters to refrain from
violence in the polls and similar exhortations by opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai at the launch of his party's election campaign Saturday.

"There has been talk in some opposition circles and civic organizations of
street protests or Kenya-style riots if the ballot does not go in favor of
one's political party," police Chihuri said.

"Machetes, axes, bows and arrows cannot put anybody into office. We will
never allow that to happen in this country.

"We will nip it in the bud. We are adequately resourced to cover this
election."

In Kenya, at least 1,500 people have died and tens of thousands have been
displaced since Dec. 27, when post-election violence erupted after
allegations of vote-rigging.

Zimbabwe's security forces have in recent years used brute force to break up
protests by Mugabe's opponents.

The country's last presidential elections in 2002, won by Mugabe amid claims
of vote rigging, were marred by widespread violence which left several
people dead and thousands injured.

Earlier this month police banned the carrying of dangerous weapons in public
to prevent violence.

Oil from Sudan

- The Zimbabwe government has taken its begging bowl to Sudan in search of desperately needed fuel supplies.

Negotiations are currently underway to import petroleum from Sudan, Africa’s largest country wrecked by decades of civil war, to ease the chronic fuel crisis ahead of the crucial March 29 general poll.

The government seeks to import crude oil and then process it at its Mt Hampden fuel plant. The processing plant was commissioned by President Robert Mugabe and Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono late last year.

Official sources said plans for the arrangement were at an advanced stage. It is understood authorities were anxious to seal the deal before March. Zimbabwe is currently surviving on ad hoc deals signed with various fuel merchants.

South Africa and Equatorial Guinea are the main suppliers while numerous fuel contracts signed before have collapsed due to chronic foreign currency shortages.

Sudanese ambassador to Harare, Mohamed Sharief, confirmed this week that talks were in progress.

“We are still negotiating and we expect that by March an agreement will have been reached,” Sharief said. “We have very good relations with Zimbabwe and we want to help.”

But energy minister Mike Nyambuya professed ignorance of the deal, saying: “I’m hearing about it for the first time.”

Sharief, however, said private companies were also keen to import fuel from Sudan. He said his country exports 500,000 barrels of crude oil a day with the potential to sell more.

There are at least 14 big private companies holding commercial fuel licences in Zimbabwe while 246 small private firms have licences to import petroleum products.

It is understood the a number of direct fuel import permits has since dramatically increased due to a thriving fuel black market. Government officials and cronies are deeply involved in the illicit trade.

Diplomatic sources said the Sudan oil arrangement was likely to spark a row with the US which was opposed to petroleum deals involving Khartoum. This week Washington vehemently objected to a fuel deal between Sudan and Kenya.

Zimbabwe wants to join countries like China and Malaysia - its main allies in the scramble for Sudan’s vast oil reserves. The move is likely to cause serious ructions in the international community.

The US is opposed to any fuel trade with Sudan because, so Washington says, the Khartoum regime uses oil revenue to fund its Janjaweed militia. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its military wing, the SPLA, have offices in Harare.

There is now a global campaign to force international companies and countries tapping Sudan’s huge oilfields to abandon operations because the industry is fuelling the war.

Just last week, renowned Hollywood director Steven Spielberg pulled out of an Olympics Stadium design project because China continues to bankroll Sudan by buying oil imports and perpetuating genocide in that country.

Millions of voters in the troubled Zimbabwe will have to puzzle through a blur of alliances, divisions and sub-divisions among the political parties before deciding who is really the parliamentary candidate for whom they want to vote.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the official election administrator, has just published a list 779 candidates for the only 210 seats available in the lower house of assembly, and 197 aspirants for the 60 elected seats in the upper house, the senate, from 12 political parties and 116 independents.

The choice is narrowed by the fact that three of those parties have clear national support.

Thereafter, voters are faced with numerous candidates claiming to represent the same party, others purporting to represent the genuine faction of one of the mainstream parties but in fact using the name and symbol of a different faction, and independent candidates who are not really independent, but allied to factions of other parties.

The muddle of candidates adds to widespread concern about the elections on March 29, when, for the first time, the electorate of 5.5 million people will have to mark their Xs on four different ballot papers for presidential, house of assembly, senate and local government wards.

Church and civic groups point out that the head of ZEC, Judge George Chiweshe, has been illegally appointed by President Robert Mugabe; that he ignored legal procedures for the setting of the election date; that the boundaries of the constituencies in the elections were illegally promulgated; and, that there is evidence of comprehensive manipulation of the voters roll.

They say ZEC has carried out almost no voter education on the complicated new system, the campaign period is far too short and there is scant hope of all would-be voters being able to cast their vote in a single day.

Also standing for the presidency are former national labour leader Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the larger faction of the Movement for Democratic Change, who has been beaten by Mugabe since 2000 in the last three elections - all dismissed by independent observers as fraudulent - and former ruling party politburo member Simba Makoni, the surprise candidate denounced by Mugabe as a prostitute.

Makoni describes himself as an independent without a political party, but has asked disgruntled members of Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party to back him by registering themselves in the parliamentary elections, also as independents.

In eight of the constituencies for the two chambers of parliament, the ruling party appears to have registered two candidates under its name.

However, in all cases, one of the two is an angry would-be candidate fighting against the official Zanu-PF candidate imposed by the party hierarchy after its primary elections that were riddled with bribery and cheating.

The development is unprecedented in the party's history, and observers say it indicates the deep divisions regarding corruption and the state of the economy that threaten to destroy the organisation.

Tsvangirai's faction of the MDC, formally registered as MDC- Tsvangirai, also has double candidacies facing each other in 11 constituencies, the result of two new separate sub-factions that developed since the popular original party split in 2005.

Other discontented MDC-Tsvangirai candidates have had themselves listed just as MDC, to distinguish themselves from the former labour-boss faction.

Unfortunately, this is also how the other faction of the original MDC has been registered, and there are 16 constituencies where candidates representing different groups will appear on the ballot paper to be representing the same party.

Chinese loan to fund Zimbabwe farm equipment purchases

China will loan Zimbabwe $42 million to help the once prosperous southern African nation buy farm equipment, Zimbabwe's state media reported on Saturday.

Zimbabwe, which used to export food to its neighbours, has seen agricultural production fall sharply since 2000 when President Robert Mugabe began seizing thousands of white-owned farms and redistributing the land to poor blacks.

Food shortages are a common feature of life in the nation.

Mugabe's government has pinned its hopes of an economic recovery on a good harvest in 2008, but production is likely to be handicapped by a lack of technical expertise, funding and equipment.

The Chinese loan, which was signed by central bank Governor Gideon Gono and Chinese deputy Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng during a visit in Harare, will help finance a programme to buy new equipment for the nation's desperate farmers, the Herald newspaper reported.

The Chinese will supply some of the equipment.

Mugabe, who attended the signing, hailed the Chinese for standing by his government, which has been shunned by Britain, the United States and other Western nations, which accuse him of human rights abuses, rigging elections and ruining the economy.

"This friendship is rooted in a formidable relationship ... but we now need to embark on developing this relationship of co-operation with programmes that would enhance and continue what we have built over the years," Mugabe was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The 84-year-old Zimbabwean leader, who has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980, is running for another five-year term in a March 29 general election. He blames the country's economic problems on sabotage by the West

Retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Friday lashed out at U.S. presidential hopefuls' calls for change in his country, saying the only change needed is in the United States.

In his first column article since he announced retirement as Cuba's top leader, Castro said all the U.S. presidential candidates cried for change in Cuba in recent debates, but the fact is that "Cuba changed a long time ago and will continue its dialectic road without returning to the past."

All these candidates in the U.S. were forced to proclaim their immediate demands to Cuba "to avoid risking vote losses," said Castro.

Castro said that U.S. leaders want Cuba to become part of their" voracious and expansionist empire," and that is what they mean by change.

Castro announced his retirement on Tuesday, after some 50 years in office. He said he would not accept the position of president of the Council of State and commander in chief but will definitely communicate his thoughts with Cuban citizens through a newspaper column titled "Reflections of Comrade Fidel."

With the Zimbabwe election approaching in March, some Batswana are eager to
see change in the government of Zimbabwe urging that country's"exiles" in
Botswana to go back home and "vote out the old man".

"I am quite surprised with you Zimbabweans. Can you not just vote Mugabe out
and stop coming to our country? As soon as you vote him out, your problems
will be over," a visibly irritated young Motswana woman shopkeeper at
Tsamaya says.

A random survey in Old Naledi yielded similar responses. Many Batswana
believe Zimbabweans now have the last chance to use the ballot to effect
change in their country.

But some Zimbabweans working in Botswana are adamant that they do not need
to go back because comrades back home will do the job.

This attitude sparked a hot discussion between a young Motswana, Andrew
Moremi, and five Zimbabwean tenants at a residence in Old Naledi, popularly
called 'parliament'.

Moremi was quite perplexed as to why Zimbabweans continue to come in droves
to Botswana, saying he wondered why almost everyone he has discussions with
supports President Robert Mugabe.

"You guys, are you not some of the youths from the Border Gezi Youth
Training programme? Otherwise I find it hard that you are not willing to go
back and vote out Mugabe," an angry Moremi enquired.

A young Zimbabwean man, Jonathan Kusema, noted that if someone were to
record an album titled 'Vote Mugabe Out', it would definitely sell like hot
buns in Botswana.

"For a start, Andrew, you must never expect us to castigate Mugabe. He is
the president no matter what some people say. You can climb over the
mountain, go under the sea or to the middle of the Kgalagadi Desert, shout
yourself to a standstill, Mugabe is still the man," Kusema went on.

"Let me state the obvious, which is really pertinent to our discussion. In
my opinion Mugabe is the only president in Africa who has the guts to take
the West head-on and face other issues affecting the marginalised in so far
as the land issue is concerned," joined in a cool Darlington Murefu.

Moremi was still unconvinced. "Let me tell you why I think you are reluctant
to return home and vote: most of you people, your immigration permits are
not in order. You are illegal immigrants. Your Emergency Travel documents
are fake and you do not even have the capital to till the land. Your homes
were destroyed in Operation Murambatsvina. You risk limb-and-soul crossing
the crocodile-infested Limpopo River in order to do menial jobs here and
South Africa. Above all you are causing unemployment by doing work reserved
for Batswana here," said Moremi.

But Murefu interrupted him to and give their version of the Zimbabwean
crisis. "Mugabe is a liberation war hero, the sufferings he went through,
would not allow him to relinquish power so easily. Botswana, to my
knowledge, was never won through the barrel of the gun. So, most people here
don't understand the Zimbabwean scenario. The battle to control our destiny,
as Africans, has just begun. Zimbabwe is leading the way," added Murefu, who
sounded like a ZANU-PF sympathiser.

"If Mugabe was here this Old Naledi location would be history," said Murefu.
Moremi was more mad at this assertion.

"Why are you still here?" Murefu responded: "Cost cutting measures brother.
Have you ever heard of cost management?" The two were almost trading
punches.

Murefu talked about resilience of the Zimbabweans'. He said the people have
now learnt to make ends meet in the current environment because they know
that continuing to grumble will not take them anywhere.

He said ZANU-PF would be hard to dislodge because the war of liberation has
had a long lasting impact on the villagers.

When Mugabe goes around the countryside campaigning, he reminds the people
that ZANU-PF fought to liberate their country.

The ZANU-PF leaders also tell peasants that the MDC - Movement for
Democratic Change - is a white-sponsored organisation and that the
dispossessed white farmers are spoiling for a confrontation in order to get
the land back.

Murefi argued that the "brothers and sisters in the Diaspora would return
and help reconstruct the country.

Zimbabwe goes to the polls next month but Murefu said removing Mugabe and
ZANU-PF would not be easy.

He recalled that in 1998 there were food riots, stay aways, and various
demonstrations that characterised the run-up to the 2002 presidential
elections.

All failed to remove ZANU-PF from office. Some men actually said they
regretted ever taking part in the said demonstrations.

"In 2002, when we went to the polling station to vote, it was so frustrating
as things were not quite in place. I ended up abandoning the whole exercise
after waiting for close to 11 hours in the queue. We were so frustrated.
What guarantee is there that situation will not be the same?" added an
elderly Zimbabwean Sekeramayi Munatsi.

"You tell us to go back and vote against Mugabe. what guarantee do you have
your preferred candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader, will do any
better?" asked Munatsi.

But to Moremi that was an irrelevant question. He just wants Mugabe out
because he is a stumbling block to everyone in the SADC region.

The Zimbabwean pair insisted that "those still inside Zimbabwe will do the
job. Their voting is our voice. We are here working for them sending
groceries so that they can have the energy to go and vote".

But Moremi was still unconvinced, echoing the sentiment of most Batswana:
"There are far too many Zimbabweans on this side of the border. If you all
went back your vote would make a difference".

But Murefu, shouting after the departing Moremi, said: "Why are you assuming
that everyone is going to vote against Mugabe? My vote is secret".

The name of Simba Makoni, the former finance minister who says he will run
against Mugabe as an independent, did not crop up in the discussion.

---

By Bruce wakoBhebhe
koBulawayo
Robert Mugabe on Thursday night labeled his former finance minister Dr Simba Makoni a “political prostitute”.
This is because Dr Makoni left Zanu PF to challenge Mr Mugabe in the March 29 polls.
Said Mr Mugabe "What has happened now is absolutely disgraceful. I didn’t think that Makoni after all the experience could behave like the way he did and in a naïve. Simba Makoni has no party, he says I am like a magnet, come to me and I am there to lead you.’.
"So I have compared him to a prostitute, a prostitute could have stood also to say I have my own people in MDC and some in Zanu PF so am standing as a presidential candidate. But you see a prostitute could have done better than Makoni because she has clients,” said Mr Mugabe.
But is Mr Mugabe not a prostitute himself.
Didn’t he breakaway from Joshua Nkomo lead PF- Zapu in 1963 to form his Zanu ?
Next time Mr Mugabe becarefull with what you say.

By Bruce wakoBhebhe
KoBulawayo

I’m not an economist, but I don’t believe the inflation rate is the official
66000percent. It’s closer to 150000percent. I know this sounds crazy, but we
Zimbabweans are used to it.

Here, prices don’t go up, they are “adjusted upwards” — constantly. Even the
prices of goods that haven’t been on the shelves for months go up all the
time.

Halfway through a ride, a bus conductor will tell you that the fare has gone
up.

The price of bread doubles every two and a half days. And the price differs
from shop to shop. A loaf of bread usually changes hands about three times
before it reaches its final destination, and its price increases each time.

In January last year, teachers went on strike, demanding a salary of
Z$200000 a month. Now they are demanding Z$1.7-billion a month, and with
good reason. At present they are earning the equivalent of R300 a month.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced a 10-million-dollar note last month
and already Zimbabweans are carrying large numbers of them. The previous
highest denomination was the $750000 note, printed two weeks before.

Hyper-inflation a ffects the price of everything, no matter how big or how
small.

A cigarette will cost Z$500000 if you buy it on a pavement.

A pint of beer is going for Z$7-million. Some things can hardly be bought
with money. Most landlords want rent in foreign currency, even though this
is illegal. Others prefer lodgers to pay with groceries instead of local
currency.

How are people coping with this madness? They are no longer alarmed at the
price of a scarce product; they are relieved at having found it.

Many people buy groceries as a hedge against inflation. For example, a
2-litre bottle of orange juice was selling for Z$9-million in January. I
bought 10 bottles. The juice costs Z$17-million a bottle as I write.

Some employees buy foreign currency as soon as they get cash. When they need
Zimbabwean dollars, they simply sell some of the foreign currency.

When you ask the price of a product in a store, the shop assistant might
tell you: “You’d better buy this today as the price will be doubling
tomorrow.”

There are pitiful consequences to inflation. I have seen people visiting
relatives in hospital hungrily eat food meant for the patient. I’m sure some
people visit just to get a meal.

The prison service has said it can no longer afford to feed prisoners
properly. It is giving prisoners single mangoes as a meal.

Most Zimbabweans bury their dead wrapped in cloth because coffins cost an
average Z$2.5-billion.

Hospital staff steal medicines, and patients are required to buy their own
syringes, needles, drips, bandages and tablets.

Junior doctors and nurses are on strike most of the time.

Petrol sells for Z$50-million a litre. It was less than half that last
month.

The Zimbabwe dollar is now trading at 7$million to the US dollar, up from
Z$2-million last month.