Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Zimbabwe President Mugabe Speaks on the History of the Liberation Struggle

Inside President Mugabe's memory bank

Sunday, 01 September 2013 11:52
Zimbabwe Sunday Mail

Yesterday, President Mugabe delivered a riveting account of the liberation struggle during the burial of Cde Kumbirai Kangai at the National Heroes' Acre. In the off-the-cuff speech, which captured the attention of many and left scores others awestruck by the President's sharp memory, Cde Mugabe delivered the account blow by blow. Today we publish the first of a two part series of the address.

Amai Kangai nemhuri yose yaVaKangai, Vice President Cde Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru, National Chairman vedu, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, Secretary vedu veAdministration, VaDydimus Mutasa, Nhengo dzePolitiburo ne Central Committee yeZanu-PF varipano, Maformer ministers varipano, Tichiyewukawo kuti tina former Deputy Prime Minster Professor Arthur Mutambara varipanowo, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, Our service chiefs, Baba Mukonori nevafundisi vose varipano, Masenior civil servants, Representatives of the war veterans, ex-detainees, restrictees and war collaborators, Nhengo dzose dzemumusangano, Mastudent activists vauya pano, Vakamirira business community varipano, Mafarmers representatives varipano, Members of the diplomatic corps, Vanababa nanamai vose varikusvimha vatinavo, Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends.

Tauyazve panharaunda ino raakunge Dare reChimurenga. Tirikudanwa zuva nezuva. Avamatatu zvino mazuva achitevedzana nendufu dzirikuuyawo dzichitevedzana dzemagamba, vatinoti magamba echimurenga, vakazvipira kwenguva refu; kutambudzikira nyika yedu kuti ruzhinji ruzova nemagariro akanaka.

Hatipuhwe nguva refu imiwe. Vakataura Pastor patakaviga vaEnos Nkala pano kuti tinokanganwa kuti tiripazororo panaapa. Rwendo rwatinonzi tifambe rwakareba. Zvakatsinhirwa pano zvinoramba zvichitsinhirwa nevafundisi kuti rwendo rwedu nderwenyama. Rwenyama rwupfupi asi rwemweya ndorurefu rusingapere.

Ndakati rwatinoziva nderwe nyama. Rwunematambudziko atinoyedza kugadziridza. Nderwune matambudziko atakayedza kwenguva ndefu kuti vataive navo panguva iyoyo tichivaronga vatibatsire kuti tive nemusangano unozoita tigadziridze magariro edu; nyama yedu ive nemagariro akanaka.

Takanga tisingatarise nezvemberi tichiti “Kufa kunouya hongu. Asi tinemagariro atinosungirwa kugadziridza”. Hatingati nekuti remangwana richauya nemufaro unove wenyama ungarwadze zvawo.

Ungatambudze zvawo nyama toiregerera ichirwadziwa, ichiita zvirwere zvisingasungirwe kuvapo zvinokonzerwa nevamwe. Kwete. Takati kana. Kana avo vanokonzera kuti nyama yedu kwazvo kwazvo zvatinonzwa kuti hupenyu hupfupi uyu.

Tofanirwa kufaranukaka uye nemufaro inga tinaanachiremba wani vanotarisa kuti kana zviri zvirwere chaizvo izvo mishonga inenge iripo. Vamwe vanoenda kun’anga; hedzo dzokandira hakata. Kurikuenda kuti nyama iyi ifaranuke irege kuwana vanoitambudza kana vaya vanonzi varoyi.

Zvino yedu yakanga isiri nzira yehakata nokuti varoyi vataiziva ndevava vakanga vabva kunze vatitorera nyika yedu, mufaro wedu, minda yedu magariro edu ekuzvitonga.

Vatofanana nemavirus aya anopa disease. Tikati izvi zvinemushonga wazvowo. Mushonga ndewekuti isu tirikunzwa kurwadziwa, varwere vacho, nyama yedu isati yarukutika chaizvo towunganaka. Ivava vanenge vaine nyamawo. Saka inyama dzavo nenyama dzedu dzaisungirwa kurwisana apa.

Hezvo vakambotigara matumba tikati “Haa kwete hatichada kuti murambe makatigara mumatumba”.

Madzitateguru edu akamboyedza kuzvisunungura kuti nyama dzavo dzifaranuke vakazvitadza. Tikaberekerwa isu takazvarirwa munyika yakange yavane ava zvino vasingade kuti nyama dzevamwe dzifaranuke. Tive nemufaro munyika yedu, tive nekuzvitonga, tiwone kuzviitira.

Uyu watirikuviga nhasi, hezvo waenda kuchikoro - Zimuto. Kuchikoro ikoko achiwona nhamo dzaive nemastudents. Vaneruzivo rekuti mastudents dzimwe nguva vanobva vaendererawo mberi. Asi aiva neruzivo rwekuti ave anewonororo inopfuura yevamwe, aneshoko ringaunganidze vamwe.

Aivawunganidza kuti varambe zvinenge zvisina kunaka sekudya kusina kunaka. Yaingove mviro mviro idzodzo dzebasa raakanga achazoita guru guru. Varipo zvakare vakanga vakadaro mune zvimwe zvikoro, mastudents vatakaronga mhiri uko vauya nepfungwa dzavaive nadzo dzekuti ayehwa takaramba fundo yatingapihwe nevadzvanyiriri.

Nyika yedu isati yauwa, mufaro wedu usati wauya, simba redu rekuzvitonga risati rauya zvinobatsirei kuti ndiwane kafundo ikako? Saka vaiwuya. Ndovazhinji vakatibatsira zvikuru kuti tironge chimurenga chedu. Tive nevarwi vaive nehungwaru ihwohwo; ruzivo irworwo asi vazvipira zvekare.

Zvino, yatirikutaura nhasi ndeyaKangai. Takataura neyaVaNkala. Chitarirai VaNkala havana kubuda kuenda kunze. Kwete. Vaiva muno mukati maive nevatungamiri vatakaronga kuti vave vanokwezva ruzhinji rwevanhu; vave vanopa gwara kuvanhu.

Asi tawona kuti isu chimurenga hachingabudirire nokuti simba raive nomuvengi wandati aititadzisa mufaro takanga tisinaro, ndoratainotsvaga kunze. Kunze takanga tisina misha. Yaiveko. Saka vatakaona kuti avava ngavarongwe ndavaya vana vaibuda kuenda ikoko kana taikwanisa kutora kune vakanga vatamira kunze sekuna anaZambia, vana vaikoko vaibva kunzvimbo idzodzo.

Ndovana vatakaumbirira kuita Dare reChimurenga. Vakanga vabuda kubvakuno vachienda kunze vari nhengo dzemusangano. Tikati: imi woye! Kuno hazvichakwanisika. Musangano nemusangano wataita wava kubhanwa. Chirongai dare ikoko, mounganidza vamwe vamungakwanise kuwana. Nhengo dzemusangano dzakabudawo kuenda kunze nevamwe vamungagone kuwana, moronga kuti chimurenga chedu chienderere mberi.

Vemuno mukati vachazenge vachiita basa rekutsvaga vangabude kuenda kunorongwa kuchimurenga ichocho. So, ndozvakaitika. Mativi maviri awa, kuno nekunze, kuno uku kwarinda pamusana pekushaiswa masimba nevasvetasimba, kunze uku, ngakusimbaradzwe kuti kana kwasimbaradzwa vanobva ikoko vozouya vosimbaradza mukati zvakare.

Chimurenga chedu hecho-oo chobva zvino chava nemasimba ekuti tikunde muvengi, chova chimurenga chevanhu. Saka zuva ranhasi tirikuviga waiva mukomana mudiki ari kuchikoro, akagozobuda achienda kuchikoro zvakare kuti anoita fundo yemberi. Asi akabva aneshoko rekuti nyika inofanirwa kurwirwa.

Haana kungoti zvandabuda kuno kunze, aaahh, zvanaka. Fundo yangu ndoiwana ndobva ndagara kuno kunzezve zvaiita vamwe. Mmmm, wakati ndaiwana fundo. Ndinoziva kuti shungu yangu ndeyekurwira nyika. Ndichange ndichinosangana nevamwe kuna anaTanzania, kuna anaZambia, tobatana, tokuchidza moto wechimurenga, hondo yedu yekuzvisunungura yobva yavamba zvino chaizvo izvo kuenderera mberi.

Tinozvitenda zvaakaita. Once again, we are gathered here to lay to rest a cadre with a long standing record of the revolutionary struggle. The cadre, who passed on in unbelievable circumstances, and, this, only a few days ago, about a week ago, now.

The circumstances of his death are best known to the family and we were with Kangai at the last Politburo meeting and he even made suggestions in our meeting. We never noticed, but one or two amongst us noticed that he was unwell; but we, the majority of us, never noticed that he was unwell.

And the meeting went into (the) late hours of the night and the following morning, we were shocked to hear that Kangai was no more.

And the story was that he was taking a bath, a cold bath apparently, and suddenly, he fell, and that fall, was a fateful fall, for he was never to rise from it alive, so we are told.

That’s how he died.

The previous night at a Politburo meeting; the following morning, he is dead.

He had attended the meeting as a Politburo member in style, as if to say: “Goodbye, you won’t see me again and this is the last meeting I’m attending”.

Then, he passed on. His brother, Cde Reward Kangai, has told us about Kumbirai’s animated joy on the day before he passed on and the family’s shock, the turn of events after that.

We accept this sad occurrence. He is no more. But we cannot understand why.
And may I extend, in particular to Mai Kangai, who now has the burden of looking after the family without the support and love she had got to know, the deep condolences and sympathies of the party, of those in Government who had worked with him, of his dear friends, of my family and of my own.
Enos Nkala I knew in 1960, I said, but about that time, I did not know Kangai. Parties were banned here, but the enemy never rested. He knew we had prominent people outside.

After all, from detention we had asked Cde Chitepo, who had been asked for by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere to help with legal work in Tanzania because they did not have well-trained legal people, Tanzanians, at that time. . .they wanted a public prosecutor, and Nyerere asked for Chitepo and he insisted.

So, we said fine. You can go. Least did we know that one day we would be calling upon him to organise the party outside and so, as the parties were banned here, ZANU had been formed. We had made Chitepo the chairman of the party of ZANU PF as both ZANU, ZAPU were banned.

But from Sikombela in Gokwe, where we were, fortunately all of us, who were in the leadership of ZANU were detained together at Sikombela, so this gave us time to strategise as Sithole was there, VaMuzenda, VaTakawira, Edison Sithole, Mike Mawema and Morton Malianga.

The only missing guy was Enos Nkala who had become accustomed to being a jail bird.

So, we met and decided that since we had low capacity to meet as a party due to our detention and restriction status, let us commission those who are outside to form a revolutionary council and start training people for a revolutionary struggle.

Saka tiri kuSikombela, Chitepo used to come and we gave him instructions as the chairman of the party to get other members of the central committee who were outside and vaanaChikowore, vaanaShamuyarira, nevamwe. They were outside. . .naana Mukono.

Get them together, form the revolutionary council and enhance it with other key people you are likely to get from our members of the party. We had this in writing. I put this in writing because I was the secretary general. But it was a decision we took at Sikombela.

And that is how Dare reChimurenga was formed. We asked Chitepo to free himself now from the obligation imposed upon him as an employee of Tanzania. He should now be free to organise the party from outside and this is how he and those he could get sat together.

Apparently, things didn’t go that well for a start. But later, they managed to get quite some people vaiveko kare vanaanaTongogara nevamwe vakazouya. AnaanaHamadziripi vakanga vabuda vanaana Rugare Gumbo vakange vapedza madegree avo kunaanaCanada vakazodzoka. He had been a youth of the party kuMasvingo. Ndokufomwa kwakaitwa Dare reChimurenga and Kangai himself apedzawo degree rake kuAmerica.

Achiri kuAmerica ikoko, he was doing a lot of work moving from one state to another, talking to individuals, other students from here and organising the party as our representative from ikoko. But this time he came back and joined the others.

Saka ndati the enemy never rested. In 1974, we were put together patakaita that inclusive political organisation yeUANC under Bishop Muzorewa. An armed struggle had already begun, but because vanaanaNyerere navanaKaunda wanted us to unite.

Well, takangoita zimano mano and we call this tamba wakachenjera. Taiti kana tadzoka kumusha nesu takanga tirimuprison, we were taken to Lusaka to form this organisation tichizodzorerwa kumaprison futi. Ndozvataiitwa. So, we went there, all parties and reluctantly, we agreed to form that foursome organisation –Zanu, Zapu, ANC yaMuzorwa and Frolizi yaanaChikerema naanaNyandoro - to be led by Bishop Muzorewa; that organisation was formed at the end of 1974.

Tadzoka kumusha, takaenda kumaprison edu. We were now in Kwekwe and not at Sikombela anymore. We were freed and we knew that we were not going to last for long. Taive netamba wakachenjera yedu.

So January 1975, we organised people muHighfield tichi recruiter. AnaEnos Nkala were now out navaana Morton Malianga. He said we must recruit as many people as possible. Sithole was arrested in February that year. Back to prison. Hanzi nekuti iwe haude; you are not listening to what the OAU wants.

Flimsy reasons and “you want to kill some other people”. March ’75: Chitepo is killed by a bomb in his car, small VW. It was then we had already Dare reChimurenga. We had already started organising some fighters and because there had been some revolt also the Nhari revolt - so called.

Vamwe vakomana vanga vafurirwawo nemamwe maleaders vanenge vachida kutora power saka vakange vaita revolt vaakubata some of the leaders, but they were rounded up by the Nhari group. And pakaitwa ANC yaBishop Muzorewa, vakange vasungwa kare; the Nhari rebels.

So, when Chitepo died, the party sat here. We had leaders of the party here. We had met kwaMushandirapamwe, Highfield, Mushandirapamwe Hotel, and it was then decided I should go and organise a take-over from what Chitepo had done. That’s then the journey we made with Tekere through Nyanga with Chief Tangwena so on and so forth.

But then, when Chitepo died, vakapomerwa mhosva. Those who were blamed for his death were his colleagues, kunzi ndimi mamuuraya and not the enemy. And our people at that stage were not capable of having a sophisticated mechanism of a bomb of that nature planted in the engine of a car in order to kill people. No. And there was no reason anyway for killing their leader.

So, later on, we discovered that it was the Rhodesians who had done it. So, as we went out after Chitepo’s death, those who had worked with Chitepo were locked up in Zambia. All of them, the leaders! And only two, I think, managed to escape; I think Mujuru and Zvinavashe, going into Tanzania.

Although they were wanted by the security in Zambia, they remained in Tanzania. But that situation then saw us having another group called Zipa vachiita nyay dzavo dzemahumbwe. They never wanted to lead the struggle. Vaingogara ikoko zvichinzi tirivashandi. Marxist ideas, which were distorted and never well-mastered, although they had aive mukwasha wangu ainzi ndiye expert wacho.

So, we had a situation which was ugly. Tekere and I did not have much time at all. But then came the need for us to deliver. And it was because of that we insisted kune vangavasisade kunzwa Zapu or Zanu at all. Hanzi hatichada. They just wanted UANC under Bishop Muzorewa. But Bishop Muzorewa is man of the Bible. He could not be expected to lead a struggle.

To lead an armed struggle. . . you can lead a spiritual struggle, yes. But the times did not demand spiritual struggle. Yes, priests and churches were praying all the time for peace in the country. But we had to do something physically to liberate ourselves. I renounced Kaunda for arresting our people.

I made a statement on Focus on Africa on the BBC to say he has arrested innocent people. I was actually interviewed, and they said but this is the man who has helped you all along and I said that is the more reason why we should criticise him kuti: he has helped us so much, why should he now negate his previous work?

That’s how I put it roughly. And for that I must say I was persona non grata even in Tanzania. They didn’t want to see me. I went to Ghana from London assisted by Samora Machel. We were together and I was staying in Keremani, Mozambique. So, we went to Ghana. Then we came back, landed in London. London–Tanzania, they said “No”. The chief was sent to the airport and said I could not come into Dar es Salam.

Why? And my passport was stamped “entry refused”. So, we spent three days by the airport and this was because I had denounced our friend Kaunda. When I got to Maputo, Machel told me the reason and I got to know it was because of that statement I had made.

But then ok, the Geneva Conference had to be attended and Tekere and I said, no, we cannot go. We must insist on the release of our people in prison in Zambia. We told Samora Machel that if we are to go we must have those people in prison because they are leaders of our party. “Which party?” Machel said and we said Zanu PF. And he smiled because the OAU did not want to hear about Zanu PF anymore.

So, I was in touch with JZ and I was saying to JZ, “Now look, this thing under Muzorewa is just a small creature”. And then now Cde Nkomo was also getting disillusioned. Plus ndaimufurira futi JZ ndichiti “You must, you must stop talking about Zapu being aligned”.

He said he couldn’t do it without those inside. But we were liaising. So, Samora told Kaunda that well, the people in prison have got to be released to go to Geneva and the same language. It so happened that all Samora wanted or the Frontline States wanted was for us to meet as Zimbabweans.

So, the Muzorewa group came to Mozambique. Sithole was there also no longer interested in Zanu. He was part of Bishop Muzorewa. And Samora told us that we now had to proceed to Tanzania because Nyerere wanted to brief us on the meeting we were going to have in Geneva. So, we were flown to Dar es Salaam. We had a meeting with Nyerere. There were various groups and we had to stay to register ourselves in the presence Nyerere.

He wanted to know what groups were there. VaMuzenda, Tekere and I said we were Zanu. Then vanaSilundika and JZ said they were ANC Zimbabwe, something like that, but hiding Zapu because they couldn’t say Zapu because it was banned. And Sithole said I am under Bishop Muzorewa. But Nyerere said you have got to be united. It was then we formed the Patriotic Front of Zanu and Zapu.

From Tanzania we then were sent to Lusaka, but I talked to Nyerere, “Please request President Kaunda to release our people”, and they said they were going to try. In the meantime, Sithole had now left, deciding to quit, leaving ANC yaBishop Muzorewa.

He made a statement to the BBC, saying he now is back to Zanu, but not the one, the Zanu we had, but his own. So, when we got to Lusaka, we had Sithole with Zanu; VaMuzenda, Tekere and myself with Zanu also then Zapu, of course. In the meantime, VaNkomo vakanga vabva now; he had flown from home.

We appealed to President Kaunda to release our people. We said we couldn’t go to Geneva unless those people in prison were released. We needed them and Kaunda said well it was easy for him to release those who had no cases, but Tongogara and another had actual cases to answer. We said fine and he proceeded to release them and amongst the people released were anaKadungure anaMayor Urimbo and Kumbira Kangai.

Sorry, I have gone round to give you the full background. And I now came face-to-face with Kangai and that was the time I got to know him. He was introduced to me. Rugare Gumbo I knew from before. He had been a youth before in Masvingo and working with VaMuzenda. We had also met before in prison in Harare. But this time, it was Kangai and I got the background, the degree he had done and so on and so forth. Well and good.

And it was the group now to go to Geneva, but as it happened, the court, also the next day after the release of these ones, almost a day or two, found that Tongogara had no case to answer. There was no evidence. And he and another, the other, I forget who the other one was, but those were released and now we were a complete team.

So, we now go to Geneva, have discussions with the British and remould ourselves later. That’s how we had this whole group and vaanaKumbirai Kangai vanga vari in it. So, we went to Geneva in October 1976, and discussed with the British team and they were not serious at all and it was the Labour party. Smith came one day and said, “I have better business to do back home”, aah and did not want to tag.

So, the meetings were being led by that Dutch fellow who was very prominent in the Rhodesia Front – PA Van der Wild and he was leading the meetings. I remember one crushing meeting at one time. Our group was late for a meeting that morning. We had been held up and he shouted: “How come you people are ggrrr?” and I interjected and said: “Come on, how long shall we wait for our independence?”

And we had the British Press, nonsensical Press. So, they say you always criticise Ian Smith, but you say you are a Christian and a catholic. Why don’t you give another cheek and I said to them, I’ve given this cheek and the other, but I do not have a third cheek to give. Give me a third one and I will give it.

So, we were together at that meeting navaana Kangai, who were the people who had formulated the programme of the revolutionary struggle - chimurenga. Then, kochiita ava vakomana vanga vachitamba zvavo ava, vanaana Dzino. They wanted to destroy this group. Kwanzi vese vaanaKangai, vaanaTongogara cannot come to the camp unless we admit them kucamp ikoko. Vanotitya and we had their IDs and guns. They were actually itching for a fight.

So, they prescribed an admission programme, how these people could be admitted into the struggle if they were conducting. Even anaTongogara; that they have got to apply one by one; aahhh! So, takati kuna Samora, we go to Geneva. Geneva ended in January. February we did our Patriotic meeting.

After this meeting upon our return to Lusaka and that was the command camp, command base so Rugare Gumbo naTekere on the third of the meetings; you take these comrades to go and do some unfinished work and unfinished work was to be done in some hotel. That is how we got rid of them. He was a hard worker Kangai. Very straight forward, very correct, very respectful also.

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Tuesday, September 03, 2013

Will America Ever Erase the Color Line?

Will America ever erase the colour line?

September 04, 2013
By Ogaga Ifowodo
Nigeria Vanguard

A YEAR to the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the benediction of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, America reached for a brush, dipped it in white paint and freshened the racial colour line of which King’s predecessor, W. E. B. Du Bois, spoke so eloquently 60 years earlier in The Souls of Black Folk.

I am speaking of the murder on February 26, 2012 of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African-American boy by George Zimmerman, a White-Hispanic American.

Martin had crossed the colour line by his sheer presence in Zimmerman’s gated community. Thus, though warned by the police not to follow Martin, Zimmerman would sooner damn the consequences, if any, than let a Black boy “get away” with the “crime.” An all-White jury acquitted Zimmerman.

Martin’s murder echoes the slaughter of the 14-year-old Emmet Till in the aptly named town of Money (after all, what was slavery for which racism was a necessary ideology but the unconscionable pursuit of lucre?) in Mississippi, a state King described in his speech as “sweltering with the heat of injustice . . . [and] oppression.”

Till’s crime was “flirting” with a White woman, Carolyn Bryant, by “speaking” to or “whistling” at her. Days after the encounter, Carolyn’s husband, aided by his brother, seized Till from his great-uncle’s house where he had been staying on a visit from Chicago, drove him to a barn, tortured and then shot him through the head. Bryant and his brother were acquitted of kidnapping and murder.

So has nothing changed in the racial psychology of America since the genocide against Native Americans (the true owners of the land), Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, the Civil Rights revolution of the 1960s? You would be an incurable cynic, an insufferable paranoiac, to deny the monumental progress since the unthinkable days of lynchings and “For Whites Only.”

But you would be a delusional optimist, a closet racist, to think that America is now in a post-racial epoch. The election and re-election of Barack Hussein Obama, giving him and his all-too-black family occupancy of the White House, is enough to cause such euphoria. Still, the racial cauldron boils over every now and then for the requisite reality check.

And when it does, we are reminded of the great paradox of America’s self-proclamation as the land of freedom, of the constitutional enshrinement of the equal humanity of all, stirring sentiments founded, nevertheless, on the twin evils of genocide and slavery.

Which leads to the inescapable fact of racism as the political unconscious of America. For to perpetuate the national myth of being the land of freedom, America has, necessarily, to deny its history that perpetually mocks the claim. The result, to slightly adapt Du Bois speaking of the Negro (African-American), is “a double consciousness”: the rousing declamation of freedom while committing unspeakable atrocities.

Thus, two ideologically “unreconciled strivings,” two “warring” claims in one body-politic for a classic case of trauma and repression.

As with every trauma, the only way to break its crippling hold on the present and the compulsion to repeat the original catastrophe in new, often unrecognisable, ways is to acknowledge it. But America’s refusal to confront its “collective unconscious,” as Carl Jung might put it, leaves every person of conscience wondering how, in the second decade of the 21st Century, the great miscarriage of justice in the Trayvon Martin case could happen. Or maybe not, since our world as currently constituted remains largely divided by the colour line.

In the “unconscious” depths of the mind of White America — and I speak generally, mindful that about a third of the 250,000 thousand that marched on Washington were White people —the African or coloured person is inherently inferior. Is this a cynical view? Well, then, join Toni Morrison in a thought experiment.

In an interview with the Guardian (UK) of April 13, 2012, Morrison disclosed that she performed the experiment, at the age of 17, in an effort to understand the kind of rage that led some White mothers in the south to try to overturn a school bus carrying Black children. “I didn’t know if I could turn over a bus full of little White kids,” she said. “I didn’t know if I could feel that… fury.

And I tried very hard to. This is what I did: I said suppose … horses began to speak. And began to demand their rights. Now, I’ve ridden horses. They’re very good workers. They’re very good racehorses. Suppose they just … want more. Suppose they want to go to school! Suppose they want to sit next to me in the theatre. I began to feel this sense of — ‘I like you, but …’ ‘You’re good, but …’ Suppose they want to sleep with my children?!”

As her interviewer thankfully informs us, Morrison was by this point “laughing heartily.” Then the clincher: “I had to go outside the species! But it worked, I could feel it. You know; don’t sit next to me.” This is the psychic state that keeps the colour line continuously whitewashed and bright in America. But it can be erased. America’s tantalising promise of one human identity, which affirms the dream of a common human destiny, demands nothing less. But will the greatest power on earth even try?

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/will-america-ever-erase-the-colour-line/#sthash.lwGqBBfJ.dpuf

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Labor Dispute Remains Unsettled In Nigerian Education Sector

ASUU: FG Releases N30bn for Lecturers' Allowances

04 Sep 2013
Omon-Julius Onabu, Damilola Oyedele and Chineme Okafor
Nigeria ThisDay

The federal government Tuesday released the sum of N30 billion to the Ministry of Education for onward disbursement to the universities for the payment of earned allowances of the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Benue State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswan, made this disclosure at a meeting with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), at the state Governor's Lodge in Abuja, where he reiterated his appeal to the striking union to return to the classrooms in the interest of the future leaders of the country.

Suswan, who is also the chairman of the Needs Implementation Committee, said the money for the earned allowances was released yesterday afternoon.

The governor admitted that although there was delay in the commencement of the implementation of the existing agreements, the government had already addressed almost all of the demands of ASUU except on the allowances.

He described as 'unfair' comments allegedly made by ASUU leadership that the government was insincere and that the government disbursement of N100 billion for infrastructure needs of the institutions was done without consultations.

"ASUU participated in all the meetings where it was agreed to raise N100 billion, which has already been distributed to all the universities. In fact, the president of ASUU nominated one Dr. Baffa, who is very resourceful. He did all the work, and presented the criteria for distribution of the money which is based on the population of each university," he explained.

Suswan added that after the draft distribution was drawn up, he asked the union to go through the document for their satisfaction.

"Instead, they wrote me a letter accusing the committee of insincerity. The councils are the ones that would verify what we are owing, go and ask them. ASUU said no, that unless we put N92 billion on the table," he added.

The governor clarified that the government cannot hand over any money blindly unless it verified the need. This, he said, was necessary so that every university would be allocated the money it needed for the earned allowances.

On the N100 billion for infrastructure, which had already been disbursed to the schools, Suswan said the governing councils would be the ones to award the contracts, and not the Needs Implementation committee.

Suswan also alleged that the strike had assumed a political dimension. He appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians to work with the federal government to find a permanent solution to the incessant strikes, which held the danger of seeing to the production of mediocre graduates.

He also urged NANS not to embark on a protest as being canvassed in some quarters. Instead, he appealed to the union to urge ASUU to return to work.

"To raise N100 billion in two weeks is not an easy task. We are making efforts to ensure that this intervention is sustained beyond 2013," he said.

NANS President, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo, in an earlier address, expressed the intention of the students' body to embark on a protest either against the government or ASUU.

He also urged the government to consider the idea of interest-free loans for tertiary education students to ease the financial burden on those, who cannot easily pay for their education.

But as if goading the union to maintain its hard stance,the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence (fjhd) has given ASUU a pat on the back for its commitment in prosecuting the three-month old strike to compel the federal government to finally address the myriad of problems bedevilling the country's university education system.

The group said the action of ASUU was not unjustified while questioning the sincerity of the federal government "to meeting the said demands" despite the reported release of N130 billion to the governing councils of the different universities.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Oghenejabor Ikimi, the group lamented that hindsight has not shown the government acting in a sincere manner that would cause it to be trusted by the ASUU leadership.

In the opinion of Ikimi, the leadership of ASUU should not shift ground on the strike issue until the government demonstrated its seriousness by signing a kind of undertaking to implement the reformatory recommendations of the academic union after the strike would have been called off.

The statement said: "Even if the federal government's intention in the above regard is sincere, it is our considered opinion that before ASUU calls off its strike action, it must ensure that the federal government as a matter of urgency, signs a workable document with the leadership of ASUU on how it intends to meet their demands bearing in mind that a similar agreement signed in 2009 between the federal government and ASUU has not been implemented by the Federal Government till date.

"The group believes that ASUU's demands are genuine and real as (the strike) is an attempt by ASUU to save our educational system from extinction. For instance, in a recent world assessment of universities where the list of the world's first 1,000 universities were published no Nigerian university was mentioned.

The group stressed that “our universities deserve better funding to be able to re-position and revitalise itself as citadels of learning before they can turn out graduates the nation can be proud of."

However, the Delta State University, Abraka (DELSU) chapter of ASUU has expressed appreciation to Nigerians "for the support availed ASUU so far in the struggle", saying it would not waver but remain resolute until victory was achieved.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Nwafor Mordi, the body also condemned what it called shoddy conduct recently of the university's Post-UTME, claiming that its organisation "fell short of minimum standards for DELSU examinations."

Meanwhile, the National Association of Philosophy Students (NAPS) has said the federal government’s inability to implement the 2009 agreement was a clear indication of its untrustworthy nature.

NAPS stated at a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, that the issues raised by ASUU, which had resulted in an indefinite nationwide strike were basically for the good of all Nigerian public institutions and as such should not be hard for the government to implement.

Its Chairman, Adeshina Lukman, said in his address, that the union and all other student bodies in the country were disturbed with the development and had giving the government an ultimatum to address the situation as soon as possible, failure of which, it would galvanise a mass protest against the government.

“It is no longer news that Nigerian universities are underfunded, Nigerian universities cannot be compared with any university in the world and this explains why there is brain-drain in the country,” the association lamented.

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The Long Road to Nigeria's Oil Industry Growth

The long road to Nigeria’s oil industry’s growth

WEDNESDAY, 04 SEPTEMBER 2013 00:00 BY ROSELINE OKERE AND SULAIMON SALAU
Nigerian Guardian

THE political intrigues in Nigeria may have emerged the cankerworm that has not only eaten into the fabrics of the nation’s democracy, but also cracked critical sectors of the economy, such as the oil and gas industry.

The industry, which remains the mainstay of the economy is presently longing for workable framework that would put off the challenges to growth, production and security threats that has nearly crippled the industry in the past years.

Although, the roads may be rough, stakeholders believed that industry could still bounce back, if certain decisions are entrenched and the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is passed into law.

The International Oil Companies (IOCs), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other indigenous players in the industry are all troubled with the lingering delay in the bill, just as they clamor for a fair legislation. However, the fact remains that the national aspiration of achieving 40 billion barrels oil reserves, four million barrels of oil per day production and gas monetization among others are based on the capacity performance of the industry players.

Facts obtained from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources showed that a total of 600 million barrels of reserves were added in 2012, representing 70 per cent reserves replacement. As at end of year 2012, the crude oil reserve base stood at 36.8 billion barrels, representing 0.06 per cent decrease as compared to year-end 2011 figures.

Gas reserves at end of year 2012 was 182 trillion cubic feet (TCF) representing a 0.01 per cent dropped as compared to year end 2011 figures.

This posed further concern on the strategic oil and gas reserves base, which stakeholders believed could be better exploited, if the regulatory framework is right.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, pointed out that the enormous challenges would continue to drive innovation and change in government’s drive to delivering an oil and gas industry that was internationally competitive and was governed by open and transparent processes to ensure security of investment for both domestic and international investors.

She said that the government was committed to pursue the aspirations vigorously, as the ministry gave effect to government’s aspirations in the oil and gas industry and had a direct link with the ability of the government to deliver on transformation agenda through building sustainable industries with indigenous participation, delivering quality products to the Nigerians and creating oil and gas institutions of the future.

According to her, the PIB would provide for a transparent regulatory framework and competitive fiscal rules of general application, adding that the ministry had focused on building consensus around the key features of the bill and encouraging the National Assembly to speedily consider and pass this landmark legislation.

The minister, who recently captured the performance in the sector, in the past three years, said that the government had grown the NPDC’s (NNPC’s Exploration and Production Affiliate) production and reserve base to 1.7 billion barrels through strategic divestment initiatives.

“Crude oil production (including condensate) has been consistently maintained above an average of 2.30 million barrels per day (mbpd) despite illegal oil bunkering, crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism. Following the federal government’s amnesty programme, Nigeria’s production rose from an average of 1.9 mbpd in 2009 to a peak of 2.62 mbpd in October 2010.

“Sustaining production at these levels continues to be challenged by increasing pipeline vandalism and crude theft, which intermittently results in production falling below the programmed 2.46 mbpd and rebounding following government intervention to stem this menace.”

She, however, assured, “the government is tackling this problem through enforcement and the crude oil fingerprinting initiative.”

While analysing the landmarks recorded in the past three years, Alison-Madueke said that the gas sector had experienced increased supply to power plants, adding that it had also enhanced gas commercialisation, implemented the gas infrastructure plan and gas for industrialisation.

Going by the pressure to increase the refining capacity in the mid-stream, where Nigerians, particularly the masses are more directly affected, the minister assured that government was repairing and upgrading facilities in the refineries and pipelines distribution network in order to sustain in-country product supply.

She said: “We have progressed with plans for rehabilitation of the refineries commencing with the Port Harcourt refinery. Long lead items have been procured and seven shipments have arrived in the warehouse. Early works have commenced. Kaduna refinery and Warri refinery rehabilitation will follow in fourth quarter of 2013 and first quarter of 2014. Heads of Agreement have been signed for these and surveys are ongoing.”

Nigeria’s petroleum product consumption for white products is estimated at about 38 million liters Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 12 million liters of Automated Gas Oil (AGO) and eight million liters of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), whose production is inadequate for meeting domestic consumption even if they operate at design level.

This situation has led to importation of products from proceeds of crude exports to supplement supply from domestic refineries.

She said: “The plan going forward is to rehabilitate the refineries so as to obtain maximum production from them. This will meet about 70 per cent of the country’s needs. The deficit will be met by on-going plans to construct Greenfield Refineries. The ministry is also cooperating with private initiatives for construction of new refineries.”

Restoration work in the refineries and pipeline distribution network/storage systems have contributed to stable supply of petroleum products across the country despite the challenges of vandals and the criminal activities along this vital and critical infrastructure.

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Syrian Refugees Hit Two Million, UN Claims Crisis Worst Since Vietnam War

Syrian refugees hit two million, UN claims crisis worst since Vietnam war

Nigerian Guardian

AS the number of Syrian refugees crossing into neighbouring countries passed the two million mark, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, Tuesday described the crisis as a “disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparallelled in recent history.”

Guterres’ comment came as the global body also warned that with the escalation in Syrian violence, the world faces its greatest threat to peace since the Vietnam war.

In a new development, Israeli forces training with the United States (U.S.) navy in the Mediterranean set nerves on edge in Damascus yesterday with a missile test that triggered an alert from the Syrian government’s ally, Russia.

Moreso, President Barack Obama also Tuesday wrestled with doubters in Congress ahead of votes next week on possible U.S. strikes on Syria, arguing that “this is not Iraq, this is not Afghanistan.”

Obama told U.S. congressional leaders that Assad must be held “to account.”

However, U.S. Republican House Speaker John Boehner said he would support Obama’s call for military strikes against Syria.

In a potentially significant political move, Boehner emerged from talks with Obama at the White House saying the United States must respond to the use of chemical weapons, adding: “I am going to support the president’s call for action.”

It also came to light that the U.S. Navy has redeployed warships in the Middle East for any potential strikes against Syria, defence officials said.

The destroyer USS Mahan has left the Mediterranean while a battle group of warships led by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is on its way to the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean, an official said.

The Mahan is “on its way to Norfolk,” the ship’s home port in Virginia, the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Agence France Presse (AFP).

The departure of the Mahan reduced the number of US destroyers in the Mediterranean to four. Each of the warships is equipped to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles against targets in Syria if ordered to by US President Barack Obama.

The U.S. Navy keeps secret the precise number of Tomahawks on board but most military analysts estimate each ship carries about 45 cruise missiles.

But United Kingdom’s Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled plan to push Russia and others to back a diplomatic solution to the Syrian conflict at the G20 in Saint Petersburg this week, including a tougher UN response, his spokesman said yesterday.

Cameron last week lost a parliamentary vote on joining U.S.-led military action against Bashar al-Assad’s regime over alleged chemical weapons use, and the government said it has no plans to bring the issue back before lawmakers.

His official spokesman said Cameron still wanted a “robust” response to an alleged chemical attack, which killed hundreds of people on August 21, but that he would press Assad’s ally, Russia, to support diplomatic efforts.

Cameron set out his aims for the G20, including on the Syria crisis, during a meeting of the cabinet yesterday, his spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Israel yesterday announced the successful launch of a missile in a joint exercise with the United States, which came as Washington mulls military intervention in Syria.

“The Israeli defence ministry and the American MDA (Missile Defence Agency) yesterday morning at 9:15 (0615 GMT) successfully launched an Ankor-type radar missile,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

“The test was launched from the Mediterranean and directed from an army base in the centre of Israel,” it said.

Earlier, Moscow’s defence ministry, as cited by Russian news agencies, said its early warning system had detected the launch of two ballistic missiles from the central part of the Mediterranean fired towards the Sea’s eastern coastline yesterday morning.

The defence ministry statement mentioned only one missile.

The test involved a new version of the Ankor (Sparrow) missile “and was concluded at ... a test range over the Mediterranean Sea,” a separate Israeli defence ministry statement said.

The missile was to test missile-tracking capabilities, according to local media.

Obama has asked lawmakers to back military action to punish Assad for killing hundreds of people with poison gas last month – a charge Assad denied on Monday as he warned Washington and its French allies of retribution.

With many Americans, including legislators from his own Democratic party, fearful of embroiling the United States in a third major war in a Muslim country this century, Obama has insisted he is not seeking “regime change” in Syria.

But that is precisely what Syrian rebels and their backers among Washington’s Arab allies want as they struggle to hold their ground, let alone advance.

According to one opposition report, government forces took the strategic northwestern town of Ariha yesterday, though others said the battle was not over.

Assad’s enemies point to the toll that two and a half years of war have taken on Syria’s people, of whom 100,000 have been killed and nearly one in three driven from their homes in fear.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said in a statement yesterday that a near tenfold increase over the past 12 months in the rate of refugees crossing Syria’s borders into Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon – to a daily average of nearly 5,000 men, women and children – had pushed the total living abroad above two million.

That represents some 10 per cent of Syria’s population, the UNHCR said. With a further 4.25 million estimated to have been displaced but still resident inside the country, that leaves close to a third of all Syrians living away from home.

Comparing the figures to the peak of Afghanistan’s refugee crisis two decades ago, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, said: “Syria has become the great tragedy of this century - a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history.”

Speaking of the acceleration in the crisis, he said: “What is appalling is that the first million fled Syria in two years. The second million fled Syria in six months.”

At a news conference in Geneva, Guterres noted that a total of six million were displaced by the war: “At this particular moment, it’s the highest number of displaced people anywhere in the world. And if one looks at the peak of the Afghan crisis we have probably very similar numbers of people displaced.

“The risks for global peace and security that the present Syria crisis represents, I’m sure, are not smaller than what we have witnessed in any other crisis that we have had since the Vietnam war,” said Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister.

However, when Russia raised the alarm yesterday morning that its forces had detected the launch of two ballistic “objects” in the Mediterranean, thoughts of a surprise strike on Syria pushed oil prices higher on world markets and must have put the troops operating Syria’s Russian-equipped air defence system on alert.

A Syrian security official later told a Lebanese television channel that its early warning radar had picked up no threats.

Clarification came only later when the Israeli Defence Ministry said that its troops had - at the time of the Russian alert - fired a missile that is used as a target for an anti-missile defense system during an exercise with U.S. forces.

The jitters reflected a nervousness both within Syria and further afield since Western leaders pledged retribution for the use of chemical weapons.

Obama’s surprise decision on Saturday to refer to Congress for approval next week has, however, delayed any U.S. move.

Britain has dropped out of planning for attacks since its parliament rejected a proposal by Prime Minister David Cameron but France, western Europe’s other main military power, is still coordinating possible action with the Pentagon.

President Francois Hollande has resisted opposition calls to submit any decision to wage war to parliament. His government presented lawmakers on Monday with what it said was evidence of Assad’s responsibility for a “massive and coordinated” chemical attack on rebel-held suburbs of Damascus on August 21.

Assad warned: “Everybody will lose control of the situation when the powder keg blows. There is a risk of a regional war.”

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US Congress Moves to Approve Military Strike Against Syria

Congress moves to approve Syria strike

Published time: September 03, 2013 19:50
Rt.com

Obama’s battle to get congressional approval for a military strike on Syria moved a step closer Tuesday, with leaders of both parties in Congress announcing that the United States should respond to Syrian President Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

US President Barack Obama convinced leaders of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to support his request for the authorization of a military strike on Syria. After a meeting with more than a dozen senior lawmakers this week, members of both parties went public, praising Obama's plan and pledging a 'yes' vote on the operation against the Syrian government.

Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the speaker of the House of Representative, told reporters after a White House meeting on Tuesday that he thinks it’s important that Americans to unite behind their president.

“This is something that the United States, as a country, needs to do. I'm going to support the president's call for action. I believe that my colleagues should support this call for action," he said.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor also said that they will both support actions against the Assad government following meetings at the White House.

Obama had been meeting more than a dozen lawmakers in the White House cabinet room to push for limited strikes to dismantle Assad’s ability to use chemical weapons in the future. The president said he is confident he can persuade a skeptical American public that a strike Syria will not emulate the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq, and that US military action will be a “limited, proportionate step.”

Boehner said that only the US has the capability to stop Assad.

“We have enemies around the world that need to understand we’re not going to tolerate this type of behavior. We also have allies around the world and allies in the region who also need to know that America will be there and stand up when it’s necessary,” he said.

Boehner’s views were echoed by Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the top Democrat to attend the White House meeting from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“We are talking about weapons of mass destruction. This is war crime. If we didn’t respond in kind it would send a message to every despot, every thug, every dictator, every terrorist group in the world that you can murder your own citizens with impunity and nothing is going to happen,” Engel said.

But after over a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the polls show that Americans are opposed to any new overseas military intervention. This reluctance is reflected by senators and representatives who believe Obama still hasn’t produced concrete evidence that it was Assad who used chemical weapons on August 21 or why it is in America's interest to intervene.

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Michigan) tweeted that he has been talking to his constituents and armed forces personnel, neither of whom have the stomach for military action in Syria.

"I've been hearing a lot from members of our Armed Forces," Amash tweeted this week. "The message I consistently hear: Please vote no on military action against Syria."

Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minnesota) also said that he would strongly oppose any military action.

“I am vehemently opposed to a military strike that would clearly be an act of war against Syria, especially under such tragic yet confusing circumstances as to who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons,” he said.

Skepticism is shared by many tea party Republicans and others on the right and left who oppose military intervention for ideological reason and for specific reasons on authorizing the use of force without constraints on timing, costs and the scope of any attack.

Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) also said he would vote against resolution.

“Who is on America’s side over there? If the rebels win, will they be American allies? Assad’s definitely not. I’m not convinced anybody on the Islamic side will be American allies,” he said.

He also warned that it wouldn’t be helpful to amend any resolution that constrains Obama too much to execute military action, something that some lawmakers are calling for.

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, a Democrat for Nevada and Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Menendez have said that they want to craft a resolution narrower than the broad one proposed by the administration on Saturday.

The proposed measure would limit the duration of any military action and expressly state that no US ground forces would be used.

Obama has said he is open to changing the language to address lawmakers concerns but has said he wants a prompt vote.

“So long as we are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished, which is to send a clear message to Assad, to degrade his capabilities to use chemical weapons, not just now but also in the future, as long as the authorization allows us to do that, I'm confident that we're going to be able to come up with something that hits that mark," Obama said.

During a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon, Secretary of State John Kerry advocated for re-writing Obama’s authorization to use military force in order to clear up any language that would leave open the possibility for putting US boots on the ground.

“There will not be American boots on the ground with respect to the civil war,” Kerry insisted. At the same time, however, the former senator fell short of insuring Congress that US troops may not be asked to intervene on mainland Syria in the future if, for example, chemical weapons fall into the hands of extremists “and it was clearly in the interest of our allies” to recover weapons of mass destruction.

Kerry, along with Gen. Dempsey and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, made up a three-witness panel of Obama administration officials who answered questions Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. All three men advocated for a limited strike on Syria as proposed by the president.

“We cannot overlook the impact of chemical weapons and the danger that they pose to a particularly volatile area of the world in which we’ve been deeply invested in years,” Sec. Kerry told the lawmakers. “We cannot be silent,” he added.

Dempsey, the chairman of the JCOS, called the alleged use of chemical weapons by Assad’s regime an “assault on humanity” and “a serious threat to America’s national security interests.”

“Our allies throughout the world must be assured that the US will fulfill its security commitments,” he said. “The US must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable.”

Should the US not act, added Kerry, America’s allies may suspend their support of the White House’s initiatives in the future.

“As we convene for this debate, it’s not an exaggeration to say to you, all of you, my former colleagues, that the world is watching not just to see what we decide, but it’s watching to see how we make this decision,” Kerry said during his statement. “Whether in a dangerous world we can still make our government speak with one voice. They want to know if America will rise to this moment and make a difference.”

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Israel Claims Joint US Missile Launch In Mediterranean

Israel claims joint US missile launch in Mediterranean for 'target practice'

Published time: September 03, 2013 09:03
Rt.com

Israel says it carried out a “joint” US missile launch in the Mediterranean, having earlier claimed ignorance. Russian radars detected two ballistic rockets fired in the region on Tuesday, sparking widespread speculation over who was behind the launch.

A spokesperson for the Israeli army confirmed that a launch of a missile had been carried out 9:15am local time (06:15 GMT), adding that US forces in the Mediterranean had been given prior warning of the drill.

A fighter jet launched an Ankor-type (“Sparrow”) missile as part of a drill to test the Israeli missile defense system. However, earlier, when the Russian government announced it had detected the firing of "two ballistic objects" in the area, Israel insisted it had no “information on this issue yet.”

Despite Israeli claimed of a “joint US” missile launch, the American Navy maintained that no rockets were launched by US forces in the region.

"No missiles were fired from US ships in the Mediterranean," said the spokesman, who made no further comment on the matter.

Other members of the international community were quick to follow suit with France, UK and Italy denying any knowledge of the test launch. NATO said it was investigating the incident.

The Pentagon later admitted that the Israeli missile test in the Mediterranean was carried out “with technical support of the US Defense Department.”

The test was also “pre-planned,” according to the US Defense Department spokesman George Little quoted by Itar-Tass.

The Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed a US defense agency took part in a “successful flight test of the new version of the Sparrow target missile” in an e-mail statement to RT Arabic.

“Israel’s Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency officials conducted the flight test. The main contractor for the integration and development of the Sparrow is Rafael and the main contractor of the Arrow Weapon System is MLM of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in conjunction with Boeing,” the statement explained.

The Russian Defense Ministry initially reported that “two ballistic objects” were picked up on radars in the central Mediterranean and were moving towards the East. Later, citing a security source inside the Syrian government, RIA Novosti reported that the rockets had fallen into the sea.

Meanwhile, Syria’s missile detection system did not pick up any rockets landing on Syrian territory, a security source told Lebanese channel al-Manar TV.

Tipping the balance?

Tensions are running high in the Mediterranean as world powers discuss possible military intervention in Syria after the reported use of chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb on August 21.

The Syrian government has rejected claims of its complicity in the opposition-controlled Damascus suburb of Ghouta and has called on the UN to protect it from western aggression. In a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Assad regime urged the UN to “maintain its role as a safety valve to prevent the absurd use of force out of the frame of international legitimacy.”

Russia has slammed US plans to launch a military strike on Syria, as they would thwart attempts to end the conflict peacefully.

"If the action announced by the US president – to the great regret of all of us – does in fact take place... it will put off the chances of [holding] this conference for a long time, if not forever," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Moreover, Syrian President Bashar Assad has warned that a military strike on Syria by the West would send the situation spiraling out of control and trigger a regional conflict.

“The Middle East is barrel of powder and today the flames are creeping closer. It is not just a question of the Syrian response, but what else might happen after the first [Western] air strike,” Assad told French newspaper Le Figaro.

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British Warmongers Stress Military Intervention In Syria

Britain’s warmonger foreign secretary
stresses military intervention in Syria

Tue Sep 3, 2013 4:54PM GMT
presstv.ir

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has implicitly called for a foreign military invasion of Syria to end what he described as “the Syrian catastrophe”.

The call came irrespective of a vote last Thursday, when the House of Commons, the UK lower house of parliament, killed a motion put forward by Prime Minister David Cameron, calling for joining the U.S. in yet another military adventurism in the Middle East, this time against Syria.

William Hague was reacting to a UN report, in which it was claimed that the number of refugees fleeing civil war in Syria had passed the 2 million mark.

“1 year ago: 230,000 Syrian refugees. Today: 2,000,000. 1/2 children. If we don’t end the conflict, think what the figure could be next year”, Hague tweeted.

However, the UK foreign secretary did not mention the fact that those countries in which the UK and U.S. had intervened militarily, are suffering the same catastrophe he is moaning about.

Millions of families from Afghanistan and Iraq left their countries when Britain and U.S. formed a coalition with their allies in 2001 and 2003 respectively and invaded the countries as part of their so-called war on terror, and they have not returned since.

Warmongers in Britain and the U.S. are beating the drums of war again with their puppet regime of Zionists test-firing airborne ballistic missiles in the Mediterranean.

On Tuesday morning, Russian radar detected the launch of two sea-launched “objects” towards the eastern Mediterranean. Later, the Israeli regime confirmed that it test-fired missiles in a joint war-game with the U.S. military.

Meanwhile, William Hague told the House of Commons that the coalition government was still seeking to convince Russia to agree to firm action against Syria.

The Russian government has dismissed as unconvincing U.S.-led reports alleging that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had authorized chemical attack on its own people.

In the Commons, leading Conservative MP John Baron, urged William Hague to engage with Iran in their bid to resolve the crisis in Syria.

But, Hague replied that dealing with Iran was problematic.

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Attack on Syria Will Further Provoke Anti-US Sentiments

Attack on Syria will further provoke anti-US sentiments: IRGC cmdr.

Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s second-in-command

Tue Sep 3, 2013 5:35PM GMT
presstv.ir

A senior Iranian military commander has warned against any US military intervention in Syria, stating that such an action will further incite anti-American sentiments among Muslims worldwide.

“We are on the threshold of a strategic turning point regarding the fate of this region and more generally [the future of] the Muslim world,” the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s second-in-command, Brigadier General Hossein Salami, said on Tuesday.

“What we are witnessing now is the outcome of the repeated losses that the US and its Western and regional allies have incurred…over the past three decades,” the general added.

Salami noted that the United States, the Israeli regime and their regional allies have failed to reach their long-term objectives in the Middle East despite utilization of all their strategies.

“These defeats have led the United States to try to penetrate in the center of gravity of the [anti-Israeli] Islamic resistance front, which is Syria,” he said.

Salami cautioned US and Western policymakers and security advisors that war on Syria will be “a very dangerous game”, stressing that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that Israel must reconsider its security strategies.

On August 31, US President Barack Obama said that he had decided to launch a military attack against Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons and now seeks congressional consent for the move. Lawmakers will debate the issue upon return from recess on September 9.

Damascus has vehemently denied the accusations, saying the chemical attack was carried out by the militants themselves as a black operation.

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US Redeploys Warships In Middle East

US redeploys warships in Mideast

Tue Sep 3, 2013 10:9PM GMT
presstv.ir

The United States Navy has redeployed warships in the Middle East as President Barack Obama has called for a military strike against Syria.

While the destroyer USS Mahan has already left the Mediterranean, a battle group of warships led by the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is headed toward the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean, a defense official told AFP on Tuesday.

The official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Mahan is "on its way to Norfolk," the ship's home port in Virginia. This reduced the number of US destroyers in the Mediterranean to 4.

But, the USS Nimitz, which was set to head back to its home port in Everett, Washington, after a months-long deployment to the Arabian Sea, received orders to head toward Syria, the official added.

Presently, four US aircraft carriers, The USS Stout, Ramage, Barry and Graveley, are now positioned in the eastern Mediterranean waters.

Each of the warships is equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, with analysts estimating as many as 45 missiles on each of them.

The US military has also dispatched to the region an amphibious transport ship, known as the USS San Antonio, which carries helicopters and several hundreds of Marines.

On Tuesday, US house of Representative Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) both said they will support the use of military force in Syria.

The top Democrat in the House, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), has also said she would lend her support to military intervention in Syria.

Obama said Tuesday “America should take action,” adding, “We will be much more effective, we will be stronger, if we take action together.”

Washington accuses Damascus of launching a chemical weapons attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus last week, an allegation denied by the Syrian government.

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US Congressional Leader Supports Obama War Plan Against Syria

Posted on Tue, Sep. 03, 2013

Boehner supports Syria airstrikes, but testy Senate hearing suggests still a tough sell

By James Rosen, William Douglas and Anita Kumar
McClatchy Washington Bureau

Senators from both parties pressed President Barack Obama’s top Cabinet officers Tuesday to provide guarantees that no U.S. troops would be sent to Syria after an initial strike in a sign of the potential political pitfalls and widespread public skittishness over even a limited retaliatory attack.

While Obama gained a key supporter in House Speaker John Boehner for responding militarily to the use of chemical weapons in Syria two weeks ago, a contentious Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing showed how much work remains for him to close the deal and gain congressional authorization for the high-risk move.

The most spirited exchange came toward the end of the 3 1/2 hour hearing when Secretary of State John Kerry and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., clashed over the purpose and possible consequences of a U.S. military strike against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

“I don’t know that we can say that by attacking them, he’s not going to launch another chemical attack,” Paul said.

Paul ticked off several risks, among them assaults on Israel, increased Russian involvement in the Middle East and more aggressive behavior by Iran.

“There are all kinds of unknowns that I can’t tell you absolutely the answer, and neither can you,” Paul told Kerry. “But I think there’s a reasonable argument that the world may be less stable because of this, and that it may not deter another chemical weapons attack.”

An angered Kerry turned the tables, asking Paul: “If the United States of America doesn’t do this, senator, is it more or less likely that Assad does it again? You want to answer that question?”

When Paul said twice the answer was unknown, Kerry snapped: “It’s unknown, senator? Senator, it’s not unknown. If the United States of America doesn’t hold him accountable on this, with our allies and friends, it’s a guarantee Assad will do it again. A guarantee. And I urge you to go to the classified briefing (Wednesday) and learn that.”

Kerry plans to brief senators in a private session Wednesday where he presumably will talk in more detail about classified information.

Early Tuesday night, Sen. Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, announced that he and the panel’s ranking Republican, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, had reached an agreement on the Senate text for authorization of force against Syria.

The resolution permits up to 60 days of military action against Assad and gives Obama the option to extend military operations by 30 days, providing Obama “determines and certifies to Congress” within five days before the end of the initial authorization that more force is needed.

“Together we have pursued a course of action that gives the president the authority he needs to deploy force in response to the Assad regime’s criminal use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people, while assuring that the authorization is narrow and focused, limited in time, and assures that the Armed Forces of the United States will not be deployed for combat operations in Syria,” Menendez said in a statement.

Earlier in the open hearing, Kerry stirred controversy when he initially refused to rule out the possibility of sending any U.S. troops to Syria in the aftermath of an American strike that would likely be delivered by Tomahawk cruise missiles from Navy destroyers off its coast.

Asked by Menendez, whether a congressional resolution authorizing military action should contain “a prohibition for having American boots on the ground,” Kerry responded: “Mr. Chairman, it would be preferable not to have a prohibition, not because there is any intention or plan or any desire whatsoever to have boots on the ground.”

After saying that Obama will provide “every assurance in the world” that no troops would be used, Kerry sketched a scenario in which they might.

“But in the event Syria imploded, for instance, or in the event there was a threat of a chemical weapons cache falling into the hands of al Nusra (an al Qaida-linked group in Syria) or someone else, and it was clearly in the interest of our allies and all of us – the British, the French and others – to prevent those weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of the worst elements, I don’t want to take off the table an option that might or might not be available to the president of the United States to secure our country.”

Kerry’s lengthy scenario drew rebukes from Corker and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as well as a gentler response from Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.

By the end, Kerry had backed off his original stance and said the congressional resolution could contain an explicit prohibition against follow-on U.S. troops in Syria, though he continued to acknowledge that down the road their presence couldn’t be absolutely ruled out.

Another dramatic moment in the hearing came after a handful of protesters held up signs and shouted out objections to U.S. military action in Syria.

“We don’t want another war,” one of them yelled.

As guards ushered the protesters from the hearing room, Kerry reflected on his now-famous testimony against the Vietnam War before the same Senate panel in 1971 after he’d served in the Southeast Asia conflict and returned home.

“The first time I testified before this committee – when I was 27 years old – I had feelings very similar to that protester,” Kerry said. “And I would just say that is exactly why it is so important that we are all here having this debate, talking about these things before the country, and that the Congress itself will act representing the American people.”

At a White House session before the Senate hearing, Obama picked up a key supporter when Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters that he supports the president’s desire to launch a limited strike at Syria in retaliation for the alleged use of chemical weapons two weeks ago.

“I’m going to support the president’s call for action, and I believe my colleagues should support this call for action,” Boehner said after meeting with Obama.

“The United States for our entire history has stood up for democracy and freedom for people around the world,” he said. “The use of these (chemical) weapons has to be responded to, and only the United States has the capability and capacity to stop Assad and to warn others around the world that this type of behavior is not going to be tolerated.”

Assad has repeatedly denied responsibility for the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people in a Damascus suburb. Obama, Kerry and other top U.S. officials say the evidence of his involvement is indisputable.

Obama said Tuesday that any military action against war-torn Syria would not involve “boots on the ground.”

“This is not Iraq, and this is not Afghanistan,” Obama said. “This is a limited, proportional step that will send a clear message not only to the Assad regime, but also to other countries that may be interested in testing some of these international norms – that there are consequences.”

At the Senate hearing, Menendez also came out in favor of a U.S. military response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria.

“In my view there is a preponderance of evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Assad’s forces willfully targeted civilians with chemical weapons,” Menendez said.

“Having said that, at the end of the day, the chemical weapons attack against innocent civilians in Syria is an indirect attack on America’s security with broader implications for the region and the world,” he said.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who has said for days that the Pentagon is prepared to launch a strike, gave his strongest support yet for such an attack.

“The Syrian regime’s actions risk eroding the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons – a norm that has helped protect the United States homeland and American forces operating across the globe from these terrible weapons,” Hagel told the panel. “Weakening this norm could embolden other regimes to acquire or use chemical weapons.”

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pleaded for more time before any military actions, urging Obama and Congress to await the conclusion of tests by his team of weapons inspectors, which left Syria over the weekend but still must analyze and report on its findings.

Ban expressed appreciation for Obama’s decision to go to Congress on the issue, but he said significant elements of the U.S. version of events in Syria involving the chemical weapons attack remain unproven.

A poll released Tuesday suggested that Americans haven’t come around to Obama’s view, with 48 percent of those surveyed opposing a U.S. strike against Syria, 29 percent supporting one and the rest uncertain.

Three-quarters of Americans believe that U.S. airstrikes would likely create a backlash against the United States and its allies in the Middle East, and 61 percent fear they would likely lead to a long-term U.S. military engagement there, according to the poll by the Pew Research Center.

Hannah Allam of the Washington Bureau contributed.

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Libya At a Crossroads As Strikes Threaten Oil Supplies

Libya at a crossroads as strikes threaten oil supplies

Production slumps as workers seize ports in protest at Tripoli's failure to revive moribund economy despite bumper oil revenues

Chris Stephen in Tripoli
the guardian.com, Tuesday 3 September 2013 05.53 EDT

Libya is facing its most critical moment since the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi with armed groups blockading oil fields and terminals, choking output to a 10th of normal levels and threatening economic disaster.

With the government forced to import fuel to keep power stations running and queues growing at petrol stations, the prime minister, Ali Zaidan, has repeatedly threatened to send troops to retake striking ports.

But the leader of rebels blockading ports in Cyrenaica, home to the bulk of Libya's oil, said such a move would be tantamount to a "declaration of war".

Ibrahim Ali Jathran, commander of troops who have defected to seize the terminals, warned his soldiers would fight back. "We will resist," he said.

The blockade has spread to western Libya, with the Elephant field on the Algerian border at a standstill and rebel oil guards further north around Zintan cutting pipelines.

The government controls just two oil ports, with production at about 160,000 barrels a day. The National Oil Corporation admits even this is guesswork, because its measuring gauges are broken, forcing officials to rely on dead reckoning.

Jathran insisted the strike was in reaction to what he said was a seizure of power – and oil revenues – by the Muslim Brotherhood in Tripoli.

"The Brotherhood has hijacked the state and parliament. It has infiltrated the oil ministry with armed groups," he said.

Government officials deny the claim, saying the strikers are trying to sell oil themselves and are holding the country to ransom.

BP declined to comment on the situation in Libya but industry experts with close links to the company said it was keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

"The fact is BP do not really need to do anything currently as they have no real investments or personnel in the country yet," said one source. "The first sign of concern will be if they postpone drilling offshore. BP have said very publicly they planned to drill next year but they are likely to just put plans back, not announce a pull-out, like Shell."

Zaidan last week made good his threat to "bomb by air or sea" any tanker trying to buy oil direct from the rebels. TV footage released by the navy showed the crew of a patrol boat firing automatic weapons close to an empty Liberian-registered tanker as it approached the eastern coast.

That footage has made shippers nervous, and international oil companies are considering scaling down operations, with all eyes on BP, the largest exploration company left in Libya after Shell left last year.

The British petrol giant re-entered Libya in 2007, after a deal cemented by Tony Blair and Gaddafi, but the Arab spring and subsequent violence meant it has continually postponed drilling. Now some wonder if it will quit the country again.

"The bellwether is BP," said John Hamilton of London oil analysts CBI. "In terms of companies thinking about the future, BP is the biggest. If they go, everyone else is going to say that's a big signal."

The striking oil workers span a disparate range of causes, from more pay and regional spending to autonomy for Cyrenaica. But the common thread is exasperation with the failure of successive governments to revive a moribund economy despite bumper oil revenues. The government is, meanwhile, struggling to assert its control across much of the country amid an upsurge of intra-militia violence and jihadist bombings in the east.

Added to that is nervousness about the government's decision to spend 900m dinars (£450m) on the Libya Shield, a militia force garrisoning Tripoli, with many Libyans saying the money should go to regular police and army units.

"We are currently witnessing the collapse of state in Libya, and the country is getting closer to local wars for oil revenues," said Swiss oil analysts Petromatrix.

The blockade comes a fortnight before London hosts the biggest Libyan investment conference held since the end of the 2011 Arab spring.

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Daughter of Libya's Former Intelligence Chief Kidnapped

2 September 2013
Last updated at 19:42 ET

Daughter of Libya's former intelligence chief Senussi kidnapped

The daughter of Libya's former intelligence chief has been abducted after leaving a prison in Tripoli.

Justice Minister Salah al-Marghani said police had been escorting Anoud Abdullah al-Senussi from al-Rayoumi prison on Monday afternoon when they were ambushed by heavily armed gunmen.

The kidnappers opened fire on them before seizing Ms Senussi, he added.

Ms Senussi had just finished a 10-month prison sentence for entering Libya with a forged passport in October 2012.

She was arrested after reportedly flying back to Libya to visit her father, Abdullah al-Senussi, in jail.

Her father is being detained for his alleged role in crimes committed during the rule of Muammar Gaddafi.

He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has accused him of responsibility for "crimes against humanity" for defending Libya against armed rebels during the Pentagon-NATO backed counter-revolution that ousted Gaddafi in 2011.

Judicial police officers were escorting Ms Senussi to Tripoli's airport to board a flight with relatives to the southern city of Sebha when their convoy was ambushed, Mr Marghani said.

"The convoy was ambushed by five vehicles. [The gunmen] were armed to the teeth and started firing their weapons, but it quickly became clear that they wanted to take her.
No-one was injured.

"The incident took place about 50m away from the gate of the prison."

Mr Marghani appealed for "hints" about the incident, and said he expected everyone, particularly "revolutionaries" to help find Ms Senussi.

In recent months, she was granted a visit to her father.

The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says the latest kidnapping may well reinforce the ICC's argument that Libya is not ready to prosecute high-profile cases like that of Abdullah al-Senussi and Saif Gaddafi, both wanted by The Hague.

The central government's lack of control over various armed groups driven by a myriad of agendas has contributed to lax security, our correspondent adds.

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Zimbabwe Farmers Hail President Mugabe

Farmers hail President Mugabe

September 3, 2013
Zvifadzo Lubombo Herald Reporter

Farmer groupings yesterday hailed President Mugabe for pledging to fund and mechanise the agriculture sector to boost food production in the country.Farmers said President Mugabe’s pledge at the just ended Harare Agricultural Show demonstrated his political will and commitment to revamp and transform the agriculture sector to enhance food security.

“The resounding victory of President Mugabe in this year’s election and his promise to fund and mechanise the agriculture sector demonstrates his commitment and desire to ensure that the country becomes self-sufficient in terms of food production,” said Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) vice president Berean Mukwende. Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said the President’s pledge would help assure farmers of government support and spur production.

“His message has boosted farmers’ confidence and with adequate support from Government we hope that farmers will be able improve food security in the country,” he said.

Officially opening the 103rd edition of the Harare Agricultural Show, President Mugabe expressed his commitment to fund and mechanise the agriculture sector.

“Mechanisation is critical for increased production and productivity. To this end, the Government will secure funding facilities and continue to pursue appropriate mechanisation programmes that will address the needs of the farming community,” the President said.

Predictions by climate experts, who met recently for their annual Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF), that the country will receive normal to above normal rainfall for the 2013/14 farming season have raised optimism among farmers.

“Communal and commercial farmers are now busy preparing for the next season and expectations are high that they will have a bumper harvest if they get adequate funding and inputs on time,” Mr Chabikwa said.

“A favourable rainfall outlook for the coming cropping seasons has also brought so much hope among farmers.”

Commercial Farmers Union vice president Mr Peter Steyl said most farmers were likely to ramp up their production level given a bright rainfall outlook for the coming cropping season.

“With the next planting season for the 2013/14 just around the corner, I am confident that farmers will be able to return the country to its breadbasket of the region status as prospects for a good rainfall season are favourable,” he said.

“We are expecting a bumper harvest next year as we are targeting to increase maize production by a huge margin.”

Drought, late disbursement of funds and inputs and lack of credit lines were some of the major challenges facing farmers in the country.

Poor market prices for some crops, high cost of transport, labour and fuel as well as shortages of spares have also added to the woes.

Despite the challenges, most farmers remain optimistic that production levels will improve in the coming cropping season.

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Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Announces By-Elections Date

ZEC announces by-elections date

September 3, 2013 Top Stories
Herald Reporter

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission yesterday said nomination courts for local authority by-elections in Gokwe South, Pfura and Victoria Falls will sit on September 17, while the election date has been set for October 19.Council posts in Gokwe South RDC ward 11 and Victoria Falls Ward 9 fell vacant following the death of the councillors who were elected in the harmonised elections on July 31, while in Pfura in Mt Darwin ward 32 no nominations were received on June 28 for the harmonised elections.

ZEC chief elections officer Mr Lovemore Sekeramayi said in a statement that the holding of the by-election was in terms of section 121A of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13).

“The nomination courts for purposes of receiving nomination of candidates for elections as councillors for the aforementioned local authorities shall sit on Tuesday, 17th September commencing at 10 O’clock in the morning,” he said.

In Gokwe South, the nomination venue will be at Gokwe Centre at the chief executive officer’s office, in Pfura, the court will sit at Dotito at the RDC CEO’s offices and in Victoria Falls it will be at the Town Clerk’s office in Livingstone Way.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission fixes Saturday, 19th October, 2013 as the day on which a poll shall be taken if it becomes necessary in terms of Section 125 of the Election Act (Chapter 2:13) in the said local authorities,” said Mr Sekeramayi.

Meanwhile, ZEC has invited applications for accreditation to observe run-off elections for Kadoma municipality ward 4, Kusile RDC ward 5 and Mutasa RDC ward 30 set for next Wednesday.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission hereby invites applications for accreditation to observe electoral processes related to the 2013 local authority run-off elections in respect of Kadoma Municiplaity ward 4, Kusile RDC ward 5 and Mutasa RDC ward 30, to be held on 11th September 2013,” Mr Sekeramayi said.

He said local observers and journalists should direct their applications through the respective ZEC provincial elections offices of the province in which they propose to discharge their duties.

Foreign observers and media must direct their applications directly to the chief elections officer at the Zec headquarters in Harare.

“All applications local and foreign must be received no later than the fourth day before the day of the polling, 11 September 2013,” Mr Sekeramayi said.

He said accreditation fees for local observers is US$10, US$20 for observers from Africa, US$50 for those from foreign embassies in Zimbabwe and US$100 for observers from outside Africa.

Local media practitioners accredited with the Zimbabwe Media Commission are required to pay US$10, while those accredited with the ZMC and working in Zimbabwe for foreign media houses would part with US$50.

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SADC Reaffirms Endorsement of Zimbabwe Elections

Sadc reaffirms endorsement

September 3, 2013
Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Herald

SADC yesterday issued its final and comprehensive report on the harmonised elections, describing them as having been free, peaceful, and generally credible and a reflection of the will of the people of Zimbabwe.“On behalf of the outgoing Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and on behalf of the entire Sadc family, SEOM congratulates ZEC and the people of Zimbabwe for holding a free, peaceful and generally credible harmonised elections of July 2013 in which the will of the people was expressed,’’ Head of the Sadc Election Observer Mission to Zimbabwe Mr Bernard Membe, who is also Tanzanian Foreign Affairs minister, said.

He dismissed claims that the failure to provide the electronic voters’ roll marred the elections, saying the world over and even in Tanzania; the electronic voters’ roll was not an issue, which is why it was not a requirement under the Sadc rules and guidelines governing democratic elections.

Mr Membe said the challenge that the Sadc Troika and Summit would be seized with was to engage the European Union and the US to remove the illegal sanctions they imposed on Zimbabwe; and the MDC formations need to participate if they entertain hopes of winning the support of the people.

“Let me tell you passionately from my heart,” he said.

“This question of sanctions must be fought by all parties to the election — to tell the world to remove the sanctions because if you do not, it is very difficult for the opposition to win the elections.

“Once the voters are told that you are suffering because of sanctions and you have agents playing in favour of these sanctions in the country, then you are putting yourself in a very awkward position of winning the election.

“Sanctions cannot be a tool of winning election and it should never be a tool of winning of election. You will never win.

“The question of appealing to the world to remove sanctions in Zimbabwe is fundamental, not only to the people of Zimbabwe, but it also gives chance to opposition to come to power in 2018. As long as sanctions are there, this Zanu-PF will prevail for 100 years to come.”

After delivering his report, Mr Membe paid a courtesy call on President Mugabe to brief him on the contents of the report.

In the report, Mr Membe said the observer mission noted some anomalies such as late provision of the voters’ roll and media polarisation.

But he said the 14-member bloc concluded that the election was a true reflection of the will of the people of Zimbabwe as its positives outweighed the few discrepancies.

“On credibility of the election process, a lot has been said to the negative,” said Mr Membe.

“SEOM, however, while agreeing that such issues as the delay of voters’ roll and media polarisation, there were so many other elements that when put together elevated the election to a credible status.

“The free election environment, the peaceful environment in which the election took place, unhindered and non-intimidation to candidates and voters, free expression and campaigns, transparency and free voting constitutes the credibility under the prevailing circumstances, particularly when compared to 2008 elections.

“So, therefore, this election was generally credible.”

Mr Membe congratulated the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the people of Zimbabwe for holding the free, peaceful and generally credible harmonised elections.

He said the July 31 election was peaceful in the sense that there was no bloodshed and political parties and candidates were able to freely undertake their political activities.

Mr Membe said there was no doubt that the election was free.

“Free in the sense that our observers noted that the candidates were free to campaign, free to associate, free to express their views and the voters were free to cast their votes,” he said.

“Because of that, we, therefore, concluded that without hesitation that the harmonised elections were free and expressed the will of the people.”

Mr Membe called for immediate end to illegal broadcasting in Zimbabwe by pirate radio stations.

He said emissaries would be sent to Western capitals where some of the pirate radio stations beam from, while Sadc would take care of those stations that operate within its territory.

Mr Membe said the regional group focused on the voters’ roll and media polarisation in trying to gauge the fairness of the polls.
He said there were accusations and counter accusations on the operations of the media.

Mr Membe said the public media was accused of being biased towards Zanu-PF, while the revolutionary party complained that pirate radio stations were churning out propaganda in favour of the MDC formations.

In future, Mr Membe recommended that laws that required political parties to pay for airplay should be scrapped to allow all parties equal access to the State media.

Commenting on the voters’ roll Mr Membe said: “The voters rolls go to the category of transparency. On transparency, people should have all the public documents that they are suppose to have before the election… there was a demand for electronic voters roll.

“To Sadc Election Observer Mission that is a non issue because even in Tanzania or anywhere that votes have taken place you do not see the population demanding an electronic voters’ roll. It is none of their business.

“So, we encountered that demand that the electronic voters’ roll was not made available and in our ruling when we were compiling this report we said this is none of the issues.”

Mr Membe said what mattered more was the provision of the general voters’ roll which he said was divided into two parts – that is the overall voters’ roll and the constituency voters’ roll.

“With respect to the constituency voters’ roll, we are satisfied from the reports on the ground that all polling stations let alone all the 210 constituencies received the voters’ roll four days to the election and I myself was a witness because I went to a place called Bindura and I witnessed the availability of all the campaign materials and logistical voting materials including the voters’ roll,” he said.

“The only exception was that we had no access and people had no access to the voters’ roll four days to the election and they were not complaining and on the date of voting they (electoral officials) opened the booklets.

“So, when we say the voters’ roll was not made available to the people we have to be careful.”

Mr Membe said Sadc understood Zimbabwe’s financial challenges and that it was impossible for the sanction-ridden country to mobilise US$89 million to print at least 10 000 copies of the voters’ roll.

Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau thanked Sadc for delivering a candid report that touched on all aspects of the electoral process including areas where they needed to improve.

Speaking to journalists after meeting President Mugabe at State House, Mr Membe said Sadc would engage the West to accept the outcome of the elections.

“We are still impressing upon them to accept the reality on the ground,” he said. “We were on the ground 600 of us with a spider’s web spreading across Zimbabwe – getting every detail… what we stated was true.

“Here was a peaceful environment, attractive environment, free environment in which candidates were allowed to campaign freely.”
Mr Membe said President Mugabe and Zanu-PF won the July 31 elections with flying colours and urged opposition parties to accept defeat.

He said Zanu-PF did its homework in the past five years, leading to its resounding victory.
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