Free Republic

Zimbabwe's army chief has told soliders they must leave the military if they do not vote for incumbent President Robert Mugabe in next month's run-off poll. Chief-of-staff Maj Gen Martin Chedondo said soldiers had signed up to protect Mr. Mugabe's principles of defending the revolution, state media reported. "If you have any other thoughts, then you should remove that uniform," he said. Gen Chedondo was speaking at a target-shooting competition outside Harare, the Herald newspaper reported. Zimbabwe's generals have in the past vowed never to support the main opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, if he is elected in the 27 June...

In December 2000 Robert Mugabe opened a Zanu PF congress by urging his supporters to, ‘strike fear in the heart of the white man.’ Eight years down the line that policy is being employed to cover all opposition supporters and officials. The 84-year-old Zanu PF leader, smarting from an embarrassing March 29 election defeat, is allegedly paying ruling party thugs Z$10 billion for every murder of an MDC activist. The militants are also being paid Z$5 billion for every opposition home burnt down. According to The Zimbabwean newspaper a defector from the terror campaign has confirmed that ‘Operation Mavhotera Papi’...

The Archbishop of York is leading a day of fasting and prayer in support of the people of Zimbabwe. Dr. John Sentamu, one of the highest members of the Anglican church, is calling on people to join him in the action in York Minster. There has been a month of deadlock in Zimbabwe following disputed elections. In December, Dr. Sentamu cut up his clerical collar on television and said he would not replace it until President Robert Mugabe was out of office. Dr. Sentamu said: "I want as many people as possible to join me at the Minster to pray...

Independent election observers in Zimbabwe say police have raided their offices. At the same time, security forces descended on opposition headquarters. Police seized material on vote counting from both offices. Some 200 people were beaten, shoved and arrested in the raid on the opposition headquarters, according to party officials. Zimbabweans are still awaiting official results from the March 29 presidential election. The opposition says President Robert Mugabe is using violence and stealth to hold on to power. The opposition and the independent observers both claim the opposition won the vote, based on their own surveys of results posted at ballot...

Armed riot police have raided the headquarters of Zimbabwe's main opposition party in Harare and arrested scores of activists. Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa said those arrested had fled political violence. But police said the raid was to look for those responsible for arson attacks east of Harare. The MDC says it won last month's presidential election, the results of which have not yet been published.....

President Robert Mugabe devoted his first major speech since the unresolved election three weeks ago to denouncing whites and former colonial ruler Britain, an attempt to convince Zimbabweans their political and economic troubles stem from abroad. The scene at the official 28th Independence Day celebration Friday had all the pomp of old, with air force jets sweeping overhead and Mugabe, bedecked in sash and medals, striding past soldiers at attention. But any private observances by ordinary Zimbabweans were likely muted _ prices for food, gasoline and drinks have more than doubled just in the past week amid an economic meltdown...

At least 80 Zimbabwean opposition activists have been assualted by pro-government militants in different parts of the country, they say. The alleged assaults took place in the eastern province of Manicaland and Matabeleland in the west. This year's election has been relatively peaceful until now. Meanwhile, a judge has agreed to an opposition request that the results of last month's election be released, as an urgent matter. "The case should proceed," said Justice Tendai Uchena in Harare's High Court. The opposition says the violence is meant to intimidate rural voters ahead of a possible run-off poll...... President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF...

Zimbabwe's opposition says it will bring the government to its knees with Kenya-style mass protests if President Robert Mugabe carries out extensive plans to rig tomorrow's presidential and parliamentary elections. But Mugabe has vowed to use the army to crush any demonstrations and warned Zimbabweans not to waste their votes on opposition candidates who would never be allowed to take power. Mugabe, 84, would struggle to extend his 28-year rule in a clean election, amid widespread hunger, mass unemployment, 100,000% inflation and a currency that devalues so fast that the few people with jobs are paid in billions of Zimbabwe...

Mugabe will fall  Mar 27 2008 4:37PM Chris Muronzi  Harare - President Robert Mugabe will this weekend face his stiffest election challenge. He has failed to campaign meaningfully against a background characterised by hunger and rapid price increases that have left citizens living from hand to mouth. What Mugabe failed to realise is that this election is different. This particular poll is about the economy. By failing to realise that, Mugabe has dug his own political grave. Although he has vowed that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is attracting very large numbers to his rallies, will not rule in...

Human rights groups today accused Robert Mugabe's government of harassing and intimidating opposition supporters before Saturday's national elections. Amnesty International cited a case on March 7, when three members of the Morgan Tsvangirai-led faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were ordered by intelligence officers to take down election posters. According to Amnesty, the officials forced the opposition supporters to chew the posters and swallow them. "We continue to receive reports of intimidation, harassment and violence against perceived supporters of opposition candidates - with many in rural regions fearful that there will be retribution after the elections,"... The US,...

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has vowed that Zimbabwe's main opposition party will never rule during his lifetime and threatened to expel companies from Zimbabwe's former colonial ruler Britain ... Britain, which has led international criticism of Mugabe for violating political and human rights in his country and plunging it into a disastrous economic crisis, says only 40 British firms remain operating in the country. Mugabe's relations deteriorated with Western nations after he embarked in 2000 on a controversial land reform scheme that saw about 4000 white-owned farms seized... Mugabe also urged Zimbabweans yesterday to help acquire a majority stake in mining...

Zimbabwe has the highest proportion of elderly voters in the world, according to the voters' roll being used for elections next week. A glance at one page of the roll yesterday for a ward in the Mount Pleasant suburb of Harare turned up a Fodias Kunyepa, who was born in 1901. Over the page was Rebecca Armstrong, born 1900. Somewhat younger was Desmond Lardner-Burke, born 1909, who was the notorious Minister for Justice in the rebel Rhodesian Government and responsible for the harassment, arrest and detention without trial of tens of thousands of black nationalists, including President Mugabe, fighting against...

Zimbabwe's main opposition party has gone to court after President Robert Mugabe changed an election law less than two weeks before polls. On Monday, he issued a decree to allow police officers into polling stations - just two months after they were banned to ensure voting would be secret. Mr Mugabe said the police could be allowed to help disabled people vote. But a Movement for Democratic Change spokesman said the police could be used to make people vote for Mr Mugabe. there are far fewer polling stations in urban areas, seen as pro-opposition, than in rural areas, where support...

On Thursday, Robert Mugabe’s 84th birthday, state radio announced that the fundraising committee for his celebratory bash had raised over Z$3 trillion. While most Zimbabweans cannot afford to pay for transport to go to work, the man responsible for this economic disaster will be feted at a lavish affair in Beitbridge on Saturday. This clearly shows the attitude of those in power in Zimbabwe today towards ordinary people. It was Mugabe who once said; “….let them eat potatoes.” the monthly inflation rate between December and January was 120%. This means prices for basic commodities more than doubled in one month....

The central bank of the southern African country has a issued a 10million Zimbabwe dollar note. The move increases the denomination of the nation's highest bank note more than tenfold. Even so, a hamburger in an ordinary cafe in Zimbabwe costs 15 million Zimbabwe dollars. Zimbabwe faces the world's highest official inflation of an estimated 25,000 per cent. Independent financial institutions say real inflation is closer to 150,000 per cent. He said special arrangements were being made to pay soldiers, police and other uniformed services "because it is not desirable to see them queuing for cash".

Zimbabweans can expect to spend more time in the dark after the Mozambique power utility company...suspended supplies to Zimbabwe over an outstanding debt of US$26 million. This development was confirmed in a report in the state run Herald newspaper. Zimbabwe’s power imports have been falling for various reasons. South Africa’s Eskom has stopped supplies claiming "some operational hitches" at its power-generating plants. The Democratic Republic of Congo has also stopped power supplies to Zimbabwe because of ‘problems with it’s transmission network.’ Analysts say the real reason these countries have cut Zimbabwe off is because of unpaid debts. Critics say the...

Banks in Zimbabwe failed to open on Christmas Day, despite earlier pledges from the central bank governor. Instead, long lines of Zimbabweans desperate for local currency queued at the few machines dispensing cash. On top of rampant inflation, mass unemployment and shortages of fuel and basic goods the country is now suffering shortages of bank notes. The shortage remains despite the introduction of higher-denomination notes last week. Mr Gono blames the currency shortages on foreign-exchange currency dealers, the so-called "cash barons", and Zimbabweans are being urged to report anyone flouting currency exchange laws. Zimbabwe has the highest level of inflation...

Hunched and inscrutable, President Robert Mugabe was forced to listen as Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, took him to task for "damaging Africa's image" around the world. The Zimbabwean leader faced the attack during the opening session of a European Union summit with African leaders in Lisbon.

$1 Million Note On the Way As Cash Crisis Worsens Zimbabwe Independent (Harare) NEWS 16 November 2007 By Paul Nyakazeya CASH shortages worsened this week amid speculation that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe was working on plans to introduce higher denominations of bearers' cheques. Business digest understands that the central bank is finalising the introduction of $500 000 and $1 million notes. The new bearer's cheque notes are likely to be introduced early next month. The denominations below $10 000 will be scrapped, sources said. "From the discussions and preparation we have had so far I would say the new...

ZIMBABWE's currency has fallen to record levels, with one million Zimbabwean dollars buying a single US dollar ($1.12) and inflation reaching 8000 per cent. The data was announced as people in the capital, Harare, struggled to cope without electricity for the third day. "We closed our business today (Saturday)," said a woman who helps to run a major petrol supplier. "We just can't operate like this." The National Blood Transfusion Service said it had been unable to test blood since Tuesday. At independence in 1980, the Zimbabwean dollar held parity with the US dollar but has suffered from the economic...