http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/zimbabwe/ en-us Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:46:23 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413913/posts THE food giant Nestle says it has shut down its milk processing plant in Zimbabwe temporarily after staff were forced by authorities to take milk from "non-contracted suppliers.'' Nestle in October stopped buying milk from a farm owned by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's family, who seized it from white farmers under his controversial land reforms. The Swiss-based food giant, the world's largest, said Zimbabwean government officials and police made an "unannounced visit'' to the plant on Saturday, forcing staff to take delivery of a milk tanker from non contracted suppliers. Two Nestle Zimbabwe managers were also questioned by the police AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413913/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:46:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388265/posts ROME – Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe used the U.N. summit on world hunger Tuesday to lash out at the West and defend land reforms blamed for plunging his people into starvation. Addressing the summit hosted by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, Mugabe said the policy under which thousands of white-owned commercial farms were seized in 2000 was a quest for "equity and justice." He blamed the subsequent meltdown of Zimbabwe's economy on "hostile interventions" by "neocolonialist enemies" that have imposed sanctions on his regime. Western countries have slapped travel bans and asset freezes on Mugabe and his... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388265/posts#comment Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:24:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383872/posts In February 2009 Zimbabwe was the only country in the world without debt. Nobody owed anyone anything. Following the abandonment of the Zimbabwe Dollar as the local currency all local debt was wiped out and the country started with a clean slate. kitco.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2383872/posts#comment Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:49:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2368147/posts Cholera has reappeared in Zimbabwe, where more than 4,300 people died of the disease in a recent epidemic, the United Nations Children's Fund reports. UNICEF said Tuesday there have been at least five deaths in the current outbreak... "The fundamentals of the last epidemic are still there. Water is only sporadically available, and sewerage reticulation and refuse collection are only partially working," "It's not the catastrophe that it was last year but it's still a big epidemic of an easily preventable disease that should never have been allowed to happen," UPI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2368147/posts#comment Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:55:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364298/posts Zimbabwe's troubled national unity government moved a step closer to breakdown Friday as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said his formation of the Movement for Democratic Change would cease to interact with its governing partner, the former ruling ZANU-PF party of President Robert Mugabe, following this week's arrest of a top MDC official. Mr. Tsvangirai told reporters in Harare his MDC would "disengage" from ZANU-PF "until such time as confidence and respect are restored among us," clearly alluding to the indictment of MDC Treasurer and Senator Roy Bennett on charges of possessing weapons for purposes of terrorism, and his incarceration following... VOA News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2364298/posts#comment Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:13:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2359872/posts A British farmer who stood up to Robert Mugabe and was beaten, abducted and finally had his house burnt down has travelled to Washington to ask the Obama administration to put pressure on the Zimbabwe government before it seizes the last remaining white farms. Ben Freeth and his wife Laura with their children Anna, Phillip and Josh. Ben Freeth, who moved to Zimbabwe from Kent, joined his father-in-law Mike Campbell in taking Mugabe to an international court to stop the farm seizures. Their secret footage of the campaign of intimidation launched against them will form part of a film to... The Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2359872/posts#comment Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:39:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2350311/posts YOU'VE seen them as mythical beasts in the Chronicles of Narnia - now a village has been left shellshocked after the birth of a bizarre faun-like creature with the combined features of a man and a goat. Bild reports the goat, which died just a few hours after birth in Lower Gweru, Zimbabwe, had a huge head and face which resembled a human as well as goat legs and a tail. Villagers said the end product was so scary even dogs were afraid to go close to it. They burned the corpse fearing it was an evil sign. "This is... The Daily Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2350311/posts#comment Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:22:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2348639/posts WHEN the youths saw Murray Pott's sister filming them as they hit the Zimbabwean farmer with sticks, they smashed the kitchen window to try to get to her too. Mr Pott, who is of Scottish descent, was left with broken ribs and head injuries after a mob attacked him on his farm in Chinhoyi, central Zimbabwe last week. The incident shows how terrifying life has become for the country's last white farmers seven months into the power-sharing agreement between president Robert Mugabe and former opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai that was widely expected to end land invasions. "I was attacked in... Scotsman http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2348639/posts#comment Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:31:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2348229/posts UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe accused Western countries on Friday of "filthy antics" aimed at undermining a power-sharing government forged in February under a pact with former rival Morgan Tsvangirai. In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Mugabe said the United States and the European Union had refused to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe, and "some of them are working strenuously to divide the parties in the inclusive government." "If they will not assist the inclusive government in rehabilitating our economy, could they please, please stop their filthy clandestine divisive antics," Mugabe said. The United States imposed... Reuters on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2348229/posts#comment Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:27:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346779/posts With former Obama green jobs czar Van Jones gone, along with his views about whites directing poisons to minorities, focus is now shifting to race-based views of "diversity czar" Mark Lloyd, who has suggested "white people" step down from positions of power to allow "more people of color, gays" and "other people" to take those positions. Lloyd, the Federal Communications Commission chief diversity officer appointed to the newly created position by President Obama in early August, has talked about issues such as a 100 percent tax on broadcast outlets to collect money to provide alternative viewpoints, mandatory diversity in station... WND http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2346779/posts#comment Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:11:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2337306/posts HARARE (AFP) – President Robert Mugabe on Friday lashed out at Western sanctions against him, condemning "bloody whites" for meddling in Zimbabwe's affairs, on the eve of a landmark European Union visit. "Who said the British and the Americans should rule over others? That's why we say down with you. We have not invited these bloody whites. They want to poke their nose into our own affairs. Refuse that," he said. "We have stood stood firm and we have refused to let go. Zimbabwe, sanctions or no sanctions, Zimbabwe remains ours," he told a gathering of his party's youth wing.... AFP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2337306/posts#comment Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:13:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330924/posts HARARE (AFP) – President Robert Mugabe has pardoned 1,500 inmates, more than 10 percent of the prison population, as Zimbabwe struggles to provide them with food and water, an official said Wednesday. Mugabe granted amnesty to 1,544 prisoners, mainly women and juveniles, as well as people with terminal illnesses, said the permanent secretary in the justice ministry David Mangota. "The Zimbabwe Prison Service has faced challenges in... provision of prisoners' rations, clothing and bedding, toiletries and transport among others," Mangota told the official New Ziana news agency. "As a short-term relief option... a proposal to have a general amnesty was... AFP via Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330924/posts#comment Thu, 3 Sep 2009 01:54:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2327779/posts Zimbabwe's two main political leaders, President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai had talks with outgoing South African Development Community (SADC) chairman and President of South Africa Jacob Zuma into the early hours of Friday morning. Mr. Zuma came to Harare to try and unblock outstanding issues from the political agreement which is nearly a year old and which brought the unity government in Zimbabwe to power in February. Mr. Zuma has had one-on-one talks with both Mr. Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai and then with both of them together since he arrived in Harare late Thursday. Mr. Zuma seemed... Voice of America http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2327779/posts#comment Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:41:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2326247/posts The Zimbabwe Defence Forces are heavily factionalised and it is by no means a foregone conclusion that, should anything happen to Mugabe, the army will fall in behind a single successor. This was revealed to me in detail yesterday after an interview I did with SW Radio regarding the story I broke on this blog about Mugabe’s medical trip to Dubai. The factions within the armed forces mirror those within ZANU PF itself. For example, last year in February, when Simba Makoni jettisoned the party to launch a challenge to Mugabe’s hold on the presidency of Zimbabwe, senior army commanders... Nehanda Radio http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2326247/posts#comment Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:53:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318578/posts Harare - Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gideon Gono has proposed the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar anchored on gold valued by an independent body comprising all stakeholders. He said the reintroduction of the local currency would help in addressing a number of bottlenecks the country was facing. Dr Gono said the reintroduction of the local unit in the manner he was proposing would go a long way in addressing unavailability of change of small denominations and coins, among other constraints. The RBZ chief said this yesterday while giving oral evidence before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Natural Resources,... The Zimbabwe Situation http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2318578/posts#comment Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:39:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2317687/posts A woman pays her bus fare with 3 trillion in old Zimbabwe dollars — the equivalent of 50 U.S. cents. The collector accepts the brick of neatly folded bundles of a trillion each without bothering to count the notes. Ap/YahooNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2317687/posts#comment Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:24:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315853/posts WASHINGTON -- When stock markets plumbed new lows in March, the Federal Reserve responded with nearly every tool in its box. It announced it would create new money to buy $1.25 trillion in mortgages and $300 billion in government debt. That purchase of government debt looked particularly ominous. Creating new money to buy government debt is the sort of strategy that's known to destroy economies--just ask Zimbabwe, which suffered so much hyperinflation that it destroyed its currency. The Zimbabwe central bank printed bills in the denomination of 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars, then found they had value only as a novelty... Forbes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2315853/posts#comment Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:00:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2312998/posts Cape Town - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is stockpiling arms and ammunition and preparing for war, the Democratic Alliance warned on Thursday.... ..."Mugabe is [also] talking to Venezuela, Cuba and Korea to fund a war-chest in preparation for the referendum and election, following the implementation of the global political agreement (GPA) brokered by former president Thabo Mbeki on behalf of SADC."... ...James said Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party appeared to be "mobilising for war against their own citizens".... News24.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2312998/posts#comment Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:13:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311916/posts NOTE: This article was written in January, 2005. But it is actually more applicable and prophetic today than it was then. It is a little long but well worth your time. By Gemma Meyer (Gemma Meyer is the pseudonym of a South African journalist. She and her husband, a former conservative member of parliament, still reside in South Africa.) People used to say that South Africa was 20 years behind the rest of the Western world. Television, for example, came late to South Africa (but so did pornography and the gay rights movement). Today, however, South Africa may be the... The National Messenger http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311916/posts#comment Sun, 9 Aug 2009 15:51:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311063/posts Joseph Msika, who died on August 4 aged 85, was vice-president of Zimbabwe and a central figure in his country's headlong rush to ruin. A foul-mouthed, embittered man, much given to swearing in public and delivering foam-flecked speeches, Msika was perhaps the only Zimbabwean who could outdo President Robert Mugabe when it came to verbal vitriol. The targets of his bile included journalists, farmers, all young Zimbabweans – who had allegedly failed to match his standards of patriotism and devotion – and white people in general. During a rally in Bulawayo in August 2001, Msika took racist rhetoric to a... The London Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311063/posts#comment Sat, 8 Aug 2009 01:45:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286867/posts ZIMBABWE’S state media reported yester day that Robert Mugabe described the US assistant secretary of state for Africa as “an idiot” after their acrimonious meeting at the African Unit summit meeting in Libya. # Mugabe calls US official an idiot According to the Herald newspaper, Mugabe said nothing came of the talks. “You wouldn’t speak to an idiot of that nature. Who is he? “I hope he is not speaking for Barack Obama. I told him he was a shame, a great shame being an African-American,” Mugabe was quoted as saying about Johnnie Carson. The Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286867/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 23:32:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286652/posts HARARE: Zimbabwe's state media reported Monday that President Robert Mugabe described the US assistant secretary of state for African affairs as ``an idiot'' after an acrimonious meeting between the two at an African summit in Libya. The state Herald newspaper carried the remarks after a briefing Mugabe gave to Zimbabwean reporters at the end of last week's summit of the continentwide African Union. US Embassy officials in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, where Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson is visiting, would not comment on the remarks. According to the Herald paper, Mugabe said nothing came out of those talks. ``You wouldn't... AFP via Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286652/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 18:30:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283019/posts — Zimbabwe’s prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, said Tuesday that an official he had appointed had secured lines of credit worth $950 million from China, President Robert Mugabe’s longtime ally. nyt http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283019/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:02:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2279952/posts JOHANNESBURG – Human Rights Watch said Friday that Zimbabwe's armed forces have taken over diamond fields in the east and killed more than 200 people, forcing children to search for the precious gems and beating villagers who get in the way. Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2279952/posts#comment Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:15:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273536/posts WASHINGTON -- Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is attempting something rare and difficult -- sharing power with the man who tried to murder him. Every Monday morning, Tsvangirai conducts public business across the table from Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, founder and oppressor. During a recent interview in Washington, Tsvangirai observed to me that the 85-year-old Mugabe "is someone who can be charming when he wants. I am on guard when he becomes charming. It is when I'm most suspicious of his intentions." Mugabe has a long history of co-opting his political opponents -- or killing them. "He has not co-opted... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273536/posts#comment Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:20:49 GMT