weekly anb05258.txt #8

[anb-bia <anb-bia@village.uunet.be>]

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WEEKLY NEWS ISSUE of: 25-05-2000      PART #8/8

* Zambia. Zambia telecommunications Company  -  The Zambian
Government is inviting the private sector to buy shares in the
state-owned Zambia Telecommunications Company (ZAMTEL). The South
African telecommunications service provider (TELCOM) has already
expressed interest in acquiring the minority shares on offer, but
is still assessing the Zambian Government's proposal. Last year,
the Zambian Government approved the sale of 20% of the shares and
management rights in ZAMTEL, a company that provides
telecommunications services nation-wide. It is investing millions
of dollars in new technology ahead of the partial privatisation,
aimed at improving the quality of services provided to its
customers.   (Matte Sepo, ANB-BIA, Zambia, 10 May 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Threats, threats and more threats  -  Morgan
Tsvangirai, president of the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), is appealing to the international community to
guarantee his security before and after the elections. His appeal
comes amid the escalation of political violence and persistent
death threats directed specifically against him by President Mugabe
whenever he addresses his supporters. The MDC has released a list
of about 15 incidents of violence, one of kidnapping and nine of
murder of its members; one of the nine murdered was Tsvangirai's
driver. Mugabe says there are people bent on sowing seeds of
disunity among Zimbabweans and -- "The MDC will never form the
government of this country, never, never -- not in my life time or
even after I die". Mugabe has also warned foreigners working on the
country's farms to stop supporting the MDC if they want to live
peacefully in Zimbabwe. He has threatened white farmers with "very,
very severe violence" if they take any action against people who
have invaded the commercial farmland. Dr John Makumbe is a
political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe. He says it is
incumbent upon the government and all political leaders to
categorically condemn violence, and to urge their supporters to
adopt the democratic ethics and high levels of tolerance, for the
benefit of all Zimbabweans. "I fond it quite embarrassing to see
the President raising a fist on national television and threatening
he can knock down Tsvangirai with that fist", said Makumbe.  
(Tendai Madinah, ANB-BIA, Zimbabwe, 16 May 2000)

* Zimbabwe. La campagne electorale s'annonce violente  -  18 mai.
Depuis que le president Mugabe a fixe la date des elections aux 24
et 25 juin, la violence a repris ses droits dans les zones rurales.
Deux sympathisants de l'opposition ont ete tues le 17 mai lors
d'affrontements avec des militants du parti de Mugabe. D'autre
part, le president sud-africain Thabo Mbeki, en visite officielle
a Londres, et le Premier ministre britannique Tony Blair ont prone
l'envoi du maximum d'observateurs pour les elections au Zimbabwe,
au moment ou M. Mugabe excluait la presence de tout observateur
britannique. -19 mai. Le chef des anciens combattants, Hunzvi, a
ete condamne par la Haute Cour a trois mois de prison avec sursis
pour outrage a magistrat, pour ne pas avoir mis fin a l'occupation
des fermes de Blancs. En raison du dialogue initie avec le syndicat
des fermiers, le juge a prefere lui infliger une amende. - 21 mai.
Le Mouvement pour le changement democratique (MDC), principal parti
d'opposition, a annonce qu'une vingtaine de ses partisans avaient
ete arretes avant une reunion politique dans la banlieue d'Harare.
L'opposition affirme ne pouvoir faire campagne pour les
legislatives en raison des intimidations et violences dont ses
candidats et partisans sont victimes. -22 mai. 46 anciens
combattants et partisans du pouvoir ont comparu devant la justice,
suite aux violences politiques de la semaine derniere; ils sont
accuses d'avoir enleve et torture plusieurs membres du MDC, dont un
est mort de ses blessures. -24 mai. Le gouvernement zimbabween a
amende les lois sur la propriete fonciere afin de permettre au
president Mugabe de confisquer 841 fermes de Blancs par
proclamation et sans indemnisation. Mugabe a eu recours aux
pouvoirs speciaux presidentiels pour reviser cette loi. Il a fait
de la domination fonciere blanche un enjeu central de la campagne
electorale.   (ANB-BIA, de sources diverses, 24 mai 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Lead-up to the elections  -  18 May: South Africa's
President Thabo Mbeki, on an official visit to London, calls for as
many observers as possible to be sent as soon as possible to
Zimbabwe, to help ensure that next month's election is free and
fair. Fearing defeat at the polls, ZANU-PF has deployed gangs of
youths and guerilla war veterans to beat and shoot its opponents,
smash and petrol-bomb their houses and steal their cattle. Police
have usually refused to intervene or arrest those known to have
carried out the attacks. Speaking in Mauritius, President Mugabe
says: "Britain will have no part to play in ensuring that
Zimbabwe's elections are free and fair". 19 May: A team of 110 EU
observers is to be sent to Zimbabwe ahead of the elections. MDC
leaders files an urgent court application seeking to delay the
deadline for the nomination of candidates for the elections. 21
May: Election campaigning begins. Speaking at an election rally
outside Harare, Morgan Tsvangirai says his party is not condoning
violence, but he is talking of legitimate self-defence. 22 May: The
US-based National Democratic Institute says that political violence
and intimidation in Zimbabwe are so widespread and severe, that
conditions do not exist at present for credible elections. 22 May:
Britain will not insist on sending election observers to Zimbabwe. 
 (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 24 May 2000)

* Zimbabwe. Land dispute  -  18 May: An intensified barrage of
state-sponsored violence sweeps through Zimbabwe, killing three
more opposition supporters. Two members of the opposition United
Party (UP) are beaten to death by ZANU-PF supporters in the Mudzi
area of north-eastern Zimbabwe. More than 30 other UP supporters
are badly beaten in Mudzi. One more supporter of the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is also killed. The UN
announces it is to intervene to try and break the deadlock between
Britain and Zimbabwe in the land dispute. The UNDP has been called
in to investigate the issues at the heart of the dispute. 19 May:
Veteran's leader Chengerai Hunzvi is due to appear in court today
as a result of failing to comply with a court demand last month to
instruct his followers to leave the white-owned farms. He is found
guilty and receives a fine and suspended prison sentence. Kofi
Annan has asked the UN Development Programme to "explore the
possibility of helping to facilitate Zimbabwe's land reform
programme. South Africa's President Mbeki appeals to foreign donors
to fund the transfer of white-owned land to black farmers. 23 May:
The Government has gazetted legislation empowering the government
to acquire 841 white-owned farms for resettlement by landless
peasants. This move means the Land Acquisition Act is now in line
with the Constitution. But because parliament has now been
dissolved pending next month's parliamentary elections, the new law
will only be applicable for the next six months -- unless it is
ratified by the incoming parliament. 24 May: The British Government
expresses alarm about the latest development over land ownership in
Zimbabwe. British minister Peter Hain says he is extremely
concerned that President Mugabe might be preparing to seize land
quickly and without compensation -- using powers under the new Land
Acquisition Act.   (ANB-BIA, Brussels, 25 May 2000)

Weekly anb0525.txt - End of part 8/8
THE END


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*  "La liberation sociale?                                            *
*  Se liberer du besoin d'appartenir au troupeau" (A. De Mello)       *
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