ZANU-PF: Press Statement by the Zanu PF Secretary for Information and Publicity CDE Ambassador S.K. Moyo on the Outcome of the Central Committee Special Session Held at the Party Headquarters In Harare on the 19th November 2017

Opinion: The Solidarity March in Harare today should be celebrated!

Today is a day should be coined either Un-Coup Party or 2nd Independence Day, as the crowds and people have been marching in Bulawayo and in Harare. Where they have been marching in solidarity and in peace. Where there been people taking selfies with soldiers, even some have polished the shoes of the soldiers. They have taken down the Robert Mugabe Road sign. They are filling up buses and marching towards the State House while saying “Mugabe Must Go”. Dough Coltart proclaims this: “ Corner 4th & Baines Ave in central Harare. It is packed like this for blocks and blocks and blocks. People have had enough!” (Doug Coltart, 18.11.2017). So people have been walking from Freedom Square and towards the State House. The military have blocked the crowds from getting to close. But the message and the levels of peaceful march. Proves that all society and everyone is ready for a change from Mugabe into something else.

Today, the masses is speaking and the proof of the real unpopularity of Mugabe, as the streets are packed. The marches filled with placards and slogans, which all about the end of the Mugabe era. While that is happening the nephew Patrick Zhuwao says Bob and Grace are “Ready to die for what is correct” (Sky News, 18.11.2017). Well, what is correct now is to step down, that is proven by the public. Who are greeting the soldiers and the state has even been giving out juice to the protesters was walking from Freedom Square towards the State House.

No deal signed in talks at State House. ZanuPF will decide tomorrow when Central Committee meets. Army generals have come out, thanked the marchers and asked them to go home” (Zim Media Review, 18.11.2017). So we still have to wait, but the message from the people has been sent with their peaceful demonstration together with the army. They are so tired of Mugabe that anything else is positive. This day has turned into a public display of wanting liberation and freedom.

There been no disorder, no mutiny and no violence. Just a peaceful display of fatigue against the Mugabe dynasty. Where they finally seeing the end of the tunnel and the second liberation. When the people and the army can create a better republic. There have even been shown clips of people demonstrating directly on the outside of the “blue roof” Mugabe’s residence. So today is a day in the name of democracy and change.

It has been done with peace and with positive movement from the people. All Zimbabweans should be proud of today, what sort of public display and act of civic duty to walk in the streets, marching against the tyranny and also for a new beginning.

Even the Herald of Zimbabwe reported this: “A spirit of unity prevailed as Zimbabweans took to the streets in a solidarity march supported by war veterans, activists, political leaders” (The Herald Zimbabwe, 18.11.2017). All of this shows the changes of Harare and the republic as whole. When even state media is supporting the movement of the people and not chanting proverbs of Mugabe. This week has really changed Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean people deserve credit for their solidarity march to the State House and the War Veterans Rally at the Highfield in Harare. This event today has shown the value of people’s power and a peaceful rally. This has to be celebrated. The Zimbabwean people deserve be praised for today. Peace.

ZANU PF Harare Province – Resolution by the Harare Provincial Coordinating Committee (17.11.2017)

ZANU PF Manicaland Province – Extra Ordinary Provincial Coordination Committee Meeting (17.11.2017)

Opinion: Besigye new Safety Features on his Car is a sign of the Impunity the State serves him daily!

If you don’t know, there are someone I admire for his compassion, his determination and his persistence in rally for true democracy, freedom and liberation of the Ugandan republic. That man is one of the founders of the Forum for Democratic Change, that man is Dr. Warren Kizza Besigye Kifefe. Someone who has seen the Police Force more than I can count. I am sure he has been charged for inciting violence and creating havoc more than words in the ordinary dictionary. Besigye has been under fire and no matter what he do, he is monitored and followed by security operatives.

Besigye, the opposition leader and bigger critic of Museveni. Who has no trouble to get into more trouble. By just existing and breathing. National Resistance Movement and the Uganda Police Force has detained him without much reason, has charged in nearly all courts of the country. He has been charged twice for treason and the last one is still pending. Not that this is real cases, but more to try to stop him from acting and breathing his voice of dissident against Museveni.

That is today is a sign. It is a sign that Besigye wants to show the world with his car. How far the UPF and NRM are acting towards him. We have seen shattered windows, we have seen gun-shots hitting the front window. We know they have cracked the sun-screen on top and dropped tear-gas into the car. While they we’re stationed on a police compound. Clearly, the UPF and the Police Officers has no issues tormenting the man for just being a voice against the NRM. That is his crime, that he defiantly are standing against them and rallying across the republic.

Besigye, clearly is tired of the harassment, the violent attempt on his car. Hope he has tinted the glass and made it gun-proof. Since the police has in some instances really tried to aim with live bullets. The pictures we’re clearly telling stories. Even if the UPF always blame him for showing up for rallies, not that it is the fault of the ones creating havoc and violence. That being the UPF who has no issues silencing the opposition instead of catching crooks.

That is why Besigye is the enemy number one of the state. Not because he shares message of violence or of destruction, but because he speaks of defiance and not compliance with the state. The state that is taking away his freedom and his liberty. The republic that does the same to fellow supporters and leaders within the FDC. Who can become criminal for their political affiliation and not for doing anything illegal. That is the state of affairs. That is why the windows of the car has gotten an upgrade. So the glass cannot be directly shattered like in the past.

If this isn’t a sign that something is wrong. Than nothing is. Besigye shouldn’t need to this, neither show up in courts all around the republic for arbitrary arrests of him and getting out on bond. It continues like that and it doesn’t stop. He is still showing up to court for charges dating back to Walk to Work demonstrations. So the state really are working on overtime to harass Besigye. No stone is left untouched. Not a single one. Peace.

Opinion: Minister Tumwebaze flawed defense of lifting the Age Limit!

 

Well, Mr. Minister Frank Tumwebaze, my view is seen your eyes as propaganda, but coming from you. That is props in my ears, because that means I have understood the world differently from you. In this aspect the lifting of the Article 102(b) from the 1995 Constitution. I know it hard for you to understand, because your eating of the plate served by the President. That is the reason for you suddenly long written article of sorts. Which I only quote on part of, because I don’t have the time to waste commenting on the rest. Need to live life, not only discuss already basic facts. Facts that you dismiss and blatantly undress, when the king is already without clothes. The change in the constitution isn’t to create a better republic or create progress. It is to secure President Museveni’s long rule and give him more time to become as old as Mugabe. That is the reason. Not to build a better and richer country, no, it is secure the stay of Museveni last as long as possible. That is why I don’t care for exposing the rest of your wasted energy on writing about my type of propaganda. Thanks for honoring my words and others, who address the madness of Life Presidency and entitlement to one-man over all in the Republic. Let’s you have the word for a little moment. Before I address the matter at hand!

The claim that removing the age-limit will institutionalize life Presidency of Mr Museveni is also hogwash. The power to vote in and out any leader is not being taken away by the amendment bill. Instead it’s being reinforced by the same Magyezi bill. Removing limits makes the power of the people to vote in and out any leader the ultimate limit. So how can life Presidency be so in this case? It’s true that If a leader is good, he/she will be voted for many more times. That can only lead to longevity but not life Presidency. Longevity perse isn’t bad. It has its known advantages. Famous Amin didn’t need 30 years to cause the havoc he did and neither was he a creation of having no age-limit. With or without term/age-limits, dictators can wreck havoc. The sustainable way therefore, to fight dictators is not by putting term or age-limits in the constitution, but by civically empowering citizens to choose leaders of their choice and be able to resist bad in favor of good at all times. That is how NRM with the support of the Citizenry was able to defeat the dictatorships of the past. Full involvement of the citizenry in determining the affairs of their governance and not symbolic term or age limits; is the permanent therapy to the emergence of dictators. This is what the NRM government invested in. Even before full take over of government in 1985, the NRA then, immediately mobilized people in liberated zones to form their own elected village councils called Resistance Councils(RCs) so as to manage their own affairs. All interest groups of the citizenry(Youth, women, disabled, elderly, workers and army that hitherto was used as anti-people tool) were catered for in the governance structures by the NRM. This is what civic empowerment means” (Tumwebaze, 2017).

That you call it hogwash is endearing of you, but you know that this is cater made and right before Mr. President turns 75 years old. This is not done a decade ago, when he needed to change the term-limits to fit his official “elected” terms. That you talk about elections filled with armed aggression, pre-ticket ballots, bribed officials and rampant rigging, that you talk about people choosing the sole-candidate is just a disgrace of the whole proceedings. That is why the President has less legitimacy and has little authority as he frighten of Besigye and other oppositions. Who can easily show their popularity, while Museveni pays with food and equipment to the voter tourism. Alas, your fake and fraudulent elections are the barring for his existence and now soon also change the Constitution to his aging body.

That you speak of “choice” of leaders and “favors”, the way NRM beat dictatorship of the old times, it is one right now! The NRM uses arbitrary arrests of opposition leaders and charge them for everything possible. The real opposition to the NRM are usually inciting violence and doing something illegal, since they are not following the NRM party line. So Tumwebaze are in effect living in the standard of a dictatorship. The NRM got rid of Amin and Obote, but has created their own dictatorship, where Museveni is the key and the master, instead of the ones of old. So, the NRM hasn’t created something better, they have just changed the laws and using similar tactics to silence opposition.

That you then talk about citizenry of the NRM, while opposition rallies are banned, political parties are stopped from campaigning, while the NRM are holding rallies. It is just selected part of the people who can campaign and can consult. There aren’t a democratic values or real acts of the state, it is handpicked for the NRM. The NRM can pay 1000s of shillings to citizens for just getting them to vote in favor of the Constitutional Amendment. Even the Prime Minister Ruhakana, just like during the General Election of 2016, been seen giving money directly to constituents. So Tumwebaze your words are not really valued, if he was just looking briefly at the conduct of his government.

Let’s be clear and settle this ones and for all. The AGE LIMIT is about Museveni, has always been about MUSEVENI and will die with MUSEVENI. The whole problem and reason for the change is because of Museveni. The reason for the consultation meetings and the party actions, are because of Museveni. No matter what part of the age limit you talk about, it is because of Museveni. Museveni, Museveni or Museveni that is the answer. Nothing else. Tumwebaze you can misuse words, rhetoric and try to disgrace history, still it is all about your master. You are his loyal subject and servant. Hope your pay and your loyalty is rewarded, because we see through you. Peace.

Reference:

Tumwebaze, Frank K. – ‘How Propaganda against Hon Magyezi bill is Losing Ground’ (15.11.2017)

SADC Organ Troika Plus Council Chairperson – Ministerial Meeting on the Political Situation in The Republic of Zimbabwe (16.11.2017)

ZHRC: Press Statement by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) on the Political Situation in Zimbabwe, 16 November 2017

The Police continue with their arbitrary arrests of FDC leaders!

Nathan Nandala Mafabi: There is patronage. Yesterday they arrested Besigye in Mbarara and teargassed people. The expenditure alone to teargas people is a lot” (NBS Television, NBS MorningBreeze, 14.11.2017)

Since the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are holding inner-Party Rallies around the Republic. The opposition party and the hardliners within the party, the ones who are not so compliance and more defiance against the state orders has continued to not follow Police Order and Protocol to do it in smaller venues and not in stadiums. Even so, the FDC and the FDC Presidential Consultation Rallies has tried to be hold at bigger venues this November.

A few days ago it created chaos within Lira Town. Where the Police arrested several of FDC Leaders and also Besigye escaped from Prison. Yesterday there was scheduled rally in Mbarara at a stadium there. Clearly that is illegal so the FDC leaders was detained in Mbarara. With tear-gas and scattering the crowds making ready for rally. Ingrid Turinawe was taken from Mbarara to Rubanda District for a ‘Gender Sensitive’ detention centre. Dr. Kizza Besigye was also moved from Mbarara and detained at Kabale, also arrested Fred Kato the driver and Ronald Muhinda. So the Police Force was busy with their partisan work.

Sidebar:

This is just a continuation of what the Police Force has done for months and years. Been involved and blocking Besigye and other opposition parties from gathering. While the NRM are holding consultation meetings, bribing constituents and delegates for the support of the lifting of the age lifting. Since there is nothing else to waist money in Uganda, like on salaries for doctors or nurses. That is a total waste, so the UPDF and Police are instead sending their medical personnel to Mulago to help out during the strike.

Still, with this in mind, the Police has enough support and funds to continue to follow, monitor and detain the opposition leaders. Not “just” Besigye. But everyone else, who is against the NRM and the Museveni line. They can be detained whenever and for whatever reason the police see fits. Some other FDC leaders was arrested not for the Party rally in Mbarara, but for visiting Besigye. These we’re Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Mubarak Munyagwa. Moses Byamugisha came also for a visit there to see the situation, but he was not arrested.

This here will not end. There will be more, as long as the NRM regime exists and are allowed to assault on political freedom and liberty. Besigye has been a bit to many detained by the authorities, he must have world-record and be written into the Guinness Book of Records. No-one can be detained on so many arbitrary charges as he has been over the years. It is just insane how many times the Police Force has detained him and his loyal allies. His aides are even lingering in jail in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) like Sam Mugumya.

That the police are blocking stadiums, throwing tear-gas and aiming at the leaders with live-bullets should worry anyone, as the reckless attitude and deep rooted violence is eminent and this is systemic, at every part of the republic. All walks of life who appear near one of these venues can get hospitalized and even lose their lives. That for the cost of showing up to a political rally. Something that has happen several places over recent years. This shows how little mercy and little democratic space there are in the republic.

Enough of this sad meager display of democracy. It is a disgrace, that Besigye and FDC leaders behind bars, yet again. Peace.

Opinion: What is the fate of the Exiled Dictator in Harare [Mengistu Haile Mariam]?

Well, as the day progress and the coup d’état in Harare. That has toppled President Robert Mugabe in the last 48 hours, as the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) power struggle has led to the demise of the 37 years of Mugabe. Why it is important is that the former Ethiopian dictator who left for exile was there on the accord of Mugabe. His powers and his control is out. Therefore, it now matters to the current leadership in Addis Ababa and the new in Harare. What will happen with this old-man, whose saving grace was the opening arms of Mugabe. But now that has no currency in any trade.

Almost five years since a civil war overthrew the Marxist military dictatorship of Lieut. Col. Mengistu Haile Mariam, the challenge for Ethiopia has been not only to create a new identity, but also to deal with its heritage” (…) “Colonel Mengistu’s rule tried to obliterate this heritage and create a Marxist state. In the process, tens of thousands of people were killed, including the Emperor, as many were tortured and more than a million peasants were relocated. In a war against guerrilla fighters, Colonel Mengistu’s military bombed entire regions, flattening towns and propagating a reign of terror” (Lorch, 1995)

The Dergue had been executing suspected EPRP members since 1976, but after Mengistu seized full control in 1977, the “Red Terror” was officially unleashed. During this two-year campaign, which has been divided into “three waves,” tens of thousands of Ethiopians were arrested, tortured, and summarily executed. To assist in exterminating the Dergue’s political opponents and “enemies of the revolution,” Mengistu employed the secret police and issued arms to local government, or kebele, officials (Mayfield 1995)” (USBCIS, 1999).

So a man who fled Ethiopia in 1991 and got to exile, are no an open question, as he was the guest of Mugabe. Will the new administration want his presence or do they want him gone? What is their thoughts after toppling on dictator, do they want to have the second one lingering, even if he isn’t their own?

An airport official said Colonel Mengistu was wearing green fatigues and looked “close to tears.” The Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, who invited Colonel Mengistu here as a way to resolve Ethiopia’s civil war, insisted that the arrival be kept as quiet as possible. Mr. Mugabe was at the airport just an hour earlier, but he left for London on a private visit, avoiding any public meeting with the Ethiopian. Mugabe Returns a Favor. The Zimbabwe Government has issued no statement on Colonel Mengistu, and given no confirmation or denial of his presence in the country. But Government officials have said that Colonel Mengistu is expected to settle here” (New York Times, 1991).

That means that the exiled dictator and the man behind the Red Terror of Ethiopia has been living in Harare since 1991, that means 26 years he has had in peaceful existence there. While this has happen in Ethiopian Supreme Court in January 2007, the exiled President was sentenced to death in his absence. That meaning, if he has to return to Ethiopia. It will he his direct demise and himself paying the price for his leadership in Ethiopia between 1976 and 1991. Clearly, the EPRDF the one party overthrowing the DERG want to retaliate, especially considering that he fled and has been sentenced since leaving.

So we can wonder what will be his fate, will the TPLF or the EPRDF ask for his Extradition from Zimbabwe? Or will they just let him be or will the new leadership ask him to leave and where should he go? Since he would in midst turmoil in Ethiopia and hard for someone sentenced to death in their homeland to become refugee on humanitarian grounds. Even if he wants to try to become political refugee, most likely very few countries wants his residence, except for Equatorial Guinea who recently accepted Yayha Jammeh from Gambia. Peace.

Reference:

New York Times – ‘EX-ETHIOPIA CHIEF REACHES ZIMBABWE’ (23.05.1991) link: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/23/world/ex-ethiopia-chief-reaches-zimbabwe.html

Lorch, Donatella – ‘ Ethiopia Deals With Legacy of Kings and Colonels’ (31.12.1995) link: http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/31/world/ethiopia-deals-with-legacy-of-kings-and-colonels.html

United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USBCIS) – ‘Ethiopia: Background Information on the Mengistu Regime during the Red Terror’ (28.12.1999) link: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a6b414.html