From Afrik.com - By Rejoice Ngwenya, 2 July 2009

For Zimbabwe, I Say ‘Yes’ To ‘Sanctions’

Many Africans and some Zimbabweans, including Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, who argue vehemently against continued international political restrictions on Zimbabwe, have completely got their coordinates wrong.

“Promises of reform” in the face of strangled civil and political liberties of Zimbabweans are not sufficient ingredient for the recipe of total democratisation that we demand before first lady Mrs. Grace Mugabe is allowed to be part of the glitz and glamour of London’s Harrods high society again. For those of us who bear the full brunt of dictatorship, anything that adds melody to the soundtrack of misery on those who oppress us is sweet music! That is how trivial we want to be.

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From The Zimbabwean - 30 June 2009

Large quantities of gold and other reserves have simply disappeared. Rumours abound of flights to Malaysia taking tonnes of gold and diamonds. Gideon Gono, governor of the bank, is strenuously resisting any suggestion of an audit. When this subject was raised in Cabinet it caused a uproar amongst Zanu (PF) ministers.

The RBZ skimmed off some US$500 million a year for several years – feeding the proceeds into luxury cars, agricultural equipment and inputs that were then handed out like candy to a privileged elite’

When Zimbabwe became independent under a Zanu-led government in 1980, there were few indications of real corruption in government.

A small but strong civil service ran the affairs of state with exemplary commitment. Previous leaders had not generally retired with evidence of having benefited from their positions. Up to 1990, this situation changed gradually but was hardly noticeable. After 1990 the situation deteriorated rapidly and since 2000 corruption has become endemic in all spheres of life. Every Zimbabwean experiences corruption, every day. Police at road blocks, officials in state offices, customs people at border posts - the list is endless.

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From Bloomberg - By Brian Latham, 30 June 2009

Zimbabwe will receive $950 million of loans from China, nearly double the amount raised during Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s three-week trip to the U.S. and Europe.

The southern African country received “pledges” worth about $500 million from the U.S. and Europe, Tsvangirai said today in an e-mailed statement from the capital, Harare.

“In our drive to rebuild Zimbabwe, we are not limited to a ‘look west’ or ‘look east’ policy, but rather we are committed to engaging our friends in all parts of the globe,” he said.

Zimbabwe needs funds to rebuild its economy after a decade- long economic and political crisis led to famine, disease and hyperinflation. An impasse between Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change and President Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front ended in February when the two parties agreed to form a coalition government.

Since the accord was signed, the MDC has had disputes with Zanu-PF, including Mugabe’s appointment of central bank Governor Gideon Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana. The MDC accuses the two men of supporting Zanu-PF. Yesterday, the MDC threatened to pull out of the unity government unless it is treated as an “equal partner” by Mugabe’s party.

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We received this anti Gideon Gono flyer from an anonymous source. If you are in Zimbabwe why not print this out and match front and back and then distribute. Lets get the message across - we do not need GIDEON GONO running our countries reserve bank. We know what happened to our money! It was stolen and used to fund Zanu’s violent regime. Our money was the instrument of torture, rape, plunder and murder of our most vulnerable citizens. It was used to buy patronage, to provide luxuries to the decrepit and morally bankrupt Zanu fat cats.

Gono says let bygones be bygones - yeah, sure - only when Gono is GONE!

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From The Zimbabwe Standard - By Sandra Mandizvidza, 27 June 2009

THE turf war pitting Finance Minister Tendai Biti against Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono will be played out in the Supreme Court after a Harare magistrate referred an externalisation case against the minister’s law firm to the superior court.

Harare Magistrate Peter Kumbawa referred the case to the Supreme Court saying the accused, Honey & Blanckenberg legal practitioners, was unlikely to have a fair hearing since the matter has degenerated into a personal fight between Gono and Biti.

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