Finally former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade Has been defeated

State media report that President Abdoulaye Wade has acknowledged defeat in Sunday’s runoff presidential election, and has called his opponent Macky Sall to congratulate him.
Unofficial results being announced by the media show Mr. Sall with a huge lead over Mr. Wade. Mr. Sall’s supporters are celebrating in the streets of Dakar.Official provisional results are still days away.
Tens of thousands of Senegalese voted in the tightly contested presidential run-off election between its 85-year-old president and the former prime minister, who had the backing of a dozen other opposition leaders.
Wade had been seeking a highly controversial third term in office, which many feared would derail one of the continent’s leading democracies.
Senegal’s constitution limits the president to two terms, and Mr. Wade’s bid for a third mandate sparked deadly riots.
Supporters cheered for the incumbent in a scene that was very different from the initial poll on February 25, when bystanders booed Mr. Wade
Former prime minister Sall has promised to reform the government and to lower basic food costs.


http://www.zimbabwemetro.com/

“What we see until now is a calm and orderly election day where the polling stations opened at eight o’clock, where people are standing in line to vote in an orderly and calm way, dignified. I don’t see much difficulty until now, although there is clearly high political tension because there is something at stake and that is normal.”
Zimbabweans really have to learn a small lesson from the Senegalese as they are also approaching the elections time.

Forget about Mugabe stepping down says Biti

His Excellency relaxing in comfort

Robert Mugabe “will never step down”, Finance Minister has suggested, creating an image of a lonely man with few interests outside politics, and a determination to cling to power to the bitter end.Biti told the UK-based Independent newspaper that he felt “pity” for the 88-year-old President, who is criticised for alleged human rights abuses and the slow pace of democratic reform
“After 32 years in power, he knows nothing else,” Biti said.
“I know the joy of walking into a supermarket, watching the Black Rhinos or going to church without anyone raising a furore. He does not know there is a beautiful life outside politics. He would never want to retire. I think he will never step down.”
Biti also launched a spirited defence of his MDC-T party’s record in government.
 Human rights groups have expressed concern that Mugabe’s party plans to use the proceeds from diamond mines to fund violence and intimidation in upcoming elections – accusations denied by Zanu PF.
Biti said the country urgently needed to put in place structures – such as a state diamond exploration company – to ensure that “those diamonds sweat for us and not for thieves and middlemen”.
Under the deal that followed the disputed elections in 2008, Zimbabwe is expected to move towards fair elections.
But the process of writing a new constitution has become mired in infighting. President Mugabe has suggested he will call elections with or without a new constitution.

Yes Biti you can have your joy, let Bob have his politics, simply.

Who killed Lookout Masuku?

Lookout Masuku

l have heard most of the NUST students asking themselves about the poster at the Commerce building writen "Who killed Lookout Masuku". This fellow was a Leuitenent General and the deputy in the army and was arrested in 1983 following the Gukurahundi genocide. As one of the ZAPU leaders, it can be concluded that soon after his release in1983, something was done to him by someone. Gukurahundi is a time where many innocent civilians mostly Ndebele speaking were massacred by the Five Brigade, an army trained by 106 North Koreans. That's the question, on who killed this fellow can be linked to this Five brigade because this army was wiping away the Ndebele Kingdom.
Dr Ray Motsi, a scholar also revealed that this Five Brigade raped women so that they give birth to Shona babies. If this army had the guts to rape women who were innocent and did not know anything about the Gukurahundi and dissidents, how can they not have the power to kill one of the most influential Ndebele in the genocide?

We as the Matebeleland people were heavily affected by this genocide which some rulers call it "a moment of madness", we are solely touched by this suspicious death of our hero who was trying to hold back what belongs to us. We also fell pain for our brothers and sisters who were marginalised to dissidents while they were fighting for our freedom as Matebeleland people.

Gwisai et al need to be released...

Munyaradzi Gwisai

"I have learnt with shock and dismay the conviction and subsequent sentencing of six activists for watching videos on the North African uprisings that led to the fall of dictatorships. The conviction and sentencing of Antonette Choto, Munyaradzi Gwisai, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Edson Chakuma, Hopewell Gumbo and Welcome Zimuto, sets a wrong precedent and is not in tandem with democratic principles.
While I respect the separation of powers and the liberty of the judiciary, the conviction of the six rights defenders shakes the very foundation of internationally accepted freedom to associate and engage. Zimbabwe has recorded gross human rights violations that have shaken the justice delivery system. As a woman leader who has been harassed and arrested before, I convey my solidarity to the six activists and especially to Antonette Choto.
 May you be strong and find solace in the knowledge that as women leaders we are with you. The people of Zimbabwe know your progressive stance on human rights, justice and dignity for all. The people's struggle for real change - Let's finish it!!!"

The Vice President Khupe

 Hon. Thokozani Khupe MDC Vice President (htttp://www,byo24news.com). 
Thus can were say there is democracy in Zimbabwe? people should have that freedom of expression, freedom to watch whatever you want and FREEDOM OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION.

Crazy moments

First it was the Rhodes exhumation issue now its dumping of the remains of Chimoio war veterans at Njelele. Matopo is at the peak of the news haa. There is a need of a new Heroes Acre before something goes out of control. Who is going to bury them and where? There is a need of common sense before people do such crazy things. I understand it is the war essence which drives the ZANLA war vet to do such a thing but there is need to think before they come and dump the innocent bones at Matopos.
 There should have been dumped at the National Heroes Acre where there are some of the war gurus. any way, what is it with the bones? the spirits of these dead people are not happy at all. or should there be another Heroes Acre for these bones-maybe called "Chimoio-Zimbabwe Heroes Acre" because really l do not see the use of use of exhuming and then dumping bones of our freedom fighters. let us respect the dead so that they respect us and let us not rush into crazy decisions before critically thinking of the consequences. maybe that is the reason whythere have been poor rain in Matabeleland, not Rhodes, temains.
 Crazy moments rally lead people to do crazy things. or its kind likea way of campaigning. maybe those families who had their loved ones killed at Chimoio during the war will be persuaded to vote for this party as they will have their hearts consloed by bringing the bones of their loved ones.

Ban of rallies will cause havoc during elections

Police in Ruwa yesterday banned an MDC-T rally scheduled to be addressed by party organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, claiming they had no manpower as the bulk of them would be on duty at the Dynamos-Motor Action football match on the same day.Police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau said he could not comment as he said he was not in office.“You may get hold of me tomorrow (today), I am not in office right now,” Sabau said. MDC-T provincial youth chairperson for Chitungwiza Mashoko Matonhodze said the party got a police clearance letter on Wednesday, but was on Saturday served with a cancellation letter. He said in cancelling their rally, police claimed their officers had picked information that there were some Zanu PF sympathisers who intended to disrupt the rally. Matonhodze said the disturbances were meant to stop the MDC-T from campaigning ahead of possible polls this year.

However, he said the MDC-T would not be stopped from meeting the people saying “the MDC has other means of communication that will make the party reach the people”.Chamisa said he was shocked by the sudden cancellation of the rally.“MDC is now a banned organisation in the eyes of the police, but it is bizarre that Zanu PF continues to hold rallies countrywide without police clearance,” he said.Chamisa said the rally was meant to brief the people about progress in the government of national unity and about elections, which Zanu PF wants held this year. http://www.newsday.co.zw...lice-ban-chamisa-rally#.

Can we call this democracy. Every citizen has the right to political participation but when l look at this article, it is very clear that someone is being deprived of this right. there is a need to change this kind of act before election time because it will cause violence.

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DEVOLUTION- A solution to Zimbabwean crisis?

The centralization of power seems to be an issue of concern to the whole Zimbabweans. Power is centralized in one city, all government head offices are centralized in one city, which is a threat to democracy, fairness and impartiality. What can be the cause? I can argue that the fact that one race outnumbers most of the races in this country is one of the causes.

Because of this, our mothers, sisters and brothers there at the periphery of the peripheries are being disadvantages their right to identity, i.e. they cannot apply for identity cards or long birth certificates because they have to go to Harare. Why Harare all the time? You need a passport, go to Harare, finger print verification-Harare, ZIMSEC-Harare, War vets- Harare, everything-Harare. I believe people from as far as Plumtree cannot manage to travel all the way to Harare to apply for all this and later on sleep on the street when they are there.

In my opinion, the best way of dealing with these problems is to decentralize power. Each and every province needs its own registry office, active police headquarters and head offices for all government offices. It is a waste of time, resources and energy for a person from as far as Binga to go all the way from Harare, dragging his or her aged grandparents and make them sleep in the street just for application of a birth certificate while this can be easily done there in Binga without harming anyone.

The capital city

Devolution needs to take place before our marginalized cultural groups are totally “colonized” by the ‘supreme’ culture. I solely believe that as Matebeleland, Manicaland, we can effectively manage head government offices with minimum ‘help’ from the ‘supreme’. It is really painful to be treated as a minority in everything, treated as empty vessels who can only be fed by the superior who only enjoy the nation cake alone and only feeding the so called minority with crumbs.

Zimbabwe President Urge MPs to reveal HIV Status to fight Stigma

A patient suffering from HIV/AIDS

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has urged politicians to reveal their HIV status - in order to fight the stigma associated with the virus that causes AIDS. Mugabe made the appeal in Harare Thursday at the launch of Zimbabwe Parliamentarians Against HIV and AIDS - or ZIPAH. 

Even though the HIV/AIDS rate has been declining, Zimbabwe still has one of the highest percentages of people infected with the virus.

So President Robert Mugabe is urging Zimbabwean politicians to fight the spread of HIV and the stigma associated with it by going public with their status.

“It is disappointing to notice that there are some leaders whose behavior is at odds with an HIV/AIDS-infested social environment," said Mugabe. "Let therefore ZIPAH be the domain and medium through which we address such issues as we demand of each other positive and exemplary behavior."

In a public event in Harare Thursday, many lawmakers did submit to public blood tests. The president recalled sadly how he has lost political colleagues to the deadly infection.

“Not just in my family… in extended family, also in my political family, which is a large family as you are able to imagine," said Mugabe. "Comrades I have worked perished, sat with in cabinet perished. I have not announced it but I can tell you that quite a number of them have died of HIV/AIDS. Not everybody but quite a number.”

Mugabe says African leaders needed to unite to fight AIDS which is a particular scourge in southern Africa.

Analysts say fighting the spread of HIV in Zimbabwe has been hampered by lack of funds despite the nation being the first in Africa to introduce, in 1999, a special three percent tax to boost funds to combat the disease.