Iz qula enzo u I G ze o n ir z it o a G M u q a j u n l i a h C C h o i r n i t j i a a M M a a i j t i n r i o h C The Real Change Times Movement for Democratic Change A Party of Excellence! The Official Mouthpiece of the MDC Tuesday 26 October MDC Information & Publicity Department, Harvest House, 44 Nelson Mandela Ave, Harare, Zimbabwe Issue 055: 2010 MDC outlines election benchmarks HARARE – Zimbabwe needs critical Due to the abuse of the State security Independent election observers concur electoral reforms before holding sector, during the 2008 elections that the groundwork needs to be laid for credible elections in 2011, the MDC by Zanu PF, Hon. Biti reiterated a free and fair vote. Secretary–General, Hon. Tendai Biti that having police officers manning has said. inside polling station was likely to In a statement this week, the Zimbabwe intimidate voters. Election Support Network, (ZESN) said Hon. Biti said that there was need for far reaching reforms to the electoral “Hence the MDC calls for the it had not seen any meaningful attempt law, addressing key issues such as the deployment of police officers outside to identify the perpetrators of political shambolic voters’ roll and ensuring the polling stations and confining the violence of 2008 and bring them full independence of the discredited military to the barracks during the polls to book. Zimbabwe Electoral Commission which will greatly reduce the chances (ZEC), its commissioners and of intimidation,” he said. “The victims of violence remain its secretariat. vulnerable to fresh attacks should Hon. Biti said those were the key elections be held before this critical “What we are saying as a Party is that MDC election signposts. He said the action is taken. This has also meant the ZEC secretariat should not be a delimitation of constituencies must be that there has not been any healing and done properly, and then there can be rat hole of CIO (Central Intelligence reconciliation among the people, and Organisation) operatives,” Biti an agreement on the date for elections said. “We need to strengthen the by all the three political principals and any proposed elections are likely to independence of ZEC, having a new agreement on the code of conduct by be held in an environment that is very voters’ roll, and embarking on a new the contesting political parties. similar to the one obtaining in June transparent delimitation exercise.” 2008,” said ZESN. The MDC calls for a conducive Hon. Tendai Biti He said the voters’ roll is currently in environment fit for holding free and The organisation said it was concerned tatters as many eligible voters have been fair democratic elections where proud The political environment in the country Of concern to the MDC is the about an electoral environment in which removed from the voters’ roll while a lot Zimbabweans can choose a legitimate remains volatile. intimidation which has continued the oppressive Public Order Security of ghost voters are still registered. The government and leaders with neither unabated throughout the country, Act (POSA) and Access to Information fear nor cohesion. The people spoke The disturbances during the Copac voter register is also replete with names prompting the party to demand Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) of dead people and others who would be in March 2008, they overwhelmingly outreach meetings in Harare have also enactment of necessary political remain on the statute books, draconian over 100 years of age were they alive. voted for the MDC, and will do so again negatively affected the planned 2011 at the next poll which Hon Biti said the elections as Zanu PF has given a hint of reforms and practices as preconditions laws that have been selectively used to Zanu PF has over the past two decades MDC was ready for. its violence modus operandi. to the holding of a free and fair election. curtail fundamental freedoms. abused the voters’ roll, registering non- existent people with fictitious addresses. Hon. Biti said the MDC advocates that the integrity of the voters’ roll be protected constitutionally and be subject to scrutiny by the citizens of Nyanhongo, Midzi bankrolling Chipangano shock-troops Zimbabwe and Parliament. “The voters’ roll must be available to HARARE – Two senior Zanu PF Last week, Zanu PF activists the electoral stakeholders in a usable Harare province officials, Hubert besieged and attacked mourners format and on time. There is need for Nyanhongo and Amos Midzi have at the funeral wake of an MDC an overhaul approach to the rule of law been implicated in sponsoring district organising secretary, in the country to level the playfield political violence taking place Sekai Kadyakumbuka at Mbare for the holding of fair, violence-free, credible elections,” Hon. Biti, who is in some parts of Harare suburbs, Block 2 flats. the Finance minister in the inclusive investigations by The Real government, said. Change Times have shown. In September, an MDC activist, Chrispen Mandizvidza was “There is also need to deal with There has been an upsurge of murdered by Zanu PF youths after hardware issues like the democratisation of the media through media plurality, political violence engineered he had participated at a Copac full implementation of the GPA (Global by Zanu PF youths in Harare outreach meeting at Mai Musodzi Political Agreement), including issues since the Constitution–making Hall in Mbare. The Copac such as the land audit, land tenure. process moved to the capital city outreach meetings have been indefinitely suspended due to the “Next is the issue of political violence last month. where a number of things must be violence that took place. resolved like the work of the Organ of Investigations by this paper Senator Morgan Femai National Healing. The role of SADC reveal that Nyanhongo, the The killers have been identified and the presence of election monitors Harare South MP and Midzi, a a rogue outfit known as “Chipangano” were disrupting funeral wakes of MDC and police notified but no arrests in Zimbabwe six months before and six to unleash violence on suspected MDC members and MDC public meetings losing parliamentary candidate have been made. months after the elections. There is also supporters. The Zanu PF shock troops although the police would have in Epworth in 2008 elections need to strengthen the role of JOMIC,” operate from Carter House, a booking authorised them. are financing Zanu PF youths to “We want these people to be he said. house owned by the Harare City arrested,” demanded Senator unleash violence. Council in Mbare. Senator Femai said suburbs that had Hon. Biti explained that there was Femai urging political leaders to been seriously affected by the political need to ensure that we have credible desist from fanning violence. institutions that are involved in the Nyanhongo is the Zanu PF Harare The youths are not paying rent and any violence are; Mbare, Harare South, running of the election process, provincial chairperson and deputy attempt by the city council to evict them Hatcliffe and Epworth. including voter education institutions. Minister of Energy and Power has been met with violence against Nyanhongo and Midzi were in Development. He is a retired council officials. “We have tried to engage the police at 2009 implicated in sponsoring “But most importantly there is need for Brigadier General. Mbare Police Station for them to arrest a spate of violent activities in security sector realignment to make sure Harare as they fought for the these institutions protect people’s rights The MDC Harare province chairperson, these perpetrators as they are known but against abusers of the law, rather than The two are paying and oiling Chikomo senator, Morgan Femai the police have not been forthcoming,” Zanu PF chairperson position of the situation we have right now where Zanu PF youths who operate under confirmed that the Zanu PF youths he said. Harare province. people no longer have confidence in our security sector,” said Hon Biti. Together, united, winning, ready for real change! 1 MDC MPs slam Sibanda HARARE – MDC MPs have roundly “Zanu PF is good at preaching slammed purported war veteran, peace and practising war. They sit Jabulani Sibanda, who is fanning in this august House and preach violence in Masvingo province, peace. The moment they walk branding him a terrorist who should out of this august House, they are be immediately arrested and removed practising war. When they come back, from the province. they want that war to be transferred to somebody who did not do it,” Debating in the House of Assembly said Khumalo. last week, Zaka West MP, Hon. Festus Dumbu said Sibanda was She said Zanu PF made peace look misguided as he had no law of like war, lies like the truth. survival as a normal human being. “They have believed in their lies and “While the people are trying to that is now normal. For any Zanu heal their wounds, Zanu PF sends PF person to say the truth, I think Sibanda to terrorise people in Zaka. the dead gust windows. They have The most painful part is that Sibanda accepted that there is nothing called is very discourteous. He has no code the truth. They lie in such a way that and no law of survival as a human it is so convincing for them that they being,” Dumbu lashed out. are lying. Tell the truth and it shall set you free,” Hon. Khumalo said. He castigated Sibanda saying he was Zaka West MP, Hon. Festus Dumbu Bulawayo East MP, Hon.