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 Changing Times Movement for Democratic Change A Party of Excellence! The Official Mouthpiece of the MDC Friday 6 November MDC Information & Publicity Department, Harvest House, 44 Nelson Mandela Ave, Harare, Zimbabwe Issue 007: 2009 Distributed free of charge President leads MDC team to Maputo … as SADC Troika grapples to tackle Constitutional crisis HARARE – President Morgan It was the latest Bank governor cholera - all of them crises that had been Tsvangirai on Wednesday led a effort in a series Gideon Gono and significantly addressed after the MDC powerful MDC team to a Troika of gatherings pro-Zanu PF formed government in February. summit in Maputo where the party convened by Attorney-General expected Southern African leaders at the SADC, a Johannes Tomana. World rights body, Human Rights Watch the summit in Mozambique to order full 15-member bloc, The report also urged the regional leaders to discuss implementation of the Global Political that has been asked Mugabe to the deteriorating political situation in Agreement to resolve the deepening involved in a search secure an end to Zimbabwe, urging them to press Zanu PF to end ongoing human rights abuses. political and constitutional crisis for a solution to the political violence in Zimbabwe. constitutional crisis and to refrain “Recent reports that Zanu PF continues after the MDC’s from the partisan The MDC position is that failure to to arrest and harass human rights and partial withdrawal use of security resolve the GNU crisis, which has from the inclusive civil society activists should act as a mothballed national budgeting and forces, the legal g o v e r n m e n t warning to the regional leaders that spawned a critical legitimacy crisis system and other October 16, Zimbabwe may slide back into violence for Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF, must state apparatus. citing Zanu PF’s and chaos if they do not take decisive prompt the staging of fresh, free and fair action,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa reluctance to The ministerial internationally supervised elections, director at Human Rights Watch. comply with the T r o i k a the party’s national spokesman said in GPA and the SADC c o n s u l t a t i o n s Harare yesterday. “Regional leaders should set concrete resolution of 27 last week were a benchmarks and consider targeted January 2009 as The MDC outlined its expectations as result of President sanctions if any of Zimbabwe’s parties well as a surge in President Tsvangirai led a high-powered Tsvangirai’s highly- do not comply with the provisions of delegation of top party officials to the Zanu PF-instigated successful four- the power-sharing agreement.” political violence in SADC Troika meeting convened in President Morgan Tsvangirai nation tour that the countryside. Maputo by Mozambique President and took him to Mozambique, Civic group Open Society Initiative SADC Troika chair, Armando Guebuza. South Africa, Angola and for Southern Africa (OSISA) urged MDC spokesman Hon. Thabo Mbeki, a SADC mediator and The meeting was also attended by DRC, where he was warmly received SADC to deploy an observer mission to Nelson Chamisa said the SADC, former South African president, that deputy Troika chair, Zambia President by all Presidents of the four countries, Zimbabwe to avert bloodshed. as the guarantors of the power- met the Zimbabwean officials in Harare Rupiah Banda and King Mswati III who subsequently decided to dispatch a sharing deal, must make sure that last week. of Swaziland. “In order to guard against the outbreak all parties commit themselves to ministerial troika to Harare. of renewed, politically motivated implementing the letter and spirit of SADC chairman and DRC President At the end of its mission last Friday, the violence, it is recommended that a Joseph Kabila, who was in Harare the GPA. ministerial Troika was in full concert delegation be deployed to monitor ahead of the Troika meeting, and South “The Troika meeting must ensure with the MDC that there was urgent military build-up and to report on African President Jacob Zuma also that there are timelines and tangible “The Troika meeting need to convene an emergency summit incidents of political violence,” OSISA attended the Maputo crisis meeting to deliverables in implementing the GPA to resolve the constitutional crisis said in a document to the troika. “Ideally resolve the MDC’s declaration of non- must ensure that there and the SADC communiqué,” Hon. after meetings with all parrties in the such a delegation would be a SADC- cooperation with Mugabe and Zanu PF Chamisa said. are timelines and inclusive government. mandated delegation, but given the in government until all the outstanding immediacy of the threat, those actors issues are resolved. tangible deliverables “If this meeting fails, then SADC must Yesterday’s SADC Troika meeting on best placed to dispatch a delegation are Zimbabwe took place amid increasing President Tsvangirai was accompanied make sure it puts in place structural, in implementing the those able to do most rapidly. South resurgent violence against the MDC, by Vice President, Hon. Thokozani institutional and constitutional GPA and the SADC Africa, in support of the mediation role Khupe, secretary-general, Hon Tendai mechanisms and parameters that will arbitrary arrests; and the failure by it has played, could do so. SADC and Biti, deputy treasurer-general Hon ensure a free and fair election so that the communiqué.” Mugabe and Zanu PF to stick to the the AU are also possible sources.” Elton Mangoma, Women’s Assembly people of Zimbabwe have a legitimate letter and spirit of the GPA. The civic group said the policy of chair, Hon Theresa Makone, and deputy government simply because there is no Civic society groups warned SADC selectively arresting MDC officials Information minister Jameson Timba. government outside the GPA.” and members of parliament as well as The report urged Mugabe to ensure leaders to force Mugabe to implement human rights defenders must stop, every Thursday’s summit brought together The Changing Times understands effective implementation of the GPA the pact saying if the GNU unravelled, effort must be made to bring to justice President Tsvangirai, Mugabe and the Troika meeting yesterday it risked plunging the country back to and a definitive resolution of the those responsible for the abductions received a report from ministers the crisis levels of 2008, characterised deputy premier Arthur Mutambara outstanding issues as per the SADC and attempted abductions of MDC with leaders from the DRC, South from Mozambique, Swaziland and communiqué of 26-27 January 2009, by intense violence, a breakdown in officials, and politically motivated Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland Zambia, support staff from the Sadc which accepts the controversy in the service delivery, economic collapse, charges against MDC officials must and Zambia. secretariat and representatives of appointment of the kleptocratic Reserve food shortages and an outbreak of be dropped. 1 Activist relives ordeal HARARE - MDC activist, Peter started firing shots at me and when the Munyanyi, 29, has finally managed third shot was fired I panicked and fell to escape from his abductors after to the ground. spending over six months in captivity at “I would sleep an unknown place. “That is when they started kicking on the floor me very hard with booted feet until and after every For over six months, Munyanyi, I collapsed. From then on I don’t know who was among hundreds of MDC what happened,” he said. two weeks, supporters who went missing following last year’s post-election violence, said When Munyanyi later became I was given a he did not know where he was, after conscious, he found that he was locked he was locked up by State security bucket of water up in a dark room with a broken arm agents in a dark room without blankets, and a missing tooth. for cleaning the clothing or toilet facilities. room since Unknown to Munyanyi, this was During that period, Munyanyi says he I had to relieve was also given very little to eat. going to be his home for the coming six months. myself in that Munyanyi, an MDC activist from Shana Village in Gutu South, Masvingo “I never received any treatment for my very room.” province, lived in fear everyday for broken arm and I had to use the T-shirt those six months, not knowing whether I was wearing when I was abducted as he will ever see the outside world again an arm sling. I received excruciating Peter Munyanyi let alone his wife, Jacqueline and three torture during this period,” he said. year-old son Malvern. “I would sleep on the floor and after “Within five minutes I had bolted out of with the intimidation and harassment Munyanyi is one of over 50 MDC every two weeks, I was given a bucket the room and I sprinted out of the place that she was getting from Zanu PF Munyanyi’s six month ordeal started on supporters who were abducted mafia- of water for cleaning the room since I before scaling the fence,” he said. the afternoon of 13 December 2008 at supporters in the area,” he said. style by State security agents on false had to relieve myself in that very room. Utsinda Business Centre in Gutu where charges that they were being recruited He spent four days walking in the he met three men driving a white single- Since his escape from his abductors, by the MDC for military training in “However, what made my experience bush until he arrived at Filabusi, cab CAM truck who pounced on him.