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Monday, December 27, 2010

JOHN PEACEY DANCKWERTS 11/12/1928 - 22/12/2010


John Danckwerts (82) died peacefully on his beloved farm Chedgelow in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

John was laid to rest with Stella and alongside his father, on the farm, on Friday morning, in a celebration ceremony for his life attended by family, close friends and the Chedgelow farm management and worker community.

John will be sorely missed by all who were blessed to have known him. Go well John, and rest deservedly in eternal peace in the happy hunting and fishing grounds where the birds always fly fast and high and the fish bend rods double and scream reels.

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BONNIE LAMBERT

Memorial Service for the late Bonnie Lambert will be held at N.G.Kerk in Phalaborwa at 10.00am on Tuesday .The 28th December 2010

tmlambert@vodamail.co.za

Tom Lambert (jnr) 0027730603286

Tom Lambert (snr)0027725494400 or 0027157810942

Condolences

Graham Ralphs: Dear Helen, Hilton and Mark We are so very sorry to hear of Graham's death. You are all in our thoughts and prayers. Anne and Iens Shaw - Wales


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I was so sorry to hear of the death of Jenny Brebner, a dear friend from TTC days.We had many good times together and lots of laughter. Thinking of her family and Jon at this sad time.

Love Christine Bridgman(nee Alanthwaite)

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WALDEN.--John. On behalf of the Walden family, Sally, Sue, Nicky and Ken, I announce the passing of a wonderful, loving husband, father and grandfather, on Saturday, December 18, 2010, in Framlington, Suffolk. John passed away after a short illness. Anyone wishing to contact the family, please to do so using the following email address -- peter.botwright@homecall.co.uk

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CONDOLENCES: Mike Hoffmann

People will remember Mike Hoffman from Zvishavane, and later, Esigodini, where his dear wife, Jenny, worked at the Zeederberg garage. Mike died last week in Dumfries. Such sad news Jenny, thinking of you and the family through this season which is supposed to bring smiles to our faces.

Love, Carol and Graham Mackenzie.

Friday, December 24, 2010

WALDEN.--John.

WALDEN.--John. On behalf of the Walden family, Sally, Sue, Nicky and Ken, I announce the passing of a wonderful, loving husband, father and grandfather, on Saturday, December 18, 2010, in Framlington, Suffolk. John passed away after a short illness. Anyone wishing to contact the family, please to do so using the following email address -- peter.botwright@homecall.co.uk

Monday, December 20, 2010

COLIN MCLEAN

tiger1@iwayafrica.co.zw [mailto:tiger1@iwayafrica.co.zw] DEATH : COLIN MCLEAN Colin beloved Brother of Avril died suddenly of a Heart Attack on Saturday morning. Memorial service will be held on Wednesday 22 December time TBA.


Contact Avril on 490092 or Cell 0733665537

Jen Calderwood

Coughlan's [mailto:coughlan@bsatt.com] Jen Calderwood In the early hours of Monday morning, Jen passed away in peace. Surrounded by family and in the comfort of her own home, her strong spirit finally let go. A woman of love and commitment; an incredible mother and sister; and the best friend to everyone who knew her. A celebration of her life will be held at Peterhouse on Wednesday 22nd December, 11:00 for 11:30am. All are welcome.


With love Jon, Dan and Si.

Engagement

Geoff & Yvonne Povey are pleased to announce the engagement in Wales of their only son Justin to Debby Williams oldest daughter of Carol Ann Williams and Brian Williams of Pembrokeshire Wales. Welcome to our family Debb

Condolences

Calderwood, Jennifer (nee Brebner). Beloved wife of Jon and much loved mother to Daniel and Simon slipped away peacefully at home at Peterhouse, Marondera on Monday 20th December. Jen will be greatly missed not only by her family and huge contingent of friends but by the community as a whole which she served with selflessness and grace. From the Bulawayo and Esigodini families.

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CONDOLENCES

RALPHS - GRAHAM SYDNEY. PASSED AWAY AFTER A BRIEF ILLNESS IN THE EARLY HOURS OF SATURDAY MORNING.

PARTNER AND SOULMATE TO HELEN.OUR TIME TOGETHER WILL BE CHERISHED FOREVER.

RALPHS - GRAHAM SYDNEY.A VERY SPECIAL MAN WHO WAS A LOVING HUSBAND TO THE LATE JUSTINE,SOULMATE TO HELEN AND DAD TO HILTON,MARK

AND THE LATE THERES'E. SO MANY GOOD MEMORIES,YOUR LOVE,GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT WILL BE SORELY MISSED.

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SMIT LORRAINE PAMELA A Memorial Service for the late Lorraine Smit will

be held at 2:30pm on Friday 17th December 2010 at The Rock Church (Hotel Rio).

Tea will be served after the service and family and friends are welcome

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SMIT LORRAINE. My dearest mother and best friend passed away on the

13th December 2010. My heart aches for all the times we shared, but I know

there is no more pain in your eyes. I will miss phoning you everyday and your

being there for us. Thank you for being a brilliant mother to your children and

an excellent granny to Ashleigh and Michael. We will always love and cherish

the time we had with you. Love Bel and Kev

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SMIT LORRAINE. Our precious Mommy and Granny. We are grateful we had the

privilege of being your daughter and granddaughters. You were all caring, giving,

loving and totally devoted to your family. We miss you desperately already.

Deborah, Megan and Jessica

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SMIT LORRAINE. Our very special Granny gone to be an angel on 13th December 2010

We will miss our sleepovers and munchies in bed till late hours into the night. We will

pray and keep the memories in our hearts for ever and ever. "Why if we live after we die,

why do we have to die then?" You were the best Granny anybody could ever wish for.

Love, your special grandchildren Ashleigh and Michael Van Zyl

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SMIT LORRAINE. Our dearest Aunty Lorraine. To know you was to love you and we will

miss you dearly. Deepest sympathy to Debbie, Kevin, Belinda and family

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Junior, Paula, Dillon and Gregs

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Please be aware

Sandy Grant [mailto:trio@zol.co.zw] Please be aware to all shoppers using TM Borrowdale and parking in their carpark.  On Wednesday my tyre was slashed with a knife, realising I had a flat I stopped in Breach Road and a "kind" gentleman changed the tyre for me. Once back in the car another chap came to my window, distracted me and I saw my ruck sack being taken out.  I gave chase but very conveniently a car was now at the intersection and drove away.  A lady in a 4x4 gave chase - many thanks to her.  Of course I lost money, ID, driver's licence etc.  All doors and windows were locked except the driver's window. They are a very experienced, smooth talking gang.  I was told if one gets a flat tyre drive on it to a safe place i.e. garage - never mind the tyre its damaged already.

DAVE BANKS

Dave Banks died peacefully after battling courageously with motor neuron disease on Thursday 16 December surrounded by his family. He was buried on the farm on the same afternoon. A quiet passing of a giant of a man.

Rest in peace our dearest husband and Dad.

Contact: banksdw@junglecomms.com

Friday, December 17, 2010

Tax rates in Zimbabwe

Dear Sir/Madam


I have listed the new tax rates applicable for PAYE calculations in 2011 as well as those that we had for 2010

These new rates will be included in the next release of our Payroll Software program, Adaski, and will be posted to our web site in the next day or two

Best Regards

Mike Garden

Managing Director

Softrite

Harare

.///////////////

Individual Tax Rates

Taxable income from employment

Tax Year - 2011

Rate bands from 1.01.2011 to 31.12.2011

Basic income tax payable

US$ US$ US$ % US$

0 - 2 700 0 0%

2 700 - 6 000 0 20% of excess over 2 700

6 001 - 12 000 660 + 25% of excess over 6 000

12 001 - 18 000 2 160 + 30% of excess over 12 000

18 001 - and over 3 960 + 35% of excess over 18 000

There is a 3% AIDS levy on tax: effective top rate of 36.05%.

The above tables apply to the tax payable by individuals, deceased or insolvent estates and

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Tax Year - 2010

Rate bands from 1.01.2010 to 31.12.2010

Basic income tax payable

US$ US$ US$ % US$

0 - 1 980 0 0%

1 981 - 6 000 0 20% of excess over 1 980

6 001 - 12 000 804 + 25% of excess over 6 000

12 001 - 18 000 2 304 + 30% of excess over 12 000

18 001 - and over 4 106 + 35% of excess over 18 000

There is a 3% AIDS levy on tax: effective top rate of 36.05%.

The above tables apply to the tax payable by individuals, deceased or insolvent estates and

estates of individuals under legal disability.

James Mutasa

Please be aware of James Mutasa id 48 057200L 48 JC Thatching. He appears charming and compentent .  His partner is Ignatius Jagada = do not have any business dealings with this people.  They did the thatching at Golden Stairs nursery.  Please contact me for full information.  Happy festive season.  Tess jtkageler@zol.co.zw

Martyn, Barrie Kathleen

Martyn, Barrie Kathleen, loving mother of Anne, Elizabeth and Susan and much beloved grandmamma to the Milne, Buttenshaw and Fawcett families, passed away peacefully in Harare on 11 December 2010 aged 95. A memorial service will be held at the Borradaile Trust Chapel, Marondera at 3pm on Friday 17th December 2010

Contact: Jennifer +263 772 286 115

Bruce, Stuart

Bruce, Stuart. Our Darling Beloved Stuart tragically taken from us on Thursday 16 October. Fly High in the Sky our darling where you love being most. From Mom and Dad, Rosey and Bill. Funeral Arrangements to be announced later.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

From Bally Vaughan

The first rains have fallen at last, bursting out of a lowering sky that has been blackened and bulging with the promise of rain for weeks. As the river roars into life again, the dusty ground snatches up the moisture and the first brilliant green spears of new grass appear, to be immediately nibbled flat by Martha the sheep and her woolly cohorts. The usual rustling, scurrying plethora of winged and multi-legged creatures arrive, buzzing through the windows and rioting round the lamps. At night the symphony of nocturnal sounds expands to include the liquid notes of the burgeoning waterfall at the bottom of my garden and rain on the roof, and the calypso band sounds of a thousand tree frogs and crickets reverberate above the roaring of the lions and the rhythmic sawing cough of Khan the leopard.




After our Golf Day in October, we were able to attack the endless repairs and wish lists for improvements with renewed vigour, thanks to the funds we raised. The small predators all got duplex housing – snug wooden structures with ladders and balconies. A new deep freezer for predator meat arrived (bringing the total number of meat freezers to 18!) and the freezer room was re-wired. We painted the animal hospital and put in infra-red lights, and solar lights into other buildings. Our pick-up truck that carries such heavy loads to and from the Sanctuary every day has ahd extensive work done and at last it starts without the hazardous Grand Slalom run down the hill with half the staff pushing from behind and the rest sprinting frantically in front to scoop jay-walking donkeys, dogs and chickens from my path whilst I frantically pump the accelerator and screech expletives out the window. Bruce Maclaughlin’s team of master craftsmen from Trotters arrived – a donation of labour and materials from Bruce for the second year running to repair and maintain the Sanctuary buildings. All our funding gets gobbled up by the animals immediately and it is very difficult to find money for basic structural maintenance. The Trotters team take care of this for us and we are extremely grateful to them for their generous support.



The animals continue to consume massive amounts of food, the sick and injured and abused new arrivals need veterinary treatment and vitamins and blankets and toys and shelters, and we need more enclosures all the time. There are owls everywhere – in the hospital, in the owl pen by the river, in an aviary, and still we need more space for new residents. As fast as we rehabilitate and release them, more arrive. Nine guinea pigs and an adolescent vervet monkey missing one eye come in from the S.P.C.A, then five guinea fowl, two tiny thrushes and a gymnogene that has been hit by a car. Alfie the monkey is brought in after his mother is killed by dogs. He is tiny and blue with huge ears and cold pink hands. He has to share a nursery enclosure with our darling, doted upon Angus the determinedly bottle-fed genet and Angus’ constant companion, Morag the kitten. This is not working – Angus files vociferous complaints as Alfie pulls Angus’ ears and gloriously fluffy, striped tail and steals his food and toys. When Angus complains, it’s hard to ignore him – he stands on his plushly furred back feet, front feet tucked into his chest like a meerkat, gossamer whiskers fanned about his sharp little face, pink ears twitching and dark eyes glowing directly at me, and he utters a series of tiny, breathy mews. “See how vulnerable I am,” he is saying, “Please help!” Appealing, heart-melting, irresistible. (Shortly afterwards I know he will return to his ferocious wrestling match with Morag, but it still gets me every time). So, Alfie has to go. He moves into a new enclosure.

And then the bush babies arrived.

When the innocuous-sounding Didi and Percy arrived, we were entranced by the bush babies extravagant grey fluff, their little pink muzzles and their ridiculously big, crumpled ears. Having been pets since they were babies, now middle-aged, and with Didi sporting less than half a tail, we felt they were unsuitable for release and hastily constructed yet another new enclosure whilst they took up temporary residence in a nursery pen. As we released Didi from his carry cage, his owner warned me to get out of the pen. “I fear for your life,” were her words. I thought she was joking.



Later that day he launched his first assault. Emerging in sinister slow motion from his sleeping quarters, placing one meaty five-fingered paw in front of the other as he inched down the branch, I was lulled into a foolish and false sense of security by his lack of haste and overall fluffy cuteness. Then in one graceful move, Didi leapt onto my calf and buried his extremely long and viciously sharp teeth into my flesh. He raised his furry head, clutching my leg with surprisingly strong fingers and gazed at me with cold calculation from beneath his beetling mono-brow, and then leant carefully to the left and bit me again, even harder. I knew that if I tried to grab him he would savage my hands so I stayed stock still and avoided his confrontational glare as he jumped onto my shoulder and threw his fluffy arms around my neck, bestowing on me the sort of ebullient hug one reserves for long-lost friends. Having punished me for whatever transgressions he believed I had committed, Didi was now prepared to let bygones be bygones...until a week later when he did it again, growling and snarling like a dog as he bit me nine times on my other leg and leaving me trembling with shock and pain whilst he sauntered off to pick meditatively through his bowl of raisins whilst shooting me the occasional glinting glance of triumph laced with menace.



There are now standing orders with regard to the care of the bush babies, and it takes more of us to feed and clean their enclosure than it does to take care of the lions daily needs. Visitors seeing us shuffle past swathed in heavy blankets and elbow length gauntlet would imagine that we are off to face the scariest super predator. And indeed we are. The bush babies, on the other hand, are blissfully happy in the enormous, treed enclosure we have constructed for them, with a separate sleeping and dining area where we lay out feasts of black cherry yoghurt, fruit and teeming bowls of flying ants with the occasional pink marshmallow thrown in as a bribe.



One October afternoon, our foreman returned from town with three very small tortoises and two baby jackals. The jackals were about three weeks old, with thick brown fur and little foxy faces punctuated with fearful eyes. They were soaking wet and covered in red mud, despite it being the middle of the dry season. As I lifted the smallest one from the box she jerked in terror and water trickled from her ears. Absolutely overwhelmed with fear and panic, they scuttled into the nearest corner and huddled together with their faces to the wall. Too young to eat solid food competently, and too terrified of human contact to suckle on a bottle, they lost condition rapidly. Eventually we managed to get small quantities of baby formula into them. But the crushing fear remained. At the first sign of a person, they would scuttle, little heads hunched between sharp shoulder blades, to wedge themselves face first into a corner. It was as if they hoped that if they couldn’t see us, we couldn’t see them. Most of the times they just sat apathetically with their heads hanging, so bewildered and frightened and full of instinctive horror that they couldn’t even fall asleep. In all the years that I have been involved in animal welfare, I have never seen baby animals in such a state of chronic stress.



Helena, the smallest one, got sick first. Her throat swelled up with a sudden, virulent infection and she could barely swallow. Stress ravaged her immune system and she did not respond to treatment. We took her in to the veterinary surgery for further treatment and as I opened the basket and lifted her out, she stopped breathing. Without Helena, Ursula simply did not want to carry on. She had been the bigger and stronger of the two pups, protective of her little sister and braver. But now it seemed that without Helena, Ursula no longer had a reason to live, and she too slipped away despite desperate efforts to save her.



This case weighs down upon us all. The jackals were defenceless babies. They had been born in a den on a piece of land in Harare where generations of jackals have lived and raised their young. Orders were given that the jackals should be eliminated. Workers flooded the den, no doubt as the babies lay sleeping in the place they considered a safe haven, and they were then dug out. The terror and incomprehension suffered by these little animals as the water poured into their den and earth rained down on them as the shovels ate away at the earth above them is unimaginable. Soaking wet and filthy, they were then driven back and forth across Harare whilst the workers tried to find someone to take the jackals. Taken to a place that should be a place where animals like this receive care and treatment, they were sent away ‘for fear of rabies”. Eventually they came to us; too late.



Two generations of jackals have been wiped out by this barbaric exercise. Surely we should feel privileged to share our city with the servals and genets and mongooses and jackals that have made a life for themselves against all the odds in our urban sprawl? Amidst the rubbish dumps and rain-eaten roads and bloated drains that deface Harare, should we not feel a sense of wonder and delight to see the shadowy shapes of wild animals braving the walls and gates and razor wire of this suburban citadel? The people that destroyed these jackals would probably be appalled if someone killed domestic dogs in the manner in which these jackals lost their lives, but the vicious eradication of the jackals was complacently justified because jackals are, apparently, vermin. The memory of the wide-eyed, trembling babies that died at the Sanctuary will haunt us.



The delightful Bart the side-striped jackal shares my home with my two caracals and a serval cat. He is immaculately groomed, fastidious in his habits and a truly beautiful and astonishingly intelligent animal who has brought us great joy as we have watched him grow from an orphaned baby to the enchanting, glossy character that he is now.



Two weeks after the devastating loss of Ursula and Helena, another baby jackal arrived. Found by the Wakefield family beneath their trampoline, Sofia was malnourished and covered in small, healing laceration. She had probably escaped from an encounter with a small predator and perhaps lost her mother in the process. Enormous brown eyes and an elegantly long nose dominated a delicate, angular face with thick pale brown fur was yet to exhibit the spectacular markings of a side-striped jackal. Sofia was wary of us, but having been handled with compassion by the Wakefields, she showed none of the debilitating signs of stress that killed Ursula and Helena.

Sofia is now boisterous and playful, indulging in wild, gambolling games with her companion Olympia- a rescue puppy who has proved to be the ideal companion for our little jackal. Bart is enraptured with this potential girlfriend and postures and preens outside her enclosure, arching his glorious, bushy tail and throwing coy glances over his shoulder to check she is suitably impressed with his magnificence.



Five barn owls have arrived recently, four of them happy to share our tall, treed owl pen by the river until ready for release, but Margot is a different story. Thin and frail after living inside someone’s house for a long period of time, she seems frightened of the other owls and happiest in human company. Content to potter about the Gazebo with the curious, hunched gait common to all owls (like someone walking bare-foot on a pebbly beach), she takes occasional sorties into the air, usually with disastrous consequences. During a fit of pique because I had stopped her eating a teabag in the coffee shop, she flew straight into the crocodile pen and disappeared into a bed of reeds. In the distorting silver light of an approaching thunderstorm I had to pick my way past the huge, ominous form of our crocodile to her rescue, only to have her fly straight past my ear and into the lion pen. Fortunately Nduna, who is a darling but terribly thick, failed to notice this feathery snack plummet into his territory and she took off again without incident. She eventually came to rest in the middle of the dam, mistaking the water weed for solid ground. So into the dam I dived, swimming through clutching skeins of slime and feeling the anonymous, slippery swirl of aquatic creatures against my skin. Swimming across a murky expanse of water in a thunderstorm is unpleasant, swimming back with a very angry owl in one hand is a feat I hope never to repeat.

Just to end off a fabulous day, as I was sluicing the slime and pond scum off in the shower, the geyser on the roof was hit by lightning and a bolt of electricity shot up from the metal shower drain and catapulted me, screaming and wild-eyed from the shower to fall over the ever-present Harry the caracal who squatted damply on the bathmat. Thank goodness he had already got out of the shower because I cannot think of a more potentially disastrous situation than being trapped in a shower stall with an electrified predator.



Harry is my constant and sometimes overwhelming companion, together with his fellow caracal, Arthur, punctuating my life here with their endless antics and endearing personalities. Stretching their considerable bulk alongside me on the bed each night, throwing my clothes on the floor because they like to nap in my wardrobe, knocking my cosmetics off the dressing table so they can sit in front of the mirror and admire their astonishing, tufted ears, even hogging the shower and helping themselves to whatever they fancy whenever I open the fridge. Each morning they leap onto the breakfast table to poke their huge paws into my cereal and slash holes in the newspaper; it’s as if they consider their job to prepare me for the many travails and challenges of the day ahead, caring for our ever-increasing family of animals and birds that now numbers more than three hundred.



Rupert the Tortoise found a home at the Sanctuary after his owners of sixteen years moved house. Rupert is actually a girl and became as coquettish and coy as it is possible for a tortoise to be when she met Humphrey, our large male tortoise. The spark must have fizzled however, because today she is sharing her portion of grapes with a much younger man, who is also a tenth of her size, but no doubt true love will find a way.



Eleven baby mongooses have been born this season, expanding our band of free-ranging banded mongooses to thirty three. A white-faced owl arrived with a broken wing. These birds have spectacularly beautiful copper-coloured eyes that burn hypnotically within their mask of white feathers. Moto (meaning fire) has a ferocious temper and will launch himself off his perch at my face while I am serving his dinner of two whole rats. Fortunately Moto should make a full recovery and will be returned to the wild, which will be a great relief to us both! Two more white-faced owls have come in; sadly one was so badly infested with a pox virus that she died, but an adolescent with a head injury is showing signs of improvement.



It is thanks to our wonderful friends and sponsors that our animals and birds enjoy such exceptional quality of life at the Sanctuary. We are truly grateful to George Kille and all at S&P for exceptional support of our Farm Animal Rescue Project, Di Finn and Golfing and Giving, Fresh Pro, Fruit and Veg City, Afro Foods, Trinity Ncube, Montana Meats, Linda Chant and Gletwyn Farm, the Bingley family, the Bean family at Douglyn, Carswell Meats, Jolly Jongwe, Crugs Chooks, Kim Devlin and all at 9a Drew Road for sponsorship of Babu the baboon, Mike Garden and Ndeipi, Zimtrader, Hello Harare, Lesley Duncan, the Wilson Family, Stan Higgins, Sue Roberts for hay and poles, Jackie Cocksedge, Paul Mitchell and all at Centra for a very generous and regular donation of stockfeed, Rose and Rogan Maclean who sponsor our dear donkeys, Vera Taylor, Emma Robinson and family who are long-term sponsors of Cruella the caracal, Cathy and Iris Carter – sponsors of Kevin the Greyhound, Feedmix , ML Safaris, Samir Shasha, Jonny Laughton and friends, Miles Bennet, Darren Lanca who so kindly and competently rehabilitates many of our wild bird rescues, Anesh Ramlaul, Dr Mark Lombard, Meryl Harrison, Helen Wroe, Dave Adams of Radiator Services, LonZim and Belts ‘n Hoses, who fails to hide his great kindness and generosity behind the occasional grumpiness, Robyn Joughin, Sunspun Bananas, Alliance Insurance who donated so generously towards our new enclosure building project, the Ilsink Family, Beverley Bridger, Brookfield Farm, Dianne Twiggs, Steve Watt, WebDev, Yo Africa, our friend Scott Parker and Rat Creek Productions in Canada, Theo fro, Cold Control who donated a free installation of solar lights, the Friend Foundation, Joe Leese, Ashley-Kate Davidson, Richard Lombard and the Ultimate Diary who donate beautiful diaries and calendars each year, Thibauld, Pauline and Lionel Goffin Goemans who sponsor Jacob the donkey, Pepsi the Serval and Ngozi the lion, Sophie and Alexandra Bean who have sponsored Khan the leopard so generously, Avani Mooljee who sponsors the marmosets, Tom Hill and Jake Mallon who spent two weeks living and working with us at the Sanctuary, Gina Everson who makes it possible for the irrepressible George the monkey to enjoy sumptuous treats of cashew nuts and watermelon and supports us in so many ways, the Twenty Four Hour Veterinary Surgery who care for our animals, Shane Zangel who donated a Christmas cake for our raffle, the photographer Tim Griffith for the very generous donation of a superb camera for us to record the daily adventures and events at the Sanctuary, Sharon Nicholls for exceptional support in so many ways, Scott Rae and Express Print Shop, Alona and Yaviv from Israel who took such devoted care of the Terrible Alfie the monkey, Kat Bijlsma – friend, sponsor and volunteer who returned for her third sojourn at the Sanctuary from San Francisco and coped so admirably with the diva demands of our mercurial little genet Angus and his friend Morag and who was such a source of moral support during the heartbreaking loss of our two baby jackals, and as always, Vinay Ramlaul.



The Sanctuary is open throughout the holidays from 9am to 5pm. Predator Feeding is at 4pm every day and monkey feeding at 10:30am. Half day trips are available by prior booking, but there is NO NEED TO BOOK to visit the Sanctuary. We rely on you to keep the Sanctuary functioning as a safe haven for animals in need – thank you for making it possible for the animals to have a bright future.



With love

Sarah and all at the Sanctuary

THE BALLY VAUGHAN SANCTUARY

ZIMBABWE

Tel: 263 912 592 944 263 733 436 239

email: sarah@ballyvaughan.co.zw

www.ballyvaughan.co.zw

Zimbabwe Conservation Tak Force

14th December 2010


As 2010 draws to a close, we realize that it hasn't been a very good year for the wildlife or the environment. It has also been a very sad year with the deaths of Steve Kok, Don Hornsby and Pete Evershed who were all killed by wild animals. Hopefully 2011 will be better. We wish all our readers a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

RESTAURANT AND BAR IN THE VICTORIA FALLS RAIN FOREST

A 120 seater restaurant, bar and merchandise shop has been established in the Victoria Falls Rain Forest. Victoria Falls is a National Heritage Site and one of the seven natural wonders of the world and the establishment of this commercial enterprise is in violation of the rules governing National Heritage Sites. The rules state that there shall be no further infrastructural development in the rain forest, apart from the upgrading of existing structures. It is also ruled that in a National Monument such as the Victoria Falls Rain Forest, there shall be no outlet that sells food and beverages.

In view of the number of people that the restaurant can accommodate, there will now be a greatly increased number of people wandering through the rainforest and there are not sufficient ablution facilities to cater for them.

Of greatest concern is the possibility that Victoria Falls Rain Forest is now in danger of losing its status as a National Heritage Site.

COAL MINING IN HWANGE NATIONAL PARK
I recently travelled to Hwange National Park and was dismayed to discover that on the road into Sinamatella Camp, you now travel through an ugly coal mining area. There are great deposits of earth alongside the road as well as heavy duty mine vehicles. We have also had reports that there are two more coal mines inside the National Park near Robins Camp.

CHINESE MINING IN THE MAVHURADONHA MOUNTAINS

Mavhuradonha means 'place of the falling water' and is a natural environment of great beauty with crystal clear water and fresh mountain air.

Residents of the area, however are desperately concerned about the illegal mining operations being conducted by the Chinese in their search for chrome. The Chinese are literally ripping up the beautiful countryside just outside the wilderness area but they are closing in fast.

According to reports, they are mining without prospecting orders or permits and no Environmental Impact Assessment has been done.

Further reports have been received that the Chinese are also starting mining operations in the Nyamaneche Game Park in Mvurwi. Apparently there were 9 rhino in the game park, 6 of which have now been poached. The remaining 3 were supposed to be relocated but it is believed that they too have been poached.


THE MAVHURADONHA WILDERNESS

DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE MINING OPERATIONS

Johnny Rodrigues

Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force

Landline: 263 4 339065

Mobile: 263 712 603 213

Email: galorand@mweb.co.zw

Website: www.zctf.mweb.co.zw

Website: www.zimbabwe-art.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15148470211

Temporary website: www.zctfofficialsite.org.
Congratulations to all our 2010 Afdis Awards Nominees. If you would like to attend the awards ceremony on the 26th of February 2011, please contact Erin in the office for tickets.



AWARD NOMINATION ROLE PRODUCTION

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Martin Bolt Rene Allo Allo

The John Keeling Award Stephane Thomas Snoopy Snoopy

Kevin Hanssen Jean Miss Julie

George Gukuta George Are There Tigers in the Congo

Kevin Hanssen Sergeant Trotter The Mousetrap

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Fiona Garrity Judith Bliss Hay Fever

The George Barnes Award Jamie McLaren Miss Julie Miss Julie

Shamiso Gukuta Shamiso Are There Tigers in the Congo

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Alex Fairlie Hans Allo Allo

The Alan Parkinson Award Dean Jones Linus Snoopy

Richard Sticklen Charlie Brown Snoopy

Paul Shephard Christopher Wren The Mousetrap

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Kyla Render Miss Casewell The Mousetrap

The Allan Shaw Award Erin Cooper Peppermint Patty Snoopy

Karen Howard-Beard Helga Allo Allo

Thea Cutler Jackie Coryton Hay Fever

Collina Mvududu Kristin Miss Julie

BEST MINOR PERFORMANCE Roger Fairlie Leclerc Allo Allo

The Prentice Trophy Blessing Fire Hairy Ishmalite Joseph

Josh Ansley Pharaoh Joseph

Craig du Preez King Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead


BEST JUNIOR PERFORMANCE Amy Bolt Jane Babes in the Wood

The Reps Award for best performance by a junior under 12 years

BEST COMEDY PERFORMANCE Michael Thomas Woodstock Snoopy

The Alastair and Wendy Booth Award Larry Greeff Calvin Babysitting Calvin

Richard Sticklen Charlie Brown Snoopy

Alex Fairlie Hans Allo Allo

Larry Greeff Lt. Gruber Allo Allo

Ryan Lawrence Aperient / Felix 50 Golden Years

Alex Fairlie Flying Circusssisses


MOST OUTSTANDING MUSICAL Kirby Chipembere Joseph Joseph

PERFORMANCE Dean Jones Seasons in the Sun

Dave Roberts memorial trophy

BEST TECHNICAL Tim Garrard Set Design Allo Allo

sue greener technical award Sue McLaren Décor Babes in the Wood

Munya Magwaro Set Design & Décor Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead

Tracy Garrard Sound Snoopy


BEST FIRST PERFORMANCE Danielle Connolly Yvette Allo Allo

The Hugh Dornhurst Trophy Anne Stack Sally Brown Snoopy

Roger Fairlie Leclerc Allo Allo

Zoran Zec Simeon Joseph

Kirby Chipembere Joseph Joseph

Nicola Kinnaird Flying Circusssisses

THE DENNIS GRANGER AWARD FOR BEST CONTRIBUTION TO DANCE AND MOVEMENT June Cloete Choreography Seasons in the Sun

Blessing Fire Joseph

Mitzi Carruthers Choreography Jose

Econet Info

Dear Sir/Madam


You may be interested to know a few tips about using the Econet Broadband Dongle

1. They are a whole lot faster than Dial up using telephone lines

2. Cost for a dongle is about $80

3. You pay up front for time – similar to a buddie card

4. Youngsters downloading all sorts from the internet should buy a 1GB at a time – cost +- $100

5. Normal users accessing the internet every day to see news web sites – probably buy $500 mb at a time - $75

6. If you just want to download emails you could buy 200mb for $40

7. All time only lasts for a maximum of 30 days

8. To check what you have left call *141#

9. This can be done by taking the simm card out and dialling as per normal cell phone or by clicking on the US$ sign and entering the *141# alongside ‘Input Code’

10. To have the best access call up Settings (Middle Icon) and then Preferences – choose the middle one UMTS / HSPA only and then Apply

11. There are certain times of the day when the access is slow – probably because lots use it at 8.30am and 6pm

12. Once the dongle is placed in the USB port and self loaded you click on Connect

13. There are 2 arrows displayed when Connected – if the one on the right has a speed of 0 KBPS then nothing is downloading – sometimes helps to disconnect and reconnect

14. Useful numbers for Econet - 703-672 / 704059

15. If you want to reduce the amount downloaded considerably then you need to switch off the automatic downloads of Windows – in Windows XP click on Start / Control Panel / Automatic Downloads – turn off automatic Downloads – Windows 7 – click on Start / Control Panel / System Security / Windows Update

Hope this helps your surfing!
Regards
Mike G

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

ROBERTSON, COLLEEN (NEE WALSH)

ROBERTSON, COLLEEN (NEE WALSH) born 23 November 1920, died peacefully in her sleep on 6 December 2010.  Wife of the late Jimmy, loving mother of Miles, Judy and Pete, Grant and Lyn, Clare and Dave and Kim and Shelley.  Granny to Grant, Emma, Kimberley, Lauren, Simon, Sam and Miles.  She was an inspiration to all, and a lady to the end.  Requiem Mass to be held at Nazareth House at 11am Saturday 11th December.  Clare 0772605321 garnett@coweb.co.zw    Kim 0772307712 kimrobertson@zol.co.zw

Monday, December 13, 2010

Reps news

This is just a reminder to all Reps members who haven’t yet paid their 2011 subscriptions that the early payment discount expires on Wednesday the 15th of December. You can pay your subs either directly to the office (9am – 4.15pm) or to the bar staff, who will pass the payment along to the office on your behalf.


As of 8am on Thursday, 16 December the discounts will no longer be valid and the bar staff will be instructed as such. Please bear in mind that the bar staff have absolutely no ability to authorize extended discount periods or to process subs – this can only be done by speaking to Erin in the office. We also have payment terms available for 2011, again these can be discussed with Erin.

A reminder of the subs with the discount:

Ordinary - $100

Spouse - $50

Country - $50

Senior 1 - $40 (over 60 with 10 or more years membership)

Senior 2 - $60 (over 60 with less than 10 years membership)

Correspondent - $20

Repteens - $24

A reminder of the subs without the discount:

Ordinary - $120

Spouse - $60

Country - $60

Senior 1 - $48 (over 60 with 10 or more years membership)

Senior 2 - $72 (over 60 with less than 10 years membership)

Correspondent - $20

Repteens - $24

CONDOLENCES

JACK CUMINS - a true gentleman in every sense of the word and a stalwart honorary member of the Matabeleland Irish Association for many, many years. We were all sad to see you leave Bulawayo as you were the rock of the Association and full of valuable information. You shall be sorely missed our dear Jack. Our sincere condolences to his family and the many friends he has.
Jenny Leach
Matabeleland Irish Association
+++++++
Mrs Othelia 'Tess' Burke
The service for Tess will be held on Monday 20th December 2010 at 3pm at the St Andrews Presbyterian Church (behind the Hillside Post Office).
Friends please come and share in our goodbye.
Tea will be served in the hall afterwards.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

CFU'S ZJIRI SCHEME

In 2000 we were identified and approached by the then CFU Chairman (and only by CFU) to put forward a farm for the Zimbabwe Joint Resettlement Initiative (ZJIRI), a CFU project. It was "for the farming community", and we would be paid in full by the CFU, we were assured.

Remember in 2000 we had no idea of the Jambanja's of 2001-2002. We were, in hindsight it seems, innocent and naive. We relinquished the farm for ZJIRI / CFU initiative. We have waited patiently all these years in the expectation of full payment from the CFU.

For the past two years we have been persistently asking the CFU about our payment for this farm.

We have been passed from the CEO to the President, from President to CEO, from CEO now, to the CFU lawyer. Nobody at the CFU wants to talk to us about this or explain their position.

Is there anyone else out there, in a similar predicament, waiting for payment for the CFU's ZJIRI programme. Some people, we believe, were paid. We did not give up a farm to save a farm, nor cede this farm in any way - it was a bona fide business transaction involving full payment at market value.

Anyone out there in a similar position re ZJIRI please contact annhelmahein@gmail.com.

Clive and Ann Hein. / The Midlands

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Joan Reed (Fynes-Clinton)

Joan Reed (Fynes-Clinton)


It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Joan Reed on the 27th November 2010 in England, Wife to Ben and mother of Shirley, John, Jill and Paula.

The memorial Service will be held on Thursday 9th December 2010 at the Highlands Presbyterian Church, at 11am. Tea will be served after the service.

John Fynes-Clinton ; fynesjames@zol.co.zw

04- 334764

InnSider Card

The Spotlight is now a sales venue for the InnSider Card, a benefit card scheme run by the Inns of Zimbabwe group and open to anyone who wishes to purchase one. Holders of the card access discounts of 20 percent on accommodation at a number of hotels, inns and lodges around Zimbabwe, including the three Inns of Zimbabwe operations in the Eastern Highlands and a large number of affiliates around the country. In addition, City and Town Lodges in South Africa offer a 50 percent discount on accommodation, subject to room availability. Several restaurants, including Adrienne’s in Belgravia Shopping Centre, offer discounts on meal prices. Reps offers a 10 percent discount to card holders for sales of full-price tickets for main stage productions. By having this facility, The Spotlight will earn additional income for Reps to help with running costs of the complex. The cards are available ONLY during Spotlight opening times (ie Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday 9am to 12 noon) and not in the box office opening times just before and during performances. New cards cost $20 (they are valid for a year) and renewals are $10.

Condolence Notices

CUMMINGS. John McMillen (Jack)


Passed away on 4th December, 2010, in Bristol, UK, in his 89th year.

Respected colleague and one of Zimbabwe's most upstanding and supportive residents.

He was able to spend some time with his family and see Alan settled in Sheffield.

Our thoughts are with John (Bristol), Maureen, Gary, Kim, Kyle and Erin (USA) and Alan.

Paul and Elspeth Goodwin. boomerang@gatorzw.com

++++++++



RILEY - JUNE - It is with regret that the family advise the passing of their beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother on Thursday last 2.12.2010.

Please note that a service of thanksgiving for her life will be held at Farley's Chapel on Wednesday, 8.12.2010 at 2pm. All friends will be welcome.

A wake will be held following the service at McDonald's Club and it would be appreciated if those attending would assist by bringing a plate of snacks.

DAVE RILEY - Enquiries to rickwood@gatorzw.com

++++++++



CONDOLENCES

Mrs Othelia 'Tess' Burke

The service for Tess will be held on Monday 20th December 2010 at 3pm at the St Andrews Presbyterian Church (behind the Hillside Post Office).

Friends please come and share in our goodbye.

Tea will be served in the hall afterwards.

From reps

Dear Fellow Members


We are coming to the end of a very busy and eventful 50th Anniversary year. Whilst I know that you have all been kept very well informed about what has been happening on the stage in terms of our own productions and hire shows, and in the bar and elsewhere for social events, I thought you might like to know what else has been happening “behind the scenes” to keep the Theatre complex a safe, welcoming and pleasant place to visit.

Water is a continuous problem for us. The issues faced by the City Fathers are well known and simply roll down on to us. The Belgravia area has had many burst pipes in recent years and all too frequently, the response has been to simply switch off the water supply. Originally we installed a five thousand litre water tank to take care of the days when there was no water, but this has proved to be insufficient, so we have had a second tank installed together with a pressure tank, pump, piping and the necessary electrical connections.

Repairs have also been made to:

• Theatre air conditioning

• Bar fridges

• The floor of the main stage


We have repainted the front of the theatre building, installed a new geyser in the bar kitchen, replaced stock of lighting supplies and I am sure everyone who uses the bar has noticed the increased amount and range of bar stocks. All of this is in addition to the normal run-of-the-mill repairs and maintenance.


Over the World Cup, Peter and Betty Hobbs ran an extremely successful fund raiser for bar refurbishment. To date, and from the funds raised, new optics have been purchased; energy saver light bulbs have been bought to replace the current bulbs in the bar (which means that the bar can be lit from the standby generator); and quotes have been sought to refurbish the bar fridges, new carpeting, covering the bench cushions and replacement of the curtains. The funds raised from the recent Golf Day will also go towards bar projects. The bar sub-committee would dearly like to have the bar “garden” put in order – so if you are an avid pot plant gardener and have some spare time, please get in touch with Tim Garrard on 0712 617 119 or tim.garrard@yahoo.com and become our very first official bar pot plant person!

The recent high wind lifted the flashing and roof sheets of the downstage right corner of the flying tower – this will also be attended to as soon as possible.

Our beloved theatre is a 50 year old lady, and needs constant care and attention to keep her happy, hygienic and hospitable.

We have many smaller children visiting the premises for various reasons – ballet lessons are held in one of our rehearsal rooms during the week, we have Preps on Saturday mornings, parents come to rehearsal with their children, or visit the bar. Katie Cooper (the convener of Preps) has raised the funds from the Preps parents and with an amount from the main account and has had the playground refurbished and made more safe. Please don’t let your inner child rule – if you are over 12 years old, don’t swing on our swings or see on our saws.

On stage, the Pantomime has opened, the Christmas spirit has invaded us, and the bar is getting ready for carols on Christmas Eve and fun and games on New Year’s Eve. From me and all of ExCo and the staff – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

See you at the nOughties on 31 December!

Dramatically yours

Teri Grimmel
CHAIRMAN

Deirdre Swire-Thompson

Deirdre Swire-Thompson


A memorial service for the late Deirdre Swire-Thompson, much loved wife of Anthony, mother of Jeremy and Leigh Anne, Andrew and Jessica and grandmother of Kyle, Gemma, Nicholas and Sophie will be held at 2.30 pm on Monday 12 December at the Chisipite School Chapel.

After the service, the Swire-Thompson family invite friends and family to tea and refreshments at Ant and Dee's home: 7 Brentford Road, Ballantyne Park. Please bring a plate of eats.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

ANTI-HIJACK UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 2010

ANTI-HIJACK UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 2010


November has been a busy month and as we head into the Festive Season … please ensure you have all security plans for home and business premises in place well in advance … do NOT leave it till the last minute as then it just may be too late!

It’s a busy time for all with the build up to Christmas and 2011 … and it’s also ‘shutdown’ for many companies after a long and eventful year! As we start winding down to spend time with family and friends and head out to relax make sure it is with a peaceful mind. We must remember that this is the prime time for good picking for the underworld and we have a high rate of unemployment with many desperate families so be sure to not leave temptation in view or your guard down when it comes to security ….. Let’s make sure it WILL be a Happy Christmas for us all.

There have been a few armed robberies reported mainly in the Avondale area … please be warned. Money being the main objective and at this time of the year we can least afford to lose it … it’s never a good time! Gate motors, swimming pool pumps are still on the hit list … and with all the long power cuts we have been experiencing this month, its difficult to have a backup system that can cope with it all. With the rainy season also upon us, there will be the usual if not more faults so be prepared the best way you can.

Please be careful when parking in open car parks … attending funerals, church, or any function etc as there have been reports of attempted break ins and robbery. Hopefully this will be kept in mind and security in these areas stepped up. Smash and grabs are still ongoing … so be vigilant at all times when approaching traffic light intersections. Keep alert on trips to the airport as this is an ongoing area of crime - both to and from the airport. Keep all luggage etc out of view and do not have anything on the seats or back shelf in the vehicle.

With all this in mind let’s head into the Festive Season with confidence of a happy time with our families and friends… support your local neighbourhood watch units and keep security as an important part of the agenda.

Let’s ALL fight this crime together - stay ALERT and SAFE

The United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray on Tuesday condemned Wiki-leaks

Harare, November 30, 2010 - The United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray on Tuesday condemned Wiki-leaks disclosure of diplomatic communication by a former US ambassador to the country which castigated Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as an 'indecisive' leader with questionable judgments while President Robert Mugabe was described as a 'bully."


Wiki-leaks, an international news organization dedicated in providing information to the whole world in publishing the truth behind events released classified information on the communication by US former ambassador to Zimbabwe, Christopher Dell in his report to the US government on Zimbabwe political landscape.

Dell described Tsvangirai and his MDC party as 'democrats' but far from being ideal.Dell further said Tsvangirai, a former trade union leader as "a flawed figure, not readily open to advice, indecisive and with questionable judgment."


Dell who was in Zimbabwe from 2004 to 2007 in his communication to Washington said "Mugabe and his henchman are like bullies everywhere: if they can intimidate, you they will. But they're not used to someone standing up to them and fighting back."


He advised Washington that Mugabe was on his way out in the communication titled, "The end is Nigh." Dell, heavy critic of Mugabe brushed feathers several times with the then regime of President Mugabe


The US has been under heavy criticism from all over the world for having double standards on global politics. Wiki-leaks says it is sitting over 250 000 classified information US documents that it will release in the near future. The documents include diplomatic communication, US documents on war in Iraq and Afghanistan among others.


Current US ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ray on Tuesday issued a statement saying President Barack Obama is working to 'reinvigorate' US relations across the globe , strengthening existing partnerships and says the US regrets the release of classified documents by Wiki-leaks.


"I cannot vouch for the authenticity of any one of these documents. But I can say that the United States deeply regrets the disclosure of any information that was intended to be confidential. And we condemn it," Ray said.


"Diplomats must engage in frank discussions with their colleagues, and they must be assured that these discussions will remain private. Honest dialogue—within governments and between them—is part of the basic bargain of international relations; we couldn’t maintain peace, security, and international stability without it."

Ray, however, said people must realize that diplomats reports do not represent the official US foreign policy adding that his government is committed to maintain diplomatic ties with Harare.

"I do believe that people of good faith recognize that diplomats’ internal reports do not represent a government’s official foreign policy,"Ray said.

"For our part, the U.S. government is committed to maintaining the security of our diplomatic communications. We will continue to work to strengthen our partnership with the people of Zimbabwe and make progress on the issues that are important for our two countries. We can’t afford anything less."

Sunday, November 28, 2010

From Ben Freeth

There is a fellow called Mr. Schoons from Sussex University in the UK who has recently put out some statistics trying to prove that the land reform program In Zimbabwe has been OK. He suggests the new system is efficient and it is working.


I don't know whether he has ever taken a drive around the former commercial farms and seen what is actually happening? Is the infrastructure improving? Are the cropping areas thriving? Are the cattle sale pens full at the sales? Are the people looking better off?
Are the agricultural towns blossoming with new growth?

Perhaps he discounts the realities and has closed his eyes to the truth.

What is per capita income compared to ten years ago? What has the tax base fallen too for the funding of education, health etc. since land reform began? Why have nearly a third of Zimbabweans fled the country?

Is the fact that we have needed more food aid per capita in the last ten years just a myth?

Mr. Schoons has always been an apologist for ZANU PF policies. It is sad that clever academics can massage statistics to support dictatorship and prolong the suffering of ordinary people who need to be free from fear and the system of feudal patronage that has been set up to control them.

I wonder if Mr. Schoons has ever tried to farm himself under a feudal system with no security?

Africa doesn't need academic idealists. We need practical people who are going to help create an enabling environment for the poorest continent on earth to break out of its poverty and feed the world. That is our great challenge; and we all need to take it up if the African people are going to stop getting poorer and realize their potential.

Ben Freeth

Tony Lampard - Some research notes.

Indiginization Regulations
Recourse to International Law.

The Zimbabwe government appears to have the mistaken belief that sovereignty gives them full protection against international crimes.

Many of these crimes arise from the violation of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments that set out the human rights that include civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights and form part of international law.

By simply producing laws and constitutional amendments that legalise locally international crimes I believe merely provides protection within the country's boundaries. In today's Global Village it is very difficult for society to exist in isolation.

"indigenous Zimbabwean" [any person who before 18th April 1980 was disadvantaged by unfair discrimination on the grounds of his or her race, any descendant of such a person, and any company, association, syndicate or partnership in which such persons hold the controlling interest or are the majority of the members]. This is clearly a distinction as to race and clearly implies (as read with the rest of the Act and regulations) that any person who before 18th April 1980 was advantaged by unfair discrimination on the grounds of his or her race, and any descendant of such a person will be disadvantaged by unfair discrimination by this legislation on the grounds of his or her race. Now in terms of the constitution discrimination black against white or women against men is regarded as "fair discrimination". It is therefore unlikely for any recourse within the sovereign bounds.

However

Non-discrimination is one of the most accepted principles of international human rights. The government should treat society without discrimination on grounds of race, colour, creed, age, gender or political persuasion, and to cultivate a positive approach to diversity as a factor for change. Everyone is entitled to enjoy human rights irrespective of their colour, race, gender, religion, ethnic, social or national origin, political or other opinion, property, poverty, disability, birth, lack of citizenship, sexual preference, or other status, for example, severe illness such as HIV / AIDS. Decisions on the conditions for promotion, the availability of products or the allocation of supplier contracts should be taken without discrimination or regard to arbitrary preferences. The state should respect everyone's right to own property, alone or in association with others and should fairly compensate property owners for their intellectual and physical property.

Recruitment, training and promotion should be based on qualifications, skills and experience and not on any of the following criteria: race, colour, gender, religion, political affiliation, nationality or social origin.

Human rights are acknowledged as being universal, that is they apply everywhere, and inalienable, which means that they cannot be taken away from the person even with his or her agreement.

An organization may be regarded as complicit if it in some way authorizes, tolerates or knowingly ignores abuses committed by a connected organization or Zimbabwe state agents that do not respect human rights.

While case law is developing that is clarifying the legal liability of private organizations or businesses for complicity in international crimes most of what society, business and human rights advocates understand as complicity goes beyond its present legal definition and application.

Example

Let us say A Another owns a business in Zimbabwe and because he/she is regarded as non-indigenous because of colour, race, ethnic, social or national origin, has to part with the majority shareholding to comply with racist laws. Because rights are inalienable A Another may consent to part with the majority shareholding without losing rights under international law. Realistically recourse will have to be outside the sovereign bounds and this should be made possible because human rights are acknowledged as being universal, that is they apply everywhere.

Let us say the transaction requires the services of a bank. For a bank to be complicit the key word appears to be "knowingly". It should therefore be merely incumbent upon A Another to ensure potential for legal liability of the bank for complicity in international crimes arising from these services is recognized and understood.

Extracted from an e-mail from Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe.

"Standard Chartered Bank ("SCB") is incorporated in England with limited liability by Royal Charter 1853, under reference ZC18. The Principal Office of SCB is situated in England at 1 Aldermanbury Square, London EC2V 7SB. In the United Kingdom, SCB is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority under FSA register number 114276."

Extracted from The Economist "Governments are taking an ever keener

interest: in Britain, for example, the 2006 Companies Act introduced a requirement for public companies to report on social and environmental matters."

Recently published International Standard ISO 26000 - Social

Responsibility standard. This is a guidance standard and of special
interest is the "responsible for the wider sphere of influence". What this essentially means as it effects Zimbabwe and the indig regs (as I understand it) is - to comply with this standard organizations may be risk averse as violation of human rights is not in their business interest. I queried the "compliance with law"
with the ISO executive. In the event, like we may have in Zimbabwe, local laws are in violation of international laws, especially those on human rights, which law prevails - they replied International Law prevails.
Kind Regards
Tony Lampard

Saturday, November 27, 2010

That the date of the implementation of SI 154 of 2010 has been postponed until June 2011

From: Kelvin Weare [mailto:weare@telfordmica.com] Just to keep you informed...


That the date of the implementation of SI 154 of 2010 has been postponed until June 2011. "This letter serves to inform you the implementation date of the statutory 154 of 2010 has been moved to June 2011. Please note that the following still remains: That the reflective triangle has to be reflective on both sides and all the initial requirements That the fire extinguishers has to be approved by SAZ." We will advise once we have in stock the necessary Fire Extinguishers and Triangles that meet the Statutory Instrument. Regards Kelvin Weare Cell: +263 77 2326687

CARMEN ORFORD

CARMEN ORFORD It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Carmen Orford. Beloved wife of Charles and loving mother of Siobhan and David.Carmen died suddenly of a heart attack on the morning of 18th November.  The memorial service will be held at St Georges Chapel on Wednesday 24th November at 4pm followed by a wake at Royal Harare Golf Club

Danielle Shannon Pattenden

The Memorial Service for our beloved Danielle Shannon Pattenden, precious daughter of Gary and Brenda and loving sister to James, will be held on Friday 26 November 2010 at Chisipite Senior School at 2pm. To be followed by tea at the Chisipite Girls Pavilion.  Donations in lieu of flowers to S.O.A.P may be either dropped at Paddington’s Insurance Agency – 5 Leeds Close, Highlands (Tel: 776579/253256/7) Bank details can be given on request.

US$100 spot fine for hosepipe use

http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=19554&cat=1

Municipal Reporter

Harare residents caught using hosepipes for any purposes will have to pay a US$100 spot fine, the City Council has warned.

The city will confiscate the hosepipe and if the user does not have the fine, his/her water supplies would be disconnected until it is paid.

Harare Water distribution and customer service manager Engineer Hosiah Chisango yesterday said: "We will fine the user US$100, confiscate the hosepipe and close supplies if the fine is not paid."

The ban has been in force for years.

In an advertisement published on Monday, the city advised that the ban on hosepipe use was still in force.

Council has a standing resolution on the ban of hosepipes after realising that residents were abusing water through uncontrolled irrigation of their gardens and lawns.

"The City of Harare wishes to advise members of the public that it is a serious offence to use hosepipes.

"A hefty penalty will be charged on anyone found using a hosepipe at anytime of the day."

Harare produces around 600 megalitres of water daily against a demand of 1 200 megalitres. The hosepipe ban is part of mechanisms to keep water demand within check.

However, the ban does not affect residents with boreholes though they are expected to register these with the council at Cleveland House.

Council has reactivated its hosepipe monitoring teams and has called on people to whistle-blow violators.

Eastern and Northern suburbs that have traditionally suffered unreliable water supplies have this year generally had a steady supply.

These include Mabvuku, Tafara, Highlands, Hatcliffe, Chisipite, Grange, Kambanji, Greendale and Glen Lorne.

Companies that sold water in these suburbs are reportedly folding up as residents access cheaper city water.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Gillian Mary Travers

Gillian Mary Travers passed away peacefully on Monday 8th November in Borrowdale Trust. Dearest and most cherished wife of Norman, beloved mother of Barbara, John, Simon and Alastair. Her devoted family and grandchildren will miss our most gracious Mum beyond words. The Burial Service will be beside Norman at Castle Kopje on Imire at 11.30 am on Friday 12th November. All are welcome.

HELP IS NEEDED ALONG THE BORROWDALE ROAD.

AS A COMMUNITY OUR URGENT HELP IS NEEDED ALONG THE BORROWDALE ROAD.


• The road verge is overgrown/tar damage.

• The drains are broken and blocked.

• The rain water cannot run off the roads and heavy rains are predicted.

• THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS HAVE INCREASED.

THIS IS AN AREA APPEAL TO ALL HOMES, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENT DEPTS. CHURCHES, DOMESTIC GARDENERS, WORKERS AND ANYONE WHO IS WILLING TO HELP TO MEET ALONG BORROWDALE ROAD WITH A SHOVEL (IF POSSIBLE PLEASE BRING A NEON JACKET) ON SATURDAY 20th NOVEMBER AT 8.30AM.

• Soil and Foliage will be placed on the island and on the verges for collection by City of Harare who will be working with us.

• Bags, gloves, masks, spikes and water will be on site.

• Suggest working in teams of 3 with 2 collecting and 1 holding the bag open.

• Full bags of rubbish to be placed in delegated area on the verge of the road for collection by City of Harare.

COLLECTIVELY WE CREATE A CLEANER CITY

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY OF HARARE.

PHONE SHARON HOOK 04 870877/0772240442 hooknook@yoafrica.com

ROY BENNETT'S SPEECH

ZIMBABWE

ROY BENNETT'S SPEECH
HOUSES LORD'S & COMMON'S
UK Parliament - House of Commons and House of Lords
10 November 2010
This is what Roy Bennett had to say in Paris on Wednesday when he gave the key-note speech before Morgan was awarded his Democracy award.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

For us in Zimbabwe, elections have brought us 30 years of torment, torture and death. What I want to give you now is not an academic analysis, but rather a personal, real life sense of the pain that this period has brought—to give you an idea of what elections mean for the ordinary Zimbabwean. I also want to explain how this nightmare has evolved and from it, urge that all opinion-makers are mobilised throughout the international community as yet another ‘election’ is to be held in Zimbabwe.

Unlike many countries in Africa, Zimbabwe has held many elections. We have held them on time and managed the mechanics of voting relatively efficiently. This poses an obvious question: why would a regime which believes it has a God-given right to rule in perpetuity bother with elections? The answer to this has its roots in an election which took place in February 1980 and in turn provided the basis for the formation of an independent Zimbabwe.

Robert Mugabe and his party, Zanu, had been fighting a war of liberation from colonial domination supported in that cold war era by China. Zanu’s leaders were deeply sceptical about participating in elections because it believed these would be rigged against them. Zanu was forced into this election by their main guerrilla host sponsors, Mozambique and Tanzania. Zanu participated reluctantly and angrily—yet they also came up with a plan to ensure a manufactured majority of Zimbabweans would vote for them. Advised and trained by Peking at the time, they did this by terrorising and brutalising the rural population which, then, as now, constitutes the bulk of our people.

Terror was not new to Mugabe’s army, Zanla. These guerrilla forces operated largely in the Shona-speaking areas of Zimbabwe, during the liberation war. They relied heavily on Mao Tse Tung’s strategy of terror. Arbitrary killings were the chosen means of putting the fear of God—or, more correctly, the fear of Satan—into innocent, defenceless rural peasant people. One of many techniques was to force so-called “sell outs” or ‘collaborators’ to lie on the ground while their family members were forced to beat them to death. Others were tied with wire and shot at point blank range. One terrible instance remains raw in my mind. These ‘Liberation heroes’ took a metal bar, heated it red hot, made a crook on its end, and disembowelled a woman. Her young daughter was buried alive alongside her. The whole village was forced to watch.

Under the ceasefire agreement at that time, Mugabe’s Zanu was obliged to lay down arms and gather its forces at pre-designated assembly points. Instead, Zanu assembled only a portion of its cadres and instructed the rest to remain at large to intimidate the people and thus guarantee the rural vote. These combatants moved among the villages and the people were told that they would be shot, or have their throats cut, if they did not vote for Mugabe’s Zanu. Against the background of the war, and its sickening violence, people needed little convincing that the threat of death was real. But this did not prevent Zanla from reinforcing the point: many more alleged collaborators or ‘sell-outs’ were butchered during the ceasefire. Shona rural areas in Zimbabwe were made no-go zones for other political parties. In one of many examples, Francis Makombe, a candidate representing the rival nationalist party, Zapu—which was supported by the Soviet Union and, ironically, South Africa’s African National Congress—was last seen having hot coals shoved down his throat.

Mugabe ‘won’ a majority. To his surprise and delight Zanu inherited the ‘Bread Basket of Africa’. International recognition, admiration and aid followed. He and his party learnt a lifelong lesson: elections confer legitimacy, no matter how they are won. Put otherwise, violence could always guarantee power in a so-called democracy, just as it does during war. Before assuming office, the commander of Zanla forces in the field died under suspicious circumstances in a ‘car accident’ in Mozambique. The remains of the charismatic Josiah Tongogara have never been exhumed, despite his family’s requests for an independent autopsy. He was at the time a credible rival to Mugabe. Murder and assassination have never been far from Zanu’s leadership.

After its success in 1980, Zanu embarked on a second objective that it hoped to be achieve by a sweeping victory at the next elections, Mugabe’s ZANU had power—but it lacked the element that had underlined the war effort. Zanu wanted not only to rule, but to rule alone. Zanu decided Zimbabwe should become a North Korean-style personalised one-party state. But there was a problem in the form of Joshua Nkomo and his party, Zapu. Zapu enjoyed overwhelming support from the regionally-based minority Ndebele tribe. Zanu had to manufacture a pretext for wiping out Zapu and its support before the next election was held. A bandit problem in the Zapu heartland of Matabeleland provided this pretext. In January 1983, Zanu deployed to Matabeleland the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade of the army. The Brigade was called Gukurahundi,—which in Shona means the ‘rain that washes away the chaff’. The Gukurahundi was ostensibly mobilised to deal with bandits, known locally as dissidents. Zimbabweans knew then what Mugabe was to embark on. This world needs to now recognise the Gukurahundi massacres for what they were, a shameful act of despicable ETHNIC CLEANSING.

The deployment of the Fifth Brigade brought with it the worst sustained bloodletting ever seen in Zimbabwe. In scale—and in its grotesque, sadist nature—the likes of it had never been seen before. Many, many thousands died; the number will never be known. But this address is not about statistics or numbers. It is about suffering and the need for justice. It is about bringing to justice those who inflicted inconceivably brutal, savage murders on innocent people. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters deserve nothing less. The following are eyewitness accounts, some of which have never been published before:

[They] found him milking. They shot him and broke off his lower jaw and cut off his tongue. He ran away ... They fired again and broke his left arm below the elbow. We found him on the 2nd day ... We brought him home but [he] died the following day.

We were made to sing ... we were then beaten indiscriminately ... Large sticks were used ... Some young men were made to dig a large hole about 2 meters deep ... [three] were asked to jump into the hole ... Six [soldiers] then fired several shots ...While the three were still moving villagers were made to cover up the hole.

We were made to lie with our faces down and they worked on us. Sticks used for roofing were used in torturing us. I was unable to move until the next morning ... [a soldier then] pulled out a pistol and shot Mable and Kate. [Another] tore open Kate’s womb. They laughed when they saw the foetus moving and said, “the dissident wants to run away”.

[He] was thatching his home when the armed men came. They shot him when he was on the roof ... The wife ... had gone to fetch some water at a borehole. She was shot on the way back to her home by the same people who shot her husband. [He] and his wife ... were buried at their home. The grandmother, who had taken care of her from youth until the time she got married, took care of the grandchildren.

The Gukurahundi has left a huge, festering wound in the Ndebele psyche; it hangs over Zimbabwe like a dark cloud. Not one of the architects of the Ndebele ethnic cleansing has been brought to justice—not a single one. Instead, many have been promoted for their loyalty to Mugabe and Zanu. The commander of the Fifth Brigade, Brigadier Perence Shiri, was later promoted to the head of the Zimbabwean Air Force.

He now sits on the Joint Operations Command, a junta which effectively runs Zimbabwe to this day in spite of my party’s victory in parliamentary elections of March 2008—a victory that was even grudgingly acknowledged by Mugabe.

Zanu expected the general elections of 1985 to bring victory in Matabeleland and the obliteration of Zapu as a political entity. But the Ndebele people delivered a rude shock to Zanu, electing Zapu candidates in all 15 Matabeleland seats. The Ndebele people initiated what has become a proud and thoroughly brave tradition among Zimbabweans: continual, peaceful democratic resistance to Zanu tyranny. As they were to do in later years, the Zanu leadership reacted with rage to Ndebele defiance in 1985. They incited mobs to attack Zapu supporters in urban areas. Mugabe made a radio broadcast in Shona saying: ‘Endai munobvisa sora riri mubindu menyu’—which translated means ‘go and uproot the weeds from your garden’. If ever there was a call for vicious retribution, this was it. The Zanu-PF Women’s League—at the time headed by the now Vice-President Joyce Mujuru and deputised by Mugabe’s wife Sally—rampaged through Harare’s suburbs, destroying the houses of Zapu supporters and hacking to death a Zapu candidate with an axe. Two pregnant women were brutally killed. It was a shocking and visible reminder to URBAN Zimbabweans of Mugabe’s brutality, regularly inflicted upon rural peasants for years. Casualty numbers were substantial.

By 1987, Zapu had been thoroughly decimated. Its leaders were completely overwhelmed. They conceded to a so-called unity agreement, (sound familiar?) which allowed Zanu to swallow them whole. Mugabe had achieved his de-facto one-party state.

Unchallenged for more than a decade, Zanu-PF was content to leave the people of Zimbabwe to their own devices. The party leadership then devoted itself wholeheartedly to corruption and the systematic looting of state resources. But the fundamental character of Zanu did not change. It remains a hybrid North Korean-style dictatorship centered around Robert Mugabe. Zanu PF boast: ‘Zanu ndeyeropa’—‘Zanu is a party of blood’. When Mugabe’s Zanu PF is not under pressure, it is happy to let things adrift. But it always returns to its violent roots when the heat is on. We would do well to remember that now, in 2010! Zanu is Zanu and will always be so; the party’s politburo is overwhelmingly comprised of individuals who are serial HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS.

Growing out of the trade union movement and civil society—and rooted in the Zimbabwean people’s resentment of Zanu’s self enrichment and corruption—the Movement for Democratic Change was formed in 1999. Zanu-PF faced its most serious challenge since Zapu. Indeed, MDC was always an even greater threat, because it drew support from all tribal and racial groups in Zimbabwe. Our first objective in the MDC was to mobilise the people to vote ‘NO’ in a constitutional referendum which Mugabe hoped to manipulate to give him even more control around his personalised presidency. The MDC’s second objective was parliamentary elections due to take place during 2000.

As in 1985, Zanu-PF was complacent and underestimated the depth of resentment among the people. Another rude shock was delivered. Mugabe’s draft constitution was rejected. He appeared on TV pretending to be the conciliatory statesman, but reliable sources confirm that inside he was seething and filled with hatred after the MDC’s successful mobilisation. Mugabe’s response this time around was to ethnically cleanse white farmers and their labour force. Zanu-PF used the emotive ‘Land Restitution Programme’ as a cheap, cynical electoral gimmick. White Zimbabwean farmers were to be punished for supporting MDC and their farm workers and dependents, who constituted a bloc of around a million opposition supporters, were driven off the land and left destitute. The pain and human suffering inflicted upon Zimbabwean farm workers—and their resulting circumstances are almost too painful to describe.

Zanu-PF-sponsored anarchy descended upon the vibrant farming community. The prospect of being killed on any day was totally real. Groups of Zanu-PF youth militia began to forcibly evict farmers off their property, beating and killing them and their workers in a classical program.

Remarkably, after less than a year in existence—and in the face of institutionalised vote rigging—MDC still managed to capture 57 of the 120 contested seats in the 2000 elections. In reality Zanu-PF’s Mugabe has never ceased the war it declared on us, the Zimbabwean people. Many outside Zimbabwe do not realise that land invasions have continued for years—and are still continuing. Farmers and their workers, many who had maintained remarkable life-long relationships, became the wretched of the earth: shot, raped, and beaten with chains and logs. Many died long and agonising deaths, without medical care of any kind. For those of us who lived through it, we can never forget. These things are seared on our memories.

The country has been ruined by those whose only interest is retaining power through the barrel of a gun.

On my own farm, so called war veterans, but nothing more than HITLER-STYLE BROWN SHIRT HOOLIGANS invaded six weeks before the 2000 elections where I had been asked by the local community to oppose a Zanu-PF candidate. My workers were savagely beaten. My wife, five months pregnant, lost her baby. The ‘militia’ returned a year later after I was elected to office as the local MDC Member of Parliament. Over the next three years, my coffee estate was looted and plundered. My workers were continuously beaten. Various court orders counted for nothing. The intensity of these attacks increased in early 2004: two teenage girls were raped, and two employees, Shemmy Manyenyeka and Joseph Kaitano, were shot by a soldier. Shemmy was shot in the face at point-blank range. Imagine, if you can ladies and gentleman, people whose lives, circumstances and families were so part and parcel of mine, being killed, tortured, and humiliated simply because of their support for me and the MDC.

Finally, in April my family, management and staff were forced off our farm. We were left with nothing. But we were better off than my workers and their families. They had neither shelter nor prospects and were forced to flee. One study estimates that of the one million farm workers and their dependents, nearly 400,000 have died since 2000 from the effects of malnutrition and lack of access to medical care and attention. The effect of this ethnic cleansing of the agricultural sector of Zimbabwe constitutes a massive series of human rights violations, deserving a full INTERNATIONAL investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, more pain and death was brought by the elections of 2002 and 2005 as a result of steadfast and growing support for my party, MDC. In the urban areas, +-700,000 people lost their livelihoods, or had their homes demolished in mid-winter, during 2005’s Operation Murambatsvina—a term that means ‘drive out the rubbish’. This disgusting Zanu-PF initiative was embarked upon in response to MDC’s total

control of the urban electorate. By demolishing MDC’s urban support base, and forcing destitute Zimbabweans to flee to neighbouring countries, primarily South Africa, Zanu-PF resorted again to terror in the elections of 2008. It was these elections that took us to the brink of another Gukurahundi. In spite of the all-too-obvious consequences, the people of Zimbabwe courageously voted in numbers,

defeating Zanu-PF in the parliamentary elections of March. At the same time, Mugabe lost the the presidential election to my colleague and President of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai. With their backs to the wall, Zanu-PF, aided and abetted by South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, bludgeoned their path to a forced presidential electoral run-off. The presidential runoff was characterized by unprecedented violence. It was co-ordinated

by the same individuals who organised the Gukurahundi. This was a military operation organised by Joint Operations Command. Let me give you one example of this junta’s involvement: On 5 May, a group of 300 ‘Green Bomber’ militia organized a meeting in Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central. They told people forced to attend that

they needed ‘re-education’. The people were ordered to confess their support for MDC. When no-one came forward, a 76-year-old woman was selected and beaten for 10 minutes. Three brave men chose to save her by stepping forward. Around 70 people were indiscriminately selected thereafter for punishment. Men and women were made to lie on their stomachs and were beaten with rods. Some had barbed wire tied to their genitals and were told to lift logs with them. Two died immediately and four others died later. This is a microscopic picture of retribution meted out the length and breadth across Zimbabwe. Of more than 4,000 documented victims of political violence between March and July 2008, a very large proportion were lined up face down and beaten on the buttocks and back with hoe handles and other solid objects.

Apart from fractures, the deep bruising which invariably resulted led, in turn, to the development of necrotic tissue—essentially, people’s flesh rotted and those that were saved had to have huge chunks cut off from their bodies. Others were burnt alive. As you can see, we have ample photographic evidence of these atrocities. And these Zimbabweans are the lucky ones! Many more Zimbabweans were murdered. It is also worth noting there is a sickening pattern of continuity in the torture methods employed across decades by this vengeful Zanu-PF politburo led by Robert Mugabe—a Pol Pot in a Saville Row Suit! A case study of Gukurahundi activities in the Nyamandlovu–Tsholotsho area of Matabeleland North records 70 mass beatings in 1983 and notes that the ‘most common beating technique was the victim(s) would be forced to lie down on the ground, and then would be repeatedly beaten … with thick sticks or gun butts’.

None of the violence that has occurred in Zimbabwe since 2000 represents anything new—Zanu PF reverts to the tried-and-tested methods which have worked for them in the past. Far from fearing regional and international consequences, this thoroughly discredited nationalist liberation organisation has always been rewarded for its savagery. This culture of impunity from any form of punishment, in any forum, let alone at The Hague, grows in evil and cynicism each year that the ringleaders escape punishment. The naked truth is that we as Zimbabweans must rid ourselves of this cancer with the help of our friends. Appeasement will not do. Attempts to achieve a permanent peace with Zanu-PF are predicated on the naive assumption that these people will return the favour. But the appeasement of evil has—and always will—fail. Chamberlain’s appeasement failed in the face of Nazi megalomania. Appeasement will fail in Zimbabwe under the weight of Zanu’s insatiable lust for power. But more than anything, the appeasement of Mugabe and his party is immoral. It offends all the basic laws and instincts of human decency and dignity. The time has come for justice to be served. The value of lives lost and lives ruined must be restored.

The democratic will of the Zimbabwean people must finally be respected. We call on you, ladies and gentleman, to reflect on the sufferings of our people, their desire for freedom. Their desire to re-construct our beautiful country and to rejoin the community of nations, with their heads deservedly held high. We know that the key to unlocking our future rests largely within ourselves—and, beyond that, with President Zuma and South Africa. We know that Zanu-PF, this rag -tag discredited party headed by tyrants is now an acute embarrassment to South Africa, to President Zuma’s party, the ANC, to the ANC’s Alliance partners and to South African civil society. But every one of you can, and must, play a vital role. I ask please that you lobby political, civil society and religious bodies in your representative countries. Please assist us with resources and show us how to raise them for ourselves. Finally, help us in lobbying for a democratic transfer of power. The results of the forthcoming elections MUST NOT once again bring shame on our beloved continent of Africa. There must be a transfer of power to the inevitable victors—MDC. I thank you, as a humble spokesman for the people of Zimbabwe. It has been a privilege addressing everyone today and to know that our suffering will be more vigorously brought before the court of international public opinion.

Senator Roy Leslie Bennett

November 2010
CLARK VALERIE.

My beautiful Wife passed away 11 November 2010 at Mater Dei Hospital.
Will always love you my darling. You were my inspiration and love.May God take good care of you until we meet again.
Tony

CLARK VALERIE
Our Wonderful Mum suddenly taken away from us on 11th November 2010. You gave us advice, you gave us help, you gave us direction,you taught us to be honest, but MOST of all you gave us LOVE. Sleep well Mum.
Love Darren,Debbie,Heidi, Deirdre, Jim, Peter, Grandchildren, Roisin, Caitriona, Enya, Caelan and Holly

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"Habakkuk, Margaret. Deepest sympathy to her family, particularly Aunt Nancy. We remember Auntie Margaret with much affection and gratitude for all the splendid school holidays and the loving care received from her and Auntie Rita. Their influence was far greater than they could have known. Maureen and Christopher Biljon and their families."

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Condolences
Ordman- Cindy
Passed away peacefully on the 9.11.10 after a long illness.
Your courage will always be remembered.
We will miss you. deepest sympathy to Bernard,
Colin, Merle, Bridget, Matt and Olivia.

Ordman- Cindy
My loving wife, no more pain,
Gone to rest, always remembered
Bernard

Ordman- Cindy
Deepest sympathy to Bernard.
We will always remember her.
Ordman Family- Canada

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CONDOLENCES - BERYL CASTLE-WARD
A great lady gone to rest. She never forgot anybody, always had a smile on her face, and a welcoming heart. Gone to be with her beloved Bill. I'm sure I can speak on behalf of any Regimental Association members who are in the UK by sending our sincere condolences to the family. Carol MacKenzie.

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CASTLE-WARD BERYL
Passed away suddenly on Friday the 5th November in Johannesburg in her 95th year. Mother of Nigel and Caroline, Aunt, Great Aunt, Grandmother and Great Grandmother to the Castle-Ward, Blackman, Waddy and Stewart families. Beryl was born in Bulawayo, the daughter of Gus and Bertha Osmond, attended Eveline High School and was well known for her involvement in the community of Bulawayo, including WI, Red Cross, RAPT, City Council of Bulawayo and the Church of the Ascension.

She will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by all her knew her including all her Bridge friends. What a wonderful example she was to us all. Rest in peace.

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BULAWAYO WILL BE SO MUCH THE POORER WITHOUT THAT INCREDIBLE LADY BERYL CASTLE WARD.
BERYL DIED ON THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER IN HER 95TH YEAR.
THERE WERE FEW PEOPLE WITH SUCH PRESENCE, SUCH COMPASSION, SUCH POISE AND DIGNITY AS THIS AMAZING LADY WHOM WE WILL ALL MISS SO MUCH.
REST IN PEACE GRACIOUS LADY.
REST IN PEACE GRACIOUS LADY.

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Beryl Castle-Ward passed away peacefully in Johannesburg on the 5th November after a short illness. Very dearly loved mother of Carolyn and Adrian, Nigel and Ann. Baw Baw to her grand children Graham, Tan, Vaughan, Ashleigh, Michael and their spouses and to her great grandchildren Donna, Rick, Aaron, Wyatt, Heath and Madison. We will all miss her so much. Memorial service to be arranged at a later date.

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SMITH - MARGARET passed away in London 25 June 2010
MEMORIAL SERVICE TO CELEBRATE MARGARET'S LIFE
Gavin, Colin & Alison invite friends to join us to celebrate Margaret's Life (dress casual)
MONDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2010 at THE BOMA HILLSIDE DAMS at 1 PM

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Ian Arthur Matheson
A memorial service will be held in Harare at the Arundel School Chapel on the 20th Nov. at 11 am. to commemorate the life and passing of Ian Arthur Matheson.The family extend a warm welcome to all friends and associates.

Barry Brinton

Subject: Barry Brinton died in Australia last Tuesday - Some may have heard this news:


THE fisherman who drowned off Point Arkwright on Tuesday was 60-year-old local father Barry Brinton. It was the first time Mr Brinton had fished off rocks at the point, just south of Coolum.

The father of four from Peregian Springs is believed to have lost his fishing rod and dived in ...to retrieve it about 1pm.Witnesses at Point Arkwright watched helplessly as Mr Brinton struggled and drowned. Mr Brinton’s body was swept away from the shore. It was recovered about 100m out to sea by life guards and Sunshine Coast Water Police .Initially, police thought Mr Brinton might have been swept off the rocks by a wave. Conditions at Point Arkwright on Tuesday were dangerous for rock fishing. An autopsy is being performed on Mr Brinton’s body

Revised implementation date

From: phoenixzim@gmail.com [mailto:phoenixzim@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Sean Quinlan Subject: SI154 - Revised implementation date As advised by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe today: "This letter serves to inform you the implementation date of the statutory 154 of 2010 has been moved to June 2011. Please note that the following still remains: That the reflective triangle has to be reflective on both sides and all
the initial requirements That the fire extinguishers has to be approved by SAZ." (Our comment: It is still a current requirement that every vehicle carry at least one warning triangle, however the triangle specifications referred to in SI154 only come into effect in June 2011. Various fire extinguisher manufacturers have applied for SAZ approval and these units should become available within weeks). Big Sky Supplies – We prepare you for your journey 9 Pomona Shopping Centre Pomona, Harare

News from JAG

Ben Freeth - Crimes Against Humanity

Dear Jag
Crimes Against Humanity dressed up as a Land Reform Program - what must we do to undress it?
In the recent case in the Upper Tribunal [Immigration and Asylum Chamber] in the UK, another very important Judgment was made exposing the Land Reform program in Zimbabwe for what it is: "Crimes Against Humanity." It is another big step towards truth and accountability in Zimbabwe.
It is important for us to understand what "Crimes against Humanity" are that each victim can be involved in undressing this monster some persist in calling land reform. Justice Ouseley was only asked to look at [K] below; but is clear to anyone that has been a victim of land reform in the last 10 years, that [h] was an overriding factor throughout.
Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court says:
"1. For the purpose of this Statute "crime against humanity" means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:
Murder;
Extermination;
Enslavement;
Deportation or forcible transfer of population;
Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law;
Torture;
Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, radical, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
Enforced disappearance of persons;
The crime of apartheid;
Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.
Article 30 deals with the mental element of the crime. Guilt requires both intent and knowledge which are elaborated as follows:
"2. For the purposes of this article, a person has intent where:
In relation to conduct, that person means to engage in the conduct;
In relation to a consequence, that person means to cause that consequence or is aware that it will occur in the ordinary course of events.
In this important case Justice Ousley looks at the evidence regarding the farm invasions that "SK" was involved with. It is very familiar to almost every farmer and farm and worker who has lived on a Commercial Farm in Zimbabwe over the last ten years:
"16. In April and October 2002 appellant was involved in two
farm invasions which she had explained in detail and which involved her being part of a large group of Zanu PF activists who attacked two white owned farms. The first attack took place at a place called Manzou Farm where a white farmer had been given an eviction order which he had disregarded. The appellant was with a mob of perhaps one hundred twenty people, including members from different areas and trained youth members and senior leaders.
17. The group was split into two and the senior members which
included the appellant's uncle went to the farmer's house and beat him up. The appellant in the other group was involved in going to the farm workers' houses, beating them up and burning their houses down. The appellant admitted that she was one of those carrying a stick or "chamu", but she was not involved in burning any of the houses. She found the situation very scary and although she did hit people she did not use excessive force.
18. The appellant disliked what she had to do, but was afraid of
the repercussions if she left the youth militia. Rumours abounded about how another girl had tried to escape, had been caught and severely punished."
26. Her evidence about the second was this:
"20. In early October 2002 she and others were involved in
another farm invasion at a place called Bellrock Farm where the white farmer had been given orders to leave the farm and had ignored it. Again she went with a large mob which might have included over one hundred youth members. Her uncle was amongst the senior members of the group.
When they got to the farm her group was ordered to beat the farm workers in the fields and everyone joined in, including the appellant. They chased the farm workers and if they caught up with any worker they beat them until they left the farm. The appellant remembered that she had beaten one woman in particular and she felt very guilty about this. She felt horrible as to what had happened. She stopped hitting the woman when she saw what distress she had caused and the woman scrambled away.

Farm Workers' houses were set on fire but the appellant was not involved in that. But she did witness the Zanu PF leaders questioning the white farmer when she saw him being beaten badly and his property being destroyed."
Justice Ouseley finds that:
"The violent occupation of farms and forcing people, including farm workers from their houses, was part of the State violence, formal and informal, used to crush opposition and those who were not regime supporters."
"We are satisfied that the intention behind these invasions in general, and it applies as well to the two in which the Appellant participated, was to cause great suffering or inflict serious physical or mental injury. The aim was to drive people from their homes and their work, and to do so in such a way that they would be so cowed by their experience that they would neither return to their homes nor foment opposition outside. It would also deter resistance on other farms or in other potential areas of opposition. The aim was achieved by the mob violence of beatings administered to men and women, burnings and lootings in a deliberately brutal and terrifying experience.
"We are satisfied that these two farm invasions were part of widespread systematic attacks against the civilian population of farmers and farm workers, carried out not just with the full knowledge of the regime but as a deliberate act of policy by it, with the intention of advancing its grip on power, suppressing opposition, and helping its supporters.
"These acts were obviously inhumane, and were, in our judgment, of a similar character to those in sub-paragraph (h) of Article 7. These acts were clearly persecutory acts against an identifiable group, farmers and farm workers. They were undertaken for political reasons, the suppression of perceived opposition and for the financial advancement of the regime members and supporters. There was a clear racial element in the attacks on the farms, and the farm workers who were a necessary part of the white farmers' ability to benefit from the farm.
"...we are satisfied that the two farm invasions were crimes against humanity. No doubt, these actions could have been charged in a variety of ways, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, affray, violent disorder, and arson. But such an exercise would distract from the true question: did these two farm invasions, with their specific aim, intent and effect fall within Article 7 sub-paragraph (k). In our view, they did."
Justice Ouseley then looks at SK's own criminal part in the Crimes Against Humanity she was part of:
"We now turn to whether the Appellant's participation in them makes her criminally responsible. The Appellant was a participant in serious mob violence. The intention of the instigators and participants, including her, was that the farmer and farm workers be driven from their homes, by violent beatings and burnings, never to return and to deter them from opposition to the regime. The intention was that the farms would then be available for regime supporters....
"The Appellant was not merely present. She was on each occasion a voluntary, even if reluctant, actual and active participant in beatings; even taking her evidence at face value, beating many people hard as part of the aim of driving them away. She specifically tried to demonstrate her loyalty to Zanu-PF in her actions.
"She is plainly criminally liable on a joint enterprise domestic law basis.
"If there is an additional requirement that, in these circumstances, there be a substantial contribution to the crime, we consider that she provided it. That expression is not intended to exclude all but ringleaders and major participants. Each of those who guard extermination camps, for example, make a substantial contribution to genocide.
"Active participation in mob violence which itself falls within sub-paragraph (k) makes a substantial contribution to that crime against humanity..."
There are some farmers and farm workers that feel for whatever reason that they do not want to bother with truth, justice and accountability.
There is a feeling that we should make a deal with those that have committed the Crimes Against Humanity and allow the status quo to persist.
Almost exactly 4000 years ago a big thing happened between Abrahams
grandsons: Esau came back from the bush very hungry. Jacob was
cooking. In Genesis 25 it says:
"He said to Jacob "Quick let me have some of that red stew!
I'm famished."
Jacob replied "first sell me your birthright."
"Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?"
But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.
There are some in `organised' agriculture that would sign away our rights like Esau for a bowl of stew because they are desperate and without vision. We need to counter this and build a solid foundation for the future of agriculture and our country by ensuring that title doesn't get swallowed up like Esau's stew; and that justice and the rule of law is able to triumph over wicked ways.
If anyone knows who the owners of Manzou and Bellrock farms are they need to come forward. We need to build on this case with urgency as a start.
At the same time it is critical that each individual victim records his or her own ordeal for the bigger picture regarding the Crimes Against Humanity that have been committed. Together we can all show the "widespread systematic attack," that the land reform program is - and start to bring accountability to the architects. As the truth is exposed and the mosaic comes together, it will become harder and harder for the acts of wickedness to continue.
Ben Freeth. [ freeth@bsatt.com ]
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2. Eddie Cross - The Cost of Bad Political Leadership
Dear Jag
Last week the United Nations stated that three countries, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Congo, have a "Human Development Index"lower than they had in 1970. This represents 40 years of lousy leadership and failed economic policies in all three countries. Strangely, all three are enormously rich in natural resources and have great potential.
I was not at all surprised by the Congo and ourselves, but the inclusion of Zambia in this group of three global failures was a surprise. It suddenly made me realize how long it takes to get back ground lost in periods of poor governance and economic collapse. I remember the Zambia episode because I had family in Zambia at the time. It was five years after Independence when Kaunda announced that all companies that employed more than 100 people had to have majority Zambian ownership (sounds familiar!).
The result was immediate, economic activity just crashed, investment fled and Zambia slid into a donga of stagnation and failure. >From a peak when they produced a substantial proportion of the global demand for copper, the newly nationalized mines slumped into insignificance and the former owners took their dollars and invested elsewhere.
When finally, after 30 years, the Zambian people were able to cast off the corrupting mantle of Kaunda, the new government was slow to put things back on their feet. It took another change of government after Chiluba to start things moving and they reversed the policies of Kaunda and sold off the mines. That was in the first years of the new Century and for the past five years, Zambia has been growing rapidly. So much so that they have watched the collapse in Zimbabwe with a sense of justification in their own political and economic actions and policies.

Where once they suffered from snide remarks by Zimbabweans about the Zambian Kwacha, they gasped as we went even further and more rapidly than they had, down the slope of inflation and collapse.
Once economic growth resumes, people relax and think that times are better and they can look forward. However, they seldom count the real cost of the wasted years and here is the United Nations reminding them of just that, Zambians are worse off today than they had been after Independence in the early 60's. What a tragedy and what a waste of all the hopes and aspirations of the struggle for democracy and independence.
In Zimbabwe the failure has been even greater than it was in Zambia and more precipitous. The foundations of the collapse were laid in the first two decades of Independence when the new Government could do no wrong and was allowed to get away with both economic and political violations that in other areas of the world would have wrought instant condemnation.
Poor macro and micro economic policies retarded growth and distorted incomes, the budget deficit ran at unsustainable levels through the whole period increasing public debt, which at Independence had been a paltry $700 million, to $6 000 million equal to two years exports or 80 per cent of GDP. When finally the State went just too far, the collapse was instant and dramatic. Mr. Mugabe ordered the payment of Z$3,5 billion to war veterans - unbudgeted and completely beyond the capacity of the economy. Punishment by the markets was immediate and the Zimbabwe dollar crashed.
10 years later the inflation peaked at world record levels, a loaf of bread cost a billion Zimbabwe dollars and salaries were worthless hours after they were paid. All savings were destroyed - the accumulated surpluses of a century of hard work and effort by the entire nation, wiped out. All banks, building societies, all pension funds and other financial institutions were bankrupted. Tax revenues were essentially worthless. Zimbabweans were beggars and 75 per cent of the entire population was being fed on a daily basis by a consortium led by the United States in the largest food aid programme in any country at any time in history.
Rescued by South Africa and the region, the Transitional Government was negotiated and came into being in February 2009. The Zimbabwe dollar was abandoned, the Reserve Bank isolated and rendered ineffective and the economy completely liberalized - no exchange controls, no price controls. What remained of the economy was kept afloat by nearly a billion dollars of aid and over a billion dollars of remittances from the 5 million Zimbabwe refugees that had fled the chaos into other countries, especially South Africa.

In February 2009, the total tax collected was $5 million. The Minister had to borrow funds from a local company to pay the 250 000 civil servants $100 a month irrespective of seniority. Our international debt had soared to $7,6 billion - ten times the debt in 1980 and equivalent to 5 years of exports and 150 per cent of GDP. Zimbabwe was suddenly in the lowest quintile of the poor in the world, surrounded by the debris of 100 years of conflict, hard work, development, aid and hopes. The most educated people in Africa with one of the most highly qualified (in academic terms) governments in the world were on the bones of their backsides.
It was the consequence, not of "sanctions" as the Zanu PF propagandists would argue, but of poor government and bad policy. First, by Ian Smith who took us into the political morass of UDI and then a futile war where we would win all the battles and lose in the end. Then the flawed process leading to the formation of a Zanu PF government with all the promise of a new start, only to find ourselves caught in a savage struggle for complete political control that was to persist through the demise of Zapu in 1987 and the elimination of all the attempts at democratic plurality in the 90's to the struggle against the MDC after 2000.
In the process we have destroyed what was once a diversified and vibrant economy, we had wrecked our agricultural system - not just the farming industry but the support infrastructure and organized marketing that carried it through the years of UDI and was the backbone of growth from 1980 to 1997. Our manufacturing industry lies in shreds and our financial sector is still very fragile. We are heavily indebted and have little to show for it. Our people are poor, marginalized and humiliated and it will take us many years to recover to where we were at Independence in 1980.
The extent of this collapse is still not fully appreciated by Zanu PF.

However it is clear that they fully understand the reasons and the remedies. This collapse was a deliberate act of national economic suicide and the so-called "indigenisation" laws are simply an extension of this economic sabotage and subversion. The reason? Any economic recovery will be attributed to the MDC and its team of Ministers and quite rightly so.
Since Mr. Mugabe simply refused to implement agreed GPA based reforms some three weeks ago, Mr. Tsvangirai has been engaged in an exercise to bring the influence of regional leaders into the crisis. He has refused to meet Mr. Mugabe and is touring the country holding report back meetings. He has written to all African leaders who have a role to play and this past week MDC raised the temperature by closing down the Senate when the illegally appointed Governors tried to enter the Senate Chamber.
This has now triggered a response from the region and a SADC summit has been called and some SADC leaders are pushing for the immediate deployment of a SADC team to oversee the reform and electoral process.
Mr. Zuma has also come in with a strong message calling for the immediate implementation of all outstanding agreed GPA reforms and the holding of an election as soon as possible.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 13th November 2010
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4. J.L Robinson - Zimbabwe
Dear Jag
Senator Roy Bennett has adequately explained the political landscape in Zimbabwe and Zanu's plan to win the next election to legitimise their next proposed five year plan.
Political Science Professor John Keane has a political term for the new normal state of Zimbabwe - "Despotic Capitalism."
He goes further and sums up Iran (whom Zanu is befriending) as "the thuggish, populist dictatorship of Ahmadinejad that hallucinates on brute secular power. It climbs Jacob's Ladder only because it hopes religious rhetoric will camouflage its foolish mistakes."
Zanu emulates Iran in terms of brute secular power but with an odd Zanu Bishop here and here to pray for them.
In the global context his summary of the global trend of countries "wilfully ruining their ecosystems. It's as if they are performing an experiment to see which one will be the first to be ruined by environmental catastrophe."
A Zanu governed Zimbabwe appears to be hell bent on delivering both "despotic capitalism and environmental catastrophe."
J.L. Robinson