I have a subscription to a magazine called Monocle. In the December/January issue, the following piece of writing caught my eye. The suggestions are worth our “leaders” in Zimbabwe, and ourselves, reflecting on, and implementing.

Call me an optimist, but I believe we may have reached a time in history when our major expectation of leaders is that they talk to us intelligently, as adults. What this means is that information has to be provided to us in an honest, logical, non-manipulative manner, and then a course of action should be recommended based on the leader’s best reasoning – with a strong, inspirational appeal to our better human natures. The seriousness of the times demands serious dialogue. We need teachers, not demagogues, we need reason without apparent bias, and we need to be called to action by self-evident truths, not blind faith or what’s in the leader’s gut.
Excerpt from How to rule in 2009 by Paula Scher

Zimbabwe Peace Project Director Jestina Mukoko was granted bail yesterday, and released from police custody. She was abducted from her home on 3 December 2008, was missing for three weeks, and was later found in police custody. Mukoko has been in hospital, recovering from the police brutality she experienced. For the past three weeks she has been shackled to her hospital bed and under police guard. She will stay in hospital recovering, but no longer under police guard.

Eight MDC activists, who were also abducted in December, have also been granted bail, but six have not been released, because they cannot meet the challenging bail conditions. To be released they must show title deeds to USD 20,000 worth of property – but they have no property.

Roy Bennett, who was granted bail last week, remains in custody after the state invoked Section 121 to keep him inside. More than 20 other activists who were abducted last year remain missing or in police custody.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) recently issued the following statement. There’s a lot in it that we Zimbabweans need to pay attention to . . .

Long before the establishment of the “All Inclusive Government”, the NCA proposed a 3 point-plan for the resolution of our political crisis.  The plan had the following aspects:

a) Establishment of a transitional government.
b) Writing a new, democratic and people-driven constitution.
c) Elections under a new constitution.

The NCA position is that the All Inclusive Government is a transitional government whose life span must not exceed 18 months.  It is the NCA’s view that this aspect, which is the assumption of the overwhelming majority of Zimbabweans, must be accepted by the All Inclusive Government itself.  We note that there are many in the All Inclusive Government who want to have this arrangement last for a five-year period.  Zimbabweans must not allow this.  The NCA will, therefore utilize its usual methods of campaigns to ensure that the All Inclusive Government arrangement is regarded by all as a transitional government that must pave way to new elections under a new, democratic and people-driven constitution.

The position that the All Inclusive Government is a transitional government with a limited duration is not just a matter of principle.  Our country requires a legitimate and effective government.  The events surrounding the first two weeks of the inclusive government show serious problems. For example:

a) Political detainees and women’s rights activists remain in unlawful custody.  At his inauguration, the Prime Minister promised their release within “a day or week”.  Not only did this not happen, but instead more people were arrested, including Roy Bennett.

b) The size of the government is bigger than what is provided for in the current constitution as amended by Amendment No. 19.  The size is unsustainable for our country.  Most of the international aid being sought by the All Inclusive Government will be used to finance this huge infrastructure.

c) The parties in the All Inclusive Government continue to quarrel over appointments such as those of Permanent Secretaries, Provincial Governors, and the Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Attorney General.

Does this country deserve a huge, ineffective and quarrelling administration?  For this reason, the NCA wishes to mobilize the people to remain alert to the transitional nature of this arrangement.

The NCA is clear that the constitution-making process contained in Article 6 of the GPA is not people-driven and is meant to impose the Kariba Constitution on the people of Zimbabwe.  The NCA has developed an alternative proposal of a genuine process which has been endorsed by the majority of civil society.  We take this opportunity to present this proposal to the public.  We will engage the all-inclusive government over this proposal with a view to ensuring that as a country we adapt a new democratic and people-driven constitution.

If the All-inclusive government insists on the Kariba process that will be enough evidence that they are not interested in a democratic and people-driven constitution.

Where will Morgan Tsvangirai be on Saturday 28th February?

a) Pretoria round table to drum up aid
b) Watching football
c) Visiting Jestina and other Zimbabwean detainees
d) Having a braai (nyama goche)
e) Taping his first national address on ZTV
f) Going to Bob’s Birthday Bash

In some ways I agree with a recent article in the Zimbabwe Independent (New Zealand Tour Postponement An Utter Sham) and in other ways I don’t.

Much as I’d like to see my on screen cricket heart throb, Brendon McCallum, in the flesh at Harare Sports Club, I support New Zealand opting to stay home rather than tour Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Independent article rightly points out that the reasons that New Zealand have put forward for postponing the tour, being the safety and security of their team, are mere excuses. As far as 5 * hotel cricket tours are concerned, you won’t find a safer place than Zimbabwe to play. The New Zealand cricket board are speaking around the truth, and that makes them rather repugnant. The truth is they’re not coming to Zimbabwe because everyone knows that old Bob, patron saint of cricket and chaos, is still in charge of the country.

Suggestions by the newly appointed David Coltart (in the crease as Minister of Education, Sport, Art and Culture) that New Zealand give the Unity Government a chance are a load of bollocks in my book. Here we have a nation that’s been used and abused for many years and Suddenly we must put the past to rest and move forward. David, things take time.

The majority of Zimbabweans are saying let’s wait and see what happens with this whole Unity Government thing. So why shouldn’t the international community as well? It is entirely naive to suggest that politics and sport are separate; they never have been, and they never will be.

Coltart reckons that he’s prepared to jump on a plane and convince the Kiwis to come play cricket in Zimbabwe. I wonder if he’s also willing to welcome back a couple of cricketing heroes, namely Henry Olonga and Andy Flower, to open the first game in our “new” Zimbabwe. And guarantee that they won’t be stalked, abducted and thrown into jail like Roy Bennett was?

A recent comment by Veritas raises an important question about the prolonged detention of Jestina Mukoko and dozens of other political detainees.

There has been talk over the past two weeks that political detainees and civil rights activists will only be released as part of a general amnesty being demanded by ZANU-PF and the security force commanders. This would certainly explain the delays that that have dogged efforts to get them freed. The political detainees whose release is the subject of purported amnesty negotiations were picked up while a national unity government was being negotiated. So far the police have not produced enough evidence to bring them to trial. This raises the question whether they were picked up deliberately to be used as hostages in a subsequent amnesty deal. This would entail a lopsided trade of a few seemingly innocent people picked up specially for the purpose against all those involved in perhaps up to 30 years of State organised or condoned violence.

There needs to be public debate on the subject of a general amnesty and civil society could take the lead in facilitating this process and in making sure it includes victims of State violence and their families. It is hoped that politicians will listen to these voices before making any deals. A general amnesty would not only affect the present detainees, but all people and the families who have been subjected to political violence – murders, torture, beatings, rape, property destroyed, forced evictions, etc. In addition to those who are recorded, there are estimated to be many hundreds over the last thirty years who have never been accounted for and there, are the dead who have never been identified and buried. Read more

Other recent documents that are worth reading on the question of transitional justice include Transitional justice in Zimbabwe: A pilot survey of the views of activists and victims by the Research and Advocacy Unit, and Pondai Bamu’s comment in Pambazuka this week: Transitional justice without transition in Zimbabwe?

Meanwhile, we’ve had a few more replies to our question about Roy Bennett:

• Roy Bennet should put pressure to have others released. – EM
• Roy should put pressure and refuse to be released! I really advocate that  he better refuse because if he accepts its like a father who runs away from a hungry lion leaving behind his weak, defenseless son to be feasted instead of fighting the lion together. Remember that even the bible says two are better than one. – HC
• I think Roy must stick to his guns. For he will never enjoy freedom with the others still detained, if he has a conscience. – CM