JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 3: (SOUTH AFRICA, UAE, South African President Jacob Zuma (L) meets with Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai at Luthuli House on August 3, 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The pair discussed Zimbabwe's six-month old unity government and the recent crackdown on its members in the wake of the arrests of several lawmakers.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 3: (SOUTH AFRICA, UAE, South African President Jacob Zuma (L) meets with Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai at Luthuli House on August 3, 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The pair discussed Zimbabwe's six-month old unity government and the recent crackdown on its members in the wake of the arrests of several lawmakers.
A protester carries a placard after South Africa's President Jacob Zuma met with Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to discuss Zimbabwe's unity government at the Luthuli House, the ANC headquarters, in Johannesburg August 3, 2009.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 3: (SOUTH AFRICA, UAE, A prisoners' rights activist staged a one-man protest at the ANC headquarters during a meeting between South African President Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, at Luthuli House on August 3, 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The pair discussed Zimbabwe's six-month old unity government and the recent crackdown on its members in the wake of the arrests of several lawmakers.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 3: (SOUTH AFRICA, UAE, A prisoners' rights activist staged a one-man protest at the ANC headquarters during a meeting between South African President Jacob Zuma and Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, at Luthuli House on August 3, 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The pair discussed Zimbabwe's six-month old unity government and the recent crackdown on its members in the wake of the arrests of several lawmakers.
A reporter tries to ask a question to Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, right, Monday, Aug 3, 2009 after a meeting with South African president Jacob Zuma in Johannesburg. South Africa's president says he will contact his Zimbabwean counterpart about problems in Zimbabwe's governing coalition.
Simba Makoni Arrested.
Dr Simba Makoni, interim President of Mavambo.Kusile.Dawn has been charged with “addressing more than 400 people” in Glendale during the 2008 Presidential Campaign.
Makoni is due to appear in court in Glendale this week to face trial on the charge. I was with Dr Makoni in Glendale during the campaign and during the incident for which he is being tried and it is nothing more than harassment.
Those who followed the Makoni campaign during the Presidential elections of 2008 know that the Doctor held very few rallies. His approach was to do “walkabouts”.
At every place where we arrived and where he did his walkabouts, we went to the local police station where Dr Makoni explained why he was in the area. He also explained at every police station that he was not going to address a gathering but would simply walk around either the markets or the shopping centre greeting people and answering questions.
We had these walkabout in literally every town and city in Zimbabwe and whenever a crowd gathered (which was inevitable considering his status), he would immediately hop into his car and drive off to the next point where he would again talk to people one on one.
In Glendale, we actually just passed through on our way from Centenary towards the end of his campaign. It was already late noon and he still went to the local police station and informed them he was in the area. We then went to Glendale town centre where he spent no more than 30 minutes moving from one shopfront to another greeting people and answering their questions as well as urging people to vote him in the presidential election.
We actually never got more than ten people gathered at any one point. In fact, Dr Makoni walked along the shopfronts giving his salute and greeting people. At no point was there a gathering.
It is surprising, is it not, that, even though the Inclusive Government insists that POSA etc are gone, that very same government is prosecuting Dr Makoni in August of 2009 on the basis of that same law.
What has changed, then? How has the inauguration of this so-called Inclusive Government brought the change that Tsvangirai claims. The MDC-T president and Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, said recently that his Minister of Home Affairs (in charge of the police) was working well (”fantastic” was the word he used) with his Co-Minister from ZANU PF. Is this what he meant.
The charges against Makoni were only activated a month or so ago, long after the Inclusive Government was inaugurated. That should tell you all you need to know about the approach of ZANU PF and the MDC-T to the law and even to their own discredited Global Political DisAgreement.
Still, the authorities are insisting that Makoni addressed a gathering of 400 or more people in Glendale and has to face trial for this breach of POSA. The details of the allegations, I suppose, will come out in court towards the end of this week.
The plane carrying U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives at the Jomo Kenyatta airport in Kenya's capital Nairobi, August 4, 2009. Clinton plans to meet the president of Somalia's transitional government during a seven-nation trip to Africa, the State Department said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton waves to the media on her arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta airport in Nairobi August 4, 2009. Clinton plans to meet the president of Somalia's transitional government during a seven-nation trip to Africa, the State Department said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula upon her arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta airport in Nairobi August 4, 2009. Clinton plans to meet the president of Somalia's transitional government during a seven-nation trip to Africa, the State Department said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talks to officials upon her arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta airport in Nairobi August 4, 2009.
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