What you may have missed August 21-25

Nkala dies- Former Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front treasurer, Enos Nkala, has died. He was 81. Nkala was one of the most powerful people in ZANU-PF until he stepped down from government following the Willowvale Motor scandal of the late 1980s. He had the distinction that the party that has been in power since independence was founded at his house in Highfield.

MDC mulls withdrawing poll challenges

The Movement for Democratic Change led my Morgan Tsvangirai today said it was contemplating withdrawing all the 95 petitions it had lodged with the Electoral Court because of financial constraints. “Now that justice in our own country has been made so expensive we are reviewing our position as regards the elections petitions we had lodged with the electoral court,” party spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said. “The other reason we are reviewing our position is because the ConCourt has already declared the elections free and fair. So we do not see how any other court, a lower one at that passing a judgement contrary to this one.”

Mugabe sworn in

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front leader Robert Mugabe was today sworn in as president and called the West “vile” for questioning his re-election. He also said he was going to press ahead with his indigenisation policies and told his critics to “go hang”. “Except for a few Western dishonest countries, our elections have been hailed as peaceful, free, fair and credible. For those odd Western countries who happen to hold a different negative view of our electoral process and outcome, there is not much that we can do about them. We dismiss them as the vile ones whose moral turpitude we must mourn,” he said. “The time has now come for us to extend our dominion to all those resources which the Almighty has been generous enough to give. That is the next revolution whose first step is this administration, this new government.”

MDC asked to pay $1 million deposit

The Movement for Democratic Change today said it had been asked to leave a US$1-million security deposit with the court if it wanted to challenge results of parliamentary elections won by President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. “The amount being demanded is not affordable to the party and its members,” MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said. The MDC is seeking to reverse the results of 100 parliamentary seats.

Kangai Dies

One of the longest surviving members of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front’s revolutionary council- Dare reChimurenga- Kumbirai Kangai died today. He collapsed at his home shortly after attending a politburo meeting and died at a city clinic.

Mugabe threatens foreign firms

President Robert Mugabe today threatened “tit-for-tat” retaliation against companies from Britain and the United States if the Western nations persisted in pressuring his government with sanctions. “They should not continue to harass us, the British and Americans.   We have not done anything to their companies here, the British have several companies in this country, and we have not imposed any controls, any sanctions against them, but time will come when we will say well, tit-for-tat, you hit me I hit you.”

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