What you may have missed September 26-30

Filthy sanctions-President Robert Mugabe today berated the United States, Britain and their allies for trying to control his nation and its resources, telling them to remove their “illegal and filthy sanctions”. “Shame, shame, shame to the United States of America. Shame, shame, shame to Britain and its allies. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans, so are its resources. Please remove your illegal and filthy sanctions from my peaceful country,” Mugabe said at the United Nations. “Our small and peaceful country is threatened daily by covetous and bigoted big powers whose hunger for domination and control of other nations and their resources knows no bounds.”

Off air
A television station that was hailed as the answer to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s monopoly in the run-up to the 31 July elections today announced that it was closing down after only two months. 1st TV was reported to be independently owned but was run by some of the people at SW Radio Africa and Andrew Chadwick, once a communication director for Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai. “1st TV launched on the promise of one month’s financial support. We managed to extend that to two months. But as of now, we have to go off air while we raise more resources and source more programmes,” the station said. “Our pledge to you is that when we return it will be on a permanent basis and it will be with improved entertainment programming, more soaps, movies and dramas as well improved education, information and news programmes.”

I am innocent
Former Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation chairman Godwills Masimirembwa, accused of soliciting a bribe of $6 million in a diamond mining deal with a Ghanaian investor, today said he was innocent. Masimirembwa, who was fingered out by President Robert Mugabe, said: “I am innocent. I have respect for my president, but I believe that he was misinformed. I am totally innocent and will give my side of the story to the police. Whoever informed the president misinformed him, told lies.”

New party
The National Constitutional Assembly today unanimously agreed to transform into a political party as a way of intensifying its push for a people driven constitution in Zimbabwe. Chairperson Lovemore Madhuku will lead the party until its first congress in March. “Transformation means that we open more gates to other people. To be a political party, you would need other people. If we opt for transformation, it means we should come up with a formula to deliver,” Madhuku said.

Simon Khaya Moyo cleared
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front chairman Simon Khaya Moyo has reportedly been cleared for the post of Vice-President. The post became vacant following the death of John Nkomo. The post has traditionally been filled by a person from the former Zimbabwe African People’s Union, but it had been hoped that after more than 20-yearsof unity this pattern might be disbanded.

Mugabe defiant
The West should not bow down to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe because her has shown more defiance than a willingness to receive overtures from the West by appointing people like Jonathan Moyo as Minister of Information. This was said today by Alison Bethel McKenzie, director of the International Press Institute. Far from setting aside old scores, the West needs to keep up the pressure on the Mugabe regime and resist efforts to ease trade and political sanctions, she said.

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