Chamisa threatens post-poll violence; Mnangagwa courts white voters; a record tobacco crop; and more
Welcome to the Zimbabwe Daily Briefing - Zitamar News’ must-read daily summary and non-partisan analysis of the most important economic and political developments in Zimbabwe, through the elections and beyond.
Today’s Headlines:
Chamisa threatens post-poll violence, observers warn him to be reasonable
Mnangagwa courts white voters in Harare
Chamisa distances himself from Mugabes - but could benefit from their support
Mugabe-era minister jailed for corruption
Zimbabwe edges back onto tourist map
Zim tobacco sales reach record 237 million kg
And Finally: Underused beer hall turned into a clinic
Chamisa threatens post-poll violence, observers warn him to be reasonable (NewsDay, Sunday News, The Sunday Mail, The Standard, NewZimbabwe)
MDC Alliance presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa, has threatened violent protests if his demands for electoral reforms aren’t met. International advisory group The Elders, led by ex-UN secretary general Kofi Annan, warned Chamisa against making “unreasonable demands,” and, along with the the SADC observer mission, said any disputes must be taken to court. However, speaking at a rally in Bulawayo on Saturday, Chamisa said he will instead go to the “court of public opinion,” warning, that the previous violent protests he led at the University of Zimbabwe: “we can do times 10”.
Chamisa is claiming a small victory after Angolan President João Lourenço sent his foreign minister to Zimbabwe to observe the polls. Chamisa will meet the Angolan minister on Monday.
Chamisa’s incendiary rhetoric will worry Zimbabweans at this sensitive time, but he will be unbowed and may continue with his planned picket of the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) offices on Wednesday.
As respected opposition commentator Alex Magaisa writes today, Zimbabwe’s opposition “faces Hobson’s choice when it comes to grievances over the electoral system. They are told to go to the courts of law, which, for good reason, they do not trust. … They know the system is rigged but boycotting would not solve the problem. Locked in this choice-less scenario, it is not surprising that some end up contemplating other solutions outside the formal processes.”
Chamisa is unlikely to get much joy from the Angolan foreign minister, either. Angola’s political transition, from Dos Santos to Lourenço, where power has changed hands but only within the ruling party, is paralleled by Zimbabwe’s transition from Mugabe to Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa courts white voters in Harare (Al Jazeera, AFP, BBC, The Sunday Mail)
President Emmerson Mnangagwa addressed a group of about 200 white Zimbabweans in Borrowdale, a wealthy suburb in the capital, Harare, on Saturday, promising no more farm invasions and saying they “have a role to play in terms of skills in the farming sector.” Attendees told AFP they were “encouraged” by his words, but speaking to Al Jazeera, white MDC Senator David Coltart dismissed those at the meeting as “wealthy whites who have long established connections with ZANU.”
To heal relations with the white community, Mnangwagwa should engage with them in his capacity as president rather than as candidate at a campaign rally hunting for votes.
Chamisa distances himself from Mugabes - but could benefit from their support (NewZimbabwe, AP)
Chamisa has dismissed persistent rumours of an alliance with Robert and Grace Mugabe - some even saying Grace was lined up to be his Vice President - as “hogwash.”
It’s taken Chamisa a while to properly deny links with the Mugabes - perhaps because the appearance of their support will boost his popularity in parts of the country. According to the Associated Press, “a visit to the largely rural province of Masvingo found that anger over Mugabe's removal has been channeled into supporting candidates who challenge the ruling ZANU-PF party that he long controlled.”. The Mugabe-backed NPF has split in two, with one side endorsing Chamisa and the other backing their own presidential candidate, Ambrose Mutinhiri.
Mugabe-era minister jailed for corruption (Reuters)
Samuel Undenge, a former energy minister under President Robert Mugabe, has been found guilty of corruption and sentenced to four years in prison for issuing a $12,650 contract without due tender, to a company that did no work. His lawyer Alex Muchadehama called the ruling “shocking” and said he would appeal the decision. Undenge will spend two and a half years in jail. The rest of his sentence is suspended, on condition of good behavior.
Several cabinet ministers who served under Mugabe have pending cases and await their day in court. There could be more prison sentences as Mnangagwa attempts to follow through on his zero tolerance on corruption stance.
Zimbabwe edges back onto tourist map (AFP)
The number of foreign visitors to Victoria Falls jumped nearly 50% in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2017, according to Tourism Minister Priscah Mupfumira, while treasury statistics show arrivals to Zimbabwe rose by 15% to 554,417. “We were in a closed period for a long time,” Mupfumira said, but since Mnangagwa took over the presidency, the sector - which contributes around 10% of GDP - is “poised for growth.” “There are good vibes from the industry and from the international world,” Mupfumira said.
Zim tobacco sales reach record 237 million kg (NewZimbabwe)
Zimbabwe has produced its biggest tobacco output in history with 237.1 million kg sold since the 2018 marketing season started on 21 March - beating the 236.9m kg record achieved in the 1999/2000 season.
Tobacco has led the way in agriculture recovery since the across-the-board decline in farm output since the 2000s’ land redistribution exercise. With more farmers registering to grow the “golden leaf,” and government support and private sector demand increasing, output should continue rising.
And Finally: Underused beer hall turned into a clinic (NewZimbabwe)
In Kwekwe, an underused beer hall is being turned into a clinic. “During [white minority rule leader Ian] Smith’s time, there used to be many beer halls so that we would get drunk and divert our attention from politics,” Health and Child Care Minister, David Parirenyatwa said, inaugurating the facility last week. “Today we are witnessing the conversion of what used to be a bar into a facility that is going to benefit everyone in the community.”
Tweet of the Day
So, the Harare-Bulawayo train... it’s like someone’s nightmare of a train. No light or heating in the carriages, gutted seats, few passengers, a symbol of Zimbabwe’s destitution.
Amazingly it nearly arrived on time. pic.twitter.com/PGefTXXjZU
July 23, 2018Happening today:
So, the Harare-Bulawayo train... it’s like someone’s nightmare of a train. No light or heating in the carriages, gutted seats, few passengers, a symbol of Zimbabwe’s destitution.
Amazingly it nearly arrived on time. pic.twitter.com/PGefTXXjZU
Chamisa meets SADC observer mission
ZEC weekly press briefing