The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is dispatching more teams to look into and formulate help strategies in Zimbabwe’s crisis, despite the country’s pronounced suspicions on a Western-backed invasion. Two secret meetings are underway.

The regional body has called for an emergency security meeting of the SADC Troika to be held in Maputo Thursday. Zimbabwe’s new security concerns, as well as an alleged invasion plot, are believed to top the meeting’s agenda.

The source further said another security meeting, at a technical and strategic level, was to be held in Botswana, though saying it was a rather sensitive issue to be discussed and not wanting to give more details. Zimbabwe was to be one of the issues.

Zimbabwe has pronounced its discomfort with the number of foreign missions, casting its suspicions on what it called a planned invasion by the Western powers.

The clarion call by Zimbabwe follows numerous calls by Western leaders as well as some regional member states pushing an open agenda aimed at deposing the 84 years old dictator, President Robert Mugabe.

The Harare administration spokesperson said that President Mugabe’s government would not be surprised that the UK and US, together with the UN would lead such a military mission, but not saying how and if the country was preparing to respond.

He also said both UK and US were going to push the Zimbabwean agenda before the UN Security Council under the pretext of the cholera epidemic, saying such did not warrant an invasion on Zimbabwe’s sovereignty.

Open charges by Western leaders and diplomats have also seen of late, increased UN pressure on Zimbabwe, while the regional neighbours have also been under increased pressure to lead initiatives in the Zimbabwe crisis or face the scorn of the Western powers.

To date, only Botswana and Kenya have come out clearly criticizing President Mugabe, wanting him to step down. Meanwhile, the majority of the Africa Union (AU) still holds the view that the power-sharing deal is the only way out of the Zimbabwean crisis.

The country’s leadership signed the power-sharing deal in September, but the processes leading to the formation of a unity government have stalled over allocation of cabinet positions, even necessitating a constitutional amendment.

While fast-tracking its presence and humanitarian impact in Zimbabwe, SADC has said in a press statement it was also expecting an emergency report back to its Troika meeting of health and water affairs ministers, Thursday, in Johannesburg, South Africa, as the outbreak was now spreading and threatening Zimbabwe’s neighbours.

Regional member states such as Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi and Zambia are said to be already experiencing outbreaks stemming from Zimbabwe, though not yet at an alarming scale, while bordering neighbours, especially South Africa and Zambia are also concerned with the influx of Zimbabwean refugees running away from lack of services in their country.

SADC has stated that apart from helping out in the cholera crisis in Zimbabwe, the regional body was also looking at strategies to fast-track alleviation of the humanitarian situation in the country.

ZANIS/NNN-AFROLNEWS/ENDS/MM

The Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says the mass demonstrations over the high cost of mealie meal prices being organised by the opposition Patriotic Front were uncalled for, as they could lead to political instability in the country.

ZCTU Acting Secretary General Ian Mkandawire said it was not necessary for the Patriotic Front and other people to hold mass demonstrations over the problems confronting the nation, as such issues could be resolved through dialogue.

Speaking when he addressed members of the Press in Kitwe today, Mr. Nkandawire said there was need for the Government to re-establish the inter-party dialogue, in order to reduce the current tension between the ruling Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD)  and other opposition political parties in the country.

He further said the planned demonstrations  were a result of lack of dialogue between Government and the various  opposition political parties, a development which he said could lead to Political instability if not checked.

Mr. Mkandawire additionally called on Government to initiate the re-establishment of an effective inter-party dialogue, in order to curb unnecessary suspicions and mistrust and instead promote an exchange of progressive political and economic ideas and tolerance.

He said ZCTU believed  that the re establishment of the  inter party dialogue was the only effective way which could help resolve the problems prevailing in Zambia.

Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Kelvin Kamuwanga says there is need to take the fight against corruption as a personal challenge in order for the country to achieved positive results.

Speaking in a speech read for him by Deputy Permanent Secretary Eularia Siyamujaye at
the commemoration of the United Nations Anti Corruption Day, Mr. Kamuwanga said
corruption could only be won through the participation of all stakeholders at an individual level.

He stated that there is need to ensure that the public service was subject to safeguards
that promote efficiency, transparency and recruitment based on merit.

“Public servants should abide by the codes of conduct and disciplinary measures should
be taken where appropriate,” he said.

He disclosed that various government institutions have developed codes of ethics and
established customer service centers in a bid to streamline transparency and
accountability in the process at key points of public service delivery.

The UN ACC Day which falls today, is being celebrated under the theme ‘Corruption,
your NO counts.’

Meanwhile, malpractice in the distribution of farming inputs under the Fertilizer Support Program (FSP) have remained a source of concern in Eastern province, the Anti-Corruption Commission has disclosed.

ACC Regional Manager, Raymond Banda, said yesterday in an interview that the commission has been recording a number of cases of malpractice in the distribution of fertilizer on a yearly basis.

Mr. Banda said the trend has been common in Chipata, Petauke and Chadiza districts.

He revealed that the commission has been strategizing on how it could stop practice through consultation with other stakeholders.

He expressed hope that the strategy would ensure that procedure was followed and that those entrusted to distribute the inputs did so diligently.

Mr. Banda however said the commission has made headway in the fight against
the vice in some sectors in the province.

He said cases of malpractice in the education, police and other sectors have been minimal
due to partnerships that were formed with the commission.

He also revealed that no cases of electoral malpractice were recorded in the October 30th presidential elections.

The ACC official bemoaned inadequate resources as a major challenge in the operations
of the commission.

ZANIS/HN/KSH/ENDS

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) has observed that cases of gender based violence and defilement have continued to rise on the Copperbelt province.

YWCA Regional Coordinator, Julita Mutale, said from January to June this year, her office recorded 768 cases of gender violence, 167 cases of defilement and 15 cases of incest.

Speaking at the Copperbelt tribunal held in Kitwe today, Mrs. Mutale attributed the increase to poor communication, compounded by the advent of cell phones, myths and misconceptions on social issues and poverty.

She said there had been a number of challenges in responding to gender based violence, some of which are the withdrawal of cases, long court processes and failure to report gender based violence to relevant authorities.

She called for the provision of strict legal framework, fast track of gender based violence cases in courts and scaling up facilities for recuperation and therapy.

And Kitwe Chief Resident Magistrate, Charles Zulu, said women rights have continued to be violated despite efforts made through various international and regional protocols.

He said women continued to be marginalised in terms of accessing productive resources such as land.

And Southern Province Minister, Daniel Munkombwe, says while government has taken a firm stand on the protection of the rights of all, the evidence indicates that some violations of the rights of women and children have continued to occur in the country.

Speaking during the commemoration of sixteen days of activism against gender violence at Civic Centre in Livingstone today in a speech read for him by Southern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Aaron Zulu, Mr Munkombwe said concerns have been raised by various stakeholders that the rights of women have not been adequately addressed.

Mr Munkombwe said some of the violations that have continued to occur included rape, defilement, wife battering and property grabbing.

Mr Munkombwe, however, said government would not allow such a situation to go on and noted that it was for that reason that the commemoration of the 16 days of activism against gender violence continued to be of significance to government.

The minister also observed that he was encouraged by the increased recognition of women’s and girl’s rights among the traditional leadership and the traditional leadership’s involvement in the fight for human rights as they played a critical role at community level.

He said the achievement of human rights for all could not be realistic without the protection of the rights for women.

Speaking earlier, NGOCC representative Jean Mweene said the mushrooming shebeens in most townships in Livingstone had contributed to gender violence.

Mrs Mweene said women were also still being discriminated even at places of work through sexual violence and intimidation.

She also appealed to government not to relent in seeking peace for Zimbabwe saying the situation in that country had brought untold misery especially to the women folk.

And 11 year old Mwamba Mulenga said in a moving speech she delivered on behalf of the Girl-child in relation to gender based violence that gender rights could not be inclusive if women’s rights were not recognised.

She said the concern to the girl child was that cases of defilement that were reported were not dealt with accordingly.

Mwamba expressed regret that some parents tend to withdraw the cases at the expense of the abused child.

She also noted that HIV testing be made mandatory for those people who defile yyoung children.

ZANIS/ENDS/FM/SJK