World Malaria Day: Ending the scourge

Battling MALARIA:

...

One of the key questions is where to focus first. Some believe it is best to start in the more severely affected countries, while others support initially choosing nations where there is less malaria in order to build momentum.

Brian Greenwood of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, believes it is important to tackle the less threatening enemy first, in countries where there is the least possibility of malaria returning across the borders of neighboring states....

Dr. Donald Hopkins, vice president of health programs at the Carter Center, believes tackling the big enemy first is the best approach.

“I think you are very, very well advised to start in the worst affected areas first or very, very early. Sometimes you see folks want to get rid of the easier areas first to establish momentum but that’s a mistake in my view,” he said...

(but Greenwood continues)He also noted, “You’ve got to start somewhere first.” That has already happened, in both the most severely affected countries, as well as those with lower malaria prevalence. As more insecticide-treated bed nets are distributed, more homes are sprayed and more people are treated for the disease, the momentum has already accelerated

Who should write Zim constitution?

SWRadioAfrica:

But the road to constitutional reform is full of landmines, and more will be planted if threats by the National Constitutional Assembly and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions are to be taken seriously.

Political analysts fear that if the country does not overhaul its constitution to suit its 21st century needs then the next elections in two years time, especially for the Presidency, will still divide the country....

Matombo told journalists in Harare that ZCTU ‘could not trust politicians with the writing of the new constitution,’ and vowed to mobilise workers to reject any proposed new constitution drafted by Parliament in a referendum scheduled for next year.

The Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo has appointed a 25-member committee of legislators drawn from ZANU PF and the two formations of the MDC that will oversee the drafting of the country’s new constitution...

But Moyo reiterated that parliament will drive the writing of the new constitution over the next 18 months

Zi assets face seizure to pay back farmers

from the UKTelegraph

after a six-year legal battle between a group of Dutch farmers and President Robert Mugabe's government.

It finally ruled last week that Mr Mugabe's government had broken a bilateral investment treaty with the Netherlands and awarded the group more than £14 million in compensation.

he ICSID is part of the World Bank and the judgment can be enforced by seizing Zimbabwean state assets - such as Air Zimbabwe's aircraft - in any of its more than 100 member countries, which include both Britain and America. Embassy buildings, though, are excluded from seizure under the Vienna conventions....

Meetings with Obama administration, IMF bear fruit

From the Harare Tribune:

In an address to partcipants to National Endowment for Democracy forum, Biti said that although he didn't expect immediate results in terms of aid money following his meetings with US State Dept, National Security Council and Treasury Dept. officials Monday, in the long run, the meetings would bear fruits for Zimbabwe.

"It was a historic meeting, the first time that the Zimbabwe government has engaged directly with the US goverment," Biti said. "The meeting touched on several issues with the US government raising concerns on farm invasions, political detentetions and other GPA toxic issues like Gono's tenure."

Biti has been in Washington D.C. where, with the help of SADC ministers, he was expected to convince the Obama Administration that now was the time to support the inclusive government with financial aid. The inclusive government has said it requires US$10 billion to recover from decades of economic ruination by ZANU-PF.

No going back on unity deal

from Reuters Africa:



CHINHOYI, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on Saturday there was no going back on the unity government,...

The MDC is still pushing for the finalisation of outstanding issues in the power-sharing pact, including the senior government appointments to positions of central bank governor and attorney-general.

Internet abuse by the diaspora

from the Zimbabwe Mail:

OPINION - There are some Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who are abusing the privilege of having easy and unlimited access to the internet.

The abuse is taking varying forms which include among others; the groundless slander through malicious postings on Zimbabwean news websites/articles, the launching and trading of scathing insults on undeserving Zimbabwean characters, the reproduction of unfounded rumors and also the making of false claims, such as even purporting to be or have been in love with certain personalities, such as female writers, protest singers, politicians, poets....



Attributes that are befitting to describe the perpetrators are; they are not only very shallow minded, but silly and stupid too. Would one be wrong to read through them, some kind of desperation and frustration too? Desperation to thwart the gradual flowing in of freedom in Zimbabwe? Freedom, which knows no gender, race, political affiliation.

When the perpetrators feature as men, to attack a female in her works, one can conclude that they are male chauvinists who are sadly so, still living by the old mentality and thinking that the woman's place is nowhere other than the kitchen, and also in the bathroom corner where she changes the diaper

China signs pact with Zim

from the zim herald

ZIMBABWE and China have signed two deals worth about US$10 million which are expected to boost economic and technical co-operation as President Mugabe hailed the Chinese government for standing by Zimbabwe in difficult times.

Mugabe calls for national healing

from the BBC

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe called for "national healing" as he appeared at an independence event with his rival, the current prime minister....

Earlier this week the former opposition party, the MDC, whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai is now prime minister, criticised President Mugabe for reportedly taking away MDC control over the state-owned telecommunications companies.

Mr Mugabe has called for all economic sanctions by the European Union and the US be lifted against his country.

The US and EU have insisted that concrete signs of progress in the unity government and around the rule of law are seen first.

However, on Thursday Washington lifted travel warnings on Zimbabwe, issued to Americans in 2002.

Why Africa is losing it's dignity Part one

from Spiegel on Line (Germany)

some excerpts

...The assessment of development of Sub-Saharan Africa is highly ideological. Large parts of the development community take for granted the adage that: "We are exploiting poor Africans, and we deny them all trade opportunities. We must forgive all of their debt, because the loans were forced upon them. A significant increase in financial development aid is needed, because more money means more development."
This is music to the ears of African kleptocrats. ...

The same effect is produced by the many who insist that Africa's prospects for development are being destroyed by unfair international trade relationships. Criticism of these relationships is undoubtedly justified. But why is trade flourishing, under identical conditions, in many developing countries outside Africa? ...

The most successful trading partners among the poorer nations export industrial goods, not agricultural products. China initially brought technically uncomplicated devices onto the world market, but with time its products became increasingly sophisticated. Why doesn't this work in Africa? Has anyone ever seen an iron, a bicycle or a hair clip with "Made in Togo" or "Made in Uganda" printed on it?...

ah, but part of the reason is that it's cheaper to import it from China..

Economic development, in particular, suffers from a lack of thoroughness, planning and reliability, and from the fact that African family clans typically demand a share of the economic success of their more successful members, instead of allowing them to enjoy the fruits of their labor....

Sub-Saharan Africa hardly even manages to take advantage of its wealth of mineral resources to promote the wellbeing of its citizens. On the contrary: They have proven to be a curse for the majority of Africans. The enormous profits are used to pay for wars and fill the bank accounts of the upper class. According to Transparency International, the president of oil-producing country Gabon, Omar Bongo, and members of his family own 39 pieces of real estate in the best of locations in Paris and on the Côte d'Azur....

corruption is Not limited to Africa, of course...

The massive international aid machine, made up of countless agencies and organizations, is too far removed from reality. It rotates on its own axis and circles the African continent like some spaceship filled with industrious and committed experts who are constantly dreaming up strategies, holding conferences, forging consensuses, publishing studies, formulating agendas, running the numbers on their macroeconomic models and generating tons of paper. The question of who actually reads these documents is better left unasked. This spaceship functions so perfectly that it could easily exist without Africa.

If we want Africa to embark on a more effective course of development, it must assume more responsibility. This is the core message of the "Bonn Appeal." We are no longer clueless as we face the problems of development. China pointed the way out of poverty by developing economically on its own strength, not by extending its hand for outside assistance. That would only be acceptable in times of acute need, when humanitarian aid is appropriate....

which is why the greedy Chinese may be better in the long run for Africa than aid

Double Money Scheme?

From the Zimbabwe Mail:

,,,This system of fraud was perfected in the former Zaïre under late dictator, Mobuto Sese Seko, who produced a stash of unrecorded notes for his own use.

The RBZ official said that he and several of his colleagues had recently been questioned over the allegations.
“It is quite possible,” he said. “The team heading the bank had total control of the process, so they would have been able to produce several versions of each Zimbabwe dollar note.”

Separate reports have spoken of truckloads of money being delivered to the army, CIO, youth militia and Zanu (PF) headquarters. There are also well-documented cases of senior party members swapping Zimbabwe dollars for foreign exchange on the black market. ...

No Uhuru Speech for Tsvangirai Uhuru Line-Up

From The Standard via All Africa

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe left out Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai from the Independence celebrations programme....

Chamisa said thousands of MDC-T supporters who thronged the stadium expecting Tsvangirai to address the nation for the first time were taken aback when he was not given the platform.

He said it was an opportunity for Tsvangirai to share his views with the whole world about the country's independence. He said independence celebrations did not belong to one party or one person....

Zim raids local bank accounts

from the NYTimes

Zimbabwe’s central bank raided the private accounts of companies and aid donors for hard currency to finance the government during the economic crisis, according to a central bank statement made available on Monday. The central bank’s governor, Gideon Gono, left, said the bank took foreign currency from private accounts to help make some $2 billion in loans to state-owned companies for power and grain imports. He said the government still had to repay about $1.2 billion to the central bank, which would allow it to repay money it owes private accounts

Morgan Tsvangirai on his wife

from the uKGuardian

In his first interview since the double tragedy, he describes the depths of his grief and pays a touching tribute to his wife of 31 years. "I don't know how to replace her," he says. "It's almost unimaginable that anyone could ever take her place, with the same qualities and the same love and care." The deep voice cracks as he struggles to hold back tears. "Susan and I were married for 31 years. As you can imagine, that made her almost a lifelong companion. She was humble. Not very pretentious at all."..

go to link and read the whole article

Botswana offers credit line to Zim

from TheGlobe and Mail:



Botswana yesterday pledged a $70-million (U.S.) credit line to Zimbabwe to boost the country's ailing economy and support key industries. "All that is left is to tie up the agreement," a Zimbabwean government official said after a meeting between Tendai Biti, that country's finance minister, and Botswana's secretary for economic planning Taufila Nyamadzabo. The money would shore up the steel, leather and manufacturing industries, Mr. Nyamadzabo said.

Bus crash disaster

The Zim Herald via All Africa

Twenty-seven passengers, including the driver and conductor perished on the scene while three were pronounced dead on admission at Chivhu District Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Forty-six others were seriously injured when a Harare-bound Mhunga bus burst its front left tyre and plunged into the Munyati River about 20km outside Chivhu, along the Harare-Masvingo Road.

Mbeki recalled to define Mua

from swradioafrica

Our source said the principals have now agreed that it was pointless to meet Friday because of Mugabe’s attitude. So they have agreed to invite former South African President Thabo Mbeki to a meeting on Monday, so that he can interpret the terms of the global agreement regarding Mugabe's powers.

There has been an ongoing wrangle between the rival parties over key issues, such as the appointments of governors, permanent secretaries and ambassadors, plus the land invasions and the freeing of the media.

Zim economy "starting from zero"

from the BBC:

Now that Zimbabwe's coalition government has decreed that it wants normal relations with other nations, and the country has adopted the US dollar and the South African Rand as currency, some people think it is time to pursue a different approach to the country.

the main problem according to the article, is Mugabe: Europe and the US fear if they lift sanctions, Mugabe will simply take over and divert all the money...and companies worry that if they invest, the companies will end up taken over by the government...

Saidi to join the Herald

from the Zim Times

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s longest serving journalist and one of President Robert Mugabe’s most strident critics in the media has been called from retirement for the third time – this time to rescue the President’s most fanatical supporter, The Herald newspaper.

The Zimbabwe Times can reveal that veteran journalist William “Bill” Saidi (77) has been offered the job of deputy editor-in-chief of the flagship of State-run Zimbabwe Newspapers, The Herald.
...

from the Zim Telegraph

Saidi confirmed that he had been "offered the job."

In addition to being one of the nation's most respected journalists, Saidi is an alumnus who through the years has demonstrated a genuine commitment to professional journalism.

His vast experience in the field, and his many contacts nationwide, will be a tremendous asset to the Herald as the new government renews its emphasis on professional news reportage.

Humanitaria aid used to pay government salaries

from SWRadioAfrica

...Mutambara announced that through a strategy he has dubbed ‘humanitarian plus’, the government would receive money under the banner of humanitarian assistance, to “pay for grants to students who are going to college, to pay for the salaries of teachers in higher education, to pay for salaries of teachers in the primary schools and secondary schools.”...

since the switchover to foreign currancy, the government has lacked the foreign currancy to pay civil servant and teachers. The real worry is that the money will be diverted into certain people's bank accounts, something that happened with previous aid that the government was given...

alas, such diversion is common in many countries...

Mugabe aides said to use violence to get amnesty

from the NYTimes



HARARE, Zimbabwe — President Robert Mugabe’s top lieutenants are trying to force the political opposition into granting them amnesty for their past crimes by abducting, detaining and torturing opposition officials and activists, according to senior members of Mr. Mugabe’s party.... now that the opposition has a place in the nation’s new government, these strongmen worry that they are suddenly vulnerable to prosecution, especially for crimes committed during last year’s election campaign as the world watched.

....To protect themselves, some of Mr. Mugabe’s lieutenants are trying to implicate opposition officials in a supposed plot to overthrow the president, hoping to use it as leverage in any amnesty talks or to press the opposition into quitting the government altogether, ruling party officials said.,,,

The crimes committed to entrench Mr. Mugabe’s rule date back to the 1980s, when thousands of civilians from Zimbabwe’s Ndebele minority in Matabeleland were killed by the notorious North Korean-trained Fifth Army brigade, according to historians....
Other political crimes include widespread attacks on the opposition in 2000, 2002 and 2005, and most gruesomely last year. Beyond that, a vast 2005 slum clearance effort known as Operation Murambatsvina, or Get Rid of the Filth, drove 700,000 people in opposition bastions from their homes.

Last year, close to 200 people were killed, mostly before the June presidential runoff...Last year, as it did in the 1980s, Mr. Mugabe’s loyalists cut off food aid to hungry areas, blocked access to foreign journalists, sent party youth brigades to terrorize the countryside, charged their rivals with treason and used abduction, torture, arson and killings to silence critics...

Violent clashes break up youth summit

from SWRadioAfrica



But according to delegates problems erupted during the feedback stage of the conference, over the sensitive issue of national healing and reconciliation.

...the ZANU PF youth, guilty of most of the violence, not surprisingly think people should just move on and forgive each other....



The debate became violent, leading to clashes and the destruction of hotel property in the presence of Minister Kasukuwere, his Deputy and Patrick Zhuwawo, the ZANU PF National Director of Youth.

The ZINASU legal affairs secretary alleges the clashes were started by the ZANU PF youths who started throwing water glasses at their President Clever Bere. This angered his colleagues and fists fights began. Ngwarai said a sizeable amount of hotel property was damaged during the fracas. Ngwarai alleges that Minister Kasukuwere never left his seat and just watched during the time the youths were exchanging blows.

Journalists, acivists o stay in jail

from Zim on line




HARARE – Zimbabwe’s High Court on Thursday granted bail to a freelance journalist and two MDC activists but they will remain in custody after the state said it was appealing against the order.

Freelance journalist Andrison Manyere, MDC head of security Chris Dhlamini, and Gandhi Mudzingwa, who is a former personal aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, successfully petitioned the High Court for bail after three failed attempts including an appeal in the Supreme Court.

They are accused of planning acts of banditry, insurgency and terrorism to topple President Robert Mugabe’s government....
“The offence they are charged with has strong political connotations, therefore, if political party allegiance was a factor in their case then their party (MDC)’s involvement in the inclusive government must be a factor in their favour. It’s highly unlikely that they will commit similar offences during the tenure of this new government.”...

Mutambara addresses youths

from the government of Zimbabwe via AllAfrica:

....Speaking at a youth conference that was attended by youths from the three main political parties and smaller parties Dep PM Mutambara said youths should not be threatened by diversity but should embrace it as it could salvage the country.

"There comes a time in the history of a nation when it embarks on a new journey, such time has come to our country we are working together, thinking together and we will prosper together.....

Hardline ZANUPF ministers form opposition group

from the VOA

Zimbabwean cabinet ministers belonging to President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and former members of the Joint Operations Command of security agency chiefs are said to have joined forces in a shadowy group calling itself the Social Revolutionary Council designed to frustrate the aims of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, political sources say.

Members of the group are said to include Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono and the commanders of the army and air force, government and party sources said....


The Joint Operations Command, commonly referred to as the JOC, was said to have exerted significant influence over President Mugabe following his defeat by Mr. Tsvangirai in the first round of presidential voting on March 29, 2008, and to have coordinated the deadly wave of political violence that preceded the presidential runoff ballot on June 27.

The Effects of Colonialism haunt Africa

from the African Executive

he argues many of the psychological problems of dependency/colonialism stand in the way of true development

In many African nations, there is the notion that "foreign or white is better." Many Africans will bend over backwards to help a foreigner, but find it hard to even grant audience to a fellow African who might have a new idea. At first glance this phenomenon might seem innocent and harmless. But in societies where communal values formed the foundations of their existence, the current contempt and disregard for contributions from fellow Africans holds grave significance. As the Pulitzer Award winner, writer and historian Will Durant noted, "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." The "divide and conquer" tactics used by the colonists during the "Scramble for Africa" in the 1800s is one that literally played with the minds of its victim countries and has left them confused ever since.

The level of contempt that many Africans hold for their own people has increased to the point where it is even labeled the 'pull him down' syndrome. Countries like Ghana are known for being very hospitable and welcoming to foreigners. But does this hospitality translate onto the local scene? Does it make Ghana's tourism industry one of the most dynamic? Does it in any way improve the development prospects of the nation? The answer to all these questions is no. Although development opportunities in African nations have increased over the course of time, the struggles continue because of this inferiority complex. African governments would rather grant contracts and make risky concessions to foreigners than give a citizen the opportunity to prove him or herself. The main argument given for this reluctance is the relative lack of experience on the part of the citizen. Even if this might be the case, how are individuals expected to garner any experience in their respective fields without being given a first chance?

There are many other scenarios in which this inferiority complex has played out. In 1998 the then-U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Ghana for seven hours. He was scheduled to spend his visit in the capital city, Accra. I vividly remember the hurried efforts on the part of the government to ensure that Accra was clean and renovated enough to receive its distinguished visitor. This brought to question not only the priorities of the government, but also the view of Ghanaians as undeserving or unimportant enough to live in a clean environment. Instead, they had to wait for a foreigner to visit in order to enjoy a couple of hours of cleanliness....

As the famous Bob Marley says in his Uprising album track "Redemption Song," the emancipation of a people and nation starts with breaking the chains of mental slavery.

By Jemila Abdulai

This article was also published in the Mount Holyoke News

The Great MirAge of Western Aid

from New Zimbabwe (blog)

... the rich nations as a group can afford the US$8,5 billion which it is estimated Zimbabwe urgently needs. Only I have a few questions: Why would the UK borrow money from the IMF to give it to Zimbabwe? ...

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai made the point in a letter to the G20 leaders this week that Zimbabwe should not be denied aid simply “because the new government does not meet or match the ‘clean slate’ or ‘total victory’ standards expected by the West”.

He went on: “As a proud nation, we look forward to the day when we can develop our relationship with the West beyond merely being a beneficiary of emergency aid. We want to become a true economic partner and an investment opportunity for those who respect the true value of our natural resources and our sovereignty over them.”...

Anti corruption drive

from IWPR:

...

Under the Global Political Agreement, GPA, signed between President Robert Mugabe and leaders of the two Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, factions in September 2008, the three parties are mandated to create an ACC...

in the past, corruption was investigated by political types...

Zim's 100 day plan

from the CSmonitor:

..."Reengagement of the broader international community, including the US and multilateral institutions, will be a priority of the government in the next 100 days," said Gorden Moyo, minister of state in the office of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, told Reuters at the conference....

Part of the initiative, also designed to revive the economy, would introduce greater freedom and ownership rules for the news media, improved prison conditions, and a possible new constitution.

Prison officials arrested for helping film expose

from SWradioafrica:

Three prison officers have been arrested on allegations of helping to film a South African television documentary exposing the horrendous conditions inside Zimbabwe’s prisons.

A senior police officer in Beitbridge was quoted Sunday in the Standard newspaper as saying that warders Thabiso Nyathi, Siyai Muchechedzi and Thembinkosi Nkomo were arrested last Friday. They face charges under the Official Secrets Act, which prescribes lengthy jail terms for government employees who leak ‘state secrets’...

Tsvangirai's Grandson buried

from SWRadioAfrica:

...

Tragedy has struck again for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai just 30 days after losing his wife in a car accident. His young grandson Sean Tsvangirai drowned in the swimming pool at the Prime Minister’s Strathaven home in Harare on Saturday....Sean was the child of Tsvangirai’s second son Garikai, who lives in Canada but was in Zimbabwe to mourn the death of his mother...

Chiazdwa Diamonds banned

from 360 news (SA):

The world's diamond certification body on Friday ordered a ban on the trade of diamonds from eastern Zimbabwe, over concerns of human rights violations at the Chiadzwa diamond fields in Marange....

-----------

It's about the murders

from the Zimbabwean:

An international team from the United Nation’s world diamond regulatory body, has arrived in Zimbabwe to investigate reports of mass murder at the hands of soldiers, in the Chiadzwa mining fields.

The team from the Kimberley Process, which was founded by the UN to monitor the trade in ‘blood diamonds’, arrived earlier this week and are set to report back on the widespread accounts of killings in the Chiadzwa area, which has been the centre of controversy since last October when the army was called in to disperse thousands of illegal diamond hunters. The government had originally illegally seized the Chiadzwa diamond claim from British-based Africa Consolidated Resources in 2007, and set off a diamond rush when it encouraged locals to help themselves.
But the arrival of the army last year resulted in violence and murder, after the area was sealed off with military roadblocks and troops. Accounts from survivors of the military onslaught detailed the killings, speaking of machine-gun attacks by helicopter and armed attacks by troops on the ground. Civilians in the region also reported that anyone attempting to enter Chiadzwa was arrested and often tortured and killed.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have said that about 5,000 people were arrested during the army operation, with three quarters of them showing signs of having been tortured severely. The MDC has also claimed that hundreds of people were buried in mass graves “to hide the regime’s murderous activities,” and that the soldiers sent to ‘guard’ the fields had become illegal diamond dealers themselves.

29,000 youth militia being paid by the state

from SWRadioAfrica:

...A new dimension to the issue erupted with revelations that up to 14 000 youths are still being listed under the Public Service Ministry, while another 15 000 fall under the Women’s Affairs Ministry. This brings the total number on the payroll to an astonishing 29 000. Kasukuwere’s answer in parliament was dismissed as unconvincing, after he claimed they were Youth Officers employed to work in different wards around the country.

With monthly allowances for civil servants pegged at US$100 it means nearly three million US dollars is being spent on paying youths whose only mandate was to terrorize opposition activists....

on the other hand, if they just stop paying them and tell them to go home, many will turn to crime (which is what happened when the Iraqi Army dispersed without formal surrender, and the US refused to continue their wages, leading to anarchy).

US dollar eases inflation

from AlJezeerah:

Zimbabweans have seen a slight fall in the price of everyday items since the government allowed shops to abandon the local currency in favour of the US dollar, government figures indicated.

The data showed consumer prices fell in the first two months of the year, media reports on Friday said, raising hopes that there could be an end to the country's rampant hyper-inflation.

Data from the Central Statistical Office showed inflation at -3.1 per cent on a monthly basis in February and -2.3 per cent in January....

Public rage over perks

from the UKGuardian:

• Tsvangirai allies are allocated Mercedes cars
• Pro-Mugabe newspaper criticises high living

on the other hand, there'd be a bigger outrage if they gave them Range Rovers, which would be a lot more useful for visiting the villages.

priortizing housing

from UN HABITAT


Nairobi - The government of Zimbabwe will prioritise housing provision in its reconstruction efforts, a cabinet minister disclosed here today.

...
presumably replacing the thousands of houses destroyed in operation cleanup

Zimbabwe, Sudan, and North Korea

from StrategyPage (in an article about North Korea)

...For years, Kim Jong Il was rated (by using various rankings of national problems and achievement) the worst ruler on the planet. But this year, Kim Jong Il came in third place, behind Zimbabwe (Robert Mugabe) and Sudan (Omar al Bashir). Things haven't gotten any better in North Korea, they've just gotten much worse in Zimbabwe and Sudan....

Gold for bread

from March 2009...
------------------------------------

And guess who's birthday party? From AlJezeerah.28 Feb 2009

Zim prisons: Hell on Earth

from the UKTimes

A horrifying investigative film, shot undercover in Zimbabwe, has exposed how prisons under President Mugabe have become death camps for thousands of inmates who are deprived of food and medical care.

The documentary, shown last night on South Africa's state broadcaster SABC, documented the “living hell” for prisoners across 55 state institutions. The result, Hell Hole, was a grim account of a crisis in which dozens of inmates die each day.

Describing the conditions in two of the main prisons in the capital, Harare, in late 2008, a prison officer said: “We have gone the whole year in which - for prisoners and prison officers - the food is hand-to-mouth. They'll be lucky to get one meal. Sometimes they will sleep without. We have moving skeletons, moving graves. They're dying.”