OWN CORRESPONDENTS, Lubumbashi and Harare | Monday 10.30pm.
ZIMBABWE and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday signed a technical, scientific and co-operation agreement that is expected to pave the way for economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Zimbabwe’s foreign minister, Stan Mudenge, and his Congolese counterpart, Victor Mpoyo, signed the accord at Lubumbashi International Airport.
President Robert Mugabe and DRC leader Laurent Kabila witnessed the signing ceremony, which took place soon after their summit, also attended by Namibian President Sam Nujoma where they decided to launch an intense offensive to oust rebels from eastern Congo.
Meanwhile Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city, was paralysed by a transport workers’ strike on Monday. The transport workers were protesting against the steep hike in the price of fuel at the weekend, which saw the cost of petrol rise by 67%.
By mid-morning, thousands of workers could be seen streaming into town on foot or sitting by the road side along the main roads from the city’s western suburbs. Transport operators blocked other traffic on the roads and barred private vehicles from taking passengers to work.
At the weekend a nationwide series of demonstrations was organised by the National Constitutional Assembly, a voluntary forum of Zimbabweans comprising churches, trade unions, human rights and political organisations, to protest against the deployment of Zimbabwean troops in the DRC and to call for constitutional changes.
However marchers in Harare were blocked by riot police who confiscated banners and detained some of the protest leaders.
* The director-general of Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation, Shadreck Chipanga, and the deputy director, Lovemore Mukandi, have been relieved of their posts, National Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi confirmed on Monday. Sekeramayi said President Robert Mugabe has appointed brigadiers Elisha Muzonzini and Happton Bonyongwe as the new director-general and deputy director of the CIO respectively with immediate effect. The minister’s statement did not say when or why the two were fired. — IPS, PANA
01