Netsai Mlilo
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/ 26 November 2004

Old guard still wields the power

The Zanu-PF old guard has awoken from its slumber ahead of the party’s crucial congress in Harare next week and achieved what many world leaders, including President Thabo Mbeki, have been unable to do: summons President Robert Mugabe and get him to act on their advice. Surrounded by trusted former liberation war fighters, Mugabe relented and endorsed their candidate for the one vacant vice-presidential post.

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/ 12 November 2004

LPM back in court

Members of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) were back in court on Wednesday. The 52 activists arrested for demonstrating on polling day are facing charges of contravening a section of the Electoral Act, which states that ”on voting day, no person may hold or take part in any political meeting, march, demonstration … or engage in any political activity, other than casting a vote, in the area within the boundary of a voting station”.

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/ 5 November 2004

Economic solution depends on political will

Persistent fuel shortages, a flourishing foreign-currency black market and empty pharmacy shelves at state hospitals seem to jar with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono’s portrayal of the economy. During his Monetary Policy Statement for the third quarter last week he described the economy as being in the ”spring season characterised by improvements all round”.

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/ 22 October 2004

Now war vets want to be MPs

They spearheaded the liberation struggle in the 1970s and were at the forefront of land reform in 2000. Now Zimbabwe’s war veterans are coveting parliamentary seats. Several senior members of the Zimbabwe War Veterans Association are keen to contest next March’s poll on the ruling Zanu-PF ticket, ostensibly to complete the gains of the liberation struggle.