Mugabe moves to crush all opposition

Published on Friday 6 June 2008 23:58

ZIMBABWE'S president, Robert Mugabe, was accused of using food as a weapon against millions of his own people yesterday, as his government moved to crush opposition in a presidential run-off vote.

Mr Mugabe yesterday banned all political rallies by his opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai, shedding all pretence of an even-handed election in three weeks.

It followed an even more pitiless decree 24 hours earlier, banning all aid groups from distributing food and other basic needs to Zimbabwe's deeply impoverished people.

Mugabe's government has accused aid agencies of favouring opposition supporters, or running political or human rights campaigns aimed at undermining him. His critics, including the US ambassador to Zimbabwe, claim Zimbabweans now have to show their voting cards to get food aid.

Accentuating yesterday's crisis, black market traders in the battered Zimbabwe dollar said it had fallen to a new low level – 1.8 billion to a single American dollar. Inflation had topped 450,000 per cent, with prices doubling every day.

The government last week banned CARE International, one of the world's three top aid agencies, from providing humanitarian aid in the country.

On Wednesday, social welfare minister Nicholas Goche extended the ban to all non-governmental organisations in a country where agriculture has collapsed, with unemployment well over 80 per cent.

More than four million Zimbabweans, or more than a third of the population, survive on food and other aid from humanitarian operations, according to the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Aid agencies working in Zimbabwe responded with outrage to the decision to suspend their activities, which include providing anti-retroviral drugs to more than two million people infected with the HIV virus that causes Aids.

The aid ban came a few days after Mugabe attended a UN food crisis summit in Rome where he blamed his people's hunger on British sanctions.

"The use of food as a political weapon is very cruel," said the Rev Useni Sibanda, of the Zimbabwe Christian Council, a partner organisation of British charity Christian Aid. "The most vulnerable will be the most affected. There is a general food shortage, there is no food in the stores and these people have no alternative – they are totally dependent on the humanitarian agencies."

Through partner organisations Christian Aid helps about 40,000 people in Zimbabwe.

"With these conditions there is no way we can have a free and fair election," said Mr Sibanda. "I am fearful the government may attempt to block people from reaching polling stations. This is not just about food; it is a desperate attempt by the regime to win the election."

The United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, said last night that the Mugabe government is distributing food mostly to its supporters and denying it to opposition followers by demanding their party cards. Speaking from Harare, Mr McGee said that if the situation continues "massive, massive starvation" will result.

Mugabe's run-off opponent on 27 June, Mr Tsvangirai is leader of the Movement for Democratic Change. He was detained for two hours yesterday as he tried to campaign around Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city.

The MDC said police had told the party that its rallies had been banned out of concern for the safety of Mr Tsvangirai and other party leaders. There is no ban on rallies by Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF.

Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman George Sibotshiwe, speaking from Bulawayo, called the justification "nonsense" and said the ban was "a clear indication that the regime will do everything necessary to remain in power."

Mr Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the first round of the election on 29 March, but did not win the 50 per cent plus one vote necessary for outright victory.

Mr Sibotshiwe added that Zimbabwe was experiencing an effective military coup. He said the crackdown on the MDC is being directed by senior army and police officers who sit on the Joint Operations Command committee, now in day-to-day charge of the government.

"Robert Mugabe is not in control," said Mr Sibotshiwe. "The generals have a lot to lose if Mugabe comes out of power."

'A callous contempt for human life'

THE torrent of angry words directed at Robert Mugabe intensified yesterday following his ban on international aid organisations.

As European Union and United Nations aid agencies protested that four million people faced growing hungry, a senior British Cabinet member accused Zimbabwe's leader of showing "a callous contempt for human life".

Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary, added that accusing international agencies such as Save the Children or Christian Aid of acting for political ends was "insulting".

Meanwhile, James McGee, the United States' ambassador to Zimbabwe, said there was hard evidence that Mr Mugabe's "desperate regime" was using food aid to get votes.

Mr McGee said that when potential voters wanted food aid they had to show their voting cards, indicating whether they belonged to Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party or the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

He added: "If you have an MDC card, you can receive food, but first you have to give the national identity card to the government officials, which means they will hold onto it until after the election. Again, you will not be able to vote."