MDC hopes to use global spotlight on South Africa to ensure Robert Mugabe (pictured) runs a fair and non-violent poll. Opponents of President Robert Mugabe have demanded early elections in Zimbabwe, timed to coincide with the World Cup being staged in neighbouring South Africa.The demand by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) came as talks to extend the lifespan of the year-old unity government ended in deadlock last week. The MDC hopes that the media focus on the region will raise the possibility of staging free and fair elections. High-ranking figures in the party, whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister a year ago, said South Africa's desire to host a successful World Cup depended on peace in the region. "The spotlight of the world will be on them. They do not want trouble up the road," said a senior MDC official who declined to be named.
Tsvangirai was touring drought-hit Matabeleland in the south of the country yesterday, but his finance minister, Tendai Biti, said relations with Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union ? Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) were at an all-time low: "Zanu-PF cannot continue to urinate on us. They have no right to continue abusing the people of Zimbabwe. If there is an irretrievable breakdown then one must accept the reality of divorce."

 

Organisations representing Zimbabwe's striking civil servants met today in the capital, Harare, to evaluate their two-week-old labor action. Chairwoman Tendayi Chikowore of the Apex negotiating panel for public workers told VOA that there is no end to the strike in sight as the government has not been engaging unions and other public service representatives. Chikowore told VOA Studio 7 reporter Marvellous Mhlanga Nyahuye that the Apex Council has called a mass public meeting of civil servants on Friday at Harare Gardens in central Harare to discuss the way forward. The strike was called on Friday, February 5, during such a mass meeting of state workers whose representatives had previously set a deadline for action by the strapped national unity government on low public salaries.

Civil servants earn a maximum US$200 a month, though the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe says a family of six needs a monthly US$520 dollars to get by.

 

A team of U.S. congressmen are in Zimbabwe to assess the progress of the country's year-old inclusive government. The members of Congress were meeting with several politicians including President Robert Mugabe and Finance Minister Tendai Biti. After the meeting with the four congressmen, Movement for Democratic Change Finance Minister Tendai Biti said he hoped the United States would re-engage with Zimbabwe and amend the  Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act, or Zidera. The legislation prohibits American officials at international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund from voting in favor of aid for Zimbabwe.
Biti has repeatedly asked that U.S. restrictions be lifted on two banks, one which services the agricultural sector; and, a commercial bank in which the government and ZANU- PF members have a large stake.

Zimbabwe's Supreme Court has ordered the country’s state mining company and two linked South African companies to “cease all mining activities” at the controversial Chiadzwa diamond field.

The order, issued on Wednesday by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, also instructed the “immediate return” of a 29kg consignment of diamonds from Chiadzwa seized by police in unexplained circumstances a week ago while they were being taken to the central bank for safekeeping, which the court had ordered. Chidyausiku said on Wednesday that the disobeying of his order was “the height of mischief”. Chidyausiku issued a rebuke to Mines Minister Obert Mpofu and the police, saying the seizure of the diamonds had been done “unlawfully and in contempt” of the country’s highest court.

Mpofu had given the go-ahead to the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and two South African companies to mine Chiadzwa, in eastern Zimbabwe.