ZIMBABWE: UNITED NATIONS/SABANEWS/4/10/18 SABANews 1
HARARE – Vice President KEMBO MOHADI of ZIMBABWE has presided over the launch in the capital, HARARE, of the report on the prevention of potentially violent clashes in the world.
UN-World Bank report on conflict prevention (Pic. World Bank Group)
The study, under the theme – Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict is a joint venture by the UNITED NATIONS and the World Bank Group, focusing on poverty eradication.
Having observed the shortcomings of original methods during conflicts over the years, the TWO authorities say they were convinced the world must urgently refocus attention on prevention.
They say a scaled-up system for deterrent action will save between FIVE-BILLION and 70-BILLION US dollars each year, monies that nations can reinvest to reduce poverty and improve the wellbeing of their populations.
The Pathways for Peace survey aims to improve the manner in which domestic development interacts with security, diplomacy, mediation, and other efforts to prevent quarrels from becoming violent.
It emphasises the value of grievances related to exclusion from areas such as access to power, natural resources, security, and justice, which are at the root of many violent conflicts today.
Vice President MOHADI, who oversees National Peace and Reconciliation Initiatives, has launched the study with UN Resident Coordinator BISHOW PARAJULI, World Bank Country Manager MUKAMI KARIUKI, and SWEDISH Ambassador SOFIA CALLTORP.
About 80 delegates from the State, the UN, development partners, civil society groups, and the media attended Organisations and the Media have gathered to the launch of the report, published this year in WASHINGTON DC, the UNITED STATES.
UN Resident Coordinator BISHOW PARAJULI has commended ZIMBABWE for including peace, reconciliation, and social unity as constitutional values and development needs.
He says the launch of the Pathways for Peace report comes at a key moment when the Cabinet has approved a TWO-year Transitional Stabilization Program for the country.
The UN official says the ZIMBABWEAN scheme recognizes and gives priority to reforms related to the rule of law, access to justice, constitutional alignment, social protection, reconciliation, peace, and national unity./Sabanews/cam
HARARE – A clandestine project to bulldoze the government of ZIMBABWE into forming a coalition with the opposition MDC ALLIANCE is slowly but certainly putting the country on a warpath.
Nelson Chamisa addresses party rally (Pic. The Zimbabwean)
A powerful campaign is going on in the privately owned media, where virtually anyone who comments in favour of Alliance Leader NELSON CHAMISA earns the title of analyst in ONE field or another. Most of them become impromptu political or economic experts.
Despite the dangers of civil unrests, where children, women, the elderly, and the disabled are raped and killed, journalists have thrown both caution and ethics of the profession to the wind in support of the wicked crusade.
On the other hand, emboldened by the media support, Mr CHAMISA, who tried but failed to inaugurate himself as Head of State last month, is threatening mass action to unseat President EMMERSON MNANGAGWA.
The NEWS DAY says he has spoken at his party headquarters in the capital, HARARE, saying he is gathering his supporters countrywide to remove the government peacefully.
However, the so-called peaceful demonstrations by the opposition have always turned violent and bloody in the past, with a recent example being the killing of SIX people by soldiers in the HARARE CBD.
Leaders of the MDC ALLIANCE had mobilised their supporters onto what they had described as a peaceful demonstration against delayed polling results, which, ironically, the Electoral Commission was still announcing as they came in.
Given the inflammatory statements by the politicians in public gatherings, and mostly in the so-willing private media, the protestors did the obvious. They started-off timidly but suddenly began to burn and loot – with a clear intention of shutting down HARARE.
Earlier, Mr CHAMISA had declared himself winner of the presidential race against President MNANGAGWA, saying he would not accept any results showing the opposite.
The police intervened to control the violent crowds but had to call in the military after some of the groups besieged and started burning down the ZANU-PF HARARE Provincial offices, leaving a number of vehicles ablaze.
Nonetheless, the Electoral Commission declared President MNANGAGWA winner after he polled 50-POINT-SIX percent of the ballot against Mr CHAMISA’s 44-POINT-39 percent.
The Alliance leader challenged the result in the Constitutional Court but lost the case, with costs, and he rejected the ruling saying he would now approach the AFRICAN UNION and other international forums.
Now, he plans to take advantage of poor ghetto youths and street dwellers by mobilising them to go on a march his predecessor, the late MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, failed to execute against MUGABE.
It does not take a rocket scientist to realise such actions may lead to situations experienced in countries like SOMALIA, RWANDA, IRAQ, LIBYA and many others, where the scars are still fresh.
While the dangers loom, our so-called media practitioners are contented to pocket brown envelopes containing a few US dollars for supporting the destructive propaganda machine, which the rich north and relief groups are oiling.
Some of their newspapers are putting out unmasked lies about the State, to the extent of accusing the military of unleashing soldiers allegedly disguised as police officers against civilians.
ONE of the publications, the DAILY NEWS, also suggests the call for unity by outgoing BRITISH Ambassador CATRIONA LAING means President MNANGAGWA should take Mr CHAMISA aboard.
British Ambassador Catriona Laing bids farewell to Acting President Kembo Mohadi (Pic. The Herald)
It claims her sentiments come amid pressure, whose source it does not mention, on President MNANGAGWA to accommodate Mr CHAMISA in his administration.
Yet the Envoy has in fact bemoaned the rejection by Mr CHAMISA of the 30 JULY poll result.
In her words of departure, she claims the political playing field is not completely even but agrees the opposition refusal to accept the recent ballot results creates challenges for national unity and progress.
Nowhere does Ambassador LAING call for a GNU, but she urges the Head of State to ensure everybody’s voice is heard, since he guides the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission.
The BRITISH Envoy says her country is encouraged by the swearing in of the Commission of Inquiry into the AUGUST violence that occurred during the opposition post-election demonstrations in the ZIMBABWEAN capital./Sabanews/cam
