Zimbabwe, SADC Region, Africa: PM Tsvangirai notes Cholera is worse than thought, as Mugabe, seemingly continues, unabated: abuse of human rights

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. 13 / 01 / 2009; Reuters (British; Independent; Secular) 05 / 03 / 2009; 05 / 03 / 2009)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Zimbabwean Prime Minister: "Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai"; of Zimbabwe's "Unity Government", having asked for aid, and said that he will not allow human rights to go unpunished, has now contended "World Health Organization" (WHO) figures, which say that about 4 000 (Four Thousand) Zimbabweans have died, and 80 000 (Eighty Thousand) Zimbabwean people: are infected with the curable disease: cholera. Tsvangirai, says that the WHO, has underestimated the extent of the tragedy.

Zimbabwe's water sanitation, and other basic structures of modern, and of basic: civilization, have basically shut down. Many Zimbabweans have no access to clean water. Non-Profit initiative: "Jik for Zim"(13 / 01 / 2009), by "Catholic Development Commission", based in Cape Town, South Africa; recently tried to send Jik bleach to Zimbabweans, so as to place it in water to kill disease, so Zimbabweans could drink the bleached water. Using Jik Bleach to purify water, is usually reserved for desperate rural communities in South Africa. That was when there were only around 16 000 (sixteen thousand) cases of Cholera reported. The Figure has since raised to 80 000 (Eighty Thousand) people infected with the disease.

Many Zimbabweans, however: have little to no hope of preventing Cholera, and those infected in the collapsed country, are oft near assured death from a curable disease, due to a collapsed health sector, and lack of basic sanitation systems. Many have crossed the Border to Neighboring South Africa, for basic cholera treatment. South African Cholera cases, have spread as far as Gauteng, but are largely being kept from becoming too wide a problem. Those from "Up North" (Other African States), who seek refugee status, or citizenship in South Africa, risk Xenophobia, which has emerged among many in lower income brackets, and has seen multiple murders in outbursts, and sudden eruptions of race hatred.

Meanwhile, an attempt at a "trial" of sorts, on Thursday: on whether or not to allow appeal on an attempt to get bail for an MDC ("Movement of Democratic Change") parliamentarian, who was charged with something along the lines of treason: via charging him with plotting "terrorism", whose legal representation has been theoretically successful: in getting him bail, has resulted in Bail being effectively denied, oddly enough.

The judge, oddly: allowed prosecutors to appeal the bail, despite claims by the lawyer for the defense, that the judge himself told the prosecutors, that the chances of succeeding in an appeal are negligible: effectively allowing bail to in practice: be denied. "Beatrice Mtetwa", is the source of these accusations against the Zimbabwean "Supreme Court"; she is the one who noted that the Judge of Zimbabwe's "Supreme Court", trying the matter: noted the negligible chances that the prosecution had of winning: an appeal on the granting of bail, which caused her to be disappointed with the ruling.

The Name of the Defense, is "Roy Bennet" (an official in the MDC), arrested on terrorism charges, widely believed to be trumped up. His Lawyer is "Beatrice Mtetwa", who sees the allowance of appealing the bail grant, to be odd. The Prosecutor, is "Chris Mutangadura", who assures us that Roy, a "white" man: will remain in "custody".

This allowance for appeal: means that "Roy Bennet" will remain in "custody", until a hearing date is set. Allegations by "Morgan Tsvangirai", of the MDC ("Movement for Democratic Change"), that the SADC mediation, which formed the "Unity Government", in Zimbabwe, was partisan, seem far from here, but it is likely due to the cholera epidemic that he gave in at all, just as he withdrew from an election he would have won: because "Robert Mugabe" started another wave of mass terror: by committing human rights abuses on suspected MDC supporters: as he always had before.

Mugabe's ZANU PF, has consistently been seen as abusing human rights, and as not caring for the people of Zimbabwe. It allowed "White" Farmers to be removed from their properties, by inhumane force, and since: Zimbabwe now: has a collapsed economy: only worsened by state policies: which tend to ignore human dignity and basic reason. South Africa, has been accused of propping up Mugabe: both in thwarting sanctions and "United Nations" (UN) plans to remove Mugabe from power, and via accusations by the MDC itself, and by others. Mugabe gave members of South Africa's Ruling, communist affiliated, ANC ("African National Congress"): sanctuary, and a military training position in Zimbabwe, during the ANC's armed struggle against the Apartheid government. A "Struggle", which also involved the bombing of civilian sites in South Africa. After Democracy, the "Nationalist Party" (NP), responsible for Apartheid, at such stage now calling itself the NNP ("New Nationalist Party"), allied with, and was incorporated into the ANC.

Having seemingly used SADC ("Southern African Development Community"), with whatever intent: so as to force the MDC into a government seemingly presided over by Mugabe, South Africa, has since been vocal in calling for aid to be given to Zimbabwe. The Western World, meanwhile, does not seem to perceive Zimbabwe as having changed enough, if at all: on human rights, and other issues: and therefore, has not given Zimbabwe aid: seeming to condemn South African efforts to reform Zimbabwe's image: as a failure: and certainly any attempt to say that real change has occurred.

There is a perception is some circles: that in ceding to the SADC forced "Unity Government" in Zimbabwe, "Morgan Tsvangirai" effectively lost his power base. According to South Africa's "ENEWSCHANNEL": during reporting on the "elections" in Zimbabwe: the MDC, technically won, and Morgan Tsvangirai, is legally the winner of the Presidential post, due to the unconstitutional period of suspension of run-off elections.