Newsreel 24.11.09
SW Radio Africa News stories for Tuesday 24 November
Negotiators break to attend cabinet meeting
The renewed negotiations to resolve the country’s deep political crisis broke off on Tuesday when representatives from the three political parties attended cabinet in the capital, Harare. The six main negotiators from ZANU PF and the two MDC formations are also cabinet ministers and are obliged under government rules to attend the weekly meetings when they’re in the country.
US President Obama labels Mugabe a ‘dictator’
US President Barack Obama on Monday night delivered his strongest rebuke yet to Robert Mugabe, labelling him a ‘dictator,’ while criticising his regime of ‘oppressors’ for their brutal treatment of human rights activists. Obama was presenting the 2009 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award to pressure group WOZA and its founders and leaders, Magodonga Mahlangu and Jenni Williams.
Bennett says trial an absolute farce
MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett has described his terrorism trial, which began two weeks ago, an ‘absolute farce’ and ‘a joke.’ The MDC official said he is frustrated with the slow pace the trial is taking. He told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that the time spent in court is very little and that they have not even done a full three hours in court yet. Bennett also said in most cases Judge Chinembiri Bhunu has arrived to court way after the starting time.
Over 80 000 trained as youth militia
Deputy Youth Minister Thamsanqa Mahlangu has revealed that over 80 000 young Zimbabweans have passed through the controversial ‘Border Gezi’ youth service programme. Graduates from the camps have a long and notorious history of harassing, beating and torturing opposition activists. Last week Mahlangu told parliament around 13 950 of these recruits are currently employed as ‘Youth Ward Officers,’ a fact that has triggered an audit of the civil service payroll by the Public Service Ministry.
