Bulawayo war veterans reject Nkomo

BULAWAYO – War veterans in Bulawayo have rejected the nomination of Zanu-PF national chairman John Nkomo for the post of vice president of Zimbabwe.

Nkomo has of late been touted around the country as the next possible vice president, replacing the late Joseph Msika. Amid confusion on the nomination of the candidate for the vice presidency, the Zanu-PF politburo set Wednesday as the date for the close of nominations for the post.

The leadership of the three political provinces in Matabeleland region had earlier endorsed Nkomo’s nomination for the vice president’s post. But pressure from the Zanu-PF grassroots, coupled with murmurs of discontentment from other sections of the party on his nomination, pushed the politburo into reversing his nomination.

Such an incident was bound to happen as there are reports of inhouse fighting in ZANU PF as politicians jostle for the closest seat at Robert Mugabe's side. Minister of Mines, Obert Mpofu is believed to be the brains behind de-campaigning Nkomo and his name has also been linked with the sodomy case that was raised against Nkomo.

Sources say, the "sodomy story" was meant to discredit the veteran politician and have Mugabe discard of him as Mugabe is known for his unflinching hate for gays and lesbians. It is widely believed that, because's of Mugabe's stand on gays, when the country's first president, Canaan Banana, passed away, he was not buried at the national shrine, The Heroes Acre, because of revelations of his sodomy coated life during and after his life as a head of state.

At a press conference in Bulawayo Tuesday, members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), the Zimbabwe Liberation War Collaborators Association (ZILWACO), and the Zimbabwe Ex-political Prisoners, Detainees, and Restrictees’ Association (ZIPEDRA) outrightly rejected Nkomo’s nomination.

The former freedom fighters claimed Nkomo did not represent a national outlook to hold the post of vice president. They also claimed Nkomo was powerless to challenge Zanu-PF if the need arose within the party.

Bulawayo war veterans’ leader Themba Ncube said the earlier decision to nominate Nkomo for the post was not made freely by the party’s Bulawayo province. He said the provincial leadership of Zanu-PF and the war veterans did not make a unanimous decision but were forced to endorse Nkomo’s nomination.

Said Ncube: “We were forced into making that decision (to endorse Nkomo). It was not a people’s decision. It was made because there are some who believe they are powerful and they could force people into making decisions out of their own choice.”

He highlighted that the generality of the Zanu-PF membership felt the party’s politburo was now regionalization of the vice presidency debate, portending an outcome that did not reflect the national picture.

“The question that we ask is – why should the three provinces of Matabeleland be the ones to be forced to select a national leader? We want the entirety of the Zanu-PF membership to have a say on who should be the vice president,” Ncube said.

Asked to choose names of best-placed candidates, the former liberation fighters said they favoured three candidates for the job. These include Senate deputy president Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo and retired army official, Brigadier Ambrose Mutinhiri.

Zanu-PF members say although Mutinhiri lives in Harare, his roots can be easily traced back to Zapu as he played a crucial role in the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA).

The former combatants said they would push for a meeting where the issue of the vice presidency would be discussed. They also said should the politburo go ahead and impose a candidate on them, they would campaign for the rejection of the candidate at the party’s congress in December.
-thezimbabwetimes and Simba Nembaware

OIE recommends collaboration with media

Gaborone- The two day Regional Seminar on Communication by The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) which was held in Gaborone recently last month and attended by experts from all over Africa recommended among other issues that OIE members should proactively make transparent and science based information available to the media and the general public, so as to strengthen Veterinary Service’s public image as an accountable and authoritative source of information on any relevant event relating to animal health and public health, writes Simba Nembaware.

Officially opening the seminar held under the banner “Communication Strategy in Veterinary Services”, Dr. Micus Chimbombi, Botswana's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, said agriculture remains an important sector especially in rural areas where it plays a critical role in the provision of food, industrial raw materials and employment creation. He sector is also one of the main foreign exchange earners as a generator of government revenues.

“The development of the livestock industry is dependent on freedom from diseases, which in turn requires effective communication with veterinary services for them to fulfil their mandate,” said Dr. Chimbombi who expressed pleasure in noting that OIE is instrumental in the development of communication strategy. He added that the success of veterinary services through out the world “will depend on effective and efficient communication.”

The seminar that considered the development of information and communication strategies contributes to improving the functioning and the acceptance of the scientific, technical and operational output of Veterinary Services, also recommended that improved global, regional, sub-regional and national veterinary governance must encompass communication policies, strategies and resources directed to the stakeholders and the general public.

So as to successfully impart information to farmers and the general public participants recommended that communication teams, including professional communicators, should be fully integrated as a component of the Veterinary Services and under the direct authority of the Veterinary Authorities. As professionals in the field and in liaison with veterinarians, they are expected to use their expertise to simplify and accurately disseminate vital information that is often embedded in technical jargon.

Another consideration for discussion was that the transparency and quality of communication and information management, in particular in crisis situations are issues of national, sub-regional, regional and global strategic significance. This translates to governments working together closely so as to successfully curb the spread of trans-boundary diseases.

It was brought to the fore that members and the OIE must have access to adequate human, technical and financial resources in order to manage information and communication at the national, regional, sub regional and global level. The major role of media in disseminating information as well as in raising public awareness and methodological training in this field were deemed indispensable.

Participants of the seminar where Dr. Bonaventure Mtei the OIE Sub Regional Representative for Southern Africa in his opening remarks read on his behalf by P. Bastiaensen said “animal health interventions are often complex in nature and as such our communication objectives should be simple and measurable, underpinned by clear statement of principles,” recommend that the importance of the process of communication must be among the priorities of OIE Regional and Sub Regional Representations, RAHCs and national Veterinary Services, particularly for disseminating information.

Dr. Mtei advised that animal health communication strategies need to deliver clear messages while “appropriate knowledge and skills are therefore required to develop key messages in our animal health interventions.”

The OIE adopted the recommendation that the organisation should continue to provide technical support to all Members particularly developing countries to strengthen the communication capacities in the Veterinary Services in order to continuously respond to national and international demands and to help Members to comply with OIE standards, guidelines and recommendations.

Botswana has a large zone which is recognised by the OIE as free from foot and mouth without vaccination. This international status granted by the OIE which is based on Botswana’s ability to implement and comply with OIE standards has allowed Botswana beef to enter sophisticated markets such as the European Union. The OIE continues to monitor this status.

In line with the recommendations OIE members should assess their needs taking into account the relevant criteria of the OIE PVS Tool to develop information and communication strategies within Veterinary Services to respond to both crisis situations and routine/long term requirements. Chief Veterinary Officers should request Government authorities to provide adequate organisational and budgetary support for the communication objectives of Veterinary Services, including communication training, in accordance with Resolution XXI of May 2001 voted by all OIE Members.

Respective National Veterinary Services communication teams should liaise closely and on a regular basis with OIE and other relevant international organisations, on specific events requiring coordination in information, dissemination and communication management. They should also liaise with their counterparts within the public health services for the coordination in information, dissemination or communication strategy and management on the prevention and control of zoonoses.

At national level National Veterinary Services must communicate with other relevant stakeholders such as private sector, producers and consumers. They should also identify and communicate to the OIE the data of the communication officer within the communication team of their national Veterinary Services, the team and the officer being nominated by and under the general direction of the Chief Veterinary Officer.