IMF mission to Harare as pressure mounts on Mugabe

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is to send a mission to Zimbabwe in the next two weeks, which could prompt the resumption of aid talks, news reports said on Friday. Reuters reported IMF African Department director Goodall Gondwe as saying the decision was reached following meetings with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe at a regional summit in Dar es Salaam and that "how we proceed will be on the basis of that". Mugabe, along with more than 10 other African heads of state were in the Tanzanian capital for two days to hold discussions with IMF managing director Horst Koehler and World Bank president James Wolfensohn. The pair are in Africa to discuss with the continent's leaders new approaches to dealing with development and poverty. Referring to the planned IMF visit to Zimbabwe, Gondwe said: "The president (Mugabe) gave a very clear explanation of what is happening in Zimbabwe and the managing director understood the case." The IMF and other donors suspended aid to Zimbabwe over differences with the government on its fast-track land reform program and its failure to stick to financial bench marks. Mounting pressure Meanwhile, President Robert Mugabe's week ended in the same way it began - with mounting pressure on him to implement political and economic change and with his government continuing its campaign to silence its many detractors. On Friday, Zimbabwe's Information Minister Jonathan Moyo announced moves to begin firing judges perceived to be biased, Associated Press reported. Moyo was quoted as saying that Mugabe would use a provision in the law allowing him to convene a special tribunal to hear complaints of misconduct against judges. The announcement followed recent refusals by two judges to take early retirement despite pressure from the government. Moyo said the authorities had approached judges asking them to resign as "a mere courtesy". Mugabe, who appoints and swears in the nation's judges, cannot fire them, AP reported. However, he can form a tribunal of civic leaders and law professionals with powers to recommend dismissal to the Public Service commission, the state employment body. In other developments, one of Zimbabwe's major donors, Sweden - which holds the EU presidency - is planning to take the lead in confronting the Zimbabwean authorities under the terms of a new treaty that governs the relations between the EU and developing countries, news reports said. European ambassadors in Harare were expected to challenge the Zimbabwean government under article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement (which succeeded the Lome Convention), saying that would be the final step before considering an end to European aid under the agreement, 'The Star' newspaper reported. Meanwhile, eight members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) were arrested on Thursday on charges of inciting violence, AFP reported. MDC secretary general Welshman Ncube said the arrests took place on Thursday in the northwestern resort town of Victoria Falls, and that all eight members of the party's leadership in the town were detained before being charged and then released on bail. Internet campaign And in another development, Abbey National, a large British building society, has denied involvement in an international internet petition to get Mugabe to resign and to get newly elected American President George Bush junior to intervene in Zimbabwe's human rights and political crisis. "Abbey National is unaware of the initiative and has instructed lawyers to take action," corporate affairs director Thomas Coops told IRIN on Friday. Zimbabwe's 'Financial Gazette' had reported that the campaign backed by Abbey National had been launched on the Internet to enrol a million signatures to petition Bush. Coops said the company did not get involved in political matters. The Internet appeal, entitled 'Zimbabwe: Stop This Madness', was being sent to prominent Zimbabweans and other people, including journalists, business executives and academics, and seemed to have originated in Britain, the newspaper reported. Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba said on Friday that the Zimbabwean president would never be pushed out of office on the strength of a petition. He said the petition smacked of earlier attempts to push for punitive US sanctions against Zimbabwe under the failed Zimbabwe Democracy 2000 Bill sponsored by some US legislators last year.