VOA标准英语2008年-Mugabe's Party Defies July 21 Agreement

Nearly four weeks after President Robert Mugabe signed a memorandum¹ of understanding on negotiations² with his political opponents, his ZANU-PF party is accused of violating the crucial clause requiring that he lift the ban on non-governmental organizations delivering food aid. Peta Thornycroft reports that, in additon, ZANU-PF leaders continue to violate other crucial clauses of the agreement.

In June, Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche banned humanitarian³ agencies from distributing food because, he said, they had campaigned on behalf of the MDC ahead of the March 29 elections. The food agencies denied Goche's accusation⁴.
　
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, during Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, 16 Aug 2008

The move was widely seen as a retaliation⁵ against voters who supported Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the March election in which he scored more votes than Mr Mugabe and his party won a narrow majority in parliament.

This week the World Food Program, which is the largest donor⁶ funded food importer, told VOA the organization has had no word, or even an indication, that the ban will be lifted.

The WFP works primarily through local non-governmental organizations as distribution partners. These partners were banned from doing field work, except for school feeding programs and those to assist people with HIV/AIDS.

The WFP says 250,000 people are currently being assisted, but even as early as last month that figure should have been 300,000. The local partner organizations say many children are already showing signs of malnutrition⁷ as a consequence of failed summer crops and that feeding programs should be escalated⁸ as a matter of urgency.

The WFP says about five million people, or nearly half the population of Zimbabwe, will need food aid before the next summer harvest in April, 2009.

One humanitarian organization, which asked not to be identified, said some top ZANU-PF politicians have asked the agency to defy the government ban because traditional leaders complain that many people have no food.

A worker in the Welfare Ministry⁹ in Harare said Monday there were no indications when or if the ban would be lifted.

Renson Gasela, a former MDC legislator and a respected commentator¹⁰ on agriculture, on Monday described the ongoing¹¹ ban as "appalling¹²." He said it was cruel and disgraceful that any government in the world should prevent food from getting to people in need.

He said the continuing food distribution ban violated the July 21 memorandum of understanding.

Political violence which soared after the MDC's election victory is continuing, although at a much reduced level.

But the party issues regular reports providing details of supporters thrown out of their homes, beaten up, kidnapped or forced to hand over possessions to ZANU-PF militia¹³.

Several MDC supporters have died since the memorandum of understanding was signed on July 21. Some are still in the hospital recovering from the attacks on them. The agreement was meant to end all political violence.

And, in the last week, there has been a sudden upsurge of white commercial farmers being illegally evicted¹⁴ from their homes and land. Harare lawyer David Drury said Monday he was busy representing affected¹⁵ farmers. He said there was what he described as a 'last mad rush' by ZANU-PF heavyweights to seize many of the few hundred remaining white owned farms in anticipation¹⁶ of some kind of political settlement.

The Memorandum of Understanding also committed the signatories, to respect property rights.

Negotiations for a power sharing agreement between the MDC and ZANU-PF deadlocked¹⁷ in South Africa on Sunday although leaders on both sides say they are committed to keep talking.

Meanwhile, many Zimbabweans can not afford to buy the little food available as prices double every few days. The Central Statistical¹⁸ Office announced late Monday that inflation had now jumped to more than 11 million percent, a world record.

 

1 memorandum   

n.备忘录，便笺

参考例句：

• The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
• The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

5 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

7 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

8 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

11 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

12 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

13 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

14 evicted   

v.（依法从房屋里或土地上）驱逐，赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。

15 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

16 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

17 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

18 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。