Harare pledges to protect private investments

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Own Correspondent Tuesday 07 April 2009

HARARE - The Zimbabwean government pledged to protect private investments
during talks on Monday with a visiting delegation of top business leaders
from neighbouring South Africa.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti said he had assured the group - which also met
with President Robert Mugabe - that Zimbabwe was ready to receive foreign
investors and that the new power-sharing government in Harare was committed
to protecting private investments.

"We made it clear that our economy is ready for investment," Biti told
journalists after meeting with the South Africans in Zimbabwe to explore
business opportunities in the country following the formation last February
of a power-sharing government between Mugabe and his long time rival Morgan
Tsvangirai.

South Africa, the region's biggest economic power and which facilitated
power-sharing negotiations between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, has offered to
make credit lines available to Zimbabwe in a bid to help its troubled
neighbour recover from a decade of acute economic recession and humanitarian
crisis.

South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, who led the delegation from
Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), called for firm guarantees to ensure
foreigners investing in Zimbabwe do not end up losing their properties and
urged policy consistency from the Harare authorities.

"The concern is that there should be no shifting of goalposts a few years
down the line,' said Motsepe. "What the President and the finance minister
have reconfirmed is the new policy formulated by the inclusive government to
create an environment which builds trust."

Several foreign-owned companies have pulled out of Zimbabwe over the past
decade, galled by Mugabe's controversial policies, including the seizure of
white-owned farms to resettle blacks, which have called into question Harare's
commitment to uphold property rights.

Mugabe - who often accuses foreign-owned businesses of plotting with his
Western enemies to bring down his government and externalising foreign
currency earnings - has also rattled foreign investors by threatening to
force them to sell controlling stake to indigenous blacks.

But the new power-sharing government is on drive to woo back foreign
investors and repair strained relations with the West as it battles to end
an unprecedented economic and humanitarian crisis seen in growing
unemployment, acute shortages of food and hard cash, amid a cholera epidemic
that has killed thousands of people.

The government agreed at the weekend to implement a series of measures and
reforms including freeing up the media and re-engaging the West over the
next 100 days in an effort top break Zimbabwe's isolation from the
international community and to lure support from Western donors.

Western nations led by the United States and Britain - Zimbabwe's two
biggest donors - have said they want Harare to submit a credible economic
recovery programme and implement genuine political reforms before they can
provide support as well as lift targeted sanctions against Mugabe and top
officials of his ZANU PF party. - ZimOnline

Zimbabwe Govt Calls For Summit To Revamp Education Sector

http://www.voanews.com

By Patience Rusere
      Washington
      01 April 2009

Teachers and others concerned with schools in Zimbabwe met today with
Education minister David Coltart to offer advice on how to overhaul the
troubled sector.
Coltart said he called the so-called education summit to solicit the views
of as many people as possible to help him formulate policies to present to
the cabinet.

The meeting included representatives of the Progressive Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe teachers association, the Zimbabwe Schools
Examination Council, and other organizations with a stake in schools.

Minister Coltart tells Studio Seven reporter Patience Rusere that the main
point to emerge from the session was that the schools must be kept open at
all cost.

Zimbabwe Employers Consider Union's Dollar-Based Minimum Wage Demand

http://www.voanews.com

     

      By Gibbs Dube and Chris Gande
      Washington
      06 April 2009

Zimbabwean employers who are facing a June deadline laid down by the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions to boost wages to a minimum US$465 a month
will meet this week in an effort to come up with a sustainable common wage
policy.

The consensus minimum wage at present is US$100 a month - what state
employees are receiving from the government - but most companies are paying
workers as little as US$20 a month or giving them goods which they can then
sell or barter on the open market.

Chief Executive Officer John Mufukare of the Employers Confederation of
Zimbabwe told reporter Gibbs Dube of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that while
the union demand was reasonable, he was not sure Zimbabwean companies could
afford to meet it.

Meanwhile, two separate delegations of South African business executives
have arrived in Zimbabwe in recent days to investigate possible business
opportunities, one of them led by the politically well-connected Tokyo
Sexwale, chief executive of Mvela Holdings and an influential member of the
ruling African National Congress.

Government sources said the delegates met with senior unity government
officials including Finance Minister Tendai Biti and Mining Minister Obert
Mpofu.

Planning Minister Elton Mangoma told reporter Chris Gande of VOA's Studio 7
for Zimbabwe that the South Africans are eager to invest in Zimbabwe,
especially in banking.

Zimbabwe 'at risk of anarchy'

http://www.inthenews.co.uk

Tuesday, 07 Apr 2009 00:04

Fresh farm invasions in Zimbabwe threaten the country's young coalition
government and are likely to lead to further social unrest, it has been
warned.

According to the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Zimbabwe's
risk profile of possible unrest is further fuelled by grinding poverty faced
by the majority of the population in the southern African country.

"A constitutional review process, rampant corruption in government and a
general breakdown of the rule of law has deepened Zimbabwe's exposure to
social and political tension putting at risk the stability of the coalition
government," the EIU report noted.

The EIU is the business information arm of the group which publishes the
Economist. The group's research and forecast on political, economic and
business conditions in more than 200 countries provides analysis on
worldwide market trends and business strategies.

The group's report ranked Zimbabwe as a country with a high risk profile of
political upheaval with an index score of 8.8. The EIU index measures
vulnerability on a scale of zero (no vulnerability) to ten (highest
vulnerability).

Zimbabwe's coalition government has already been put to test by the latest
wave of farm invasions and the continued detention of opposition and human
rights activists in complete violation of the 2008 unity agreement.

Calls by prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai for an end to the latest push to
evict the last remaining white commercial farmers have been largely ignored
by hardliners in Zanu-PF opposed to the unity deal and who have seized farms
recently.

Meanwhile, the unity administration has adopted a 100-day plan aimed at
mending ties with the west after years of isolation in a bid to woo direct
financial aid to kickstart an economic revival process.

The unity government insists that during the 100 days it will restore human
rights, address security concerns, repeal harsh media laws and re-engage the
international community.

The government said it was keen to normalise relations with the European
Union, Britain, the United States and the white Commonwealth nations that
have been Robert Mugabe's harshest critics over his misrule.

However, western nations have said that they want the unity government to
submit a credible economic recovery programme, implement genuine political
and economic reforms before providing direct financial aid to Zimbabwe.

JAG - farm situations communique - dated 6th  April 2009

Email: jag@mango.zw : justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw

JAG Hotlines: +263 (011) 610 073, +263 (04) 799410.  If you are in
trouble or need advice, please don't hesitate to contact us - we're here
to help!

1. Police have just arrived on Mt. Carmel Farm- about 13 of them with
guns.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Police have just arrived on Mt. Carmel Farm- about 13 of them withguns.Yesterday we had another invasion by a man called Chimambira [which isShona for landmine].  He later said his name was Madangonda.  He arrivedin a maroon Toyota Prado [reg no 743096 M]  with about 10 others atapproximately 3 pm.  He came straight into the main homestead through thekitchen door and said to Bruce Campbell that we had 5 minutes to get outand leave.The last time invaders came through that door was 29 June 2008 when wewere very badly assaulted by Gilbert Moyo and Simbarahe Zindoga andothers and the house was looted before we were abducted.It was confirmed today that Gilbert Moyo has been let out of custody bythe public prosecutor in very irregular circumstances despite havingcountless cases of assault, attempted murder, house break-in andtheft vehicle theft etc. against numerous white farmers in the district.Not a single one of his trials has yet even commenced.  One of theweapons that he stole is still outstanding.I went to the police and spoke to Chief Inspector Manika [tel no. 0912919665]  and made a report to Cst. Nikadzo.  He did not have a reportreceived book so we drove around Chegutu looking for the Sergeant who hadthe keys for the room where the book was.  We did not find him buthe eventually got the book and wrote the report in the book [RRB no.0505651].The workers told Chimambira that he could not come and invade the farmand evict us.  Chimambira had no papers but was purporting to be fromNathan Shamuyariras office.Chief Inspector Manika said he would come to  sort the problem out.  Isaw him at Gadzema 6 km from the farm in a pale blue pick-up [reg. no.ZRP 159E ].  He said he would be coming shortly.When he did not appear I phoned him and he told me that he had gotinformation that the maroon Prado had come to Chegutu which was why hedid not attend.At 8.30 pm the Prado returned and the workers told Mr. Chimambira that hemust leave with his men. Eventually at 9.30 pm Chimambira left and saidhe would be back.Next day at approximately 9 am Chimambira arrived back.  The workerssurrounded their group of 10 people and told them to leave.I phoned Chief Inspector Manika who said he would come out.  After anhour there was still no sign of him so I phoned him again to say that thesituation was deteriorating and he needed to come soon.  I then went tothe Chegutu police station and spoke police officers there saying thesituation was not looking good as other people from around the area hadalso arrived and the situation was turning ugly as they were saying thatthere should be no more farm invasions.I was told that police had gone out to the farm.In the interim the various people that had arrived from elsewhere as wellas the workers told the invaders to get onto 2 pickups so that they couldbe taken off the farm and out of the situation in order toavoid violence.  This was duly done.Eventually 3 policemen arrived being transported by Chimambira.  Theywere 2 plain clothes police by the name of Chengeta and Mapotsa andSergeant Machoda.   There was a long confab before they eventually leftsaying they would be back.At 4 pm the police arrived back fully armed.  My wife was driving alongthe road and overtook them.  They came to my house which is on the otherside of the farm and Inspector Zengeni came to say that he was lookingfor someone who had assaulted someone this morning.My wife asked who it was and they said that they did not know.  He thenwanted to know where our workers lived and where our foreman lived.She asked why they were sending so many people to arrest one person whenin June with the abduction and beating of her parents and husband policerefused to come out.  She was told that it was not her duty to askquestions as she must assist the police.Inspector Zengeni unbuckled his side arm pistol and threatened to arresther.  My wife told them that they must arrest her if they wanted to.They then got into the vehicle and left to go to the main house.My sister-in-law was at the main house.  The police wanted to know whothe owner of the farm was and where Bruce Campbell and Martin Joubertwere.  Chimambira then arrived back.They then picked up one of the workers and drove off.

No relief for Tsvangirai's aide

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=14746

April 6, 2009

By Raymond Maingire

HARARE - The Supreme Court on Monday upheld last month's High Court ruling
which denied bail to jailed Gandhi Mudzingwa, a former aid to Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai. Mudzingwa, together with Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) director of security, Kisimusi Dhlamini and freelance photo journalist
Shadreck Manyere, are fighting for their release from custody where they
have been held since December last year.

The three men stand accused of an alleged plot to overthrow President Robert
Mugabe's government through acts of banditry, insurgency and terrorism.

The charges arise out of five bombings incidents on two Harare police
stations and a railway line in Harare's satellite town of Norton, 40km west
of the city.

In his ruling Monday, Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku maintained that
Justice Yunus Omerjee did not misdirect himself when he dismissed an
application for bail by the three.

He ruled that the three were not proper candidates for bail as they were
allegedly found with some weapons linking them to their offences.

Justice Omerjee however went on to grant four of their alleged accomplices
US$600 bail.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Andrew Makoni said he is going to file yet
another High Court application seeking the release of the trio through bail.

"We are going to file another High Court application on the basis of changed
circumstances," said Makoni.

The new bail application is expected to be heard in two days time on
Wednesday.

Mudzingwa and Dhlamini are currently detained under police guard at Harare's
Avenues Clinic where they are being treated for torture injuries sustained
during weeks of secret detention by state security agents.

Manyere meanwhile continues to languish in Chikurubi's Remand Prison.

Together with four other alleged accomplices, they are due to appear at the
Harare magistrate's court on April 30, 2008 on their routine remand.

The group is among 32 MDC activists and human rights activists seized in
Harare and surrounding towns between October and December last year.

They were kept in secret captivity for two months, only to be handed over to
police on December 22, facing charges of plotting to overthrow President
Robert Mugabe. They deny the charges.

Their continued detention and the prosecution of other alleged coup plotters
continues to rock a power sharing agreement reached between President Mugabe's
Zanu-PF and the MDC.

The MDC maintains their abduction and their alleged charges are all acts
calculated to punish them for their political affiliation.

"The continued detention of MDC activists has nothing to do with the law,"
reads a press statement by the MDC's Information and Publicity department
Monday.

"It is a product of political machinations of the residual elements in
Zanu-PF and the securocrats who are waging a perpetual battle to scuttle
change by undermining the inclusive government."

Rot in prison!! --Zimbabwe Supreme Court Judge to MDC officials

http://www.hararetribune.com/

Monday, 06 April 2009 19:20 Our Correspondent

ZANU-PF appointee and card-carrying member, Chief Justice Godfrey
Chidyausiku, refused to grant bail to MDC activists and a independent
journalist who were abducted by the CIO, ZRP, ZNA last year.

The State accuses the three of plotting to overthrow the illegal regime
headed by Robert Mugabe last year.

Chidyausiku, a man with multiple farms siezed from their rightful owners,
the same man who has benefited from the ZANU-PF corruption over the last ten
years, refused to grant them bail saying an earlier High Court ruling was
okay.

The three will likely spent more days and weeks in Zimbabwe's notorious
prisons.

Read below for more on the case:

MDC Pressroom--Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku today dismissed a bail
application filed by two MDC officials and a journalist who are facing
trumped up charges of banditry, insurgency and terrorism.

Chris Dhlamini, MDC head of security, Gandhi Mudzingwa, Prime Minister Hon.
Morgan Tsvangirai's former aide and freelance journalist Andrison Manyere
have been in remand prison since December last year.

Justice Chidyausiku denied bail to the three arguing that there was no
misdirection to an earlier ruling by High Court Judge Justice Yunus Omerjee.

However, MDC lawyers are going to file another urgent bail application at
the High Court tomorrow applying for the immediate release of the three.

The new bail application is expected to be heard on Wednesday. The MDC views
the continued detention of the three political detainees as going against
the spirit and letter of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) that was
signed by the three main political parties last year.

The continued detention of MDC activists has nothing to do with the law but
is a product of political machinations of the residual elements in Zanu PF
and the securocrats who are waging a perpetual battle to scuttle change by
undermining the inclusive government.

The MDC calls for the immediate release of the three prisoners and the
scores of MDC activists who are being held in secret locations after they
were abducted by Statesecurity agents last year.

Know Your Ministers: Francis Nhema

JAG open letter forum - No. 619- Dated 6th  April 2009

Email: jag@mango.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw

Please send any material for publication in the Open Letter Forum to
jag@mango.zw with "For Open Letter Forum" in the subject
line.

To subscribe/unsubscribe to the JAG mailing list, please email:
jag@mango.zw with subject line "subscribe" or "unsubscribe".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. The invasion is still on going on Mount Carmel

2. Please let us have the latest on Chegutu.

3. CEASE THE BLAME GAME

4.  Jill Baker
5. ZESA charges.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Dear JAG,

It is important that we highlight some critical issues at stake if we are
to go forward as a country for all of our children.

The invasion is still on going on Mount Carmel.  Police have done nothing
to stop this new invasion.  Workers are hiding in the bush after some of
them were beaten by the invaders and there is a complete work stoppage.
The refrigerated truck taking a 25 ton load of mangos for export has gone
back to SA empty.  Another 100 tons of mangos needs to be reaped
otherwise they will rot.  The invader who now calls himself "Landmine
Shamuyarira" is continually giving deadlines as to when we have to be out
of the house.  They have put a tree across the road on the entrance into
the farm.

We have written to the Commissioner of Police.  There are various issues
at stake that need to be understood and resolved:

1.  If "genuine" offer letters give invaders free access to farms as the
Minister of Home Affairs appears to believe, there can be no way
forward. As is plainly evident, the arbitrary invasion by "other people"
clutching an offer letter  only creates disruption and a complete
breakdown in production.  There is no established legal authority in an
offer letter for a person to simply invade a property and there are legal
precedents to show this to be the case.  If other people wish to move
onto a property they need to get an eviction order from a court against
the "owner" first before they can move on.  If offer letters are
taken as authority to just settle oneself on a property every productive
unit that still exist will end up shutting down in the anarchic situation
that results.

2.  The SADC Tribunal Judgement continues to be ignored and no
official position is being taken on it.  The Prime Minister needs to tell
us plainly whether the position taken by the Zimbabwe Government before
the Tribunal that "there was an obligation to comply at the international
level with orders of the Tribunal" is going to be honoured because at the
moment it is not.

It is important that the PM and minister of Home Affairs be able to come
to visit the farms in Chegutu where disruption is continuing, to see the
situation for themselves.

Yours,

Ben Freeth.

     --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Dear JAG,

Thank you for your frequent up-dates.  Please let us have the latest on
Chegutu.  We have knowledge of invasions/arrests and continued violence
as at Sunday 5th April  - can you send out a PR Communique?

Kind regards

Family in SA with family in Chegutu

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Dear S Ntombi

CEASE THE BLAME GAME

I am not suggesting for one moment that perpetrators of any kind of
violence and corruption should not be brought to justice, far from it!  I
do sincerely apologise if the wording of my letter caused you to believe
that.

I believe that justice must be done and be seen to be done. I have
personally visited some of the victims of violence who were being treated
in our local hospital and seen their injuries for myself.  It was
sickening to see what human beings are capable of doing to each other.
Many of the people attending the church meeting referred to have been
actively involved in helping victims of violence and documenting these
atrocities for purposes of bringing the perpetrators to book. What I was
referring to in my letter is this constant reference to who is to blame
for the economic woes and the lack of justice in terms of human rights
abuses etc.  For example "The South Africans are to blame for human
rights abuses because they should have taken action", or " The
international sanctions are to blame for the disastrous economic
problem."  We Zimbabweans are the ones who need to stand up and be
counted when injustice occurs.  Having been born during the 2nd world
war, I will never forget the Nazi atrocities and am still very keen to
see every last war criminal brought to justice. However it is mainly so
that we won't let it happen again. History shows us that "All it takes
for evil to prevailis for good men to do nothing."   We are all guilty of
looking the other way when the genocide occurred in Matabeleland during
the early days of independence.  May God forgive us all, and grant that
we will never again be so cowardly.  We can  make long lists of who is to
blame for what, and certainly lists of human rights abusers will have to
be made in order for justice to be done. Yes, indeed, perpetrators of
evil MUST be brought to justice, that is part of the healing process and
is absolutely essential.

However don't let's spend ALL of our efforts to that end, but get busy
helping the poor and needy and victims of violence in a positive way to
rebuild their lives. If we don't, we will have learned nothing from all
that suffering, it will never be addressed and the poor will continue to
suffer.

Patricia Kinloch

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Dear JAG,

There has been renewed interest in this moving story of the real struggle
which took place in Rhodesia to equip the population sufficiently to
allow them to run the country effectively once Independence was gained.
In the event, the very short time allowed to provide not only the
education, but the required life experience, was against any real chance
of success.

This new edition has been published in the UK and is currently available
through Amazon or from the publishers.   For anyone living in Australia,
orders for signed copies can be taken now and it is hoped that copies
will be available within a month.    The attached flyer will provide a
little more information.

Would it be possible to alert your `community' to this new
edition - and what would it cost to do so?   I would very happily
send payment or a donation as required.

Thank you so much

Jill Baker

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear JAG,

Herewith a letter regards our ZESA charges.

We are living in a residential area and the charges from ZESA are just
unaffordable at the moment.

For the month of DEC 08/Jan 09 charges were in Z$ which I paid a total of
Z$500 billion BY CHEQUE on the 21.1.2009 for 1481 units I gave ZESA the
actual readings over the telephone.

I had to go to them quite a few times before being able to get the
charges as nothing had come out.

After the 16th March 09 I was told that the DEC 08/Jan 09 charges have to
now again be paid but this time in US$. The Z$ payment was scrapped
because the money meant nothing, despite the fact that it was still a
legal tender at the time. I was told the bill was US$108 but suggest I
pay US$20 until the correct tariffs had been sent through from Harare
When that came through I was told to pay the remaining US$80 for DEC 08/
Jan 09 bill.

Apparently outstanding is the February bill 1931 units for US$184

March 09 bill 951 units for US$89

These above charges are unaffordable and to charge us again for Dec 08
/Jan 09 surely is wrong.

Can something be done for us as consumers regard these unaffordable
charges?

Yours faithfully

Noeline van Rooyen

Hands off FCAs - RBZ told

http://www.zimtelegraph.com/news_article.php?cat=19&id=460

By RUMBI MUNDIMBA
Published: Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has been ordered to stop illicitly
accessing foreign currency from company accounts .

The move seeks to restore the viability of public private and companies that
had been crippled by governor Gideon Gono's illegal accessing of foreign
currency owned by private and public entities, Zimbabwe Telegraph has
established.
It had become customary for Gono to dip his sticky fingers into both
individual and company accounts in the name of using the funds for "national
purposes".

He had been further instructing companies to apply through his office should
they want to transact with their accounts.

According to sources the funds were used to finance ZANU PF programmes and
early 2009, his primary task was to ensure that the 85th birthday of Robert
Mugabe was adequately financed through mopping up of liquidity from company
and individual accounts.

It has now emerged that the Ministry of Finance has managed to tame Gono
instructing him to stop tempering with accounts that do not belong to him or
the RBZ.

"We are happy that the RBZ is no longer abusing our funds. We are now in a
position to buy spare parts for our telephone network with the hope that
customers will be sensitive enough and avoid vandalising the networks," said
an official of TelOne a parastatal that operates Zimbabwe's fixed telephone
services.

Following the dollarisation of the economy, most workers who were classified
under the critical employees scheme had been finding it hard to access their
funds and most companies were crippled by industrial actions as Gono had
mopped funds from their accounts.

Engineer Elias Mudzuri, the energy and power development minister had to
order Gono to pay the Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) workers their
salaries recently.

That was after he had paid a familiarisation tour of Hwange Power Station
and later the Colliery. Gono immediately complied with Mudzuri as the
workers of the Colliery eventually smiled all their way to the bank the same
day

RBZ workers are currently taking the Central Bank to the Labour court for
unpaid salaries for the last 3 months.

State pays $1,5 m to Zanu-PF youths

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=14756

April 7, 2009

By Raymond Maingire

HARARE - Zimbabwe's cash-strapped government could be spending up to US$1,5
million in meeting a wage bill for 15 000 idle Zanu-PF youths otherwise
"employed" as civil servants.

The youths, some of whom are members of the controversial Border Gezi youth
training programme, were abruptly recruited to campaign for President Robert
Mugabe just before the fiercely disputed 2008 presidential run off election
on June 27, 2008.

Mugabe (85) was battling for his political survival after a humiliating
defeat by his long time opponent, Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC). The two have since joined hands in a government of
national unity.

The run off election, in which some 200 MDC supporters were allegedly killed
by vindictive pro-Mugabe terror squads, was occasioned by an inconclusive
presidential election on March 29, 2008.

It has emerged the youths are registered as full-time government employees
and are entitled to US$100 monthly allowances each, otherwise the current
level of remuneration for Zimbabwean civil servants across the board.

Youth Development, Indigenisation and Development Minister, Saviour
Kasukuwere riled MDC legislators in Parliament last Wednesday when he
revealed that 9 000 of the youths were benefiting from the government
salaries.

Well placed sources say the figure is not less than 15 000.

MDC legislators demanded an explanation why government still maintained the
youths on its payroll.

Government is battling to secure a US$8,5 billion aid package to finance its
operations, chief of which is the payment of viable salaries to pacify its
restive work force, estimated to be 140 000.

"Currently the ministry (Youth) has approximately 9 000 youth officers
employed at ward level," Kasukuwere said.

Kasukuwere, who at 38, is the youngest of Zanu-PF ministers, denied the
youths were recruited to reinforce Zanu-PF's presidential election campaign.

"As government, when people are recruited, we do not recruit on the basis of
political affiliation," he said, amid furious interjections by MDC law
makers.

"The civil service is full of voters and they vote for this or that party. I
believe that what has been raised (by MDC legislators), I would like to
follow-up and we depoliticize the operations of our officers.

"Otherwise I cannot be able to vouch for each and every officer. There might
be officers who are pro-Zanu PF and some who are pro-MDC and we cannot fire
all those officers."

Asked what exactly the youths had been employed for as most of them were
virtually redundant as has been observed in most of the country's townships,
Kasukuwere said the youths were working on programmes under his ministry.

"These youths are working on programmes in the Ministry of Youth," he said.

"The programmes are based on the empowerment of the youth. Secondly, the
youth have to see to it that programmes and projects are really working."

He did not specify what programmes he was referring to.

"We are however working to ensure that there is no confusion between
political parties and government departments," said Kasukuwere.

Kasukuwere refused to respond to a question by Bulawayo Central legislator
Dorcas Sibanda, who demanded an explanation on why some influential Zanu-PF
officials were allowed to truck hordes of party youths to the Public Service
offices in Bulawayo and order their immediate recruitment while there were
employment exchange points to cater for that.

Meanwhile, the Public Service Ministry says it is now embarking on a
three-week long audit to steam out idle civil servants who continue to
burden the fiscus.

Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, the Public Service Minister, told The
Zimbabwe Times Monday his ministry had embarked on an audit to determine how
many active employees government had.

He refused to state whether this has been spurred by allegations of the
so-called ghost employees recruited from Zanu-PF structures.

"The head count is for the entire civil service in view of the recent
movement of our employees in and out of the civil service due to the
economic hardship," said Mukonoweshuro.

Asked to comment on the status of Zanu-PF youths said to be benefiting
through inclusion on the government's payroll, Mukonoweshuro, who represents
the MDC, refused to comment saying he did not want to preempt the findings
of the intended audit.

"These are allegations from the public," he said.

"You cannot impulsively go on a shooting expedition on the basis of
allegations. Everything is subject to our verification census to see how
many employees government has and what their job descriptions are.

"But you can get my assurances that we are taking these matters very, very
seriously."

Zimbabwe's Retired step in to serve the nation

http://britavoice-zim-girl.blogspot.com/2009/04/zimbabwes-retired-step-in-to-serve.html

06 April 2009

'Giving Voice'

Zimbabwe's Education sector just like all the other sectors is facing stiff
challenges.

Despite the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart's
most commendable efforts to bring sanity back to the sector, it is still
under severe stress. There is a critical shortage of teachers, teaching and
learning materials, 'inadequate remuneration', low morale and continued
intimidation and political violence in some of the rural areas, some of the
violence which is reportedly specifically targeted at some teachers.

David Coltart's recent appointment of a new National Education Advisory
Board which will advise him on ways to improve Zimbabwe's primary and
secondary education brings some relief and hope. Zimbabweans are hoping the
Board will find ways to revive and breathe back life to the ailing sector.

Besides the Education Ministry, the Health Ministry amongst a list of many
other Ministries is also facing stiff challenges.

In the light of the continued exodus of some skilled personnel from the
Public Service, and the resultant staff shortages, the Government is
recruiting elderly retired members, and has also moved the retirement age
from 65 to 70 years. Many retired teachers and nurses are therefore
rejoining the service.

Apparently, whilst there has been a high rate of migration from Zimbabwe on
both political and economic grounds, the teenage to about 60 years
thereabout has been the hardest hit age group. Most of the elderly remained
in Zimbabwe and have been bearing the brunt of the ailing nation, taking
over the parental roles for the children left behind by parents.

Also worsening the situation is that, in Zimbabwe more than 2 million
children have lost one or both parents to the HIV/AIDS scourge and up to 60%
of these are living with their grandparents. Most of these orphaned children
or their sick parents move back to their parents for care giving. Zimbabwe
thus has a very big grandparent headed household sector, which is also
extremely poor. A sector which has generally not received adequate attention
from the relevant stakeholders relating to it.

Thus despite being already immensely burdened in their struggle to meet
their over increased and renewed family and parental roles as caregivers,
nurturers, counselors, for their HIV/AIDS infected children, their orphaned
grandchildren and in some cases their great grand children, these elderly
people are now placing an extra burden on themselves, through rejoining the
Public Service at 70 years or so. Their commitment to serve the nation is
well appreciated. However, most of them may be overwhelmed.

At 70, they should be enjoying the fruits of their committed long service in
the Smith and then the Mugabe led Government. However, they find that the
US40$ monthly pension they are getting is inadequate.

Furthermore, generally at 70 years, one's physical capabilities is greatly
reduced, and this is worse in a country like Zimbabwe, where stress levels
are extremely high. One's health generally deteriorates, and most of the
elderly in Zimbabwe cannot afford the health care fees.

Against the concerns raised, it thus follows that the quality of service
rendered by the elderly in the Public Service may be severely compromised.
The Government should therefore take their service as a very short-lived
solution.

Whilst, we await the strategies from Coltart's Education Board, it is hoped
that the elderly in Zimbabwe, whom under the Mugabe government, have been
ignored and unrecognized, are given the recognition they deserve.

It is hoped that the newly appointed Minister of Labour and Social Services,
Pauline Gwanyanya Mpariwa quickly finds the means to get a viable social
welfare sector to fully cater for the needs of the retired, and avoid
overstraining the elderly through reengaging them into the workforce.

And our hope is not misplaced, given that we have a woman on the Social
Welfare steering wheel, and in concert with our thinking; female leadership
and management styles, besides being much more 'careful and concrete is also
generally warm, kind, and caring.