The International Criminal Court (ICC) has said that the
evidence gained during a BBC investigation into human rights abuses at the
Chiadzwa diamond fields, could be used to prosecute Robert
Mugabe.
The BBC’s Panorama investigative series this week revealed the
extent of the human rights abuses at the diamond fields, including the
ongoing use of torture camps controlled by the military. The Panorama team
was also able to gather hard evidence and shocking testimonies of the
military-led killing of hundreds of diamond panners in the area in
2008.
A soldier who took the risk of speaking to Panorama detailed how
the killings unfolded, and also said that such an operation “would not have
been possible” without orders from the top.
The top three officials
implicated in ordering the Chiadzwa murders are Robert Mugabe, Constantine
Chiwenga and Perence Shiri – the same men behind the Gukurahundi killings of
the 1980s. The ICC has not been able to prosecute the ageing ZANU PF leader
or his cronies for the mass murders then, despite the killings recently
being classified as genocide.
Louis Moreno-Ocampo from the ICC told
Panorama, who approached the court with their evidence, that the massacres
in Chiadzwa could be classed crimes against humanity.
“Anyone who
wanted to investigate this would have an incredible advantage with the
information you provided,” Moreno-Ocampo told Panorama. “Can I do it? Not
today. As soon as the (UN) Security Council refers the case to my office, my
office could use this information to start a good case.”
But as the
Panorama team points out, the reality is that Mugabe is unlikely to be
prosecuted “because there isn’t the international will to push for
it.”
Journalist Geoff Hill, who, together with a team helped
research the Panorama series and gather the critical evidence, told SW Radio
Africa that it is unlikely that Mugabe will ever be prosecuted outside the
country.
“While he is well, it is unlikely that South Africa and China
would allow this to go through the security council,” Hill said, explaining
how both countries, as rotating and permanent members of the Council
respectively, blocked action on Zimbabwe in the past.
But he added
that it is not just Mugabe who should face prosecution for the
crimes.
“The people involved in the Chiadzwa massacres, some of them
are as young as 20. People need to be gathering the evidence now. Every
Zimbabwean should be gathering evidence so that in the coming years, there
is enough evidence to stand up in the ICC,” Hill said.
Hill, an
accredited genocide scholar, was instrumental in getting the Gukurahundi
massacres of the 1980s certified as genocide last year. He explained that
the field of genocide law is quite new, and “rapidly
changing.”
“Under normal circumstances the ICC can only deal with
cases from countries that are signatories to it, and Zimbabwe is not. But
the precedent has been set, and recently the ICC issued a warrant for
Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir, even though Sudan is not a member,” Hill
said.
He added: “In the meantime, the evidence must be gathered and that
has to happen now.”
The MDC-T has lodged a police report over an
incident on Tuesday involving Joshua Sacco, a white ZANU PF official who
defaced the party’s logos and slogans at its offices at the village in
Chimanimani in Manicaland.
Sacco, once described by Robert Mugabe as
being the last white man standing in ZANU PF, led a group that sprayed the
office block with white paint.
The MDC-T spokesman for the province
Pishai Muchauraya, said the incident was witnessed by dozens of locals but
by Wednesday afternoon police had still not arrested anyone.
‘The
group led by Sacco was so drunk they left beer bottles all over the place.
We don’t know the motive behind the defacement but what is clear is that
Sacco is fighting a bitter turf war with the local ZANU PF MP, Samuel
Undenge.
‘This is a war between the two of them and it has sucked up
the whole constituency. This Sacco guy is now proving to be a handful. He’s
now terrorizing villagers using the militia and war vets to campaign for him
in Chimanimani East,’ Muchauraya said.
In 2009 Sacco became the first
white to hold a position in the ZANU PF youth league when he was elected
deputy secretary for production. Two months ago he was part of a ZANU PF
propaganda team led by Jonathan Moyo that was in Sandton, South Africa for
the SADC summit.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about a ZANU PF
torture camp and base that has over 200 fully fledged militias with another
75 recruits currently undergoing military training.
The base is at
Sherenje secondary school in Headlands, a ZANU PF constituency under Didymus
Mutasa, the Presidential Affairs Minister. The militias have taken over a
classroom block and the school grounds for the physical
training.
‘This school has become a no-go area for non-ZANU PF people.
Anyone passing through is subjected to a physical body search, in case they
have cameras.
‘Several villagers deemed anti-ZANU PF have been taken to
the base and they have told us of their horrific experiences, such as being
forced to fill up a 200 litre drum with water, using a small
bucket.
‘Some have been forced to do as much as over 100 press ups, while
others are forced to polish shoes and sing ZANU PF songs. Parents are also
barred from visiting the school but they are forced to send their children
for training there,’ Muchauraya said.
The strike by Air Zimbabwe pilots entered its 13th day on Wednesday
with no end in sight, amid reports the airline has started refunding
stranded passengers in London.
The walkout by the flight and cabin
crew has left hundreds of passengers stranded in foreign lands, mainly in
China and the UK. Over 200 passengers are stranded in China, though some of
them have started making their own arrangements to fly back home.
The
airline’s regional manager for the UK and America, David Mwenga, told SW
Radio Africa that they’ve started refunding hundreds of passengers in
London. He said the refunds would take at least three weeks for the money to
clear into their accounts.
‘Its not going to be immediate, but we are
doing this (refunding) to the best of our ability. The London to Harare
route remains suspended and there is no flight tomorrow (Thursday) due to
the strike.
‘I’m still waiting for news from headquarters about the
progress of talks between management and the pilots,’ Mwenga said. Making
things even worse for the airline is the fact that the crisis has come at a
time when summer travel is peaking.
The Harare-London route is the
airline’s cash cow. With neither the striking pilots nor the Air Zimbabwe
management budging from their stands, it’s the passenger yet again being
held to ransom. The pilots are demanding payment of their outstanding
salaries and allowances, estimated at around US$9 million.
Over the
last few years the national airline has lost most of its senior pilots and
engineers, due to poor conditions of employment. A tragedy for an airline
once regarded as one of the very best in Africa.
Harare, August 10, 2011 - A
military college being built by the Chinese on the outskirts of Harare along
the Harare-Bindura highway will become the country’s first military
university, President Robert Mugabe told a gathering to commemorate the
defence forces day in Harare on Tuesday.
The National Defence College is
being built by the Chinese following the agreement between China and
Zimbabwe of a $97 million loan meant for its construction.
Mugabe
told the gathering at the National Sports stadium that the military college,
which will be used as a centre for strategic military and intelligence
studies, will be accorded university status. “Currently the Zimbabwe Defence
Forces are actively engaged in the construction of a National Defence
College which, with a university status, is going to be the highest
institution of academic and military instruction,” said Mugabe adding that
the college is almost complete.
The $97 million dollar loan was signed by
Finance Minister Tendai Biti on behalf of government on March 21 this year
and bonds Zimbabwe to a 20-year deal of using Marange diamonds to pay off
the loan.
The deal was however, met with mixed feelings from different
sectors of the economy who hoped the money could have been invested into
something productive, considering the harsh economic conditions that are
currently prevailing in the country.
Under the arrangement, the
Chinese provided Zimbabwe with a $97 million loan for the construction of
the state-of-the-art defence college located on the outskirts of
Harare.
Zimbabwe has undertaken to offset the loan using proceeds from
diamond mining ventures involving the Chinese.
The Chinese will also
provide specialist manpower for the project, although unions such as the
Zimbabwe Construction and Allied Trades Workers’ Union (ZCATWU) say even
some of the general labourers are being shipped from the Asian economic
giant.
The MDC has once again petitioned the
Attorney-General for the urgent release of seven party activists whose
whereabouts remain unknown following their abduction in October
2008 10.08.1101:13pm by Chief Reporter
The party fears they
could have been killed, but the authorities continue to profess ignorance
about the whereabouts of the seven abductees, snatched from their homes by
gun-toting hit-squads.
The MDC says it wants to know what happened to its
activists. Failure to provide a satisfactory answer constituted a "major
threat" to the power-sharing agreement with Zanu (PF).
Three High
Court rulings ordering their urgent release or the immediate appearance in
court have been defied as authorities insist the seven are not in
custody.
The MDC, through its lawyers, argues that the continued illegal
detention of the seven MDC activists is a violation of the power-sharing
agreement signed in Harare on September 15, 2008.
The party said it
would also call for the intervention of SADC and the AU, the guarantors of
that agreement, to assist in securing the release of the seven, who are now
feared dead. The matter is set to be tabled at the Luanda SADC summit next
week.
Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC spokesman, said having worked with
intensity in the last months to get information on the seven's whereabouts,
most party officials were now seriously concerned about the seven MDC
activists' safety.
"We are dealing with a rogue regime that can do
anything, so obviously we are all worried about their well-being," he
said.
Detention of citizens for 27 days without a court appearance is
illegal, with or without a power-sharing agreement.
Under the
Security of Persons and Prevention of Violence section in the global
political agreement, all parties agreed to work together to ensure the
security of persons and property; to guarantee the safety of any displaced
persons, their safe return home and their full enjoyment of the full
protection of the law.
All parties to the agreement further agreed that
it was the duty of all political parties and individuals to respect and
uphold the Constitution and other laws of the land and to adhere to the
principles of the rule of law.
"The State's failure to produce these
persons in court or to release them is a patent violation of these important
undertakings and the MDC and its lawyers have no option but to approach the
guarantors of the GPA,” said Mwonzora.
While Attorney General
Johannes Tomana was not immediately available for comment, he is quoted last
week giving a description of political detainees that perfectly fits the
status of the missing seven activists.
"If one is a political detainee,
they do not go to court and go through all the necessary court procedures.
They are confined and kept away from society," Tomana said.
Justice
minister Patrick Chinamasa said: "I don’t know where they are."
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has
long pushed for all foreign and locally-owned companies to be at least 51
percent owned by black Zimbabweans. But legislation to advance that goal is
having a hard time getting through the country's legislature. A multiparty
legal committee has rejected draft laws on mine ownership and is set to send
other so-called "indigenization" rules back to the drawing
board.
Zimbabwe’s parliamentary legal committee has ruled that sections
of new laws on “indigenization" of the mining sector violate the
constitution and has sent them back for re-drafting.
This is the
second time that the proposed laws, which have caused anxiety in Zimbabwe’s
private sector, have been found to contravene the heavily amended
constitution or other laws.
A parliamentary watchdog group, Veritas,
reports the legal committee found the draft law infringed on the
constitutional guarantee of freedom of choice, because the government sought
to compel mining companies to transfer shares to partners it
specified.
It also said the committee rejected the mandatory acquisition
of shares by the state without provision for compensation.
The legal
committee previously rejected the regulations for seeking to impose a heavy
fine and jail terms of up to five years on companies which failed to submit
indigenization plans on time.
The regulation was changed to say directors
of companies should be liable. But "Veritas" says this will also be rejected
when it comes before the legal committee, because office bearers can not be
liable for a criminal offense committed by their organization if it is shown
they took no part in the offense.
There are very few whites left in
business in Zimbabwe and many top black management executives objected to
the vision of company ownership promoted by President Mugabe's ZANU-PF
party.
Most economists say indigenization as originally proposed would
inhibit foreign investment and domestic expansion at a time when the economy
is still suffering wounds inflicted by the economic policies of the previous
ZANU-PF administration.
About 60 percent of industries closed during
the last five years of ZANU-PF rule, which ended in February 2009 when an
inclusive government was formed.
The Movement for Democratic Change party
of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai narrowly won parliamentary elections in
2008.
ZANU-PF’s indigenization minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, was not
available for comment Wednesday.
Insiders from the mining sector say
about 170 mining companies submitted plans for indigenization earlier this
year but that most proposed indigenous ownership of no more than 30 percent.
Hundreds of farmers evicted by
land invaders will sue the state for more than $20 billion in compensation
for the loss of stolen assets and earnings. 10.08.1109:41am by Chief
Reporter
Charles Taffs, president of the Commercial Farmers Union
said the action sought to cover losses experienced by farmers and their
workers.
Since the Zanu (PF) sponsored land invasions began about a
decade ago, many of Zimbabwe's 4,500 white commercial farmers have been
prevented from farming, contributing to the current food
crisis.
Eviction orders are still being served on the few remaining
farmers – estimated to number around 200. But many have refused to obey the
orders, although they have been forced to seek sanctuary in the urban
areas.
Some170 expelled farmers have been arrested for defying the
evictions and are awaiting trial, while 30 others have been charged with
defying eviction orders.
Taffs said the organisation was working on a
group action to sue for the losses of farm owners and their
employees.
"Without compensation being achieved, our country will
continue to be a net importer, it will continue to be a dumping ground for
inferior products and trade, it will continue to be donor-dependent, and,
specifically for us, our sector will continue to decline," Taffs said in a
paper to the GNU.
"Until legal transfer has been achieved our farmers
will never be competitive within the region, as funding will always be
risk-loaded, driving production costs upwards, negatively impacting on
viability.
"It saddens me that, while the politicians play, Zimbabweans
are being isolated in terms of business participation due mainly to our
inability to source competitive funding, allowing other countries to come in
and exploit those very opportunities. For example, we have become the
largest African supermarket for South African products. This needs to change
and it needs to change now."
Under its so-called land ‘reform’
programme, the government promised compensation for improvements made on the
farms, such as houses and water reservoirs, but in most cases this has not
been paid.
Villagers around Dhirihori have described as
desperate and provocative a recent party restructuring exercise by Zanu (PF)
around villages where it drafted absent people to its district executive,
ward and cell structures. 10.08.1109:29am by Jane
Makoni
“Dhirihori, Masikana and Nhowe areas are MDC and it was
clearly provocative for the former ruling party to put known MDC-T activists
in its structures. Every influential MDC activist was given a party post by
Zanu (PF) in absentia. The idea behind the provocation was to victimise
villagers who would boycott future Zanu (PF) meetings. Unfortunately, the
recycled and failed strategy will not work as everybody here is staunchly
MDC,” said Nelson Ngorima, an MDC activist from the area.
Villagers
here told The Zimbabwean that last week Sunday, a handful of Zanu (PF)
supporters led by District Party Chairperson, Nobert Hwenjere, desperately
struggled to set up structures by appointing leadership without the consent
of appointed people.
During the last elections, MDC-T wrestled Wards 19
and 20 from Zanu (PF). In the presidential poll, Morgan Tsvangirai garnered
his highest rural vote in the area against President Robert Mugabe.
International rights group Amnesty International
has said Zimbabwe should establish a commission of enquiry into systematic
human rights violations by security forces in the last decade and expel
those found guilty to bring an end to the practice. 10.08.1112:36pm by
Staff Reporter
In a document to the United Nations ahead of the
universal periodic review of Zimbabwe set for October 2011, Amnesty said it
was deeply worried by the lack of accountability by members of the security
forces for violations against rights defenders and President Robert Mugabe’s
rivals.
Zimbabwe’s security service is the bastion of Mugabe’s power
since independence in 1980 and the army is blamed for the killing of some
20,000 people in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces after independence as
Mugabe sought to quell an armed insurgency in the western
region.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC is pushing for security
sector reforms and accuses the military of leading a violent election
campaign that returned Mugabe to power in June 2008 but left some 200
opposition members dead.
“Members of the security forces found to be
responsible for human rights violations should be removed from their posts
according to procedures which comply with the requirements of due process,”
Amnesty said.
Security service chiefs in Zimbabwe openly support Mugabe
and his ZANU-PF party and have frequently suggested that they will not allow
Tsvangirai to take power even if he again wins the next presidential
election.
In 2008 Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in the presidential vote but
the result was only announced after five weeks of delays, and the electoral
commission called for a second round of voting when the military and
intelligence services took over Mugabe’s bloody re-election
campaign.
Amnesty said in its document up to 10,000 people were injured
after being tortured, beaten and some women raped.
Law and Order
Section
The international rights group said it had documented many cases
where police were unable or unwilling to arrest and bring perpetrators of
rights abuses to justice.
Amnesty said the government should
“particularly prioritise reform of the Law and Order section and the
anti-riot unit of the police, to ensure that these units are not used to
perpetrate human rights violations”.
Members from the police Law and
Order section, previously named Special Branch during white rule, is
particularly notorious for using the repressive Public Order and Security
Act to arrest political and human rights activists and block peaceful
protests or rallies.
“Human rights defenders have been arbitrarily
arrested and unlawfully detained for prolonged periods beyond the 48 hours
prescribed by law,” Amnesty International said.
“While in police
custody some of them report having been subjected to torture, inhuman or
degrading treatment. Those injured as a result of police beatings during
arrest and/or while in custody, are also denied access to medical
care.”
In 2008, intelligence agents abducted rights activist Jestina
Mukoko in a dawn raid, holding her incommunicado detention for three weeks,
where she was tortured and accused of undergoing illegal military training
in Botswana.
Several rights activists have been arrested and tortured
recently.
Amnesty International said the government should provide water
and sanitation, and health and schools to victims of the government’s
controversial Operation Murambatsvina, which saw nearly 700,000 people
evicted from illegal settlements in Zimbabwe’s urban areas.
Amnesty
also said UN special rapporteurs on human rights defenders and on torture
should visit Zimbabwe to get first hand information on the rights situation
in the country.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is not worried whether
generals in the army salute him or not and says “the only salute he is
worried about is the salute from the people of Zimbabwe and not a few
generals.”
Luke Tamborinyoka, the PM’s spokesman, told SW Radio Africa
that Tsvangirai did not attend the Defence Forces Day celebrations at the
National Sports Stadium on Tuesday to be saluted by General Constantine
Chiwenga and other generals.
“The Prime Minister went there because
he wanted to attend a national event. So whether these guys saluted him or
did not salute him is not really an issue. The greatest salute that matters
as far as the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is concerned is the salute that the
people of Zimbabwe gave him on the 29th of March 2008.”
In March 2008
Tsvangirai and his MDC party won the harmonized parliamentary and
presidential elections. Results for the presidential poll were withheld for
weeks by an electoral commission packed with Mugabe sympathizers.
In the
end doctored results were released and a run-off election called. The same
army generals then supervised a murderous retribution campaign which forced
Tsvangirai to boycott the election. Tamborinyoka said the victory in March
2008, ‘is the salute of legitimacy. That is what the Prime Minister is
worried about. Whether a few people at a state occasion salute him is
neither here nor there.”
Tamborinyoka said the attitude of the generals
reinforced their argument for security sector reform, adding that the
generals remained an obstacle to a peaceful transfer of power. On Tuesday
Tsvangirai was pictured seated next to General Chiwenga at the National
Sports Stadium. The security chiefs who attended the event chose to shake
Tsvangirai’s hand, rather than offer a salute as protocol dictates.
Proposed amendments to the controversial
indigenisation laws of Zimbabwe could see the top officials of foreign owned
companies jailed for several months, if they fail to meet the strict
requirements.
ZANU PF has spearheaded the indigenisation plans, which
require foreign owned firms to cede more than half of their shareholding to
local Zimbabweans.
Under the original law, businesses were threatened
with five year prison terms or hefty financial penalties if they did not
submit their plans to indigenise, or if they undervalued their company’s
worth.
A Parliamentary Legal Committee then criticised these heavy
penalties which were described as grossly disproportionate to the offences.
The Committee also said the penalties were contrary to the Constitution and
described it as “absurd” that a company, or “artificial person” be given
jail time.
Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has since amended
this by reducing the penalties, with fines down from US$2,000 to US$100 or
less, and prison time down to 12 months or less.
But in shock move
Kasukuwere has now proposed that, instead of companies, every director,
partner or board member will be liable to a $2,000 fine or 3, 4 or 12 months’
imprisonment or both.
The Parliamentary Legal Committee is now being
urged to report on the constitutionality of the proposed amendments, as well
as Kasukuwere’s apparently unlawful role in making these
changes.
The Department of Home Affairs' Zimbabwe Documentation
Project will hold a two-day meeting this week with representatives from all
home affairs offices in a bid to finalise the project, the Times reported on
Wednesday.
Project head Jacob Mamabolo said the meeting on Thursday and
Friday would also investigate claims by some Zimbabweans in Cape Town that
records of their applications for work and study visas had
vanished.
The government launched the project in September 2009, saying
many Zimbabweans were in South Africa illegally and needed to apply for
proper documents. The department announced earlier this month that it had
adjudicated 275 762 applications, and that it wanted "normal immigration
processes" to apply by the deadline at the end of August. However some
Zimbabweans said the project was not going as smoothly as the department
reported and that they were afraid of being deported.
Mamabolo said
Zimbabweans should not worry because the department had already said that
Zimbabweans would still be receiving SMSes advising them of the outcome of
their applications.
He said the department would probably make an
announcement about how they would improve the system by Monday next week. -
Sapa
Harare, August 10, 2011 -
President Robert Mugabe's Government of National Unity (GNU) urgently
requires more than US$489 million in humanitarian aid for various programmes
including health, nutrition, water and food, according to the latest
Consolidated Appeal (CAP) 2011 Mid-Year Review.
"The humanitarian
situation in Zimbabwe continues to be stable, but elements of fragility
remain a cause for concern in key sectors such as food security, health and
nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene," the CAP Review
said.
The bi-annual Mid-Year Review is published by the United Nations
(UN).
"Following analysis of the most recent needs assessments, the
Mid-Year Review identified minor increases in requirements for most
clusters."
"The main increase is accounted for by an increase in
requirements for the Agriculture Cluster due primarily to availability of
better data. Requirements for Food and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Clusters were also increased due to projected increases in areas of coverage
and more identified needs, respectively."
The Review said revised
requirements amounted to US$488 582 358, an increase of US$73 306 618 over
the original requirements.
Funding for the appeal was made under the
Financial Tracking Service (FTS).
The Review pointed out that this was an
18 percent increase over the original request by Zimbabwe.
Partners
had indicated, however, that US$141 824 362 in funding had been already
received, leaving unmet requirements of US$346 757 996 and the Consolidated
Appeal (CAP) 29 percent funded.
According to the latest CAP Mid-Year
Review the Agriculture Cluster seriously needs US$25 297 088 and has already
received US$10 988 311 of this amount.
Education, one of the GNU's
priority areas needs US$32 360 000 and has already received $2 377 054, Food
(US$158 630 642) and has received US$93 834 359 of the request.
Food
is the most funded cluster to date due to the serious malnourishment
especially of women and children in the rural areas around
Zimbabwe.
The Review said the Health Cluster needs US$28 342 152 but has
already received US$5 483 914, which is about 19 percent of its needs
to-date. It said the Nutrition Cluster, on the other hand, needs US$13 912
500 and has already received US$1 998 322 of this amount, a 14 percent
level, while the Protection Cluster urgently needs US$41 845 000 but has
already received US$4 054 984 of this amount.
The CAP Review said,
however, Zimbabwe needs a grand total of US$415 275 740 in humanitarian
help.
The country has, however, only received US$141 548 526 of this
amount from various donors. This amount represents 34 percent of its
grand total needs to-date.
"Key priorities for the remainder of 2011 will
be improving food security levels; addressing the needs of asylum seekers,
migrants and other vulnerable groups that need protection; prevention of and
rapid response to disease outbreaks; and response to natural
disasters, the CAP Mid-Year Review said.
"All these activities will be
undertaken while ensuring that humanitarian and government prioroties remain
complementary in all areas of intervention."
Despite claims that the police were searching for Zanu
(PF) thug, Fukurayi, who tortured a resident of Rusike, officers were allegedly
seen drinking with the criminal at Zama Zama Bottle Store.
“Fukurai, is
living at Menzisi Farming Plot near Peter House High School along Harare-Mutare
Road with his father who is a plumber. He has often been seen drinking beer at
Zama Zama Bottle Store in the company of police officers from Marondera. Often
police officers driving a white Toyota Hiace Minibus from Mashonaland East
Police Provincial Headquarters would visit and revel with Fukurai at the beer
selling point. Everyone here knows Fukurai is a fugitive from justice,” said a
local farm worker.
Fukurai fled from
Rusike, Marondera after police wanted to interview him regarding the torture of
the Rusike resident known as Musa. Police opened a docket against Fukurai RRB
66/06/11 after he forced his victim, Musa, to sit on a red hot stove plate. Musa
sustained serious burns to
the
buttocks.
Fukurai, who is a
Zanu (PF) youth leader reportedly went into hiding. He has resurfaced at Menzisi
Plot, four kilometres out of Marondera along the Harare- Mutare
Road.
Mugabe regime violently
targeting wide spectrum of congregations. George Conger | posted 8/10/2011
10:04AM
Pastors and advocates report that a new wave of persecution
is washing over the churches of Zimbabwe as the country prepares for a new
round of elections called by President Robert Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF
party.
Churches are "being targeted and harassed by security agencies and
militias which are controlled by ZANU PF," said Marlon Zakeyo, the Zimbabwe
advocacy coordinator of the World Student Christian Federation in Geneva.
They are "in need of active and practical international solidarity and
prayer," he said.
Reports from the Central African nation state that
leaders of many of the country's evangelical, Anglican, Roman Catholic, and
African Independent Churches—especially the Zion Christian Church and the
VaPostori Apostolic sects—are being pressed into service by the regime to
cement its hold on power.
While the former Anglican bishop of Harare,
Nolbert Kunonga, has long used his church to back "Zimbabwe's Moses," ZANU
PF is also alleged to have made a concerted effort to bring the Apostolic
churches under its control.
Over the past two years members of the
opposition party, MDC, have been expelled from many Apostolic churches, and
some pastors have reportedly been killed for refusing to support the regime.
The Zimbabwe Briefing, a South Africa-based publication supporting Mugabe's
ouster, reports that some Apostolic leaders are telling their
followers—estimated to number approximately 1 million—that Mugabe is the
Archangel Gabriel and God's anointed ruler for Africa.
Zimbabwe
Christian Alliance (ZCA) executive director Useni Sibanda has condemned the
political "invasion" of the Apostolic churches, and has urged "church
leaders to maintain their credibility by not allowing themselves to be
manipulated by politicians."
ZANU PF spokesman Gadzira Chirumhanzu said
it was not possible for church and state to live independent lives. However,
he told Christianity Today the party "does not interfere in one's beliefs;
be he Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or whatever."
"There is no way a
church can divorce itself from society, politics, or whatever," said
Chirumhanzu, the party's director of Science and Technology. "Rules and
regulations governing churches, sects, you name it are promulgated in
parliament, hence I don't see how Useni wants to achieve his organization's
objective if it does not participate in politics one way or the
other."
Churches that have opposed the ZANU PF party line have met with
violent suppression. On April 20, police stormed an ecumenical prayer
service held at the Church of the Nazarene in the Harare suburb of Glen
Norah. Organized by evangelical leaders under the theme "Saving Zimbabwe,
the Unfinished Journey," the service commemorated a 2007 prayer service
where police shot and killed an opposition leader and jailed over 100
pro-democracy activists.
A video of the April incident shows that after
firing tear gas into the church, police drove the congregation from the
building, beating those slow to respond with truncheons. Nazarene Pastor
Paul Mukome reported that ten worshippers and four pastors were arrested,
while the vice-chairman of the Harare MDC was severely beaten.
A
Roman Catholic priest told The Tablet, a U.K.-based Catholic publication,
that clergy were also subjected to arbitrary arrest and questioning.
"There's no freedom of speech. You preach that people are hungry and the
moment you say people are hungry those in authority feel attacked. So you
are an enemy," the unnamed priest said.
Politics was driving this
issue, the current Anglican bishop of Harare, Chad Gandiya, said. President
Mugabe has "insisted on holding" elections this year. The MDC opposes the
push since the country still has not adopted a new constitution.
The
political parties were "vying for support and the church is seen as a
source" of votes, Gandiya said. "Unfortunately, those that are deemed to be
non-cooperative are then harassed. Various members of the president's party
have gone to gatherings of various churches, especially the African
Independent Churches, to try to win their support. They don't seem to have
done the same with the mainline churches. One possible reason could be that
the mainline churches would not give them the same kind of
platform."
For Anglicans, the fight "in our church is political but
dressed in religious clothing," Gandiya said. "Nothing has changed. We
continue to be harassed and prevented from using our church buildings while
Dr. Kunonga is assisted by the police in his ambitious expansionist
[plans]."
But in the midst of the political infighting, the churches
continue to do their "holistic ministry quietly," he said. "Our population
is greatly traumatized and in need of healing. Our people are afraid. Please
pray that our leaders take the lead in encouraging people not to engage in
violence."
Paul Mukome, the Nazarene pastor, agreed that prayer is
necessary—but his prayer request differed. "The biggest message for
Zimbabweans is that the time to pray has come," he said. "We have to pray
harder for our leaders so that they know how to lead through the image of
God."
Leaders in the regional grouping SADC
have been called upon to urgently deal with the “worrying” human rights
situations in several member countries, and to strengthen the mandate of the
regional tribunal in Namibia instead of weakening it.
Writing to
SADC’s executive secretary, Dr. Tomaz Salomao, the global rights group Human
Rights Watch said the leaders should address the situations in Malawi,
Swaziland, Angola and Zimbabwe, when they meet at the summit in Luanda,
Angola next week.
In the letter Human Rights Watch Africa director Daniel
Bekele said: “The SADC needs to implore its members to heed the complaints
of Southern Africans, rather than to try to silence them with bullets.” He
added that SADC should protect people’s rights to gather and to speak their
minds in order to “promote good governance and development”.
Human
Rights Watch researcher Tiseke Kasambala told SW Radio Africa that they have
identified a backwards trend in respect to human rights in the region and
the leaders need to address these issues.
“Southern African countries are
all interlinked. What happens in one country has the potential to affect a
significant part of the region,” Kasambala added.
With elections
expected in Zimbabwe and Angola in 2012, she urged SADC leaders to begin now
to mobilize resources to monitor them, in order to ensure that the polls are
conducted along regional guidelines.
“In terms of Angola and Zimbabwe the
environment is not conducive to holding credible elections. Unless there are
significant improvements in freedoms of expression, assembly and media
freedoms and an end to violence in Zimbabwe, they will not be free or fair,”
Kasambala explained.
Regarding politically motivated violence in
Zimbabwe, Kasambala said there is documented evidence that it is
“overwhelmingly” perpetrated by ZANU PF against members and officials of the
MDC formations.
“We think it is important that SADC is aware of this,
especially since President Zuma is the lead mediator,” the researcher
explained, adding that Zuma’s engagement to date has been positive and
“quite robust.”
Regarding the regional tribunal Kasambala said: “It is
important for the leaders to strengthen the work of this very important body
and not actually weaken it.” The regional court in Namibia was suspended by
SADC leaders after landmark rulings against the Mugabe regime’s violent farm
invasions.
The letter by Human Rights Watch to SADC leaders comes just
days after Moeletsi Mbeki, brother to former South African President Thabo
Mbeki, blasted the regional leaders for failing to effectively deal with
Robert Mugabe since 2000.
According to the NewsDay newspaper, Mbeki
made the comments at a SADC Council of NGO’s conference in Johannesburg on
Sunday. The outspoken activist reportedly said Zimbabwe was SADC’s single
biggest challenge and it had failed completely to deal with Mugabe.
Masvingo, August 10, 2011-Six Morgan
Tsvangirai led Movement for Democratic Change youths were brutalised by Zanu
(PF) supporters suspected to be war veterans while two female supporters
were stripped naked for allegedly wearing their party regalia at Heroes day
celebrations at Bhasera business centre on Monday.
Villagers and
shoppers at the business centre were left shell shocked after the two
ladies, Grace Mtungwa and Lillian Gwangudza were left in total nudeness
after their MDC clothes were torn to pieces by the war veterans who accused
them of putting on regalia from sell outs and puppets as districts
celebrations were being held.
The other youths who were assaulted
said they sustained serious injuries from the beatings and were accused of
defying a long time order not to wear MDC regalia in their district by the
boisterous war veterans led by Cde Admire Mufara.
“We were approached
by a group of war veterans led by Mufara who led the 2008 violence here and
accused us of defying their order. He accused us undermining and showing
disrespect to war veterans who died in the liberation struggle by wearing MDC
T/shirts on the day their lives was being commemorated”. “They beat us up
very hard we sustained injuries some were even referred to Masvingo General
Hospital but they couldn’t go there because of cash constraints,” said
Taurai Makonese one of the victims.
The other youths who were assaulted
are Tangai Makamure, Joseph Nyemba, Mike Madambi, Jotam Masiyambiri and
Trouble Matambura.
MDC Gutu east constituency, Youth Chairman,
Tichivangani Gonese condemned the assaults.
“We totally condemn the
beating of our youths by Zanu (PF) war veterans for wearing their party
regalia. This shows that Zanu (PF) has a history of violence. But we want to
warn them that if they continue to beat our youths we will mobilise and
fight back to defend our selves, we will not continue to fold our hands and
watch them beat us,” said Gonese.
MDC supporters in Gutu were also chased
from the Heroes celebrations by the war veterans who labeled them sell-outs.
Gonese said although their youths reported the case to the police no arrests
has been made and Police spokesperson here, Inspector Tinaye Matake declined
to comment.
By Xolisani Ncube, Staff
Writer Wednesday, 10 August 2011 16:31
HARARE - The case in which
Chitungwiza town clerk Godfrey Tanyanyiwa is seeking to have a controversial
council resolution which gives him and his top management further personal
allowances other than those approved by the government has turned
dirty.
Tanyanyiwa is now accusing councillor Jacob Rukweza who
opposed the proposed allowances of being absent from council business
without official leave.
The resolution which Tanyanyiwa is seeking to
push through council, entitles him to a 24-hour security guard, a gym
allowance, housemaid, gardener and sports club allowances among many other
packages.
Rukweza has however objected to the introduction of the new
perks other than those approved by the government.
He has since
written to the Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development,
Ignatius Chombo seeking to reverse the council resolution.
The government
only approved housing, fuel, vehicle, cellphone and entertainment
allowances.
In his response to Rukweza’s letter of objection, Tanyanyiwa,
wrote to Chombo alleging that the councillor for Ward 17 in Chitungwiza was
absent from duty for several months without official
leave.
Tanyanyiwa said Rukweza was voicing concern against the resolution
although he had flouted council rules.
“Let me point out that there
was a period from July 2008 to January 2010 wherein you failed to discharge
your duties in consistence and to expectations as a councillor owing to your
personal engagements outside the country wherein you had taken up employment
with Swazi Times of Swaziland,” reads part of Tanyanyiwa’s
letter.
“Your systematic pattern of non-attendance to committee and
council meetings was picked up by the Erica Jones Commission of inquiry and
their findings were forwarded to the minister and council still awaits the
minister’s direction on matter.”
But Rukweza has since denied the
allegations levelled against him saying he was not in Swaziland but in South
Africa for medical reasons.
“I am shocked at why you decided to include
such foolish lies and malicious falsehood in an official letter to
me."
“My passport which I have used since 2005 can easily show that I
have been to many countries in Africa, but have never visited let alone
worked in Swaziland,” said Rukweza in his letter."
According to the
Jones inquiry report, which also recommended the dismissal of councillor
Tineyi Kanyama, Rukweza’s issue should be investigated and properly dealt
with.
“Councillor Rukweza’s absence should be investigated and properly
dealt with” reads the report.
Rukweza claims that the matter was
finalised by council and he was reprimanded by the mayor.
“I was
dully cautioned by the mayor for not informing council on time. All this is
on record,” said Rukweza.
HARARE - Speaker of Parliament, Lovemore Moyo says he backs a
motion by the mainstream MDC parliamentarians for the setting up of a
special committee to look into the 1980s Gukurahundi
massacres.
Last week a parliamentary debate on national healing sent
emotions running high when MDC parliamentarians brought the Gukurahundi
issue up for debate.
MDC MP for Hurungwe East Severino Tall Chambati
moved a motion for Parliament to appoint a special Parliamentary Committee
that will work with experts in crafting and defining measures and policies
dealing with issues of transitional justice and national healing related to
the massacres which took place in the early 1980s, a period now generally
referred to as a “moment of madness”.
The motion was seconded by MDC
Matobo South MP Gabriel Ndebele.
The parliamentarians want a report of
the envisaged committee to be brought to the attention of the three
political parties in the coalition government and to the executive arm of
the government as a way of putting the matter to rest.
In an
interview with the Daily News recently, Moyo said the issue of Gukurahundi
is on the bottom of his heart and he fully backs the setting up of a new
committee to deal with the massacres.
“This issue really touches my
heart, and MPs who move this motion will have my full support. We want
proper investigations on Gukurahundi, we want to know who killed people
during this period and also why people were killed."
“The results of this
committee will be made public unlike previous investigations where results
are still not known up to now,” said Moyo.
In January 1984, the
Simplicius Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry was tasked to investigate the
Gukurahundi atrocities, but its findings were never made public after the
Zanu PF government blocked it.
Moyo who is also the MDC chairman said
“there is no other way the issue of Gukurahundi can be closed without
perpetrators admitting and apologising to the victims.”
The
Gukurahundi issue is already reported to have split Cabinet along party
lines after the arrest of Co-National Healing, Minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu
for holding a memorial service for the massacre victims in April in
Lupane.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has repeatedly called for
the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) over the
massacres.
President Robert Mugabe has refused to apologise for the
killings although the Zimbabwean leader has called the crackdown a “moment
of madness.”
Tsvangirai recently said his hands are clean on Gukurahundi
and challenged Mugabe to also come out in public and say the
same.
During the Gukurahundi massacres in the 1980s more than 20 000
civilians were killed while others disappeared.
Some were buried
alive while others had parts of their bodies sliced.
Villagers and officials said Harare and donors must launch food
distribution throughout the Matabeleland region and parts of Masvingo,
Midlands and Manicaland provinces where the situation has become
desperate
Gibbs Dube | Washington
Villagers and political
leaders in five Zimbabwean provinces devastated by drought say many are
living on one meal a day due to poor harvests in the last growing season for
maize, the ground meal of which is a staple food for most
Zimbabweans.
They said government and donor agencies need to launch food
distribution in most parts of the western Matabeleland region and parts of
Masvingo, Midlands and Manicaland provinces where the situation has become
desperate.
Sources said hunger is widespread in parts of Matabeleland
North and South, Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland
provinces.
Midlanders said they hope the government will take action
following a recent assessment of the food security situation in the region
by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Villager Sikholiwe Ndebele of
Sidingunana, Insiza district, Matabeleland North province, said some
residents are surviving by selling thatching grass, others by
begging.
In Midlands, Lower Gweru villager Obert Ncube said donor
agencies must act urgently to avert starvation in parts of the province. “We
have people here being supported by their children who are employed in
various nations, a few getting little food handouts from donor agencies and
the majority struggling to have a meal a day,” Ncube said.
Lawmaker
Thandeko Zinti Mnkandla said villagers may start to die in some parts of
Matabeleland South if the authorities do not take action.
“We are soon
going to have some deaths occurring as we are reaching hunger levels almost
similar to the famine [in]the Horn of Africa, though on a lesser scale," he
said.
Defenders to Receive the 2011 Alison
Des Forges Award August 9, 2011
From the centers of the Arab Spring to
many other places where people who speak out are under threat, each of these
defenders has shown incredible courage and persistence on behalf of others.
We honor their strength and efforts, and hope that this award will increase
international recognition of the abusive conditions they are trying to
change. Kenneth Roth, executive director
(New York) – Seven courageous
and tireless advocates for human rights will be honored in November 2011
with the prestigious Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism,
Human Rights Watch said today. These activists from Egypt, Indonesia, Iran,
Mexico, Russia, Tunisia, and Zimbabwe work to create a world in which people
live free of violence, discrimination, and oppression
The award is
named after Dr. Alison Des Forges, senior adviser to Human Rights Watch's
Africa division for almost two decades, who died in a plane crash in New
York on February 12, 2009. Des Forges was the world's leading expert on
Rwanda, the 1994 genocide, and its aftermath. Human Rights Watch's annual
award honors her outstanding commitment to, and defense of, human rights. It
celebrates the valor of people who put their lives on the line to protect
the dignity and rights of others.
“From the centers of the Arab Spring to
many other places where people who speak out are under threat, each of these
defenders has shown incredible courage and persistence on behalf of others,”
said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “We honor their
strength and efforts, and hope that this award will increase international
recognition of the abusive conditions they are trying to change.”
The
recipients of Human Rights Watch's 2011 Alison Des Forges Award for
Extraordinary Activism are:
Farai Maguwu, director of the Center
for Research and Development in eastern Zimbabwe and a leading voice against
the abuses taking place in the Marange diamond fields;
As director of
Zimbabwe’s Center for Research and Development, Farai Maguwu has conducted
extensive research documenting horrific abuses taking place in the Marange
diamond fields. After Maguwu met with a monitor from the Kimberley Process
Certification Scheme (the world’s diamond control body) in May 2010 to
discuss the abuses he uncovered in Marange, he was arrested, imprisoned, and
tortured on charges of providing false information. Human Rights Watch
honors Maguwu for his tremendous courage in working to end the rampant
violations of human rights throughout the region.
Hossam Bahgat,
executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and a
prominent voice both before and since the January 2011 uprising in Egypt.
Follow Hossam on Twitter: @hossambahgat ;
Sihem Bensedrine, a
Tunisian journalist and activist who heads the Arab Working Group for Media
Monitoring and serves as a spokesperson for the National Council for
Liberties in Tunisia;
Anis Hidayah, executive director of Migrant
Care, a leading Indonesian organization working to protect the rights of
millions of migrant workers;
Elena Milashina, an investigative
journalist for Russia's leading independent newspaper, Novaya
Gazeta;
Consuelo Morales, director of Citizens in Support of
Human Rights, based in Monterrey, which brings abuses in Mexico’s “war on
drugs” to light. Follow on Twitter: @cadhac; and
Sussan
Tahmasebi,a civil and women's rights activist from Iran and founding member
of the One Million Signatures Campaign to support women’s rights.
Suspected Central Intelligence Organisation
elements in the Department of Immigration raided the offices of the
state-controlled New Ziana news agency last week demanding to take away the
writer of a story they felt was offensive. 10.08.1102:29pm by John
Chimunhu
Sources at the agency's headquarters at Mass Media House
said the 'immigration officers' approached several staff members asking who
had written a story claiming that smuggling was rife at Harare
airport.
The airport is the usual entry point for goods smuggled into the
country by members of President Robert Mugabe's huge entourages. Mugabe
himself is known to enjoy duty-free access on all goods - but the facility
has for years been abused by senior intelligence and military officers who
travel with him.
Eventually, the Ziana sources said, the officers
were referred to the agency's editor, Rangarirai Shoko. Shoko was summoned
for a meeting with senior immigration officials, where he was ordered to
stop publishing stories about smuggling. Immigration officials also demanded
a retraction, which they got.
Sources said journalists at the agency,
who have felt protected by state agents so far, were terrified by the
incident, as the 'immigration officers' threatened to deal individually with
state journalists who published corruption stories involving senior
government officials.
Mugabe has directed the police, for example, not to
investigate any cases involving senior Zanu (PF) officials without express
authority from his office.
New Ziana is supposed to operate
independently under the re-constituted Mass Media Trust which has, so far,
failed to take off. The agency, which won international awards in the 1980s,
is now a department in Mugabe's office, 13th in order of priority and used
as a dumping ground for soldiers and other well-connected
characters.
Despite provisions in the Global Political Agreement for
formerly government-controlled entities to operate freely, Zanu (PF)
continues to exert massive control over the media and the security forces in
particular.
Union leaders and civil rights activists have
called for the arrest of MPs from across the political divide who abused the
Constituency Development Funds. 10.08.1101:53pm by Fungai Kwaramba
Harare
Through the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs, all MPs were
given $50,000 each to carry out development projects in their respective
communities. Only 60 MPs have been able to account for the funds amid
reports that some diverted the money into their pockets, bought luxury cars
and even married new wives.
The Minister of Constitutional Affairs,
Eric Matinenga, said recently that only the 60 who accounted for the money
would be given the next batch of cash. He did not say what would happen to
those who cannot account for the funds.
Zimbabweans are
outraged.
“The government must set up a taskforce to arrest those who
abused the funds. Any MP who took the money and misused it is not fit for
office and should be removed from contesting in the next elections,” said
Raymond Majongwe, Secretary General of the Progress Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe.
Simple mathematics show that the nation has lost over $5
million intended for developmental projects. But neither the police nor the
Anti-corruption commission has investigated the abuse.
Pedzisai
Ruhanya, a social commentator, said the two MDC formations should lead by
example and punish the MPs, including several ministers, who abused the
trust.
“If the MPs are from the two MDCs then they should be send to a
political Siberia. They should be arrested and when elections come they
should not be allowed to stand as they are not fit for office,” he
said.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists Secretary General Foster Dongozi said
the abuse of funds was a reflection of the calibre of MPs that are in the
country.
“They obviously got into politics to enrich themselves and
not to represent the people. It’s a reflection of the calibre of our MPs –
accountability is not a key issue. It is also a reflection of the economic
environment where weak-minded MPs are likely to be tempted to abuse public
funds because they are poor,” said Dongozi.
Concerns Over Malawi, Swaziland,
Zimbabwe, Angola, Status of Tribunal
(Johannesburg, August 9, 2011) –
Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should address
the worrying human rights situations in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and
Angola, Human Rights Watch said in a letter today to Dr. Tomaz Salomao, the
executive secretary. Human Rights Watch also urged SADC leaders, at their
meeting in Luanda, Angola from August 16 to 18, 2011, to promote and
strengthen the human rights mandate of the regional tribunal, rather than
weaken it.
Human Rights Watch urged SADC leaders to call for an
independent, transparent investigation into the killings and use of
excessive force in Malawi. On July 20, security forces there fired live
ammunition at mainly peaceful demonstrators protesting worsening economic
and human rights conditions. Nineteen people were killed. Human Rights Watch
also called for a review of the human rights situation in Swaziland, where
authorities have similarly used repressive tactics to clamp down on
political activism.
“The SADC needs to implore its members to heed the
complaints of Southern Africans, rather than to try to silence them with
bullets,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “To
promote good governance and development, the SADC should protect people’s
right to gather and to speak their minds.”
Human Rights Watch also
called on SADC leaders to press both Zimbabwe and Angola to improve human
rights conditions in advance of possible elections in both countries in
2012. Since January 2011, throughout Zimbabwe, Human Rights Watch has
documented numerous incidents of politically motivated violence by the
dominant party, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front
(ZANU-PF), and its allies against real or perceived supporters of its
governing partner, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
ZANU-PF-controlled police have arbitrarily arrested scores of civil society
activists and routinely threatened and harassed MDC members and
supporters.
In Angola, the authorities restrict freedom of expression
and peaceful assembly, as well as media freedoms, despite a new 2010
constitution that guarantees these rights.
“The SADC should be
mobilizing now to ensure that resources are available for the long-term
monitoring of elections in Angola and Zimbabwe,” Bekele said. “The potential
for abuse – before, during, and after the elections – is very
real.”
Human Rights Watch also expressed concern about attempts by the
regional body to weaken the human rights mandate of the SADC tribunal, which
has made a number of landmark judgments against the government of Zimbabwe
on farm seizure cases. The SADC has extended a review of the tribunal’s
record, has failed to renew terms for its judges, and has placed a
moratorium on hearing new cases. The SADC came under pressure from the
government of Zimbabwe to review the mandate of the tribunal following its
rulings in favor of farmers who lost their farms as a result of the
government of Zimbabwe’s land seizures.
“The SADC tribunal is an
important institution for the protection and promotion of human rights,”
Bekele said. “To promote the rule of law, SADC leaders should strengthen
this body, not undermine it.”
HARARE - Long queues of holiday shoppers snake around the
Beitbridge Border post. Most of the people in the queue are women who are
hoping to cross into South Africa to do their shopping for merchandise they
intend to resell back home.
This has been their life over the
past decade and their business has been thriving since the removal of duty
on basic commodities.
But an announcement by the Minister of Finance
Tendai Biti taxing some of the basic commodities has hit the struggling
women where it hurts most.
Abigail Chisvo, a cross border trader who has
been travelling to Mussina every fortnight for the past five years to buy
merchandise for resale was left shattered on Monday afternoon when she was
asked to pay 80 rands a blanket in duty costs. She had bought 20 blankets
for resell.
“I didn’t know that I have to pay duty for
blankets.
“I was surprised when a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra)
officer asked me to pay 1 600 rands for the blankets, I have no option but
to leave them here until I get the money,” said a worried
Chisvo.
Biti announced in his mid-term budget statement that the
government would re-introduce import duty to protect local industry from
cheap imports.
Justifying his position he said the move was necessitated
by the gradual improvement in the supply of locally made
goods.
Organisations such as the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) have in
the past pressured Biti to ban the importation of basic commodities saying
they were killing the local industry.
Most of the country’s
supermarkets are fully stocked with foreign merchandise from countries such
as Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.
For the past decade, the country
has solely survived on imports from food stuffs to beer.
Import duty
on basic commodities such as maize meal and cooking oil took effect at the
beginning of this month while that of other food stuffs such as potatoes,
baked beans and mixed fruit jam will take effect at the beginning of next
month.
The proposed duty will range between 10 percent and 25 percent.
Duty on salt, rice and flour will remain suspended until end of this
year.
Coupled with these new measures, Zimra also introduced a 40 percent
import duty on electronic goods such as fridges and stoves, as well as other
commodities like blankets and footwear.
Zimra says people are still
allowed to bring in $300 worth of duty free goods per month, excluding the
specified goods.
The re-introduction of duty has seen the resurfacing of
long queues at the border in scenes reminiscent of the year 2008 when the
country virtually came to a standstill with food
shortages.
Previously, delays were the order of the day on the South
African side of the border but now the Zimbabwean side is
clogged.
Several Beitbridge transporters say their business has also been
hit by the new measures.
They say where they used to do seven trips a
day they will be lucky to do two nowadays because of the delays at the
border as well as the amount of goods that people can now buy.
“The
duty issue has affected our business. At least today I can do two trips
because there are a lot of people travelling but during the week I sometimes
park my car and do other things,” said Sebastian Mlilo, a Beitbridge-based
cross border transporter adding that before the introduction of the duty he
used to make about 1200 rands a day transporting people between Dulibadzimu
bus terminus and Mussina town.
Critics say the move by the Minister
of Finance will result in food shortages.
They say the decision to
re-introduce duty on food commodities was premature because the country’s
industry is not yet fully functional and will need years to recover. Others
say the move will lead to price increases.
But for economic analyst, John
Robertson, the jury is not yet out on the issue.
“The question is how
you start such a process. There is still uncertainty over the effect of the
new law although it could have been introduced better with sufficient prior
notice not so sudden as it was done,” said Robertson adding that it is now
up to the local manufacturers to prove that with the right orders they can
produce sufficiently.
“The local manufacturers need to get the right
orders for them to source the required materials to produce and build
capacity. For now the consumer will be hit hard for some months until the
local manufacturers start stoking up goods and bring down
prices.”
Roberston added that the local industry will also need vital and
timely support from local farmers to get the inputs needed to manufacture
goods but the sector remains very much below par.
By Xolisani Ncube and Nkululeko Sibanda Wednesday, 10
August 2011 15:14
HARARE - Popular preacher Prophet Emmanuel
Makandiwa has turned down underhand efforts by some top Zanu PF officials to
lure him into President Robert Mugabe’s propaganda machinery despite being
promised farms, cars, houses and other luxuries.
In refusing to
join Zanu PF, Makandiwa is reportedly arguing that as a “man of God”, he
serves all people.
Zanu PF has of late been on a crusade taking advantage
of gullible “men of the cloth”, using them to play campaign roles for the
party whose support continues to wane to general mismanagement of the
economy, corruption, human rights abuses and a refusal to change
leadership.
Aides to the hugely popular Makandiwa revealed to the Daily
News at the weekend that top Zanu PF officials and cabinet ministers had now
become regular visitors to Makandiwa’s house and offices all in an attempt
to sweet-talk him into campaigning for Mugabe and Zanu PF.
But
Makandiwa, who is believed to be in the United States has reportedly refused
even to meet them telling aides that his followers are from all political
parties.
Reports indicated last week that Makandiwa had fled the country
due to a number of questionable deals including his spiritual airtime deal
but church members insist he will be back in the next two weeks.
Zanu
PF is said to be desperate for support and they believe if Makandiwa was to
endorse Mugabe, he would improve his support base for the next elections
whose date remains unannounced.
Zanu PF officials yesterday strenuously
denied approaching Makandiwa to force him to join their floundering train
although they managed to use him for the opening prayer when they launched
the largely discredited “anti-sanctions” petition in March this
year.
At one point under pressure from Zanu PF, Makandiwa was said to
have almost relented but fellow pastors even from different churches are
said to have advised him against it.
Some of the pastors even wrote
“dossiers” of advice to Makandiwa to warn him against supporting any
particular political party.
The Daily News is in possession of one of the
dossiers.
Despite the denials by Zanu PF, the Makandiwa aides maintain
that some of them approached the United Families International (UFI) church
leader claiming they had been sent by Mugabe to lure him to the former
ruling party.
“There are some politicians and parliamentarians who
have been visiting the “man of God” at home and in the office with gifts and
offers to “buy many things” so that they lure him to join their
party.
“He will speak to the Daily News about all these issues when he
comes back but Zanu PF seems desperate to lure him. It has been a battle
turning them away. The Man of God (Makandiwa) has refused to even meet them
saying if they want any favours, they have to first attend his church like
everyone else. He does not want to be used by Zanu PF or any other party,”
said one of Makandiwa’s aides.
According to the aides, some Zanu PF
officials who lost the recent round of elections in 2008 as well as some who
were thrown into the political dustbins in the 2000 and 2005 general
elections, and some who have never seen the Parliament door, although they
aspire to be in the August house, were now Makandiwa’s regular visitors at
his services.
Some are said to be spending time waiting to see him at his
office but with no success.
“His policy is simple. They should become
UFI members first. This, however, does not guarantee them that he will
campaign for them. He can only accommodate them,” said the source. But
questions have been asked why Makandiwa agreed to bless the Zanu PF
anti-sanctions rally.
A friend of Makandiwa who is also a pastor, Bishop
Albert Chikuni defended him and said: “There was nothing wrong for the
prophet to “bless” the event as he was doing so in good faith and submitting
himself to the rulers of the world.
“This man of God has been
elevated from ministering to obscure men but now has access to minister to
people of influence which is an opportunity desired by every cleric,” said
Chikuni.
Added Chikuni: “Most business owners have also found a fortune
in Makandiwa’s huge gatherings, for your quick references ask taxi drivers
and kombi drivers only to mention a few,” said Chikuni.
Zanu PF
spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo told The Daily News that Makandiwa could “join
the party as an individual like any other individuals if interested.”
He
said the party did not particularise on Makandiwa but would work with him
like other churches who campaigning for Zanu PF.
“Why particularise
on Makandiwa when we have other churches that we have been working with like
apostolic sects,” he said. “The position of the party is that we will work
with everyone who supports us,” added Gumbo.
They young and prosperous
“miracle” worker has been making headlines since his controversial departure
from his former church, the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) where he was a
pastor at Hebron ministries in Chitungwiza to lead UFI.
He made
headlines recently when he launched his spiritual airtime cards.
The
cards are sold at $3 while they fetch as much as $6 in the United Kingdom
and the United States of America (USA).
However, the launch of the cards
has landed Makandiwa and his UFI church in hot soup after the Post and
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) started probing
how his spiritual airtime cards was operating. POTRAZ insists that Makandiwa
will “face the music” if found liable.
There is suspicion that this
service was illegally riding on officially registered networks, NetOne,
Econet, and Telecel platforms. The spiritual airtime cards launch has also
seen Makandiwa being dragged to court by a Harare man who claims the idea
was stolen from him.
Pascal Nyasha, who dragged Makandiwa to the High
Court seeking an interdict barring him from selling the airtime until the
matter is resolved, told High Court Judge, Tedious Karwi last week that
Makandiwa reneged on an initial agreement the two had made to work together
in the launch of the service.
Karwi ruled that the matter was not urgent
bringing relief to Makandiwa who can continue selling his airtime for
now.
"Put people first," has probably been the most
invidious deceit in Zimbabwe since Zanu (PF) came to power. The party has
regularly invoked the "people" each time it has seen fit to embark on an
outrage in pursuit of its endless self-interest. All manner of cruelty,
calumny and kleptomania have been committed in the name of the
people. 10.08.1101:45pm by Chief Reporter
President Robert
Mugabe refused to hand over power following his crushing 2008 defeat -
ostensibly because the people would not allow it.
Now once again, the
army generals claim “the people” will not allow them to salute anyone
without liberation war credentials – an obvious reference to MDC leader
Morgan Tsvangirai.
Even in the economic realm, the previous Zanu (PF)
government opted for a command economy and, in the process, dragged the
country along a path that led to economic ruin for the majority and obscene
wealth for those in power.
Even when everyone else, including the
Russians, abandoned that ideology, Mugabe was busy declaring himself the
“most faithful disciple" of Marxist-Leninist philosophy.
It was only
when the government realised it was heading for a balance of payments
cul-de-sac that it abandoned its command economy in favour of trade
liberalisation.
But nothing has ever and probably never will
exposed Zanu (PF)’s deceit as clearly as its current battle cry: "People
first".
Those Zimbabweans who support other parties have been branded
"traitors" – they are no longer people.
In the name of “the people”
Zanu (PF) has destroyed agriculture and, in the process, is starving the
very people it purports to be putting first.
It has almost totally
destroyed the mining, manufacturing and tourism industries.
Currently
it is pushing an indigenisation law that economists have already warned will
spook investors and send the economy reeling.
The direct effect of that
will be record high unemployment and abject poverty.
The party
routinely offers the hordes of jobless youths unlimited alcohol and
niggardly stipends in exchange for terrorising their parents and other
elders - whose consciences will not allow them to support Zanu (PF)’s insane
policies.
Recent laws and other arbitrary injunctions made possible
by the use of the Presidential Powers Act have had the effect of making ours
a society where there is no freedom, no justice, no equality before the law
and where only supporters of Zanu (PF) are safe, says Vote Moyo, a political
and social commentator.
"Zanu (PF) says that the MDC is hell-bent on
reversing the gains of our hard-won independence. But the truth is that what
the ruling party has been doing is what has reversed all the gains of our
independence. The President is even trying to kill democracy by blocking all
democratic processes using his special powers, proved time and again to be
ultra vires the Constitution," said Moyo.
News releases from Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe – 10th August 2011
FROM THE ZIMBABWE
VIGIL
News releases from
our sister organisation Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe –
10th August 2011
1.ROHR
Zimbabwe attends SADC CNGO Forum meetings in South
Africa.
This week, ROHR
Zimbabwe joined other progressive organizations within the region at the
7th
Annual Southern Africa Civil Society Forum Meeting and the SADC CNGO (Council
of Non-Governmental Organisations) roundtable meeting in Johannesburg South
Africa. The high
level yet grounded and interactive multi-stakeholder policy dialogue was
entitled ‘SADC Governance and accountability - Taking
stock’.
The
Forum attracted civil society leaders from all countries to discuss the civil
society positions and proposals for consideration by the SADC Heads of States
Summit ahead of the 2011 Ordinary Heads of States Summit which will be held in
mid-August in Luanda, Angola.
The
dialogues were aimed at achieving the following objectives:
1)To
bring diverse views for critical engagement with development challenges facing
the SADC region and the continent at large;
2)To
create space for collective and in depth examination of regional, continental
and global policies, processes and institutions and their effectiveness and
impact on the citizens of the SADC region;
3)To
create a platform for broad based generation of ideas and regional policy
proposals as a contribution of non-state actors to addressing the development
challenges in the region.
The
dialogue, pitched at the highest possible level, drew participants from
accomplished civil society activists, independent analysts, former and current
senior government officials, members of SADC Secretariat and of the United
Nations, scholars, media, private sector and international cooperating partners.
ROHR
Zimbabwe Executive Director Mr. Tichanzii Gandanga praised the forum for coming
at a crucial time ahead of the SADC summit in Angola and
said
“The
Forum provided civil society within the region the opportunity to formulate the
basis of engagement with SADC leaders in Angola, as well as to brainstorm and
share views, ideas and notes on human rights and democratization issues within
the region”
Speaking
from Johannesburg ROHR South African Chapter Coordinator Mr. Reason Machengere
said, “The discussions were fruitful and focused on issues bedeviling the region
as well the ways to mitigate them”
The
7th Annual Southern Africa Civil Society Forum Meeting Highlights in
brief:
·Malawi
joins Zimbabwe, DRC, Madagascar and Swaziland as hot spots in
SADC.
·Issue
of free movement within SADC
·Lack
of cohesive regional development strategies
·Challenging
SADC Heads of State on the suspension of the SADC tribunal among
others
ROHR
Zimbabwe will publicize the full resolutions when they are finalised by the
Forum.
2.ROHR South Africa for
a robust ROHR Zimbabwe, condemns destabilization agenda by the Zvorwadza
Clique
ROHR
South Africa would like to respond to recent public notices inserted by and
bearing the signatures of Stendrick Zvorwadza and Grace Mupfurutsa masquerading
as ROHR Zimbabwe. ROHR South Africa Chapter wishes to distance itself from
this group and wishes to notify the media, partners, civic society and members
of the public that the aforementioned people have nothing to do with ROHR
Zimbabwe, can never speak, act or contract on behalf of
ROHR.
The
position is: Stendrick Zvorwadza, Ronald Mureverwi and Edgar Chikuvire were
expelled from ROHR Zimbabwe for violating its constitution and founding
principles. Grace Mupfurutsa who claims to be a board member of ROHR is an alien
who wants to gate crash the organization through the trio’s machinations.
In an
attempt to hijack ROHR Zimbabwe the group has been spewing malicious, misleading
and extremely defamatory public notices and press releases. Our membership takes
exception to such mischief. As a human rights organization, we encourage
everyone to resort to the rule law and legal due process. We encourage law
abiding citizenship, respect to our organization, its membership, and
secretariat.
The
ROHR South Africa Chapter through its Chairman Mr. Reason Machengere continues
to rally behind ROHR Zimbabwe as led by its founding President and Board
Chairperson Ephraim Tapa and Executive Director Tichanzii Gandanga, its
secretariat and membership.
We
remain true and steadfast to ROHR Zimbabwe’s founding principles and vision to
lobby to fight for the entrenchment of human rights in support of the broader
democratisation process in Zimbabwe. Any attempts at subversion through the
hijacking of the organisation will be strongly resisted.
Thank
you
Reason
Machengere
ROHR
South Africa Chairperson
Phone
+27837419076
Zimbabwe Vigil
Co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside
the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00
to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The
Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until
internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk
For all our troubles
this is a great place to live and raise children. I was attending a birthday
party for my grandson who has just turned 8, he had invited 29 little boys
of his own age (no girls) and they had a “Pirate Party” organized by my
daughter. Those boys had a great evening and some stayed over to sleep in
tents on the lawn.
One of the parents, sitting on the stoep coined the
phrase “marvelous Zimbabwe” as it was a beautiful evening, blue skies, about
25 c and no humidity. Nearby the national cricket team was busy beating
Bangladesh in a 5 days test at the Harare Sports Club – a great Dutch style
complex of green grass and bars in the center of town, next to the
magnificent Royal Harare Golf Course. I recalled meeting a businessman in
London who said to me (we had just won the ICC Trophy) “there is nothing
wrong with a country that can play first class cricket!” In a way he had a
point.
My one nephew is coaching the Zimbabwe team, another is coaching
the English team and he has transformed that team since he took charge. My
grandson attends a local private school where for $4000 a year he is getting
a world-class education without government subsidy. Our private schools are
really first class, somehow the kids come out of those schools well rounded,
achievers and hard working.
At Independence people who were leaving
the country said to me that their great fears were health and education – I
said that if that was the case, we should stay and make sure that our needs
were met in both areas through private enterprise. The private schools that
have mushroomed in the country since then have fully supported my views.
Last week I got confirmation of the same for health services. My wife had a
severe pain in her stomach and we suspected an ulcer. My daughter suggested
we try a new facility near where we stay in Harare when I am there for
Parliament.
She went to this new private clinic and when I got home from
Parliament she said that I should accompany her to see this place. We
arrived at nearly 6 pm and it was humming. She saw a doctor in 5 minutes and
was referred to a specialist after some tests and scan. Fast, efficient,
courteous, modern equipment, beautiful surroundings – world class in every
sense and our medical aid paid for it in full, there were no charges. It was
black funded, managed and staffed with only one of the doctors who were
white on the staff. Once again, the private sector at work.
Then
there is our medical aid societies – we belong to one, totally local, pay
$50 a month and in return get $60 000 of emergency medical insurance cover,
ambulance and air ambulance services on call 24 hours a day, cover for
doctors visits, dentist and optician services and if the service we require
is not available locally – access to the best in South Africa. When I had a
stent inserted in the back of my brain three years ago it was at a private
hospital in South Africa, local specialists but they held a videoconference
with a specialist in Texas and Paris while I was on the operating table.
Medical aid costs as little as $6 a month and gives you various stages of
cover. It is just amazing – no government involvement, private capital,
private investment and management, all world class, all
African.
Marvelous Zimbabwe does it again and again. We have yet to
fix the main problem, but that is work in progress. It may look a mess right
now but we are working on this in our own way and gradually a new society is
emerging. Near to where we live in Harare is a new supermarket, the
“Bridge”. I want to tell you that not many people anywhere in the world
would have access to a store of such modern and sophisticated design. It’s
new, it’s locally designed and constructed, locally managed and owned and
it’s world class. Can we do it? Yes we can and are, and all those skeptics
out there who thought otherwise must come and take a look.
We have
the best climate in the world, do not have earthquakes or tornados and are
so far out of the mainstream of world financial affairs that we do not
matter and Wall Street is a curiosity. Our Polo Crosse team just came second
in the World Championship – all dispossessed farmers who decided that while
the farm situation is being sorted out, they would play Polo. Now we watch
the Yobo’s of London and Liverpool trash their cities and burn their future
while the Police seem totally incapable.
We have made sacrifices by
staying in Zimbabwe and joining in the fight for a better world for our
grandchildren to live in but it has been worth every thing and more and the
fact that we are in fact winning is just a bonsela. Just come and sit on the
sidelines of a school rugby match and watch the new generation setting the
standards for a new world. They play hard and they work hard, they are the
kind of kids that will make us all proud.
Just to return briefly to the
global financial crisis. The public debt of China is 150 per cent of their
GDP – the same or worse than Greece, in the USA its nearing 100 per cent of
GDP – ours is about 90 per cent. It is all a question of perception and
confidence, smoke and mirrors. The US Congress did nobody any good quibbling
over an issue that was clear from the start. The private sector may be doing
marvelous things in Zimbabwe, but let me tell you, no country can afford to
take on the markets. If you do dumb things you pay the price and the first
black President of the USA is not in anyway responsible for the loss of
confidence in the US financial system. That lies squarely with the House and
the Senate and I hope they are duly warned.
Bill Watch 31/2011 of 6th August [Indigenisation Regulations Amendments & PLC Adverse Reports]
BILL WATCH 31/2011
[6th August
2011]
Indigenisation
Regulations Amended Again – Still Not Legally Satisfactory
Minister of Youth
Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Kasukuwere has made further
amendments to the Indigenisation Regulations [SI 84/2011, gazetted and coming
into effect on 27th July].[Electronic version of SI 84/2011 available; also main Indigenisation
Regulations updated to incorporate all amendments.] The amendments modify changes to the
regulations made in April [by SI 34/2011].Presumably the intention of these latest amendments is to correct
provisions in the April amendments which the Parliamentary Legal Committee [PLC]
found unconstitutional.
[All Bills and
statutory instruments have to be examined by the PLC for consistency with the
Constitution.A Bill is examined as soon
as it is introduced into Parliament.If
it attracts an adverse report stating it is inconsistent with the Constitution,
the Minister responsible for the Bill usually agrees to amendments to meet the
PLC’s objections.This clears the way
for the Bill to be passed by Parliament and eventually be gazetted as an
Act.Statutory instruments, however, are
only examined by the PLC after they have already been gazetted and become law;
so if the PLC issues an adverse report on a statutory instrument, and the
responsible Minister agrees to change it, he or she has to gazette a further
statutory instrument making the necessary changes.]
In this case the
PLC criticised SI 34/2011 for the heavy penalties it laid down for businesses
convicted of failing to submit indigenisation plans or substantially
undervaluing net assets.The PLC said
the penalties of a $2 000 fine or up to 5 years imprisonment, or both, were so
grossly disproportionate to the offences as to amount to inhuman or degrading
punishment contrary to section 15 of the Constitution.It also criticised as absurd the provision
for companies and other “artificial persons” to be given sentences of
imprisonment.
The latest SI reduces the penalties to which the PLC objected - fines
come down from $2 000 to $1 000 or $700, and sentences of imprisonment from 5
years to 3 months, 4 months or 12 months.It also tries to correct the PLC’s point about the impossibility of
sending a company to prison by sayingthat companies, private business corporations, partnerships and
associations will be liable to a fine only.But it adds a new provision that every director, partner or board
member will be liable to a $2 000 fine or 3, 4 or 12 months’ imprisonment or
both.The
Minister has no power under the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment
Act
to make this sort of provision, which is also inconsistent with section 277 of
the Criminal Law Code.Section 277 of
the Code states that such office-bearers will not be liable for a criminal
offence committed by their organisation if it is shown they took no part in the
offence.
Therefore the
PLC, which is tasked to report not only on the statutory instrument’s
constitutionality but also on whether it is ultra vires its enabling Act, will
be bound to issue another adverse report..
Indigenisation Rules
for the Mining Sector: Another Adverse Report from
PLC
Separate from the
main Indigenisation Regulations are the special rules for the indigenisation of
the mining sector that were gazetted in General Notice [GN] 114/2011.The GN purports to have been made in terms of
sections 5 and 5A of the regulations.
This GN has also attracted an adverse report from the PLC,
[electronic version of report available].
The report states that the GN is
inconsistent with the Constitution in two ways:
·for infringing the
right to freedom of association by purporting to compel businesses to
transfer shares to partners specified by the Minister of Youth Development,
Indigenisation and Empowerment in the GN rather than to partners of their own
choice [Constitution, section 21, which
includes the right not to be compelled to associate]
·for authorising
unconstitutional compulsory acquisition of company shares, because it
requires most of the entities to which shares must be transferred, as specified
by the Minister in the GN, are State entities [inconsistent with Constitution, section 16,
which requires a compulsory acquisition law to make both acquisition and
compensation subject to court approval in cases of
disagreement].
In addition to these
constitutional points, the report finds the GN to be ultra vires sections 5(4)
as read with 5A of the main Indigenisation Regulations, which are the enabling
provisions invoked by the Minister in the preamble to the GN.These sections empower only the relaxation of
the 51% indigenisation target – which is far from what the Minister has done in
the GN.The $1 asset value threshold set
by the GN for the mining sector is also found to be inconsistent with the
general indigenisation threshold of $500 000 set by the main regulations, and
therefore invalid.
Reminder
–Procedure for PLC Adverse Reports on Statutory
Instruments
The Constitution
requires that an adverse report on a statutory instrument should initially go to
the Senate [Constitution, Schedule 4,
paragraph 8].It will only be
considered by the House of Assembly if the Senate accepts the adverse report and
resolves that the SI is inconsistent with the Constitution.In that case the report goes to the House of
Assembly, which has the option of resolving, within 21 sitting days after the
Senate resolution, that the statutory instrument concerned should not be
repealed, notwithstanding the adverse report.If the 21 days elapse without such a resolution, the President must
forthwith repeal the offending statutory instrument.The Senate’s Standing Orders say that an
adverse report must be set down for consideration by the Senate on the first
sitting day following its receipt from the PLC – but the Senate can vote to
delay debate.
Speaker’s Ruling on
Invalidity of House of Assembly Standing Orders on PLC Adverse Reports on
Statutory Instruments
In spite of the
constitutional provision that adverse reports on statutory instruments should
first go to the Senate, several such reports had been set down for consideration
by the House of Assembly before going through
the correct procedure in the Senate.On
27th July the Speaker therefore ruled that House of Assembly Standing Orders 138(2) and 205(4B) are void insofar as they
relate to how adverse reports on statutory instruments are dealt with.[Note:
These Standing Orders had provided for adverse reports on statutory instruments
to be submitted direct to the House of Assembly and considered immediately
without reference to the role of the Senate; this inconsistency with the
Constitution was the basis of the Speaker’s ruling that the Standing Orders were
void.]The Speaker accordingly ordered that all current motions for
consideration of adverse reports be expunged from the House Order Paper.[Electronic version of Speaker’s ruling available.]These adverse reports now
have to be considered by the Senate.There is a procedural problem – there is no Senator on the PLC and
usually a PLC member presents and explains the reports.
The Adverse
Reports Concerned
The backlog of
adverse reports will now, as is constitutionally correct, be debated in the
Senate when it next meets.Those to
beconsidered
include:
·the report on the
3rd Amendment to the Indigenisation Regulations [SI 34/2011][removed from the House of Assembly Order
Paper but not yet tabled in the Senate] The PLC has said it would withdraw this
report if the Minister made satisfactory corrections, so debate is likely to
await the PLC’s verdict on the Minister’s attempt to do that in SI 84/2011 [see comments on this SI above].
·the General
Notice laying down the special rules for indigenisation of the mining sector [GN
114/2011] [the report
referred to above –removed from the House of Assembly Order Paper and already
tabled in the Senate]
·a number of SIs
laying down penalty provisions in local authority by-laws which the PLC found
unconstitutional and/or ultra vires[removed from the House of Assembly Order
Paper but not yet tabled in the Senate]
Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot
take legal responsibility for information supplied
