Census training back on track following disturbances

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
10 August 2012

The training of enumerators for next week’s population census will resume on
Saturday following a ‘clear all’ meeting between Deputy Prime Minister
Arthur Mutambara and security sector Ministers in Harare.

The training for over 31,000 enumerators was suspended on Thursday when
members of the uniformed forces disrupted the exercise, demanding that they
be included in the count.

But on Friday it was reported that Mutambara had had a marathon meeting with
Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi and
co-Home Affairs Ministers Theresa Makone and Kembo Mohadi and it was decided
the training had to resume without delay.

The meeting was also attended by Acting Finance Minister Gorden Moyo and
several key stakeholders in the program. Moyo told journalists at a news
conference he shared with Mutambara Friday that enumerators will go back to
their stations from Saturday.

‘The training will be conducted from Saturday until Tuesday. We want to take
advantage of the Heroes and Defence forces holiday to ensure the training is
done. The census exercise will go ahead as planned between the 17th and 18th
of this month,’ Moyo said.

Earlier Mutambara said that government had put its house in order, following
what he termed a productive meeting with the security ministers.

‘As you know there has been discord and disharmony in the last few days but
following this meeting, we’ve managed to harmonize and coordinate among
ourselves to ensure we embark on a credible journey that will guarantee a
credible outcome of the census,’ Mutambara said.

However, both Mutambara and Moyo were evasive in disclosing how they
resolved the issue of the uniformed forces’ involvement in the census.

The armed forces, controlled by Robert Mugabe’s powerful Junta, wanted
10,000 of their men and women to be part of the 31,000 enumerators.

But government only approved just over 1,500 officers from the army, state
intelligence, prison service and the police.

At the press conference Moyo insisted that his meeting with the security
sector ministers was in harmony with the cabinet directive that only 1,500
officers will take part in the exercise.

No change to census date: Moyo

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

09/08/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE’S fourth national census will still go ahead on August 17 and 18
despite a decision by ministers to temporarily suspend the count on Tuesday.
Cabinet halted the recruitment and training of enumerators on Tuesday after
chaotic scenes at training centres countrywide.

Zanu PF and the MDC-T traded accusations, each claiming the other was trying
to use the process to canvass. The MDC-T also objected to troops being used
as enumerators.

But Acting Finance Minister Gorden Moyo insisted on Thursday that the census
would still go ahead – although no date has been announced for the
resumption of training.

“No training will take place until further notice, but we would want to
assure Zimbabweans that the census will be held according to the SADC and
United Nations standards. We have stayed true to the process in 1982, 1992,
2002 and 2012 is no different,” Moyo said.
The minister said members of the security forces including the police and
army were unlikely to play a role in the count.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party claimed earlier this week
that Zanu PF planned to hijack the census “to force a delimitation of the
constituencies that would increase seats in areas they think they dominate”.

Conversely, the state-run Herald newspaper claimed the MDC-T “sought to
hijack the process for political reasons and was averse to having members of
the security forces taking part for fear of exposure”.

The government is spending US$37 million on the census with 30,000 census
takers set to knock on every door. Data gathered is to be used for the
delimitation of constituencies ahead of elections next year that would end
Zimbabwe’s shaky coalition ­government.

Government Limits Army in Census Process

http://www.voanews.com

Sebastian Mhofu
August 10, 2012

HARARE — Zimbabwe’s government has announced that the nationwide census -
due to begin next week - will take place as planned. Preparations were
suspended earlier this week after the military became involved in what some
analysts said was an attempt to intimidate voters ahead of elections.

When Zimbabwe's security forces became involved in preparations for the
census the country’s acting finance minister, Gorden Moyo, called off the
process. But late Friday, after a meeting that lasted several hours between
security ministers, the acting finance minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Arthur Mutambara, the impasse was resolved. Mutambara said the headcount
process which will result would be “credible.”

“In the last few days there has been a lot of discord and disharmony," he
said. "Why do we stick to the formula that works? That formula has a role
for the security sector. The question is the quantum and the form of the
participation and that has been harmonized among ourselves."

Traditionally the census in Zimbabwe is done by teachers but more than
10,000 security forces had found their way onto the list of enumerators.
And in Zimbabwe, many people associate the army with intimidating civilians.
In the 1980s, President Robert Mugabe’s government used soldiers to
intimidate and to commit violence against perceived dissidents in the
southern part of Zimbabwe. In the disputed elections of 2008, the army was
said to be involved in violence against supporters of the then-opposition
MDC party.

Zimbabwe's last census was held in 2002. That census showed Zimbabwe had
about 11.6 million people.

Zimbabwe has just finished drafting a new constitution that limits
presidential powers while strengthening those of parliament, an important
but much-delayed step ahead of elections scheduled next year. The
elections, plagued by violence in the past, are going to be held under a
power-sharing deal between the parties of President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Deployed Zimbabwe Army: SADC panics

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

by Xolisani Ncube 5 hours 31 minutes ago

HARARE - Regional Sadc leaders are panicking over Zimbabwe’s soldiers, whose
conduct they fear could lead to instability or distabilisation if President
Robert Mugabe loses the next election.

Sadc leaders are meeting in Maputo next week and had shelved discussion on
Zimbabwe after reports indicated some progress on reforms agreed under the
power sharing Global Political Agreement (GPA) such as a new constitution.

But alarm bells are ringing after soldiers and other uniformed forces went
on a rampage last week and hijacked a census process supposed to be run by
civilian government workers.

So powerful are the soldiers that even a directive by Mugabe for them to
return to the barracks and allow the training of census enumerators to run
smoothly went unheeded.

This forced the ministry of Finance, which is in charge of the census, to
cancel the training programme yesterday.

Highly placed diplomatic sources told the Daily News yesterday that there
has been a flurry of activity among Sadc ambassadors accredited to Zimbabwe.

Sources said the soldiers’ actions had unnerved regional leaders, who are
desperate for a solution to Zimbabwe’s political crisis that has engulfed
the region for more than a decade.

Ahead of the Maputo meeting, Sadc is now worried that if the soldiers can
disrupt the census process, then it is likely they can do even worse during
the highly polarised referendum and elections expected next year.

The military took over Mugabe and Zanu PF’s campaign after he lost first
round voting in March 2008 resulting in gross violence.

Sadc fears a repeat of this, particularly as Mugabe resists security sector
reforms agreed to in the GPA.

“The biggest worry is that we understand that the country is supposed to
hold elections by June next year and we thought the referendum was going to
be sometime in October and the behaviour of the army is disturbing in that
context,” said a Sadc diplomat stationed in Harare.

According to sources, the diplomats are consulting amongst themselves ahead
of next week’s meeting on events that have been taking place in the country.

The sources say the diplomats are worried about the deteriorating political
situation which has been worsened by the involvement of the security forces
in civilian processes such as the census.

This comes as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai wound his regional tour where
he met Mozambican and Tanzanian leaders to brief them on the political
situation in the country.

His spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka told the Daily News that the tour was a
success.

“The Prime Minister met his counterpart President Jakaya Kikwete for over an
hour to brief his on the situation and the pace of reforms in the country.
As you know he has already this week met Mozambican President Amando Guebuza
who is the incoming Sadc chairman while the Tanzanian leader will take over
the chair of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Troika this
month,” Tamborinyoka said.

“The striking thing is that the summit that led to the formation of the
Government of National Unity was held in Tanzania.”

Tsvangirai also dispatched his party vice president Thokozani Khupe to meet
Zambian leader Michael Sata to drum up support for his party position on
reform issues, particularly the constitution making process which is being
stalled by Zanu PF’s infighting.

Meanwhile, the Sadc facilitation team led by South African president Jacob
Zuma said it is not sure if it will travel to Harare before the summit for
consultation.

“We haven’t got the nod to come so we are not sure yet if we will make the
trip to Harare. Ordinarily it will be proper for us to get a briefing before
the summit,” said the spokesperson of the facilitation team Lindiwe Zulu by
phone from South Africa.

Members of civil society, who are sending teams to Maputo to lobby for an
end to Zimbabwe’s crisis, say Zanu PF’s dithering is a sign that the party
is not ready to embrace reforms and Sadc should adopt a hardline stance to
solve the problems in Zimbabwe.

“The current situation in the country reveals that the three parties have
not done enough as envisaged by Sadc and the people of Zimbabwe. In general,
we have no reforms to talk about, but let me mention this with interest that
the two MDC formations have shown interest in having key reforms and this
they have done through the endorsement of the draft constitution,” said
Zimrights director Okay Machisa.

“Zanu PF is still bickering on the draft constitution and it will be
difficult for Sadc to allow Zimbabwe to go for elections without a new
constitution,” he said.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition coordinator Mcdonald Lewanika said regional
leaders are frustrated by the slow pace of reforms. - Daily News

“Zimbabwe political parties have done virtually nothing when it comes to
implementation of the election road map which was set out by Sadc, and from
our interactions with Troika members, they are very frustrated. The clear
message coming from Sadc is that Zimbabwe cannot go for elections without a
new constitution,” said Lewanika.

Zanu PF, Army Smuggle 10,000 Enumerators in Census: MDC

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare, August 10, 2012 - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party on
Thursday said about 10,000 soldiers and ZANU PF youth officers were
recruited to be enumerators in the coming census to falsify data as cabinet
ordered the removal of security personnel from the process.

"A record 10,000 army and Zanu PF youth officers are reported to have been
conscripted into the census at the expense of school teachers and other
civil servants who have traditionally carried this exercise for the
country," the MDC said.

"The involvement of the army, the intelligence and Zanu PF youth officers is
a well planned move to militarise this civilian process. It is clearly meant
to falsify the results of the census, which results may provide pointers in
areas where elections were rigged to suit Zanu PF in the past."

"The MDC therefore, hails the decision of the cabinet at the behest of the
Minister of Finance to order the removal of soldiers and youth officers from
this exercise," the party said.

Acting Minister of Finance, Gorden Moyo told journalists at a news
conference Thursday that the training of enumerators has been suspended
"indefinitely" falling short of naming soldiers and intelligence officers as
the ones behind the violent disruptions of the recruitment of the population
counters.

"We have suspended training because we need to make sure that all the
enumerators, 31,000 of them meet the criteria. There is a criteria we have
set, that criteria is not just for Zimbabwe, that criteria is regional and
international best practice," Moyo said.

"The census count should commence midnight 17, 18 of August 2012. This date
has remained fixed since 1982, and should remain so following international
best practice. However, training of enumerators has not proceeded smoothly
owing to constant disruptions."

Moyo, however, said the army has always been part of the national processes,
as they have a role to play that there is peace and stability in the
country. Moyo said the army and other security services can count people in
security areas only using trained enumerators.

"There are designated areas where we don't send civilians to do work there.
Even those security personnel who will participate as enumerators in those
areas like police camps and others, they will have to meet the technical
criteria," Moyo said.

"No training will take place until further notice. We have suspended the
training until further notice. I would like to assure the people of Zimbabwe
that census shall be held according to the standards, the standards that are
found in the SADC principles that are found in the United Nations
statistical department. We shall follow those."

Recruitment of enumerators has been marred by violent scenes across the
country as the army, police and intelligence services servicemen bulldozed
their way to be employed as enumerators for two weeks attracted by
allowances.

Enumerators in the population census are guaranteed $500 for the two weeks
they would be working across the country, a figure which is double the
salary of a civil servant who earns $250. Those people who will hire out
their vehicles are going to earn $1000 for car hire.

Schools Take Early Break to Pave Way for National Census

http://www.voazimbabwe.com

Marvellous Mhlanga-Nyahuye

Last updated at: 09.08.2012 10:48

Schools in Zimbabwe have been forced to close early as preparations for the
country's forthcoming national census, set to start next month, are now in
full swing.

The move, says the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency, is meant to give teachers
time to train as enumerators. Schools were originally scheduled to close for
the second term next week.

Harare teacher Abbiot Moyo said the government should plan better in the
future so students do not have to disrupt their studies unnecessarily.

"The Government knew it would conduct a census in 2012 and should have
factored this in the school calender last year," said an irate Moyo. "It
seems as if the Ministry of Education is always the casualty when it comes
to disruptions."

"Most schools in the country were in the process of preparing for mid-term
exams with some students laying the groundwork for Ordinary and Advanced
Level examinations in November," he added.

MDCs gang-up against ZANU-PF

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw

Friday, 10 August 2012 10:51

Njabulo Ncube, Assistant Editor

THE two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have teamed
up against ZANU-PF as President Robert Mugabe’s party strategises over the
draft constitution.
ZANU-PF spin-doctors have been in overdrive mode to discredit the draft,
claiming it failed to incorporate the views of the people collected during
controversial outreach programmes that were marred by violence and
allegations of participants being coached to parrot what President Mugabe’s
party wanted included in the new constitution.
ZANU-PF has raised a catalogue of objections over the draft, top among them
being the perceived erosion of President Mugabe’s Executive powers in the
draft despite its active participation in its formulation and crafting.
The party is also objecting devolution of power, the establishment of a
Constitutional Court, the deployment of defe-nce forces outside the country
needing parliamentary approval, the establishment of a national peace and
reconciliation commission, the restructuring of the Attorney-General’s
Office, the creation of a position of Prosecutor General and the nomination
of presidential running mates, among other issues.
Another politburo meeting to critique the draft was called yesterday after
ZANU-PF’s supreme decision making organ met for nearly 24 hours last Friday
perusing the document.
ZANU-PF insiders said the party was likely to reject the draft and declare a
deadlock, leading to the holding of elections under the old constitution.
The two MDC formations are however, adamant they would put a formidable
campaign against plans by ZANU-PF to sabotage the three-and-half year
constitution-making process by campaigning for a YES vote at a national
referendum expected in October.
Nhlanhla Dube, the national spokesperson of the Welshman Ncube-led MDC,
whose party, along with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T formation
have overwhelmingly endorsed the draft, said the party made a decision on
the constitution based on principle.
“We have accepted that the draft is far from being a perfect document.
“We are in fact more aggrieved than ZANU-PF in as far as giving up a lot of
what should, in our view, have been closer to a good document. We have said
that the compromises, which we have made were many and painful but we made
them still because we realise that if we do not make headway in coming up
with a new constitution then we would be complicit in forestalling
democratisation of our country.
“We have also been clear in our message around the constitution making
process and without equivocation or prevarication that ZANU-PF is free to go
and campaign for a NO vote on the draft.
“It is, after all, the people who will decide what constitution they want
and not political parties and politicians.
“We will simply go out and explain why we made concessions and why we think
that this draft represents incremental democratic gains,” he said. Douglas
Mwonzora, the national spokesperson for the MDC-T, said his party’s national
council, which is the highest decision-making organ in between congresses,
sat last Friday to analyse the draft constitution and after extensive
deliberation it was resolved to accept the constitutional draft.
“It (national council) recommended Zimba-bweans to vote YES for the
constitution in the referendum,” said Mwonzora, adding that among other
positives, the MDC-T was happy the draft constitution has a comprehensive
Bill of Rights that include the first generation rights and socio-economic
rights.
“The constitution makes provisions for free and fair elections and sets
definite time periods in which elections must be held,” he said.
The MDC-T was also happy that the dream for a 50-50 representation in
parliament was becoming a reality, he added.
“The MDC urges the Zimbabweans to ignore prophets of doom who have dismissed
the constitution as they want to reverse the gains made by the people,” he
said.

Warring Zanu PF factions blocking draft: MDC-T

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

By Staff Reporter 3 hours 25 minutes ago

HARARE - The party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai MDC-T says
warring factional fights within Zanu PF are holding back the constitutional
reform programme after the Politburo said Wednesday it would take its
reservations over the draft direct to the coalition principals.

The MDC parties have since endorsed the draft while Zanu PF’s politburo
ended its third meeting over the document late Wednesday with officials
saying the party was now finalising proposed amendments before making public
its verdict.

“Some of us are not taking this thing lightly. It is important that we
scrutinise every aspect and every word. We are not against the whole
document,” said party spokesman, Rugare Gumbo.

“There are some good provisions in the document, but there are also other
areas we felt deviated from what the people said during the outreach.

“Our legal team is now putting our amendments in legal language. We should
be able to submit the document to the principals after the Heroes holidays.”

But MDC-T spokesman, Douglas Mwonzora, said the delays were not acceptable,
adding Zanu PF should take its reservations to the second stake-holders
conference as agreed under the constitutional reform process.

“Asking Copac or the management committee or the principals to re-negotiate
is tantamount to asking Copac, management committee or the principals to
decide on the factional feud within Zanu PF,” he said.

“We are totally against any further negotiations because it is time-wasting
and unproductive. Besides, this document is a product of the outreach and
negotiation processes.

“The document must be taken to the Second All Stakeholders Conference where
Zanu PF is included, to interrogate the document. They can also wait for the
referendum to air out their views.

MDC official, Qubani Moyo, said Zanu PF’s reservations over the draft came
as a surprise claiming the party’s negotiators had endorsed the document. He
said the party should campaign for a ‘No Vote’ during the referendum if it
was not happy with the document.

“Every paragraph, line, comma and full stop were negotiated and agreed on by
the parties and signed by all their negotiators as confirmation that they
identify with both the content and process of Constitution-making,” he said.

“As such, let the document that has been signed be taken to a referendum as
it is and the people will decide through a referendum whether they want it
or not.

“If Zanu PF is strongly against the draft as we are hearing now, they have
an option of mobilising their supporters to vote “NO” and if their views are
truly the views of the majority of Zimbabweans then obviously their day will
prevail.”

Gumbo however, dismissed the criticism, insisting Zanu PF was right to take
its time scrutinising and auditing the draft.

“They (MDC parties) have a right to express their views, but they will see
when we come up with a radical position that we are not playing games,” he
said.

“We are not worried by what they are talking about because we are focused on
what we want to achieve. They will see from our position paper that we are
serious.

“There is no factionalism they are talking about. We are all in agreement
with what we are doing. Everyone participates and there are no
contradictions.”

Writing a new constitution is part of a number of political reforms agreed
under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which facilitated the formation
of the coalition government.

The draft charter is expected to be put to a national referendum leading to
new elections now expected next year.

MDC urged to return to constitution drafting table

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
10 August 2012

The MDC formations in government have been urged to take advantage of ZANU
PF’s reluctance to endorse the new constitution and return the document to
the drafting table.

Robert Mugabe’s party met for a marathon session this week as part of its
deliberations on whether or not to accept the draft charter, released late
last month. The party has still not given its official position, saying it
wants key amendments in the draft before it can accept it.

The two MDC parties in government meanwhile have been quick to endorse the
draft constitution, despite intense criticism of the document. Analysts and
civil society groups have all said the draft charter is a ‘flawed’ product
of political negotiation that does not reflect the people’s views.

ZANU PF has said it is confident that the MDC will renegotiate, despite both
MDC’s saying that the draft is final.

But political analyst Clifford Mashiri said this week that this a good
opportunity for the MDC parties to take on board the criticism by civic
groups and others, and propose redoing the document.

“Rather than waste valuable time and stationery preparing guides to a flawed
constitution and engaging in spin, the MDC formations should admit failure
in their negotiations for a new constitution and go back to the drawing
board,” Mashiri said.

He added: “The MDC formations should stop wasting time engaging in the blame
game and seize the opportunity to amend their own mistakes which caused an
outrage.”

He meanwhile said that critical issues like security sector reform and media
reform should still take priority in the run up to any election, and said
the MDC formations should be leading the way in ensuring these reforms take
place.

Draft constitution displeases displaced farmers

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw/

Friday, 10 August 2012 10:37

Tabitha Mutenga, Farming Reporter

THE predicament of the former commercial farmers continues unabated as the
draft constitution has failed to address the issue of compensation,
stripping them of their rights to fair compensation as indigenous
Zimba-bweans.

The right of appeal is ousted and the proposed new constitution provides no
opportunity for review and until the land issue is finally and fairly dealt
with, the inherent country asset value will remain static to the detriment
of stability and development in agriculture, farmer representatives said.
According to the proposed Constitution, the terms of compensation are to be
determined by an unseen Act of Parliament. However, if such an Act is
consistent with current provisions as regards compensation, it will be
impossible to get agreement between those who have lost property and the
government.
"The draft constitution requires careful evaluation and the Commercial
Farm-ers Union (CFU) are working on a reasoned and critical appraisal.
However, in general terms commercial farmers need three things: Fair
quittance to enable them to regain lost dignity and live reasonably; an end
to discrimination; and a dispensation that treats them as equally valuable
citizens and inclusion that creates equal opportunity for a younger
generation," Agr-icultural Recovery and Compensation manager Ben Gilpin
said.
He said the draft does not guarantee any of these three sector specific
requirements. Considering that the listing of 800 properties for acquisition
in 1997 triggered a collapse of the stock market which destroyed investor
value in a day, only a restoration of trust in property rights could deliver
real investor confidence.
Much damage has been done to the agricultural sector by the State giving
itself the right to take an individual's property away by simply publishing
the details in the newspaper.
The draft document enshrines the right of the state to seize more land,
while also guaranteeing land invaders the right to the properties they
seized. The draft states that all agricultural land, including forestry
land, conservation land and horticultural land, among others, may be
"acquired" by the State for "public purpose." The takeovers will also be
done without compensation, according to the new charter and compensation
issues cannot be challenged in the courts.
"The entrenchment of clauses that rely on pre-independence land issues and
an argument with Britain are clearly outside the control of farmers who are
due for compensation. This same provision in the last and rejected
constitution was used as a whip to beat us."
"While white farmers suffered huge losses, the destruction of an industry
that employed a significant number of people and underwrote the livelihoods
of many in both down and upstream industry has been colossal. Clearly the
country's isolation has been in part due to this and therefore dealing with
this issue is only a part of a far larger package that the nation must
deliver. The proposed provisions ensure that dispossessed farmers still
remain hostage to a side disagreement with Britain," Gilpin said.
Besides the white commercial farmers, a considerable number of indigenous
people whose properties were confiscated will also remain significantly
prejudiced: there is no provision for restitution and while they will be
paid for land, other issues such as the consequential losses caused by
disturbance and the passage of time are not dealt with in common with other
provisions.
"We believe it is questionable to distinguish citizens on the basis of
indigenous or other criteria; since 1980 it has been anathema to regard
racist policy or behaviour as legitimate in Zimbabwe. To assess the value of
a citizen simply by colour is the direct impact of this clause and does no
good to the cause of liberation or history; the liberation war, after all,
was fought for all and not just some."
In the chapter on agricultural land, there are restrictive clauses that
would entrench discrimination that is perceived as fair.
According to Gilpin, "the rights of occupiers are above those of farmers".
"Clearly objective criteria should be set for the continued occupation of
current beneficiaries. Many competent farmers, agricultural graduates and
farm workers were excluded in land allocation. In addition there is no
provision for review in the case of farmers who complied with all
requirements of the land reform but who were none the less unlawfully
evicted," he said.
The CFU bemoaned the absence of an objective review of the largely partisan
process of land allocation that has taken place. There are substantial
numbers of commercial farmers and others who applied for land in accordance
with laid down procedure; however their applications have been sidelined by
a non transparent and frequently corrupt process. Some few white commercial
farmers have been promised offer letters, but to no avail.
"Due process in the allocation to current beneficiaries has not been
transparent or accountable and no rights to current beneficiaries should
be conferred until a proper independent and comprehensive audit is carried
out. Hearings with previous owners would be a valuable contribution.
Occupations were effectively accompanied by the suspension of some people's
rights and the condonation of impunity to others; to automatically confer
property as a reward for occupation is therefore questionable," Gilpin
added.
Although the parties to the Global Political Agreement have missed an
opportunity to provide a sound legal framework which stimulates an enabling
business environment, investor confidence and national economic recovery,
there is still room for dialogue on an acceptable package of principles to
take the process forward to a satisfactory conclusion.
"Clearly the document has considerable faults and is at odds with many
issues raised by concerned citizens, there are constituencies far larger
than our own who will feel excluded and discriminated against as currently
constituted. Nonetheless the question will be: does this guarantee to move
us all closer to a better situation than the current dispensation?"Gilpin
said.

SADC spotlights Zim

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw

Friday, 10 August 2012 10:54

Tinashe Madava, Senior Reporter

THERE are strong indications Zimbabwe’s nagging political crisis is likely
to be discussed once more at next week’s Sout-hern African Development
Community (SADC) summit in Maputo, Mozam-bique as part of efforts to push
through the rema-ining elements on the country’s election road-map.
Although reports have indicated that the centre stage at the Maputo summit
to be held from Aug-ust 17 to 18 would be occupied by the crisis in
Madagascar, diplomatic sources revealed yesterday that Zimbabwe would also
feature on the agenda of the regional body.
While the summit would consider reports from the region’s other hot spots
such as Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, it is bound to
also hear the report of the SADC appointed facilitation team of South
African President Jacob Zuma, not least because Zimbabwe is an outstanding
agenda item.
“The Zimbabwe crisis is a longstanding issue on the SADC agenda. The
political parties there are failing to speak with one voice on the draft
constitution for instance, so SADC cannot avoid the Zimbabwe issue,” said a
source, speaking from Pretoria, South Africa.
Zuma’s team is expected in the country before the end of this week to meet
with the Global Polit-ical Agreement (GPA) negoti-ators as they intensify
their prep-arations for the summit.
Currently, the signatories to the SADC-sponsored GPA are not fully agreed on
the proposed new supreme law of the land expected to usher in fresh
elections.
The summit will kick off with the Council of Ministers Meeting to start on
Wednesday.
SADC executive secretary, Tomaz Salamao, had been set to jet into the
country to assess the implementation of the GPA and progress in the
implementation of the organisation’s resolutions on Zimbabwe prior to the
Maputo summit but indications are that he will no longer be coming.
Instead, the facilitation team is set to come on Friday for a similar
mission.
In a telephone interview on Tuesday, SADC head of public relations Leefa
Penehupifo Martin said from Botswana her boss is currently in Seychelles
and will travel to Maputo from there.
“I doubt that he will still come to Zimbabwe because right now he is in
Seychelles and from there, he will go to Mozam-bique. The facilitation
team of South African President Jacob Zuma is supposed to come to Zimabwe
this week,” said Martin.
But asked whet-her Zimbabwe was on the agenda of the summit, Martin said
she was not sure.
“I did not see the agenda so I cannot confirm whether Zimbabwe is on the
agenda of the summit,” she said.
The South African facilitation team’s spokesperson, Lindiwe Zulu could not
be reached for comment before going to press but impeccable sources in
government confirmed that Zuma’s team was due in the country on Friday.
This was also confirmed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC-T) spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora yesterday.
“Yes, the facilitation team is coming to Zimbabwe this week, I think on
Friday,” he said when asked if he knew about the South Africans’ visit.
Mwonzora said his party expected the summit to carry on discussions on
Zimbabwe as that would be a normal procedure since the last summit in Angola
had prescribed certain actions to be taken.
“Zimbabwe is an outstanding issue. It must be discussed somehow We are
moving towards elections and we have seen increasing chaos within ZANU-PF
which is being exported State institutions such as that being witnessed at
the start of the census involving the army,” said Mwonzora.
“These issues have to be tackled by SADC because if not, it will cause chaos
in the country. Our position in the MDC remains the same; that the summit
must deal with the issue of Zimbabwe. They must consider the few remaining
issues on the GPA. They must push the country into having a referendum to
ask the people of Zimbabwe to vote on whether they approve of the draft
constitution.
“Our delegation will implore the summit that the draft constitution is
complete and was completed by a multi-party team. The parties have
negotiated enough, have fought enough and have bickered enough, now the
people of Zimbabwe must have their chance. So the summit must intervene and
push for progress,” said Mwonzora.
Malawian President Joyce Banda, Zambian President Michael Sata and Thomas
Thabane, the new Lesotho Prime Minister will make their maiden speeches at
the summit.
Sata is seen as a staunch ally of President Mugabe while Banda has shaken
the African political landscape by insisting on human rights. She had
threatened to arrest Sudanese President Omar al Bashir if he came to Malawi
for the African Union Summit resulting in the indaba being moved to
Ethiopia.
The SADC organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation met in Pretoria
last week for their 14th meeting, to chart a way forward for the region and
the upcoming SADC heads of State meeting to be held in Mozambique.
The ministers noted that Zimbabwe has made strides in implementing
outstanding issues from a political pact signed four years ago, which the
veteran ruler President Mugabe is implementing half-heartedly, according to
his coalition partners.
SADC has rejected President Mugabe’s push for a snap poll this year before
fundamental reforms have been implemented.
The last summit in Luanda pressured Zuma to push parties to the GPA to
implement agreed reforms, finalise the constitution-making process and hold
a referendum to pave way for elections next year.
SADC said preparations for elections should be done before June 2013 after
full implementation of outstanding GPA reforms. The regional bloc has
struggled to unlock Zimbabwe’s political stalemate as several summits have
made resolutions on the issue which have not been fully implemented.

Endangered wildlife under threat as hunting is ‘indigenised’

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

A rhino butchered in the Save Valley Conservancy

By Alex Bell
10 August 2012

Endangered animals in Zimbabwe are facing a serious threat from out of control hunting systems, with hunting licences being handed over to ZANU PF loyalists and other party members.

The government this week issued hunting permits to 25 indigenous ‘farmers’ allocating them lots at the wildlife-rich Save Valley Conservancy in the Lowveld. National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director general Vitalis Chadenga said more permits would be issued next week. Chadenga said the black farmers who were issued with hunting permits were allocated 25-year land leases in conservancies throughout Masvingo province.

Included in the list of beneficiaries are top ZANU PF officials and loyalists, such as Masvingo Governor Titus Maluleke, former Gutu South legislator Shuvai Mahofa and Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Stan Mudenge.
Mudenge and others were earlier this year implicated in a damning report by a parliamentary committee, which slammed the inclusion of conservancy land in the land grab campaign. The report, compiled by MPs and other government officials, warned that this has led to the destruction of important conservation areas, including parts of Save Valley.

The report singled out top ZANU PF and military officials as being responsible for this destruction, stating that Zimbabwe’s conservancies were supposed to be restricted to indigenous ‘investors’ with demonstrable “interest and experience in wildlife conservation (as well as the) capacity for business development and ability to contribute to the asset base.”

The parliamentary report said: “The allocation of indigenous beneficiaries that include General Engelbert Rugeje, Hon. Sithole, Hon. Senator Hungwe, Mr. Ndava, Hon. Minister S. Mudenge, Hon. Governor T. Maluleke, Mr. Cladman Chibemene, Rtd. Lt. Col. D. Moyo, Mrs Mahofa and Mr. A. Baloyi, according to the list submitted to the committee, was not based on business principles.”

These parliamentary warnings have not stopped the likes of Mudenge becoming the new beneficiaries of hunting licences, raising concerns about the impact this could have on Zimbabwe’s wildlife. The Save Valley Conservancy is home to a number of protected species, including the critically endangered black rhino.

Johnny Rodrigues, the chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, told SW Radio Africa on Friday that the hunting licences are being handed out with no commitment to controlling the hunting practices. He said that financial gain is likely to be prioritised over animal welfare.

“These guys are going to kill every single animal if controls not are used. But who is going to enforce the controls?” Rodrigues said.

He added: “This is political interfering in the smooth running of organisations like these conservancies. These people are only given these hunting quotas as appeasement by ZANU PF.”

With elections expected soon, and with most agricultural land already used up in previous vote-securing ZANU PF campaigns, other land is now under threat. This includes the numerous conservancies across the country which have already been targeted by land invaders.

Rodrigues said that the closer the country is to elections, the more “funny things” keep happening. He said that mining licences are also being handed out without any controls, despite the serous threats the operations have to the environment.

“There is no order, there is no control. This is just about taking as much as they can, and getting rich quick while they can,” Rodrigues said.

Indigenisation of conservancies starts

http://www.herald.co.zw

Friday, 10 August 2012 00:00

Herald Reporters
Government yesterday started indigenising conservancies by issuing hunting
permits to 25 black farmers allocated lots at the wildlife-rich Save Valley
Conservancy in the Lowveld. The issuing of the hunting permits to black
farmers follows an almost eight-year stalemate between Government and white
conservancy operators.
The operators were refusing to co-exist with the new farmers under the
Government’s wildlife-based land reform policy.
Government in 2004 issued 25-year leases to black farmers to actively
participate in the lucrative wildlife sector.
National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director general Mr Vitalis
Chadenga issued the hunting permits to the black farmers at Benjamin Burombo
Government Complex in Masvingo and said more permits would be issued next
week.
Mr Chadenga said the black farmers who were issued with hunting permits were
allocated 25-year land leases in conservancies throughout Masvingo province.
“When the land reform programme started, the Government did not focus much
on the wildlife sector because it is not only sensitive, but also requires
orderly transfer,” he said.
“But the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, with the concurrence of
Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema has,
after due consideration of all representations made to it by all
stakeholders in the Wild Life-Based Land Reform exercise made the decision
to grant with immediate effect annual hunting permits and quotas to
beneficiaries who are in possession of 25 year leases.”
Mr Chadenga told the new black farmers that his organisation expected
orderly hunting to take place in the conservancies.
“The authority (National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority) is
convinced that orderly hunting will ensue henceforth,” he said.
“And that the right holders will assist the authority with accountability so
as to ensure sustainable hunting, security to tourists and to complement the
authority’s robust conservation efforts.”
Mr Chadenga said measures were underway to bring to book those in the
wildlife sector hunting without permits.
He expressed concern over an upsurge in poaching activities, especially the
black rhino in areas where old and new stakeholders were in conflict over
hunting rights.
Mr Chadenga said the granting of hunting permits to black farmers was
expected to engender orderliness in the wildlife hunting sector.
Speaking at the same function, Masvingo governor and resident minister Titus
Maluleke said the province had waited for too long for black farmers to get
hunting permits.
He said the development was a landmark and would further consolidate the
land reform and indigenisation programme.
Among the black farmers who received hunting permits in an area straddling
nearly 200 000 hectares at Save Valley Conservancy was Governor Maluleke,
former Gutu South legislator Cde Shuvai Mahofa, Higher and Tertiary
Education Minister and Masvingo North legislator Dr Stan Mudenge.

Zanu-PF infighting rocks Zimbabwe's banks

http://mg.co.za/

10 Aug 2012 03:00 - Jason Moyo

Zimbabwe's central bank has been accused of making it difficult for locals
to buy into the sector by raising the minimum capital requirements.

As the week's first day of trading closed at the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange on
Monday, the indicator board told of a new wave of fear and panic in the
country's financial sector.

A shock announcement by central bank governor Gideon Gono that banks must
have at least $100-million in capital reserves has raised fears of mass bank
failures and worsened tensions between Gono and Zanu-PF officials, who want
bank takeovers in terms of the indigenisation policy – from which they would
benefit.

In the aftermath of the announcement, investors have been selling banking
stocks, bankers warned of mass closures and President Robert Mugabe has been
asked to have the measures reversed.

Gono said the decision was meant to sift out the weaker banks and stabilise
the banking sector. But bankers say few banks can raise that amount of money
in a market that has already seen four bank failures over the past year and
faces a deepening liquidity crisis.

To meet the new requirements, the banking sector needs to raise up to
$3.6-billion in fresh capital. But with banks now rushing to merge, this
figure may be halved, although it would still be too high, bankers said.

Stronger institutions
Gono hopes to force mergers and acquisitions. "It is time indigenous banks
extricate themselves from the fringes of the financial sector and transform
into indigenous Citibanks and HSBCs," Gono said.

But financial market analyst GMRI Capital in Harare said forcing small banks
to merge was unlikely to produce stronger institutions. "A combination of
weak banks will result in a bigger bank that is weak, which poses a more
serious threat to the financial system," it said.

Gono's critics believe he is trying to make it harder to take over banks.
Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has given banks a year to sell their
majority stakes to local investors, a move Gono publicly opposed. Raising
the banks' minimum capital requirements to $100-million makes it more
expensive for locals to buy into the banks.

Apart from facing pressure from bankers, Gono is also under pressure from
Zanu-PF officials, who were reportedly planning to table the issue at a
meeting this week of the Zanu-PF politburo, which Mugabe chairs.

Munyaradzi Kereke, a former top Gono adviser who was sacked earlier this
year, said the increase in capital requirements would be "ruinous to our
economy" and the decision "merits the RBZ [Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe] top
team and the board being fired".

Unions worry that banks which fail to raise the capital will close down,
throwing thousands out of work.

Sacrificed control
Bankers are already desperately seeking solutions. Many had already
sacrificed control of their banks to outside investors to raise cash when
capital requirements were increased to $12.5-million last year.

Banks who count the government and the national pension fund among their
customers are also likely to struggle. Elisha Mushayakarara, head of ZB
Bank, one of the country's oldest banks and in which the government has a
stake, said his bank was now looking for new investors to raise the
additional capital it needed.

Many bankers doubt that ­foreign shareholders have the appetite to raise
that much money for Zimbabwean banks, because they have no hope of gaining
control because of empowerment limits. They will also be reluctant to pump
in more cash for the very low returns they get from their investments.

Gono said Zimbabwe's economy was too small to support its 25 banks. But his
critics say the size of the economy cannot afford the kind of money he is
demanding either.

According to the central bank's own data, the new capital requirements are
higher than those in much larger regional economies such as South Africa,
Kenya and Angola.

In an editorial, the state-owned Herald newspaper admitted that "we find it
hard to imagine that any group of Zimbabwean shareholders can find an extra
$87.5-million in two years". This means foreign money is needed, but foreign
investor interest in Zimbabwe remains weak.

MDC-T expresses concern over disappearance of activists in Mutare

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
10 August 2012

The MDC-T in Manicaland is investigating the disappearance of some of its
members from Makoni North, who are feared to have been kidnapped and
detained by the army at its 3 Brigade Headquarters in Mutare.

They were in a Kombi that was forced to drive into the army base in Mutare
on Wednesday, because passengers spoke critically about the way soldiers,
police and the CIO hijacked the population census exercise.

The Kombi was travelling from Rusape to Mutare when one of the passengers, a
soldier, became incensed when other passengers started discussing the census
that has been turned into such a fiasco by the security forces.

When the Kombi got to Mutare, the soldier identified himself and told the
driver to go to the 3 Brigade Headquarters in the city. Unknown to the army,
a number of passengers were senior MDC-T officials from Makoni district who
immediately sent out text messages to the party of their predicament.

One of those who received a text was Energy and Power Development Minister
Elton Mangoma, who alerted the party spokesman in Manicaland, Pishai
Muchauraya.

Mangoma, who is the MDC-T MP for Makoni North, told us that after spending
some time at the camp all the passengers were freed after interrogation. But
it has turned out that Mangoma may well have been deceived into believing
that all the passengers were released.

A close family member of the Minister, believed to be his young brother,
plus Clive Zimuto, a senior figure in Mangoma’s Makoni North constituency,
have not been seen or heard from since Wednesday, according to provincial
spokesman Pishai Muchauraya.

‘What we have gathered at this moment is that when our members purportedly
texted Mangoma to say they had been released, none of them used their mobile
numbers. It was from a number that none of us recognize and that line went
dead since Wednesday.

‘This is a mystery to us and their disappearance is very out of character.
Both their families and us as a party are very concerned, and ask for the
help of the public in tracing them. What we suspect now is these people are
still being detained at the 3 Brigade,’ Muchauraya said.

The MP told SW Radio Africa that since the military base was out of bounds
to civilians, they were going to have to engage lawyers on Monday to force
the army to release them

‘It’s always difficult dealing with the army but we are going to force them
to surrender these people through the courts,’ Muchauraya added.

Still no date for Glen View cop murder trial

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 August 2012

The trial of 29 MDC-T activists and officials accused of killing a policeman
in Glen View last year is not likely to continue until September, because
both the High Court and Supreme Court went on recess this week.

In addition, the High Court postponed the trial indefinitely three weeks ago
because one of the accused persons, Nyamadzawo Gapare, is critically ill and
receiving treatment at a private hospital in Harare. The trial cannot be
held unless all the accused are present.

A statement from the MDC-T Youth Assembly this week said: “According to the
specialist surgeons attending to Gapare, the serious nature of his illness
and the subsequent complications incurred while at Harare Central Remand
Hospital make it difficult to determine when he will be fit to stand trial.”

The Supreme Court, which has agreed to proceed with a bail application by
the defence lawyers, did not set a date for the hearing before going on
recess.
Bail applications are considered urgent matters by the courts and are
supposed to be given priority. But the courts appear to be prolonging the
Glen View trial.

Police officer Petros Mutedza was killed by unknown revelers in a Glen View
pub back in May last year. The police claim he was murdered by MDC-T members
who held a meeting at the pub, but the MDC-T say there is evidence that many
of the accused were nowhere near the location on the day Mutedza died.

Many of the jailed activists are high ranking MDC-T officials, including
councillors, executive board members and the national youth chairman,
Solomon Madzore, who has now been nicknamed “Mandela” by party members.

ZANU PF councillors threaten villagers in Sanyati

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 August 2012

Six ZANU PF councillors from the Sanyati area of Midlands South Province
have been accused of threatening to kill villagers in their constituencies,
who are suspected of being MDC supporters.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Lionel Saungweme, who spoke to villagers from
the area, said they were told the 2012 census count will be conducted by
soldiers who can identify MDC supporters. These soldiers will come back with
help from the Chinese military and kill any one who supports the MDC.

“Political threats are nothing new in Sanyati but they go unreported because
the area is so remote and no one finds out,” Saungwme said, adding: “ There
are a lot of MDC people in Sanyati who feel that they were robbed during the
elections in 2008.”

Saungweme said villagers in six wards described the same threats involving
Chinese soldiers. He was given a list of councillors who had publicly
threatened villagers in Sanyati.

The list includes councillor Isaac Muchekeni of ward 11, Nzungu Cherwa of
ward 16, Musolin Velemu of ward 12, councillor Choga of ward 13, Tachiona of
ward 17 and Madhaka of ward 18.

Incidents of political violence and intimidation have intensified around the
country, despite talk of peace by the principals leaders in the coalition.
The perpetrators are mostly ZANU PF thugs who operate with impunity and the
partisan police, soldiers and intelligence agents, who support them.

Zim election report: Judge withholds decision pending further data

http://mg.co.za/

10 Aug 2012 04:00 - Faranaaz Parker

The M&G's bid to gain access to a report on the legal and constitutional
background to the 2002 elections in Zimbabwe has been put on hold again.

Judge Joseph Raulinga told lawyers for the state and the <em>M&G</em> this
week that he needed further information on the substance of their arguments.
"You've left me … standing between a rock and a hard place," Raulinga said
as he adjourned proceedings in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on
Tuesday.

Raulinga gave the parties 15 court days to file supplement submissions. He
asked the lawyers to focus on whether the affidavits from former president
Thabo Mbeki and President Jacob Zuma, which the state submitted after
Raulinga had taken his confidential "judicial peek" at the report to better
assess the arguments around it, should be accepted as evidence.

Since the court battle began almost four years ago, the state has declined
to make any reference to the contents of the report. The affidavits, filed
after Raulinga had taken his peek, also failed to do so and lawyers for the
<em>M&G</em> have objected to their admission, saying this was a belated
attempt to cure evidentiary flaws.

Raulinga also asked for further submissions on whether the public interest
outweighed the possible harm that might come from releasing the report. The
state has argued that the information in the report was given in confidence
by Zimbabwean officials and releasing it would have a negative effect on
diplomatic relations.

<strong>Informing policy</strong>
The question whether Justices Sisi Khampepe and Dikgang Moseneke, who drew
up the report, were told in advance that it would be used for the purpose of
informing policy was ­vigorously debated.

The Promotion of Access to Information Act allows the state to refuse a
request for access to a document if it was "obtained or prepared … for the
purpose of assisting to formulate a policy".

Frank Snyckers, counsel for the <em>M&G</em>, argued there was no evidence
that the terms of reference under which Khampepe and Moseneke had been
deployed had stated that this was their purpose. If this was the case, he
said, it would blur the lines separating the judicial and executive arms of
government and undermine the Constitutional doctrine of the separation of
powers.

State advocate Marumo Moerane maintained that the purpose of the report was,
from the outset, to assist the formulation of policy.

Constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos said Raulinga's request implied that
the state had not done enough for him to rule in its favour. "Just taking a
judicial peek in itself is not enough. You have to make an argument about
why what's in the document outweighs the public interest."

Gono faces Parliament investigation

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

09/08/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

A PARLIAMENTARY committee says it will investigate Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
governor Gideon Gono over the distribution of farm equipment acquired under
the US$200 million agriculture mechanisation programme.

Most of the beneficiaries have not paid for the equipment, leaving the RBZ
with a US$198 million black hole.

The RBZ acquired the implements as part of its much-maligned quasi-fiscal
activities in the last decade which critics say helped stoke the country’s
world record inflation levels.

Gono recently clashed with Goromonzi MP Paddy Zhanda (Zanu PF) over the
issue after he refused to divulge the names of the beneficiaries during a
hearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture.
Legislators feel the equipment, meant to assist poor farmers, was instead
handed over to well-connected senior civil servants and politicians.

Committee chair Moses Jiri (MDC-T) said on Thursday: “We met as a committee
and requested legal advice from counsel to Parliament. The legal advice that
we got was that it is within our powers and jurisdiction to make the
enquiries. We have therefore taken that advice and resolved as a committee
to proceed with the enquiries.”

During a stormy clash before the abortive committee meeting last month, Gono
refused a request by Zhanda to reveal the names of the beneficiaries citing,
bank-client confidentiality.

“Section 60 (1) of the RBZ Act [Chapter 22:15] forbids bank staff from
disclosing information relating to the affairs of the bank or a customer
unless lawfully required to do so by any court or under any enactment,” Gono
told the hearing.

“Anybody who contravenes the section shall be guilty of an offence and
liable to a fine not exceeding level seven or imprisonment for a period not
exceeding two years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.”

But Zhanda countered that select committee hearings were protected under the
privileges of Parliament, triggering a heated argument with the RBZ chief.
Meanwhile, Jiri said the Committee had resolved that Gono must be compelled
to reveal the beneficiaries of the programme.

“We resolved that legal provision (cited by Gono when refusing to divulge
the information) did not apply to our enquiries,” he said.

“Legal statutes governing operations of Parliament supersede any other law,
so that excuse cannot be used to stop our enquiries. He has to come and
respond to our enquiries; otherwise we would invoke necessary legal
statutes.

“A letter would be written through the secretariat of Parliament advising
him of our position so that he can prepare to bring the documents we want at
a date we are still to determine.”

Gono last month told MPs that it was not the responsibility of the central
bank to track down beneficiaries to recover payment for the equipment
insisting the ministries of Finance and Agriculture had to make the
necessary follow-ups.

“We distributed the machinery with the assistance of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development and the Grain
Marketing Board,” he said.
“Beneficiaries received implements according to the sizes of their land and
the ecological regions in which they are operating.

“The GMB and the Ministry identified the beneficiaries. They were the ones
who had information on the farmers and their production records.”

Diamonds looting persist in Zim

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw

Friday, 10 August 2012 10:48

Staff Reporter

RECENT diamond figures released by the government have provided further
proof that the country’s gems are being looted, experts have claimed.
According to figures tabled in Parliament recently by the Mines and Mining
Development Deputy Minister Gift Chimanikire, the country sold three million
carats of diamonds in the first three months of the year, with Treasury
receiving US$30 million.
But Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) Highfield East lawmaker Pearson
Mungofa, who is a diamond cutter, said the figures do not add up and point
to looting of the revenues.
The diamond cutter said there is no transparency in the valuing of the
diamonds as well as their marketing, adding that government should have
demanded that locals be trained in sorting, evaluation and security as did
Botswana, so as not to rely on its foreign partners to do the job.
“Considering their grade, putting together the poor quality and high quality
we can have an average of US$100 to give us US$300 million for those
diamonds,” said Mungofa.
“I travel around the world. The other time I saw a 27 carat diamond from
Marange in South Africa that was being sold for US$5, 6 million. It was
yellowish in colour. All over the world, diamonds are sold in US dollars.”
Mungofa added that in 1989, he purchased equipment and set up a diamond
factory in Harare, but has since dismantled it because the fact that he is a
member of the MDC-T has been used to make sure that he does not get any
jobs.
“I have been to Suraj in India, which is like that country’s Antwerp. Our
diamonds have helped them to create employment for one million people, yet
our people have no jobs,” he added.
Last month, Finance Minister Tendai Biti said lack of transparency in
diamond sales had negatively impacted on the implementation of a number of
national projects.
“The shortfall was mainly a result of limited revenue inflows particularly
for those projects that had been earmarked for financing through diamond
revenues as well as the compounding crowding out effect of the wage bill,”
said Biti.
“Major projects affected include the rehabilitation of Hwange Thermal Power
Station, construction of Central Registry building, rehabilitation and
construction of roads, rail and aviation infrastructure, construction of
Tokwe-Murkosi dam as well as revitalisation of targeted health institutions,
among other critical projects.”
The shortfall was mainly a result of limited revenue inflows.

No rush to fill Zim hangman post

http://www.iol.co.za

August 10 2012 at 10:14am
By Peta Thornycroft

Although there are 60 prisoners on death row in Harare, there is no hangman,
and no appetite to find one according to reformist Deputy Justice Minister
Obert Gutu from the Movement for Democratic Change.

Zimbabwe last executed someone eight years ago. “We have not found a hangman
as yet,” Gutu told the Zimbabwean paper Newsday.

“I found out that the vacancy has not yet been filled. However, there is no
rush to find one as the executive has no appetite for executions. There is a
de facto moratorium on executions.”

Last week, however, the Supreme Court quickly dismissed an appeal against
the death sentence for Even Moyo, 32, who killed a seven-year-old boy and
his 10-year-old niece by hanging them during a robbery in 2005.

“What will eventually happen to those on death row is that their death
sentences will be commuted to life sentences,” Gutu said.

The government has been advertising the job for a hangman since 2005, when
the incumbent retired, but found no takers.

Zimbabwe’s new draft constitution spares female murderers from the death
penalty and should be used only in cases of “aggravated murder”. It cannot
be carried out on those below 21 or older than 70.

Foreign Service

The investor who saved Mugabe

http://mg.co.za/

10 Aug 2012 02:00 - Stefaans Brümmer, Craig McKune & Owen Gagare

A New York hedge fund "loaned" the millions Zanu-PF needed to crush the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change's victory in the 2008 elections.

The source of a controversial $100-million loan that allegedly made it
possible for President Robert Mugabe to steal the 2008 Zimbabwean election
is a major US institutional investor, the Mail & Guardian can reveal.

The payment, which critics say helped Mugabe's Zanu-PF to buy votes and
unleash a campaign of brutal repression in an election in which he faced
almost certain defeat, was made possible by the New York-based Och-Ziff
Capital Management Group.

Mugabe's government was bankrupt and teetering as the rival Movement for
Democratic Change won the most votes in parliamentary and first-round
presidential elections. Facing a trouncing in the runoff against the MDC's
Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe needed money fast.

So his government sold the family silver – or rather platinum concessions
freshly squeezed from South Africa's Anglo American Platinum. The ultimate
buyer was a mining company founded by former English cricketer Phil Edmonds.
On top of the purchase price, the company threw in the $100-million (then
R780-million) lifeline.

That much is known. But Edmonds's Central African Mining and Exploration
Company (Camec), then listed in the United Kingdom, did not have that kind
of cash. So it did what listed companies do – issue and sell new shares.

Contrary to listing rules, the purchaser of the shares was not revealed,
which meant that the ultimate source of the money remained a mystery. That
source, it now turns out, was Och-Ziff.

Although it has about $30-billion in assets under management, Och-Ziff has
kept a low profile. Closer to home, it is best known for its joint venture
with Mvelaphanda Holdings, the private investment vehicle part owned by
Human Settlements Minister and presidential hopeful Tokyo Sexwale.

Although the partnership, then cast as "exclusive", had been announced only
months before, Mvelaphanda denies having participated in the Zimbabwe deal.
The M&G is not aware of evidence to the contrary.

It is surprising that Och-Ziff was willing to finance the Zimbabwean loan
despite the likelihood that Mugabe, whom Western governments opposed
implacably, would use it to fuel repression.

Och-Ziff declined to comment.

Step 1: Squeeze
Less than a week before Zimbabwe went to the first-round polls, its most
tightly contested yet, Mugabe bagged a prize asset. Anglo American Platinum,
the world's top platinum producer, ceded more than a quarter of its platinum
concessions in Zimbabwe to the government.

The deal had elements of a "shakedown" – Anglo was over a barrel, not least
because foreign exchange due to it had been frozen by the authorities – but
the cession did not happen for free. In return, Anglo was granted
empowerment credits and foreign exchange indulgences that would allow it to
develop a valuable remaining concession.

Step 2: Flip
Immediately after Anglo had been relieved of its concessions,
the ­government awarded them to Todal Mining, a joint venture between the
state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (40%) and a private
company, Lefever Finance (60%).

Lefever was owned by the opaque Meryweather Investments, registered in the
British Virgin Islands.

Meryweather's ownership remains a mystery, but it has been associated with
Billy Rautenbach, a close Mugabe ally who allegedly fronted for Zanu-PF or
its functionaries in business deals.

Rautenbach was placed under European and United States sanctions later that
year for allegedly supporting Mugabe's regime. At the time, he was also
wanted on criminal charges in South Africa. But in a 2009 plea bargain with
South African prosecuting authorities Rautenbach pleaded guilty, on behalf
of one of his companies, to 326 fraud charges. He paid a R40-million fine.

Rautenbach did not respond to requests for comment.

Step 3: Cash in
The parliamentary and first-round presidential elections were held on March
29 2008. Although the electoral commission initially withheld the results,
Mugabe was on the ropes and he knew it.

Less than a fortnight after the vote, the regime turned the platinum assets
into instant cash. This is how it was done:

On April 11 Camec, then chaired by Edmonds, bought Lefever for $5-million
cash plus millions of newly issued Camec shares. That went to the owners of
Meryweather, whoever they were. But in a stock exchange announcement Camec
confirmed also that it had "agreed to advance to Lefever [which it had just
bought] an amount of $100-million by way of a loan to enable Lefever to
comply with its contractual obligations to the government of the republic of
Zimbabwe".

In a nutshell, Camec had acquired 60% of the platinum assets by buying out
the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation's joint-venture
partner in Todal Mining. For this it paid largely by issuing new shares in
itself – but it supplemented the purchase price with the instant cash loan.

Unusually, although the corporation was to repay the $100-million, it went
straight to the Zanu-PF ­government. Its chairperson, Godwills Masimirembwa,
told the M&G this week: "It was a loan to the government; the money was used
by the government. We don't know how it was used."

He claimed there was "no anomaly" in the corporation having to repay it as
"we are wholly owned by government".

But Masimirembwa also revealed just how "soft" the terms were: no repayments
have been made because they were to come from dividends, of which there had
been none. And no interest was payable.

Step 4: Buy victory
In the weeks to follow and pending the all-important presidential runoff on
June 27, Zanu-PF went on the offensive. Amid acute food shortages, it
directed government food aid to reward supporters. And despite crippling
fuel shortages, it deployed security forces and party thugs across Zimbabwe
on a campaign of mass intimidation.

Mugabe won after Tsvangirai pulled out at the last moment, citing the
violence and Zanu-PF threats of war.

Roy Bennett, MDC treasurer and a member of senate, said this week: "It was
public fact that the Zanu-PF government had completely collapsed the
Zimbabwean economy. Hyperinflation was a fact; the army had been rioting in
public due to a lack of wages; all civil servants had not been paid for
months.

"The massive deployment to carry out a violent campaign needed funding. Is
it coincidental that the Zimbabwe government was loaned $100-million from
Camec ... after extortion was applied to Anglo to release the platinum
deposits which Camec purchased? I would leave it to readers' imagination
where that money was used."

Camec was pummelled in the British press, but the company shrugged it off,
reportedly saying major shareholders had been consulted and it believed
"investing in Zimbabwe at this early stage is the best way to help the
people of Zimbabwe while generating shareholder value".

But who paid?
Och-Ziff's role in providing the money that Camec used to extend the loan
remained hidden. However, it may be pieced together from Camec's 2008 annual
report and reading between the lines of Camec announcements at the
Alternative Investment Market, where it was listed.

The annual report shows that at the end of March 2008 – 11 days before the
Zimbabwe deal – Camec had cash holdings of £17.9-million (then about
$36-million), not remotely enough.

However, it had another £37.5-million (about $75-million) in escrow –
prepayment by a new investor for new shares Camec would issue.

A Camec announcement earlier that March shows that the original purpose of
the new share issue was to raise cash to develop Camec assets in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.

But on March 28 – five days after Anglo had relinquished the concessions to
the government and a day before the first-round elections – Camec put out
another announcement saying that "following further discussions with the
placees [the new would-be investors] regarding the multiple investment
opportunities available to the company in Africa", it would enlarge the
share issue to raise more money – 200-million shares for £100-million (about
$200-million).

On April 11 another announcement made it clear that the "multiple investment
opportunities" really centred on the Zimbabwe acquisition that day and would
be paid for, among other things, through the $100-million loan.

The context shows that the "placees" who had been consulted about this
acquisition were mainly one new investor, who bought 150-million of the
200-million new Camec shares. The purchase consideration for the 150-million
shares was £75-million (about $150-million) – enough for the Zimbabwe loan
and some to spare.

Alternative Investment Market rules require the disclosure of substantial
shareholdings – more than 3% and then each 1% that follows. Although the
150-million shares at the time equated to about 10% of Camec, the
purchaser's identity was not declared.

The missing piece of the puzzle came in another announcement at the end of
July in which a company called OZ Management said that another Camec share
issue had diluted its holding – which it put at 150-million shares.

OZ Management is a subsidiary of Och-Ziff. The firm did not deny that it was
the purchaser of the 150-million shares ahead of the Zimbabwe deal, but
declined to comment.

A 'resourceful' philanthropist

Billionaire hedge fund manager Daniel Och, the founder, chairperson and
chief executive of Och-Ziff, enjoys philanthropy and skiing, if his somewhat
rare interviews are anything to go by.

He sits on the board of the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty
organisation in New York City, and owns two homes worth $30-million in the
United States ski-resort town of Aspen, Colorado, according to the Denver
Post.

Och-Ziff describes itself as "one of the largest institutional alternative
asset managers in the world" and has an estimated $30.3-billion of assets
under management.

In January 2008, less than three months before the Zimbabwe deal, Och-Ziff
announced a new African partnership: a joint venture between itself, Tokyo
Sexwale's Mvelaphanda Holdings and the Palladino Holdings of Walter Hennig,
a Sexwale associate.

The venture, Africa Management Limited, ­purported to be Och-Ziff and
Mvela's "exclusive" vehicle for African investments "with a bias towards
natural resources and related businesses".

At the time, Mvela chief executive Mark Willcox told the Sunday Times about
Och-Ziff: "Although their investment process includes rigorous
due ­diligence, they can move remarkably quickly and be ­innovative too."

* Got a tip-off for us about this story? Email amabhungane@mg.co.za

The M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism (amaBhungane) produced this
story. All views are ours. See www.amabhungane.co.za for our stories,
activities and funding sources.

Africa Management Limited and its three partner companies have since emerged
in various mining and oil deals across the continent, although the exclusive
nature of the partnership appears not to have lasted.

POTRAZ to introduce compulsory infrastructure sharing in new regulations

http://www.techzim.co.zw/

L.S.M Kabweza
August 9th, 2012

POTRAZA report on the Malaysian national news agency site Bernama.com, says
that POTRAZ, Zimbabwe’s telecoms regulator instituting regulation to make
telecoms infrastructure sharing compulsory for telecoms operators in
Zimbabwe. According to the information, which was sourced from Zimbabwe’s
New Ziana; the new regulations are timed to coincide with the renewal of
licenses by Zimbabwe’s major mobile operators, Econet, Telecel and NetOne
next year. The new regulations will be announced soon.

“The work has been done,” POTRAZ director general engineer Charles Sibanda
is quoted in the report, “what is now left is the announcement by the policy
maker and hopefully the announcement will be made soon,”

In recent years, mobile operators have complained that fellow operators are
unwilling to share passive infrastructure resulting in them investing
needlessly in setting up towers for base stations. This has cause
unnecessary delays in the expansion of telecoms services as well as, more
importantly, the high cost of setting up operations being passed on to the
consumers through high tariffs.

In the past two years, separate submissions by Telecel and Econet to
parliamentary committees have been that state owned mobile operator NetOne,
refused to share its infrastructure with the other two in the years when it
used to have the largest telecoms coverage in the country. Submissions by
Econet CEO also suggest that NetOne is now complaining that Econet is
refusing to share. Econet, the largest mobile operator by number of
subscribers, now also commands the most expansive telecoms infrastructure in
the country.

Dandemutande, one of Zimbabwe’s 12 POTRAZ licensed Internet Access Providers
(IAPs) has also indicated in the past that the lack of infrastructure
sharing arrangements, new entrants are forced to invest heavily upfront in
passive telecoms equipment, taxes, licenses and levies.

According to the Bernama report, POTRAZ is also introducing the new laws to
address issues of emerging technologies which are radically disrupting the
existing licensing regime.

Harare water woes: No end in sight

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

Written by Xolisani Ncube, Staff writer
Friday, 10 August 2012 12:43

HARARE - Harare City Council says ongoing water woes faced by residents are
likely to persist as the mayor admitted council has little clue on how to
solve the capital’s mounting problems.

Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda’s statement comes as civil society organisations
demanded urgent action from government and city authorities to curb the
outbreak of typhoid in most suburbs affected by water shortages.

Over 20 non-governmental organisations wrote to President Robert Mugabe and
his coalition partner Morgan Tsvangirai and cabinet ministers responsible
for water and health on Wednesday registering displeasure at the handling of
water issues.

More than 200 cases of typhoid were confirmed in the past three months alone
with the disease spreading to other towns such as Chitungwiza.

Masunda told people gathered for a mayor’s cocktail on Wednesday evening
that the current water problems bedevilling the capital were now beyond the
council’s ability to solve, hence the necessity of a “holistic” approach
involving residents and central government.

“We do not need to continue with this blame game. We have to come together
as a council and all stakeholders and find a solution to the water problems.
As a city we cannot go it alone, we are failing to meet the demand,” said
Masunda.

Masunda said the local authority is producing 620 mega litres of water on a
good day, which barely meets half the city’s needs.

Harare and its satellite cities require more than 1 200 mega litres of water
per day in winter and 1 400 mega litres in summer.

Harare water director Christopher Zvobgo said producing clean water has been
a difficult task in the past three months due to heavy pollution at Lake
Chivero by Norton Town Council.

He also attributed the low production to old and obsolete equipment which
the city relies on.

Residents in most high density suburbs have been forced to resort to unsafe
water sources such as shallow wells due to unavailability of potable water
on the city council’s taps.

In 2008, a cholera outbreak killed more than 4 000 people while 100 000
others were diagnosedwith the epidemic.

This was largely due to poor water provision and unsafe water sources
residents were and are still exposed to.

FACTBOX-Political risks to watch in Zimbabwe

http://www.trust.org

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:12 GMT
Reuters

By Nelson Banya

HARARE, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has finished drafting a new constitution
that limits presidential powers while strengthening those of parliament, an
important but much-delayed step ahead of elections.

The charter's adoption in the current form is not guaranteed, however, as
President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party seeks to overhaul some of its
provisions.

The impoverished southern African nation is bracing for elections that must
be held by next year under the terms of a power-sharing deal between ZANU-PF
and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC.

The vote raises concerns of a repeat of violence that marred previous polls
and led to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing to neighbouring South
Africa.

BATTLE OVER NEW CONSTITUTION

An inter-party parliamentary committee driving the constitutional reforms
has said a referendum on the draft charter will be held this year, but the
coalition partners are still quarrelling over some provisions.

The final charter is likely to be a compromise, since neither party commands
the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to pass the new supreme law.
ZANU-PF has accused the MDC of trying to include measures on voting rights
and executive authority that could undermine Mugabe's party.

What to watch:

- ZANU-PF's formal position on whether it will back or reject the draft
constitution.

ELECTION LITMUS TEST

Zimbabwe is expected to hold by-elections in 26 constituencies before the
end of this year, which could alter the balance of power in parliament and
foreshadow what happens in the general election.

The vote will also be a test of whether violence-free polls are possible in
a country where ZANU-PF has faced international condemnation for suspected
voter intimidation.

What to watch:

- Mugabe announcing dates for the by-elections.

REGIONAL PRESSURE

Leaders from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community, fearing a
repeat of violence that marred the 2008 poll, are putting pressure on
ZANU-PF and the MDC to speed up the adoption of a new electoral law and
constitution - steps which they say are vital for credible elections.

Mugabe - sanctioned by the West for suspected human rights abuses - might
compromise on a new constitution before the polls to appease his neighbours
while counting on his security forces to keep his grip on power.

What to watch:

- If regional leaders step up pressure on the coalition government to
finalise reforms ahead of elections.

MUGABE SUCCESSION

Mugabe, 88, in power since the country's independence from Britain in 1980,
says he wants to contest another election and refuses to signal who his
preferred successor is.

ZANU-PF officials, many of who now consider Mugabe a liability, fear the
party could implode if he dies in office without settling the succession
issue.

What to watch:

- If political veteran Mugabe clips the wings of potential successors in an
attempt to keep his grip on power.

PRESSURE ON BANKS

The central bank has increased minimum capital requirements for banks to up
to $100 million, a move which could hold back a Mugabe drive to force
foreign banks to sell majority shares to locals while forcing small, locally
owned banks to merge.

Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has given foreign banks up to a year
to sell their shares to Zimbabweans.

What to watch:

- Bank mergers as they bid to pool capital and meet new requirements.

- Government concession deals with foreign firms.

Save Mana Pools

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

A new facebook community page has been launched to combat the threat of
opencast mining in the Mana Pools National Park and UNESCO World Heritage
Site.

The magnificent 6000sq km Zambezi Valley area is at risk from mining
interests and tourism entrepreneurs. The facebook page states the Zimbabwean
government authorities are neglecting their duties as custodians of the
nation’s treasures. Unless halted, the facebook initiative claims, these
threats could lead to the severe degradation of Mana Pools, the loss of
World Heritage status; and, most important of all, the loss of wildlife and
a magnificent natural area and its potential benefits to the nation and the
world, in return for insignificant short-term gains.

The Save Mana Pools community page provides a platform for Zimbabweans, the
global public, environmentalists, NGO’s, tourism employers and employees to
rally against current proposals to mine the irreplaceable resource.

A spokesman for ‘Save Mana Pools’ said: “Mana is NOT for mining. We have
drawn a Line in the Sand. Current proposals to mine Mana Pools are not
acceptable and will be resisted to the utmost.
“The greatest current threat is a proposal to explore the potential for
mining Heavy Mineral Sand Deposits in Zambezi tributaries that run through
the heart of Mana Pools and the World Heritage Site. This opencast form of
mining has been notoriously destructive in other natural areas worldwide
and, if permitted, would irreparably scar the World Heritage Site and
destroy the wildlife and ecological resources that belong to all indigenous
Zimbabweans.”

The campaign is expected to grow to include Youtube, Twitter and other
online resources. “Legal, financial and environmental resources are coming
together to combat the mining threat. This online initiative intends to
support their work. It is absolutely in Zimbabwe’s national interests that
this destructive proposal for short-term gain (dredging, pollution, heavy
machinery, vastly increased transport and human activity, noise pollution
and unsightly equipment) is halted.

“Mana Pools will be worth much more as tourism employer and a pristine
wilderness in 20 years than it will be as a scarred and ecologically
deserted ruin.

“We say NO to Habbard Investments and Geo Associates who are proposing
mining exploration. We say NO to Impaco (an Environmental Impact Assessment
consultant) on conducting an exploration EIA. We say NO to any entity
proposing exploration or mining. We say a resounding NO to government
ministers and their appointees who have a responsibility to the people of
Zimbabwe to safeguard this irreplaceable national asset.”

‘Save Mana Pools’ rallied over ten thousand supporters in a successful
campaign that witnessed Protea Hotels abandoning plans to develop a hotel
across the Zambezi from Mana Pools in 2010. The group says this mining
threat is a far more critical issue and is aiming for an even larger support
base. The URL for the new page is https://www.facebook.com/SaveMana

Grassroots at Edinburgh Festival

http://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/

Song, dance and drumming from Grassroots of Zimbabwe

• Source: The List
• Date: 10 August 2012
• Written by: Lucy Ribchester

comments

Aside from drummers, dancers and phenomenal singers, at the centre of this understated extravaganza is a huge beating heart and a simple message of peace, love and unity.

Zimbabwe-based Grassroots tours schools, prisons and local communities with educational shows and, in Africa Calling, takes us on a journey through African identity, using traditional music and small scripted sketches that explore the idea of multiple countries and tribes melting together as one Africa.

Some of the sketches start a little obscurely and run on too long, leaving you hankering after more of their sublime voices or dancing, which is rich in flat-foot stomping and played off the drumbeats. But there is a point to the short scenes, locating each performance within its cultural context, introducing the notion of customs overlapping different countries but belonging to all of them.

As the final scene unfolds – a reminiscence about working in a South African mine, gumboot dancing with Sudanese, Zimbabweans and Zambians – you can feel the soul of what Grassroots is trying so urgently to capture.

Paradise in Augustine’s, 510 0022, until 27 Aug (not 13 & 20), 5.55pm, £10 (£8).

Africa Calling!

Grassroots are back following the success of their sell-out show at the Fringe 2011. Traditional Zimbabwean dance, music, rhythm and song - the greetings reaffirming friendship and warmth of community. In Africa everyone is almost related to someone, and meeting family is a cause for celebration! Grassroots brings a…