Zimbabwean govt to lay off teachers 

http://www.sabcnews.com

August 21 2010 , 10:43:00

John Nyashanu Harare, SABC Zimbabwe

About 30% of school teachers in Zimbabwe are unlikely to be retained for the
third term which begins next month as that country's government battles to
afford salaries of temporary teachers and other qualified members who have
recently joined the profession.

This development has raised fears that the country's education sector may
slide back to the dark past unless funds flow in to assist the embattled
government. A circular making the rounds indicates that only permanent staff
will be retained and government approval must be sought to engage any
temporary staff. Teacher representative bodies fear that nearly a quarter of
the teachers will be victimised.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe Raymond Majongwe says: "It is very
unfortunate, in a country that says it has 90 000 teachers, to have 20 000
in limbo and not sure of their fate." Should government stick to its guns,
learners in rural areas, where most teachers are temporary, are set to be
the worst victims.

Zimbabwe has an adult literacy rate of approximately 90% which is amongst
the highest in Africa. However, since 1995 the adult literacy rate of
Zimbabwe has steadily decreased which is a trend shared by other African
countries.

South Africa to Step Up Zimbabwe Mediation as Tempers Flare in Harare

http://www1.voanews.com

ZANU-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime minister
Morgan Tsvangirai are already trading barbs over the swearing-in of
provincial governors and the contentious sanctions issue

Blessing Zulu | Washington 20 August 2010

South Africa says it will step up its mediation efforts in Zimbabwe amid
rising tensions in the inclusive government over a range of longstanding
issues.

This comes a few days after a Southern African Development Community summit
of heads of state and government adopted a report many expected would
unblock Harare's political logjam.

Mediator president Jacob Zuma of South Africa, in his report to the summit,
said the three principals in the inclusive government had agreed on 24 of
the 27 outstanding issues and had even agreed on an implementation matrix.

But ZANU-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime
minister Morgan Tsvangirai are already trading barbs over the swearing-in of
provincial governors and the contentious sanctions issue.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, negotiator for ZANU-PF in power-sharing
talks, told his party's politburo Thursday that governors would be sworn-in
concurrently with the removal of sanctions.

Chinamasa said Mr Tsvangirai was still to fulfill his obligations under the
Global Political Agreement to lobby the West to lift the so-called targeted
sanctions against president Robert Mugabe and members of his inner circle.

The MDC hit back in a statement Thursday saying the sanctions are a
bilateral issue between ZANU-PF and those who imposed them on grounds of  a
"deficit of good governance."

Mr Tsvangirai has already written to lead South African facilitator Mac
Maharaj complaining about Mr. Mugabe's demand that the swearing-in of MDC
governors be tied to lifting of the sanctions.

Lindiwe Zulu, facilitator and Zuma international relations adviser, told
that her team will be back in Harare soon.

Zimbabwe Constitutional Outreach Team Members Protest in Harare Over Unpaid Wages

http://www1.voanews.com

The Movement for Democratic Change Formation of Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai says its supporters in Mudzi and Mutoko districts, Mashonaland
East province, are living in fear as ZANU-PF is ordering them to renounce
MDC membership or face political violence as in 2008

Patience Rusere | Washington 20 August 2010

Members of Zimbabwe's constitutional revision outreach teams assigned to
Mashonaland Central province on Friday staged a brief demonstration outside
the offices of the parliamentary select committee overseeing the process,
demanding payment of back wages, VOA's Irwin Chifera reported.

Elsewhere, the Movement for Democratic Change Formation of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai says its supporters in Mudzi and Mutoko districts,
Mashonaland East province, are living in fear as ZANU-PF is ordering them to
renounce MDC membership or face political violence as in 2008

The MDC alleges that the threats are being made through village leaders
ahead of constitutional consultation meetings planned in the area.

In Mashonaland West, sources say tension is growing between MDC select
committee team members and their ZANU-PF colleagues, whom they accuse of
shooting down contributions from their members in meetings currently being
held in Chegutu.

This is said to have happened in Chegutu centers such as Rutara and Sigaro
Farm.  The situation is said to have deteriorated so much that MDC members
of outreach teams threatened a  boycott today. But sources said the
situation was to be reviewed in a meeting Friday evening.

Select Committee Deputy Chairwoman Gladys Gombani Dube told VOA reporter
Patience Rusere that every Zimbabwean should be allowed to contribute to the
outreach process even if they happen to be doing so outside their voting
constituency.

Zimbabwe leaders agree on body to audit land reform programme

http://www.apanews.net/

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe's three main political leaders have agreed to
set up an independent Land Commission whose main task would be to oversee
the implementation of a long-awaited audit to rid the country of multiple
land owners, sources at the ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement told
APA on Saturday.

The sources in the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement said President
Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister
Arthur Mutambara agreed that the new commission would be led by non-partisan
individuals with experience in farming and land tenure systems.

"The leaders have tentatively agreed on setting up an autonomous Land
Commission but we are not sure when the body will be in place because that
decision depends on other developments on the political front," a ministry
source told APA.

The commission's key functions would be to uphold the principles of
equitable, transparent and justifiable distribution of land and to advise
the government and Parliament on all issues relating to the tenure,
distribution and use of land as well as ensuring the orderly development and
management of the natural environment for the benefit of present and future
generations.

Land remains a divisive issue in Zimbabwe after Mugabe over the past decade
drove most of the country's about 4,500 large-scale white landowners off
their farms which he went on to parcel out to landless blacks.

Critics say Mugabe's cronies - and not ordinary black peasants - benefited
the most from the land reforms, with many ending up with up to six farms
each against the government's publicly stated one-man-one-farm policy.

Mugabe has often rejected calls by Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) for a review of the land redistribution programme, saying those
behind the calls want to return expropriated farms to their white former
owners.

The 2008 political agreement between Mugabe's ZANU PF party and the MDC that
led to formation of the Harare power-sharing government calls for a land
audit to establish who owns which land in Zimbabwe in order to eliminate
multiple land owners.

The audit has failed to take off because of a shortage of funds and
resistance from senior ZANU PF officials who are multiple farm owners.

JN/ad/APA
2010-08-21

Zimbabwe CSOs campaign for power devolution to provincial assemblies

http://www.apanews.net/

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) A coalition of Zimbabwean churches, civic and human
rights bodies, women's organisations and student and labour movements is
campaigning for the devolution of power with a proposal that the country's
proposed Constitution should provide for provincial assemblies to be elected
on a system of proportional representation.

The draft constitution produced by the National Constitutional Assembly
(NCA), which was published by leading law group Veritas on Saturday,
proposes the "provincialisation" of Zimbabwe's power structures.

The coalition proposes a reduction of the number of provinces from the
current 10 to 5, with each province having a provincial assembly consisting
of members elected on a system of proportional representation.

The proposed assemblies would have taxing powers and power to legislate on
matters of provincial concern such as planning, tourism, transport,
education and health.

Provincial governments would be run by provincial governors elected by the
assemblies, assisted by executive councils consisting of members of the
assemblies.

The central Parliament would have power to nullify provincial legislation,
though it would need a two-thirds majority of both the House of Assembly and
the Senate to do so.

Veritas said the advantages of devolving power included establishment of
strong local governments resulting in improved governance and economic
development as well as more equitable distribution of national resources
among Zimbabwe's provinces.

JN/ad/APA
2010-08-21

Zimbabwe Minister Appoints Mugabe Allies to Spearhead Indigenization Program

http://www1.voanews.com/

Former Defense Force officials are prominent among appointees including
retired Major-General Gilbert Mashingaidze, retired Air Commodore Mike
Karakadzai and retired Colonel Karikoga Kaseke, who is also the chief
executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority

Gibbs Dube | Washington 20 August 2010

Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has appointed committees
dominated by allies of President Robert Mugabe to help the government set
minimum shareholdings in various segments of the economy to be allocated to
black investors.

Former Defense Force officials are prominent among the reported appointees
including retired Major-General Gilbert Mashingaidze, retired Air Commodore
Mike Karakadzai and retired Colonel Karikoga Kaseke, who is also the chief
executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.

Others include media commissioner Chris Mutsvangwa, Affirmative Action Group
President Supa Mandiwanzira, musician Oliver Mtukudzi, presidential
spokesman George Charamba, businessman Delma Lupepe and Econet Wireless boss
Douglas Mboweni.

News reports quoted Kasukuwere as saying the appointees will come up with
sectoral stakeholding targets by the end of next month. Companies with
assets of more than US$500,000 are slated for indigenization.

Economic commentators said composition of the indigenization committees may
scare off investors as most of the appointees are ZANU-PF functionaries.
Bekithemba Mhlanga told VOA Studio 7 reporter Gibbs Dube that ZANU-Zanu PF
is determined to destroy Zimbabwe's economy through empowerment of the
ruling elite.

"It is worrying that these committees are dominated by former ruling party
members who will do everything in their power to parcel the country's
resources to people who are sympathetic to ZANU-PF," said Mhlanga, adding
that "nothing constructive will come out of these committees."

Economic commentator Masimba Kuchera said Kasukuwere is militarizing the
indigenization program. "Most of these appointees are former army officers
who are known to have spearheaded violent campaigns in the 2008 presidential
election run off."

Minister Warns KP Official

http://news.radiovop.com

21/08/2010 12:35:00

Harare, August 21, 2010 - Zimbabwe's Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa,
has threatened action against Farai Maguwu and his alleged backers after his
appointment as the focal point person for the Kimberley Process by the
umbrella body for non-governmental organizations.

Chinamasa said Maguwu was being used as a front and the government was eager
to establish the individuals or organizations behind him. But Maguwu said he
was moved by the threats because his appointment was not in variance with
the country's laws.

 "I am not going to engage in name calling with him rather I await the
decision which will be made by the KP working group on monitoring," Magau
said.

Chinamasa said Maguwu was being used by certain forces that the government
was itching to identify. "It's a typical example of a tortoise on top of a
durawall," Chinamasa told the national broadcaster on Friday. "Farai Maguwu
is a tortoise on top of a durawall. We have to look for the owner."

Maguwu was on Tuesday appointed the KP focal person by the National
Association of Non Governmental Organisations (Nango). But his appointment
did not go down well with Zanu PF which unleashed groups aligned to the
party.

The groups immediately convened at Mines Minister Obert Mpofu's offices in
Harare and resolved not to recognize Maguwu's appointment.

The groups proceeded to appoint its own focal point person, Goodson Mguni, a
well-known Zanu PF supporter.

Mguni is president of the Federation of Civil Society Organisation. He will
lead a 13-member team that also includes Paddington Japajapa, Tafadzwa
Musarara, Affirmative Action Group secretary general and Chris Mutangadura a
Law Officer in the Attorney General's office. However,NANGO has refused to
recognised the appointment of Nguni and his team.

The Zanu (PF) aligned groups said they were not happy with Maguwu because he
was facing criminal charges. Maguwu is facing charges of spreading
falsehoods prejudicial to the state after he attempted to expose human
rights violations in Chiadzwa. Magawu is currently out on bail.

The Chief Executive Officer, Cephas Zinhumwe said: "Government has nothing
to do with choosing who the focal point person should be. It is other people
in the KP that are going to debate that and decide whether the name seconded
is credible or not."

 

Zim at "extreme risk" of hunger

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Written by Vusimuzi Bhebhe
Saturday, 21 August 2010 11:54

HARARE - Zimbabwe is ranked among the top 10 countries in danger of hunger
this year, according to a new reported published by British risk analysis
and rating firm Maplecroft last week.

Maplecroft's Food Security Risk Index (FSRI) for 2010 placed Zimbabwe along
with eight other African nations in the "extreme risk" category for
countries likely to have insufficient food to feed their populations until
the next harvest.

War-ravaged Afghanistan is the only non-African country listed in the top 10
of food-insecure nations.

"Afghanistan (1) is rated as least secure in food supplies, whilst the
African nations of the Democratic Republic of Congo (2), Burundi (3),
Eritrea (4), Sudan (5), Ethiopia (6), Angola (7), Liberia (8), Chad (9) and
Zimbabwe (10) are also considered 'extreme risk,'"

The United Nations says more than 1.68 million Zimbabweans will need food
and agricultural assistance next year despite an improvement in food
security in the 2009/10 farming season.

The UN figure of the food-insecure is about 30 percent higher than an
initial projection of 1.3 million made by the US-funded Famine Early Warning
System Network (FEWSNET).

The world body estimates that 133 000 tonnes of food assistance will be
needed to feed the hungry until the next harvest in March 2011.

Zimbabwe has only 1.66 million tonnes of cereals available against a total
needs forecast of 2.09 million tonnes in the 2010/11 marketing year that
runs from April this year to next March.

The Maplecroft report said African nations made up 36 of the 50 nations most
at risk in the index.

Africa is reported to be particularly vulnerable to food insecurity because
of the frequency of extreme weather events, high rates of poverty and
failing infrastructures, including road and telecommunications networks,
which decrease both production and distribution capacity.

The risk analysis firm says conflict is also a major driver of food
insecurity and the ongoing violence in Afghanistan and DR Congo are largely
responsible for the precarious food security situation in both countries.

The FSRI is compiled annually on the basis of 12 factors drawn up in
collaboration with the UN's World Food Programme.

The criteria include cereal production, Gross Domestic Product per capita,
risk of extreme weather events, quality of agricultural and distribution
infrastructure, conflict and effectiveness of the government.

Finland is the country considered least at risk, while the other
Scandinavian countries - Sweden, Denmark and Norway - follow closely behind.

Other low risk countries include Canada, the United States, Germany, the
United Kingdom and France.

Zesa ordered to carry out meter readings

http://www.herald.co.zw

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Herald Reporters

THE Competition and Tariffs Commission has ordered Zesa Holdings to carry
out actual meter readings when billing consumers.

This follows a probe by the commission into the power utility's operations
vis-à-vis its tariff structure.

Zesa yesterday said it would comply with the order and had already
implemented some of the recommendations.

In a statement, the commission said: "Zesa should use actual meter readings
when billing its customers subject to the provisions of the Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority (Miscellaneous Charges) By-Laws" of 1998.

The CTC added: "In respect of non-metered domestic consumers countrywide
with load limiters, Zesa must reduce the fixed monthly energy charges to 57
percent, this being the ratio of the power availed for use by consumers for
the period between the 1st of February 2009 and November 2009.

"From 1st December 2009 onwards, the fixed monthly charges for such
consumers should be based on power availed taking into account
load-shedding."

Zesa has been using estimates when billing many customers and this has seen
consumers grappling with accounts of up to US$400 per month in some cases.

The power utility yesterday said the changes would see average households
getting bills of between US$20 and US$30 per month.

On general billing, the commission ordered: "In respect to domestic metered
consumers based in Harare and

Bulawayo, the 1st of February 2009 should be used as the starting point of
Zesa's new billing, and that all outstanding charges arising from this date
should be written off.

"Charges in respect of electricity consumed excluding fixed charges between
the 1st of February 2009 until 30 November 2009 should be in accordance with
the Minister of Energy and Power Development's directive, that is, US$30 per
month for domestic consumers in high-density areas and US$40 per month for
domestic consumers in low-density areas."

Those who were charged more than the US$30 and US$40 limits should have
their accounts accordingly credited.

It is understood that Zesa admitted during the investigations that it was
unable to read meters on a monthly basis due to loss of manpower, transport
constraints and corruption among staff.

The power utility was also told to exercise fairness in its load-shedding
schedule.

The commission urged Zesa to improve its relationship with customers by
notifying them of any disconnections before switching them off.

In an interview yesterday, Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira said the
power utility would comply with the order though it was still waiting for
formal communication from CTC.

"The Tariff Commission is born out of an Act of Parliament so we will comply
with their orders but we have not yet received official communication," he
said.

He said Zesa was already in the process of implementing some of the CTC's
orders, such as crediting accounts of those charged more than what
Government set between February and November last year.

The CTC investigation was instituted in terms of Section 28 of the
Competition Act.

The commission said at its special meeting on July 8 this year, it found
that Zesa's actions constituted "restrictive practices that are a
manifestation of the abuse of monopoly".

Its orders were made in terms of Section 31(4) of the Competition Act
(Chapter 14:28).

Many consumers have not been paying their Zesa bills since the introduction
of the multiple currency system.

Some have complained that the estimated bills are too high while Zesa has
accused others of simply being negligent.

The power utility has invited consumers to come to their banking halls to
make arrangements to pay in instalments if they cannot cope with the monthly
bills.

Cricket-Zimbabwe offers to tour Pakistan to help flood victims

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

Sat, 21 Aug 13:08:00 2010

Zimbabwe's cricket team has offered to tour Pakistan to raise funds for the
victims of the country's massive floods, despite the suspension of foreign
visits following a militant attack last year.

An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board told Reuters the governing body of
the ZCU had made contact over a proposed tour.

"They are willing to come over and play a series as they want to help us
raise funds for the flood victims. They have left it up to us to give dates
and schedule for the tour," media manager Nadeem Sarwar said.

Pakistan has been banned from hosting international cricket tours since
militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore last year. Six
Pakistani policemen and a van driver were killed while five Sri Lankan
players were wounded.

The International Cricket Council moved matches of the 2011 World Cup away
from Pakistan because of security concerns.

Since the attack, Pakistan have been forced to play home series at neutral
venues including matches against Australia and New Zealand.

Pakistan are scheduled to play a 'home' test series against South Africa in
the United Arab Emirates in October.

Sarwar said the ICC and member boards were keen to help Pakistan cricket and
most importantly to raise funds for flood victims.

PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt told TV One" on Friday that they had asked several
boards including India to play matches to raise money for flood victims.

The worst floods in Pakistan's history have claimed around 1,500 lives,
washed away thousands of villages and left millions homeless.

Nothing local

Dear Family and Friends,
Having a meal with friends this week, the conversation turned, as it
almost always does, to politics. First the talk was about the
constitutional outreach programme which has degenerated into party
politics in most areas and left people afraid to attend, scared to
speak and facing the consequences of daring to voice their opinions -
particularly if they are in rural areas. Then the discussion was about
elections - when they should happen; with or without a new
constitution and with or without international supervision were a few
of many burning questions. Then came the dual citizenship issue and
the
disenfranchisement of so many Zimbabweans who now hold foreign
passports either because they have been in exile during our country's
decade of mayhem or because they've been struck off voters rolls and
declared 'alien' if their parents were born outside the country.

Before long our conversation was about the food on the table. A
simple meal is still not something any of us take for granted.
Memories of 2007 and 2008 when there was hyperinflation and no food
to buy are still very fresh in our minds. How well we remember the
horror of government price controls, of youth militia going shop to
shop forcing prices to be slashed dramatically and then buying up all
the stock themselves. We remember walking into huge supermarkets and
gazing at aisle after aisle of empty shelves with nothing to sell
except perhaps a few wilting cabbages or packets of 'maputi' popcorn,
light bulbs or washing up liquid.

How easily this could all happen again, I thought, as we talked about
the food we were eating. Almost everything on the table had been grown
or produced outside Zimbabwe. The milk was imported from Zambia, where
it is produced by dispossessed Zimbabwean farmers. The margarine was
imported from South Africa where it is produced by a Zimbabwean
company which had no choice but to relocate across the border to
survive. The bread was made locally but with wheat imported from
South Africa. The eggs were local but the chickens had been fed on
imported food. The biscuits were from Mocambique; sugar and coffee
from South Africa and even the fruit was imported.

Its been ten years since Zanu PF grabbed all Zimbabwe's commercial
farms and yet we still have nothing to show for it. We are now
completely dependent on outside countries for almost everything we
eat. A closer look at all the labels on the food in our shops exposes
Zimbabwe's continuing inability to stand on its own two feet. Food may
have familiar product names and some may have been packaged in
Zimbabwe but mostly the contents are imported. How familiar we have
become with those little stickers on most of our food which proclaims
'proudly South African.' Browsing around one small convenience and
fresh produce shop recently I had to ask if there was anything they
sold that was actually locally grown or produced in Zimbabwe. Potato
crisps were imported, as were biscuits, jam, chutney, apples, pears,
tinned goods, cold drinks and almost everything else.

What a tragedy that ten years after land takeovers, nothing says
'proudly Zimbabwean' because nothing is. Until next week, thanks for
reading, love cathy. � Copyright cathy buckle 21 August 2010.
www.cathybuckle.com

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