Zimbabweans brace for bleak holiday with rising poverty, unemployment, food and cash shortages

http://www.washingtonpost.com

By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, December 25, 1:06 AM

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabweans are facing bleak holidays this year amid
rising poverty, food and cash shortages and political uncertainty, with some
describing it as the worst since the formation of the coalition government
in the southern African nation.

President Robert Mugabe, in a four-year-old coalition with former opposition
leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, announced an extra public holiday
Monday which has created chaos for holiday shoppers and travelers. Banks
have closed, ATMs have run out of cash and transport services have been
paralyzed.

This caps a year of political uncertainty, a deadlock in constitutional
reforms and calls for elections in coming months, seen as critical for
Mugabe, 88, who has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980.

In 2008, Mugabe’s party was accused of vote-rigging and blamed for the worst
election violence since independence. As the election tempo quickens,
political intimidation has resurfaced, according to independent human rights
groups.

Zimbabwe’s unemployment is pegged at around 80 percent with many people in
Harare, the capital, eking out a living by selling vegetables and fruits on
street corners.

Matthew Kapirima, 60, waits outside a busy supermarket for customers to buy
his boxes of weather-beaten peaches and litchis for $10 each.

But holiday shoppers go about their business without even giving him a
second glance.

Kapirima has not sold any fruit in days and with a day left before
Christmas, he said has to concede that he won’t be able to provide his
family with food and new clothes this year.

“This is the worst Christmas ever,” Kapirima told The Associated Press.

Kapirima has four wives and 25 children living in the rural areas, but all
he has managed to get them this Christmas is a 40-kilogram (88 pound) bag of
maize seed to plant on his small-sized family plot in Mudzi.

He said he can’t travel to his rural home because transport operators are
taking advantage of the holiday rush to charge exorbitant fares.

“I have to forget about going there and continue working for school fees for
January,” he said.

Christmas in Zimbabwe is also the hunger season — the time between harvests
from September to March — for most of the nation’s impoverished rural
population who depend on food handouts.

Kapirima’s family joins the 1 million Zimbabweans who live in drought-prone
areas who have received food handouts for Christmas this year from the
United Nations.

Food shortages are “worse” this year compared to the last three years due to
drought and constrained access to cash to buy seed and fertilizer for rural
farmers, said World Food Program Zimbabwe country director Felix Bamezon.

Bamezon said the Zimbabwe government for the first time has assisted by
providing grain to give to starving communities in rural areas.

“This is good because they don’t interfere to tell us which people to give
the food to,” he said.

The World Food Program has been donating hampers of 10 kilograms (22 pounds)
of cereal, vegetable oil and mixed beans to each person in qualifying
households every month since September.

For those who live in areas where there are grain traders, WFP gives out $3
per person in a household to buy the grain from traders instead of the food
hampers.

An average household has five people, making it $15 for a family to spend
for Christmas.

Bamezon also said their organization helps vulnerable communities by
engaging them in “food for work” projects where people work to get food
during the time they are not provided food assistance.

Rural communities have come up with coping mechanisms such as cutting down
the number of meals a day from three to one and selling their prized
livestock, furniture and household goods. Bamezon said he had heard reports
that some young girls are given away to elderly men for early marriages.

The U.N.’s childrens agency, UNICEF, has in previous research this year
noted that girls and young women have been pressured by destitute families
to solicit as prostitutes in bars and shopping areas.

In the troubled economy, money is not trickling down from the nation’s urban
elite, who own luxury cars and mansions, to the urban and rural poor.

“Life is getting harder in this country,” said fruit vendor Kaparima. “There
is nothing to celebrate this Christmas.”

18 perish in single deadliest car crash yet

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

24/12/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

EIGHTEEN people were killed late Sunday in the single deadliest car accident
yet this festive season, near Mutare.

Police say a lorry overloaded with 63 fresh produce farmers veered off the
road and flipped several times, killing 17 passengers on the spot and
injuring 46.

One person was pronounced dead on arrival at the Hauna District Hospital,
where more than 30 others are receiving treatment.

Manicaland Province police spokesman Enock Chisiri told state radio that
while they were still investigating the cause of the crash, it was clear the
open truck was overloaded.

Before the Mutare accident, police had recorded 70 fatalities since the
outset of the festive season on December 15.

Superintendent Tinaye Matake blamed speeding for most of the crashes and
urged motorists to observe all road regulations.

Matake said 412 injuries have since been noted from 579 accidents.
Matabeleland North Province had the highest number of deaths, with 13 people
killed in 16 accidents.

Harare, Matake said, led in the number of crashes, with 244 cases that
claimed 6 lives.

Some 546 defective vehicles were impounded and 8, 000 drivers have been
cited for overloading.

Last year, a total of 147 people were killed while 1, 304 others were
injured during the Christmas festive period.

The police traffic department is currently running a public campaign to
promote road safety under the theme “Drive Safe, Arrive Alive.”

The awareness started December 15 and runs through January 15.

Coltart differs with Ncube over election pact

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

23/12/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

MDC senator David Coltart has differed sharply with his boss, Welshman
Ncube, over the need for an electoral pact with Morgan Tsvangirai, declaring
that an alliance is “absolutely necessary” ahead of elections next year.

Ncube, leader of the MDC, dismissed chances of any such coalition with the
MDC-T recently saying the two parties stood for diametrically different
causes.

“We are MDC and we won’t have pacts. We stand alone because what we stand
for is different from what other parties stand for,” Ncube said.

But Education Minister Coltart on Sunday differed with Ncube saying while he
agreed that reuniting the splintered party would not be easy, he believed a
coalition to unseat President Robert Mugabe was not only possible but
necessary.

“Reunification is desirable but very difficult,” Coltart said on the
micro-blogging site, Twitter. “So an election pact is more feasible and
necessary.”

At a recent rally, Tsvangirai dismissed Ncube as a petty “village
politician” unsuitable for national office.

Ncube took umbrage at the characterisation, and when asked if he would
consider coalescing with Tsvangirai, he retorted: “How can villagers unite
with royalty?”

Those close to the two men say they had a longstanding mutual contempt for
each other that snowballed into outright hatred following the MDC split in
2005.

The idea of a broad democratic coalition is currently being thrown around,
with some people urging both Tsvangirai and Ncube to bury the hatchet and
forge an alliance.

MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti - one of the officials who vainly pushed
for the reunification of the party ahead of the 2008 polls - says while he
has given up on the prospects of a reunification, he still hopes a pact is
achievable.

“I pray that there will be maturity at the relevant time not for the
reunification of the parties, I think that will never happen, but for some
kind of electoral pact,” Biti told NewZimbabwe.com recently.

“I hope the leaders of all the democracy loving political parties in
Zimbabwe - Simba Makoni, Dumiso Dabengwa, Welshman Ncube, Morgan Tsvangirai
and others - will come together for some kind of pact.”

Had the two MDC formations contested the last election as a united force,
Tsvangirai would have won decisively.

But a split opposition vote, coupled with violence and intimidation by Zanu
PF functionaries, laid the ground for Mugabe, 88, to remain in office.

Tsvangirai fell shy of the requisite 50.1 percent, polling 47.9 percent of
the vote against Mugabe’s 43.2 percent.

Backed by the Ncube MDC, Mavambo/Kusile leader Simba Makoni bagged 8.3
percent. A run-off followed between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, but the MDC-T
leader pulled out citing violence.

Teachers Union Dismisses New Zimbabwe Census Figures

http://www.voazimbabwe.com

23.12.2012

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has joined the Bulawayo
City Council to dispute the results of this year’s national population
census released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStats) last
Monday.

At the heart of the dispute are census figures showing stagnant or negative
population growth in the Midlands, Manicaland, Bulawayo and Masvingo
provinces.

PTUZ claims the figures were manipulated by the country’s spy network, the
Central Intelligence Organization, the military and President Robert Mugabe’s
Zanu PF party in an effort to limit voter registration in those areas for
next year’s election.

The census indicates that Zimbabwe has a population of about 12.9 million
people – a 1.1 percent increase from 2002, when the country had 11.6
million.

ZimStats says Harare has 16 percent of the total population, followed by
Manicaland with 14 percent, Midlands 13 percent, Masvingo and Mashonaland
West 11 percent each, Mashonaland central 9 percent and Matabeleland North 6
percent.

Matabeleland South and Bulawayo account for 5 percent of the total
population each. These figures are being strongly disputed by Bulawayo Mayor
Patrick Thaba Moyo.
Moyo insists the city has more than one million people, not the just over
655,000 people counted by ZimStats.

ZimStats manager Washington Mapeta insists the population figures are
accurate.

Census figures are used officially to allocate government resources. As a
result, it is not uncommon for census figures to be disputed.

Tsvangirai in rallying call: Register to Vote

http://nehandaradio.com

on December 24, 2012 at 7:38 am

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has urged people to register to vote during
the three month-voter registration window starting in January.

In an exclusive interview with the Prime Minister’s Newsletter Tsvangirai
said that people should register to vote so that they will be able to vote
in the forthcoming watershed elections expected next year. He said people
must vote next year and that there should be no apathy.

“I appeal to the people of Zimbabwe to go and register in order to vote next
year if they want to participate in the watershed elections and shape the
future of the country,” Tsvangirai said.

“We have set up a three-month voter registration period and this will enable
everyone to register to vote. By the end of January and early February we
should be able to hold a referendum on the draft constitution. The decision
to hold elections will be determined after the referendum,” the Premier
added.

PM Tsvangirai said that the voter registration as well as the referendum
will be held concurrently. “The three months of voter registration will
coincide with the referendum. I have agreed with President Mugabe to instill
some discipline before the holding of the elections so that free and fair
polls are held,” he said.

Trade deficit tops US$3,8bn

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

Staff Reporter 20 hours 22 minutes ago

ZIMBABWE registered a US$3,8 billion budget deficit in the period January to
November 2012, as the volume of imports continued to gallop ahead of
exports.
According to latest statistics from the Ministry of Finance, imports in the
period to November 15 totalled US$7 billion.
Presenting the State of the Economy address, Finance Minister Tendai Biti
last week said imports had increased by US$2,5 billion over last year’s
comparative period.
“Cumulative imports to November 15, 2012, amounted US$7 billion compared to
US$5,5 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2011,” he said.
Total foreign payments breached the US$700 million threshold three times
since January in March, July and October, while exceeding US$600 million
mark in Janu­ary,
April, May, June, August and September.
In what is fast becoming an ominous reality, imports are this year expected
to exceed US$8 billion.
The disparity between imports and exports means the country is losing more
than it is earning in terms of foreign currency inflows.
As such, growing current account deficit drains most of the liquidity
critically required to fund industry. Imports were in sharp contrast to the
US$3,42 billion worth of exports from Zimbabwe over the same period.
The country’s trade deficit remains unsustainable despite the fact that
exports rose by 9,6 percent since January.
Minerals dominated exports, accounting for 61 per­cent of the export
inflows, followed by tobacco at 21,8 percent, agriculture 9,2 percent,
manufacturing 6,7 per­cent, horticulture 0,3 percent and hunting 0,2
percent.
Mining exports totalled US$2,1 billion, tobacco US$747,2 million,
agriculture US$313,4 million, manu­facturing US$228,4 million, horticulture
US$10 mil­lion, while hunting contributed US$7,7 million.
“Cumulatively, total exports to 15 November stood at US$3,42 billion
compared with US$3,12 billion realised during the corresponding period in
2011,” he said.
Zimbabwean industries have generally had difficul­ties in competing on the
global market due to old equip­ment, the high cost of funding and utilities,
critical shortage of power and high wage demands, among others.
The multiplicity of factors that continue to dog indus­try has seen
industrial capacity, which rose from about 20 percent in 2008 to 57 percent
last year, but falling again this year to an average of 44,5 percent.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce estimates that local industry needs
about US$2,5 billion to re-build its industrial base after a decade of
economic instability.

Obama appoints Zimbabwean academic

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

Staff Reporter 5 hours 48 minutes ago

A ZIMBABWEAN James M Manyika was on Friday appointed into the United States
President’s Global Development Council in a major milestone for the
University of Zimbabwe graduate.
Manyika, who is currently the director of the McKinsey Global Institute and
a senior partner at McKinsey& Company, was among 12 people appointed by
President Barack Obama into key administration posts.
“These dedicated and accomplished individuals will be value additions to my
administration as we tackle the important challenges facing America,” Obama
said.
“I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

Her Zimbabwe too has been hacked

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

By Staff Writer
December 24th, 2012

Earlier today, we posted an article noting that popular local entertainment
blog Zimbo Jam, had been hacked. The website has since been fixed, but it
turns out they were not the only website on the server that was hacked.
Another local website herzimbabwe.co.zw, was also hacked. The information
was availed to us via our Facebook page after we posted the Zimbo Jam news.

Her Zimbabwe was hacked by the same hackers that hit Zimbo Jam, and
according to the Her Zimbabwe founder, Fungai Machirori, the website is
hosted on the same server. Her Zimbabwe also uses the Joomla content
management system. So far the website has not been fixed as it still shows
the hacker’s page.

Her Zimbabwe is dedicated to discussing and articulating Zimbabwean women’s
issues and experiences. It was launched in March this year.

Tsvangirai shocked by death of Deputy Minister

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

Staff Reporter 6 hours 58 minutes ago

The body of the late Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development
deputy minister Seiso Moyo yesterday left Harare for burial in Bulawayo this
afternoon with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai describing him as a
“critical team player”.
Moyo, who was also MP for Nketa, died at a private Harare hospital on Friday
following a short illness.
MDC-T national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said Moyo (56) will be
buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery at 12pm.
Tsvangirai, who has lost a number of his top allies since the inception of
the inclusive government in 2009, said his party had been robbed of a team
player who would be difficult to replace.
“We have lost the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Seiso Moyo,” Tsvangirai
said on the micro blogging site Twitter.
“He was a critical team player and the void he has created shall be
difficult to fill.”
Chamisa said Moyo was a cog in the MDC-T, describing him as a shrewd
tactician who was helping the party with organisation ahead of next year’s
elections.
“He was a versatile leader of excellence,” he said. “He was a strategist,
short on words, but long in deeds. His actions were very loud.”
Chamisa said the deputy minister was a “political gentleman”, who was
principled and worked hard to unify the party in Matabeleland after the 2005
split.
MDC-T deputy national organising secretary, Abednico Bhebhe, said the
funeral will start at the Lutheran Church in Moyo’s constituency.
“He will lie in state at his Newton West home before burial tomorrow
(today),” he said.
“We hope his body will arrive in time today (yesterday) so that we have a
church service at his home.”
Bhebhe said mourners were yesterday gathered at Moyo’s home waiting for the
arrival of the body.
Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo, Water Resources minister Samuel Sipepa
Nkomo and Chamisa were among the party’s top officials who escorted the body
to Bulawayo.
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said Moyo’s death was a sad development
for his party.
“We have lost a political gentleman and a man of the people,” he said.
Bulawayo mayor Thaba Moyo said the deputy minister’s death was a loss for
the region.
“It’s shocking,” he said. “Being a cousin of mine, a friend, a colleague and
a homeboy; it’s a sad loss indeed.
“Considering that he was one of the leaders that we looked up to in the
representation of the region, we are now one leader short.”
MDC Bulawayo spokesperson Edwin Ndlovu described the late Moyo as, “a
down-to-earth and humble politician”.
“As the Bulawayo province of the MDC, we are saddened by the passing on of
the agriculture deputy minister,” he said.
“We regarded him as a down-to-earth and humble politician who interacted
with everyone.
“He was one of the few sober-minded politicians I knew.
“We will mourn him and we will miss him.”
Moyo is survived by his wife Sinini and five children.

Borders calm ahead of Christmas

http://www.news24.com

2012-12-24 14:07

Johannesburg - Traffic has gone down substantially at the Beit Bridge border
to Zimbabwe and the Lebombo border to Mozambique on Monday, said the Border
Control Operation Co-ordinating Committee (BCOCC).

BCOCC spokesperson Patrick Moeng said it was mostly commercial trucks that
were making their way through the border posts.

"We have very few buses and vehicles passing through... When I checked at
the Beit Bridge this morning, there were only 19 vehicles waiting to pass
the border and that is a large contrast to the last few days," he said.

Moeng said it was not surprising that the borders were quiet at this time.

"Most people are thinking there is going to be a big rush on the roads and
at the border so they leave on the 22nd and 23rd [December]... On the 24th,
we find that it is usually quiet," he said.

The BCOCC was already preparing for another big rush after 1 January.

"We are reviewing plans to see how we can improve the roads for New Year's
but the traffic will not have a big effect on South African as it will be
coming from the other side of the borders," Moeng said.

He added that they were working on plans to give travellers information
about when was the most convenient time to travel in order to avoid traffic
jams.

No major accidents

Both the Zimbabwean and Mozambican borders received more vehicles this year
than they did in 2011.

"Last year, the Beit Bridge border processed 19 000 vehicles a day but this
year, there were around 30 000 vehicles a day.

"Lebombo processed around 17 000 last year and it was around 28 000 this
year."

No major accidents or incidents have been reported at the borders or close
to the border areas.

"It was just the incident on Sunday where a man died of natural causes at
the Beit Bridge border," said Moeng.

The Zimbabwean national was reportedly coming from a medical check-up in
South Africa.

Moeng said the man asked to be escorted to the bathroom but collapsed and
died between the bus and the bathroom.

Last week on Monday, a woman gave birth to twins at the Beit Bridge border
and on Tuesday, another woman also gave birth.

"They were incident-free births. Both the babies and mothers were in good
health."

- SAPA

Zimbabwean drug mule spared death in Hong Kong

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

Staff Reporter 1 hour ago

A Zimbabwean woman, Regina Makwembere, 40, has been spared a death sentence
and instead sentenced to serve seven and half years by a Magistrate’s court
in Hong Kong after being convicted of smuggling hard drugs.
Makwembere, a dressmaker by profession, had amphetamine drugs in her luggage
as she passed through the Hong Kong International Airport en-route to
Thailand in March this year.
Per her account, she picked the drugs from a lady named Pearl in South
Africa who helped her smuggle them via the Oliver Tambo International
Airport.
Amphetamine is a psycho-stimulant drug that produces increased wakeful­ness
and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.
Makwembere has been in jail since March this year and had travelled to South
Africa by bus around February 15 after which she stayed in a hotel in
Johannes­burg before meeting the named, ‘Pearl’ and heading to Hong Kong.
The value of the contraband meant for Thailand was not disclosed.
Makwembere is not the only one. Fifteen other Zimbabwean women are
reportedly serving sentences in Asian jails for hard drug-related offences.
Regina may have found relief in the form of mere luck since in Asia
drug-linked crimes usually attract automatoc death sentences.
Zimbabwean citizens are used to transport their consignments because locals
had lesser chances of raising suspicion.
At least 16 Zimbabwean women are stuck in Asian jails, 14 convicted of drug
smuggling and two others awaiting the conclusion of their trial and face the
death penalty if convicted.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the 16 women in Asian jails, 14
are jailed in China where they have been convicted of offences ranging from
drug trafficking to illegal ivory trade.
Eight are serving their sentences at the Beijing Women Prison, Beijing
Second Prison and Tianjin Prison while six others are detained at the
Guangzhou Prison.
Two other Zimbabwean women are facing the death penalty in Malaysia. Some
Asian countries including Malaysia could soon impose stringent travel
requirements for Zimbabwe and other African countries following the increase
of use of locals to smuggle drugs.
According to an inside source plans were at an advanced stage to implement
new visa regulations as a result of the rampant drug trafficking.
Several countries such as Zimbabwe that until now enjoyed visa-free travel
to some Asian countries will have visa requirements imposed upon them as a
way of curbing drug trafficking.

Nurse flees to Zimbabwe after battering UK girlfriend

http://nehandaradio.com

on December 24, 2012 at 8:06 am

SURREY (UK) — A Zimbabwean born nurse is on the run after being caught on
CCTV beating up his girlfriend. Malvern Kurehwa (38) is being sought by
Surrey Police for a separate matter and it is believed he has fled to
Zimbabwe.

Kurehwa, from Rosehill, had pleaded guilty to battery of his girlfriend at
Sutton Magistrates Court on October 20, 2009 and was ordered to pay a fine
of £230. As a result of the sentence, Kurehwa was told by the Nursing and
Midwifery Council (NMC) his fitness to practice as a mental health nurse was
compromised.

He was due to face the NMC on December 14 to hear the panel determine his
future, but he failed to show up. He informed the panel in October this year
that he was raising funds for a flight in order to attend the hearing. A
panel decided in his absence that he should be struck off the nursing
register.

The panel concluded that “there is a real, current need for public
protection in this case”. At the hearing at the International Dispute
Resolutions Centre on Fleet Street, Central London, the panel heard about
the incident which gave rise to his conviction.

On October 18, 2009, Kurehwa had called police from a phonebox in Rosehill
claiming he was being attacked by his girlfriend.

However, CCTV footage in fact showed him punching his girlfriend in the head
at least four times whilst holding her around her neck before dragging her
to the floor and pushing her across the road.

A report of the NMC hearing said: “In considering Kurehwa’s fitness to
practise, the panel reminded itself of its duty to protect patients and its
wider duty to protect the public interest which includes the declaring and
upholding of proper standards of conduct and behaviour.

“The panel considered that Kurehwa’s actions are fundamentally incompatible
with remaining on the register.”

Meanwhile, a Zimbabwean woman has admitted having false documentation, which
allowed her to work as a nurse with Scotland’s largest health board. Asylum
seeker Doreen Mutasa (31), was refused leave to stay in the United Kingdom
in 2004 but was granted a temporary stay in 2010 on condition that she did
not work.

The UK Border Agency later discovered that the Zimbabwean national had been
using a false UK residence permit. Mustasa worked with NHS Greater Glasgow
and Clyde from 2008 until 2012. Surrey Comet/BBC

Tsvangirai on politics and personal life

http://nehandaradio.com/

on December 24, 2012 at 6:23 am

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai speaks on wide ranging issues from politics, Government, the MDC and his personal life.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai

Q: Prime Minister how do you rate Government performance in 2012?

PM: A major milestone this Government has achieved is the constitution-making process. The second All stakeholders conference we had made the process irreversible. We also launched the Medium Term Plan (MTP) and other various social interventions we did as Government in health, education and water.

By the end of the year we look back and say we have succeeded in dealing with the water situation in most urban centres. The Mtshabezi pipeline has started supplying water to residents in Bulawayo and this is another milestone we are happy about. We had a very good engagement drive with the international community.

We went to the Asian-Pacific, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and I think Zimbabwe’s position was well received in so far as the inclusive Government was concerned. For the first time we were invited to China and the general impression was that we were making progress and that the country was not deteriorating further to a failed State.

We were making progress on the economic front but one thing that has become an international concern is the indigenisation law but generally the interest in the country was greatly enhanced. If we are able to resolve some of these hygiene issues this country will be on a very strong positive trajectory.

Q: Other positives…?

PM: With a narrow budget and very restricted fiscal space, the Ministry of Finance demonstrated that with the little means that we had we managed to sustain Government operations.

I think the issue of the relaxation of restrictions on technical assistance to Zimbabwe by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), debt restructuring and the continued consolidation of the macro-economic situation were positive developments.

We implemented the ICT policy, which saw the whole country being wired up with mobile access. In the health sector we saw the setting up of cancer centres in Harare and Bulawayo. In education, we had Grade 7 results announced way before Christmas and it is an achievement.

On roads under the Government Work Programme (GWP) there is the resurfacing of the Plumtree-Mutare road.

A lot of major activities are taking place. If you go to other critical interventions, the ministry of Energy has made efforts to find a solution to the Chisumbanje ethanol plant dispute, the issue of Government intervening to protect the Save conservancy against what maybe concluded as a bad-boy image for the country.

Internationally the diamond issue seems to be near resolution and what is required now is greater transparency in accounting for the proceeds to the fiscus.

Q:What were some of the challenges in 2012?

PM: The challenges we faced largely arose from policy discord especially around indigenisation. It would appear the Government was split with Zanu PF going with its so-called indigenisation plan which scared away investors.

The policy discord affected investor confidence in the country because of the manner the indigenisation plan was implemented. It created so much discord. We hope the nation will be able to set the real priorities when we come to economic empowerment, which we all subscribe to.

In the MDC we have always not been happy about the selective application of the law mirrored by the Glen View activist arrests and denial of bail. The perception that there is the selective application of the law does not bode well for a government that is trying to instill a sense of rule of law.

Q: What is in store for 2013?

PM: I think the country can only go from strength to strength if we are able to deal with our hygiene issues of politics. I am sure our country will be on a very positive trajectory economically and that is the growth we are all looking for, increasing the cake in order for us to share it.

My focus is to increase the cake, increase the potential economic growth that is there and that will enhance internal distribution of wealth.

Q: Is this cake only confined to the economic issues?

PM: No. It involves even the democratic cake. It means the people are freer and enjoy the same rights countrywide. The constitution will, for the first time, provide greater freedom and space for people to pursue their own individual dreams and opportunities. It is a positive thing for the country.

Q: How far have you gone with other issues such as security sector realignment?

PM: We are going to have a meeting of the National Security council before the end of year. As you know we have not been able to meet for the past six months for various reasons.

We will receive reports of what has happened over the last six months and also define in clear terms what is the role of the security sector in the forth-coming election. We need to have an agreement because first and foremost we have the GPA, which defines how State organs should behave.

We also have the Constitution, the Defence Act and the Police Act which define specifically how these institutions should behave and above all we need to comply with the Sadc guidelines on how to conduct free and fair elections.

These are matters that we should be in a position to discuss without acrimony because there sometimes is a tendency, given what statements have been issued, to be negative but definitely everyone should try to find a positive solution to have these institutions behave as expected at law.

Q: How are you going to deal with violence?

PM: Firstly, I want to state the commitment of the Principals to ending violence. Judging by what I discussed with the President and what he said to Cabinet, its basically to say we do not want violence. I think this has become a consistent message. Do people believe the President, I do not know.

Given the characteristics of our previous elections that have been characterised by violence, I think people have a justifiable reason to be afraid of the forthcoming elections.

We need to embark on a reassuring agenda. We will be addressing the press before end of year about the same thing, about how we have to conduct ourselves, that we need free campaigning.

Let the people of Zimbabwe choose, why should we always be under scrutiny by the international community on how we behave during elections. It is time we demonstrated the political maturity that has been put on a test by working together in the inclusive Government. Let us set those standards.

Secondly, we have Jomic that monitors and acts on violence. We are hoping to expand Jomic so that we have all the political actors that will be involved in the election so that we all agree on what standards to set. Thirdly, the police have an obligation to maintain and restore law and order without fear or favour.

From now on we have to categorically state that whoever violates the rights of the people must be prosecuted. The violence perpetrated in the last election is totally unacceptable and we want the police to do their work professionally. We believe the church also has an obligation to ensure that there is peace in the country.

Going around the country for prayer meetings this year gave me the feeling that we should not only talk about peace but we should act peacefully. The church has an obligation to ensure peace. Incidents of violence violate not only the physical beings but also the people’s spirits.

Q: How do you rate your party going into the watershed elections?

PM: The MDC is in a very good shape. I saw it for myself when I went around the 12 provinces. The party has very serious momentum. People are determined to complete the struggle they started 13 years ago. I am happy with the state of the party and the commitment is there.

We always emphasise that power is institutional and not for an individual. We do not put forward the individual but the collective will of the party and I am happy with that. The leadership is united. We are working as a team and even the people are happy that the leadership is united.

Q: What is your thrust going forward?

PM: The coming election will be issue based. It is about who is going to provide a clear vision for the future. For me the challenge is not about President Mugabe and Zanu PF failures which are well known and well documented but it is about the MDC talking about its specific plans, and its vision. What are the policies and programmes of the MDC to take this country forward?

Q: Do you have that clear vision?

PM: We do have a clear vision. We are very clear to build a modern, democratic and developmental State that respects the people’s wishes, not to cover up for the failures of the State but to ensure that the administration facilitates for people to achieve their dreams.

We recently launched, the Jobs, Upliftment, Investment, Capital and Environment (Juice). Juice is a comprehensive jobs plan because we believe that the critical social question we face is unemployment. People are being educated and yet there is no industry to absorb them. This is very frustrating for the young population.

They are disillusioned and we need to come up with a response mechanism which focuses on the creation of jobs, revival of industries, infrastructure rehabilitation, agriculture, foreign direct investment, ensuring that the skills level we have in the country are enhanced and that will create a absorption capacity for the unemployed in this country.

Q: Are structures ready for elections and to govern?

PM: The resounding conviction is that we are ready not only for elections but to govern. They are ready and I am happy too.

Asked about how his personal life had panned out in 2012, Tsvangirai gave this reaction:

PM: I am glad that I have found someone I love. I am very happy and positively looking forward to 2013.

Tsvangirai on politics and personal life

http://nehandaradio.com/

on December 24, 2012 at 6:23 am

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai speaks on wide ranging issues from politics, Government, the MDC and his personal life.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai

Q: Prime Minister how do you rate Government performance in 2012?

PM: A major milestone this Government has achieved is the constitution-making process. The second All stakeholders conference we had made the process irreversible. We also launched the Medium Term Plan (MTP) and other various social interventions we did as Government in health, education and water.

By the end of the year we look back and say we have succeeded in dealing with the water situation in most urban centres. The Mtshabezi pipeline has started supplying water to residents in Bulawayo and this is another milestone we are happy about. We had a very good engagement drive with the international community.

We went to the Asian-Pacific, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and I think Zimbabwe’s position was well received in so far as the inclusive Government was concerned. For the first time we were invited to China and the general impression was that we were making progress and that the country was not deteriorating further to a failed State.

We were making progress on the economic front but one thing that has become an international concern is the indigenisation law but generally the interest in the country was greatly enhanced. If we are able to resolve some of these hygiene issues this country will be on a very strong positive trajectory.

Q: Other positives…?

PM: With a narrow budget and very restricted fiscal space, the Ministry of Finance demonstrated that with the little means that we had we managed to sustain Government operations.

I think the issue of the relaxation of restrictions on technical assistance to Zimbabwe by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), debt restructuring and the continued consolidation of the macro-economic situation were positive developments.

We implemented the ICT policy, which saw the whole country being wired up with mobile access. In the health sector we saw the setting up of cancer centres in Harare and Bulawayo. In education, we had Grade 7 results announced way before Christmas and it is an achievement.

On roads under the Government Work Programme (GWP) there is the resurfacing of the Plumtree-Mutare road.

A lot of major activities are taking place. If you go to other critical interventions, the ministry of Energy has made efforts to find a solution to the Chisumbanje ethanol plant dispute, the issue of Government intervening to protect the Save conservancy against what maybe concluded as a bad-boy image for the country.

Internationally the diamond issue seems to be near resolution and what is required now is greater transparency in accounting for the proceeds to the fiscus.

Q:What were some of the challenges in 2012?

PM: The challenges we faced largely arose from policy discord especially around indigenisation. It would appear the Government was split with Zanu PF going with its so-called indigenisation plan which scared away investors.

The policy discord affected investor confidence in the country because of the manner the indigenisation plan was implemented. It created so much discord. We hope the nation will be able to set the real priorities when we come to economic empowerment, which we all subscribe to.

In the MDC we have always not been happy about the selective application of the law mirrored by the Glen View activist arrests and denial of bail. The perception that there is the selective application of the law does not bode well for a government that is trying to instill a sense of rule of law.

Q: What is in store for 2013?

PM: I think the country can only go from strength to strength if we are able to deal with our hygiene issues of politics. I am sure our country will be on a very positive trajectory economically and that is the growth we are all looking for, increasing the cake in order for us to share it.

My focus is to increase the cake, increase the potential economic growth that is there and that will enhance internal distribution of wealth.

Q: Is this cake only confined to the economic issues?

PM: No. It involves even the democratic cake. It means the people are freer and enjoy the same rights countrywide. The constitution will, for the first time, provide greater freedom and space for people to pursue their own individual dreams and opportunities. It is a positive thing for the country.

Q: How far have you gone with other issues such as security sector realignment?

PM: We are going to have a meeting of the National Security council before the end of year. As you know we have not been able to meet for the past six months for various reasons.

We will receive reports of what has happened over the last six months and also define in clear terms what is the role of the security sector in the forth-coming election. We need to have an agreement because first and foremost we have the GPA, which defines how State organs should behave.

We also have the Constitution, the Defence Act and the Police Act which define specifically how these institutions should behave and above all we need to comply with the Sadc guidelines on how to conduct free and fair elections.

These are matters that we should be in a position to discuss without acrimony because there sometimes is a tendency, given what statements have been issued, to be negative but definitely everyone should try to find a positive solution to have these institutions behave as expected at law.

Q: How are you going to deal with violence?

PM: Firstly, I want to state the commitment of the Principals to ending violence. Judging by what I discussed with the President and what he said to Cabinet, its basically to say we do not want violence. I think this has become a consistent message. Do people believe the President, I do not know.

Given the characteristics of our previous elections that have been characterised by violence, I think people have a justifiable reason to be afraid of the forthcoming elections.

We need to embark on a reassuring agenda. We will be addressing the press before end of year about the same thing, about how we have to conduct ourselves, that we need free campaigning.

Let the people of Zimbabwe choose, why should we always be under scrutiny by the international community on how we behave during elections. It is time we demonstrated the political maturity that has been put on a test by working together in the inclusive Government. Let us set those standards.

Secondly, we have Jomic that monitors and acts on violence. We are hoping to expand Jomic so that we have all the political actors that will be involved in the election so that we all agree on what standards to set. Thirdly, the police have an obligation to maintain and restore law and order without fear or favour.

From now on we have to categorically state that whoever violates the rights of the people must be prosecuted. The violence perpetrated in the last election is totally unacceptable and we want the police to do their work professionally. We believe the church also has an obligation to ensure that there is peace in the country.

Going around the country for prayer meetings this year gave me the feeling that we should not only talk about peace but we should act peacefully. The church has an obligation to ensure peace. Incidents of violence violate not only the physical beings but also the people’s spirits.

Q: How do you rate your party going into the watershed elections?

PM: The MDC is in a very good shape. I saw it for myself when I went around the 12 provinces. The party has very serious momentum. People are determined to complete the struggle they started 13 years ago. I am happy with the state of the party and the commitment is there.

We always emphasise that power is institutional and not for an individual. We do not put forward the individual but the collective will of the party and I am happy with that. The leadership is united. We are working as a team and even the people are happy that the leadership is united.

Q: What is your thrust going forward?

PM: The coming election will be issue based. It is about who is going to provide a clear vision for the future. For me the challenge is not about President Mugabe and Zanu PF failures which are well known and well documented but it is about the MDC talking about its specific plans, and its vision. What are the policies and programmes of the MDC to take this country forward?

Q: Do you have that clear vision?

PM: We do have a clear vision. We are very clear to build a modern, democratic and developmental State that respects the people’s wishes, not to cover up for the failures of the State but to ensure that the administration facilitates for people to achieve their dreams.

We recently launched, the Jobs, Upliftment, Investment, Capital and Environment (Juice). Juice is a comprehensive jobs plan because we believe that the critical social question we face is unemployment. People are being educated and yet there is no industry to absorb them. This is very frustrating for the young population.

They are disillusioned and we need to come up with a response mechanism which focuses on the creation of jobs, revival of industries, infrastructure rehabilitation, agriculture, foreign direct investment, ensuring that the skills level we have in the country are enhanced and that will create a absorption capacity for the unemployed in this country.

Q: Are structures ready for elections and to govern?

PM: The resounding conviction is that we are ready not only for elections but to govern. They are ready and I am happy too.

Asked about how his personal life had panned out in 2012, Tsvangirai gave this reaction:

PM: I am glad that I have found someone I love. I am very happy and positively looking forward to 2013.

Indigenisation: Is the timing appropriate?

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

23/12/2012 00:00:00
by Graham Nyakudjga

ZIMBABWE has gone through a massive land redistribution program which
although successful, has almost brought the country to its knees
economically. The reasons which caused this downward spiral of the economy
are varied.

The random seizures of once productive farms, sanctions imposed by
international powers, corruption and successive droughts are some of the
major causes of this historic economic disaster.

Were the land seizures wrong? The answers differ according to one's
viewpoint.

My personal view is that it was inevitable to redistribute land as the
majority of people were squeezed in small unproductive plots in rural areas
in a country they called theirs. A need to resolve that condition was
paramount considering too that it was one of the burning issues which
Zimbabweans fought for during the liberation war.

Nevertheless, the good thing is that Zimbabwe can reverse the current bad
image and become a future case study for the whole of Africa in terms of
economic turn-around only if the government handles the situation carefully.

We have got educated, smart and hardworking human resources, fertile lands
and when there is no drought, we always receive ample rains and hence
nothing can stand in our way production-wise.

The biggest part of land redistribution is behind us if we do not take into
consideration some few reported minor cases of land grab still happening.
Land redistribution was a major exercise which will take some years for its
benefits to be realised - if we are not careful.

By that, I mean the government support towards this undertaking should be
adequate. New farmers need training to view farming as business since most
of them were only into small scale production, or peasant farming. Funding
should be availed for new farmers to secure inputs, machinery and pay for
labour.

Safeguards should be put in place to ensure that funding meant for
supporting farming is not diverted. Agricultural extension officers need to
be deployed to farms to impart vital farming methods and skills to the new
farmers. This will act as a catalyst to speed up realisation of big-time
production and bring back the country to its good old self.

The government is presently spearheading indigenisation of the economy .The
question is: Is the time ripe for that major project again before land
redistribution starts to bear fruits? Does the country have enough economic
muscles to carry itself through these combined major transformations?

There is no doubt the idea of indigenisation is a noble one, but here we
have a question of sustenance. History, as well as experience, are the best
teachers. What we learnt during the land redistribution needs not be
ignored. Inflation reached unprecedented levels and the human suffering
could not be measured.

There was a massive exodus of people in search of better living conditions.
If indigenisation is allowed to run concurrently with the land distribution
program, are we saying if we remove sanctions from the equation, the economy
will not be affected much?
Is it not going to exacerbate the suffering of our people? How about
delaying the indigenisation of the economy and gradually address current
challenges facing the country, then move forward at a later stage when the
storm is over.

Besides the nobility of the idea of indigenisation, some of our indigenous
entrepreneurs are unscrupulous, get-rich-quickly minded people whose methods
of running businesses leaves a lot to be desired. Government will need to
work overtime to put in place policies to prevent such conduct before the
country is further ruined.

We have seen what it’s like when some indigenous people run the show.
Professionalism is disregarded to its maximum. Corruption is the order of
the day. Business ethics are never taken seriously. Before wholesale
indigenisation is implemented, the government should let the already running
indigenous businesses keep competing with foreign-based entities.

This will help them learn to appreciate professionalism and embrace business
ethics. That learning curve will prove very crucial when total
indigenisation policies are implemented in the future. The other problem
with indigenous businesses is that they want instant profits whereas profits
should gradually build up. Quick profits are usually a result of corruption.

This type of business operation does not allow or present equal
opportunities to everyone but to some few usually politically-connected
individuals. Zimbabwe cannot allow itself to indulge in such ways as it does
not help it develop and compete on the international platform.

Don't get me wrong and construe me as painting all indigenous businesses
with the same brush. Not at all! We have an example of Econet Wireless, an
indigenous company which is the largest Telco in Zimbabwe, and many people
envy the company and admire its prosperity. That should be commended, and I
wish many local companies emulate Econet Wireless and run their enterprises
likewise.

Policy makers should be urged to keep on brainstorming and formulating these
invaluable policies to better the lives of Zimbabweans. Proper planning and
reasoning should be the order of the day.

Ruling a country is big business and the effects should be shown by living
standards of the majority. We are no longer a colony of any country, and
that should motivate us to excel and refuse mediocrity.

Viva Zimbabwe.

Graham Nyakudjga is a Zimbabwean based in Australia. He can be contacted on
gnyakudjga184@live.com.au

Professor Welshman Ncube should put up or shut up

I read with disgust some of the political innuendos coming from Prof Ncube
directed to the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Does this come out of
personal hatred or political completion? If it is the former, then it is
definitely neither fodder enough for political consumption nor good enough
to add significant numbers to the dwindling MDC-N support base (if ever one
existed in the first place). If it is the latter, then it is not only
ill-conceived, but it smacks of poor political acumen on the part of the
Prof and the party he leads as it is on his personal leadership.

For a start, Prof Ncube got the opportunity to show the nation his political
leadership skills when he assumed the reigns of MDC-M. Never mind about how
that happened, including the court processes that accompanied the whole
drama. What do we get from him, the suspension and expulsion of party
members who dare challenge his decisions, let alone his leadership?

You and I will be forgiven for being naïve to think that going to school and
attaining the highest qualification amounts to being educated. Probably
being schooled is not the same as being educated. And which one of these is
the pre-requisite for good political leadership?

While politics itself is a dirty game (ask some of the ZANU-PF
functionaries), but it also requires political acumen. This is the keenness
and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination in political
matters. If anything, we are yet to see this from you Prof Ncube. Probably
it would not only make a lot of political sense to many people, but also it
would convince your supporters too if you start showing this political
acumen before you judge others. And most importantly, before you put your
name on the ballot paper as a presidential candidate in the next elections.

While I appreciate the individual freedoms that we all have, especially that
of speech, it disturbs me a bit when a political leader of your statue makes
an amateurish analogue of a seasoned cyclist being put in charge of driving
a bus. Common sense tells me from the onset that this is a frivolous
personal attack on the person of Tsvangirai. As such it will not achieve you
anything at the end of the day.

But why would you criticise one leader by praising another? Where are you
yourself in the political leadership continuum in Zim? Are you not a leader
as well? What do you think will attract people to your rallies if they are
rest assured that they will be subjected to comparative attacks of other
leaders? Or sorry, and comparative praises for others who have successfully
and constantly starved the people you address in your rallies?

The ‘flip-flopper’ recently unveiled JUICE and the ‘principled person’
presided over economic decadence of the country for 33 years. What a
comparison? At least they have something to their names. What do you and
your party have to offer Prof? What is your manifesto for the coming
elections? What would you offer the people of Zimbabwe if they vote for you?
By the way, I did not hear you make clear your intentions to be a
presidential candidate in the next elections. Probably this is why President
Mugabe has suddenly become a ‘principled person who exhibits remarkable
leadership qualities’ according to you.

For all along I did not believe that you were being used by ZANU-PF.
However, I now believe that this could be true based on the work that you
are doing on behalf of ZANU-PF. Well this is your choice Prof. But I urge
you to be bold enough to let your MDC-N supporters know where you stand. I
don’t think they would want an unpleasant surprise come election time. At if
they know in advance they will also make their choices, either to go with
you or to part ways.

However, what I am worried about now that you begin to show us your true
colours, is your genuineness in the whole peace process in Zimbabwe, firstly
as a negotiator and secondly (and lately) as a principal. My own assessment
points to one thing, that you could have been and want to continue playing
spoiler role in the peace processes in Zimbabwe, at least from within.

What is spoiling really? Spoiling is a phenomenon whereby individuals or
groups engage in activities or tactics that seek to hinder, delay or
undermine conflict resolution efforts or other peace processes through a
variety of means. Spoilers could be individuals (such as leaders), political
parties or just groups that believe that peace which emerges from peace
processes threaten their power, worldview or interests. So they spoil the
peace process by any means, from within or outside the peace process,
including violence.

Spoilers can only exist in the event of peace negotiations, where a peace
agreement has been signed or where at least two or more parties have
publicly committed to peace. I haven’t heard your call for peace and
peaceful elections in Zimbabwe Prof, like what the other leaders have done,
both the ones you like and those you don’t like.

Spoiling is not a constant notion that acts the same and for the same
reasons in every situation, though spoilers are inherently part of peace
processes.

If I were to categorise you as a spoiler Prof, I would say you are a ‘greedy’
spoiler. Greedy spoilers change their goals and interests depending on the
situation and opportunities coming their way. They tend to exploit anything
that works to their advantage or favour, including supporting their rivals
if they feel that it gives them some opportunity to leverage their power or
benefit their interests.

Greedy spoilers are very dangerous in that they pretend to be part of the
peace processes until such time when they show their true colours and their
interests. This may happen in the late or advanced stages of the peace
process. They are dangerous in that they work from within the peace process.
They have inside information which they can use to their advantage.

Greedy spoilers exploit any opportunities that come their way to expand
their goals and commitments. For example, União Nacional para a
Independência Total de Angola (UNITA) is an example of a greedy spoiler.
When the United States adopted the strategy of inducement over force, during
the Angola civil war, UNITA avoided further peace talks with the Movimento
Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA), taking advantage of no use of force
strategy to amass and deploy its army in a desire to totally control Angola.

Back home, instead of playing spoiler role from within the peace process,
Prof Ncube should just tell us where he stands, what he stands for or shut
up.

Sheunesu Hove

Hove is a PhD candidate at the university of Queensland, Australia, doing
political science, though his area of interest is peacebuilding and conflict
resolution.

Food for votes

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/

AUTHOR:SIMON MOYODATE:DEC 24, 2012

It would be great to go to bed every night knowing that tomorrow there is
something to eat. Yet in Zimbabwe many are so insecure when it comes to
food, millions face starvation and only the drops of rain could silence the
pangs of hunger. In this drought prone nation praying and waiting for the
rain is an annual routine for villages located on barren lands.

But even if the heavens were to open up there is no guarantee of crops, for
without fertilizers people cannot coax any meaningful harvest from the land.
Here the country’s President steps in, with a promise to avert the huge
consequences of a food crisis, but the catch is that if you are not a Zanu
PF supporter your chance of getting Mugabe sponsored agricultural inputs are
slim.

Unfortunately politics have muddled the waters, with President Robert Mugabe
hell bent on extending his 32 year old rule, it is somewhat sickening that
old and young, able bodied and maimed people are reduced to beggars as the
presidential inputs support scheme carried out in a partisan fashion.

The Zimbabwe Peace Project recently reported “the politicisation of food
amid reports hunger-stricken villagers who failed to attend Zanu PF meetings
were denied food as punishment.”

It is sick indeed that the president of the nation chooses to politicise
food and ignore the plight of his people who are living within the jaws of
poverty.

If I was president, just for a day, I would sublimate my personal interests
for the interests of the broader masses. I would never use food to settle
political schemes and I would ensure that those who do not have a piece of
land to till, because of fragmentation caused by traditional inheritance
procedures or through the partisan based land distribution, are given a
piece on farms that presently lie idle in the hands of a few elite.

Food is a right and if I was the president it will be my chief priority to
ensure that people are food secure.

But then it is just a dream in a country where food is used to win numbers.