Mugabe's birthday celebrated in Mutare

http://mg.co.za/

  MUTARE, ZIMBABWE - Feb 25 2012 14:29

Thousands of people gathered at a stadium in Zimbabwe's eastern border town
of Mutare on Saturday for celebrations to mark veteran President Robert
Mugabe's 88th birthday.

The party began with a beauty pageant, and will include a football cup final
dubbed the "Bob at 88 Cup", with a concert by the country's top musicians
set for later in the evening.

Up to 20 000 people were expected to attend, according to provincial
officials. As people trickled into the stadium, a military band played music
praising Mugabe, Africa's oldest leader, while drum majorettes went through
their drills.

Mugabe's supporters wore party shirts with his portrait emblazoned on the
front and back while others wore t-shirts with Mugabe's signature.

Cakes donated by local companies were displayed at the centre of the pitch,
including one with a crocodile, another with the design of the mountains
surrounding Mutare, while another one was shaped like the Victoria Falls.

'Fit as a fiddle'
Some supporters hoisted banners with messages like "Long Live the President"
or hailing Mugabe as "The Lion of Africa".

Other denounced homosexuality and told foreigners to "Leave our diamonds
alone", referring to the enormous new diamond fields near Mutare, which are
the centre of a human rights controversy.

Mugabe, turned 88 on Tuesday declaring himself "fit as a fiddle" and said
new elections should be held this year to choose a successor to the troubled
power-sharing government with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai vowed on Friday to resist Mugabe's push for new elections this
year saying he would not contest polls that come before reforms agreed to in
the pact which gave birth to the power-sharing government.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a power-sharing government in 2009 to prevent a
meltdown in the aftermath of a bloody presidential run-off
election. --Sapa-AFP

Zimbabwe president, marking his 88th birthday, tells the young to shun Western values, gays

http://www.washingtonpost.com

By Associated Press, Updated: Sunday, February 26, 1:48 AM

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe wound up a week of
celebrations marking his 88th birthday with a lavish gathering Saturday,
where he urged the nation’s youth to shun Western values, homosexuality and
greed.

Mugabe, hosting a celebration in the eastern city of Mutare, said some
African leaders have become “weak and naive” and thought only of material
gains when “kneeling” to Westerners.

Organizers from his ZANU-PF party said 20,000 people gathered at a Mutare
sports stadium Saturday for his annual bash targeted at the country’s youth.

A cake baked in Harare was taken to Mutare under police escort, and
livestock were slaughtered for the event.

Regional Mugabe party official Charles Samuriwo didn’t comment on estimates
that the tab for the occasion had reached nearly $1 million. He told
reporters that businesses made “sufficient” donations and “no one will go
back home on an empty stomach.”

In a nationwide broadcast of the event, Mugabe said it was up to the young
to “carry the torch in the future” and maintain a high standard of moral and
sexual behavior. He said that unacceptable Western values included same-sex
marriages.

“We reject that outright and say to hell with you,” he said in a nationwide
broadcast of the event.

“You are free as a man to marry a woman and that is what we follow. That’s
what produced you and me,” he said. “This kind of insanity is now part of
the culture” of Europe and the United States, he added.

Mugabe told Zimbabwe’s young that the fight against Western influence still
had to be fought.

“You must go to the head of the imperialist and knock out his brain,” he
said, cautioning them also against to “any love for money than is greater
than your political conscience.”

In nearly four hours of birthday broadcasts this week, Mugabe said he would
call elections this year to end a shaky coalition government with the former
opposition of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai, who was not in Mutare, insisted Friday that elections can only
be held next year after constitutional and election reforms have been
completed.

Mugabe said Saturday those opposing early polls “know they will lose if we
go to elections this year.”

Tsvangirai on Friday described the three-year coalition with Mugabe, formed
after disputed and violent elections in 2008, as a “painful and sorrowful
experience” and said he will “resist” elections being held in 2012.

He said Mugabe wasn’t to be trusted in power-sharing as “we have a president
who indicates left and turns right.”

Mugabe, whose birthday was Tuesday, said he had been showered with gifts,
blessings and prayers from home and abroad, and that support from his
countrymen “warms my heart and invigorates me.”

Mugabe tells Cameron 'to hell with you' over gay rights

http://www.timeslive.co.za/

Sapa-AFP | 25 February, 2012 19:02

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Saturday told British Prime Minister
David Cameron "to hell with you" over his calls to respect gay rights.

"Nature is nature. It has created male and female," Mugabe told thousands of
supporters at his 88th birthday celebration at a stadium in the eastern
border town of Mutare.

"You David Cameron, are you suggesting that you don't know that or is it
some kind of insanity or part of the culture of Europeans.

"In their newspapers, that's one of my sins. That I called (gays) worse than
pigs and dogs because pigs know there are males and females. It's even in
the Bible that you create through the system of marrying.

"That's how we were born, so we reject that outright and say to hell with
you. I won't even call him a dog because my own dog will complain and say,
but what have I done."

Cameron said at the Commonwealth summit last year that countries receiving
British aid should respect human rights, including gay rights.

The issue has re-emerged as Zimbabwe drafts a new constitution, with debate
on whether to follow neighbouring South Africa's model and include gay
rights in the charter.

Mugabe urged youths to reject any provision for gay rights in the new
charter.

"We won't accept that," he said. "There are other countries who have
accepted that and put it in their constitutions."

"Please, young men and women, you don't have the freedom for men to marry
men and women to marry women. You have the freedom for men to marry women.
That's God's freedom. That's what created you and me."

Mugabe has for decades ranted against homosexuality.

His latest attack came as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon repeated his
calls for African countries to respect gay rights, during a visit to
neighbouring Zambia.

Mugabe pushes for early elections

http://www.ft.com

February 24, 2012 8:47 pm

By Tony Hawkins in Harare and Andrew England in Johannesburg

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, celebrated his 88th birthday this week,
defiantly pledging to remain in power as he and his party push for early
elections this year.

In interviews with state-run media, Mr Mugabe laughed off speculation about
his health and said he had no intention of stepping down as leader of
Zanu-PF, which has ruled since independence in 1980. His birthday
celebrations took place against a backdrop of political tensions over the
drafting of a new constitution that is supposed to lay the platform for
polls.

The drawing up of the new charter is part of a process thrashed out when
Zanu-PF, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and a breakaway
faction of the group agreed to form a unity government in 2009 after violent
and disputed elections the previous year.

The formation of the coalition – although dysfunctional – brought a measure
of stability. But the political temperature has been raised as Zanu-PF has
pushed for elections this year.

The MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, prime minister, insists that electoral
reforms, including the new constitution, have to be in place before a vote
can take place. And while the drafting of the constitution is said to be
almost complete, observers say it is unlikely it will be feasible to
complete the constitutional timetable and call elections during 2012.

It also expected that some clauses in the draft, including one imposing a
two-term limit on presidents that could bar Mr Mugabe from contesting the
election, will be hotly debated and trigger political horse-trading that
could last for months.

Mr Mugabe said on Monday that his party would not accept such a clause.
“They [the drafters] erred if they said that,” he said.

Some in Zanu-PF are thought to favour sidelining the constitutional process
and calling elections as soon as possible under the existing constitution.
The motivation for this is the belief that they want to make it easier for
them to rig the result – as happened in 2008 – allowing a re-elected Mr
Mugabe to retire after installing his nominee in the presidency with a clear
five-year mandate.

“The constitution-making process at the moment is the litmus test for
whether there is any real prospect for reforms that can lay the ground for
free and fair elections,” said Piers Pigou, analyst at the International
Crisis Group. “If the constitution process is rejected or thrown out then
there’s a real danger that an attempt will be made to fast-track an election
process that won’t be credible.”

The MDC, with the support of Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president, will try
to prevent this, and most observers believe it would prevail if a freer and
fairer election were held.

But Mr Mugabe – who has repeatedly outwitted Mr Tsvangirai – has the upper
hand constitutionally as only he can dissolve parliament and call elections.

However, because he is anxious to avoid confrontation with Mr Zuma and other
leaders in the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), the
guarantor of the 2008 agreement, he may decide to delay the polls until May
2013, when the term of parliament expires.

South Africa, which has previously been criticised for being weak on
Zimbabwe, has recently taken a stronger line with Mr Mugabe. Still, in spite
of his dismissing questions on his health, there is a sense that some in
Zanu-PF will continue to push for early elections to ensure Mr Mugabe is
still fit enough to campaign.

“Mugabe is Zanu-PF’s only national drawcard and the clock is ticking on him
being able to play that role credibly,” Mr Pigou said. “What it reflects is
how limited their options appear to be at this stage – it’s the Achilles
heel of his legacy and there’s a huge concern that, when Mugabe goes, there
will be a vacuum.”

Still, Jabulani Sibanda, a war-veteran leader and Mugabe loyalist, insisted
that, regardless of Mr Mugabe’s age and health, succession was not on the
agenda. “President Mugabe is not going anywhere,” he said. “No one, inside
the party or outside, will stop him from contesting the next elections.”

Tsvangirai vows to resist early elections

http://www.nation.co.ke/

By KITSEPILE NYATHI NATION Correspondent
Posted  Friday, February 24  2012 at  19:23

HARARE, Friday

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Friday reiterated he would
resist President Robert Mugabe’s call for early elections.

Mr Tsvangirai said the environment was not yet conducive.

President Mugabe had told state media on the eve of his 88th birthday on
Tuesday that he would call for fresh elections this year with or without a
new constitution.

He said those calling for reforms were cowards who were afraid of electoral
defeat and vowed to reject South African President Jacob Zuma as a mediator
if he persisted on calling for reforms.

President Zuma is the Southern African Development Community pointman on the
Zimbabwe crisis.

Mr Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare that President Mugabe could not
unilaterally call for elections. (READ: Clause locking Mugabe out of polls
scrapped)

“I am very clear on the process, that apart from the constitution, we have
to institute the key reforms that we have agreed on,” he said.

He went on: “It is our colleagues who are stalling the election because once
they implement what we agreed, there is no reason why we cannot have an
election.”

President Mugabe had claimed in interviews with the state media that his
coalition partners were sabotaging constitution-making to delay the
elections.

The two rivals formed a unity government in 2009 after a disputed election
where President Mugabe ended up running unchallenged in the run-off poll
despite losing the first round to Mr Tsvangirai.

At the same time, Zimbabwean police on Friday said they had evidence that an
unnamed opposition political party was planning mass protests to topple
President Mugabe.
Police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri in a statement published in
the state-controlled Herald newspaper said the protests would start in
central Harare.

He claimed they would include hunger strikes and mass protests aimed at
toppling the shaky coalition government.

“The intention of these detractors is to use violence as a weapon of choice
to their advantage as they fear general elections which are just around the
corner,” Chihuri said.

Tsvangirai threatens to boycott poll

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has repeated his threats to boycott any
election unilaterally called by President Robert Mugabe under the current
disputed conditions.
25.02.1212:12pm
by Taurai Moyo

The MDC-T leader, winner of Zimbabwe’s last credible poll in March 2008,
said this Friday while addressing journalists during his now routine Prime
Minister’s Monthly Media Briefings.

“I will not agree to an election unless reforms as agreed have been
implemented. That’s what Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and
African Union demands thus we don’t want a repeat of what happened in 2008,”
Tsvangirai added.

Tsvangirai’s statement follows claims by President Mugabe last week that he
had the sole mandate to determine the dates for the country’s next polls.

“Nobody is forced to go to an election but definitely I will exercise my
presidential powers in accordance with the main principal law, the
Constitution of our country and announce when the election will take place.
And I will do this,” Mugabe told the state media during a televised ritual
interviews to coincide with his 88th birthday.

Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s sole leader since the attainment of independence from
Britain in 1980 is desperate to clinch another term as the country’s
President.

Critics say Mugabe is fighting to beat time through calling for quick polls
as both old age and recurrent health problems militate against him.

Harare based political analyst, Ernest Mudzengi dismisses Mugabe’s call for
a snap election as mere wishes that are retrogressive coupled with
selfishness and propagandist tendencies.

“Key reforms are a priority as the current Constitutional framework cannot
allow for free and fair elections with the playing field being uneven. What
ZANU-PF is doing is mere politicking and shockingly were uttering the same
statements last year but to no avail,” Mudzengi said.

Tsvangirai reminded Mugabe that this inclusive government is a shared
responsibility therefore should forget about personal powers.

“The president continue to live in the past forgetting that this is a shared
responsibility as he continued to talk of his personnel powers either to
appoint and call for an election despite the fact that article 19 of the GPA
is very clear that we have shared authority and that we should agree,”
Tsvangirai said .

The Government of National Unity (GNU) has been plugged in serious problems
since its inception in 2009. The discord has seen unilateral appointments
with the recent appointment of Police Commissioner General Augustine
Chihuri; elections date confusion among others. But on the issue of
elections are Zimbabweans ready and can the country continued to live in
isolation if the reforms are not implemented.

As the President is celebrating his birthday this Saturday in Chipinge, in
conclusion the Prime Minister wishes Mugabe many more years to come.

Speaker Wants Corrupt MPs Arrested

http://www.radiovop.com

Bulawayo, February 25, 2012---Speaker of Parliament, Lovemore Moyo last
Friday said he wants “zero tolerance of corruption in parliament” saying
that, he welcomes the arrest and prosecution of Members of Parliament who
were involved in embezzlement of Constituency Development Funds (CDF).

Last week Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Eric Matinenga
named 10 MPs including two Ministers saying they face arrest after failing
to account for money given to them under the CDF.

Matinenga said his ministry had engaged the Anti-Corruption Commission and
the police to investigate the matter. One of the 10 MPs, Marvellous Khumalo
who is the MDC-T legislator for St Mary’s has already been arrested and
dragged to court.

However speaking to journalists in Bulawayo on Friday, Moyo said he welcomes
the prosecution of the MPs who looted CDF adding, that the legislators
should lead by example and be accountable for public funds.

“I welcome the stance taken by the Minister of Constitutional Affairs and
the Anti-Corruption Commission in investigating allegations of corruption
leveled against the MPs. We want zero tolerance of corruption in
 parliament,” said Moyo.

Moyo added: “The question of accountability and transparency in the use of
public funds must not end in the scrutiny of government, but MPs themselves
must also be accountable. We must practice what we preach.”

The other MPs who were named together with Khumalo for failing to account
for CDF funds are Public Service Minister Lucia Matibenga (MDC-T Kuwadzana
West) National Healing Minister Senator Sekai Holland (MDC-T, Mabvuku-Tafara
constituency), Deputy Health Minister Douglas Mhombeshora (Zanu PF,
Mhangura), Peter Chanetsa (Zanu PF, Hurungwe North), Chindori Chininga (Zanu
PF, Guruve South), Naison Nemadziva (MDC-T, Buhera South) , Abraham Sithole
(Zanu PF, Chiredzi East), Franco Ndambakuwa (Zanu PF Magunje), and Lawrence
Mavima (Zanu PF Zvishavane-Runde).

The Constitutional Development Fund (CDF) was established by Finance
Minister Tendai Biti, with all 210 MPs in the House of Assembly accessing
US$50,000 for distribution to deserving projects in their constituencies.

Search For Chihuri Replacement Has Commenced: Tsvangirai

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare, February 25, 2012 --- Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has
said the two Home Affairs ministers have commenced a search for the new
police commissioner general, as the controversy over the reappointment of
Augustine Chihuri rages on.

Tsvangirai said he met Theresa Makone and Kembo Mohadi over the commissioner
general’s post, as Chihuri’s term had expired.

Tsvangirai said he met President Robert Mugabe and they agreed that the
commissioner general was a key post and the prime minister had to be
involved in that appointment.

“Pursuant to our agreement that l have referred to, l summoned the
co-Ministers of Home Affairs and instructed them to commence the process of
selecting suitable candidates for appointment into the Police Service
Commission,” Tsvangirai said.

“The co-ministers assured me that they had already commenced the process.”

Tsvangirai said in the absence of the Police Services Commission, Chihuri’s
reappointment had been unconstitutional.

“The president’s re-appointment of Augustine Chihuri is, therefore, contrary
to the unambiguous dictates of the constitution,” he told a press
conference, Friday.

“In addition, the president did not consult me as is required by the law.
Chihuri is therefore, not a legitimate commissioner general of the police.”

Tsvangirai said he and his party would not recognise Chihuri’s
reappointment.

He blasted Mugabe for what he termed lack of sincerity on the matter, saying
as principals they had agreed that Chihuri was only police chief on a
temporary basis until they had agreed on a substantive commissioner general.

“We have a president who indicates left and turns right,” the Prime Minister
said.

“He has undermined our collective position and agreement as principals while
he directs his functionaries to execute directives that are at variance with
our common position.  The question is, Can the real Mugabe stand up?”

Harare faces litigation over Easypark: Chombo

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Everson Mushava, Staff Writer
Saturday, 25 February 2012 13:13

HARARE - Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo this week supported a
controversial South African company (Easihold) saying Harare City Council
faces litigation if it decides to terminate their contract with the firm.

Chombo told a parliamentary portfolio committee on local government that the
partnership between council and Easihold had brought sanity to the city
although council feels it was being ripped off by the firm.

“As I speak, Harare City Council faces litigation over the Easipark deal
when they decided to cancel the agreement over a dispute on shareholding.
The joint venture was a noble move to help on restoring sanity in the city
and the council took the decision to cancel the deal without consulting
Easihold,” Chombo said.

Council partnered Easihold to form Easipark with council owning 60 percent
while Easihold held 40 percent of the company.

Under the controversial deal, council was supposed to be getting revenue
from parking bays managed by Easipark but according to councillors, for the
past three years, council has virtually been short-changed.

Harare mayor Muchadeyi Masunda said he was considering giving the parking
business to Zanu PF-aligned outfit, Upfumi Kuvadiki.

Chombo said councils needed to find new approaches so that they avoid
subsidising some outlets that are no longer viable citing the example of
Rufaro Marketing.

“It was viable in the past during the colonial era when blacks could not go
to other places for beer drinking and they had no refrigerators to keep
their beer. It is no longer viable today. The landscape has changed,” Chombo
said.

Harare council has already leased 35 council beer-halls to a local banking
concern to turn them into banking halls.

Asked about the continuous disturbances at market stalls in the high density
suburb of Mbare, Chombo said it was the duty of the municipality to enforce
by-laws.

Council has failed to bring sanity to the volatile township as Zanu PF
activists have declared it a no-go area, seizing market stalls and blocking
developmental projects by international donors.

Shamu given 3-week ultimatum to reconstitute

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Wonai Masvingise and Everson Mushava
Saturday, 25 February 2012 12:57

HARARE - Coalition government principals have given Media and Information
minister Webster Shamu a three-week ultimatum to reconstitute the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (Baz), Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC) and the Mass Media Trust boards.

The reconstitution of these boards have remained a sticky issue in the
implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), a Sadc initiated
agreement to end Zimbabwe’s political crisis.

Speaking at a press conference at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare
yesterday, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Shamu’s ministry was
refusing to implement reforms which would help to open up
Zimbabwe’s airwaves.

Tsvangirai said, “The Zimbabwean constitution promotes freedom of the media
and expression, however this is hampered by interference and the
implementation of strict media laws.

“In its 2008 report, Reporters Without Borders ranked the Zimbabwean media
in the Press Freedom Index as number 151 out of 173. In December, the
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the
Zimbabwe government to reform the media sector. “The situation remains dire,
with the responsible ministry refusing to implement agreed reforms in this
critical sector.

“At our Principals’ meeting on Monday, we restated our position and gave the
minister three weeks to comply with our directive to reconstitute the Baz
board, the ZBC board and the Mass Media Trust. We expect that to happen.
Cabinet agreed to it, the principals agreed and we expect the minister to
implement this position.”

For the first time since independence, Baz chairman Tafataona Mahoso
controversially awarded two radio licences in November last year to
Zimpapers’ Talk Radio and AB Communication’s Zi Radio.

Zimpapers is widely known for spewing Zanu PF propaganda, while AB
Communications chief executive officer, Supa Mandiwanzira, was recently
paraded to Headlands Zanu PF supporters by Didymus Mutasa, the party’s
secretary for administration as a prospective Zanu PF legislator.

The awarding of the licences by Baz caused a stir with civil society and
political parties calling for the reconstituting of the Baz board an
annulling of the granting of licences to Zimpapers and ABC Communications.

According to media reports, Shamu was directed to reconstitute the Baz board
in June last year but he has so far defied the directive.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda wrote to Shamu
on June 15 directing him to reconstitute the Baz board in line with an
agreement reached by the principals but Shamu is yet to do so.

PM: give shares to Marange villagers

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

24/02/2012 00:00:00
    by Gilbert Nyambabvu
Share

MDC-T leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has demanded that the
government establish community share-ownership schemes in Marange to help
locals benefit from diamond mining activities in the area.

In a statement Friday, Tsvangirai – who visited the controversial area in
the eastern Manicaland province for the first time last week -- attacked
what he described as government hypocrisy in the implementation of its
economic empowerment programme.
“The hypocrisy of government on indigenisation is more than exposed in
Chiadzwa,” he said.

“If we are genuine about community share-ownership schemes, why have we not
accorded the same shares to the communities in Marange so that these people
benefit from the resources around them?
“The companies mining there, including those owned by the government, have
not done that which we are forcing companies to do.”

Platinum majors Implats and Amplats – who own the country’s major platinum
mining companies – have been compelled to donate up to US$10 million to
community share-trust schemes established in areas where they operate.

The share schemes make-up part of the companies’ compliance with economic
empowerment legislation which requires foreign companies to transfer
ownership of at least 51 percent of their operations.

But Tsvangirai said the government was not forcing diamond companies to make
similar arrangements for locals in Marange including many villagers forced
off their lands to make way for the mining operations.

“Those diamonds will mean nothing to the country if they fail to transform
people’s lives, starting with the Marange community itself and so far,” the
MDC-T leader said.

“I visited both the mining sites and the displaced villagers at the Arda
Transau Estate. I was especially touched by the plight of the villagers.

“There is no direct benefit to the people whose lives were disrupted and on
whose traditional land this treasure is being mined.”
The government says it expects diamond miners to boost state revenues by
more than US$600 million this year alone.

However, the reportedly rich Marange diamond find has divided the coalition
government with the MDC-T saying that money from operations in the area was
being diverted away from treasury.

Rights groups also claim that control of some of the companies operating
there as well as the ultimate beneficiaries of their activities remains
murky.

Tsvangirai said although he was impressed with mining activities in Marange
there was still need for greater transparency in their operations.

"We must show transparency in the way we exploit this resource, the way we
market it and the way we benefit for all of our very wide-range challenges
we face as a country," the MDC-T leader said as he wrapped up a tour of the
mines.

Chiefs demand board places in mines

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

24/02/2012 00:00:00
    by Business Reporter

TRADITIONAL chiefs have demanded board positions in mining companies
operating in their areas insisting this was necessary to ensure local
communities benefit from their resources.

“Traditional leaders must sit on the boards of mining companies. There
should be a law forcing companies to include traditional leaders in their
boards,” Chiefs’ Council president, Chief Fortune Charumbira told a diamond
mining conference in Harare Thursday.
“The composition of current boards is still dominated by whites or their
proxies.”

The demand is likely to add further headaches to a sector already under
pressure to comply with the country’s empowerment legislation under which
foreign investors must transfer 51 percent ownership to locals.

Major companies such as Impala Platinum which owns Zimplats and Mimosa mines
as well as Anglo Platinum which owns Unki mine have already pledged to
donate up to US$10 million to local community trusts as part of their
compliance proposals.

However, Chief Charumbira said key infrastructure such as roads had remained
undeveloped in many mining communities while the companies continued to loot
the minerals.
“In Masvingo there is Renco Mine, which operates in Nyajena communal areas.
There are no roads at all in Nyajena,” he said.
“Renco Mine uses a plane to transport gold because there are no roads.

“(The company) produces 90kg of gold annually which they take away but do
not care about developing the community from which they are taking away the
resources.”

Chief Charumbira said having traditional leaders on the boards of the
companies would help ensure they invested in the development of local
communities.

The mining sector – widely credited with driving the country’s economic
recovery -- is already reeling from a recent increase in various charges and
levies as the cash-strapped government looks to improve revenues inflows.

The Chamber of Mines recently warned that the new charges could cripple the
sector since up to 60 percent of mining revenues would now go to the
government.

"The fee structure is unworkable. The industry is already overburdened by
the totality of statutory charges, royalties, levies and commissions," the
chamber's vice president, Allan Mashingaidze, recently told a parliamentary
committee.

"It's estimated that 60 percent of every dollar earned in revenue goes to
the government, making Zimbabwe one of the most expensive countries to
mine."

"We believe the way forward is for government to suspend the new charges,
pending consultations with the industry.”

Masvingo Residents Give Governor 96 Hours Ultimatum To Reverse NGO Ban

http://www.radiovop.com

Masvingo, February 25, 2012 – Community Tolerance Reconciliation and
Development (COTRAD), a locally based Civic Organization that fights for the
protection of human rights and democracy has given Governor Titus Maluleke
96 hours to reverse his decision to ban Non Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) in Masvingo or risk massive demonstrations in the city.

COTRAD’s threats to take to the streets came at a time when the
international community and NGOs in the country have unilaterally condemned
Maluleke for suspending 29 NGOs that were operating in the country.

Thousands of people who depend on NGOs for food hand outs are on the verge
of starvation.

COTRAD national coordinator Gamuchirai Mukura said the suspension of NGOs by
Maluleke was strongly based on false and unfounded allegations rather
frivolous and vexatious.

“The governor never consulted the relevant stakeholders and unilaterally
came to the summation that it was right to suspend the non governmental
organisations without considerations of the repercussions it have on the
residents of Masvingo.

“For whose good is such suspension, is it justified? Prior to independence
NGOs suffered at the hands of the Smith government despite their good
 works,” said Mukura.

Mukura said by suspending the NGOs helping the people, Maluleke has just
created his own problems.

“We shall not rest, we are going to do whatever it takes to make sure
Maluleke comes back to his senses and reverse the ban,” added Mukura.

Mugabe a pain: PM

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Everson Mushava and Wonai Masvingise
Saturday, 25 February 2012 12:43

HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has described his coalition
partner and long-time rival President Robert Mugabe as someone who is so
unreliable to the extent that he can easily betray his own word.

Describing his government experience with Mugabe as “painful,” Tsvangirai
said Mugabe is unreliable and always reneges on binding agreements citing
his surprising about turn on the re-appointment of police
commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri as a case in point.

“This government is a painful story of frustrations due to mixed messages
from what is supposed to be the same team, non-implementation of key reforms
necessary for a credible poll, cases of violence from Chipangano in Mbare,
arbitrary arrests and our shameful failure to pay our civil servants a
decent wage,” Tsvangirai told reporters at his Munhumutapa offices
yesterday.

He said Mugabe, who turned 88 on Tuesday and is celebrating the milestone
today with a big bash in Mutare, betrayed him when he re-appointed Chihuri
behind his back for a further one year without consulting him.

Tsvangirai said his MDC party does not recognise Chihuri as the country’s
top cop although they have expressed no reservations if he continues in his
position in an acting capacity until a                    substantive
commissioner-general is appointed with the recommendation of the Police
Service Commission (PSC).

Ironically the PSC’s term of office expired last December and is yet to be
regularised.

“I have made it clear to the President that he is in breach of the
Constitution and that the party I lead will not recognise Chihuri’s
appointment as legitimate. He is a party appointee. This is nothing
personal, but it has everything to do with abiding by the laws of the land."

“Let me put it this way — we have a President who indicates left and turns
right,” said Tsvangirai who was walking without the aid of a crutch he had
been using for the past few months following an injury he suffered while
playing golf.

“He has undermined our collective position and agreement as principals while
he directs his functionaries to execute directives that are at variance with
our common position. The question is: can the real Mugabe stand up?”
Tsvangirai said of the wily Zanu PF leader.

Tsvangirai said the Global Political Agreement (GPA), a Sadc-initiated
political settlement to Zimbabwe which gave birth to the current inclusive
government in 2009, says all executive appointments by the President should
be done in consultation with the Premier.

Tsvangirai said the inclusive government has presented him with a sorrowful
experience punctuated by deep insincerity, mistrust and the lack of shared
vision in government.

The mainstream MDC leader accused Mugabe of remaining stuck in the past
forgetting that executive power was now a shared responsibility.

“We share executive authority. I am not in this position by accident. I won
an election and I defeated the President in that poll,” said Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai said he met the two Home Affairs co-ministers, Theresa Makone
from his party and Zanu PF’s Kembo Mohadi, and the permanent secretary,
Melusi Matshiya, on Friday, February 10, 2012 and they said the PSC is not
yet regularised.

“The appointment of Chihuri was not procedural and constitutional,”
Tsvangirai said, adding that Mugabe’s insincerity was causing discord in
government.

Tsvangirai vowed to resist a push by Mugabe to hold elections this year
saying elections were process-driven which means there would not be any
elections if there are no reforms.

He described Zanu PF officials as cowards who are afraid of facing him and
his party in a free and fair election.

“We wanted elections as early as yesterday, not under Zanu PF conditions. We
have cowards here who do not want elections, who are afraid to face me in
elections, beat people up to force them to support them.…and avoid reforms
in order to delay elections,” said Tsvangirai.

Farm invaders face arrest

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw

Friday, 24 February 2012 10:25

Tabitha Mutenga, Staff Reporter

THE days are now numbered for hordes of illegal land invaders after the
inclusive government uncharacteristically directed the police to bring to
justice all those who are disrupting agricultural activities in Masvingo and
other parts of the country, The Financial Gazette can exclusively reveal.
There has been an upsurge in illegal farm occupations countrywide ever since
the nation was told to brace for make-or-break elections during the course
of the year with the volatile Masvingo province being the hardest hit.
The farm seizures are also targeting tourist attractions as evidenced by the
foiled take-over bid of a bird sanctuary near Lake Chivero, a few kilometres
outside the capital, by a group of Harare youths.
As the country trudges along towards elections to retire the dysfunctional
unity government, the governing coalition comprising President Robert
Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara is now taking steps to rein in on any wayward behaviour with
potential to cause chaos ahead of the plebiscite, which is likely to be
under intense international spotlight.
After a lot of hesitation, the police have now been given the green light to
arrest all illegal land invaders in order to restore sanity in the farming
sector in the wake of the resurgence of farm occupations.
Last week, police in Masvingo thumped a rag-tag group of war veterans led by
self-styled commander of the land invasions, Francis Zimuto, alias Black
Jesus.
The thumping of the war veterans and the repelling of Harare youths at Lake
Chivero came as a shock to the former liberation war fighters and the youth
militia who were used to having it their way all the time. The farm
invasions, which decimated agriculture, the mainstay of the country’s
economy, first erupted in 2000 when the war veterans poured into commercial
farmland under what they called “The Third Chimurenga”.
Thousands of commercial farms have since been repossessed from white farmers
over the past two decades, rendering scores of farm workers jobless.
But the government has now decided against taking any chances as disruptions
in the farming sector could worsen the food situation at a time when the
country is again facing serious food shortages due to poor rains.
Sophia Tsvakwi, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Rural
Resettlement, told The Financial Gazette this week that all the illegal land
occupiers would be locked behind bars.
However, those who occupied land at the height of the land reforms in 2000
are considered to be legal settlers and therefore protected by the law.
“All illegal land invaders are occupying the land unlawfully because they do
not have the documents to prove they had been settled there. The privilege
is on the lawful land owner to report the invaders to the police. People who
are invading land today are all illegal settlers because they do not have
the supporting documents since we have put a stop to all land invasions,”
she said.
Earlier, Tsvakwi had confirmed this position when she appeared before
members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Agriculture, Water,
Lands and Resettlement last Tuesday.
She also revealed to the Committee that the land policy was being reviewed
to harmonise the four land tenure systems in Zimbabwe.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Agriculture this week welcomed the
directive, saying the ball was now in the police’s court to arrest all
illegal land invaders.
“Anyone without an offer letter is an illegal settler and they should be
arrested and, as the Committee, we will be observing the events to ensure
that illegal land occupations are put to a stop by the police,” said Moses
Jiri, the chairperson of the Committee.
National police spokesperson, Wayne Bvudzijena, said the police does not
require a directive to enforce the law; it is their responsibility to apply
the law.
“It does not have to be a directive for the police to observe the law. When
there is lawlessness, the police come in to ensure that order is restored”,
he said.
Only 300 white farmers still own land in Zimbabwe with more than       3 300
of them having been pushed off the farms.
The government has defended the land reforms as important in redressing past
historical imbalances.
While there is the convergence of minds on the criticality of this
programme, differences have emerged over its style, content and approach.
Currently, there are allegations which have not been denied, that a number
of ZANU-PF officials own more than one farm each in contravention of
government policy of one-man-one-farm.
Although the Global Political Agreement clearly states that there must be a
comprehensive, transparent and non-partisan land audit to establish the
exact facts on the ground, there has been reluctance    on the part of
government to act       on the findings of previous land audits.
A land audit report by Flora Buka conducted in 2003, which was never made
public although it was leaked to the media, revealed multiple farm ownership
by ZANU-PF chefs.
Another audit by a commission led by Charles Utete, a former secretary to
the President and cabinet, also exposed the existence of swathes of
productive land lying idle.

Seventy percent unbanked

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

Wednesday, 22 February 2012 18:00

Shame Makoshori, Senior Business Reporter

Seventy percent of the country's 12 million people have no bank accounts, a
new report has indicated, confirming a recent announcement by the Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) that there was still room for new entrants into the
banking sector.

Economists at the Harare-based Labour & Economic Development Research
Institute, Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ) chronicled in a new report several hurdles that
have prevented Zimbabwe's poor and rural citizens from accessing banking
services, among them stringent account opening requirements.
Sluggish economic development in growth points, which once experienced good
business before the economic crisis rattled Zimbabwe between 1997 and 2008,
discouraged financial institutions from expanding into remote, unbanked
regions.
During the decade-long domestic crisis, banks trimmed branch networks in
line with extremely low business activity outside major cities, resulting in
a single bank branch in remote parts of the country servicing an average 170
000 people in 2006, compared to about 12 000 in metropolitan centres.
"In modern life, ownership of a bank account is a ticket to a land of
opportunities, yet over 70 percent of the population have no bank accounts,
which limits their participation in economic activities," said LEDRIZ in the
report titled ‘Beyond the Enclave'.
"One of the major impediments to ownership of bank accounts is the universal
application of rigid account-opening requirements which have stringent ‘know
your customer' assessments whose conditions cannot be easily fulfilled by
rural folk and the poor. In addition, exorbitant bank charges that are not
commensurate with service delivery, as well as low interest on deposits,
have encouraged citizens to shy away from banking institutions," LEDRIZ
said.
Seventy percent of 12 million people translates to about 8,4 million
unbanked Zimbabweans.
At least US$2,5 billion is estimated to be circulating outside the formal
banking system due to low confidence in financial institutions triggered by
the 2004/2005 domestic financial crisis which resulted in the collapse of
more than 10 financial institutions.
LEDRIZ said it was possible to establish appropriate, country specific
packages to attract the unbanked population to open bank accounts.
The think tank said government must stimulate growth in remote markets to
encourage the expansion of financial services countrywide.
"In South Africa, all financial institutions together with other
stakeholders like the government, labour and community adopted the voluntary
agreement, the Financial Sector Charter, whose main objective is making the
sector more racially inclusive and representative," the report said.
"In October 2004, a ‘Mzansi account' which is a basic, standardised,
debit-card-based transactional and savings account was launched at the
initiative of South Africa's four largest commercial banks together with
state owned Post Bank. By 2009, over six million Mzansi accounts had been
opened, the majority of them by people who had not previously banked at the
same bank at which the account was opened. These accounts do not have
monthly administration fees and have ‘know your customer'-driven ceilings on
transaction value," the report said.
France, Belgium, Canada, Germany and India have implemented similar
strategies in their markets to reduce the number of their unbanked
populations, resulting in a booming banking sector.
As at December 31, 2011, there were 26 operational banking institutions in
Zimbabwe, including POSB Bank, 16 asset management companies and 157
microfinance institutions under the supervision of the RBZ.
Some financial institutions, such is TN Bank, through its system whereby
branches are opened at each and every furniture shop controlled by its
holding company, have tried to ensure that more people hold bank accounts.

President Mugabe’s ‘ambiguous revolution by political default’ — by Takura Zhangazha

http://africanarguments.org/

February 24, 2012

On the occasion of  his eighty-eighth birthday, President Mugabe gave what
appears to be two separate interviews where he talked on matters to do with
his political and personal reflections. The first interview which appeared
in the Sunday Mail seemed to be less rehearsed while the second one which
appeared on the state controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)
television seemed to be a bit more cautious and diplomatic particularly with
regards to his counterpart political parties in the inclusive government.

But overall the interviews had the same intention and probable effect to his
supporters of presenting the Zimbabwean leader as a ‘revolutionary’ who is
keen on being known and remembered as such. That is well and good since we
all have the right to be persuaded by one political idea/individual or the
other.

And since President Mugabe said in his ZBC TV interview, we are all ‘sons
and daughters of the soil’ and are entitled to different opinions, I have an
opinion on his leadership and the issues he has raised on his 88th birthday.

My initial point of analysis is with regards to his reference to the
revolutionary intentions of the current policies of his party, Zanu Pf.
This, he argues, is via the ‘taking back’  of the land and now the ongoing
indigenization processes in mining and other sectors of the economy. On
paper, the language appears revolutionary and talks to what can be
considered nationalist sentiment stemming from the liberation struggle. In
reality and practice, the policies that have and are being undertaken have
been largely indicative of ‘revolution by default.’

This should be taken to mean that the land redistribution was done under
specific political pressure that made it more of a political survival
strategy than a value based revolutionary one. But the land redistribution
exercise has occurred all the same.  It however remains a ‘default’ policy
position which is now controversially being undermined by the Mugabe
government’s ambiguous commitment to leasing off large tracts of land to bio
fuel companies, safari operators and mineral exploration companies. This has
led to the eviction of villagers as well as negatively affected the
environment. As a result, there is a growing chasm between the nationalist
rhetoric of the president and the realities on the ground.
Where the president mentions indigenization of the national economy as one
of his policy priorities he has not done a clear ideological examination of
what exactly he means. It is inadequate to merely equate the 51% taking over
of a multinational company or bank by indigenous Zimbabweans as
revolutionary in and of itself. There must be clarity as to the ideological
purpose of taking over such companies as well as the expected societal end
product.

The current rush by big business in offering communities shares in mining
concerns is more indicative of a new found ‘elite cohesion’ around wealth
accumulation and does not particularly point Zimbabwe toward a more
equitable and economically just society. Wanting a share in a company on the
basis of ‘indegeneity’ is the stuff of identity politics and nowhere near
being positively revolutionary. Given the fact that there is a new found
global ‘new scramble forAfrica’ Zimbabwe’s political economy is likely to
lean further toward an African neo-liberal and unjust framework. In so
doing, the indigenous business people will be more of a ‘comprador
bourgeoisie’ for global capital, no matter whether it is coming from the
West, the Chinese or the South Africans.

A second point of analysis about President Mugabe’s interviews is where he
outlines his views on the contentious and problematic issue of leadership
succession in Zanu Pf. In both interviews he contends that he is still
capable of leading. It is however in the Sunday Mail interview where he
comments on how the matter is a serious cause of division in his party, a
point which indicates his rather convenient claim to championing his party’s
unity in place of leadership succession. It is a convenience that he must
know will not last, not by dint of age but by the fact that political
parties that have been in power for as long as Zanu Pf have always had an
evident successor (even his erstwhile friends the Chinese have an evident
successor). It is therefore a serious indictment on his leadership style
that it is not evidently so for his own party, no matter how many
congratulations he may get on his birthday.

On the other matters that relate to elections, the constitution and his
colleagues in the inclusive government, the President’s views have been
known for some time now. Save to say that his insistence on elections is now
clearly based on the constitutional prerogative of the President to call for
them as he states in the ZBC TV interview. Essentially he indicated that he
has no problem with unilaterally calling for an election this year, with or
without a constitution. Whether that becomes a reality or not is probably
dependent on the ability of the other GPA principals and the SADC appointed
facilitator  to dissuade him from calling for them  in 2012.

Finally, it is evident that President  Mugabe has great admiration for Fidel
Castro of Cuba and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. He makes mention of the two
leaders to stress the need for exemplary leadership or to make an historical
point in relation to either sanctions or the African Union. In this, he may
be indicating how he might want to be remembered but I wouldn’t know if like
Castro, President Mugabe is persuaded that ‘history will absolve him’.

Takura Zhangazha is the Executive Director of the Voluntary Media Council of
Zimbabwe (VMCZ)

Join the dots

Dear Family and Friends,
Zimbabweans don’t see or hear much from President Mugabe these days.
There’s plenty of gossip and rumours but mostly we have to wade
through speculations, assumptions and a never ending supply of
‘un-named sources’ who are quoted ‘on condition of anonymity’
in order to try and work out what’s really going on. Funerals,
anniversaries and elections are the best times to get an insight into
the thinking of Mr Mugabe and the direction that may lie ahead for our
country.
Every year Mr Mugabe gives a special birthday interview to ZBC TV. The
interviewer is usually the same man and year after year he squirms and
cajoles, his questions never taxing or probing, his manner never
antagonistic or critical.
Mr Mugabe, in power for 32 years, has just turned 88. Every night of
the birthday week, which ZBC newsreaders said was the ‘Birthday of
The Year,’ the state controlled TV was awash with endless renditions
of Happy Birthday all of which were annoyingly pronounced beth-day.
You would think that Presidential praise singers or even ZBC producers
would ensure the correct pronunciation of the word for the much
advertised occasion.
Then came the birthday interview. Mr Mugabe was asked what he thought
about reports that there is a clause in the draft constitution that
would bar presidential candidates from standing for election if they
had already served two terms.
“Cowards, cowards, cowards!” said Mr Mugabe. “Why are they
afraid of me? Why should they ban anyone at all?”
Then the President was asked if he had found a successor to replace
him and he said it was the members of his party who would select
someone once he had told them he was ready to retire. “But not
yet,” Mr Mugabe said, “at this age I can still go some distance,
can’t I?”
So there it was, in a couple of brief sentences, the road ahead for
Zimbabwe had been laid out for all to see.

After the birthday interview the propaganda frenzy turned to what ZBC
called the “Birthday Bash of the Year.” A giant birthday party was
being arranged in the Eastern Highlands city of Mutare. “All roads
lead to Mutare” screamed ZBC who started their nightly news
bulletins all week with a countdown to how many days were left until
the birthday party.

The Independent press reported that vendors were moved out of areas
near Sakubva stadium, the venue for the party. Two days before the
‘Birthday Bash of the Year,’ workers were said to be operating day
and night, even under floodlights, to get critical renovations done.
These included toilets and ablution facilities described as being in a
“sorry state,” a car park, VIP stand and fence around the stadium.
One day before the event TB news footage showed men trundling around
with wheelbarrow loads of cement.

In my home town which is on the main highway to Mutare, traffic built
up dramatically. Streams of very upmarket cars raced past, all
sporting their little Zimbabwe flags on their dashboards or rear-view
mirrors. Scores of extremely well dressed and undoubtedly well
connected people gathered outside the Hotel on the main road, double
and triple parking and obstructing traffic apparently of no
consequence. Then came the security crews. Green trucks filled with
helmeted men, lights blazing, speed limits ignored.

Strange, we the ordinary Zimbabweans thought, as we watched the Mutare
birthday frenzy. Was there any coincidental connection between this
and the recent suspension of the white Mayor of Mutare. Was there any
connection between this and the continued detention in custody in
Mutare of a 74 year old white ex- farmer, Peter Hingeston who was
arrested when he missed a court hearing for medical reasons. Mr
Hingeston had his farm seized in the mid 2000’s and retired to a
house in the Vumba mountains. Now the government apparently want that
too and Mr Hingeston is being prosecuted under the Gazetted Land Act
for the alleged illegal occupation of his retirement home. And lastly,
we wonder if there is any connection between the Birthday Bash of the
Year and the third week of 16 hour a day power cuts, or the Birthday
Bash and the grindingly slow, impossible to use internet and email
connections all week.
We wonder in silence and we join the dots. Until next time, thanks for
reading, love cathy 25th February 2012. Copyright � Cathy Buckle.
www.cathybuckle.com

Can the removal of Mugabe materially and morally transform the situation in Zimbabwe?

http://www.cathybuckle.com

February 24, 2012, 11:06 am

Quite a lot of people seem to think that removing Robert Mugabe from power
would change nothing in Zimbabwe. The reason for this pessimism is
presumably that the decay is now so deeply entrenched that the removal of
one man would make no difference at all; someone just as bad would take his
place they say.

I happen to think that only the removal of Mugabe can materially and morally
transform the situation in Zimbabwe. For 32 years Mugabe has been in power
and in that time he has been increasingly deified by his followers to such
an extent that he has come to believe that he has god-like powers, capable
even of over-coming death!  February 21st was his 88th birthday: sixteen
pages of congratulations in the state press with para-statals and businesses
lining up to shower praise on him. Even MDC controlled ministries joined in
the hymn of praise to the ‘Dear Leader’ ‘An icon, a legendary icon and an
astute revolutionary’ were just some of the praises used to describe him.
The use of the word ‘icon’ is significant in the light of Mugabe’s own
comments about himself on his 88th birthday. An icon is defined as ‘an image
of Christ in the Byzantine church, venerated by worshippers’. When you
remember that one of Mugabe’s followers not so long ago described him as
‘the second son of God’ you can see how the deification process has gained
momentum over the years. The state-controlled media joins in the veneration
and the effect on his ministers and supporters is to convince them that only
Robert Mugabe can ever lead the country. What he says and does profoundly
influences Zanu PF thinking; indeed, it is Zanu PF thinking and his
followers will do exactly what they know he wants. He deliberately gathers
round him a coterie of political parasites who dutifully echo his views on
everything from ‘illegal’ sanctions to the vexed question of homosexuality.
With a godlike Mugabe at the helm, independent thinking is virtually
impossible and all are forced to follow the Mugabe/Zanu PF line or ‘face
dire consequences’ as teachers were told in Masvingo this week by a District
Committee member. It’s a combination of fear and Mugabe-worship that rules
the country.

Foreign policy too is determined by Mugabe’s extreme views. This week, for
example, Zimbabwe joined China, Cuba, Iran and North Korea among others to
vote against a UN resolution condemning Syria for the brutal slaughter of
its own citizens: innocent men, women and children described by the Asad
regime as ‘terrorists’. The courageous Sunday Times journalist, Marie
Colvin, who was killed in Homs this week described in one of her last
reports the agonising death throes of a two year old child killed by Asad’s
forces. And yet Zimbabwe refuses to condemn Syria at the UN - or is it
perhaps Mugabe’s way of warning his own people what will happen to them if
they dare to rebel against his regime? Mugabe cannot tolerate opposition in
any form and the interview he gave the state media on his birthday perfectly
illustrated that. Commenting on his recovery from prostate cancer, he made
the astounding – some would say sacrilegious - comparison of himself with
Jesus Christ when he said, “I have died many times. That’s where I have
beaten Christ. Christ died once and was resurrected. I have died many times
and I don’t know how many times I will die and resurrect” Such a statement
from any other person would surely mark them down as suffering from a
serious personality disorder, psychopathic even?  Mugabe makes his recovery
from cancer sound like his own personal victory over death. No
acknowledgement is given to the superb medical treatment he received,
instead, he claims his recovery as a Christ-like resurrection. Armed with
such ‘divine’ powers it is not surprising that he can’t find a suitable
candidate to succeed him. The truth is that Mugabe is not going to give up
power voluntarily. Those who argue that his exit would change nothing in
Zimbabwe fail to see that his departure would change everything. It is
Mugabe’s dominating personality and the stranglehold he has that is
destroying the country.

Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH.

Bill Watch - Parliamentary Committees Series - 24th February 2012 [Meetings Open to Public 27 February-2nd March]

BILL WATCH

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES SERIES

[24th February 2012]

Committee Meetings Open to the Public: 27th February to 2nd March

The meetings listed below will be open to members of the public, but as observers only, not as participants, i.e. members of the public can listen but not speak.  The meetings will be held at Parliament in Harare, entrance on Kwame Nkrumah Ave between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

Note: This bulletin is based on the latest information from Parliament on 24th February.  But, as there are sometimes last-minute changes to the schedule, persons wishing to attend a meeting should avoid possible disappointment by checking with the committee clerk [see below] that the meeting is still on and open to the public.  Parliament’s telephone numbers are Harare 700181 and 252936.  If attending, note that IDs must be produced.

Monday 27th February at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism

Oral evidence from Chitungwiza Town Council and Harare City Council on environmental degradation

Committee Room No. 311

Chairperson: Hon M. Dube                        Clerk: Mr Munjenge

Monday 27th February at 2 pm

Portfolio Committee: Budget, Finance, Economic Planning and Investment Promotion

Presentation from SAPST [Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust] on draft Public Finance Management regulations

[Electronic version available from veritas@mango.zw]

Committee Room No. 4

Chairperson: Hon Zhanda                         Clerk: Mr Ratsakatika

Portfolio Committee: Justice, Legal Affairs, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs

Oral evidence from the Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs on their mandate and workplan for 2012

Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson: Hon Mwonzora                    Clerk: Miss Zenda

Tuesday 28th February at 10 am

Thematic Committee: MDGs

Oral evidence from the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare on progress made on MDGs 4, 5 and 6 and the 2012 implementation plan.  [MDGs 4, 5 and 6 are reducing child mortality, promoting maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.]  

Government Caucus Room

Chairperson: Hon Chief Mtshane             Clerk: Mrs Nyawo

Portfolio Committee: Health and Child Welfare

Oral evidence from Health Service Board [Note: State employees in the health sector constitute the Health Service and are not members of the Public Service.  Under the Health Service Act, the Board controls the Health Service in much the same way as the Public Service Commission controls the Public Service.]

Committee Room No. 1

Chairperson: Hon Parirenyatwa                Clerk: Mrs Khumalo

Portfolio Committee: Local Government, Rural and Urban Development

Oral evidence from the Local Government Board on policy and procedures on appointment of local authority chief executive officers [Note: The chief executive officers of municipal and town councils must be persons who have been approved by the Local Government Board in terms of Part IX of the Urban Councils Act.]

Senate Chamber

Chairperson: Hon Karenyi                         Clerk: Mr Daniel

Wednesday 29th February at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Agriculture, Water, Lands and Resettlement

Oral evidence from the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development on his Ministry’s policy on inputs, agricultural industry, contract farming and re-stocking

Committee Room No. 1

Chairperson: Hon Jiri                                 Clerk: Ms Mudavanhu

Thursday 1st March at 10 am

Portfolio Committee: Media, Information and Communication Technology

Oral evidence from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development on the operations of ZIMPOST

Committee Room No. 413

Chairperson: Hon S. Moyo                        Clerk: Mr Mutyambizi

Portfolio Committee: Small and Medium Enterprises

Oral evidence from the Bankers Association on SME funding by the banking sector

Committee Room No. 1

Chairperson: Hon R. Moyo                        Clerk: Ms Mushunje

Other Committee Activities of Interest

[Please note:  These are not open to the public]

Air Zimbabwe  The Portfolio Committee on State Enterprise and Parastatals is scheduled to adopt its report on the status of the national airline.  [The report will not be released to the public until it is presented to the House of Assembly.]

Fact-finding visit to Lake Chivero  The Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development will be making a fact-finding visit to Lake Chivero to look at the operations of Lake Navigation Control. 

Fact-finding visit to Willowvale Flats  The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and National Housing will be paying a visit to Willowvale Flats.

Planning of visits to border posts  The Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade will be considering its itinerary for forthcoming visits to Kariba, Chirundu, Beitbridge, Kazungula and Plumtree border posts

 

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied