Absolute Nonsense.
Yesterday the local rag, the Chronicle, State
owned and CIO managed,
published a banner headline "Sibanda stages Coup in
MDC". This is
interesting because it follows a large article in the same
group of
newspapers covering Welshman Ncube. Both the fact that these
State
controlled papers publish such articles and their content is
informative.
They are having a field day over the so-called MDC
split.
In the article and in other interviews, Gibson Sibanda is arguing
that he
has the support of the people and commands the support of a majority
of
Members of Parliament of the MDC. Quite frankly that is
twaddle.
Much is made by the Ncube group about the split decision on
October the 12th
in the MDC National Council. Since then the Council has met
3 times. On each
occasion a two-thirds majority of the Council has voted
unanimously to
support the position of the President, Morgan Tsvangirai and
to plan the way
forward for the MDC. The situation in the National Executive
has been the
same - it has also met three times since the debacle on the 12th
October and
on each occasion the Executive has had a quorum and has also
voted
unanimously.
The Senate elections revealed in stark electoral
terms that the MDC did not
want to participate in what the great majority
regarded as a total waste of
time and resources. The people want change -
real, fundamental change, and
they know that this is never going to come out
of the current electoral
process, Parliament or any Senate
election.
If the Ncube faction can only marshal a 2 per cent turn out in
their
stronghold - Bulawayo, in an election in which they spent Z$20
billion
dollars, then they must understand they have missed the boat
somewhere. They
must stop this charade and decide if they are in politics or
out of it. If
they are in, then please go ahead and form a new Party with its
own name and
let the mainstream of the MDC get on with its own
agenda.
They have tried the legal route and got a pasting from even a
Zanu PF bench.
They lost the Court Case with costs and this should tell them
something. The
leadership of the MDC has been very careful since October, to
ensure that
its meetings are properly convened, attended by properly
accredited
individuals and conducted in the manner laid down in the
Constitution. There
can be no doubt as to who is in control of the Party, its
branches, ward
committees and provincial executives. After the Party Congress
in March, we
will then finish the task of cleaning up our structures and
resume normal
political activity.
In business we often allude to the
"80:20" principle - 80 per cent of sales
from 20 per cent of customers and so
on. In Politics I think we should also
judge our activity by the same
criteria - do we spend 80 per cent of our
energy, resources and time on the
goals we set ourselves? That goal, set by
the Congress in late 1999 was very
simple - to take power and bring real
change in the way this country is
governed. The answer to the question is
frankly no - we have been spending 20
per cent on this goal recently and
wasting 80 per cent on this nonsense. It
must stop, we have a job to do and
if we do not get on with it, the people we
are responsible to will hold us
accountable.
At the last meeting of
Council one member said "lets stop talking about how
to react to what the
Ncube faction are doing, lets get on with the task that
lies ahead of us." I
think that made a lot of sense and we are now doing
just that. As far as the
MDC is concerned, this spat is over, people have to
decide where they stand
and we are getting on with the business of securing
change for a desperate
and dying Zimbabwe.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 11th January 2006
Peter Fabricius
January 11
2006 at 10:47AM
Independent Online
Johannesburg - The United
States government is planning to restart its
annual forums with the
countries of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC), which were
cancelled about five years ago because of
disagreements about
Zimbabwe.
US assistant secretary of state Jendayi Frazer said this in a
recent
interview in Pretoria.
The change in policy signalled by
Frazer seems to reflect a wider re-think
about the benefits of isolating
Mugabe's government.
Late last year, the European Union's (EU) ambassador
to SA, Lodewijk Briët,
said the EU's similar policy was "unwise" because it
had harmed dialogue
with other African countries without helping ordinary
Zimbabweans.
'You need to bring them into a broader
discussion'
Frazer said the Zimbabwe issue had impeded a full US dialogue
with the SADC
in the past.
"But it won't in the future... I don't see
any reason why we can't have
forums, why we can't engage the
SADC."
Asked if this meant that Zimbabwe would be represented, Frazer
replied: "I
don't see why we can't. I mean we engage Zimbabwe all the
time... We have an
ambassador sitting in Zimbabwe, they have an ambassador
sitting in
Washington. We have an aid programme.
"It can help you.
You need to bring them into a broader discussion where
their peers are
sitting at the table as well."
Frazer added that it was unlikely the
forum would resume this year, though.
'We are also going to continue to
engage other members of SADC'
Frazer also stressed that the planned
resumption of the SADC-US Forum did
not imply any softening of the selective
sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his
leadership.
"No, the EU continues
to have its targeted sanctions, as does the US, and I
haven't seen any
backing away from that at all," Frazer said.
"I don't see why our
Zimbabwe policy should block our engagement with other
parts of Africa,
including SADC.
"So, no, I don't see the two as mutually
exclusive.
"I think we should continue to have pressure on Zimbabwe but
it ultimately
is going to be addressed from within. But we need to continue
to have our
pressure. We shouldn't fold on that,'' Frazer said.
"But
we are also going to continue to engage other members of SADC, as we
always
have."
This article was originally published on page 4 of Cape Times
on January 11,
2006
www.zimbabwesituation.com
...............Note from one of our readers : SWRA foot soldier:
Simon Muchemwa Reporters Forum continues this special edition of
interviews featuring SW Radio Africa correspondents on the ground in Zimbabwe.
From Harare, Simon Muchemwa speaks to Lance Guma about his work for the station.
He shares his pain at having to witness the devastating Operation Murambatsvina
in which over 700 000 people were displaced after their homes and livelihoods
were destroyed. How does he cope with the risks involved in working for a
station considered ‘pirate’ by the regime? Muchemwa bemoans the divisions in the
Zimbabwean media and says the infiltration by state security has made it hard to
trust fellow journalists. Don’t miss this frank and revealing
interview.
|
Sokwanele - Enough is Enough -
Zimbabwe |
|
Zimbabwe's economy
in 2006: Goodbye (and good riddance) to 2005! Surely things can't get worse! Or can they? Haven't we been asking this for over 5 years now? What can we expect from 2006 financially and economically? Let's take a look at what we can expect of the new year - bearing in mind, of course, that any form of prediction in Zimbabwe is whimsical, given the proven tendencies of this regime to interfere with economic forces in order to protect or better their own lifestyles, regardless of the effect on the people they are supposed to be serving. Will we see any improvement to our standard of living? The short answer is "probably not". As many learned economists have said, there will be no meaningful economic change until there is political change. Why do they say this? Well, precisely because of the tendencies of this regime to line their own pockets, to interfere with exchange rates, interest rates, price controls, you name it. For example, if I had a litre of fuel which I wanted to sell, I could name my own price depending on where I went (rural or urban, Harare or Bulawayo or Gweru, back-street or high street). In a perfect economy, the price would be the same wherever you went within the country; I would have bought it at a market-determined exchange rate and, if I tried to ask more than the going rate per litre, my customers would soon go elsewhere. Not so in Zimbabwe! Inflation is now running at 504%, a far cry from the target of 280-300% which the Reserve Bank was predicting for the year to December 2005. Another failure for Mr Gono! We did see some concessions in the recently announced budget for 2006:
What about the exchange rate? Mr Gono promised us in October that he was taking steps towards a truly floating exchange rate! Yaaaaaayyyyy, I hear you cry. But this is Zimbabwe, the land of double-speak! The idea was that exporters would be able to convert 70% of their export earnings to the local currency at a market-determined rate. Never mind that the remaining 30% would still, for the time being, be converted at the rate of $26 000 to the USD (unchanged, I understand, from that time until the present); be thankful for small mercies. For a few short days, the system seemed promising - the bank rate for converting that 70% whizzed up to the real, parallel, rate. But within days, it had mysteriously settled round about $60 000 or so, and finished by ending the year at about $85 000. This is despite the parallel rate going up, down, and back up again in the meantime (and now sitting at over $100 000 to the USD)! The regime needs to get its money cheaply, and it just wasn't getting it cheap enough, it seems. We wait with bated breath to see if there will, indeed, be exchange rate convergence by December 2006. And the promised new currency? Call it what you like (the Bob, the Gono, the Kwacha….), a new name won't change its value. So they might lop off a few noughts - so what? - it will still buy the same few items that it bought before. Lots of countries have tried this before, but it hasn't improved their economies, nor the lot of their hard-pressed people. 2006 will not be a good year for anyone except those within and close to the regime, for so long as this regime remains in power. With life expectancy a scant 34 years, with the population decimated by AIDS, and tired of going to funerals, and with most of its productive population having fled the country, what can we look forward to? Do we care enough about our country to take its future into our own hands and bring about non-violent change? If Zimbabweans will do nothing, then we can only expect further drift and decline - and even greater suffering - under ZANU-PF mis-rule. The question we leave with you is "What are YOU going to do about it?" Visit our website at
www.sokwanele.com We have a fundamental right to freedom of expression! Sokwanele does not endorse the editorial policy of any source or website except its own. It retains full copyright on its own articles, which may be reproduced or distributed but may not be materially altered in any way. Reproduced articles must clearly show the source and owner of copyright, together with any other notices originally contained therein, as well as the original date of publication. Sokwanele does not accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising in any way from receipt of this email or use thereof. This document, or any part thereof, may not be distributed for profit. |
If you know someone who would like to receive our newsletter but
can't register via the
internet, ask them to email us at
newsletter@sokwanele.com
with the word 'Subscribe' in the subject.
January 11, 2006, 08:45
The N1 road near Springfontein in the Free State has been re-opened. The road
was closed following a crash involving three trucks. Two people were killed and
eight people, including two babies, were injured.
The accident occured
when one of the trucks, which was carrying eight Zimbabweans, tried overtaking
two other trucks. The injured have been taken to the Jaggersfontein Hospital.
The Standard (Hong Kong), 10 January
David Blair
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's regime has
confessed that its seizure of
white-owned farms has benefited fewer than 10
percent of the black
Zimbabweans who were promised new futures as commercial
landowners. Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe's regime has confessed that its
seizure of
white-owned farms has benefited fewer than 10 percent of the
black
Zimbabweans who were promised new futures as commercial landowners. A
land
ministry audit laid bare Mugabe's destruction of agriculture, the
backbone
of Zimbabwe's economy. The scheme has benefited only 4,867 people,
while the
official target was 50,000. At least one third of the land given
to "new
farmers" is lying idle at a time when Zimbabwe is suffering food
shortages
so severe that some three million people need emergency help from
the World
Food Program. The audit found that nothing is happening on 11
percent, where
"no agricultural activity" was recorded. Another 30 percent
is classed as
"underutilized." Before the onset of the land grab five years
ago, about
300,000 black workers lived on white-owned farms. Most were
forced to leave
and reduced to destitution when their farms were seized. The
audit has shown
that very few people were resettled in their place. Even
taking into account
another scheme under which greater numbers of peasant
farmers were given
land, it seems certain that Mugabe's land grab has
displaced more blacks
than it has benefited. The relative handful of winners
was
disproportionately drawn from the regime's senior ranks, with cabinet
ministers, generals and judges all helping themselves to land.
Email: jag@mango.zw: justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
From The Guardian (UK), 4 January
African leaders break silence over
Mugabe's human rights abuses
Andrew Meldrum in Pretoria
President
Robert Mugabe's human rights record has been condemned for the
first time by
African leaders, significantly increasing pressure on the
Zimbabwean leader
to restore the rule of law and stop evicting people from
their homes. The
unprecedented criticism comes from the African Union's
Commission on Human
and Peoples' Rights, meeting in Banjul, the Gambia,
which had until now been
silent about the growing evidence of human rights
abuses in Zimbabwe. The
commission's report, obtained by the Guardian,
expresses concern over "the
continuing violations and the deterioration of
the human rights situation in
Zimbabwe, the lack of respect for the rule of
law and the growing culture of
impunity". A Zimbabwean government
spokesperson refused to comment on the
report when contacted yesterday. The
commission said it was "alarmed by the
number of internally displaced
persons and the violations of fundamental
individual and collective rights
resulting from the forced evictions being
carried out by the government of
Zimbabwe".
The commission found that
the Mugabe government had violated the African
Union's charter, which
Zimbabwe has signed, as well as other international
laws including the United
Nations declaration of human rights. Mr Mugabe
was urged to allow an African
Union delegation to go on a fact-finding
mission to Zimbabwe. The report also
called on the Harare government to
repeal several repressive laws, to stop
the forced evictions immediately
and to allow "full and unimpeded access to
international aid to help the
victims". Zimbabwe has prevented the UN and
other organisations from
helping the estimated 700,000 people made homeless
or jobless by the
evictions, which began last May. At the end of a four-day
visit to the
country last year, Jan Egeland, the UN's head of humanitarian
aid, said
that Zimbabwean officials should be prosecuted over the mass
housing
demolitions. A Zimbabwean lawyer, Gabriel Shumba, told the
Africa
commission's court, which rules on human rights cases, that he was
severely
tortured in 2003 by Zimbabwe government agents who used electric
shocks and
forced him to drink his own urine. The court will hand down its
judgment in
May.
The African Union, the successor to the Organisation
of African Unity, is
made up of all the continent's political leaders. It
also made statements
on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
the Darfur area of
Sudan, and Uganda. The resolution on Zimbabwe was adopted
in December, but
it has only begun circulating now, after the government was
given time to
respond to the document. "This is a highly significant report
coming as it
does from an affiliate body of the African Union," said Iden
Wetherell, an
editor with the Zimbabwe Independent group of newspapers. "It
will be
difficult for the government to counter this. African institutions
are now
holding their leaders accountable. Zimbabwe's delinquency can no
longer be
swept under the carpet of African solidarity. This is peer review
as it
should be, and it makes grim reading." Elinor Sisulu, director of
the
Zimbabwe Crisis Coalition's office in South Africa, said: "It is great
to
see this group flexing its muscles. When human rights abuses are rampant
on
this continent, it is important to see the commission doing its
job
properly. This gives much-needed encouragement to Zimbabweans,
particularly
those working in human rights and civil society. Of course, the
Mugabe
government will try to ignore it, but this comes from an
African
institution, run by highly respected Africans. This is a stance
the
continent can be proud of." Zimbabwe has begun the year with
inflation
above 500% and a third of the country's 12 million people in need
of
international food
aid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2.
RESOLUTION ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ZIMBABWE
The African
Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights meeting at its 38th
Ordinary Session
in Banjul, The Gambia from 21 November to 5 December 2005;
Considering
that Zimbabwe is a Party to the African Charter on Human and
Peoples' Rights
and other international human rights instruments;
Recalling the
recommendations to the government of Zimbabwe contained in
the African
Commission Report of the Fact-Finding Mission to Zimbabwe in
June
2002;
Further recalling the recommendations to the government of Zimbabwe
by the
United Nations Special Envoy on Human Settlement Issues in
Zimbabwe
contained in her Report published on 22 July 2005;
Deeply
concerned by the continued undermining of the independence of the
judiciary
through defiance of court orders, harassment and intimidation of
independent
judges and the executive ouster of the jurisdiction of
the
courts;
Further concerned by the continuing human rights
violations and the
deterioration of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe,
the lack of
respect for the rule of law and the growing culture of
impunity;
Alarmed by the number of internally displaced persons and the
violations of
fundamental individual and collective rights resulting from the
forced
evictions being carried out by the government of Zimbabwe;
1.
Condemns the human rights violations currently being perpetrated
in
Zimbabwe;
2. Urges the government of Zimbabwe to cease the practice
of forced
evictions throughout the country, and to adhere to its obligations
under
the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other
international
human rights instruments to which Zimbabwe is a
party;
3. Urges the government of Zimbabwe to implement without further
delay the
recommendations contained in the African Commission Report of the
2002
Fact-Finding Mission to Zimbabwe and the recommendations in the July
2005
Report of the UN Special Envoy on Human Settlement Issues, in particular
to
ensure full and unimpeded access for the provision of aid and protection
to
the victims of the forced evictions and demolitions by impartial
national
and international humanitarian agencies and human rights monitors,
and to
ensure that those responsible for the violations are brought to
justice
without delay;
4. Calls on the government of Zimbabwe to
respect the fundamental rights
and freedoms of expression, association and
assembly by repealing or
amending repressive legislation, such as the Access
to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act, the Broadcasting Services Act
and the Public
Order and Security Act;
5. Calls on the government of
Zimbabwe to uphold the principle of
separation of powers and the independence
of the judiciary and urges the
government of Zimbabwe to repeal or amend
Constitutional Amendment (No.17)
and provide an environment conducive to
constitutional reform based on
fundamental rights;
6. Calls on the
government of Zimbabwe to cooperate with the African
Commission Special
Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Internally
Displaced Persons in
Africa and other African Commission Special
Mechanisms, including allowing a
Fact-Finding Mission to investigate the
current situation of internally
displaced persons in Zimbabwe;
7. Urges the African Union to renew the
mandate of the African Union Envoy
to Zimbabwe to investigate the human
rights implications and humanitarian
consequences of the mass evictions and
demolitions.
Done at Banjul, 5th December
2005
---------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
From The Mail & Guardian (SA), 6 January
Police, army 'looting' in
Zimbabwe
Yolandi Groenewald
A wave of illegal asset grabs by
Zimbabwean officials has ruined a South
African farmer and hit at least 20
others, many of them foreigners, farming
in the south of the country. The
farmer, Peter Henning, complained that
while the investments of many
foreigners in Zimbabwe were protected by an
agreement between Zimbabwe and
their governments, South Africa had not
signed the treaty. This left its
nationals vulnerable. Henning, a South
African who formerly grew sugar cane
in Hippo Valley in the Chiredzi
district, said officials including members of
the police, army and prisons
staff had descended on his farm in November and
impounded agricultural
equipment worth R3-million. This included tractors,
trailers and mills.
Henning said he had since won a court order mandating the
return of the
equipment. But, as it had been sold at auction, he doubted it
could be
recovered. "Even if it is returned, it will be ruined," he said.
He
understood that, at the auction, only government officials and war
veterans
had been present and that no money had changed hands. In effect, the
assets
had been shared out.
The seizure, carried out by the Zimbabwe
government's Provincial Farm
Material and Equipment Acquisition Committee,
had been filmed by Hennings's
son, Greig. The video had been flighted on
December 23 and 25 in Britain by
both the BBC and ITV, as well as on CNN and
CBS in the United States.
Henning said he knew of six other farmers in the
Chiredzi area, including
two South Africans and two Mauritians, whose assets
had been seized, and of
about 15 who had suffered a similar fate elsewhere.
He pointed out that the
seizures were different from those conducted by war
veterans during
Zimbabwe's chaotic land reform programme, as they involved
public servants
and an officially sanctioned agency. Speaking to the Mail
& Guardian from
Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt), Henning said that
although intimidation
and politics had played a role in the seizure, the
fundamental motive was
probably greed. "Convenient interpretations of policy
by local bureaucrats
and party hacks have been used for the unlawful seizure
of equipment for
self-enrichment," he said. "We consider ourselves victims of
looting by the
police, army and prisons service."
According to
Henning, a Bilateral Promotion and Protection Agreement,
covering investment
and property, protected investors from Scandinavia and
states such as
Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy from unlawful
asset grabs. "Yet
South Africa, Zimbabwe's largest trading partner, gives
me and fellow South
African investors in that country little or no
protection." The two
governments were due to sign the bilateral agreement,
but had not been able
to reach consensus, he said. According to Henning, a
large contingent of
officials arrived at his farm gate in May last year and
proceeded to take an
inventory of the equipment. He insisted the officials
were not carrying the
required docu-mentation, nor had they followed the
lawful procedure for the
attachment of privately owned assets. He added
that the officials were
"commanded" by Provincial Assistant Commissioner
Loveness Ndanga, and
included members of Zimbabwe regional police, national
army, prisons service,
officials of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority
and members of the
Provincial War Vets Association.
In early November, the Zimbabwe Regional
Police had posted four armed
guards in front of the farm to prevent the
Hennings from using or
"sabotaging" equipment. Henning said he had informed
his attorney and the
South African embassy in Harare, which had written to
the police, the
Masvingo governor, Willard Chiwewe, and the Agriculture
Minister, Joseph
Made. Henning also wrote to the police telling them that a
legal challenge
to the seizures had been mounted and that a hearing date had
been set down
in the Harare High Court. Believing that they had forestalled
the seizures,
he and his wife left for South Africa on November 18. On the
same day, they
learned that the committee had arrived at the farm with police
and army
vehicles and a crane. The removal of the equipment was carried out
over a
two-day period, while Greig Henning captured it on film. Despite a
court
order against the police, instructing them to return the
equipment
immediately, the police distributed the more valuable items,
including
tractors, among themselves. Contacted by the M&G this week,
Wayne
Bvudzijena, Zimbabwean police spokesperson, said he was not "privy to
the
contents of the high court order". Calls to Ndanga, Made and
Justice
Minister Patrick Chinamasa went unanswered. The Department of
Foreign
Affairs was sent a list of questions about the incident, including
one
about whether South Africa and Zimbabwe had failed to conclude a
treaty
protecting South African investors in its northern neighbour. No
answer had
been received at the time of going to press.
As
a JAG member or JAG Associate member, please send any classified
adverts for
publication in this newsletter to:
JAG Classifieds: jag@mango.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
For Sale Items
2. Wanted Items
3. Accommodation
4. Recreation
5.
Specialist Services
6. Pets
Corner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
OFFERED FOR
SALE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1
For Sale (Ad inserted 04/01/06-)
Dorper Sheep Flock
144 head
including 3 stud rams
Feeding Troughs
Scales
Medicines on
hand
Call 011 403 558 / 091 218 822 / 062 2473
Email: timjack@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.2
For Sale (Ad inserted 04/01/06)
"THE WEAVERY"
Phone your orders to
Anne 011 212424 or 332851.
Email joannew@zol.co.zw
Fax -
332851.
SUPER GIFT IDEAS FOR LOCAL OR OVERSEAS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. LIGHT,
EASY TO
WASH AND SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Christmas has come and gone but there
are
many occasions where a gift is needed.
Prices.
Small woven
bags - $200,000 each.
Large crocheted bags - $540,000 each.
Large
woven bags - $400,000 each.
Table Runners - $300,000.
Set of 4
Fringed Tablemats + serviettes - $875,000.
Fringed mats only (4) -
$590,000.
Set of 6 Fringed mats + serviettes - $1,310,000.
Set of
4 Bordered tablemats + serviettes - $1,050,000.
Bordered mats only (4) -
$770,000.
Set of 6 Bordered mats + serviettes - $1,580,000.
Set of
8 Bordered mats + serviettes - $2,100,000.
2m Throws -
$980,000.each.
Jug covers - $105,000.
Tea cosy (L) -
$180,000.
Tea cosy (m) - $170,000
Tea cosy (s) -
$160,000.
Crocheted oven gloves (pair) - $400,000.
Oven gloves
(pair)- $220,000.
Oven gloves (single) - $110,000.
Aprons -
$440,000.
Decorated cushion covers -$395,000.
Plain cushion covers
- $280,000.
Round crocheted cushions - $380,000.
Scarves -
$400,000 each.
Hats - $210,000 each.
Ladies jerseys (med.) -
$1,730,000 each.
Woven waistcoats - $1,050,000.
Large plain cotton
rug - $860,000.
Med. plain cotton rug - $560,000.
Small plain
cotton rug - $360,000.
Cotton Rag Rug - $360,000.
Med. plain
mohair rug - $630,000.
Med. patterned mohair rug - $790,000.
X
Large plain mohair rug - $2,500,000.
Wholesale prices available for
orders (over 6 of an article) or
large
purchases.
------------------------------------------------------------------
1.3
Motorbikes for Sale (Ad inserted 26/12/05)
BEAT THE FUEL
CRISIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NEW ENDURO XY 125 - 10 MOTORBIKES FOR
SALE
(Averages 50KM/LT)
PHONE: 790266/ 011
414050
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.4
Motorbike for Sale (Ad inserted 13/12/05)
1996 BMW R850R for Sale - Good
condition.
Enquire - Wendy
091236317
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.5
For Sale (Ad inserted 04/01/06)
IMBUIA LOUNGE SUITE 7 SEATER INCL 2
ROCKERS - $100 000 000.00
IMBUIA COFFEE TABLE - $8 000
000.00
IMBUIA ROUND TABLE WITH GLASS TOP - $6 000 000.00
IMBUIA
HALF MOON TABLE - $8 000 000.00
2 X SMALL COFFEE SIDE TABLES - $5 000
000.00
IMBUIA DINING ROOM SUITE (COLLECTOR'S ITEM) - $80 000
000.00
OREGON PINE CABINET (LOUVRED SLIDING DOORS) - $20 000
000.00
WRITING BUREAU - $12 000 000.00
KIAAT CHEST DRAWERS - $10
000 000.00
TV CABINET (KIAAT) - $8 000 000.00
SOLID WOOD SEWING
CABINET - $8 000 000.00
007 METAL CUPBOARD - $5 000 000.00
WOODEN
BROOM CUPBOARD - $2 000 000.00
WOODEN KITCHEN UNIT (1 DRAWER AND
CUPBOARD) - $2 000 000.00
VACUUM CLEANER (HOOVER) - $1 500
000.00
TEA TROLLEY - $750 000.00
BOOK SHELF IMBUIA - $750
000.00
UNDERFELT - OFFERS
Y HEAD BOARD/FOOT BOARD AND SPRINGS - $1
500 000.00
2 X BRAND NEW KIRSH RAILS - $1 000 000.00
BATHROOM
CABINET - $1 000
000.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.6
Plants for Sale (Ad inserted
01/01/06)
FERNATIC NURSERY
Now
that the weather has warmed up and the rains are now here, it's time
to
garden again! For a variety of FERNS, PINK ARUMS & various other
plants
visit FERNATIC Nursery on Crowhill Road. (1,8km past the Brooke on
the left
just after Hoggerty Hill Drive.)
8-12noon, 3-6pm. Closed
Sundays
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.7
For Sale (Ad inserted 09/01/06)
1X'Quest' calibrated citrus
Applicator
Contact 335499 or 011
603296
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.8
Chemicals for Sale (Ad inserted 10/01/06)
CHEMICALS FOR
SALE
Benlate - Fungicide 2 x 1 kg
Lennate - Pesticide 4 x 1kg
& 4 x 100g
Sequential Two - Fertilizer 1 x 10ltrs
Dual 960 EC
Magnum 3 x 5ltrs
Ronstar - Herbicide 2 x 5ltrs
Agil 100EC -
Herbicide 1 x 5ltrs & 1 x 4ltrs
Command 4EC - Herbicide 1 x
5ltrs
Bion (Tobacco Leaf Spot) 8 x 60gms
Bravo 500 SE 1 x
5ltrs
Please phone 499790 or 091308903 if you are interested in any or
all of
the
above.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.9
Car For Sale (Ad inserted 09/01/06)
Mitsubishi RVR Sports Gear
2000,1995 Petrol. Neat, dark green in colour,
lady driven with 110,000 kms.
$650 million.-
-Call: Kathy 011 602
144
--------------------------------------------------------------
2
WANTED
ITEMS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.1
Wanted (Ad inserted 04/01/06)
Looking for a humidifier (second hand or
new) for steaming child's
bedroom.
Please contact Carol on 091 264160 or
carol@powerspeed.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.2
Car Wanted to Buy (Ad inserted 28/12/05)
Urgently seeking to purchase
reliable low mileage car either Toyota
Corolla/Camry, Mazda Familia or
anything similar.
Please email moolies@mweb.co.zw or phone
091606212
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.3
Wanted (Ad inserted 07/01/06)
Old guitars wanted for cash, any condition,
call Gordon
023894597
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.4
Wanted (Ad inserted 07/01/06)
Non-running/accident damaged, cars, trucks,
tractors, wanted urgently for
breaking, please call Mr Wallis
023894597.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.5
Carriage Wanted (Ad inserted 13/12/05)
Four wheeled; tyre or spoked;
single or double horse drawn carriage
wanted in any condition plus
harness.
011 203551/011
220682.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.6
Transporter Wanted (Ad inserted 14/12/05)
I am looking for a
transporter/private person to transport a 10
000 Plastic Water Tank plus a
few small building materials from Chimoio
to Vilanculos as soon as possible.
If anyone can assist please
contact me, Keith Holland at holland@zol.co.zw or cell: 011 401
691
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.7
Wanted (Ad inserted 16/12/05)
1. Washing Machine - In excellent
condition please. Phone 04 - 496049
2. Gardener - if you have a
hardworking, honest and reliable gardener and
you are leaving the country,
please could you let us know. Phone 04 -
496049. No accommodation, but good
wages.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.8
Household Goods Wanted (Ad inserted 16/12/05)
Wanted urgently
I
have rented a house in Bulawayo due to the increase in school fees I
urgently
need a reasonably priced electric stove and 4 single beds with
mattresses.
Basically I need stuff to furnish another house. Is there
anybody out there
that needs to downsize their household?
Please get hold of Michelle
Connor on 091273650 or on 273650@ecoweb.co.zw
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.9
Wanted (Ad inserted 09/01/06)
Adult and child's life jackets. Oars for
canoes and rowing boat. Fishing
rods, reels and tackle.
Contact: savuli@mweb.co.zw or John Tayler 091 631
556.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.10
Goats Wanted (Ad inserted 09/01/06)
WANTED: Many, young ready for
breeding female goats for breeding
programme, will collect.
Contact:
ranch@africaonline.co.zw
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.11
Wanted (Ad inserted 09/01/06)
A farm close to Harare to rent. Call
Patience on 091 312 560 or Kurai on
091 212
304
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
ACCOMMODATION WANTED AND
OFFERED
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.1
Accommodation Wanted (Ad inserted 10/01/06)
We are desperately looking
for a house to rent immediately. Situated on
the western suburbs of Harare
i.e. not Borrowdale, Greendale, Chisipite.
Good security is a must, 4
bedrooms borehole and pool if possible.
Please if you hear of anything
contact us as soon as possible.
Dave & Jan Stewart
091606242
Dave
011606242 Jan
304210
Flat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.2
Accommodation Wanted (Ad inserted 10/01/06)
Single, 24 year old farmers
daughter looking for a one or two bed roomed
cottage (preferably 2 bedrooms
if possible), in a safe secure area,
(Borrowdale, Chisipite, Highlands
area).
Contact Bridget
011 408044
Email: info@zambezitrader.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.3
Accommodation Wanted (Ad inserted 13/12/05)
Very reliable widow seeks
accommodation preferably with job as
housemaid/companion, but accommodation
only acceptable, can pay low rent
only, disabled bright child entering Form
One in Hatcliffe. Call MP
on
304492
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.4
Accommodation Wanted (Ad inserted 13/12/05)
Accommodation required for
bachelor as either a border/lodger. Please
contact Joan
335499.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.5
Accommodation Offered (Ad inserted 14/12/05)-
Couple to care take house
and assist with supervision of small
horticultural business. 18 km outside
Harare with good security.
Please phone 011 208568 or
335458
---------------------------------------------------------------
4
RECREATION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.1
HOLIDAYS (Ad inserted 04/01/06)
Savuli Safari, self-catering chalets in
the heart of the Save Valley
Conservancy. Game watching, fishing, horse
riding, canoeing, walking
trails and 4x4 hire. Camp fully kitted including
cook and fridges. Just
bring your food, drinks and relax. $900,000 pppn,
1/2 U/12.
Booking at Off2Africa,- phone 498480, or 091-943195
email:
emma@off2africa.co.zw
or direct
091 631 556 or savuli@mweb.co.zw
John
Tayler
Singisi Farm
Pvt. Bag
7011
Chiredzi
Zimbabwe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.2
Ad inserted 01/01/06
GACHE GACHE LODGE - Kariba
With the weather
now nice and hot, it is time to go up to Kariba! Book
for this ideal family
holiday now, especially if you like to catch a
fish!
Contact tourleaders@zol.co.zw for more info
today!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5
SPECIALIST
SERVICES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.1
Ad inserted 04/01/06
DO YOU WANT TO PUT YOUR OLD VHS VIDEO TAPES OR
CASSETTES OR RECORDS ON TO
DVD OR VCD. IF SO PLEASE CONTACT WENDELL ON 067
23040 OR 091 743 965 OR
091 386 665 or wendelljamu@yahoo.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.2
(Ad inserted 29/12/05)
Do you dread the thought of holding your child's
party?
Do you have nowhere to hold a party?
Do you have no time to
plan and hold a party?
Your problems have ended!
Penny and
Shelley will organize everything for your child's party.
Theme
parties could include:
Transport, Space, Animals, Noah's Arc, Barbie,
Spider Man, Barney,
Insects, Winnie the Pooh, Toy Box, The Sky,
etc.
We can have it in a garden, at Safety Sam, etc, provide ponies,
jumping
castles, slippery slides, games, individual eats, group eats,
painting or
craft parties where your children can all create something to
take home.
Call Shelley now on 091 264361 or 490684
Or Penny on
091 237434 or
336955
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.3
(Ad inserted 14/12/05) Care Management Services. Formerly called
"Substitute
Daughter."
Have you left Zim? Are worried about a remaining relative? For
a modest
fee our service will monitor the well being - physical, mental
and
emotional - of those who might be in need. The service is run
by
qualified, experienced, registered nurses of "the old school". We
ensure
that health needs are being met and that if your relative needs
any
other sort of care - nursing, financial services, transport,
domestic
aid, medical visits etc - we will arrange for these needs to be met.
We
visit regularly and keep you informed with reliable, accurate reports
of
all developments. 24 hour call available.
Want to know more? email:
brumarlow@mango.zw
Ph.: 00-263-4-
302518 (after hours) or 00-263-91-603621.
References will be supplied on
request.
Margaret Low. SRN.
SCM.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.4
(Ad inserted 11/12/05)
Harare SPCA Charity Shop
The Charity Shop
is still operative, but needs stock urgently. As I live
just off Ridgeway
North I am in a position to be able to collect to take
delivery of goods,
which can include virtually anything and everything.
Harare SPCA is under
new management and as a result it has undergone a
considerable change for the
better, and we feel that our service to
animal welfare is now worthy of the
aims of the SPCA.
We would be grateful for any donations of any kind to
help us keep
going. Funding is an eternal problem, as sadly we are all too
aware.
Vicki Campbell (Treasurer)
Phone: 851115 Cell 091
256554
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.5
(Ad inserted 26/12/05)
ZEB Water Back-up Systems
Tired of erratic,
unreliable water supplies or low water pressure? Invest
in a reliable water
back-up system. We supply, install and maintain
water back-up systems to all
areas in and around Harare.
WE ARE NOW ABLE TO DELIVER UP TO 7000 LITRES
PER DROP OFF to fill your
tank if you have been off municipal for some
time!
For more information please contact us on 011-424712 or 011-806525
e-mail
bowen@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.6
Ad inserted 26/12/05
Oxford IT
A leading IT professional
recruitment firm, with specialized staff, are
ready to meet your recruitment
needs. Give us a call today to secure top
calibre personnel for all your IT
requirements.
Don't Hesitate - IniTiate!
Call: Monique Fachet or
Melissa Ricardo on 309274 (Direct) or via
Switchboard on 309800 - 17 (Ext 270
or 272)
Oxford IT
Agriculture House
South East Wing
Cnr Adylinn
Road/Marlborough
Drive
Marlborough,
Harare
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.7
(Ad inserted 15/12/05)
ROOF LEAKS / RISING DAMP
WE SPECIALISE IN
WATERPROOFING, DAMPPROOFING, WALL AND ROOF COATINGS.
WE MAY BE LOCAL, BUT
OUR PRODUCTS ARE NOT!!!!
FOR ALL INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL
PROPERTIES.
CONTACT: 882511, 091 261741 or 011
420003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.8
(Ad inserted 13/12/05)
Please remember we have reliable services
available in Harare North at a
very competitive rate.
*Plumber -
toilets, basins, blocked drains - Gauti c/o MP on 304492
*Electric Gates,
Intercoms, House Alarms, Surveillance Cameras etc
Creative Decor 091 408
320
*Swimming Pools and Pumps - all repairs and installations -
Creative
Decor 091 408
320
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.9
(Ad inserted 13/12/05)
WEDDINGS & SPECIAL EVENTS VIDEO
PRODUCTION
Focused Video Productions specialize in weddings & special
events video
production. We use digital equipment to capture your special
moments in the
highest quality.
Call Greer on 744075 / 091 53
047
Email: fvp@fvp.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.10
Nursery School Vacancies (Ad inserted 04/01/06)
Little Blessings Nursery
School.
There are a few vacancies available at a small, up-market,
Christian
preschool in The Grange area of Chisipite. Owner: 15 years
teaching
experience and is a trained nurse. Viewing welcome.
Please
telephone for appointment. 499108 or 091
345079.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6
PETS
CORNER
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.1
Pet - Wanted (Ad inserted 09/01/06)
Am looking for a Golden Labrador
female puppy, will go to a very good
home.
Please
contact
Bridget 011 408044
Email: info@zambezitrader.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2
Pets - Homes Wanted (Ad inserted 13/12/05)
Two lovely dogs need
re-homing:
1. A female Labrador, one year old.
2. A Doberman cross,
who needs some TLC. One year old.
Phone Greer on
744075/091353047
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.3
Puppies For Sale (Ad inserted 09/01/06)
For Sale: Adorable Labrador
puppies. Superb family pets - both the
parents are excellent with our
children.
A small litter of three:
A chocolate dog
A black
dog
A black bitch
Eight weeks old today.
Mum a champion
with papers.
And Dad a purebred Labrador but no papers.
tel (04)
496297 (home - evenings)
tel (04) 480997 or 481735 (office
hours
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.4
Home Wanted (Ad inserted 10/01/06)
'MANA' smashing white English Bull
Terrier bitch with brindle patch,
found half dead of starvation on Country
Club Golf Course now back to
normal and looking great needs a new home. What
a character! For more
information tel. Michelle on 884294 or e-mail gandami@mweb.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
JAG
Hotlines:
+263 (011) 205 374 If you are in trouble or need advice,
please
don't hesitate to contact us - we're here to help!
+263 (04) 799 410 Office
Lines
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To
advertise (JAG Members): Please email classifieds to: jag@mango.zw
with subject
"Classifieds".
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Herald (Harare)
January 11, 2006
Posted to the web January 11, 2006
Harare
GOVERNMENT has allocated Chitun-gwiza Provincial Hospital $40
billion for its expansion and enhancement of specialist facilities.
The
institution's chief executive officer Dr Obadiah Moyo confirmed the injection of
the funds and said Chitungwiza Municipality has offered enough land for the
hospital's expansion.
Dr Moyo said the hospital, which was recently upgraded,
also got 19 doctors from Cuba, including specialists.
The 19 doctors comprise
specialists in various areas and general medical practitioners.
The
availability of specialists from Cuba has driven the Health and Child Welfare
Ministry to ensure the hospital is allocated substantial sums to expand its
facilities, he said.
"If we had no doctors, it would not really make a good
impact on the need to immediately expand hospital facilities. We could just
provide some of the essential services using the facilities we have at the
moment."
The health institution will also soon offer urology to deal with
prostrate cancer and other related illnesses, renal for kidney ailments,
orthopaedic for bone diseases and ophthalmology services for the extensive
treatment of sight related ailments.
"We would like to establish clinics from
which the services will be rendered and expand our neo-natal clinic which has
been overwhelmed in the last few weeks.
"We were most worried about
facilities of our school of nursing and gynaecology and obstetric and
orthopaedic units, which were far less below our central status. There is need
for a conducive environment that offers all required facilities for experiments
and other demonstrations while our gynaecology and obstetric are areas that we
value due to the nature of work conducted in those units," he said.
Dr Moyo
said the hospital had the longest list of orthopaedic related cases while some
cases of bone fractures were monitored on admission for more than five
months.
Head of the Cuban doctors delegation Dr Fo Ntini said Government's
efforts to strengthen the health institution needed to be complemented.
"It
is good to know that efforts are being made to enhance services from areas that
we are operating," Dr Ntini said.
At a meeting this week, some Cuban doctors
indicated that language was a barrier as the bulk of Zimbabweans could not speak
Spanish.
"We speak a little English and again there are some people in this
country who can not speak or understand English such that we have to rely on the
nursing staff and doctors for translation and extensive explanation," said a
Cuban dentist.
However, he said patients should have confidence in them
because so far there were no incidences of patients who were treated of a wrong
ailment.
"We are trying our best and are driven by the need to help
Zimbabweans and the strong ties between our two countries," Dr Ntini said.
The Herald (Harare)
January
12, 2006
Posted to the web January 11, 2006
Harare
Government's
increased recourse to the domestic sector has pushed its domestic debt burden to
$14,3 trillion as at December 31 2005, up from $11,9 trillion in
mid-December.
Most of the debt is in the form of Treasury bills which are the
chief instrument used by the central bank to control monetary supply as well as
raising funds to fund productive activities.
At cost, the Treasury bills
currently stand at over $5 trillion. However, economists analysts have expressed
concern at the $7 trillion -- and still growing -- interest burden.
Although
the need for money supply control cannot be taken lightly during this period of
money supply-induced inflationary pressures, Government needs to put a leash on
its level of borrowings. Interest rates are hovering around the 500 percent mark
and this alone could see the debt ballooning even further.
Apart from the $11
trillion Treasury bills, Government is also indebted through Government stocks
whose cost currently stands at close to $2 trillion. Unlike Treasury bills,
Government stocks do not attract interest, at least for now.
At $14 trillion,
analysts say the bill is a heavy burden for the Government and the analogy of a
dog chasing its own tail might continue as the bills matures every day. The
problem comes about because as soon as the Government releases huge chunks of
money back onto the market it is obliged to borrow that money to control money
supply.
Government's borrowing is, to a significant extent, being channelled
to finance recurrent expenditure at the expense of capital expenditure. This is
because around 90 percent of Government expenses go to recurrent expenditure,
mainly salaries.
The borrowings are contrary to Minister of Finance Dr
Herbert Murerwa's 2006 Budget statement where he proposed to match recurrent
expenditure to current revenues and allowing budget borrowings only for capital
expenditure as well as infrastructure development.
However, coming from 2005,
a year when the Government had to finance a huge grain import bill which had not
been budgeted for. This was coupled with an inflated oil import bill blown up by
the sharp increase in international oil prices, a budget overrun and a heavy
domestic debt can be expected.
Borrowing for consumption as the Government is
doing is, however, not sustainable and merely results in higher levels of debt
without creating any additional income to repay the debt analysts have
lamented.
Apart from borrowing from the domestic market in order to finance
its expenditure, Government can utilise its overdraft facility with the central
bank. There is, however, a statutory limit on the amount the Government can
borrow which is pegged at 20 percent of the previous year's revenue
collection.
"Government's recourse to the domestic sector for funding,
however, leads to an expansion in money supply growth, thus it is important for
Government to contain its expenditure thereby minimising its borrowings from the
domestic sector if inflation targets are to be achieved," said a Harare
economist.
The monetary targeting framework adopted by the RBZ last October,
although partially responsible for the huge dent, could be the only remedy if
aggressively applied on both the broader inflation battle front as well as
fiscal discipline. Its objective is to rein in money supply levels to thresholds
consistent with underlying real economic activity.
Going into 2006,
prospects look bright for the economy as the good rains that the country has
received so far could be the harbinger for a bumper harvest while international
oil prices look to have stabilised at just under US$70 per barrel.
Foreign
exchange earnings, on the other hand, have been gradually improving and success
stories could be witnessed on the new Tradable Foreign Currency Balances System.
Although no figures were available, substantial amounts of foreign currency are
being channelled to the interbank market as the official exchange rates edge
closer to the parallel market.
The Herald (Harare)
January 12, 2006
Posted to the web January 11, 2006
Herald Correspondent
Murehwa
THE Veterinary Services Department has brought the anthrax outbreak in
Macheke commercial farming area under control, preventing its spread to other
areas.
The outbreak, which was reported last month, was confined to the
Nyadoma and Craig Rea dip tanks which service a number of farms that include
Warren, Maryland, May, Mignon and Chitsanza resulting in the affected areas
being put under quarantine.
The veterinary officer for Murehwa and
Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, Dr Eric Chikaka yesterday said his department had
carried out a successful vaccination campaign in the affected areas.
"I can
confirm that we have managed to effectively control the outbreak through an
extensive vaccination exercise at several farms, as the affected dip tanks
service a very large area," said Dr Chikaka.
He said his department would
carry out a massive booster vaccination campaign in the affected areas later
this year in order to effectively suppress the disease.
It is believed that
the onset of heavy rains in the area may have exposed the anthrax spores in the
ground, as they are resistant and can survive for a very long time.
Dr
Chikaka urged other cattle farmers who were not affected by the outbreak in
Macheke to initiate anthrax vaccination campaigns on their own.
"We urge the
farmers to remain vigilant, and to report to my department all animals that look
sick or die on their own. In the event that an animal dies on its own, farmers
should not open up the carcass or eat the meat without certification and
clearance by my department," he said.
Dr Chikaka also pointed out that
farmers should burn and bury very deep, all the carcasses of cattle that die on
their own.
In 2004, the Nhakiwa area in Uzumba and the Nheweyembwa areas
in Murehwa were hit by an anthrax outbreak that claimed five cattle and one
human life.
Anthrax spores can remain in the soil for decades. Rhodesian
special forces salted an area of the south-west Midlands during the war with
such spore and outbreaks have been occurring in and around this area ever since.
The latest Macheke instance is one of the most easterly outbreaks.
Agencia de Informacao de
Mocambique (Maputo)
January 11, 2006
Posted to the web January 11, 2006
Maputo
Heavy rains in much of Mozambique continue to hinder both road
and rail traffic.
Traffic along the Limpopo railway line, which links the
port of Maputo to Zimbabwe remains suspended, after rains damaged the track in
five places in Gaza province - either by washing away ballast, or by burying the
rails under mud.
Cited in Wednesday's edition of the Maputo daily "Noticias",
Inacio Rodrigues Junior, Executive Director of the southern division of the rail
company, CFM-Sul, said the continuing rains were making it impossible for rail
workers to repair the line.
CFM-Sul had sent a technical team on Monday to
inspect the damage, which has now reported back to the CFM
management.
Rodrigues Junior said that CFM would seek solutions allowing the
line to reopen as soon as possible, minimising losses to Zimbabwe and to CFM
itself. But the repairs cannot be undertaken while it is still
raining.
In Inhambane province, the swollen Mutamba river, after
subsidising somewhat on Sunday, has risen again, and has once more flooded the
main road into Inhambane city. According to Mozambique Television (TVM), the
waters have gouged huge craters in the road which is currently impassable.
In
the centre of the country, the Shire river, the largest tributary of the
Zambezi, has continued to rise, carrying a huge volume of water from Malawi. The
Shire has now flooded parts of Morrumbala district in Zambezia province, though
there is as yet no sign of the Zambezi itself going into flood.
The Herald (Harare)
January 12, 2006
Posted to the web January 11, 2006
Harare
MORE armyworm outbreaks
were reported in some parts of Manicaland, Bulawayo and Harare yesterday as the
moths drift further south with the good rains.
Farmers are spraying affected
fields and control measures are being bolstered.
In an interview yesterday,
Agricultural Research and Extension Services chief entomologist, Dr Godfery
Chikwenhere said his office had received reports of more outbreaks at Ranchmore
Farm in Bulawayo, some parts of Manicaland and Dzivaresekwa in Harare.
"This
is an indication that the caterpillars are moving into new areas hence the need
to intensify and widen control measures," Dr Chikwenhere said.
He said
officials from his department were still assessing the situation in
Manicaland.
"We have still not received a full report on Manicaland and in
particular on the areas that are affected, we hope by tomorrow (today) we will
have had a comprehensive report on the crop situation and all essential
details."
Dr Chikwenhere said Arex officials in Manicaland are already on the
ground working with farmers to ensure their crop is saved.
Rain came late in
most parts of Manicaland leading to farmers planting their crops late last
month.
The armyworm outbreak could worsen the condition of their still weak
and tender crops.
He said crops in Harare and Bulawayo where the bulk of
farmers practice peri-urban agriculture, are also under threat.
"We hope the
rains we are receiving are going to ameliorate the situation but our officers
are also working with some owners of plots in and around Harare and Bulawayo to
protect their crop."
Dr Chikwenhere said the caterpillars are also spreading
fast in Mashonaland West Province while farmers in some parts of Mashonaland
Central that include Bindura, Glendale and Shamva seem to be winning the fight
against the voracious worms.
"We are trying our best in Mashonaland West
where the caterpillars have taken over large tracts of land."
Dr Chikwenhere
said his department yesterday contacted the Southern Africa Region's
International Red Locusts Control Organisation based in Zambia to inform them of
the situation in Zimbabwe and establish the situation in other
countries.
"The IRLCO is where all countries within the Southern region
report any migratory pests outbreaks for them to alert other neighbouring
countries. We also hope to hear by this week if there are any other countries
facing a similar challenge," he said.
Some farmers who called the Herald from
Mashonaland West, East and Midlands yesterday expressed fears over the outbreak,
adding that some had already lost part of their crops.
There were concerns
over the possibility by Arex Agronomists of detecting the eggs laid by the moth
and destroy them before they are hatched.
"Agriculture has become almost
everyone's business in the country hence the need for going as far as treating
our soil of any eggs laid by some pests before they become an outbreak and make
it both difficult and costly to destroy," Mr Charles Gwande of Chinhoyi
said.
Another farmer from Marondera said not only farmers were pumping out
money to buy insecticides since they can not just wait for Arex officials, who
might not come on time but were now concentrating on protecting their crops
rather than intensifying weeding or attending to other areas of
production.
"Some farmers have to cure their tobacco and with the threat of
the armyworm on our crops there is no way we could properly cure tobacco when
the maize crop that has been promising us good money is being devoured by the
armyworms."
Although pastures are also affected by the armyworm, the
Marondera farmer said Arex officials had urged them not to spray their pasture,
as there are fears that the carbaryl could affect their livestock.
"We are
not sure whether the worms from the pasture will not spread into our sprayed
crop."
The armyworm has always been one of the country's greatest challenges
during most farming seasons.
Major outbreaks are traditionally reported
in Mudzi, Muzarabani, Chishawasha, Harare, Headlands,, Guruve, Mt Darwin,
Rushinga, Banket, Beatrice, Glendale and Chinhoyi.
During all outbreaks,
there have always been concerns on the need to find a lasting and effective way
to deal with the much- dreaded caterpillars.
The Herald (Harare)
January 11, 2006
Posted
to the web January 11, 2006
Jeffrey Gogo
Harare
Prices of goods and
services went up seven-fold in 2005 on the back of an 18,3 percent
month-on-month inflation figure for December. Although this was 8,7 percentage
points down on the prior month, the yearly figure closed the year at 585,8
percent.
The Central Statistical Office yesterday reported that the rate of
price increases last month had slowed down on the November rate but did not
explain how this had come about.
Acting director-general Mr Moffat Nyoni
indicated prices stabilised in December, attributing this to the principle that
"the first impact is always the highest but decreases as it goes on".
The
implication is that prices stabilised or slowed down in the early days of
December before firming towards month-end with the former impacting heavily on
the period's statistical data.
But the annual inflation rate entered its
ninth consecutive rise to end the year at 585,8 percent, up 83,4 percentage
points on the November rate of 502,4 percent owing to varying economic
fundamentals in the month under review.
Average inflation for 2005 stood at
182 percent, down from 350 percent recorded in 2004, thanks to low inflation
figures achieved in the first three months of the year.
On a yearly basis
though, the cost of buying services and goods such as fuel continued to
skyrocket, meaning that on average, Zimbabweans were paying almost seven times
(585 percent) as much for services and goods purchased in December 2004.
For
example, a bundle of goods and services that cost $100 000 12 months ago on
average cost $685 800 in December 2005.
2005 started off on a promising note
as year-on-year inflation went down during the first quarter. But as the
debilitating effects of the previous season's drought and rising international
oil prices took their toll, previous gains where gradually whittled away as the
inflation virus became "resistant" to medicines prescribed by the central
bank.
According to figures released by the CSO food and non-alcoholic
beverages inflation rose faster than non-food items, increasing to 717,1 percent
annually against 522,3 percent for non-food items.
Among the goods and
services that recorded the highest increases in the year were hairdressing,
which ballooned 2 369 percent; bicycles up 2 240 percent; and postal services
and drugs that climbed 1 827 percent and 1 243 percent respectively.
On a
month-on-month basis recreational and cultural services at 78,4 percent; bread
and cereals at 38,7 percent as well as telephone and telefax equipment that went
up by a similar margin, recorded the highest increases.
During the month,
lowest increases were recorded in telephone and telefax services that declined
by 10,9 percent, and scotchcarts that slipped 9 percent.
Economists have
recommended that the best way to tackle inflation was by reducing the budget
deficit, and ensuring fiscal discipline on the part of Government and containing
money supply growth.
Government should also step up efforts to attract
foreign direct investment as part of its anti-inflation arsenal, some economists
have suggested.
However, inflation forecasts for 2006 remained on the dark
side particularly given the pressures exerted by huge civil servants upward
salary adjustments effective this month.
Under-19 World Cup
January 11, 2006
Zimbabwe's side for the Under-19 World Cup has been named, but some question marks remain whether all those chosen will actually take part in the light of last week's government takeover of the board.
Sean Williams, the captain, is known to have come under pressure not to participate and while Cricinfo has learned that he will be joining the squad shortly, he is thought to have serious reservations.
There are five other players with first-class experience - Kudakwashe Samunderu, Friday Kasteni, Chamunorwa Chibhabha and Ian Nicolson, while legspinner Graeme Cremer has until recently been in the Test side.
Samunderu and Chibhabha both formed the core of the Mashonaland top-order batting as the province successfully defended the Logan Cup for sixth time in a row.
Chibhabha played for Zimbabwe A against Bangladesh A in March 2005 and excelled with bat and ball in the four-day matches and was the best batsman for Zimbabwe second-string side in the limited-overs matches. He was part of the Zimbabwe A side which took on Pakistan in May in two four-day matches and three one-dayers, and went on to make his ODI debut against New Zealand in August, but failed to make an immediate impact as he was dismissed for a three-ball duck.
Nicolson led the Midlands bowling attack with Anthony Ireland while Kasteni, who also turned out for Midlands, marked his arrival in first-class cricket with a well-crafted unbeaten century against Matabeleland at Kwekwe Sports Club.
Walter Chawaguta, who guided Zimbabwe to the last eight of at last juniors World Cup played in Bangladesh in 2004, remains in charge, together with manager Dilip Chouhan.
Only four of the players have been offered contracts by Zimbabwe Cricket and the rest are schoolboys, so there should be no issue of another mass player boycott. The players are not paid to take part in the World Cup, only receiving allowances for phone calls and laundry.
Zimbabwe squad Sean Williams (capt), Roland Benade, Gary Balance, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Graeme Cremer, Ryan Higgins, Friday Kasteni, Tarisai Mahlunge, Keagan Meth, Taurai Muzarabani, Ian Nicolson, Kudakwashe Samunderu, Glen Querl, Prince Masvaure.
© Cricinfo
The Herald (Harare)
January 11, 2006
Posted to the web January 11, 2006
Harare
SCORES of farmers who had
brought their produce for sale were yesterday stranded at Mbare Musika following
the closure of two fruit and vegetable markets.
The two selling points were
the farmers' port of call where vendors from different suburbs in the capital
city buy fresh fruit and vegetables for resale.
Government on Monday banned
public vending of fish and all meat products in a widened move to control the
spread of cholera which killed three family members from Glen View 8 last
week.
Chairperson of the commission running the affairs of Harare City
Council Ms Sekesayi Makwavarara recommended the immediate closure of the popular
Mbare Musika market to stem the spread of the often-fatal waterborne
disease.
Yesterday, there was no activity at the usually busy selling points
whose gates were locked.
Some of the farmers who still had their produce
loaded on trucks had spent the whole day at the selling points confused as to
what they would do with their produce.
Others were returning to their
respective rural areas with their produce -- a move they said would be costly to
them.
"Several of the farmers were dumped by buses and lorries early in the
morning and are still trying to sell their produce.
"Others have managed to
sell their produce outside the market while some combined their efforts and
cleaned the market place hoping that they would be allowed to continue with
business," said Mr Simba Mudarikwa, a farmer from Domboshava.
By late
yesterday, the farmers had managed to clean one of the selling points but they
were not allowed to sell their produce by the Harare City Council.
Another
farmer who had teamed up with colleagues to hire a 30-tonne truck all the way
from Mutoko to sell mangoes and cabbages said the closure of the market came as
a shock to most of them.
"We paid millions of dollars to hire the truck and
because there was nowhere to sell our produce, it means we have to hire another
truck again to ferry the produce back home," he said.
The farmers have called
on all stakeholders to put their heads together to combat cholera so that they
could continue to supply the city with fresh fruit and vegetables.
They
offered to clean the market before and after using the selling point.
Health
and Child Welfare Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said his ministry would meet
with council officials to map the way forward in the fight against the disease
and efforts to combat it.
"I can't say much at the moment but we are going to
meet with council officials and only then can I comment on the situation," said
Dr Parirenyatwa.
The Minister of Agriculture Dr Joseph Made urged the farmers
to rally behind Government in its efforts to combat the spread of the deadly
disease.
"It is very important that the farmers and everyone else in all
cities join council and Government in the fight against the disease. The market
must be cleaned because it takes time to eradicate cholera once it spreads,"
said Dr Made.
He urged council to construct other selling points to decongest
Mbare Musika.
Town clerk Mr Nomutsa Chideya said modalities were advanced to
construct suburban selling points to decongest Mbare Musika and reduce incidents
of disease outbreaks.
Despite the closure of the market, it was business as
usual for middlemen, popularly known as makoronyera, who were taking advantage
of the farmers plight to horde the produce at reduced prices.
Some of the
middlemen were selling the produce on roadsides, but said they feared being
arrested by the police.
Cholera, an acute intestinal infection caused by
ingestion of contaminated water or food, has killed 14 people countrywide in the
past three weeks.
Mbare Musika vending market is in a pathetic state with
mounds of uncollected garbage and impassable roads compounded by an invasion of
illegal vendors.
The rains have also worsened the situation, resulting in
mud and rotting garbage attracting flies, threatening the health of not only the
retailers at the market but that of Harare residents as well.
The council
says the markets will be re-opened by Friday next week.
The Herald
(Harare)
January 11, 2006
Posted to the web January 11, 2006
Martin
Kadzere
Harare
ZIMBABWE last year earned US$203,5 million from tobacco
exports.
A total of 63,5 million kilogrammes of flue-cured tobacco were
exported between January and December at an average price of US$3,17 per
kg.
Flue-cured tobacco accounted for the bulk of exports at US$201 million in
2005 while burley chipped in with US$2,5 million.
A total of 871 800
kilogrammes of burley tobacco were sold last year at an average price of US$2,88
per kilogramme.
However, despite a drastic fall in production in the last
five years, tobacco remains one of Zimbabwe's most lucrative exports.
At
US$48,3 million, February's export figures remained the highest recorded during
the last 12 months.
There was also a surge in export earnings from the golden
leaf during the last quarter of 2005.
Zimbabwe's tobacco stocks currently
stand at around 94,2 million kg, an indication that most of the leaf that went
under the hammer during the 2005 selling season is yet be exported.
More than
74 million kg of flue-cured tobacco were sold last season, slightly above the 68
million kg auctioned the year before.
Zimbabwe exports semi-processed tobacco
to several destinations including the European Union, the Middle East, the Far
East, Oceania and the Americas.
The country's tobacco finds a ready market
because of its unique blending qualities, a legacy of favourable weather
conditions.
Most of the crop exported fetches prices significantly higher
than those offered to growers at the auction floors where tobacco is sold
without any value addition.
Once the country's number one agricultural cash
cow, tobacco is slowly losing its glow due to successive drops in production in
the last five years.
For example, a total of 200 million kg were produced
in 2000 before it slumped to around 150 million kg the following
season.
Production hit another rough patch in the next two years, with a
paltry 68 million kg finding its way to the auction floors in 2004. An
anticipated rebound to 100 million kg last year did not materialise partly due
to the late disbursement of inputs and loan bottlenecks.
By Lance Guma
11 January 2006
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