http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda
18 January
2013
Leaders of civil society organisations (CSOs) held a press
conference in
Harare on Friday, in reaction to what they say is a rising
crackdown by the
police on rights defenders, as the country prepares for
elections. This
follows the arrests of Zimbabwe Human Rights Association
(ZimRights)
officials, including director Okay Machisa on charges of
conspiracy to
commit fraud, publishing falsehoods and forgery.
Abel
Chikomo, the Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum,
said
the CSOs condemned “the arbitrary arrests, detentions and continued
persecution” saying it is an “onslaught meant to criminalize the work of
civil society, discredit it and showcase CSOs as unpatriotic and devoid of
national interest.”
But the CSOs themselves are being criticized for
failing to respond in a
practical and cohesive manner to “government
abuse”.
Raymond Majongwe, who participated in the press conference on
behalf of the
Concerned Affiliates of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions
and
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, told SW Radio Africa that it was
time for less talk and more action.
“This is the challenge that I
threw to the CSOs leaders. That we cannot
continue holding press conferences
and ZANU PF knows that we are very
predictable. They arrest people, we have
a press conference and after that
we go and enjoy Macheso and Oliver
Mtukudzi in the night clubs in the
evenings.
“But the moment we grow
as civic groups and say –if they arrest one they
must arrest all of us –
then we would have come out of the woods,” Majongwe
said.
The civic
leader said CSOs, which are supposed to be action oriented, have
failed as a
collective to make the authorities in Zimbabwe accountable.
He said the
MDC formation led by Prime Minister Tsvangirai, which has a
minister in the
Home Affairs ministry which is in charge of the police, is
also “equally to
blame” for failing to protect the citizenry.
The outspoken unionist said
the lack of action by civil society will
continue, until the “right
leadership is there to lead the civic movement,”
saying that at present
“many of us are there for other reasons.”
Asked what he himself has done
to lead by example he said it was difficult
to deal with the challenges on
your own. He added: “And we are taking
instructions from so many people.
It’s not like the civic movement is
independent. If the civic movement was
independent and was driving its own
agenda we would obviously get a lot of
things right.”
This is a reference to the fact that some observers
criticise the donor
community for unnecessarily interfering in NGO
projects.
Meanwhile, the civil society organizations said on Friday that
they will be
presenting their grievances to SADC and the AU, the guarantors
of the
Zimbabwe political agreement. They also called upon the government to
respect the separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, by
allowing courts to do their work without any undue influence. They also
called upon the international community to picket at Zimbabwean Embassies in
solidarity with human rights defenders under attack back home.
Social
commentator Rejoice Ngwenya said there is too much “posturing” by the
CSOs
who are failing to fulfill their mandate to defend and protect
Zimbabweans
from harassment from central government.
He said: “The causes of this
lethargy are because of petty jealousies and
competition. Civil society
entities and leaders are very glad to see some of
their competitors being
subdued.”
“I really feel there are hypocrites in this sector that take
pride in the
demise of their colleagues,” Ngwenya added.
http://www.un.org
18 January 2013 –
Citing arbitrary arrests, intimidation and harassment, the
United Nations
human rights arm today condemned recent attacks against human
rights
defenders in Zimbabwe ahead of elections expected later this year.
“We
are concerned about the crackdown on non-governmental organisations and
dissenting voices seen as critical of President Robert Mugabe’s rule and
apparently politically motivated prosecutions,” Rupert Colville,
spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), said at a briefing in Geneva.
In the latest case, on 14
January, the police pressed charges against Okay
Machisa, the director of
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) and
chairperson of the Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition.
He was accused of publishing false statements
prejudicial to the State,
fraud and forgery after allegedly conducting
illegal voter registration. Mr.
Machisa handed himself to the police on 14
January, accompanied by his
lawyer, and remains in detention.
In a
previous incident, ZimRights Education Programmes Manager Leo
Chamahwinya
and ZimRights Local Chapter Chairperson Dorcas Shereni were
arrested by the
police on 13 December 2012.
They were both denied bail by the High Court
and remain in detention, Mr.
Colville said.
Visiting Zimbabwe for the
first time last year, High Commissioner Navi
Pillay urged President Mugabe
to ensure that the upcoming elections will be
free and fair and held in a
peaceful atmosphere.
During the visit, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
told her that there were
still challenges in the country, despite the
formation of the Government of
National Unity in 2009.
The Government
of National Unity was formed as part of an effort to stop the
violence that
accompanied elections the previous year, when Mr. Tsvangirai
ran against Mr.
Mugabe in the presidential polls.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
18 January
2013
ZANU PF has launched an investigation into alleged diamond fraud
involving
five of its officials, who have exposed the party’s control of the
Chiadzwa
diamond fields.
The case involves more than US$750, 000 that
the five party members
allegedly managed to convince companies mining at
Chiadzwa to hand over for
ZANU PF activities. The money was then reportedly
used in part to fund their
personal lives.
The five include
Manicaland provincial chairperson Mike Madiro, ousted
provincial youth
chairperson Tawanda Mukodza, provincial youth secretary for
security Admire
Mahachi, provincial youth secretary for information Masimba
Kangai and
former district coordinating committee member Clever Muparutsa.
They
stand accused of soliciting cash from the Chiadzwa based Mbada and
Anjin
firms as well as a third unnamed company, stating the money was needed
for
party activities, including last year’s people’s conference in Gweru. It
is
alleged Mbada gave them US$300,000 while another US$450,000 was given by
the
unnamed company. Anjin was also reportedly approached by the group, but
the
company insisted that it would transfer its US$400,000 ‘donation’ into a
ZANU PF account.
According to the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, the
group appeared before a
provincial disciplinary committee chaired by ZANU PF
Manicaland vice
chairperson Dorothy Mabika last Friday, and again this week.
The fate of the
group is not yet known, although reports suggest they could
face being
kicked out of the party.
It is already widely speculated
that ZANU PF has been using the diamonds
fields to generate cash for the
party, and hidden profits that have not been
seen by the government Treasury
are said to be lining the pockets of top
party officials. There have also
been warnings from top international human
rights groups about the diamond
mines financing a parallel regime in
Zimbabwe, to keep Robert Mugabe in
power.
The case against the five party officials has further exposed how
deep ZANU
PF’s influence runs at Chiadzwa, if money is so readily handed
over for
party activities. Political analyst Clifford Mashiri, who has been
closely
monitoring the diamond situation in Zimbabwe for several years, said
Friday
that the case “is just the tip of the iceberg.”
“There’s every
reason to suspect that there’s more to this than is just
being reported,”
Mashiri told SW Radio Africa, adding: “We can clearly
deduce that ZANU PF is
using diamond money for its election campaign and for
terrorising
Zimbabweans head of elections, all of which needs money.”
Mashiri also
questioned why the five party members are being “sacrificed” in
this way,
given ZANU PF’s usual silence on illegal activity involving its
membership.
He said the party is “trying to bring in some fake
transparency,” because
they are attempting to save face ahead of elections.
“It is an election
tactic to say you are rooting out corruption. But what we
see here is
corruption within corruption because there is ongoing
corruption, allegedly
committed by the diamond mines, and they are in turn
being solicited for
money by corrupt ZANU PF officials,” Mashiri said.
ZANU PF spokesperson
Rugare Gumbo’s phone went unanswered Friday.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
18 January
2013
Principals to the GPA agreed on Thursday to retain the contentious
issue of
the running mates in the new constitution, but the relevant chapter
will be
suspended for 5 years and will have no effect in this year’s
elections.
The chapter on running mates was the only issue described as
‘unresolved’ in
the report that was presented to the principals by a seven
member cabinet
committee.
A source privy to the discussions held by
the principals at State House in
Harare told SW Radio Africa on Friday that
the chapter will be invoked in
2018, when a presidential candidate from any
of the contesting parties will
have a running mate.
The running mate
issue was included in the 18th July draft, reportedly at
the instigation of
ZANU PF negotiator Nicholas Goche. According to clause
5.5 (2) of the draft
charter, a presidential candidate must nominate two
candidates to stand as
his running mates.
But the chapter caused problems in both ZANU PF and
the MDC-T, with the
former ruling party discussing it at a politburo meeting
and then demanding
that it be scrapped. There were concerns within the party
that it would
force Robert Mugabe to reveal his desired successor ahead of
elections.
In the MDC-T the issue caused serious ructions and jockeying
for positions,
as it left the party deeply divided into three groups over
the criterion for
choosing the running-mates.
One group lobbied for
the handpicking of running-mates by party leader and
Presidential candidate
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, another preferred
election by the
provinces, while the third backed appointment by seniority.
‘The way the
principals resolved the issue means that they will revert to
the old system
in the coming elections where the president will appoint the
Vice-Presidents
after the poll. The chapter will be brought into force
before 2018,’ the
source added.
UK based political analyst Sanderson Makombe told us not
much has changed
from the draft that was released in July by the
parties.
‘Going by what has been said, I don’t think there have been any
significant
changes to the draft, although we know there were concessions
made by all
parties.
‘I honestly believe right now that the YES vote
will prevail in the
referendum as all parties are agreeable to the draft
document,’ Makombe
said.
Meanwhile, the three constitutional drafters
were busy Friday adding into
the new charter issues that have been resolved
and agreed to by the
principals.
The drafters, former High Court
Justice Moses Chinhengo; lawyer Priscilla
Madzonga and University of
Zimbabwe law lecturer Brian Crozier are expected
to be done by next week,
after which COPAC will present the draft to
Parliament in the second week of
February.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
18/01/2013 00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
THE late Vice President John Landa Nkomo who died on
Thursday will be buried
at the National Heroes’ Acre on Monday, Zanu PF
decided.
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said the party’s politburo had
unanimously
adopted a resolution to declare Nkomo a national
hero.
Nkomo’s body will be flown by a military helicopter to Tsholotsho
and
Bulawayo over the weekend to allow locals in his former stomping ground
to
say their farewell before being returned to Harare for burial, Gumbo
said.
"He was a principled man who will be dearly missed, the fact that
he held a
senior post in the party and government is testimony of his
character,”
Gumbo said on Friday.
“He rose through the ranks,
occupying various positions both in the party
and government. He was a
unifier and his advice will be greatly missed. His
death is a loss to both
the party and the government.”
Nkomo was hospitalised several times over
the last three years in both
Zimbabwe and South Africa during a very public
battle with cancer.
He was admitted at Harare's Avenues Clinic on
Wednesday night but died hours
later. He was 79.
President Robert
Mugabe visited Nkomo’s Milton Park home in Harare on Friday
morning where he
spoke to gathered mourners.
Nkomo is survived by his wife Georgina (nee
Ngwenya) and an unknown number
of children.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
Contested legacy ... John Nkomo
with Vice President Mujuru and PM Morgan
Tsvangirai
18/01/2013
00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
ROY Bennett broke ranks
with his MDC-T party on Thursday over tributes to
the late Vice President
John Nkomo, accusing colleagues of “telling lies”
and
“stupidity”.
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai described Nkomo as “an
eminent nationalist, a
liberation war icon and a committed patriot who will
be sadly missed by all
Zimbabweans”, while extending “heartfelt condolences
over the loss of such a
committed Zimbabwean”.
The party’s spokesman
Douglas Mwonzora said “Nkomo’s politics was different
from that of his
colleagues which is that of blood”, adding: “He was a
reconciliatory man and
befittingly he was leading the Organ on National
Healing.”
But
Bennett, the party’s treasurer who lives in exile in the United Kingdom,
said the tributes showed that the deaths of prominent Zanu PF politicians
were becoming “occasions for all sorts of nonsense and stupidity”.
He
made reference to a tribute by the United States embassy which said Nkomo
was a “patriot who dedicated his life to Zimbabwe's sovereignty and
prosperity” – hardly any more gushing than those of Tsvangirai and
Mwonzora.
“Excuse me. We may not like to speak ill of the dead, but let's
not tell
lies,” stormed Bennett, a white former commercial farmer once
jailed for
assaulting Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in
parliament.
He went on: “How can anyone with any sense say that John
Nkomo dedicated his
life to Zimbabwe's prosperity? Since the 1980s, he has
sat at the heart of
the beast that has destroyed Zimbabwe's economy. He has
held the hand of the
dictator that has obliterated our hopes and
freedoms.
“He must now be remembered by the choices he made. He chose to
oppose the
people, rather than serve them. He walked around in tailor-made
suits while
Zimbabweans walked in rags. He received private medical
treatment in South
Africa, while Zimbabweans in South Africa were dying in
the townships.”
Bennett said his advice to “the Americans and others who
appear to be
bending over backward to show their neutrality in 2013” was:
“Better to
shut-up and say nothing than to insult the millions of
Zimbabweans who have
been murdered and impoverished by Zanu
PF.”
Meanwhile MDC leader Welshman Ncube said Nkomo was a “unifying
force” while
Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa spoke of Nkomo as a “stabilising
force in
everything”.
Added Dabengwa: “He didn’t like to hurt the
feelings of anybody. He was
diplomatic and if he knew he did not agree with
you, he wouldn’t use the
word ‘no’, but would find a diplomatic way and from
that point. I think
people felt he was a stabilising factor.”
ZIMBABWE ELECTION SUPPORT
NETWORK
PRESS STATEMENT
Harare – 18 January 2013– The Zimbabwe
Election Support Network (ZESN)
welcomes the final agreement on the COPAC
draft constitution between the
principals in the GPA. While the timelines
provided for in the GPA have not
been met, the agreement by political
parties will help to expedite the
process to a referendum which is long
overdue.
While ZESN raised concerns about the role of parties in the
constitution
making process, as usurping the role of citizens, it is
important that the
steps provided in the GPA have to be adhered to, to
ensure that citizens
have an opportunity to debate the draft. According to
press statements, the
constitutional affairs and parliamentary affairs
minister, the draft agreed
to by the principals still has to be presented to
the standing committees of
political parties, ZANU PF’s Politburo and the
full COPAC Parliamentary
committee before the final draft goes to a
referendum. This process as
explained by the minister is not in line with
provisions in the GPA, which
provides a roadmap to the constitution making
process which parties agreed
to and was guaranteed by SADC.
ZESN is
concerned that the current process as explained by Minister
Matinenga does
not seem to include citizens. Citizens should be given an
opportunity to
understand the draft, debate it and make choices based on
information and
awareness of the contents of the constitution. The
constitution is for
Zimbabweans and they need to be prioritised in these
processes. The draft
has to be translated and summarised into content that
is accessible and
understandable to citizens to enable informed choices at
the
referendum.
ZESN is also concerned that taking the draft back to the
parties’ standing
committees and the politburo will regress the process as
more changes will
be proposed and negotiations will commence again thus
hindering the progress
to referendum. Principals represent their parties and
so taking the draft to
political parties again could be duplication of
effort. According to the GPA
the draft constitution should be tabled before
parliament, before being
gazetted and taken to referendum. In addition, the
GPA states that a
referendum on the new draft shall be held within three
months of the
conclusion of the debate which though limited would provide
time for
citizens to familiarise themselves with the contents of the drafts
and its
implications for the governance of the country. ZESN urges the
stakeholders
to adhere to these timeframes and not short change citizens.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
18.01.13
by Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition
Zimbabwe's inclusive government managed to resolve all sticky
issues that
had stopped the constitution making process paving way for the
finalization
of the draft constitution. We will furnish you with the revised
document
once it's ready. This means Zimbabwe is now geared toward a
referendum where
citizens will have an opportunity to exercise their
democratic right.
If the process is to follow the Global Political
Agreement (GPA) and the
Referendums Act, Zimbabwe is likely to have a
referendum in April this year.
On paper the next steps should be as
follows:
1) The draft Constitution should be presented to Parliament and
Parliament
should conclude the debate within one month (Read
February);
2) The draft Constitution emerging from Parliament should be
gazetted and
there should be one month (Read March) to allow campaigns for
either a Yes
or No vote before the holding of a referendum.
In the
preceding week we met senior government officials in the inclusive
government across political parties to re-emphasise the need for key
democratic reforms before the general election to pave way for a democratic
transition. This is out of our realisation that the transitional process
unfolding in Zimbabwe is one of transplacement where actors in government
remain key stakeholders. We will continue with our engagements and your
on-going solidarity is appreciated!
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare,
January 18, 2013 - The US ambassador to Zimbabwe says the recent
incident in
which he was blocked to perform his duties in Manicaland in
eastern Zimbabwe
by a group of young people does not diminish his respect
for the people of
Zimbabwe.
In a statement he posted on his Face book wall, Wharton said:"
This event
does not diminish my respect for the people of Zimbabwe, the vast
majority
of whom I know to be smart, thoughtful and constructive. Nor does
it deter
my determination to work respectfully with the people of Zimbabwe
to resolve
disagreements and build a mutually beneficial relationship
between our two
nations."
Wharton said he defended the right for
people to engage in peaceful protests
but said respectful dialogue was
desirable for progress.
"Frankly, the young people involved in that
protest were victims," he said.
I know that they were organised, transported
and paid to disrupt what was
meant to be an opportunity for Americans and
Zimbabweans to have a
productive dialogue."
Wharton's tour of US
supported projects in Rusape and Mutare on January 15
and 17 was disrupted
by a group of young people who sang and chanted in
protest and suspected to
be Zanu (PF) thugs.
The group tore a portrait of US President Barack
Obama and danced on the US
flag among other things.
Efforts by
Wharton to engage them in meaningful conversation failed, forcing
the US
ambassador to drive off.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
Friday, 18 January 2013 12:10
HARARE - SADC
countries including Zimbabwe have reportedly deployed troops
to the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid reports of a spectre
of a long
multi-national campaign against the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.
Zimbabwe
is reported to have deployed a battalion of soldiers into the DRC
as part of
a broader multi-national peacekeeping force to repel the M23
rebels who have
been fighting the DRC’s army since April last year accusing
the Joseph
Kabila administration of reneging on a 2009 peace deal.
However, Zimbabwe
army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore
declined to comment
yesterday, saying we “hereby advise you to go back to
your sources for
further details on the subject.”
A column of a Sadc intervention force
was expected to roll eastward towards
rebel lines this week, the first major
deployment of ground troops, in a bid
to stop mass killings and rapes
unleashed by the Tutsi-dominated M23 rebels.
Thousands of southern
African soldiers, led by Tanzania, are due to take
over the
offensive.
Regional armies are scrambling to accelerate an operation
which was
initially not expected and has been brought forward by the scale
of human
suffering that has seen more than half a million people displaced
by
fighting between the M23 and the DRC army.
Sadc has said it plans
to deploy 4 000 soldiers to bolster the DRC army as
an intervention force
provided by Southern African states.
Heads of State of the Sadc organ on
politics, defence and security met in
Tanzania last week to approve plans
for the swift deployment of 4 000
regional troops, foreseen in a Neutral
International Force (Nif) plan.
The meeting, held last Friday, was
attended by President Jacob Zuma of South
Africa, Hifikepunye Pohamba of
Namibia, Armando Emilio Guebuza of Mozambique
and Jakaya Kikwete of
Tanzania, the current chairperson of the troika organ.
The heads of State
expressed deep concern regarding the deteriorating
security and humanitarian
situation in eastern DRC and strongly condemned
the M23 and all its attacks
on the civilian population, United Nations
peacekeepers and humanitarian
actors, as well as its abuses of human rights,
including summary executions,
sexual and gender-based violence.
“Sadc decided to deploy the Sadc
Standby Force as a block in the eastern DRC
under the auspices of the Nif
and welcomed the decision of the International
Conference on the Great Lakes
Region (ICGLR) to mandate Tanzania to appoint
a Force Commander for the Nif
to be deployed in the eastern DRC,” reads the
summit’s final
communiqué.
Sadc pledged to deploy soldiers within hours after talks held
in Uganda’s
capital, Kampala between the DRC and the rebels collapsed when
the DRC
government refused to sign a ceasefire agreement
DRC’s east, a
vast and inhospitable area of rugged rainforests, was seized
last year by
the M23 group, which has unleashed unspeakable atrocities.
Sadc noted
that any delay in launching a ground offensive could allow the
insurgents to
slip away into the forests, regroup and counter-attack.
The 4 000-strong
Sadc-sanctioned force — to be backed by Sadc logistics,
money and
intelligence services — has seen full deployment with most
southern African
states offering troops.
President Robert Mugabe told reporters in
Equatorial Guinea last month that
the deployment will be done under the
auspices of the Sadc Standby Brigade.
“It is not Zimbabwe alone going to
DRC . . . that is the Brigade which is
there to take care of any nonsense by
way of a coup or revolt,” Mugabe said.
“It is Tanzania which is the
commander.”
But Tanzania, which is due to lead the mission, has already
cautioned that
the $10 million available is inadequate to adequately launch
the operation
expected to cost up to $100 million.
The DRC has
pledged $10 million. - Gift Phiri, Political Editor
http://nehandaradio.com
on January 18, 2013 at 1:00
pm
By Lance Guma
KWEKWE – Information and Publicity
Minister Webster Shamu threatened state
media editors during a meeting in
Kwekwe at which he warned them against
giving the MDC-T any positive
coverage ahead of watershed elections this
year.
Information and
Publicity Minister Webster Shamu (left) learning from his
predecessor
Jonathan Moyo (right).
Two weeks ago Shamu summoned editors from all over the
country who work for
the Zanu PF controlled print and electronic state
media. The newly licenced
‘private’ radio stations ZiFM and Star FM sent
representatives to the
meeting confirming once more their status as an
extension of Mugabe’s party.
One of the editors who attended the meeting
told us:
“Shamu basically threatened us and told us we must know where
our bread is
buttered. He complained that we were giving the MDC-T too much
coverage and
anyone who did not agree with the Zanu PF agenda had to resign
immediately.”
Shamu was mainly angered by what he felt was too much
airtime being given to
the MDC-T especially by the new radio
stations.
“A resolution was passed that all current affairs programmes on
radio
stations broadcasting in Harare now have to be anchored by a senior
journalist from the Herald,” our source said.
Some of the people
present at the meeting included prominent radio and TV
personality Tich
Mataz who was representing Star FM. The station is owned by
Zimpapers, the
publishers of the Herald and other state newspapers who are
notorious for
their fanatical support of Zanu PF and President Robert
Mugabe.
Despite a demand for genuine media reforms, a controversial
broadcasting
authority stuffed with Mugabe loyalists awarded two radio
licences to Star
FM and ZiFM owned by journalist turned businessman Supa
Mandiwanzira.
Mandiwanzira is the Zanu PF treasurer for Manicaland
Province.
MISA-Zimbabwe
Alert
18 January 2013
Free lance journalist summoned for questioning by
police
Police at Hob-house police post in Mutare on 17 January 2013
summoned a
local freelance journalist, Bernard Chikoto for questioning. This
was in
connection with a complaint filed by one “Mrs Mukodza” regarding
photographs
that Chikoto allegedly took of a house in Hob-House suburb of
Mutare.
The house in question allegedly belongs to one Tawanda Mukodza a
former
ZANU-PF youth provincial chairman. Police revealed to Chikoto, who
was
accompanied by a lawyer from Misa-Zimbabwe’s Media Lawyers Network,
Passmore
Nyakureba, that they had intended to charge him with criminal
nuisance.
After brief questioning in the presence of the complainant,
Chikoto was
released around 4.30pm of the same day without any charges being
preferred
against him.
However, Chikoto’s lawyer Passmore Nyakureba
was this morning advised by
police that the complainant ‘Mrs Mukodza” has
since reported the matter at
Chikanga police station where Chikoto is to
appear for questioning again
around 12 mid-day.
Misa-Zimbabwe will
provide more details as the matter unfolds.
For any questions, queries or
comments, please contact:
Nyasha Nyakunu
Senior Programmes
Officer
MISA-Zimbabwe
http://www.voazimbabwe.com
Tatenda
Gumbo
17.01.2013
WASHINGTON — Some 150 families have been evacuated
from their homes after
heavy rains in Chiredzi on Wednesday night caused
massive flooding.
The families, many of them Triangle Limited employees,
are now in tents set
up by the sugar manufacturing firm and the local civil
aviation authority.
The families have also received blankets and some
food.
Officials said flood waters are as high as one metre deep in some
areas.
They are now asking the government and foreign donors to assist
victims.
Chiredzi Central lawmaker Mose Mare told VOA the floods have
devastated the
livelihoods of the affected families.
Chiredzi
resident Victor Nyahuma, who said he lost most of his belongings in
the
flood, indicated that he woke up at night to find himself surrounded by
water in his home.
"I was awaken by a very hard knock on my door only
find out that I was
knee-deep in water ... I was able to only get hold of my
certificates and
cellphone."
Nyahuma said he worked with neighbors to
assist those trapped in their
homes.
As heavy rains continue,
the Meteorological Services Department has warned
that there may be more
flooding in low-lying areas of the country.
Zimbabweans are being urged to
practice extreme caution, know local weather
patterns and areas prone to
flooding.
Though there are no deaths reported from last the flooding in
Masvingo
region, officials said four people are missing after they tried to
drive
over a flooded river in Chiredzi over the weekend.
http://www.bdlive.co.za
BY TAWANDA KAROMBO, JANUARY 18
2013, 10:18
HARARE — Zimbabwe has received a windfall from
platinum and gold mining
companies, with the state revenue collector, the
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority,
on Thursday revealing that mining royalties
contributed $136.9m to the
country’s coffers last year.
The revenue
collected from royalties was well above its target of $130.1m.
Mining
companies in Zimbabwe have been contesting the mineral royalty and
mining
fee increases the government implemented last year.
Mining executives and
analysts have said the exorbitant fee increases
affected profitability. The
country’s chamber of mines has been lobbying for
a review of royalties and
fees.
"The increase in the rates of royalties on gold and platinum from
4.5% and
5% to 7% and 10% respectively further contributed to the positive
performance," tax authority chairman Sternford Moyo said.
New revenue
collection powers last year resulted in Zimplats, which is now
51% owned by
local Zimbabwean groups, giving up its fight over a $33.8m
revised income
tax assessment.
The company is now contesting the interest and penalties
on nonpayment.
Zimplats CEO Alex Mhembere has previously said the tax demand
could delay
the company’s planned projects to ramp up production.
But
after an indigenisation pact under which Zimplats would vendor-finance
black
Zimbabwean groups to acquire its shares, the government was expected
to
lower royalties and mining fees, Impala Platinum said after the signing
the
deal. This could happen as early as June.
Mr Moyo said company tax
contributions at $442.7m had firmed 14% against a
target of $415m set for
the period. This was a result of "recapitalisation
by some large
companies".
But Zimbabwean companies still faced challenges, including
"lack of credit
lines, energy shortages and high interest rates" on capital.
Gross revenue
collections for last year amounted to $3.45bn compared with a
targeted
$3.23bn.
Bloomberg on Thursday reported that the yields on
bonds of Aquarius
Platinum — which operates Zimbabwe’s Mimosa platinum mine
in partnership
with Implats — slid 158 basis points to an eight-month low
after Anglo
American Platinum’s (Amplats’) announcement on Tuesday that it
will cut
production.
It plans placing four mine shafts in South
Africa on care and maintenance,
cutting 14,000 jobs in the
process.
Production cuts at South African platinum mines, which account
for
three-quarters of world supply, drove the price of the metal to a
three-month high on Tuesday. The rally extended a 9.9% increase last year
amid violent labour protests.
http://mg.co.za
18 JAN 2013 00:00 - JASON
MOYO
With Zimbabwe's largest foreign investors having fallen in line with
the
country's indigenisation policy, the question banks now face is
increasingly
how – no longer if – Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere
will localise
their ownership.
Foreign-owned banks that would be
affected are Barclays, Standard Chartered,
Standard Bank's Stanbic, MBCA –
which is partly owned by Nedbank, and
Ecobank.
However, some banks
are unwilling to sell and are threatening to leave the
country if forced to
comply. A senior bank executive said this week that
international banks
would pull out if they lost control of their business.
International banks
would not allow their brands to be used in institutions
in which they did
not have control, he said.
"A mine's assets are in the ground and its
ability to extract resources.
These can be quantified. But a bank's asset is
its brand. Once control of
the local bank is lost, that bank simply ceases
to be part of the recognised
global brand and public confidence vanishes,
resulting in failure of that
bank," he said.
Officials in the
empowerment ministry involved in structuring the deals for
banks say one of
the strategies being mooted is to force banks to put up
money to fund black
businesses and farms as well as to sell shares to
locals.
Kasukuwere
last year rejected Standard Chartered's proposal to sell only 10%
of its
local operation.
Empowerment regulations
Boosted by his success in
forcing large mines to give up controlling stakes,
Kasukuwere this week
dared foreign banks to either comply with empowerment
regulations or
leave.
"We have the money, we can pay for their [foreign banks'] assets,"
Kasukuwere said.
Last year, the banks found a shield in central bank
governor Gideon Gono and
Finance Minister Tendai Biti, who both came out
strongly against
Kasukuwere's threats.
The row calmed as Kasukuwere
turned his sights on mines. Now that that
sector is completely indigenised,
he is turning his attention to the banks.
"I would like to encourage
other companies, particularly in the banking
sector, to comply with our
national laws as noncompliance will no longer be
tolerated," Kasukuwere said
at the signing ceremony of the Zimplats
empowerment deal last
Friday.
"Defiance and arrogance will not be tolerated as companies must
respect the
law and desist from provoking the state. There will be no sacred
cow spared,
no stone unturned to ensure that the policy is fully
implemented," he said.
Fast-track land reform
A year ago, there was
scepticism in business circles as to whether mining
giant Zimplats would
sell 51% of its business to locals, with some
predicting a compromise would
be reached on a lower threshold.
Speculation among bank executives has
now turned to how the banks will be
indigenised and many are looking at how
the empowerment deal with financial
services provider Old Mutual was
structured for clues as to how financial
services may be treated. As part of
the Old Mutual deal, the company set
aside a total of 25%: 10% for staff, 9%
for pensioners, 2.5% for a
"youth-development fund" and 3.5% for black
investors. It also had to spend
money on a low-cost housing estate and a
government-administered national
housing fund. Insiders at Old Mutual said
negotiations would soon resume on
the remaining 26%.
At the centre of
Zanu-PF's pursuit of foreign banks is the belief that they
deliberately
refuse to fund farmers resettled under its land-reform campaign
and emerging
black businesses.
Before the launch of "fast-track land reform" in 2000,
80% of all bank
lending went into agriculture, according to a report last
year by the
African Development Bank. Farm loans now account for only 22% of
all bank
lending, the report said.
Hit by a liquidity crisis because
of a poor performing economy, banks have
little in reserve and are reluctant
to lend money to farmers who have no
title to put up as security.
http://mg.co.za
18 JAN 2013 00:00 - RAY NDLOVU
Foreign
firms in Zimbabwe are opting to protect their investments instead of
fighting the new Zanu-PF indigenisation law.
Fearing a repeat of
Zanu-PF's land-reform policy, more foreign-owned
companies are expected to
comply with the indigenisation law rather than
engage in lengthy legal
battles for seized assets should the party win the
next
election.
Zimplats, a subsidiary of South African mining firm Impala
Platinum, signed
a historic $971-million deal last week and agreed to
transfer a controlling
stake to the government and a 10% stake to local
communities.
Saviour Kasukuwere, Zanu-PF's secretary for youth
development and
indigenisation, who is also Zimbabwe's indigenisation and
empowerment
minister, said Zimplats had set a precedent for all
foreign-owned companies
to follow.
Political observers have ruled out
the likelihood of confrontation between
the foreign-owned companies and
Kasukuwere, and cite the Movement for
Democratic Change's (MDC's) lack of
clout in the unity government and the
"fresh memories" of Zanu-PF's
treatment of white commercial farmers during
the farm invasions of 2000 as
strong factors that will prompt more companies
to sign up.
"Most of
these companies have massive investments in Zimbabwe [and] they
would rather
protect them than be confrontational," said Charles Mangongera,
a political
analyst. "They saw how the white farmers were violently
suppressed and they
wouldn't risk having their investments decimated by
challenging
Zanu-PF."
Eric Bloch, a senior partner at the H&E Bloch consultancy,
said the trend
was not surprising. "What we are seeing now is a wave of
forced compliance
by the foreign-owned companies because the pressure to
meet the
indigenisation law is increasing," said Bloch.
An official
in the indigenisation ministry said this week that the South
African sugar
giant, Tongaat Hulett, which is listed on the Johannesburg
stock exchange,
was expected to make an announcement on the indigenisation
plan for its
Zimbabwe unit, Hippo Valley, "any time this month".
Nestlé Zimbabwe,
Innscor Africa and Fawcett Security are among the
foreign-owned companies
that have been issued with ultimatums to comply with
the indigenisation
law.
Mining and bank industries
In the mining sector, companies that
have concluded their indigenisation
deals include the Mimosa, Unki and
Blanket mines, and Pretoria Portland
Cement. In manufacturing, Schweppes
Zimbabwe and British American Tobacco
have signed deals, with Old Mutual and
Ecobank Zimbabwe leading the way in
the financial services sector. Hotel
group Meikles Africa has also fulfilled
the indigenisation
requirements.
Kasukuwere has indicated that his focus is now on the
banking sector.
"My full attention is now on the foreign banks. Tell them
that Kasukuwere
says that there is nothing special about them. The foreign
banks are free to
leave Zimbabwe if they do not want to comply with the
empowerment laws. We
now have the money and we will pay for their assets and
ask them to leave,"
he said.
Observers say the upcoming poll is more
a battle over economic policies than
political ideologies and that Zanu-PF's
belligerence will increase as it
realises the tables have turned in its
favour as a result of the Zimplats
deal.
"Without a doubt, the
economy is going to be a major issue in the next
election, Mangongera said.
"With unemployment levels officially hovering
around 80%, both Zanu-PF and
the MDC realise that they must have economic
blueprints that appeal to the
masses."
The MDC recently launched its jobs, upliftment, investment,
capital and the
environment manifesto, which undertakes to provide a million
jobs in the
next five years and grow a $100-billion economy by 2040. But
observers warn
that the MDC is fast losing ground against the indigenisation
law.
The MDC spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, criticised the wave of
indigenisation and accused Zanu-PF of using the proceeds to boost party
coffers. "That is asset grabbing on the part of Zanu-PF. It does not
increase national wealth. We know the proceeds of the Zimplats transaction
will be abused. All funds must be held by the treasury," said
Mwonzora.
_________________________________________________
78% say no to
state takeovers
Zimbabweans do not approve of the government's
indigenisation and economic
empowerment policy, according to a
survey.Results of a survey carried out by
the Mass Public Opinion Institute
on behalf of AfroBarometer show that even
some in Zanu-PF do not approve of
the indigenisation drive.The survey,
titled Zimbabweans Prefer Empowerment
via Jobs Rather than Business
Takeovers, asked 2 500 Zimbabweans what they
thought of the policy. "The
common view held by the majority of respondents
(78%) is that creating jobs
is a far [more] effective way of empowering all
Zimbabweans than taking over
ownership of businesses (19%)," the survey
found. "This view was widely
shared by Zimbabweans in all 10 provinces,
across the political divide [and]
age and educational groups."The survey
said that six out of 10 Zanu-PF
supporters think empowerment should be done
through job creation rather than
taking over foreign-owned businesses. –
Nkululeko Sibanda
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
18 January 2013
The company that owns Zimbabwe’s
well-known Mazoe Citrus Estate has warned
of a possible 30% loss of revenue,
following the recent takeover of a large
portion of their property by Grace
Mugabe, who reportedly wants to expand
her orphanage nearby.
Robert
Mugabe’s wife is said to have recently taken control of at least
1,600
hectares of land on the Mazoe Estate, which is owned by agro-producer
Interfresh.
According to NewsDay newspaper, the acquisition came just
weeks after the
Governor of Mashonaland Central, Martin Dinha, promised
Grace more land for
her school and orphanage.
Dinha was reportedly
speaking at the official opening of the Amai Mugabe
Junior School in Mazowe
earlier this month, where he said Grace’s school and
orphanage “had given
the province a facelift”, Newsday said.
Dinha had also toured the
orphanage in October last year, when he said
papers were being prepared to
extend the orphanage because Grace needed more
land for her projects. The
governor has been instrumental in facilitating
the land acquisitions for
Grace.
A worker at the farm who confirmed the development, told Newsday:
“Nothing
is happening here at the moment. The offices which were on this
side (citrus
estate) have been moved to the other side (at the orphanage)
and this
happened after it was taken over by the First Lady, so we are not
sure of
the way forward now.”
Charles Taffs, President of the
Commercial Farmers’ Union of Zimbabwe (CFU),
said this takeover of land by
government officials is nothing new, but has
unfortunately continued at a
time when the country should be building
investor confidence.
“We
cannot continue along this line and until our leaders understand this
and do
something about it will destroy us. We need to correct this and
attract
investment and create employment. No-one is going to invest in
agriculture
while all of this is still going on,” Taffs told SW Radio
Africa.
Regarding the land grab by the first lady, Taffs said: “In
terms of that
family it’s well documented the land they have and what’s
happening on those
farms. Why is it that they continue along this path. It
makes no sense.”
Taffs then referred to recent comments made by the
Minister of Agriculture,
promising that no foreign-owned properties
protected by BIPPAs would be
acquired under land reform for
now.
“This is not happening on the ground and we are seeing conflicting
signals
coming from government all the time. This is adding to this mess of
investor
instability and lack of confidence,” Taffs stressed.
Apart
from destroying investor confidence the land grabs have been
responsible for
the fact that this year at least 1.7 million Zimbabweans
will go hungry, as
not enough food is grown to feed the nation.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
18 January
2013
The announcement by the principals in the unity government of their
approval
of the draft constitution has been met with mixed reaction from
Zimbabweans,
with many still expressing doubts about the contents of the new
charter.
Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara and Welshman
Ncube
announced Thursday that the draft had been finalised, three years
after the
process of writing a new constitution was started. The document
still needs
to be ‘rubber-stamped’ by the standing committees of the
political parties
in government, ZANU PF’s politburo and the full COPAC
parliamentary
committee, before a final draft goes to a
referendum.
The news has so far been cautiously welcomed, because it
means the drawn out
constitution making process is finally gaining some
momentum towards a
referendum. But there are also concerns being raised that
the process is far
removed from the people-driven one that was originally
promised, and the
result will be a constitution with few changes from the
current Lancaster
House charter.
The National Constitutional Assembly
(NCA) said on Friday that it remains
“unshaken” by the agreement reached by
government, because “the COPAC
process was illegitimate, undemocratic and
not people driven.” NCA
spokesperson Madock Chivasa told SW Radio Africa on
Friday that the
constitution is clearly politicised and will be “rejected”
if key changes
are not made.
“This has fallen short of the democratic
process of coming up with a new
constitution because the government leaders
were the ones to finalise it.
That is even worse than the COPAC driven
process. So we hope they’ve made
some changes, for example the unlimited
powers of the President. But if the
views of the people have not been taken
into account, they will reject it,”
Chivasa said.
The Zimbabwe
Election Support Network (ZESN) also expressed reservations on
Friday about
the lack of public input, both in the making of the draft and
in the coming
‘rubber stamping’ process.
“Citizens should be given an opportunity to
understand the draft, debate it
and make choices based on information and
awareness of the contents of the
constitution. The constitution is for
Zimbabweans and they need to be
prioritised in these processes. The draft
has to be translated and
summarised into content that is accessible and
understandable to citizens to
enable informed choices at the referendum,”
ZESN said.
The groups added that is “concerned that taking the draft back
to the
parties’ standing committees and the politburo will regress the
process as
more changes will be proposed and negotiations will commence
again, thus
hindering the progress to referendum.”
