| The ZIMBABWE Situation | Our
thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe - may peace, truth and justice prevail. |
January 28, 2005
~~~ Newsletter 054
~~~
Believe strongly, dream freely, be inspired
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If we
want to climb out of the hole we are in, it is a job for all the people
~
Chinua Achebe
On being asked for a ruling party membership card
you asked me, party
cadre,
for a membership card
of the ruining party.
what an insult
to
the flowers and the birds
of my country
in my heart
- Chenjerai
Hove
zanu pf youth militia being mobilised
A
Zvakwana activist who was moving along Harare Drive towards Enterprise Road in
Harare recently saw zimbabwe national army personnel using both civilian and
army vehicles transporting large numbers of downtrodden looking youth. These
youth were all covered in blue overalls. It’s not just the zanu pf green bombers
to confront; we now have zanu pf blue flies. Zvakwana also thanks activists who
are sending this information in along with their photographs. It is always
helpful if you make sure to record the very basic facts: time, date, location,
vehicle registration numbers and so forth. The regime must realise that
concerned citizens will be documenting all of this suspicious activity prior to
the general elections, and this will influence how we vote.
Zvakwana thanks the herald for their expansive
coverage
As didymus mutasa said last year, any publicity is
good publicity. (pl)easer zvayi columnist for the herald has recently been
acting as the public relations officer for Zvakwana. After he wrote so much
about us we have been receiving so many more hits on our web site
(www.zvakwana.org) as well as uncountable emails. The majority of these emails
are positive praising the Lord that there are still some avenues of free
expression in Zimbabwe. Most of (pl)easer’s reporting was balanced except for
his propaganda about Zvakwana condoms being defective. All Zvakwana condoms
simply had a sticker placed on top of their original packaging and at no stage
were they damaged. This is just scare mongering along the usual herald lies and
we ask the people to ignore his stupidity. Meanwhile (pl)easer should expect a
visit from Zvakwana activists so that he can be shown in person how strong our
revolutionary condoms actually are. And (pl)easer thank you for requesting a
copy of our Get UP! Stand UP! Music CD – please make sure to review it in your
next column.
joyce
mujuru: the new vice president is 50% disabled
In 1996 joyce mujuru was
medically certified by dr chenjerai “hitler” hunzvi (good riddance) to be more
than 50% disabled and therefore be awarded $389 472 from the War Victims’
Compensation Fund. Therefore not only is her appointment a triumph for the women
of Zimbabwe it is always a great triumph for the disabled! Apparently some of
her injuries caused her a loss of appetite – not as far as we can
see!
Stolen farm, stolen coffee
Some years back
Pachedu (Roy Bennett) legally bought his farm in Chimanimani. But big-bellied
chefs who do not know when enough is enough invaded his coffee farm. Then the
illegitimate ruling party took his coffee crop and sold it to the Hamburg Coffee
Company in Germany. Instead of rejecting this coffee as stolen goods the Hamburg
Coffee Company went ahead and supported mugabe by buying it. We have noticed
that the Hamburg Coffee Company is linked to many other companies in different
countries. For example, the American Coffee Company and the Pacific Coast Coffee
Association in the US. Zvakwana asks you to get involved and send protests to
these companies. We hereby list some email addresses for you. Don’t be shy, be
strong in your criticism!
Hamburg Coffee Company: email@hacofco.de
American Coffee Company:
coffee@amcof.com
Donald A Pisano, vice
president: donp@amcof.com
Anthony Caputo,
trader: Anthony@amcof.com
Pacific
Coast Coffee Association: pcca@paccoffee.com
National Coffee
Association: info@coffeecscience.org
On leadership . . .
The trouble with Zimbabwe
is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong
with the Zimbabwean character. There is nothing wrong with the Zimbabwean land
or climate or water or air or anything else. The Zimbabwean problem is the
unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the
challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership . . . I
am saying that Zimbabwe can change today if she discovers leaders who have the
will, the ability and the vision.
Apologies to Chinua Achebe
The MDC’s coyness about whether or not they will take part in the election increasingly looks like confused indecision rather than a clever ploy to put pressure on an unpopular regime.
- Chido Makunike
Leadership very much lacking in the MDC at this crucial
time
Maybe the MDC should get Bata to make a new kind of shoe
in Zimbabwe. The Chinja Flip Flop. If the MDC wants to demonstrate its potential
to lead the government of Zimbabwe, it needs to demonstrate strong leadership
and direction at this time. We are already ending January and yet there is no
final statement from the MDC on whether they will contest the general election.
This is simply not good enough. While we are aware that the threat of
non-participation is the only power card that MT holds up his sleeve, and that
there is pressure from SADC leaders to get them to participate, the MDC must
take a moment to reflect on how detrimental this indecisiveness is to the
spirits of their supporters. And if the MDC does decide to contest we are hoping
that their campaign will be based on more than the ABB (anything but bob)
factor. We want significant change not ambitious election
promises.
Double talk
Seems like slippery-tongued politicians are having a field day in Zimbabwe. What we need is some straight talk and straight action that will help us shake off these shackles of poverty and despair.
But don’t forget: YOU too are a
leader
Maybe too many of our problems come from waiting for
others to lead us to a better future instead of taking more active roles
ourselves. Why are we sitting back and letting others dictate to us? When we
look around us we can see examples of how people power can make politicians
shake in their boots and cause them to flee with their tails between their legs.
The Ukraine is one such example. How come it is so impossible to imagine
thousands of us Zimbabweans staying rooted in Unity Square in protest of a
stolen election? Meanwhile thousands of people in the Ukraine did this through
snow and bitter freezing winds. They did not move for three weeks. Such was
their commitment to seeing justice done. How many elections will we accept as
being stolen before we tell the small dictator that Enough is Enough!
The people of the Ukraine decided that enough was enough . .
.
On 26 December 2004, Ukrainians voted for the first time in
a free and fair election—and have themselves to thank for it. Without the
massive civilian-based resistance dubbed the Orange Revolution, the Ukrainian
Supreme Court would not have invalidated the fraud-ridden election of 21
November. The demonstrations that forced action by a weak parliament and
regime-appointed judges started when people—every day people, pensioners,
vendors, the unemployed, students and business people, working class men and
women—decide they want to be free. In Ukraine, the breaking point was reached
because the people decided that enough was enough. The Orange Revolution was a
people-based response to crooked politics. People power is home grown. When the
people realise they have the power to expose the deceit underlying a repressive
regime, it is the beginning of that regime’s end. Governments that serve
themselves but do not serve the people can eventually be forced to submit to the
people—as the regime in Harare may soon find out. Let us remember this when the
next election is stolen!
Kowtowing party line toeing isn’t the way
forward
Zvakwana received a few agitated responses in
response to our last newsletter, in which we criticised the MDC’s poor track
record in terms of attending parliamentary sessions. Some of these responses
came from very active MDC members and MPs. While we know that some people are
sensitive to criticism, it is important to note that if the MDC wants to engage
in elections in order to have representation in Parliament then they must make
sure to treat that participation in Parliament with respect. It is the MDC’s
responsibility to get as many MDC MPs in the house as possible when Parliament
is in session, especially when important bills are being debated. For example we
heard that the MDC could only muster 16 MPs to debate the very important
Electoral Reform Bill towards the end of 2004. What sort of performance is this?
So we hereby call on the MDC's staunchest defenders - like David Coltart, to
supply us with a record of attendance for MDC (and zpf if possible) MPs from
each session in Parliament last year so that we can publish this in full. As
Desmond Tutu said:
Truth cannot suffer from being challenged and examined. Unthinking, uncritical, kowtowing party line toeing is fatal to a vibrant democracy.
Rules of the road: when you break them, bones are soon to
follow
One of the concerns Zvakwana has been having lately is
the rotten state of the driving on our zpf potholed roads. As well as the
behaviour when we find ourselves at failed zpf robots. Instead of treating each
other with respect all smiles fly out the car window and people become so
frenzied. It must also be noted that motorists give cyclists a very hard time.
Sometimes cyclists have no choice other than to cycle on a main road because of
the poor condition of cycle tracks. Consider how precious human life is and
remember how much we all like to be treated with respect.
Individual action
Even if it is something small
– you too can make a difference. Make your own leaflets about issues that
concern you and distribute them in your community. Use call in programmes on the
dead bc radio to drive a point home about the failed government. Pick up litter.
Play your Zvakwana cassettes and CDs at top volume. Every little thing makes a
difference and will edge us towards a better way of being. And, by the way, we
have had such great response to our first music CD/cassette we are now compiling
Volume 2. If you would like to suggest some tracks to be included we would like
to hear from you! news@zvakwana.org.zw
A river swells from the little streams.
- - Sesotho Proverb
The tsumani disaster
Zvakwana joins the rest of
the world in commiserating this terrible tragedy. It is however interesting to
note that when it is discussed that people in Asia have lost their livelihoods
through this massive natural disaster, we in Zimbabwe have had our livelihoods
exterminated through a man made disaster: mugabe. Farm workers, domestic
workers, factory workers, farmers, nurses, teachers – the list is endless have
had their livelihoods flattened by violent governance. Ironically we also have
companies like Econet raising funds for those affected in Asia and meanwhile
Zimbabwe’s grain stores are running out. Zimbabweans have never been hungrier:
both for food and for a change in government.
Job vacancies: join the Zvakwana freedom
fighters
Due to some expanding operations Zvakwana is seeking
some more people to join us in inspiring Zimbabweans and combating dictatorship.
Most needed qualities are courage, a sense of humour and a lot of Get UP! We are
looking for 3 people one each in Masvingo, Bulawayo and Mutare. Because we get
so much mail we can only reply to our short listed people. Please email us your
CVs today to news@zvakwana.org
“Don’t paint over graffiti voluntarily. First
warning!”
When political and religious passions are touched
off, urgent messages begin to appear on walls. Wars, dictatorships and
rebellions produce vast quantities of graffiti in public places. The point of
political propaganda is, after all, not to annoy or offend people, but to
influence them. At times of great agitation, writers take such risks to ensure
their messages are seen that bravado itself can become the point of the
exercise. That happened during the Palestinian intifada of 1987-93, when the
walls of the occupied West Bank were literally fought over. Gangs of youths
crept out at night to paint rebellious and sometimes witty slogans: “Prison is
for relaxation, deportation policy is for tourism, throwing stones is exercise”.
Israeli soldiers quickly blacked out the slogans though few of them could read
Arabic. Or they used threats of fines to coerce the owners of the walls into
doing their work, which brought an immediate response from the local scribblers:
“Don’t paint over graffiti voluntarily. First warning!” Thanks to efforts made
to suppress them, graffiti became so potent
that they not only expressed, but
actually created a sense of revolutionary solidarity. Walls became dispatches
from which the uprising’s progress could be read.
- - From The
Economist
bob: dead and burialed
There has been some
consternation in the Malaysian sponsored zanu pf state press about what they are
calling vandalism of burial orders. What the press have failed to report
(because they are so scared to) is that there are hundreds of thousands of
burial orders in the system that have had many different slogans written on them
in ball point and other pens. The spirit of Zvakwana is in everyone. In fact
just the other day Zvakwana heard of one man who shopped in OK and was given
some change in notes. The $500 note had this slogan written in ballpoint: zanu
yaora. This, of course, is no secret. But it is no laughing matter when the
regime gets pricked up about so-called vandalism when they themselves have
trashed our economy to such pieces that we do not have medicines, good
education, forex or most things. Who is zooming who mr gonocide?
"There has been eloquent, inexhaustible talk in Africa about politics, side by side with the gaping poverty of political thought. Down there on the ground in Africa, you can smother in the small talk of politics. Mostly it is about politicking, rarely about policies. Politicians are men and women who compete with each other for power, not people who use power to confront their country's problems."
~ Ruth First
Everyone has good ideas and reflections, this time it is Denford
Magora
This
quotation from Ruth First very much speaks to some of what Denford was writing
in the Independent last week. He was speaking of the fact that it is enough with
politicians who just want power and who are not interested in the true needs of
the people. One must wonder about how candidates for MPs are selected. Is it
because they are strategic thinkers with the intelligence to debate and
understand policy in the dishonourable house? Are they community leaders active
in social issues? Or is it because they own a business, or have special favour
with some party hi-riders? Perhaps they are after MisPlaced prestige, free
lunches and some travel around the world during their term as MP.
As Denford said:
“Still, the president and his ministers and his party insist on believing that the country is about making speeches. It is not. Action is a concept that the ruling party needs to pursue not only when it feels threatened but all the time in order to lift up the lives of our citizens. Until mugabe finds ministers with a passion for developing Zimbabwe and not lining their pockets and throwing their weight around, the MDC, whether in its current ineffectual guise or not, will continue to exist. Here is the true fact of the matter: zanu pf has been given a new lease of life today not because of its visionary policies, not because of its credentials when it comes to caring about the welfare of homemakers, commuters or food seekers. No. The party is strengthened only by the power on incumbency. This is complemented by a paralysed opposition that is busy picking its teeth while the country burns.”
|
Watch out for Zvakwana papers on the
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Make sure you SPEAK OUT - keep discussion alive, keep information flowing.
Please remember Zvakwana welcomes feedback, ideas and support for actions.
Enough is enough, Zvakwana, Sokwanele.
HE is the man almost everyone here would love to hate, but cricket-crazy Bangladeshis simply find it hard to resist the genius of little Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe’s young skipper who has become the mainstay of his team.
From Dhaka to Chittagong,
Taibu has become a hero among the old and young, men and women, critics and
journalists — never mind he has on numerous occasions stood between Bangladesh
and glory in a series the hosts thought would be a stroll in the park against an
inexperienced Zimbabwe.
Chittagong resident Ahmed Islam now calls himself Taibu, while most
Bangladeshi journalists reckon the Zimbabwe player is a “lion-hearted captain we
wish was ours”.
“He is a witty boy and I like the way he always oozes confidence,” said
former Bangladesh coach and veteran scribe Jalal Chowdhury.
“I’m always positive,” Taibu said, as he put down the book he was reading
while coach Phil Simmons took the rest of the squad through their paces at
Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka.
The book was entitled Discover Your Destiny with the Monk Who Sold His
Ferrari, a motivational novel by world best-selling author Robin Sharma about
“the seven stages of self-awakening”.
“I read quite a lot of books, especially motivational works,” said Taibu as
he straightened up in his chair for an exclusive interview with
IndependentSport.
Zimbabwe lost a two-match Test series against Bangladesh 1-0, but not before
Taibu had proved his prowess at the crease with an unbeaten 85 and 153 in the
second drawn game everyone thought the visitors would win.
“It was disappointing to lose the Test series when we had a chance to win the
second match because I think I had put the team in a good position,” Taibu said.
However, only three days after the Test disappointment, the young tourists
had already put the Test setback at the back of their minds. Taibu led his
charges to an historic win in 17 attempts since he took over the captaincy last
May as Zimbabwe stunned Bangladesh by 22 runs in Dhaka in the first of five
one-day internationals.
“I was pleased. I felt proud for the boys who have been putting so much in
their game,” Taibu said. “A win was long overdue and I knew it was going to come
after a few chances we had against Sri Lanka and England.”
If anyone thought the first win was a fluke, then a second victory at
Chittagong’s MA Azziz Stadium in as many matches on Monday must have proved
otherwise and left Taibu feeling his endurance and hard work were beginning to
pay off.
Zimbabwe’s captain, wicketkeeper and key batsman at the same time, an
organiser of the Sharjah tournament in the United Arab Emirates feels the
responsibilities are too much for the 21-year-od Taibu. But not so, according to
the talismanic player.
“People are allowed to say their views, but that’s not much of a problem for
me. At times I feel yes it’s too much for me, but at the same time I say who am
I to underestimate my capabilities and keep on praying to God to achieve my
dreams,” said Taibu.
Taking over the reins from veteran all-rounder Heath Streak after an
acrimonious row which saw 15 mainly first-team white players turning their backs
on national duty, Taibu admits life has not been easy for him, especially
leading a side made up of players barely out of their teens.
“There was a time when I started not to enjoy my game but I was lucky to have
Phil Simmons who kept on telling me it had nothing to do with my technical
abilities and that I had to remain focused,” revealed Taibu.
“It really crossed my mind to quit because it was frustrating to keep on
playing knowing we were going to lose more than we were going to win, but my
fiancée kept on telling me that giving up was not an option.”
Affectionately called “Tibba” by his colleagues, the little genius has
quickly matured into a rock upon which Zimbabwe’s future in elite cricket
hinges. But he still feels he hasn’t done enough yet in his career to be among
the best in the world.
“There’s a lot I can improve on. I hear I’m now ranked the number 42 batsman
in the world, but that’s not good enough. I’m only 21 and still have a long way
to go for me to be able to walk into any team in the world,” said Taibu.
A 40-run loss to Bangladesh in the third one-dayer in Chittagong was
disappointing for Taibu, but his spirit is still not dampened as Zimbabwe go
into the fourth match in Dhaka tomorrow leading 2-1.
Besides an historic series win knocking on the door, Taibu already predicts
better fortunes for Zimbabwe in the future.
“I think by the 2007 World Cup we would have gelled as a team. The future
looks bright provided things keep working professionally from Zimbabwe Cricket
to the last player,” the influential captain.
Plucked from Churchill High School as cover for then wicketkeeper Andy Flower
for the West Indies tour in 2000 when he had not even played domestic
first-class cricket, Taibu has not looked back since. It has taken more than
natural talent for the hard-working skipper to come of age.
SO it looks like talks between Heath Streak and his fellow rebel players and the ad hoc committees are still on going and progressing in the right direction with hopes that the players might be back in the national team soon.
In negotiations with some
of the remaining rebels, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is still sticking to its stance
that the former players return unconditionally, while on their side the rebels
still want selectors convener Macsood Ebrahim and ZC managing director Ozias
Bvute kicked out.
Last week the international media reported that seven of the rebel players
had agreed to play national league cricket, assuming that it would pave their
way back into the national team. But merely agreeing to play national league is
not a guarantee by the rebels that they will now be available for national team
selection.
It appears that the decision to play for their clubs in the national league
by the seven, Streak, Craig Wishart, Andy Blignaut, Raymond Price, Stuart
Carlisle, Trevor Gripper and Neil Ferreira, was only a statement meant to prove
that they were still committed to Zimbabwean cricket.
The rebels, no matter how the ad hoc committee convinces them otherwise, seem
not ready to let bygones be bygones and relax their conditions for coming back.
The return of the rebels to national league cricket is nonetheless a positive
development on the domestic game. Experienced players are crucial in the
development of cricket for any country that wants to be taken seriously and see
its cricket improve.
The experienced players guide the younger players and pass on their expertise
to them as they break into the senior teams to become the next generation of
international cricketers.
It is a permanent feature in countries like Australia, South Africa and India
to see former first-class and national team players, well into their forties,
still playing domestic cricket years after international retirement. Experience
is something that cannot be substituted for in cricket.
Now that the rebels will play national league, it is generally agreed that
the rebels, for the good of the game, should just come back to the international
arena and bury their hatchet with ZC.
The mistrust between ZC and the rebels is not getting their negotiations
anywhere and it high time both parties realise that cricket is bigger than any
of them and stopped behaving like life-time adversaries.
Presently, Bvute is in firm control of ZC in his capacity as managing
director, while Ebrahim is very much in the thick of things in national teams
selection. As things stand, Bvute and Ebrahim are not going anywhere, a
situation which makes the rebels conditions for coming back a lot difficult.
When the International Cricket Council (ICC) absolved ZC of racism charges
pressed by the rebels last year, it recommended that ZC chairman Peter Chingoka
and his vice Justice Ahmed Ebrahim address issues of emotionalism shown by some
of the ZC directors. This was of course in reference to Bvute and Ebrahim who
the rebels accused of racial aggression instead of pursuing racial integration
in the national team.
ZC, as a matter of fact, is under no obligation to undertake the ICC
recommendations. The rebels will have to grasp this reality and decide their
future in Zimbabwe cricket once and for all.
The ad hoc committee will use all its professional ingenuity in trying to
bring the two sides to a common understanding, but the ball still remains in
both the rebels and ZC’s court. Both sides should now take a knock on the face
and forego all the selfish pride and mistrust in each other.
By continuing to hammer on the Ebrahim/Bvute matter, the rebels risk having
their goodwill questioned. Ebrahim and Bvute are just two individuals in the
cricket set-up and are not the custodians of Zimbabwe cricket. One is coerced to
sympathise with the rebels’ fears.
But after widely publicised accusations of political agendas, racial
prejudice and even violent behaviour, the cricket world now has its gaze firmly
fixed on Zimbabwe cricket and no person in the ZC can afford any more mischief,
which may prove costly to them.
Two of the former rebels, Barney Rogers and Gavin Ewing, have already come
back to the national team. Rogers and Ewing are young professional cricketers
who have realised they have a promising future in international cricket in spite
of everything that has happened.
If the remaining rebel players return to international cricket, the
ZC/players dispute might just turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Zimbabwe
cricket.
We have already identified the best players among the current youthful
national team. If blended with world-class players like Streak, Price and
Wishart, Zimbabwe can have a strong team that can hold its own against the best
in the world.
The rebels and ZC must give each other another chance.
muchinjo@yahoo.com
TOMORROW the Zimbabwe cricket team will have nothing but victory in their minds when they take on Bangladesh in the fourth match of their One-Day International (ODI) series at the Bangabhandu National Stadium in Dhaka. A win for Zimbabwe in tomorrow’s tie will seal a timely and welcome series win for the young Zimbabwe side, which is 2-1 up in the series.
Tatenda Taibu’s men, after
the disappointment of the Test series, showed that they still had something up
their sleeves to comfortably race to a 2-0 lead in the ODIs before the home side
managed to reduce the arrears with a 40 run win on Wednesday.
The young Zimbabwe team has always displayed a good fighting spirit even in
the darkest periods of its 20-match losing streak, but winning was something it
desperately needed. The manner and temperament in which they won the first two
matches was even more pleasing, as the players showed a desire to win and learn
from past mistakes.
Combined effort carried the day for Zimbabwe in the first two matches, with
the middle order batsmen putting up important partnerships and patching up early
wicket losses which might have proved disastrous. Good batting from Taibu,
Barney Rogers and Elton Chigumbura enabled Zimbabwe to set defendable targets on
a slow wicket which favoured the bowlers.
The 84 run stand between Taibu and Elton Chigumbura in the second match in
particular, which set Zimbabwe on the victory path, was one of the best moments
for the Zimbabwe team since being thrown into the international limelight.
It was also good to see Rogers getting two consecutive half-centuries in the
second match, when he was voted man of the match, and in the third match on
Wednesday. Rogers’ two knocks were most welcome especially with his opening
partner Stuart Matsikenyeri not able to follow up on his promising batting in
the Tests.
Zimbabwe are more than capable of winning one of the last two matches, but
they will need to show some stability at the top of the order where Dion Ebrahim
looked out-of-sorts and vulnerable with each delivered ball.
Vusi Sibanda, himself a bundle of nerves in the Tests, will be the first
choice replacement if Ebrahim is dropped from the order as expected. But
uncapped batsman Terrence Duffin will also be hoping to get the nod.
The spin bowlers, who played key roles in the matches played so far, should
continue with their good job. Prosper Utseya remains as economical as ever,
while the part-time spinners, Rogers and Brendan Taylor, have provided vital
breakthroughs.
The Zimbabwe pace bowling attack utilised the pitch conditions well and stuck
to the basics with a consistent good line and length. With the ball not coming
on to the bat, the Zimbabwe seamers put pressure on the Bangladesh batsmen who
had no answer to the fully pitched deliveries and variation of Douglas Hondo,
Christopher Mpofu, Tinashe Panyangara and Chigumbura.
The toss will once again be a major factor in the outcome of the match. All
three winning results so far in the series have been achieved after the captains
won the toss and elected to bat first. But Zimbabwe should be prepared for
anything and must be able to chase well.
The team’s batting philosophy of keeping wickets in hand and hitting big
shots to the boundary in the later innings, which was employed to great
effectiveness in the first two matches, must also be used when chasing a winning
target.
Bangladesh will come with all guns blazing tomorrow knowing the integrity of
their cricket lies on that match. After winning their maiden Test series, the
Dav Whatmore-coached side is desperate to follow up with a first ODI series
victory as well. But the boys in red are also in line for a milestone
achievement and will go all out to wrap up victory tomorrow.
If Bangladesh manage to level the series, the last match on Monday will be
the ultimate grand finale to this exciting battle between Test cricket’s two
youngest sides.
BUS tycoon Kenneth Musanhi has endeared himself to the Zimbabwean establishment to an extent that his W Dahmer coach assembly operation has been singled out to get preference in foreign currency allocations.
This was disclosed by
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono this week. His rationale is
that the bus company is strategic to the improvement of public transport
provision in the country.
Also to benefit is the government-owned Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries
(WMMI).
Said Gono, in his fourth quarter monetary policy statement: “The bank will
continue to give support to companies like W Dahmer and Willowvale Mazda Motor
Industries (WMMI).”
“Improvement of transport services can be undertaken by providing greater
private sector participation,” he said, adding the revival of the Zimbabwe
United Passenger Company (Zupco) was helping, although enhanced private
enterprise intervention was the key to national provision.
While WMMI will benefit because it produces relatively cheaper and
almost-available motor vehicles, W Dahmer will get funding priority because it
is in the manufacture of mass passenger transport buses.
Musanhi and his consortium bought the bus manufacturing concern from Lonrho
Africa about two years ago.
Observers said the preference funding not only bodes well with Harare’s new
economic policy thinking, but also that W Dahmer was an indigenous company, with
an effect on the life of many Zimbabweans.
The government, through various initiatives and particularly Zupco, has
attempted to solve the country’s transport blues, which have been spawned by
shortages of spare parts and other imported components.
The shortage is attached to the country’s five-year forex drought.
Gono, in his statement, acknowledged the crisis, saying: “Shortages of spares
and other imported components has incapacitated many transport operators.
Targeted provision of foreign exchange for procurement of spare parts will
improve operating conditions.”
The Zimbabwean motor industry, he said, should grow to match demand in order
to discourage imports which pressured hard cash reserves.
It is, therefore, in that vein that he wants to extend funding to the likes
of Musanhi and WMMI because some basic spare parts and components should be
produced locally.
Possible funding to W Dahmer and other motoring companies come at a time
Harare is considering further reduction in duties on imported bus kits and other
spares for public transport.
In the statement, widely-regarded as a socio-economic recovery tool, Gono
noted that it is a pipe dream for most Zimbabweans to own a car hence the need
to improve mass transport segments.
Just a few days ago, the government, through Zupco, imported another batch of
buses in a bid to improve public transport provision.
Vice-President Joyce Mujuru officially unveiled the 57 buses.
KIRSTY Coventry is almost certain to walk away with the Sportsperson of the Year Award when Zimbabwe’s outstanding athletes for the year 2004 are honoured at the Annual National Sports Awards ceremony in Harare tonight.
The 21-year-old swimming
sensation, the country’s best Olympian since 1ndependence 25 years ago, rose to
stardom when she scooped three medals at the Athens Olympic Games in August. It
was the first time Zimbabwe had won any Olympic medal since 1980 when the
women’s hockey team shocked the sporting world by clinching gold at the Moscow
Games in Russia.
Harare-born Coventry broke Zimbabwe’s medals jinx when she started with a
silver medal in the 100m backstroke and a bronze in the 200m medley.
And when Zimbabweans from all walks of life were still celebrating in
apparent contentment with two medals, the United States-based swimmer put the
icing on the cake by bagging the big one, a gold 200m backstroke, beating
pre-race favourates, Russian Stanislova Komorova and Japanese Riko Nakamura.
Coventry is also expected to win the Sportswoman of the Year Award.
Soccer star of the Year and Caps United wingback Cephas Chimedza, athlete
Lewis Banda and Shooting’s Michael Nicholson will battle it out for the
Sportsman of the Year award.
Disabled sprinter Elliot Mujaji was surprisingly confined to the Sportsman
with a Disability category when he could have been a serious contender for
Sportsman (of the Year after he defied poor preparations and half-hearted
corporate support to retain his Paralympic Games 100m title in
Athens.
THE Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group (ZABG), an amalgam of collapsed banks due for opening on Monday next week, is still illegal because the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe did not follow the law in its formation.
This comes amid
revelations this week that the bank had not completed the crucial legal process
required to legalise the bank by close of business yesterday. The authorities
have not complied with a single demand of the Troubled Financial Institutions
(Resolution) Act, sources close to the move said.
The Act, signed into law by President Robert Mugabe two weeks ago, requires
the RBZ to seek confirmation from a High Court judge to take over any bank to be
absorbed into ZABG. The RBZ is also required by the same law to inform former
directors, shareholders and creditors of the decision to amalgamate their bank
into ZABG. The interested parties, according to the law, must be advised at
least two weeks before the opening of the ZABG.
The law allows stakeholders to challenge the move to take over their bank.
Only after the former directors, shareholders and creditors have been informed
and the judge has consented to the move is the ZABG allowed to swallow the bank.
A proper notice is supposed to be sent out to the stakeholders.
It emerged that none of these legal requirements have been met. This is
despite declarations by RBZ governor Gideon Gono that the bank would open on
Monday next week. But despite this outstanding legal issue, the Reserve Bank was
by Wednesday pulling down banners and posters of Barbican, Royal and Trust Bank,
to replace them with the new ZABG logo.
Businessdigest understands none of the shareholders and former directors was
officially informed of the move to take over their bank. Royal Bank chief
executive Jeffrey Mzwimbi said last night that he was now seeking legal advice
on the issue. He also confirmed that he had not been officially informed of what
seems to be an arbitrary decision of the central bank.
“We are seeking legal advice because this has become a legal issue.
However, I can confirm that neither me nor other directors and shareholders
have been informed of the decision to take over our bank,” said Mzwimbi.
Trust chief executive and founding director William Nyemba refused to comment
on the issue but this paper understands that no formal communication was made to
him as required by law.
Although this paper could not talk to former Barbican chief executive and
owner Mthuli Ncube, it is also understood that he has not been informed.
Respective shareholders and former directors of the two banks are yet to be
given a chance to challenge the matter in court.
ZABG chief executive Stephen Gwasira confirmed that they were still to clear
some legal challenges. He said these were now being rectified. “We know that
there are some crucial issues outstanding. We are trying our best to rectify the
issue,” Gwasira said.
He could not however confirm whether these issues would be cleared before the
bank opens next week
Other shareholders and former directors of the three banks that have been
taken over are now bracing for a legal dogfight with the RBZ. Sources say they
are likely to pounce on the ZABG as soon as its doors open.
“As we speak even the depositors and creditors whose monies are in the closed
banks have been turned into shareholders. Nobody knows the value of the ZABG
shares,” said one of the former directors.
Others are also planning to challenge the valuations of their banks, which
they say was deliberately undervalued by curators to justify the takeover of
their financial institutions.
LOCAL soccer controlling body Zifa and the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) meet next week to formulate a road map for Zimbabwe’s 2010 African Cup of Nations bid, IndependentSport can reveal.
The indaba next week is
envisaged to come up with a bidding committee for the games as a follow-up to
Zimbabwe’s requests for the right to host the tournament.
In November last year, the Rafik Khan-led Zifa board informed Africa’s soccer
controlling body Confederation of African Football (Caf) of its intention to
host the biannual soccer showcase.
Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze said once established the
bidding committee would prepare a document to be sent to (Caf) by May.
“We need to prepare our bid documents as a matter of urgency and the meeting
next week will look into that issue,” Mashingaidze said.
The bidding committee would be in place by mid-February and would be composed
of all stakeholders involved in the development of sport in the country.
Mashingaidze said members of the committee were likely to be drawn from Zifa,
SRC, government and the corporate world.
The committee would have working committees that would advance Zimbabwe’s
bid. IndependentSport also heard that the bid committee would have a separate
secretariat from Zifa.
Its mandate would be to look at facilities requiring refurbishments and
procurement of equipment.
Information dissemination, Mashingaidze said, was vital to the country’s bid
and as such the committee would set up a web-site with information on Zimbabwe’s
facilities.
Mashingaidze said that committee would look at how resources would be
mobilised with the support of the corporate world.
Mashingaidze said lobbying for the 2010 Nations Cup would be done through
sporting ambassadors and Zimbabwe would work with other sporting personalities
on the continent like Abedi Pele and Kalusha Bwalya. He said Zimbabwe was still
waiting for a response from Fifa on the conferment on Peter Ndlovu as an
ambassador of the world soccer governing body.
Zimbabwe, which controversially lost the right to host the 2000 edition, will
face stiff competition from Morocco for the 2010 tournament.
Meanwhile Zifa will today unveil its calendar for 2005. The calendar will
contain national team fixtures as well as programmes of action on how to finance
the national teams.
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ANC moves to back Zimbabwe trip | ||
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) wants its visit to highlight Zimbabwe's political crisis. Last year, a Cosatu delegation was expelled from Zimbabwe and the ANC initially opposed a second trip. The BBC Southern Africa correspondent says the Zimbabwe government will not welcome the ANC's change of tack. South Africa is seen as a key player in attempts to resolve Zimbabwe's problems and some have called for it to stop supplying subsidised electricity to put pressure on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. Disappointed The BBC's Barnaby Phillips says several ANC ministers have been publicly supportive of Mr Mugabe, whereas Cosatu has criticised human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans ministers have said that the Cosatu team would not be welcome. But before getting ANC backing for next week's trip Cosatu dropped meetings with civil society leaders, disappointing Zimbabwean human rights activists. In Zimbabwe, two MDC MPs have been arrested in recent days after holding political meetings. The MDC says this shows the government is not serious about holding free and fair parliamentary elections which are expected in March. Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party denies rigging two previous elections. Mr Mugabe has appointed an independent electoral commission to oversee the poll - a key part of new regional electoral guidelines, which Zimbabwe says it will respect. | ||
