FARMERS from
Zimbabwe who had sought to invest in agriculture in Tanzania last year were
turned off by the country's land policies and legislation at the time, which
they saw as not being conducive enough. In the event, they turned tail and
went to invest in other countries, including far off Nigeria, Business Times
has learnt.
According to the director of investment at the Tanzania
Investment Centre (TIC), Emmanuel Ole Naiko, the so-called 'Zimbabwean
commercial farmers' - mostly of Anglo-Saxon descent - had been disillusioned
by the ongoing land reform programme (land re-distribution from Whites to
Blacks) that is being implemented by the Mugabe Government.
In
the event, the farmers practically fled their country for better pastures
elsewhere. As it happens, some of the farmers approached the Centre in Dar
es Salaam early last year with the intention of securing farmland. But, Ole
Naiko confirms, the land policies and laws as they were at that material
time did not suit them to a 'T.'
It is to be noted en passant that
the relative policies and legislation have since then been
reformed.
"They (the Zimbabwe farmers) came here with their
consultant, and studied the possibility of settling down in the agriculture
business," Ole Naiko told Business Times in an exclusive interview. "But,
you know: it was the time when our land policies were undergoing reforms
and, although those people meant business, they nevertheless were in a
hurry. So they went . " About 100 of the farmers finally decided to
settle in Mozambique after failing to do so in Tanzania. Others went to
Zambia and Nigeria, where they have already established farming activities,
Ole Naiko noted.
The minority White farmers in Zimbabwe were once
upon a time renowned for their significant contribution to that country's
economy in terms of food self-sufficiency and agricultural export earnings.
According to observers, Zimbabwe's loss should have been Tanzania's gain. In
the event, this was not to be.
Tanzania has a wealth of arable
land, including fabulous irrigation farming potential, and had the country
landed the experiences commercial farmers, we would be telling a different
story in a few years hence.
About 80 per cent of Tanzania's
36-million population is associated directly or indirectly with agriculture.
And nearly the same percentage of the workforce is engaged in agricultural
activities. The sector contributes around 50 per cent of the GDP, and 60 per
cent of the country's export earnings.
Analysts say that, due
to lack of seriousness and poor policies on the part of the Government,
foreign direct investment in agriculture is still uncharacteristically
insignificant.
Despite the massive arable land and irrigation
farming possibilities, Tanzania has continued to rely on rain-fed
agriculture which is ever so unreliable. Food production remains erratic,
making food self-sufficiency and security topics of endless discussions at
Government fora.
Critics say 43 years after Independence from
foreign rule, the majority of farmers in Tanzania continue to use the hand
hoe to scratch the land in sustenance agriculture, and cultivate cash crops
whose earnings at the world market are determined by forces beyond their
control.
Experts say had Tanzania been serious in its agriculture,
it were capable of producing food in a single farming season that would be
enough for its population, and feed its neighbors. Due to unsteady food
production, Tanzania regularly experiences food shortages, and is forced to
import same with a little help from the international donor
community.
HARARE, Jan. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- A South
Korean company has said thatit will launch a scholarship fund for the
University of Zimbabwe (UZ) first-degree graduates to study doctoral
programs in South Korea.
Speaking here on Friday at a handover
ceremony of 20 state-of-art computers, which are part of 505 computers to be
donated to the UZ for the next five years, the director of Blue Track
Investments, Kevin Ahn said their company was committed to the development
of Zimbabwe's education sector.
He said a committee that
will manage the scholarship fund and determine the criteria for the
scholarship awards would be set up.
Ahn revealed that two UZ
postgraduate students would further their studies to doctoral level in South
Korea this year.
"This will mark the beginning of a long-term
program of studentexchange between the UZ and universities in South Korea,"
he said.
Speaking on the same occasion, UZ Vice Chancellor
Professor Levi Nyagura said the donation had come at an opportune time when
the university, through its five-year master plan launched last year, was
seeking to promote information and communication technology studies among
all its students.
He said as the education system was gradually
changing from thetraditional teaching methods to e-learning in which
computer learning was a must, the donations would make the students
utilizethe vast internet resources available on the university campus.
Enditem
LUSAKA, Jan. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- A delegation
from Zimbabwe's major opposition party the Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC), led by its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, will arrive in Zambia Monday for
a two-day visit, the official Zambia Daily Mail reported
Saturday.
The Zambian government and the ruling Movement for
Muitiparty Democracy (MMD) have accepted a request by the MDC to visit
Zambiafor consultative talks, MMD's National Secretary Vernon Mwaanga was
quoted as saying Friday.
"The MMD looks forward to having a
fruitful discussion particularly that it's them that have requested to meet
the rulingparty here," he said.
The four-man MDC
delegation, which also includes the party's secretary general Welshman
Ncube, will meet with Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa at the State House
Tuesday, he said.
Mwaanga said Zimbabwe is an important
neighbor in many aspects so it is imperative and interesting to know what is
happening in that country.
He said the Zimbabwean government
has been notified of the visit, adding that the MDC delegation is also
visiting other countries in the region. Enditem
INADEQUATE resources and material
limitations in the Attorney General's (AG)Office have resulted in operations
being carried out by a largely inexperienced staff, thereby compromising the
quality and speed of service delivery, newly appointed AG, Sobuza Gula
Ndebele has said. In an interview yesterday, Ndebele could not commit himself
to comment on a number of questions on the grounds that he was still making
assessments. He said: "Material and resource shortages, which are needed by
lawyers and other support staff, are impacting negatively on the quality and
speed of service delivery. A look from the outside reveals that the working
conditions need improving. During my tenure I will strive to make sure that
the office is an equal opportunity employer which operates with a high level
of integrity." He said apart from remuneration issues, shortage of
computers, desks and stationery was contributing to the staff
exodus. Ndebele, a war veteran and lawyer by profession, joined the Zimbabwe
National Army in 1980, leaving it in 1991 after attaining the rank of
colonel. After that, he went into private practice and has until his new
appointment been running a law firm. His sentiments on the office's
inefficiency in dealing with legal matters placed before it, echoes that of
lawyers who have continuously complained about the incarceration of their
clients for long periods as a result of a huge backlog of both criminal and
civil cases, which they say is unjust. Among the major material needs of the
office, Ndebele said, was the improvement of the library used by lawyers,
and the overdue overhaul of the library from a hard copy one to an
electronic one. Ndebele, who is the current chairman of the Electoral
Supervisory Commission, said there was need for everyone, including the
government, to respect the country's laws. "Everybody should respect the
law. The rule of law is something that needs constant maintenance, it's not
a one-off thing," he said
MPs complain over govt's failure to adopt
recommendations
The Daily Mirror Reporter issue date
:2005-Jan-08
PARLIAMENTARIANS from both Zanu PF and MDC have lodged a
complaint with the clerk of the house, Austin Zvoma, on the failure by the
government to adopt recommendations by the august house portfolio
committees. In an interview with The Daily Mirror yesterday, Zvoma said the
committees' recommendations have remained largely academic, as the
government was not under any obligation to adopt and implement
them. Zvoma said: "A lot of MPs have complained about their recommendations
not being adopted, but I think there is need for people to be educated on
our functions." He said there was nothing the legislators could do to
force government to adopt the recommendations because of the doctrine of
separation of powers. "There is the issue of separation of powers between the
executive, the judiciary and parliament. Parliament cannot give government
an instruction, it can only recommend. And the executive, in its wisdom may
decide what to do, and there is no time frame," said Zvoma. Most of the
committees' recommendations, crafted after wide consultations at the expense
of the august House, have not been adopted or implemented, with some of them
being out rightly dismissed. In November last year, Labour Minister Paul
Mangwana threw out a report which took five months work to compile by the
house's committee on lands and agriculture. Other reports, such as the
one on prison conditions by the justice committee, then under the
chairmanship of the late Eddison Zvobgo, was also set aside despite need to
reform the country's penal system. The parliamentary committee system came
into being as a result of the 1997 parliamentary reforms, which sought to
strengthen and modernise parliamentary democracy in Zimbabwe. The reforms
sought to have every government ministry shadowed by a parliamentary
committee, opening up the committees to both the public and the media,
formation of a budget committee to monitor government expenditure and
initiating public hearings where both the public and civic organisations
make inputs. Zvoma said so far all the reforms have been adopted, but in
that course the need for others emerged. "Since 2000 we have implemented
all the reforms. But you must know that reforms are a process, they are an
investment. So you see that there's need to keep on changing some things,"
said Zvoma.
THE long awaited budget for
the former Sunshine City of Harare meant to be announced yesterday was
shelved once again to next week as it emerged there were inconsistencies in
the budget for the city.
The announcement was initially set for Thursday
but was cancelled to allow city fathers to attend the burial of national
heroine, Ruth Chinamano, who died at her Chisipiti home Sunday. Council
spokesperson Leslie Gwindi could however, not shed light on what exactly
caused yesterday's postponement. He said: "The submissions of the budget have
been sent back to the various budget committees and they have to discuss
them again before they are sent to the Finance Committee next week. The
finance committee will then send it to the commission once they have also
made their recommendations." Gwindi could neither deny nor confirm the said
anomalies but said it was normal to have anomalies in preparing
budgets. "It is normal to have anomalies and that is why we are fine tuning
our own areas in the various departments," he added. The budget for the
capital, meant to be announced last year, was delayed by administrative
problems rocking town house after the firings by government of 19 MDC
councillors and subsequent resignations of others from the opposition party
paralysed council operations. Council officials were then tasked with the
responsibility of drawing up the budget and had initially set the
announcement for December 30. Residents should however, brace themselves for
massive rates hikes in the budget as the cash strapped council is set to
announce a $1,1 trillion budget in its effort to improve its perennial cash
flow problems and service delivery. The government froze the quarterly
hikes suggested in the 2004 budget arguing that they would worsen the plight
of residents putting council in a precarious financial state. Various
debtors including the government who owe it in excess of $51 billion dollars
have worsened the council's plight.
CROSS Border Traders' Association
President, Killer Zivhu, yesterday pleaded not guilty to theft by conversion
involving $11 million arguing that the money was not given to him in his
personal capacity, but to the association. In his defence at the opening of
his trial, Zivhu, through his lawyer Claudious Nhemwa said the complainants
entered an agreement with the association to invest their funds. Nhemwa
said: "At no time did the accused collect any money in his individual
capacity, all the monies were paid in pursuit of the scheme established by
the association where the money would be deposited for onward lending to
members of the association. "The complainants were aware of the intended
use of the money and that each was entitled to 20 percent interest per month
on the capital." He said all the money was lent to the members of the
association as was the arrangement, but delays in repayments by those who
obtained the loans rendered the association unable to pay back in time, but
was now in a position to honour its liabilities. Zivhu also produced in
court the association' receipts issued to the complainants upon payment of
their money which were not disputed. However, the complainants Joseph Mutano
and Peter Makore said although they paid the money through the association,
it was Zivhu's ploy to swindle them. The State case against Zivhu is that
some time in October 2003, he allegedly advised Mutano that he could source
United States dollars, which he intended to use on his business trips to
both regional and international countries. Zihvu was given $6 million, which
he allegedly converted to his own use. Between October 13 and November 12 the
same year, Zivhu allegedly received $5 million from Makore which he also
allegedly converted to his own use. Zivhu appeared before provincial
magistrate Judith Tsamba, while Servious Kufandada prosecuted. The trial
continues on January 12. Meanwhile, Zanu PF deputy director of Security and
music promoter, Kenny Karidza, facing espionage charges yesterday briefly
appeared before regional magistrate Peter Kumbawa on a routine remand
hearing and was remanded in custody to January 14. He is facing charges
of contravening provisions of the Official Secrets Act.
HARARE Central Hospital is seeking the intervention of the
Attorney General's (AG) office to evict its general hand employees currently
staying in shacks at the hospital premises. The employees have been
squatting at the hospital since last February and several attempts to evict
them came to nothing. Christopher Tapfumaneyi, Harare Central Hospital
medical superintendent, told The Daily Mirror yesterday that the police
advised the medical institution that they could not evict the employees
without an order from the AG's office. Tapfumaneyi said the institution
had already approached the AG's office on the issue and the hospital was
awaiting a response. "I want to go to the AG's office personally (to get the
response) because those people (employees) are tarnishing our image as a
health institution. The Ministry (Health and Child Welfare) is fully aware of
all measures we are taking to evict the employees," Tapfumaneyi said. At
least 13 families, some of them having stayed at the hospital for the past
25 years, claimed that they were asked to stay at the premises as a staff
buffer to deal with emergency medical calamities. However, the families -
including drivers, nurse aides, and other staffers - were asked to leave the
hospital and make way for the construction of a new morgue last February, a
decision the families resisted. The hospital demolished houses the employees
were staying in, prompting the workers to erect plastic shacks as
alternative accommodation.
WITH
only two months before an important parliamentary election, the MDC's
national youth council convened a meeting in Harare on Wednesday where a
call for zero tolerance to violence was made. The call comes at a time
when a number of legislators from both the ruling Zanu PF and MDC have been
arrested on allegations of fanning violence. "We resolved that the call by
President Robert Mugabe and Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri on zero
tolerance to violence must be translated into action," said the opposition
party's national youth chairman Nelson Chamisa. "We also urged our youths
to be vigilant and watchful of the behaviour of Zanu PF's green bombers
(graduates of the national youths training service). He said the youths have
an obligation to ensure that the general elections are free from
violence. On the MDC's vacillation on whether to participate in the polls or
not, Chamisa said the opposition's youths had asked the party leadership to
intensify its consultative meetings with the people throughout the country
before a decision could be reached. Chamisa said the other issues that
were noted by the youths included the HIV and Aids scourge, unemployment and
the hiking of fees to unaffordable levels by some schools. "Aids is
taking its toll among the youths, robbing the nation of best brains, talent
and capacity. The disease knows no political party and we urge the people,
especially ministers and other public figures to come out in the open about
their status like what is happening in other nations," Chamisa said. The
youths who attended the meeting were drawn from the opposition party's 12
provinces.