2010 07 01 -
http://changezimbabwe.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2980&Itemid=2
Written by CZ Correspondent
Friday, 02 July 2010
Finance Minister Tendai Biti
has repeated his assertion that the government has not received a single cent
from diamond sales, begging the question, where did the money go (Q)
But to rescue the country from
its current plight, he said, the Kimberley Process (KP) must quickly help
Zimbabwe resolve the current problems around its diamonds so that she can begin
exporting diamonds ethically, he said.
While Zimbabwe's diamonds
should not be equated to the “blood diamonds” of Liberia and Sierra Leone, he
said, there were issues of non-compliance which must be resolved in the context
of the KP process.
He mentioned alleged issues
around forced labour, human rights abuses, smuggling, inconsistent records
between what has been exported and what is alleged to have been mined and the
legal dispute with African Consolidated Resources, a British company in which
former Army Commander Tapfumaneyi Mujuru is also said to have interests.
All these issues, he said, had
to be resolved and it was important that Zimbabwe receive a certificate from
the KP.
“Our diamonds cannot be
categorized as blood diamonds. Blood diamonds are conflict diamonds and used to
fuel conflict as in Liberia and Sierra Leone. That is not the case in
Zimbabwe.”
He had been asked how Zimbabwe
was failing to raise the $ 300 million per month revenue that is required for
the civil service to run efficiently, yet the Zimbabwe Mining Development
Corporation and the Mines Ministry had confirmed that they had sold diamonds.
He is currently collecting less than half of that.
Biti said the Government “has
not received a single cent from diamond sales... The KP must allow us to sell
our diamonds, but must then come to Zimbabwe to help resolve these issues
(forced labour, rights abuses, smuggling, inconsistent records and the legal
dispute).
He did not mention the illegal
allocation of mining rights to two companies which seem to be controlled by
Zanu (PF) and military bigwigs.
“It will be very unfortunate if
the KP does not allow us to sell the diamonds because they will be punishing
the people of Zimbabwe. We can’t pay for electricity, we can’t pay our civil
servants and yet we are sitting on one of the finest find of alluvial diamonds
in the history of mankind.”
“Whatever mistakes that have
been committed in the past must provide lessons for the KP and Zimbabwean
authorities to come up with a new matrix that avoids the omissions and
commissions of the past.
“The KP must help us to stop
smuggling, and to ensure that whatever is sold, Government will receive a chunk
and how to come up with an investment model that benefits the communities
around the diamond fields.”
On the ACR legal issue, Biti
only said, court orders must be respected. “We are in this struggle for the
rule of law, democracy and justice, so there should be no excuse for breach of
the rule of law.” For the rest of this interview and more stories from the
Prime Minister's newsletter Go To This Link
Last Updated ( Friday, 02 July
2010 )
2010 07 01 -
http://www.zimbabwemetro.com/news/cops-investigate-nrz-us15-million-fraud/
Metro Staff Writer on Jul 2nd,
2010 and filed under Local News.
Nkululeko Sibanda
Thursday, 01 July 2010 20:33
Bulawayo police are
investigating a £10 million fraud case at the National Railways of Zimbabwe
(NRZ) involving some of the rail firm’s senior executives in what could
showcase the free-for-all situation at parastatals.
Gibson Boston Siziba, a senior
auditor with the NRZ yesterday filed a police report implicating the
state-owned rail firm’s finance director Patrick Bondayi and former police
commander Frank Msutu, who is NRZ senior manager for security operations.
According to the police report
(IR 4737/10), Bondayi allegedly worked in cahoots with other yet to be named
officials in the finance department to misappropriate funds through
over-invoicing of spare parts. Bondayi was suspended three months ago to
facilitate investigations when details of the alleged heist surfaced.
Police and NRZ auditors are now
keen to trace the whereabouts of the money, with indications that the funds
could be held in offshore accounts. Police also believe the £10 million could
just be the tip of the iceberg, and are launching a wider investigation.
Police spokesperson, Inspector
Mandla Moyo, confirmed that officers at Bulawayo Central Police Station were
handling the case.
“I can confirm that a report
was made to the Bulawayo Central Police station where an official at the NRZ
allegedly misappropriated funds amounting to over US$ 15M. Already,
investigations are under way. That is all I can say at the moment,” Moyo said.
A separate case was reported on
Msutu’s alleged failure to act on cases of fraud reported to him. According to
initial report 4738/10, Msutu was alerted of the fraudulent activities
involving senior managers at the parastatal but he allegedly sat on the cases.
“Sometime in April 2010, the
now accused was handed over a case of serious fraud by the audit department of
the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to investigate and bring to book the
accused (Bondayi),” reads the police record.
“The accused failed dismally to
do anything in his capacity as security officer, even bringing the matter to the
police for further investigations. (As a result of his actions) The accused
defeated the
course of justice. The accused
had no right to defeat the course of justice or protect the accused for fraud
involving 10 million pounds.”
NRZ sources said the audit team
descended on the parastatal three weeks ago and has been combing the company’s
books following reports of massive plunder.
A number of senior managers
could soon be arrested as police act on the results of the audit report, NRZ
sources said.
Efforts to get a comment from
the NRZ general manager, Mike Karakadzai proved fruitless yesterday.
NRZ, once a carrier of choice
for low-budget travellers, is facing collapse because of alleged mismanagement
and poor revenue generation.
2010 06 28 -
http://zimbabwereporter.com/politics/1245.html
28 June, 2010 11:13:00 By Staff
Reporter
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
Finance minister Tendai Biti
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
HARARE Tendai Biti, the
Zimbabwean Finance Minister and secretary-general of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC), has said the Kimberley Process must allow Zimbabwe to sell its
diamonds, pleading that the unity government urgently needed money to pay civil
servants and pay for electricity and other governmental expenses.
Biti was quick to clarify that
the diamond sector must make extra efforts to police trade in Zimbabwe
diamonds, but must allow the country to sell its diamonds on humanitarian
grounds, saying excesses by the political leadership should not be used as
basis to punish ordinary Zimbabweans who deserve to enjoy the US$ 1.7 billion
monthly windfall projected from the sale of diamonds.
"Our diamonds cannot be
categorized as blood diamonds," Biti said. The Finance minister was
speaking in a recorded Q and A with the Prime Minister's newsletter. He said
excesses recorded that soldiers killed over 200 civilians during the bloody
Operation Hakudzokwi to seize control of the Marange diamond fields, should be
forgiven and we move on. "Whatever mistakes that have been committed in
the past must provide lessons for the KP and Zimbabwean authorities to come up
with a new matrix that avoids the omissions and commissions of the past. The KP
must help us to stop smuggling, and to ensure that whatever is sold, Government
will receive a chunk and how to come up with an investment model that benefits
the communities around the diamond fields." Kimberley Process is a
powerful watchdog body set up to stamp out trade in conflict diamonds. Biti
bemoaned the state of the economy with its low revenue base and 70 per cent of
the meagre collections being swallowed by wage payments, and said money from
diamonds can help improve the economic situation of Zimbabwe. He said the
economy needs technology, value addition and better manufacturing.
Zimbabwe's once-vibrant economy
was shattered by a decade of world-record hyperinflation that has left half the
nation dependent on international food aid, while unemployment was last
estimated at 94 per cent.
"The KP must allow us to
sell our diamonds, but must then come to Zimbabwe to help resolve these
issues," Biti said.
"It will be very
unfortunate if the KP does not allow us to sell the diamonds because they will
be punishing the people of Zimbabwe. We can’t pay for electricity, we can’t pay
our civil servants and yet we are sitting on one of the finest find of alluvial
diamonds in the history of mankind. You cannot punish ordinary citizens because
of the omissions and commissions of the elite political leadership. If you have
issues with an elite political leadership allow diamonds to be sold but reign
in on the political elite because they will still sell diamonds outside the KP
at the expense of the poor."
The World Diamond Council is
worried that gems from Zimbabwe were mined amid violence in violation of rules
established to curb so-called conflict diamonds that fuel civil wars. Biti
said: "The Government of Zimbabwe has not received a single cent from
diamond sales. It’s important that we get a certificate from the KP. Blood
diamonds are conflict diamonds and used to fuel conflict as in Liberia and
Sierra Leone. That is not the case in Zimbabwe. However, this is not to say
that there are no issues of non-compliance around the KP process, alleged
issues around forced labour, human rights abuses, smuggling and inconsistent
records between what has been exported and what is alleged to ave been
mined." The Kimberley Process, under which governments issue certificates
to legitimate diamond exports, has helped reduce illicit diamonds to less than
one percent of the total, the diamond industry and activists say.
Biti, the person seen as most
likely to succeed Morgan Tsvangirai as leader of the MDC, also complained about
corruption in high places in the wide ranging interview. Biti said the economy
has gone through a period of "sickness". He bemoaned shortages of
capital which were worsened by the publication of the controversial
indigenisation regulations, and lack of budgetary assistance from donors and
partners. "As I indicated in my statement at the end of April, we had only
received US$ 2.9 million out of a target allocation of US$ 810 million,"
said Biti. He warned of resurgent inflation, and bemoaned the limited fiscal
space. "We had a situation where 70 percent of Government revenues went
towards salaries, which salaries were in fact challenged because the average
salary for civil servants is US$ 150. So we had a situation where civil
servants went on strike but we had no capacity at all to improve their
salaries." Zimbabwe government workers marched through the capital in February
in a job boycott against low wages, in a sign of growing impatience with the
country's unity government.
"The bottom line is that
the first quarter of 2010 was a very challenged one. There were spikes that
were put in the path of economic recovery, challenges that threatened to derail
even the little stabilization matrix that we had put in place this year. What
it means is that the mid-term statement which I will be delivering in July is
going to be very critical. The good thing is that in the second quarter of the
year, there are clear indications that we have reversed a number of the
distortions that occurred in the first quarter of the year."
The unity government formed
16months ago to end a protracted political crisis says it needs at least $ 10 billion
to reverse a decade of economic decline, but is struggling to get foreign aid.
Zimbabwe Reporter 2010 C
2010 07 02 -
The Financial Gazette
* * * * * * *
http://www.financialgazette.co.zw/top-stories/4670-copac-bosses-face-axe-over-chaos.html
Friday, 02 July 2010 14:55
Levi Mukarati and Kudzai Bare
Staff Reporters
HEADS are set to roll at the
Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) as it emerged this week that the
Management Committee of the constitution-making process is seething with anger
over the chaos characterising the exercise. Compounding the situation are reports
of politically-motivated violence and intimidation in and around the country
during the COPAC-led outreach exercise.
Several civil society
organisations monitoring the outreach programme have released reports
chronicling incidents of violence in Mashonaland Central, Midlands, Masvingo,
Manic-aland and Matabeleland provinces.
Sources privy with the outreach
process said the COPAC secretariat, specifically national coordinator, Peter
Kunjeku, faced an uncertain future over the way he and his team handled the
logistical aspects of the exercise.
Kunjeku’s fate hinges on the
decision of the COPAC Management Committee which met yesterday to discuss the
logistical problems threatening the smooth running of the constitution-making
process.
The COPAC secretariat is
accused of poor management, which has seen some members of the outreach teams
stranded due to lack of transport and accommodation while several public
meetings have failed to takeoff after COPAC officials could not turn up.
Eric Matinenga, the Minister of
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, yesterday said concerns had been
raised within COPAC and from the outreach teams over the poor management of the
exercise.
Douglas Mwonzora, one of the
co-chairpersons of COPAC, said the committee responsible for the outreach met
on Tuesday to review progress on the consultative process with a view to
ringing some changes.
“We are currently reviewing the
outreach and everything associated with it, ranging from preparations to duties
of the COPAC staff to find out what actually went wrong,” said Mwonzora.
“We are going to meet again as
the select committee over the issue of management of the process, but we are
not targeting an individual,” he said.
Contacted for comment on his
looming axing, Kunjeku professed ignorance saying he was not aware that his job
was on the line.
Some members of the outreach
teams are reported to have been booted out of hotels after COPAC and its major
financer - the United Nations Development Programme - failed to pay for their
accommodation.
Three civil society members
shadowing the outreach process, were on Sunday allegedly assaulted by ZANU-PF
agent provocateurs, sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
The monitors were deployed by
the Zimbabwe Peace Project, the Zimbabwe Election Support Net-work and the
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, which have dispatched a total of 420
independent monitors.
In separate reports, the
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) reported violence in Mudzi
District in Mashonaland East where four huts allegedly belonging to suspected
Movement for Democratic Change supporters were torched adding that in
Manicaland Province, two monitors -Tapera Mavhe-revhedze and Godfrey Nyarota
and driver, Cornelius Chengu - were arrested last week and charged under the
Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. There are accusations that
ZANU-PF supporters have been seen reading from prepared scripts during outreach
meetings specifically at Matepatepa Country Club and Number One Play Centre in
Bindura, Mashonaland Central .
“Both meetings were
characterised by high levels of tension between opposing party members.
“That participants had to rely
on party written scripts to make contributions is a serious cause for concern
given that a constitutional process must be non-partisan and people driven.
Clearly, in this case, people are being denied a right to freely air out their
views. The absence of the police at both meetings did not help matters either,”
said ZimRights in its latest report.
In another report, Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition, said it had noted with concern that participants were being
intimidated.
The organisation cited an
incident at Sikhosana Primary School in Makonde District in Mashonaland West, attended
by about 1 200 people on June 28 where only five participants contributed.
“There was no debate at all,
those that participated were referring to position papers that had been
distributed by their parties with the rest of the people merely acting as
cheerleaders,” reads part of the organisation’s latest report on the COPAC
outreach programme.
Monitors have also reported
lack of participation in Matabeleland South where COPAC outreach teams arrived
late at most venues.
COPAC teams in Matabeleland South,
according to reports, were accused of censoring the views of the public.
Discussion or any talk of the
early 1980s disturbances in the province was allegedly “outlawed” during the
outreach exercise in some of the areas of Matabeleland South.
In Sadza and Manyarira areas in
Mashonaland East, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition claimed that the district
administrator “was moving around in an unmarked white vehicle coaching people
on what to say just before the COPAC meetings started in different wards. The
truck was seen at Manyere and Rupere primary schools.”
2010 07 02 -
http://www.financialgazette.co.zw/top-stories/4672-siege-mood-grips-mdc-t.html
The Financial Gazette
* * * * * * *
Friday, 02 July 2010 15:24
Dumisani Ndlela, Staff Reporter
SENIOR Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC-T) members were reported to be stampeding into the safety of party
leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s patronage network after a shock
Cabinet reshuffle last week which left perceived power contenders scurrying for
cover.
Political analysts and
commentators said Prime Minister Tsvangirai, who for long had watched as his
party lurched from crisis to crisis in protracted power struggles that
triggered a split in 2005, has abandoned diplomacy for a head-on battle with
internal rivals as the party faced an elective congress next year.
But in the process, the
Machiavellian among the party’s faithful were now jostling to keep company with
Tsvangirai as a siege mood enveloped Harvest House, the MDC-T headquarters,
following the reshuffle.
“It’s now clear who represents
the future - it’s Tsvangirai and we might see those who had rallied around
other personalities coming back to seek favour with the party president,” a
source said.
Alois Masepe, a political
analyst and veteran of Zimbabwe’s opposition politics, said Tsvangirai was now
battling to bring cohesion into the strife-torn party, which recently dismissed
a number of its youths who had assaulted key party executives for allegedly
campaigning for Biti ahead of the party’s elective congress.
The youths, obviously backed by
some key power brokers within the party, now part of an inclusive government
along with President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and another MDC formation led by
Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara, accused the party directors of
stifling Tsvangirai by directing party financial resources towards projects
that propped up Biti’s standing within MDC-T structures.
Tsvangirai dismissed Energy and
Power Development Minister, Elias Mudzuri, a former Harare executive mayor
hounded out of Town House by ZANU-PF, which replaced him with a commission led
by Sekesai Makwavarara. Fidelis Mhashu, who had been a Housing Minister, was
also sacked, together with two deputy ministers, to concentrate on reviving
party structures in Chitungwiza.
Masepe said the politically
alert would position themselves around Tsvangirai “for a future in politics”.
Insiders and sources closely
watching developments in the party, said Mudzuri suffered not for backing Biti,
but for personally cultivating a following within the party that threatened
cohesion.
“As a former mayor, he had a
following of his own and a standing as a potential leader of the MDC-T,” a
source said, indicating that as party organising secretary, Mudzuri had won the
hearts of different provincial structures and was poised for the limelight,
although he came nowhere closer to threatening Tsvangirai’s incumbency.
Tsvangirai said the dismissed
Cabinet ministers had failed a performance review after 16 months, but insisted
they were being redeployed to the party to reinvigorate its structures.
But MDC-T insiders said Biti
had been the target.
Tsvangirai moved Theresa
Makone, seen as part of an elite circle of advisors together with husband Ian
Makone, who is Tsvangirai’s permanent secretary - and gatekeeper - in government,
from public works to the more powerful Home Affairs, where she will be
co-minister with ZANU-PF's Kembo Mohadi.
Before the formation of the
inclusive government, there had been a protracted fight for control of the
ministry, until an agreement to share the portfolio was reached.
Jameson Timba, part of the team
of influential advisors around Tsvangirai, was promoted from deputy minister to
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, taking over from Gorden Moyo
who was reassigned to another ministry.
Even when it was clear that the
MDC-T party was ravaged by internal power struggles between him and Biti,
Tsvangirai had initially kept his sword aimed at external foes in a bid to
portray that he is clearly in charge and unchallenged.
“I am shocked by the energy and
the magnitude of the efforts to undermine our agenda,” Tsvangirai told
reporters in May, blaming outsiders on the eruption of violence at Harvest
House, in a fight that apparently pitted his own supporters as well as those of
party secretary-general, Biti, the combative former student leader who is
currently Minister of Finance in the inclusive government.
Describing reports of a power
struggle between him and Biti as “sustained attempts to divide the person of
the secretary-general and myself, the office of the secretary-general and that
of myself”, Tsvangirai maintained: “The SG and I have been comrades in this
struggle for many, many years and have stood together throughout this time and
we will not allow the enemies of real change to succeed in derailing the
people’s cause.”
But the reshuffle came as a
potentially devastating hammer blow to Biti, who has so far not reacted to
reports that Tsvangirai could be spoiling for a head-on battle with him.
One analyst said the Prime
Minister was trying to “smoke Biti out, to force him to declare his ambitions
or his loyalty”.
Although Biti survived, he was
nonetheless “punished through proxies”, said University of Zimbabwe political
scientist, Eldred Masunungure, who is also executive director of the Mass
Public Opinion Institute.
Masunungure said about the
reshuffle, “Tsvangirai is now going for the hammer.”
He said Tsvangirai was sending
a message to Biti in the hope that his party's secretary-general would “be able
to decode (the message) and act accordingly”, describing those that were purged
from Cabinet as “collateral damage”.
The first sign that Tsvangirai
was determined to deal with Biti’s perceived ambition for power was when he
diluted Biti’s powers as secretary-general last month, some weeks after the
violence that rocked his party, and awarded them to his deputy, Tapiwa
Mashakada.
Party insiders said this had
been done to allow Biti to concentrate on his demanding government role as
Minister of Finance, and allow Mashakada, who had been instrumental in the
rejuvenation of the party, control of party administration.
However, Mashakada, who had
been left out of Cabinet appointments at the formation of the inclusive
government last year, was rewarded with a post as Minister of Economic Planning,
taking over from a Tsvangirai confidante, Elton Mangoma, who replaced Mudzuri.
It has been suggested that the
appointment of Mashakada into Cabinet was meant to spite Biti, who is said to
have advised against his appointment into Cabinet last year.
Masepe said Tsvangirai had made
a strategic mistake when he appointed Biti into Cabinet, together with Mudzuri
and MDC-T secretary for information, the verbose former youth leader, Nelson
Chamisa.
These, he said, are the party’s
foot soldiers and so it was inappropriate to incorporate them into temporary
government structures.
“There’s now this perceived
power struggle between power players,” said Masepe.
“He’s now paying the price for
his mistakes. There is an election next year and the party structures are not
there.”
2010 07 02 -
http://www.financialgazette.co.zw/comment/4646-outreach-chiefs-up-in-arms-over-status.html
The Financial Gazette
* * * * * * *
Friday, 02 July 2010 14:05
Open Forum with Joram Nyathi
ZIMBABWE is still sorely
divided. The divisions go beyond political parties and elections. They go beyond
the spat between politicians and some NGOs. A meeting of the Council of Chiefs
hosted by the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC) on June 10
2010 in Harare, itself historic for the issues raised, exposed a lot of
divisions between the chiefs and the government. More accurately, it revealed a
lot of anger by the chiefs against the government, and also the hostility which
exists between the chiefs and political parties in the government.
JOMIC itself, which has held
more meetings since then with hundreds of traditional leaders in Masvingo,
Gweru and Mutare, is getting more than its own fair share of attacks. We have
more meetings lined up in Matabeleland, Mashonaland West, Central and East. So
far JOMIC has held meetings with at least 400 traditional leaders at four
venues in June alone.
The original aim was for JOMIC
to organise meetings with traditional leaders as a follow up to our historic
inter-party provincial workshops held last year and earlier this year. We felt
it was vital to involve traditional leaders in our efforts to end inter-party
violence and general hostility among Zimbabweans along party lines. This should
also help in national healing, the constitution-making process and in achieving
transitional justice. Traditional leaders are closer to the communal people
than JOMIC can ever hope to be, and wield a lot of influence in their
communities.
So far the meetings have been a
no-holds-barred affair. We can only hope that this has a cathartic effect on
the traditional leaders. For our part, the meetings are a historic platform for
traditional leaders to air their deeply felt grievances we never knew existed.
They describe themselves as a “wounded institution” which is under threat,
especially under the new constitution where they say they are unfairly
under-represented.
So, first things first. The
traditional leaders are bitter that they were never involved in the
negotiations which resulted in the signing of the Global Political Agreement
(GPA), which in turn gave birth to the new government. That explains why
Article 14 which refers to traditional leaders is so barren, they complain.
They were never given a platform to give their input. In a nutshell, they have
been treated with contempt.
There is more. The traditional
leaders view the inclusive government as an affair between the parties to the
GPA. Why was it necessary, they ask, to approach them only now, almost two
years since the inauguration of the inclusive government in February 2009 (Q)
Why were they never consulted from
the beginning (Q)
Where was JOMIC all along, they
wanted to know (Q)
The politicians must have
something up their sleeve.
The political parties have
accused them of supporting one political party or alternatively, of partisan
distribution of food assistance, without being given a chance to respond, they
said. The truth, they pointed out, lay elsewhere. They did not support a
political party. They supported causes.
As chiefs who had lost their
lands or were displaced by the colonial regimes, it was only natural for them
to support a party which championed their cause - the restoration of their
powers and their lands. In short, to them, the liberation struggle was not
about political office. It was about restoring their dignity. They have lost
their traditional authority over their people and natural resources which are
being exploited by foreigners while government, for its part, has failed to
provide them with transport, decent roads and accommodation.
They are bitter that their
status in society has been undermined at every stage. The post-independence
government has done no better than the colonial one in trying to strip them of
their powers. The inclusive government is the worst because, they point out,
“they want to consign us to the dustbin of history. They are waging a war
against traditional leaders”.
So far as they are concerned,
Zimbabwe’s problems are neither political nor economic. They are a
manifestation of the erosion of our “values and lack of national identity” as
demonstrated by a lack of respect for traditional institutions as represented
by chiefs. They are the repositories of culture and traditional values, yet
they see a determination by politicians to sideline them.
The chiefs have expressed anger
that the local political leadership appears to revere the Queen of England and
King Mswati more than they do their own chiefs. Instead of politicians engaging
them to resolve problems affecting the country, the traditional leaders
wondered aloud why they only read about Zimbabwe’s problems being referred to
foreigners in the form of SADC and President Jacob Zuma.
The traditional leaders are
dismayed that after being excluded from active politics through the Traditional
Leaders Act, they are also being shunted out of the constitution-making process.
While many interest groups have
muscled their way into the various outreach teams, chiefs have been left
clutching at straws without any one representing their interests. Why, they
ask, are NGOs, whose constituency is never known, being allowed more representation
at the expense of traditional leaders who command huge rural constituencies and
are very popular (Q)
The traditional leaders warn
that it is futile for any institution to dream of ending problems of violence
without their direct involvement. It is their role, they say, to spearhead
peace-building initiatives and national healing, but they are either being
sidelined altogether or simply being ignored despite their close connection to
the perpetrators and victims of violence.
They say the problem is that
once government appears to ignore them, people in turn treated them with
contempt. They are viewed as a cultural relic, hence, the crisis of “values and
identity”.
Their unanimous position is
that elections are not a priority because they will not resolve the country’s
problems. The environment is not yet conducive for fresh elections, they say,
given their divisive nature. What should be given priority is national healing
led by traditional leaders.
The irony is really that the
same political parties which agree with traditional leaders about a hostile
political and legal landscape are at the same time posturing about the need for
elections now. It is the political parties which are divided on whether
elections are the ultimate answer to the nation’s problems.
There are those who feel an
election will end the power struggles in government. Others however counsel
caution, observing that conditions on the ground are not conducive for a
violence-free election. Talk of elections pushes party activists into the
trenches, thus undermining the national healing process which should guarantee
free elections. There is a danger of political parties playing to the gallery
over election now, but knowing these will be judged neither free nor fair, thus
leading to more sterile negotiations and squabbles which can only take us to
the past decade.- Joram Nyathi is JOMIC communications manager.
2010 07 02 -
http://www.chronicle.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=9873&cat=8
Byo Chronicle
Friday, July 02, 2010
Business Reporter
Delays by South Africa to
ratify the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (Bippa) with
Zimbabwe is stalling disbursement of a US$ 10 million loan facility advanced by
the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa to refurbish Mwana
Africa’s Freda Rebecca gold mine.
Mwana Africa agreed to a
finance facility with the IDC last November and in March, the corporation’s
board approved the final terms of the facility to fund the second phase of the
mine’s refurbishment exercise.
However, Mwana Africa said it
had not been able to drawdown on the loan because South Africa had not ratified
the Bippa between the two countries.
The Bippa was signed on 27
November last year and ratified by the Zimbabwe Government in May.
“Drawdown of the facility
remains subject to certain conditions, most notably the provision by the Export
Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa of political risk insurance for
the facility, which is itself subject to ratification of the Bilateral
Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement between Zimbabwe and South
Africa.
“The agreement is aimed at
providing security of tenure to South African investments in Zimbabwe, and
Zimbabwean investments in South Africa. The agreement was signed by the
respective governments on 27 November 2009, and was ratified by the government
of Zimbabwe on 11 May 2010.
“In South Africa, the agreement
has been adopted by the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry in the
National Assembly and by the Select Committee on Trade and International
Relations in the National Council of Provinces. Mwana expects that, in the
coming weeks, the instrument will be put forward for adoption by the South
African parliament, after which notice of the agreement’s ratification will
complete the process,” Mwana Africa said in a statement accompanying its
results for the year ending 31 March.
It said the company was also
waiting for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s External Loans Co-ordinating
Committee to approve the mortgage charge over the land on which Freda Rebecca
plant is built and the operation of offshore accounts.
“Mwana Africa is working with
the ELCC and IDC to agree amendments to the security package, compliant with
the current exchange control regulations in Zimbabwe,” said the company.
It said it would also undertake
a programme to assess the mine’s lifespan as access to the second tranche of
the loan required reserves that last at least 10 years.
Gold production at Freda
Rebecca is expected to rise from 30 000 ounces a year to 50 000 ounces once the
second phase of the refurbishment is completed.
The mine reopened in October
last year after years under care and maintenance.
Since its re-opening, almost 12
000 ounces of gold have been mined.
Meanwhile, Bindura Nickel
Corporation has prepared plans for the resumption of operations at its Trojan
mine and concentrator, Mwana Africa chief executive Mr Kalaa Mpinga has said.
In a statement accompanying the
results, he said preparatory work had started in areas critical to the
resumption of operations which require limited expenditure.
“Further plans have been drawn
up to restart and enhance the efficiency of BNC’s other mines, smelter and
refining assets. In addition, the company continues to assess the potential to
develop the Hunters Road project,” he said.
BNC was placed under care and
maintenance in 2008.
2010 07 02 -
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news020710/diamond020710.htm
SW Radio Africa news - The
Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
By Lance Guma
02 July 2010
Harare Magistrate Donald
Ndirowei on Friday succumbed to state pressure and denied bail to diamond abuse
investigator Farai Maguwu. The director of the Centre for Research and
Development has been locked up in remand prison for nearly 4 weeks, while
police and prosecutors play cat and mouse games to prolong his detention.
Mugabe’s regime accuses him of publishing ‘false’ reports on human rights
abuses committed at the diamond mines in Marange.
The magistrate accepted what
has been described as frivolous claims from the investigating officer Detective
Inspector Henry Sostein Dowa, that he needed more time to investigate the
matter. Dowa claims he tried, but failed to meet ‘key witness’ Abbey Chikane,
the Kimberly Process monitor accused of reporting Maguwu to the police. Defence
lawyers are adamant Dowa lied that he had gone to South Africa to meet Chikane,
because the KP monitor was actually attending a meeting in Israel at the time.
The lawyers were also able to
show that Dowa does not even have a passport and they had called his Zimbabwean
mobile phone number during the time he claimed he was in South Africa. Each
time the phone rang and Dowa deliberately cut the line. Dowa in his defence
claimed he received assistance from the South African police to travel there
without documentation.
Another excuse thrown up by the
police was their claim that they had engaged INTERPOL (the international police
organization) to investigate the whereabouts and identity of people who
allegedly corresponded with Maguwu. These "extraterritorial
investigations" needed time, they argued.
Beatrice Mtetwa, one of
Maguwu’s lawyers, is said to be already working on an appeal. ‘The general
basis is that the ruling is removed from the evidence led in court and the
unchallenged testimony by Farai, the contradictory and self-destructive
testimony by Dowa and the fact that no proof of any pending relevant
investigation was tendered,’ the lawyers will argue.
Another member of the defence
team, Tinoziva Bere, said; ‘We have reached a stage where the state gets all it
asks of the court and the accused suffers in jail. We have also reached a stage
where it matters not what the arguments or evidence reveal, the stakes are so
high, nothing matters. It is disappointing but not discouraging. As long as
nothing kills him, one day they will have to watch him walk free.’
Bere was particularly damning
about what he called the silence of the two MDC parties, in the coalition
government with ZANU PF. ‘It is just sad that by joining a government, some
people who used to care about human rights and were victims themselves have now
forgotten that people are more important than balancing a budget with ‘blood
diamonds.’
2010 07 02 -
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news020710/mutasa020710.htm
SW Radio Africa news - The
Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
By Lance Guma
02 July 2010
Just a week after being sworn
in as co-Home Affairs Minister in the MDC-T cabinet reshuffle, Theresa Makone
has got herself into a compromising situation by trying to assist another
minister get his son released from police cells. It is alleged that Makone and
Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa went to Mbare, Matapi and Stodart
police stations in Harare to demand the release of Mutasa’s son Martin.
Forty-seven year old Martin
Mutasa, notorious ZANU PF activist Themba Mliswa and George Marere were all
arrested on Monday after trying to seize shareholding worth US$ 1 million from
a company owned by white businessman Paul Westwood. The trio threatened
Westwood to cooperate, claiming they had authority from Mugabe and
Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere to take over 50 percent of his
Noshio Investments Limited.
While human rights activist
Farai Maguwu is fast approaching 4 weeks in remand prison over cooked up
charges, Makone appeared to prefer spending her energy trying to help secure
the release of the son of a ZANU PF Minister. Police officers complained that
both ministers had tried to ‘intimidate’ them into releasing Martin. Although
Martin and his colleagues were granted US$ 400 bail each, the state invoked the
notorious Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to keep them
locked up for another 7 days.
The embarrassing incident will
do little to assure people who expressed misgivings about Makone landing the
job as co-Home Affairs Minister. Much has been made of her close friendship to
Jocelyn Chiwenga, the wife of army general Constantine Chiwenga. In 2007 Makone
told the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper that Jocelyn was her ‘long-standing
friend’. Many will remember that Chiwenga’s husband, apart from being a member
of the murderous Joint Operations Command, vowed never to salute Morgan Tsvangirai
if he ever won presidential elections.
Meanwhile political
commentators have said the incident involving Minister Mutasa’s son points to
heavy factional fighting within ZANU PF’s. Themba Mliswa, one of those arrested
with Martin this week, has accused police commissioner Augustine Chihuri of
being the most corrupt person in the country. Mliswa is a nephew to Mutasa and
the fissure lines are there for all to see. It’s believed different factions
control different arms of state security like the CIO, police, army and
prisons. Theresa Makone involving herself in these factional fights does not
send a good message on behalf of the MDC-T.
Efforts to get comment from
Makone were in vain as Newsreel was told cabinet ministers from the MDC-T were
in South Africa, for a workshop.
2010 07 02 -
http://www.swradioafrica.com/news020710/safarmer020710.htm
SW Radio Africa news - The
Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
By Alex Bell
02 July 2010
Yet another South African
farmer in Zimbabwe, meant to be protected by a bilateral investment protection
agreement, has been evicted from his farm, following his unlawful arrest and
detention on Thursday.
Mike Odendaal has faced
worsening intimidation on his Chipinge property by land invaders, who last
month took over his Wolwedraai farm and barred him from entering the property.
His home has been vandalised, his property has been looted and his workers have
all been forced to flee. Odendaal was eventually forced to seek the
intervention of the courts and was last week granted a High Court order giving
him the right to remain on the farm.
Commercial Farmers Union (CFU)
Vice President, Charles Taffs, told SW Radio Africa on Friday that Odendaal was
only allowed to return to the property on Wednesday to collect some personal
belongings, mainly furniture. But he was promptly arrested the next day on
allegations of occupying the farm “illegally” despite the court order, which
also ordered the land invaders to leave. Odendaal was eventually released
without charge after the intervention of South African Embassy officials, but
remains barred from entering the farm.
At least 18 farmers, all with
court protection, have been targeted by land invaders in recent weeks, with the
CFU saying ZANU PF’s Didymus Mutasa is directly responsible for the intensified
onslaught. Mutasa last month ordered a group of villagers in Chipinge, who are
illegally occupying a coffee plantation, to ignore a court ruling ordering them
to vacate the land. The Chipinge Magistrates Court had ordered that the 300 who
had moved on to the property should vacate the estate because it was not
gazetted for resettlement under Robert Mugabe’s land ‘reform’ programme. But
Mutasa ordered the villagers to disregard this legal ruling, and in the weeks
that followed, other court orders were also snubbed by land invaders.
“The situation has become
almost laughable,” Taffs said. “The police are compromised, the courts are
compromised. It’s out of control and we’re all at the mercy of a handful of
politicians who are taking what they want.”
Odendaal is also one of a
number of South African farmers in Zimbabwe who have been caught up in the wave
of farm attacks by land invaders in recent weeks, despite an agreement between
the two countries that is meant to protect South African owned land. The
Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (BIPPA) was signed by
both countries last year, but has only recently been ratified. But legally the
BIPPA will only come into force 30 days after both countries have notified each
other that they have fulfilled their “respective constitutional requirements
for entry into force.” The exchange of notifications has not yet taken place,
so the BIPPA is not yet in force.
South African civil rights
imitative AfriForum has threatened legal action against its government for refusing
to aid its citizens in Zimbabwe. The group’s legal team had last month written
a letter to the South African Department of Trade and Industry demanding
intervention on behalf of South African farmers. That letter was ignored.
AfriForum’s CEO Kallie Kriel
told SW Radio Africa on Friday that the government’s refusal to help the
farmers is a “disgrace.” He explained that court papers will be ready next
week, which will ask the court to force the government to honour its
responsibility to protect its citizens in Zimbabwe.
“The government’s only reaction
has been to invite Robert Mugabe to watch the FIFA World Cup,” Kriel said. “We
could have expected some stronger action from the government towards the man
who is responsible for the violations facing our citizens.”
The ongoing farm attacks and
the government’s refusal to honour various BIPPAs with different countries,
means Zimbabwe remains devoid of meaningful investment, and even critical aid
is now under threat. Germany’s government said on Friday that it will cut off
aid to Zimbabwe unless land invaders are removed from a farm owned by a German
national. Germany said, in a protest note to the Zimbabwe foreign ministry,
that the occupation of the property owned by German investor Heinrich von
Pezold, violates an investment agreement between the two countries. The note
said Germany “will not be in a position to support a government which tolerates
the blunt theft” of the land where houses, equipment and US$ 120,000 worth of
corn, the staple food, had been looted.
The note issued by the German
Embassy explained that an armed mob stormed the estate last month and held two
farm managers hostage in their homes. Police arrived later but “did not
endeavour to end the hostage taking. Property rights should be dealt with in
court and not by applying raw violence,” it said. The German government called
on the authorities to end the occupation of the property, and said that the
situation had created large financial losses for von Pezold, the largest German
investor in Zimbabwe.
2010 07 02 -
By Angus Shaw, AP
July 2nd, 2010
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
Protests at seizure of
German-owned Zimbabwe farm
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Germany’s
government said Friday it will cut off aid to Zimbabwe unless illegal and
violent occupiers are removed from a farm owned by a German national.
In a Friday protest note to the
Zimbabwe foreign ministry, Germany noted the occupation of the eastern Zimbabwe
property owned by German investor Heinrich von Pezold violates a decade-old
investment agreement between the two countries.
Germany said the farm seizure
and looting on the property could imperil aid. Last year, Germany gave $ 50
million to independent aid groups in the southern African country.
The note said Germany “will not
be in a position to support a government which tolerates the blunt theft” of
the land where houses, equipment and $ 120,000 worth of corn, the staple food,
had been looted.
An armed and alcohol-drinking
mob stormed the estate June 18 and held two farm managers hostage in their
homes, the note issued by the German Embassy said.
Police arrived later but “did
not endeavor to end the hostage taking. Property rights should be dealt with in
court and not by applying raw violence,” it said.
The German government called on
authorities to end the occupation, and noted that the situation had created
large financial losses in food crops, timber and tea and coffee operations for
von Pezold, the largest German investor in Zimbabwe.
Ripened coffee worth $ 500,000
was rotting on the bushes, the note said.
Germany’s government also said
the occupation violated international law and demonstrated a lack of commitment
from senior Zimbabwean officials to honor investment agreements.
In Berlin, the German foreign
ministry said in a statement Friday the European nation ceased giving direct
aid to Zimbabwe’s government in 2002 but continued to provide humanitarian aid
through nongovernment and civil society organizations.
Humanitarian charities in
Zimbabwe say their foreign aid goes toward food supplies to the needy and
improving health, education and other government services that collapsed in the
country’s economic meltdown in years of political and economic turmoil.
Farmers’ organizations also
protested the arrest Thursday of South African national Mike Odendaal for
allegedly not vacating his farm in southeastern Zimbabwe under an eviction
notice.
Odendaal was released by police
and was leaving his land at Chipinge, 400 kilometers (250 miles) southeast of
Harare, on Friday, headed for South Africa.
On June 26, he had won a High Court
ruling that struck down the eviction, allowed him to stay on the farm and
ordered authorities to remove illegal occupiers.
Deon Theron, head of the
Commercial Farmers Union in Zimbabwe, said Odendaal had “had enough” after months
of threats and legal wrangling.
“This again shows a total
disrespect for the law,” Theron told The Associated Press.
The South African support group
AfriForum said South African officials in Zimbabwe and in South Africa ignored
pleas from Odendaal and other South Africans forced from land protected by
bilateral trade and investment deals.
“It leaves a bitter taste in
the mouth when one sees that the South African government turns its back on its
own citizens who are subject to human rights violations in Zimbabwe,” the group
said in a statement.
Often violent land seizures
began in 2000, disrupting the agriculture-based economy. Some 300 white farmers
remain on their land and more than half of them are facing eviction orders.
About 4,000 have been forced
from their farms since 2000 under a program President Robert Mugabe insisted
was to correct colonial era imbalances in land ownership. Many prime farms were
allocated to Mugabe cronies and still lie idle.
2010 07 02 -
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/zimbabwe/5541.html
02 July, 2010 08:48:00
By Tichaona Sibanda
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
Rogue Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa was part of a three-member ministerial delegation that flew to
Brussels via Germany.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
Justice and Legal Affairs
Minister Patrick Chinamasa was detained for almost three hours at Germany’s
Munich airport on Thursday, when he was on his way to attend the European
Union-Zimbabwe talks in Brussels, Belgium.
Chinamasa was part of a
three-member ministerial delegation that flew to Brussels via Germany. The
other two are head of delegation Energy Minister, Elton Mangoma and
International Cooperation Minister, Priscilla Mishairabwi-Mushonga.
The duo had to delay their
departure to Brussels waiting for Chinamasa to be cleared by Germany
authorities to proceed to Belgium. A source in Brussels told SW Radio Africa
that immigration officials in Munich were not expecting Chinamasa to pass
through the city, following a glitch with the route their plane took.
Initially the three ministers
were expected to change planes in Frankfurt after flying from Johannesburg.
Authorities in Frankfurt knew of Chinamasa’s arrival and he had already been
cleared to proceed to Brussels. The Justice Minister is on a travel ban of EU
countries and needed a special dispensation from the EU to travel to Brussels.
Zimbabwe and the EU began talks
on Friday to try to revive relations, strained for the past decade over Robert
Mugabe’s controversial rule and blotted human rights record.
The talks were initially
planned for April but were cancelled because the delegation could not fly out
of Harare because of the Icelandic volcanic eruption that spewed ash across
European skies, forcing cancellation of flights.
Relations between Brussels and
Harare took a hit following the holding of the violence-marred presidential
poll, ‘won’ by Mugabe in 2002. The EU and its Western allies condemned the
election as a fraud and imposed visa and financial sanctions against Mugabe and
his top allies in ZANU PF and in the military.
ZANU PF hope to use the talks
with the EU to push for lifting of these targeted sanctions on the ruling
elite, but analysts do not see Brussels scrapping these punitive measures,
until calls for more political and democratic reforms in Zimbabwe are heeded.
The EU has consistently said
that it was not appropriate yet for sanctions to be removed, saying the pace of
reforms was too slow. Analysts told us the Zimbabwe delegation will find it
hard to push for the removal of sanctions when Mugabe and ZANU PF were
hindering progress by failing to implement issues already agreed upon in the
Global Political Agreement.
Mugabe has complicated the
situation by persistently dragging his heels on issues already resolved. When
inter-party negotiators to the GPA concluded their talks on April 3, they
submitted a detailed document titled ‘implementation matrix’ to their
principals.
A source told us the document
outlines issues which negotiators agreed upon and recommends how the issues
should be implemented.
Negotiators in the talks
included Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche for ZANU PF, Tendai Biti and Mangoma for
the MDC-T, and Welshman Ncube and Misihairabwi-Mushonga for the MDC-M.
It is believed negotiators from
the three parties have also raised concerns at the slow pace to implement
issues they agreed upon. They insist that had the principals acted, the process
would have significantly moved forward and enhanced chances of the EU looking
positively at the request by ZANU PF to lift targeted sanctions.
Human rights lawyer Dewa
Mavhinga urged the unity government to commit to human rights reforms saying
the power-sharing pact provides a framework for change, but commitment to its
implementation is lacking.
‘The issue of sanctions is more
of a rhetorical exercise rather than something of substance. The failure to
introduce reforms of the police, army and security forces, or address impunity
are real obstacles that need to be addressed urgently,’ Mavhinga said.
He said the government must
give as much attention to securing human rights reforms as they are to seeking
the removal of targeted sanctions
2010 07 02 -
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jGYHIzMV5PtfQKCfB-14Pegdtm4A
(AFP)
BRUSSELS
The European Union called on
Zimbabwe on Friday to make "concrete progress" in meeting
long-delayed political and human rights reforms after holding talks with Zimbabwean
ministers.
EU foreign affairs chief
Catherine Ashton and Development Commissioner Andris Pielbags met with
ministers representing three political parties from Harare's power-sharing
government.
"The EU appreciates some
progress made implementing the Global Political Agreement in Zimbabwe,"
Ashton said in a statement, referring to the February 2009 power-sharing deal
between President Robert Mugabe and his former rival Morgan Tsvangirai.
Ashton said Brussels
"remains ready to continue the dialogue and to respond flexibly and
positively to any clear signals of further concrete progress."
Relations between Zimbabwe and
the European Union were strained 10 years ago by elections marred by violence
and widespread allegations of human rights abuses by Mugabe's government.
In February, the EU renewed
sanctions against Mugabe and his inner circle for another year, citing a lack
of progress in implementing political and human rights reforms.
Despite the sanctions, the
27-nation bloc has provided 180 million euros (226 million dollars) to Zimbabwe
for health, education, food security and governance, said a statement from
Brussels.
The EU will release another 20
million euros in aid in the coming days, a commission official said.
The delegation from Harare included
Energy Minister Elton Mangoma, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and
International Cooperation Minister Priscilla Misihairambwi-Mushonga.
The two sides held "open
and constructive discussions with the ultimate objective of progressing towards
normalising relations between the European Union and Zimbabwe," the EU
said in a statement.
"It was also agreed to
intensify the dialogue in Harare," it said.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All
rights reserved.
2010 07 02 -
The Financial Gazette
* * * * * * *
http://www.financialgazette.co.zw/top-stories/4668-obert-mpofu-accused-of-lying.html
Friday, 02 July 2010 14:52
Clemence Manyukwe
Political Editor
DIAMONDS from Chiadzwa fields
remain banned as it emerged that Mines and Mining Development Minister, Obert
Mpofu, misrepresented facts when he told the nation last week that the
Kimberley Process (KP) had given Zimbabwe the green light to export its
black-listed gemstones at its meeting in Israel. Following the Israel
gathering, Mpofu said the meeting ended with a nod for Zimbabwe to sell the
diamonds from the disputed fields, resulting in Cabinet on Tuesday giving its
own approval for export.
The KP has since said there is
no resolution for the resumption of exports, adding that a mini summit of the
major diamond stakeholders is on the cards to deal with the matter once again
after the Tel Aviv indaba ended in a stalemate. Marange diamonds have assumed a
bad reputation after reports of the murder, maiming and rape of civilians in
the area some of whom were involved in illegal panning activities, smuggling
and more recently illegal exports that have not benefited the Treasury.
At the back of other countries
such as Sierra Leone that plunged into civil war as a result of greedy
politicians fighting to gain control of the mineral wealth, there are also
fears that pickings from the fields may fuel conflict between ZANU-PF and the
Movement for Democratic Change formations as the country looks set for another
general election next year.
A fall-out between powerful
ZANU-PF factions has also been cited when President Robert Mugabe, in power
since independence in 1980, bows out of the party leadership.
The revelations that a ban is
still in force come at a time when the United States is ratcheting up pressure
on the government by warning that it strongly opposes any diamond exports before
the KP reaches consensus on the issue.
Last month the KP gave a notice
to all its members to report any shipment of Marange diamonds that might come
to their attention and be on the look-out for stones from the same area that
maybe laundered through the use of false documentation.
Zimbabwe has a stockpile of
over four million carats of diamonds worth nearly US$ 1,7 billion from the
Chiadzwa fields, with potential revenue of nearly US$ 2 million per month.
As the saga drags on,
representatives of two watchdogs that have been campaigning for the retention
of a ban on the gems, have accused Mpofu of lying that they had attempted to
bribe him by demanding part of the proceeds from Chiadzwa diamond exports in
exchange for support at the Israeli summit.
The two organisations -
Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) and Human Rights Watch said the minister, whom
PAC questioned his accumulation of wealth last month, which the minister
maintains is not ill-gotten, was in a bid to distract attention from alleged
organised smuggling and human rights violations at the disputed fields.
However, it was the KP that
exposed a major difference with Mpofu on what really transpired at the meeting.
“The centre of attention,
however, was the KP minimum standards implementation at the Marange diamond
fields in Zimbabwe. The meeting convened in light of the second report of the
KP monitor to Zimbabwe. In question was the continued implementation of the
Joint Work Plan (JWP), agreed upon at the plenary meeting in Swakopmund,
Namibia, in November 2009 . . . The Intercessional could not reach consensus
regarding the implementation of the JWP and the work carried out by the KP
monitor to Marange. As such, the meeting ended in an impasse,” said the KP.
The organisation added that KP
chair, Boaz Hirsch, declared an impasse after a night-long discussion that
ended in the morning the following day, resulting in him calling for another
meeting to attempt to resolve the differences.
“This situation is unprecedented
in the Kimberley Process me-eting, but all parties are committed to further
engagement. The KP is based on a partnership between governments, the diamond
industry and the civil society.
“I am committed to that end and
I have asked Mr Izhakoff (World Diamond Council chair) to jointly convene
within the WDC Annual Meeting coming July 14th-15th, in St Petersburg, a
mini-summit of the KP major stakeholders.
“In the meantime deliberations
will continue in order to find a consensus-based resolution,” the KP quoted its
chair as saying.
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20751&cat=8
EVER since world football
number one team Brazil came to Zimbabwe, there have been accusations of fraud,
illegal dealings and embezzlement of funds involving up to a whooping US$ 60
billion.
The country is agog with gossip
over deals that were cut by the organisers that include ZTA, ZIFA and
Government. France, Spain and Argentina, who had undertaken to visit Zimbabwe
at their point of exit from the World Cup finals in South Africa riding on the
successful visit by Brazil, have since refused to come sighting the media
reports on how the Brazilian visit has been marred by the alleged financial
scandal.
Isdore Guvamombe (IG) talks to
one of the alleged fraudsters, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive
Karikoga Kaseke (KK) over the allegations and refusal by the other three teams
to come to Zimbabwe.
IG: The country is awash with
allegations that there was massive fraud of up to $ 60 billion by yourself and
other senior official at ZTA, the Zimbabwe Football Association and in
Government when the Samba Boys came to town (Q)
KK: That is an insult. It is
sad and defamatory. That figure is atrocious and astronomic. It is mere
hallucination! I have read that figure in the newspapers and in online
publications and I have wondered where the stories are coming from.
When Brazil came, everything
was done above board and we have records to prove that.
But before I answer to the
allegations of fraud, the people of Zimbabwe need to know the real facts and
events that led to Brazil coming.
If I stole that kind of money
or if anyone of us stole that kind of money that person would be richer than
Bill Gates! I must be in Forbes Magazine of the rich. Our national budget is
less than US$ 2 billion dollars so that would be our national fiscus for 60
years.
That is an insult to us all. Is
this how the media wants to pay us back for bringing Brazil (Q)
The truth of what happened is
there and I am setting the record straight today.
IG: Is it true that you paid
Brazil US$ 1,8 million in appearance fees (Q)
KK: Again that is not true. I
will give you the real figure as I explain what happened. In fact, we paid
Brazil US$ 750 000 but it started very high, in British pounds form.
IG: What happened (Q)
KK: We wanted to bring musician
Akon as part of our celebrity host programme and three young men, Graylard
Chabarika, Eusorf Mawoni and Cosmas Zvenhamo of AlexanderEthan Company, came to
my office and told me that they knew someone working with the Brazilians, who
could link us and make the team come to and camp in Harare, ahead of the World
Cup finals.
So we abandoned Akon and said
let us look at Brazil, as the number one world soccer celebrity. We had also
targeted England, Spain and Argentina. It was all about rebranding Zimbabwe.
IG: How did these three come to
talk about Brazil from nowhere (Q)
KK: They initially wanted to
help us bring singer Akon for US$ 180 000 but we did not have that kind of
money for Akon. They then told me that they knew someone called Paul Leisagang,
who could make Brazil come to Zimbabwe.
Paul works for Kentaro, a
company that has exclusive marketing rights for Brazil football team for the
2010. These three boys said they wanted US$ 100 000 success fee if they managed
to help us bring the Brazilians to Zimbabwe and we agreed.
IG: Success fee (Q)
KK: Yes, that is what they
called it but you can call it anything or commission, whatever.
IG: So you paid them when
Brazil eventually came (Q)
KK: Yes, we paid them as per
agreement and you can confirm with them. Chabarika’s number is 0912928139,
Eusorf’s number is 0912936409 and Zvenhamo’s number is 0914312596. They will
tell you what happened. I am clear about what transpired. But this is beside
the point. I want to explain all the monies involved so that you see that
neither myself nor Minister Mzembi and Rushwaya stole anything.
IG: Explain.
KK: The three men I mentioned
before, then phoned me late one night in November last year and told me that
Paul wanted to talk to me and that he wanted them to fly to South Africa. I
made arrangements with my own money to have these guys fly to South Africa to
see Paul. While there, Paul talked to me on the phone and told me that I was
supposed to present Zimbabwe’s bid within 48 hours.
I had to pay for my travel to
South Africa. What pains me is that I used my own money because I did not have
Cabinet authority. I never recovered the money. I repeat, I used my own money.
While in South Africa, Paul made me phone the Brazilian officials and talk to
them over the phone from America for an hour and once again I used my money. It
is at that stage that they agreed to listen to my proposal. They never believed
we had enough security neither did they believe we have a good hotel to host
their team.
IG: What was the proposal (Q)
KK: That we host Brazil for a
two-week training camp and that we have Rainbow Towers and that they play our
national team and two other teams of Brazil’s choice. They said they wanted 2,5
million pounds.
IG: Pounds or US dollars (Q)
KK: Pounds. That is when we
invited Paul to Zimbabwe to negotiate for the package. At this point, we roped
in the Cabinet Committee on 2010. At the meeting there were mixed feelings
about the money involved.
Minister Mzembi said the money
required was too much and we started further negations. Paul then told us that
the match would be self-funding because of TV rights and gate takings. We said
we did not have the kind of money still because our country was poor. The
figure then changed to US$ 2 million and then to US$ 1,8. It was now US
dollars. We met in January three times about these figures. The number of
matches then also changed to one and the figure changed to US$ 1,3 million.
IG: When did ZIFA come in (Q)
KK: We brought in Zifa CEO
Rushwaya at this stage and it is sad that after the good job she did in negotiating
downwards, she is rubbished and called a thief. It is Rushwaya who showed the
Kentaro team that Zimbabwe had no money.
Qatar had a US$ 5,5 bid on the
table for the Samba boys but were sold out by their climate. Tanzania and
Malawi had their lucrative bids. But Rushwaya came with her usual attitude that
if the Brazilians do not want to go down to US$ 750 000 they could as well go
to another country. She was strong and resolute. The negotiating team then
agreed on $ 750 000 but removed television rights. She negotiated in two days.
This is when we decided that Rushwaya signs the agreement on our behalf because
we thought it the right thing. We still think it was right.
IG: Who paid the US$ 750 000
(Q)
KK: It was tough. We had been
given a close deadline and we did not have the money. I went with Minister
Mzembi to CBZ and they opened a special account for us. CBZ said they would
take all the gate takings if they paid for us and we agreed. So the gates were
manned by CBZ not ZTA, not ZIFA or anyone. CBZ paid for the plane that brought
the Brazilians US$ 90 000. The Brazilians refused to use Air Zimbabwe, they
said they did not want a Boeing 737 200 but preferred a new model. They hired a
South African plane.
IG: Who else contributed (Q)
KK: NetOne paid US$ 20 000 to
the CBZ account. Delta paid US$ 50 000 into the ZTA account for entertainment
costs. We used this to pay the musicians who played at the Brazil game and paid
for the PA system. Zimplats paid US$ 128 000 into the special account. The gate
takings raised US$ 645 000 after removing charges like cashiers. We had to pay
US$ 10 000 to public works to clean the stadium after the match. The stadium
was donated for free by the Government. So the fans paid US$ 645 000 as gate
takings. The fans paid for the game. ZTA had to pay the remaining US$ 58 000 to
CBZ to make them retain their US$ 750 000. Zimbabwe’s soccer fans paid for
Brazil. The fans literary brought Brazil here! The total corporate sponsorship
was a mere US$ 198 00.0. If it were not for Brazil, we would have made profit.
We wanted to charge the rest of the stadium US$ 15 but they said your people
are poor. Make them pay US$ 10.
IG: What did Benjani Mwaruwari
pay in the upkeep of our national team (Q)
KK: Nothing! He was actually
paid an appearance fee like other players. People are telling lies. Benjani
paid virtually nothing!
IG: There is also another
allegation that you personally stole US$ 500 000 from people that registered
their houses in anticipation for an influx of World Cup tourists (Q)
KK: That is silly. Here is a
list of the 309 people who registered their houses for 2010. They each paid US$
10 for registration, which is less than the cost of inspecting the houses. The
receipts are there. They are free for inspection. Where did the US$ 500 000
figure come from (Q)
Go and ask those who paid for
their houses. ZTA charged them a mere US$ 10 registration. You must know that
ZTA is an organisation that has a proper accounting system.
I am former chief executive of
another parastatal, I am former Permanent Secretary of a Government Ministry
and you think I cannot put in place accountability.
ZTA has a board of governors
and you cannot expect it to be run like an informal organisation. How can US$
500 000 go missing from ZTA unaccounted for (Q)
isadore.guvamombe@zimpapers.co.zw
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20756&cat=1
Herald Reporter
Companies and businesspersons
that failed to comply with Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Regulations
decreeing that they submit proposals on how they intend to comply with the law
face prosecution.
Those found in contravention
with the law will either face jail time, fines or both.
In an interview yesterday, the
legal advisor in the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment, Mrs Theresa Chifamba, said Government will ensure everyone gets
the relevant forms and submit them or be taken to court.
The deadline was June 30, 2010
after it was twice extended. In a separate interview, Indigenisation Minister
Saviour Kasukuwere said the law must be complied with.
He said over 600 companies,
including big manufacturing and mining houses, had submitted their proposals.
"The law is very clear and
those who did not comply would be prosecuted because they must be aware that
they are in breach of the law," he said
The minister urged all
companies that had not yet communicated with his offices to do so because the
deadline would not be further extended. Mrs Chifamba also added that some
companies had for individually asked for deadline extensions and these had been
granted.
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20766&cat=1
By Takunda Maodza
MDC-T cannot fire Victoria
Falls Mayor Nkosilathi Jiyane because he is performing his duties
satisfactorily, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius
Chombo has said.
In an interview yesterday,
Minister Chombo warned the Morgan Tsvangirai-led formation to desist from
bringing internal party squabbles into local governance issues.
MDC-T has been trying to push
out Mayor Jiyane and replace him with a former commercial farmer called Mr
Larry Cummings, who is understood to be a major party financier.
However, the law does not allow
a party to boot out a mayor.
Yesterday, Minister Chombo
said, "Councillor Jiyane cannot be punished for performing his duties
well. As the ministry, we want a complete separation of party political
activities and governmental functions.
"If MDC-T councillors
disagree with the mayor, they cannot bring party fights in council chambers.
The main function of a mayor and his councillors is to provide service
delivery.
"Political arrangements
are out of this. As far as governmental activities are concerned, Clr Jiyane
has performed well."
Sections 54(1) and 54(2) of the
Urban Councils Act states: "The President may require a mayor to vacate
his office if he has been guilty of any conduct that renders him unsuitable as
mayor, or is mentally or physically incapable of carrying out the functions of
his office.
"The Minister may suspend
a mayor whom he suspects on reasonable grounds of having been guilty of conduct
referred to (above) or against whom criminal proceedings have been instituted
for an offence in respect of which a sentence of imprisonment without option of
a fine may be imposed."
The ministry has since written
to the Victoria Falls town council directing that Mayor Jiyane remain in
office.
Minister Chombo said, "We
have instructed the Secretary for Local Government, Rural and Urban Development
(Mr Killian Mpingo) to instruct the Victoria Falls town clerk and council that
the functions of council should proceed unhindered.
"We heard that an
instruction from somewhere was given that no full council should be held in
Victoria Falls," Minister Chombo said.
He said only he, as the
minister, and only on good grounds, could stop full council meetings.
"If MDC-T councillors in
Victoria Falls are no longer interested in service delivery, they are free to
resign. The secretary has instructed that Clr Jiyane stays and works normally.
"If he makes errors as
mayor, due process will take its course. Kangaroo courts are not allowed.
Councillors in Victoria Falls are warned to work in the interests of the
people.
"If they fail to attend to
their duties we will be glad to remove them from office and elections will be held,"
Minister Chombo said.
Councillors have accused the
mayor of incompetence and have established a four-member team to probe him.
There are efforts in the MDC-T
formation to dismiss him from office since Mayor Jiyane is one of the longest
serving MDC-T councillors in Zimbabwe.
Last month, MDC-T councillors
passed a vote of no confidence in him and his deputy, Cllr Patricia Mwale.
The probe team, which is led by
Hwange East legislator, Mr Thuse Sansole, has submitted a report on its
findings to MDC-T’s national secretary for local government Mr Sessel Zvidzai.
Mr Zvidzai is also Local
Government, Rural and Urban Development Deputy Minister.
Investigations show MDC-T wants
Mr Cummings to take over the mayorship.
Sources said Mayor Jiyane had
refused to "compensate" Mr Cummings after he lost his safari business
during the land reform programme by giving him a prime commercial stand in
Victoria Falls.
MDC-T is also not happy that
the mayor has attended State functions officiated by President Mugabe.
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20765&cat=1
Herald Reporters
The Parliamentary Select
Committee has dismissed reports by some non-governmental organisations that the
constitutional outreach programme has been marred by violence and intimidation.
Some sections of the media have
claimed that outreach monitors were assaulted in Mashonaland Central.
"The general atmosphere
has been conducive and meetings have been held in an environment of peace. No
incidences of violence have been recorded. We are seeing national healing in
the process, with members of different political parties sitting together and
speaking their minds out," said Copac co-chairperson Cde Munyaradzi Paul
Mangwana (Zanu-PF) at a Press conference yesterday.
He also said there were no
people called "outreach monitors" - a term some NGO workers have been
using to describe themselves.
"The problem I have is
identifying an outreach monitor. We did not accredit outreach monitors; they
have no relationship with us."
MDC representative Mr Gaule
added: "We do not have any monitors, why should it be monitored?"
Cde Mangwana castigated some
NGOs’ attempts to derail the programme for their selfish reasons.
"The level of polarisation
has led some people to form organisations that survive on lies. They will
continue to perpetuate those lies. However, those who continue to perpetuate
those lies will eat humble pie in the fullness of time," he said.
Mr Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T),
another co-chairperson, said they would soon start accreditation of genuine
individuals and organisations to observe the outreach.
In a separate interview, Cde
Mangwana yesterday said too few youths were participating in the
constitution-making process.
"This is very
disappointing as the constitution is really theirs. Strategies are being
formulated to find out how the youths can be incorporated more in the process.
Political parties have also been urged to engage their youth wings," he
said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday UNDP
and Treasury released more money for the outreach.
The programme had been dogged
by financial constraints, which resulted in outreach teams being evicted from
hotels.
The money is for fuel, hired
vehicles and accommodation. Copac had forwarded a US$ 2 million budget to the
management committee for "unforeseen" expenses.
Yesterday, Copac national
co-ordinator Mr Peter Kunjeku said: "UNDP on Wednesday released US$ 70 000
for fuel and US$ 970 000, which is a 50 percent down-payment for hired
vehicles. They have also released quite a substantial amount for hotels where
outreach teams will be staying. Treasury has released US$ 400 000 for our
administrative purposes."
Despite a slow start, several
well-attended meetings have been held in various provinces.
Midlands has held 52 meetings,
Masvingo has had 30, while Mashonaland West and East have had 31 and 50
respectively.
The others are Mashonaland
Central (51), Matabeleland North and South (35 and 36) and Manicaland (61).
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20767&cat=1
Crime Reporter
Jailed diamond dealer Newman
Chiadzwa’s wife was last Thursday fined US$ 700 by a Mutare magistrate after
she was found in possession of diamonds worth over US$ 18 million.
Palister Chiadzwa (38) was
found guilty of breaching the Precious Stones Act following her arrest in 2006.
Her husband is serving a
five-year jail term and was fined US$ 132 000 after he was convicted of
illegally possessing 43 028 diamonds of varying sizes by a Mutare magistrate.
Last Thursday, Palister was
fined US$ 700 or seven months in jail with hard labour.
On October 14, 2006 police
detectives on patrol in Marange received information that Palister was
illegally dealing in diamonds at Zengeni Business Centre.
They put her under surveillance
for some time before approaching Palister, who was sitting in her green Toyota
Prado.
A search was conducted and the
detectives discovered 2 462 diamonds worth US$ 18 658 280 in her handbag.
She was arrested and the
diamonds were forfeited to the State.
CID Border Control and Minerals
Unit spokesperson Detective Assistant Inspector Godfrey Mubaiwa yesterday
confirmed the case and sentence.
Palister’s husband, Newman, was
thrown behind bars in March and is appealing against both his conviction and
sentence.
In June, High Court judge
Justice Yunus Omerjee threw out Newman’s application for bail pending review.
Newman, who once laid claim to
the title "Chief Chiadzwa", has 12 previous criminal convictions,
some of them dating back to 1971.
The crimes ranged from hawking
to illegal possession of gold and diamonds.
In 2008, he was convicted of
illegally possessing diamonds while he was out on bail after being charged with
a similar crime earlier.
Newman rose to national
notoriety in 2009 when he reportedly lied to a visiting Kimberley Process
Certification Scheme team that there were mass graves in Chiadzwa.
He reportedly made the claims
in the guise of "Chief Chiadzwa", a non-existent title as the area is
led by a headman who falls under Chief Marange’s jurisdiction.
Newman, however, recanted that
claim and apologised a few months before he was jailed for his crimes.
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20769&cat=1
Municipal Reporter
Harare City councillors were on
Tuesday night at each other’s throats over allegations of corruption and bias
in awarding a tender for the supply of two tipper trucks.
Councillors alleged that Paza
Buster, the company awarded the tender, belonged to an unnamed senior Zanu-PF
official and should therefore not get the tender.
This prompted Mayor Muchadeyi
Masunda to call a vote to decide the matter.
Twenty-five councillors voted
to award the contract to Total Motor Mart while seven supported Paza Buster.
The procurement board had
recommended Paza Buster based on its price of US$ 349 600 for the two Isuzu
tipper trucks and a proven track record in timeous delivery of orders.
The company has supplied 20
refuse compactors and six tipper trucks for the waste management department. It
services the vehicles free of charge.
But the majority felt Total
Motor Mart with its price of US$ 377 793,88 was the best.
The company supplies Mann
vehicles. The two tipper trucks are required by the engineering department for
road repairs.
The councillors did not name
their colleagues who they accused of being induced to award the tender to Paza
Buster.
Clr Girisoti Mandere questioned
why Paza Buster was getting the contract soon after it won another one to
supply refuse collection trucks.
Clr Julius Musevenzi added his
voice: "We are now smelling a rat. On what basis did the committee select
Paza Buster?"
Clr Warship Dumba supported his
colleagues saying Paza Buster was causing them headaches.
"Something is happening
here," he said. Clr Tungamirai Madzokere said the directors of Paza Buster
should be named.
His comments followed the
councillors’ caucus meeting agreement that seemed to infer that the company was
linked to Zanu-PF officials.
Mr Masunda at first had ruled
that the matter be referred back to the procurement board but the chairman of
the board, Clr Masiye Kapare, refused and said the house should decide.
A vote was called to decide the
matter with 13 councillors in favour of referring the matter to the committee
while 20 said the full council should make a decision.
The last vote was for which
company should get the tender.
Yesterday the managing director
of Paza Buster, Mr Paul Chenjerai, said the company was a family business owned
by him and his two brothers, Andrew and Ronald.
"We also work with Mr
Isaac Jiri as our manager. We own the company. This company has been given to a
lot of people. But to put the record straight, I am the managing director,
Andrew is the financial director while Ronald does the marketing," he
said.
Mr Chenjerai said it would be
in the interest of everyone if the council could verify ownership of the
company before tarnishing names of individuals.
After the full council meeting
officials were adamant that the councillors were indeed benefiting from the
tenders.
"There is no more parking
space here at Town House. They all have vehicles," said an official.
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20772&cat=1
By Innocent Ruwende and Freeman
Razemba
PRESIDENTIAL Affairs Minister
Didymus Mutasa and Home Affairs co-Minister Theresa Makone on Wednesday went to
Mbare, Matapi and Stodart police stations allegedly demanding the release of
Mutasa’s son.
Martin Mutasa (47) was arrested
on Monday along with businessman Temba Mliswa (38) and George Marere (36) for
allegedly seizing shareholding worth US$ 1 million in a company.
Mliswa is a nephew to Minister
Mutasa.
Three other people - including
a director of the company and his wife - have since been arrested on the same
charges.
Martin Mutasa, Mliswa and
Marere appeared before a Harare magistrate yesterday.
However, according to police,
on Wednesday Ministers Mutasa and Makone tried to "intimidate"
officers into releasing Martin Mutasa.
Chief police spokesperson
Senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena yesterday said: "The
Zimbabwe Republic Police views seriously the behaviour of the two ministers
which sought to interfere with police work, particularly as the ministers
sought to protect accused person facing charges of wantonly seizing property
outside the law and threatening others."
Snr Asst Comm Bvudzijena said
the behaviour contravened Section 184 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act by defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The law states that any person
who "by an act of omission, causes judicial proceedings to be defeated or
obstructed, intending to defeat or obstruct the proceedings or realising that
there is a real risk or possibility that the proceedings may be defeated or
obstructed; or;
"Knowing that a police
officer is investigating the commission of a crime or realising that there is a
real risk or possibility that a police officer may be investigating the
commission or suspected commission of a crime, and who, by any act or omission,
causes such investigation to be defeated or obstructed, intending to defeat or
obstruct the investigation or realising that there is real risk or possibility
that the investigation maybe defeated or obstructed;
"Hinders or disturbs a
police officer in the execution of his or her duty, knowing that the police
officer is a police officer executing his or her duty or realising that there
is a real risk or possibility that the police officer may be a police officer
executing his or her duty; shall be guilty of defeating or obstructing the
course of justice."
Snr Asst Comm Bvudzijena would
not disclose what action they were taking against the ministers.
Martin Mutasa, Mliswa and
Marere yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Don Ndirowei to answer to
fraud charges.
They were granted US$ 400 bail
each, but will remain in custody after the State invoked Section 121 of the
Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.
The section empowers the State
to keep suspects in remand prison for seven days while it considers appealing
against the granting of bail.
The trio is represented by
lawyer Mr Charles Chinyama of Chinyama and Partners while Mrs Phyllis Zvenyika
prosecuted.
Minister Mutasa made an
appearance at the courts in the company of his lawyer, Mr Gerald Mlotshwa.
Three others - Hammarskjold
Banda, his wife Brendaly and Alfred Mwatiwamba - last Friday appeared in court
on the same charges and are out of custody on US$ 100 bail.
Mliswa, who is the vice
president of the Affirmative Action Group, is accused of misrepresenting to
businessman Paul Westwood that President Mugabe and Youth, Indigenisation and
Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere had given them the go-ahead to take
over 50 percent of his company, Noshio Investments Limited.
Westwood held 50 percent of the
company that is valued at US$ 2,1 million while one of the accused, Banda,
owned the other half.
The State alleges that in
October 2009, Westwood and Banda had a dispute over alleged misappropriation of
funds by Banda’s wife, Brendaly, who was the company’s finance and human
resources manager.
She had reportedly withdrawn
US$ 25 000 without Westwood’s knowledge.
The company resolved to suspend
Brendaly in October, a decision that did not go down well with Banda.
It is alleged the husband and
wife connived with Martin Mutasa, Mliswa, Marere and Mwatiwamba to seize
control of the company.
The State says in August 2009,
Banda borrowed US$ 100 000 from Mliswa at 5 percent interest per month.
He, however, allegedly failed
to repay the loan at the agreed rate.
Mliswa is said to have demanded
that he surrender his Noshio shares to him to offset the debt.
On December 18, Mliswa, Martin
Mutasa, Mwatiwamba, Brendaly and a Nigel Murambiwa allegedly went to Noshio
Investments offices claiming Minister Kasukuwere had allowed them to take over
the company.
Mliswa is alleged to have
claimed President Mugabe was aware of the takeover and it was in line with
Government policy.
The five allegedly told
Westwood they had taken 50 percent of the company’s shares and threatened him
with death if he resisted.
The State says Mliswa called a
meeting with Noshio workers during which he informed them he had assumed
control and warned them against taking orders from Westwood.
It is alleged that Mliswa
further threatened Westwood, who stopped visiting the company premises after
bouncers were hired to man the entrance.
As a result, the State alleges,
Westwood lost shareholding worth US$ 1 050 000.
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20729&cat=8
Business Reporter
Zimbabwe has the capacity to
increase coffee production if the industry stabilises and become
self-sustaining, the outgoing Head of Delegation of the European Union,
Ambassador Xavier Marchal has said.
Ambassador Marchal said there
are opportunities for growth, which should attract and promote new entrants
into the sector.
He said increased production
would create employment and improve standards of living.
"Zimbabwean commercial
farmers are certainly among the best in the world, should coffee be
"teamed up" with other very valuable crops such as macadamia nuts or
avocados.
"Today the coffee sector
is moribund, with 300 tonnes produced in 2010, which is not good for thousands
of communal farmers who want to improve their livelihoods and income,"
said Mr Marchal.
He added that unless there is
an immediate intervention with sustainable business plan, Zimbabwe would no
longer be able to produce fine Arabica coffee.
The country’s coffee production
dropped to its lowest levels registering 300 tonnes in 2010 as farmers shifted
to less demanding crops such as maize.
Zimbabwe reached its peak in
the 1990s after producing 15 000 tonnes of coffee. The country has a milling
capacity of 50 000 tonnes of green coffee annually.
It takes about seven years for
a coffee plant to start producing, which makes it less attractive for most
farmers.
EU’s involvement in supporting
small-holder coffee producers of the Honde Valley started in 1982 and the
climax of the support has been the establishment of the coffee mill in Mutare
designed for small holder farmers.
2010 07 02 -
The Herald
2010 07 02
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=20731&cat=8
Business Reporter
PAN-AFRICAN resources company
Mwana Africa says it will this year resume operations at Trojan Nickel Mine and
the concentrator at Bindura Nickel Corporation.
Group chief executive Mr Ka-laa
Mpinga said SRK Consulting is preparing a report on the restart plans and the
group is evaluating strategic and financing options for the project.
"We have advanced plans
for the resumption of operations at the Trojan Nickel Mine and concentrator,
including proposed off-take terms," said Mr Mpinga.
The only integrated nickel
mine, smelter and refinery complex in Southern Africa, BNC has the potential to
become a processing centre for materials produced throughout the region.
"Our plans to restart
mining at Trojan and the production and sale of 7 000 tonnes of nickel per year
in concentrate are at an advanced stage," added Mwana chairperson, Mr
Oliver Baring.
Mr Mpinga commented that the
company remained confident that BNC would be brought back into successful
production, and would return to being an important contributor to the group and
to the country’s economy.
Turning to Freda Rebecca gold
mine, the group said the mine returned to commercial production in October
2009, in time to benefit from a record high gold price and 8 550 ounces of gold
were produced in the six months to March 31, 2010 and a further 3 447 ounces
have been produced.
In March 2009, Mwana announced
that it would undertake a two-phase refurbishment programme at the mine.
"We now look forward to a
return to production in line with the planned 30 000 ounces a year of gold from
phase one.
"In addition, Mwana would
use the US$ 10 million facility approved by South Africa’s Industrial
Development Corpora-tion to implement the second phase of the mine’s refurbishment
programme, which was planned to increase output to about 50 000 ounces of gold
a year."
Despite BNC remaining on care
and maintenance throughout the year, and production from Freda Rebecca
commencing only in the second half of the year, the group’s principal
operations generated revenues of 18,8 million pounds.
At BNC, sales of in-process
materials were concluded as part of the company’s strategy to realise cash from
existing working capital positions while the care and maintenance programme
continues.
The Freda Rebecca gold mine
generated revenue of 6 million pounds.
Group loss for the year before
tax was 14,4 million and net cash outflow during the year from the group was
3,7 million pounds.
Commenting on the new
indigenisation regulations, Mwana Africa said in the past it had taken steps
towards indigenous economic empowerment at its BNC and Freda Rebecca mine.
These include BNC’s listing on
the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and Mwana’s commitment to sell 15 percent stake in
Freda Rebecca to a local partner.
The Government is seeking to
make foreign companies with a market capitalisation of over US$ 500 000 to
dispose of at least 51 percent of their shares to indigenous Zimbabweans.
Mr Mpinga said mining was
unique in the scale of its need for capital investment, and its potential to
contribute significantly to the country’s economic recovery.
"We are confident that,
across the country, solutions will be found that balance both the need to
attract investment to Zimba-bwe and the responsibility of the mining industry
to support the economic development of the whole country," he said.
Mwana also operates in South
Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The company’s placing of 88.3
million shares in March 2010 raised approximately 8,4 million pounds after
expenses.