IOL
Boyd
Webb
March 15 2006 at 06:08AM
United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan has urged Zimbabwe to
listen more closely to South
Africa, a subtle indication that the world
body's leader was endorsing
Pretoria's policy of quiet diplomacy.
Annan, who met President
Thabo Mbeki at Tuynhuys on Tuesday, said he
would be visiting Harare
soon.
"And I would also encourage neighbours in crises, countries
in crises,
to listen to their neighbours, to work with them and to solve the
conflict,"
he said.
After South Africa, Annan is to visit the
Democratic Republic of
Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and Madagascar. He said his
trip to Zimbabwe would
be made at a later stage.
"The
situation in Zimbabwe is extremely difficult," Annan said. "It's
difficult
for the Zimbabweans, it's difficult for the region and it's
difficult for
the world."
Asked whether he supported South Africa's so-called
quiet diplomacy
approach towards Harare, Annan was even more diplomatic,
saying neighbours
should become more involved in each other's
problems.
He said he understood that on the African continent there
was a
tendency not to get involved in the internal affairs of one's
neighbours.
"But, of course, in this day and age very few crises
remain internal
for long," he said, adding that neighbouring countries were
often left to
cope with refugees fleeing from these situations.
Annan arrived in parliament to a naval guard of honour and a 17-gun
salute.
He met Mbeki for discussions that included peacekeeping
issues in the
DRC, Ivory Coast and Sudan. South African troops, under the
auspices of the
African Union, are deployed in these countries.
Mbeki and Annan also discussed the impasse in the UN General Assembly
over
the transformation of the discredited UN Human Rights Commission into a
more
effective and credible Human Rights Council.
Despite US opposition
to a draft resolution providing for the new
council, Annan said he was
optimistic that the issue would be resolved this
week.
This
article was originally published on page 6 of Cape Times on March
15,
2006
BBC
Zimbabwe's
government says sanitary towels donated during an
international appeal must
be quality tested before any duty exemption will
be considered.
The
economic crisis has led to a desperate shortage of tampons and
pads and many
women cannot afford them.
Trade unionists say the government
initially agreed to waive duty
charges.
"We will pay because
women can't wait, but we want the government to
reimburse us," Thabitha
Khumalo of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trades Unions
told the BBC.
The first 40-ton truckload of what is hoped will be monthly shipments
is due
to leave South Africa in the next few days.
With an 80%
unemployment rate and a minimum monthly wage of $21, a
packet of 10 sanitary
towels costing $5 is beyond the reach of most
Zimbabwean women.
The government maintains the problem is being blown out of
proportion.
'Absolutely deplorable'
The ZCTU launched
the sanitary towel appeal in October last year in
the UK and South Africa
and has been overwhelmed with the response from big
business as well as
ordinary South Africans.
Zimbabwe's deputy information minister
said the involvement of the
ZCTU - allied to the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change party - had
politicised the issue.
"People
are creating a crisis that does not exit. It's a lie to seek
attention,"
Bright Matonga told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
The ZCTU
says that the ministry of finance had promised in February
that duty charges
would not be applied and has reneged because the trade
union is not a
charity.
"It's a dignity issue. I don't see why we should pay duty.
Over and
above that, every single woman will benefit because it's a free
distribution," Ms Khumalo said.
But Mr Matonga said the
organisation should apply to the health
ministry for duty exemption and a
quality-control test, after this the
sanitary ware could be distributed by
the ministry.
The move has been criticised by international
organisations involved
in raising money.
"These are donated
goods, not a political issue. It's outrageous to
make gain out of
international solidarity between women," Action for
Southern Africa's Euan
Wilmshurst told the BBC News website.
Congress of South African
Trade Unions' Peter Craven said it was
"absolutely deplorable".
Taboo
Until 1999, sanitary towels were manufactured locally but the
economic
crisis has meant many companies have left
Zimbabwe.
Ms Khumalo says the critical shortage has been
ignored as it is taboo
to talk about periods in public, which is why the
unions sought
international help.
"Women have resorted to using
newspapers, tissue papers and those in
rural areas are using leaves and the
bark of trees," she said.
This, she says, has led to an increase of
vaginal infections.
"Gone are the days when women were embarrassed
to talk about it
because women are getting sick."
Mr Matonga
dismissed these allegations saying there were enough
sanitary towels
available.
"The Zimbabwe government won't sit back and let women
suffer. We care
about our women," he said.
The ZCTU said it
will raise the money for the duty from its partners
abroad and hopes to be
able to start distributing sanitary towels to women
next week.
The Herald
(Harare)
OPINION
March 14, 2006
Posted to the web March 14,
2006
Sifelani Tsiko
Harare
IN Zimbabwe, the fight against
inflation has been a test of nerves.
Just last week, Zimbabweans received
an extra dose of bad news. The
country's annual inflation rate for February
rose by 168,8 percentage points
to stand at 782 percent. When put simply,
the prices of goods and services
as measured by the consumer price index
rose by an average of 782 percent
between February last year and the same
month this year.
An explosion of triple digit inflation is now taking a
heavy toll on
household incomes, with many families now grappling to meet
their everyday
needs. Pensions have also been whittled down making life hard
for the
elderly.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has adopted a battery
of measures designed to
squeeze out inflation which has haunted the country
for the last four years.
Inflation-fighting tools designed by the RBZ have
not worked well to some
extent owing largely to the general difficult
circumstances the economy is
going through. In many ways, the
inflation-fighting tools have not brought
the desired results owing largely
to the prevailing uncertainties.
Over the years, economists say the fight
against inflation has been
compounded by financial deregulation and
innovation, electronic money and
the emergence of different sorts of
financial institutions. They say the
traditional role of a central bank was
defined in terms of banks, money and
inflation. But now, the boundaries
between different sorts of financial
institutions have become blurred,
making it difficult for the central bank
to define, let alone police the
banks.
In Zimbabwe, it is increasingly becoming difficult to determine
which prices
the central bank should zero in on to reign in inflation.
Should the
monetary authorities concern themselves with prices of assets
such as
property and shares or prices of goods and services? New enemies
assist in
fuelling inflation and these may include the new challenge of
electronic
money.
So much has been said about rising inflation in
Zimbabwe. Various economists
of different persuasions have hurled in various
theories to explain their
inflation fighting strategies. Some of the ideas
have been adopted by the
central bank to fight inflation. Some have proved
useful but others not.
Common conventional weapons for fighting inflation --
raising interest
rates, shrinking money supply and a chain of other
regulatory mechanism have
been adopted by the central bank. But still
inflation has not been dampened.
It is still raging fiercely sending
economists into a frenzy, pondering the
suitability of the country's
inflation fighting tools.
Some economists say foreign currency shortages,
rising fuel prices and the
general poor performance of the economy have made
inflation difficult to
control. Others have put blame on Government
expenditure and they believe
strongly that reducing expenditure can have a
positive effect on the fight
against triple digit inflation. Some go further
and say without
international aid from multilateral institutions, the fight
against
inflation will yield nothing.
As it seems, some of the major
factors setting current expectations of
inflation are largely outside the
realm of the RBZ. There is a school of
thought that says actual inflation is
driven by current expectations of
inflation. It suggests that "people are
raising inflation because they
expect inflation in the future." And true,
the real danger now in Zimbabwe
is that inflation expectations have become
psychological.
No matter what strategies the RBZ adopts to fight
inflation, there is very
little it can do to stop an "inflationary
psychology" from becoming embedded
not only in the minds of the people but
in various sectors of the economy as
well. "Once consumers and businesses
come to believe that future inflation
is guaranteed, they will set off a
self-reinforcing price spiral in which
everyone raises prices now because
they know prices will be going higher in
the future," says one economist
discussing the dilemma of inflation in
Zimbabwe. "These current price inc
reases just buttress that belief in
future inflation, leading to yet more
price increases," he added. Once these
expectations are created it's very
tough to reverse them, he says.
Having an exchange rate regime and a
monetary policy aimed at reducing
inflation to desired levels is no longer
enough for the Zimbabwean
situation. Economists say the credibility of
monetary policies and the
Government's commitment to fighting inflation are
critical for the country
to reduce inflation. But with people's expectations
in the equation, it has
become so difficult to imagine how Zimbabwe can
wriggle its way out of this
inflationary trap. There appears to be no
solution in sight. Is it not time
Zimbabweans debate more about possible
strategies of how to remove the
country out of this trap? After all, the
fight against inflation should be
everybody's war.
The Herald (Harare)
March 14,
2006
Posted to the web March 14, 2006
Harare
THE Ministry of
Health and Child Welfare has expressed disappointment over
the situation at
Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital where an acute shortage of
coal has forced
authorities to ask patients to bring their own clean linen.
Piles of
dirt-stained and potentially infectious unwashed linen were
reported to have
accumulated at the hospital because there was no coal to
heat boilers that
produce steam for laundry, cooking and sterilisation. In
an interview, the
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Edwin
Muguti, said the
problems at the hospital were obviously administrative,
meaning that someone
was failing to do their job efficiently.
"This is not something we expect
to be happening. We have officers tasked
with the smooth running of these
institutions and when things like this
begin to happen we begin to wonder
what they are doing. "I noted with dismay
what was taking place at Chinhoyi
and I have to say we cannot allow such
things to continue happening," he
said. Asking people to bring their own
linen, analysts said, was tantamount
to bringing infection to the hospital
as well as taking it back home upon
discharge.
Dr Muguti said all hospitals had budgets, meaning that they
had money, hen
ce Chinhoyi Hospital was no exception. The institution also
has mechanisms
in place for ordering and acquiring what would be required
for the smooth
running of the hospital. "If things can sink to the levels at
Chinhoyi
Hospital, then things are definitely out of control and something
is wrong
with the administration system," he said. The situation at the
hospital was
not representative of the situation at the country's health
facilities, as
some health centres were running efficiently, Dr Muguti
said.
There have been complaints about the continued deterioration of
services at
public hospitals. These range from poor service delivery to poor
health
facilities. Government has since announced its intention to overhaul
the
whole healthcare system, from central to district level, in a bid to
improve
service delivery and facilities. The year 2006, according to the
ministry,
had been set aside as a year of improvement in the health
sector.
Zim Daily
Wednesday, March 15 2006 @ 12:05 AM GMT
Contributed by:
Zimdaily
By Grace Kwinjeh
Zimbabweans
have been placed under the most brutal sanctions by
the Robert Mugabe
regime. I have been home only for a few days now, but
already I am witness
to a dreadful picture of poverty and desperation
everywhere I go.
Zimbabweans are sad, tired, and hungry, many look sick or
just helpless.
Their story can be summed up by the inflation figure which is
now at 800
percent. Who can survive that? Who will survive Mugabe's
sanctions?
But even as the new British ambassador to
Zimbabwe presented his
credentials at the State House with Mugabe extending
an olive branch to the
British Government, one wonders which way forward for
the international
Community now? Zimbabwe has hit rock bottom. Is the
International Community
going to stand by the people of Zimbabwe or find an
easy way out with the
dictator?
The fact that Zimbabwe's
ruling Zanu PF party seems to have
adjusted its life to suit its pariah
status in the international community,
while continuing to trample on
citizens rights, provides a reasonable basis
for the International Community
to start thinking of tougher measures
against the regime, beyond what is
currently in place. Recent statements by
both the USA and UK Governments on
increasing pressure against the Mugabe
regime, came as a pleasant surprise.
Surprise, because the statements were
made at a time when it seemed the
international community's focus on
Zimbabwe had profoundly diminished over
the past months if not years.
This has been the norm as is
witnessed in various African
countries in similar situations, that have at
first enjoyed international
attention only to lose it. As may be, the
dilemma has always been that while
the international community seeks new
flavours the country of interest at
that time slides off the international
radar. Countries like Ethiopia, Gabon
and Togo, for instance have remained
just that Africa's eye-sores. Long
forgotten by the world. They continue to
suffer in silence; I will not
mention Swaziland. Looking at the desperate
situation in Zimbabwe today
makes me shiver.
The fallacy
where we Zimbabweans are concerned is that we seem
to have remained a
'flavour of the year' beyond the 'one month' experienced
by our comrades on
the continent. The assumption is that Zimbabwe is an ever
lasting flavour
enjoyed by the international community at all times; but
things are not as
they seem.The attention received by Zimbabweans from
different players in
the international community has failed to evolve from
the open statements or
rhetoric to real action. The ruling Zanu PF party is
comfortable with the
international community's response in its present form
which encompasses
travel bans, arms embargoes and assert freezes; or just
loud noise. All
which the Zimbabwe regime can deal with, I will explain why.
The fact that we can suffer as a people to this level while the
international community watches, is demoralizing. I remember how at the
height of the white commercial farm invasions Zimbabwe was at the top of the
international community's agenda. Now that it is we black citizens who are
faced with Mugabe's tyranny everyday of our lives the interest has
diminished. It then becomes a self fulfilling prophecy that the
international community only intervenes where its interests are threatened.
We have neither oil nor gas in Zimbabwe. The fact that officials on the
targeted sanctions lists are still able to gallivant all over the world on
Zanu PF's business; or that many who are now doing business on behalf of the
regime are still not on the list; or the setting up of front companies to
bust international sanctions; without so much as a whisper from the
international community is deplorable.
The recent trip by
the Reserve Bank Governor, Gideon Gono and a
whole entourage of top Zanu PF
leadership to the USA is another case in
point. Even more sinister is the
fact that reputable international companies
are still doing business with
Mugabe and making huge profits out of it.
Would one be wrong in concluding
the complicity of the international
community in Mugabe's actions?Mugabe has
effectively maintained his
sanctions against the people of Zimbabwe whom he
has in all honesty
sentenced to death.
A quarter of our
population is said to be infected by the HIV
virus, but here you have a
Government that prioritises investment in
corruption and power, without
compassion to provide ARV's or proper
health-care for its people. So then
for those of us struggling against
Mugabe's autocracy what has become
problematic is the lack of innovativeness
on the part of the international
community, in coming up with new strategies
to rein in on the Mugabe regime.
Seeing as the current measures in their
present form, are encumbered, by so
many hitches or loopholes that make it
possible for the regime to sustain
its repression agenda. This is where the
story is.
Taking
me to my next point on the survival strategies adopted by
the regime to bust
international sanctions. While stories have been written
and said about many
of those groups targeted by the regime, that include,
white commercial
farmers, women's groups and political organizations, not
much has been said
about this particular group comprising businessmen who
have been stripped of
their asserts or just had their businesses taken away.
This particular story
brings in a new dimension to the whole debate on the
international
community's response to Zimbabwe crisis, vis-à-vis the search
for fresh
mechanisms to effectively rein in on the regime. Now as African
politics
goes or in any part of the world for that matter, it is those with
financial
resources who carry the day. The Mugabe regime has deliberately
targeted or
sought to neutralize those groups it feels threatened by, the
people with
the potential of supporting the struggle in many forms
especially financial
sustainability.
So the trend that has seen the regime attack
various groups from
white commercial farmers, NGO's to black businessmen,
should be understood
in its proper political context. I therefore want to
bring in a different
dimension to the whole discourse on effective
mechanisms to rein in on the
Mugabe regime. At EU level one interesting test
case or example can be taken
from the current challenge by Mutumwa Mawere's,
Africa Resources Limited
(ARL) of the Zimbabwe Governments callous
expropriation of his SMM holdings
a company registered in the Virgin
Islands. This case is being heard in a UK
court and carries with it many
interesting dynamics from Mugabe's empty
Pan-African rhetoric to his
corruption and the connivance of certain players
in the British
system.
While as Zimbabweans we seem to have understood the
impact on
democratic conduct of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) or
the Access
to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, (AIPPA), little has
been
analysed or said about the impact or the undemocratic nature of the
Reconstruction Act, which has been used to take over SMM Holdings by the
Government. This case also exposes the nexus that exists between the
question of human rights, the rule of law; property rights and the role of
the international community, in this instance British interests in Zimbabwe
and how they impact on democracy. Let us even assume that the British have a
zero tolerance for corruption in Kenya for instance a different picture
emerges on Zimbabwe. The fact that Gono, can transport corruption from
Zimbabwe to British
territory without being included on the
EU sanctions list is
scary to say the least.
While
Zimbabweans languish in absolute poverty the Government
was able to pay for
shares amounting to 2 million USD to a company AMG a
confirmed front of
principals that was recently concluded to be the
Government of Zimbabwe in a
court hearing between Mawere and the Government
of Zimbabwe, recently in the
UK. Even more interesting is that even though
the EU's Financial Services
Act has a Know Your Client clause that obligates
those doing business with
Foreign companies or blacklisted Governments such
as Zimbabwe to find out
about them, it seems these regulations have not been
used in the Mawere
case, where in the case of a front company it must find
out who the
principals are. Consequently, the admission by the top British
lawyers,
representing Zimbabwe, in the court hearing that the Principal is
the Mugabe
regime raises questions on how the money being used in the case
has been
sourced and the effectiveness of the current EU measures. The
parliament of
Zimbabwe for instance has never approved the processing of
such a huge
amount of money.
Furthermore, one of the top Zimbabwean
lawyers who is on the USA
sanctions list, Edwin Manikai who in the case was
demanding an implausible
fee of 40 000 USD dollars per month is also still
not on the EU's sanctions
list. In spite of it now being common knowledge
that he is one of Mugabe's
front men.
How is the
Government being made to account? It is no longer
accounting to its own
people and with such a gullible international
community then Mugabe's boys
will continue having a field day while
Zimbabweans suffer more. Mugabe
continues to act with impunity. As I write
eight of our top officials
including a member of parliament who are in jail
on trumped up charges, have
been tortured and charged with plotting to kill
Mugabe. The question then is
what is the cost to us Zimbabweans of Mugabe's
continued stay in power?
Today inflation is at 800 percent, what figure will
we be talking of next
week? The time has come to say no to Mugabe's
sanctions.
Aluta-Continua.
Zim Daily
Wednesday, March 15 2006 @ 12:04 AM GMT
Contributed by: correspondent
The opposition Movement for
Democratic Change's Women's
Assembly has come out all guns blazing,
demanding that they will accept no
less than 50 percent of the seats that
will be contested during the party's
three day congress that opens in Harare
Friday. Zimdaily heard that there
would be eight key positions that will be
contested and other five
supporting positions but the women want no less
than half of these.
The MDC Women's Assembly say this demand
is line with UN,
African Charter and SADC protocols that forbid the
discrimination of women,
and stipulate that member organizations adopt the
practice of including 5O
percent women's participation at all levels, as
well as strategies to
improve women's welfare. Zimdaily was told the the
women are strategically
demanding two principal posts for the Chair for
Women and the Information
and Publicity posts and in the supporting posts
the women are demanding
four, which makes half of the available eight
posts.
Zimdaily heard that the "Women's Empowerment Project"
will see
firebrand and prominent journalist Grace Kwinjeh challenging Nelson
Chamisa
for the post of Information secretary. The Brussels based Kwinjeh,
who
arrived in Harare weekend, declined comment on the matter yesterday but
said
she was keen to see "women able to achieve their 50 percent." Zimdaly
heard
that Lucia Matibenga will be Chair of the Women's
Assembly.
On the supporting posts, Makokoba MP Thokozani
Khupe is set to
slug it out with Welshman Mabhena for the post of Vice
President. There are
differing perceptions in the MDC about this post, with
many women rallying
behind Kuphe while other members feel that the inclusion
of Mabhena would
infuse the party with a nationalist outlook. Sekai Holland
is said to be
eyeing the post of Vice National Chair. This will be a new
position. But
National Chairman Isaac Matongo is understood to be livid
about this
development.
Other women who will contest are
Pauline Gwanyanya for the post
of Deputy Secretary General while Gertrude
Mtombeni wants to be the MDC's
next Deputy National Organiser. In damning
correspondence to President
Tsvangirai seen by Zimdaily, the women said: "We
wish to bring to your
attention that we have remained resolute on the party
agenda by taking and
maintaining a principled position on October 12 after
four of the elected
male leadership decided to leave the party before our
Congress," the letter
to Tsvangirai said. The letter said the women in the
MDC have been the
"backbone of the party, the glue that has kept the party
together up to
today in an environment where opposition parties have never
survived for as
long as the MDC has."
"We have proved
that we are loyal, committed, hard working
cadres without whom the MDC would
have met the same fate as other opposition
parties in Zimbabwe which have
been destroyed by the ruling clique from
within since 1980," the letter
said, adding: "The male leadership has shown
no respect to party women in
the past in-spite of all the above courageous
positions by us." The women
said "as a Social Democratic Party whose main
principle is equality, women's
empowerment and participation at all levels,
particularly, at
decision-making cannot be ignored."They added the congress
was supposed to
see a "paradigm shift" in the MDC that leads to the
empowerment of
women.
"That as a party that is effectively working towards
becoming
the next Government soon, our performance must reflect seriousness
in
preparing ourselves for the reconstruction effort which will include
Zimbabweans at home and abroad in our diversity; MDC must change itself
immediately to accommodate seriously the efforts of women, in preparation
for that awesome effort," the letter said. Zimdaily heard that the women
were eager to establish a Women's Empowerment Project, Peace and Tolerance
Project to deal with the violence culture of more than a hundred years,
which Zimbabweans increasingly face in their daily lives.
The other projects include an Environmental Regeneration
Project, which
includes domestic and wild plants and game. Zimdaily heard
that the women
also wanted to start a Primary Health-Care HIV/AIDS Project
"to
qualitatively improve family health and their participation in
production."
There is also talk of the setting up of a Truth and Social
Justice Project
"to restore women's confidence in ourselves."
Other lined up
projects include a National Integration and
Healing Project for nation
building and healing, "to arrive at that through
rigorous national
structured debate at who we are and at our identity as
Zimbabweans, for a
coherent and united nation of Zimbabwe." Sources in the
Women Assembly added
that the women wanted to also set up a Political Ideas
and Policy
Development Project to educate and integrate women in the
international
community "out of which we have been left for nearly 8 years
now."
The Shelter Project is set to ensure housing for all
becomes a
reality for grass-roots communities in urban areas and rural areas
across
Zimbabwe, the source told Zimdaily.
Zim Daily
Wednesday, March
15 2006 @ 12:03 AM GMT
Contributed by:
correspondent
Zimbabwean police yesterday arrested Mabvuku MP
Timothy Mubhawu
in an intensifying crackdown against the opposition party
ahead of its
congress. Mubhawu becomes the second MDC MP to be arrested in a
space of a
fortnight in a renewed Zanu PF campaign that the opposition
alleges is aimed
at derailing its congress, that opens in Harare
Friday.
Zimdaily heard that Mubhawu was summoned to Harare
Central
police station's Law and Order Section and immediately detained. No
charges
had been preferred against him at the time of going to print last
night. MDC
spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Zimdaily last night that Zanu PF's
behaviour
only confirms that the MDC Congress had sent shock waves in the
corridors of
power.
"The regime has become jelly-kneed
because across the nation,
our 13 000 delegates are raring to converge at
our Congress venue to
announce to the world that the party is alive and
well," Chamisa said.
"While the arrest of our MPs and senior officials
continues unabated, we
remain resolute and steadfast in our commitment to
resolving the national
crisis." Members of the political opposition
currently in police hands
included Mutare North member of Parliament and MDC
defense spokesman Giles
Mutsekwa, Manicaland youth chairman Knowledge
Nyamuka and activist Thando
Sibanda. MDC Manicaland Treasurer Brian James
was released Sunday night.
He was also picked up on
allegations of plotting to kill
President Mugabe using the so-called arms
cache allegedly unearthed in
Mutare last week
Chamisa said
the MDC would not be distracted from its core
business of bringing a new
beginning and a new Zimbabwe by petty arrests.
"We remain committed to
making a profound statement at our Congress that we
still carry the hope of
millions of Zimbabweans suffering under this
dictatorship," he said. "The
people shall be free." He urged President
Mugabe's administration to "stop
these arbitrary arrests."
"Instead of arresting committed
cadres of the people's movement,
this regime must arrest the declining
economic malaise." Chamisa said
sarcastically. "We are marching forward. Our
Congress shall silence Zanu PF.
The people have faith that the party will
help attain the nation's vision of
a new Zimbabwe and a new
beginning."
Zim Daily
Wednesday, March 15 2006 @ 12:02 AM
GMT
Contributed by: Zimdaily
The Executive
Secretary of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) Dr Tomaz
Augusto Salomão and the Japanese authorities
agreed that Japan, as the
second largest economy in the world, can do more
for
Africa.
Addressing the officials in Japan on his working
visit, Dr
Salomão highlighted that over and above the existing SADC-Japan
projects,
infrastructure development in the SADC region should be looked at
as added
value to strengthen the confidence of investors from Japan in the
SADC
region. He further sold SADC as a stable peaceful region, where
consolidation of democracy is a way of life.
The
Executive Secretary explained that based on the 3 pillars of
support on
Japan's policy on cooperation for Africa namely;
. Consolidation
of peace
. Poverty reduction
. Human Centered
development
the region's main priority intervention area on the
development
of infrastructure is to interconnect the region in terms of
transport,
telecommunications and energy to create room for the region to
implement the
SADC Trade Protocol and also in the framework of the WTO, for
the region to
be more competitive in the global economy.
The discussions also focused on the recent developments in the
SADC region
and agreed on priority projects to be implemented, that are in
line with the
national priorities of related Member States including science
and
technology. The Japanese officials have confirmed that they will attend
the
SADC Consultative Conference scheduled for 26-27 April, 2006 in
Windhoek,
Namibia.
During his visit, the Executive Secretary met
with Ambassador
Yoichi Otabe, Personal representative of Prime Minister for
Africa (G8-APR)
and Director General for Sub-Saharan African Affairs of the
Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MOFA); Honorable Mr. Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Senior
Vice
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan; Mr. Shinichi Saito, Japan
External
Trade Organization (JETRO); Mr. Yoshihiko Morita, Deputy Governor
and
Managing Director of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC);
and
Mr. Tsuneo Kurokawa, Director General of Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA).
He also had an opportunity to interact
with the SADC
Ambassadors.
SADC Corporate
Communications Unit
Gaborone, Botswana
Zim Daily
Wednesday, March 15 2006 @ 12:02 AM GMT
Contributed by: mugrade7
Editor - Gibson Mashingaidze a former
Army Major General and
Head of the Sports Commission proposed national
service duty to sportspeople
so that they represent the country with a sense
of pride and history. In the
same week former national team player Wilfred
Mugeyi was under siege from
the Herald newspaper for allegedly saying its no
longer a sense of pride to
play for the Zimbabwe soccer
team.
This has led me to ask our general readership. Where
does
patriotism end for sportsmen ?How far can sports personalities continue
making ends meet in the sense of national pride?.Should sports people just
buckle up and represent their country irrespective of earning nothing for
their families? Zanu PF literally blames anybody when they cant achieve
their goals. Those who suggest they deserve better in a world of survival
where a family comes first are labelled unpatriotic, puppets or national
misfits. We all thought the third Chimurenga way of governing things would
end in politics only but the trend has now gone to sport. Mashingaidze
believes those selected to represent the country in sport are not committed
enough and should spend weeks at Border Gezi Militia centre being fine tuned
on history and commitment.
Calling a spade a spade the
poor performance of Zimbabwean
sportspeople and declining standards in any
sport is in direct relation to
the general rot of governance engulfing the
country. Some say politics and
sport don't mix but in Zimbabwe's case you
cant separate politics from
anything these days. Be it getting a passport,
farming, vending, running a
business, finding employment, justice in a court
of law or even accessing
drugs for HIV/AIDS.
99% Chances
are that to access these and many other services you
should be from the Zanu
PF school of thought or who in Zanu PF do you know.
The Herald is a Zanu PF
weapon against anybody who doesn't toe to their line
of thoughts. The sports
desk is headed by a big headed, full of I know self
claimed best journalist
in Southern Africa, Robson Sharuko. His deputy is a
another Zanu PF self
centred young man called Lawrence Moyo. Their ceiling
of education is the
mass communications diploma at Harare polytechnic. The
two among others have
formed a combination of terror against sportspeople
who speak any truth
against Zanu PF directly or indirectly.
Wilfred Mugeyi found
out the past week. In an interview with a
South African magazine where he is
based, Mugeyi claimed the sense of
national pride when representing Zimbabwe
in now gone. Footballers are not
paid for months, teams live on handouts,
preparations are chaotic and
players welfare is of secondary importance,
players only get paid after sit
ins like the one at the Harare airport
before the AFCON 2006.Air tickets are
not refunded and there is no
motivation. For this he compared it to the old
era and found its no longer
worth the patriotism to represent the country.
Hell hath no
fury, The Herald came out guns blazing in direct
defence of Robert Mugabe`s
rule which has taken the sting out of most
ordinary citizens to be
identified with Zimbabwe. The Herald called him a
toothless dog and a
national reject .Whilst Sharuko could write not much bad
on Mugeyi`s life
and behaviour due to the lack of it, he could only refer to
his missed
scoring chance at AFCON 2004.Mthulisi Mafa, a recent polytechnic
graduate
and a militia graduate ran another headline and called Mugeyi an
enemy of
Zimbabwe.
Mugeyi is no god and neither was he the best player
we have
seen. but where the truth need to be said why should Zanu PF defend
the
obvious? Mugeyi was brave and said the truth. Hailing from Mabvuku you
cant
ask anyone better about the hardships his relatives face. They have to
contend with fetching water from wells and rivers, live without electricity
for weeks, live in sewage filled roads and you cant ask Mugeyi or another
footballer in the same scenario to come and play for the Warriors than his
club only to end up spending 8 months unpaid, whilst his club can look after
him better. Everybody needs to live and survive, footballers are no
different even doctors have left patients on the theatre deathbed whilst
they go abroad for better life and opportunities.
Mugeyi
is not the only sports personality to be threatened for
not being patriotic.
Henry Olonga and Andy Flower need no introduction to
Zimbabwe Cricket. For a
peaceful protest against the breakdown of the rule
of law by wearing black
armbands in a cricket match, they were hounded out
of Zimbabwe by Lawrence
Moyo, Sharuko and company via of course the sports
pages of The Herald. Hate
headlines run on them leading to both fleeing the
country and seeking asylum
in foreign lands.
Tatenda Taibu was hounded out for voicing
out over poor
remuneration and governance of the game by Peter Chingoka a
Zanu PF
official. Taibu was threatened with physical elimination by Themba
Mliswa
another Zanu PF big wig. The result was that the Herald Third
Chimurenga
Sports Desk saw nothing wrong with Zanu PF officials but Taibu.
Finally
Taibu is out of the country and forced to resign as cricket captain.
In
scenes reminiscent of land grabbing where anyone white occupying a farm
be
it productive or not is seen as any enermy. White cricket administrators
and
players have been forced to resign and flee. Heath Streak Andy Blignaut
to
mention a few. Should those who speak against Zanu PF in sport be
labelled
unpatriotic then? Only Moses Chunga who claimed publicly he is Zanu
PF
enjoys stardom status from the Herald Sports Desk. He is hero worshipped
even when he asks to take the team financial duties from
Zifa
Are sports people not working for their families the
same way
doctors, teacher, nurses, some politicians business people &
ordinary
citizens who left the country for greener pastures?. Are
sportspeople
supposed to suffer in silence and not say the truth about the
hemorrhage in
their country? Who in all honesty represented a better
Zimbabwean society,
Sunday Marimo in 1980 or Cephas Chimedza in 2006. Nick
Price in 1990 or
Nasho Kamungeremu in 2004. Bruce Grobelaar in 1992 or
Tapuwa Kapini in
2006,Kilimanjaro (Proud Chinembiri) in 1985 or Alfonso
Zvenyika in 2006.
Tracy Cox Symth, Evan Stewart in the 90`s
or Kirsty Coventry in
2006? Who amongst these would have better national
pride and WHY? The reason
is simple Zanu PF has run down the country and the
cheers in sport have died
now as the nation is now Hungry. A country that
sends Chinotimba to a
football tournament at the expense of genuine fans
cannot cry foul when
players say there is nothing left to play for. A
country that see players
delay flight departures at the airport over unpaid
allowances cannot call
the same players dogs who are
unpatriotic.
Sharuko on one hand vilifies sportsmen who do
not subscribe to
Zanu pf. Only days earlier he wrote Zifa were to pay
schoolboys who played
at the CAF under 17 tournament one year later.
Intrestingly he claims these
school boys would grow up with no sense of
trust for Zifa. The next week
just because Mugeyi knifed the truth about
Zanu PF, we are told he is a dog.
Whilst Sharuko, Moyo and
Mafa might claim to be patriotic we
challenge them to refrain from asking
for bribes from foreign based
sportspersons in return of good ceverage.
Their patriotism in defence of the
truth should be rewarded by the bearer
cheques they receive in monthly
salaries and not forex earned by other
sportsmen through hard work away from
home working for their families.
Journalists from the state papers are known
to chase players into their
hotel rooms and departure lounges at the airport
asking for foreign
footballs shirts and other sports regalia in the less
severe cases of bribe
for a good story cases we know about them.
Extreme cases are
a case in point that one football player
claimed Kausiyo drives a car bought
through a kickback he received from a
foreign player. The origins of foreign
football shirts worn by the Herald
crew are known. We are not saying they
cant sacrifice to buy their own, but
several players have spoken at being
hounded for not offering such. Norman
Mapeza, Kennedy Chuhuri, Alois Bunjira
are notable examples. Do you remember
the state journalists who asked
Vitalis Takawira for a bribe in 1992 so that
he could become soccer star of
the year. He refused and he kissed goodbye to
the crown.Should we name
them?
Sharuko and the loudmouths yell each day football
administrators
are corrupt.Corruption starts right at your desk Robson. Moyo
is the
propaganda chief in cricket. Chingoka and Bvute are Zanu PF but each
publication on cricket issues is blamed on players. It started as white
players. Now they are finished even black players dare not speak about the
rot in their country.
Sports people are humans and have
the right to carry an MDC,
PUMA or UPM membership card.Playing for Zimbabwe
does not mean one should be
Zanu PF and were their welfare is not looked
after they should shut up.
Patriotism can only be complemented by the same
government which demands it.
Major General Mashingaidze needs to be reminded
this. John Phiri racked up
113 caps for Zimbabwe, was he rewarded for
Patriotism? Imagine Byron Black
and Benjani spending a week at Nyodzonia
training camp doing patriotism
lessons for all they have done for to this
ungrateful government? Sharuko
had the tenacity to laugh at Francis Shonhayi
for being now a lorry driver.
You cant have it both ways
Robson, the government which you
defend, what has it done for Shonhayi and
his patriotism? despite the fact
that at one time he kited the national team
after Zifa failed to buy
uniforms. I bet to my last bearer Kwacha, had
Shonhayi criticised Zanu PF,
he would be in asylum somewhere on this
globe.
Benjani Mwaruwari is now a subject of ridicule for
missing a
chance in a game and his 38 000 euros sponsoring the Warriors is
all now
forgotten at the Herald sports desk.Dont be surprised should he
criticise
Zanu PF, he will be arrested on contravening forex exchange laws
for his
hard earned pounds at Pompey. The sense of journalism at the Herald
sports
desk is, an either you are with us and Zanu PF or we will blow you
away. The
Robson Sharuko on Saturday is a clear testimony of
this.
The weekly article is clearly out to preach hate to
those that
dare criticise The Herald and all those who dont share Zanu PF
Ideologies.
After all Sharuko says sport and politics should not mix if the
England
cricket team deliberates playing in Harare. Why cant politics and
sport not
mix as well if Mugeyi criticises Zanu PF ? Why should he become a
dog ? Just
because he caught your paymasters pants down? Even Kevin Ullyett
plays some
tennis tournaments as a South African. It cant be a a coincidence
that many
sports people are not happy with the way things are
run
One day we will achieve a democratic system where if
criticism
is due it should be received be it from a musician (Thomas
Mapfumo),
footballer, cricketer, doctor, politicians, or any members of
society? One
thing certainly comforts those sportsmen. All those who were
hounded and
forced offshore certainly live better lives than the Herald
Third Chimurenga
sports crew. Henry Olonga, Tichaona Sibanda, Mugeyi, Taibu,
Matambanashe
Sibanda, Heath Streak, Andy Flower are certainly better off
anywhere they
are now dotted on the globe. Certainly better off than Sharuko
and his young
Zanu PF Tigers
Until you know it, you would
never realise from a distance the
power of Zanu PF young party cadres
running the sports desk at the Herald.
The Mercury
March 15,
2006
By Basildon Peta
The Zimbabwean government said
yesterday it would purge the military
and the police of former Rhodesian
officers after the discovery of an arms
cache "meant for use in
assassinating" President Robert Mugabe.
The arms cache, consisting
of equipment said to be obsolete, was
discovered on a property owned by
former Rhodesian Army officer Peter
Hitschmann, who reportedly remains a
reservist for the Zimbabwe Republic
Police.
Almost a dozen
opposition Movement for Democratic Change activists
have been arrested and
charged over the arms cache.
State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa
accused them of conniving with
Hitschmann and other former "Rhodies" still
in the army, and police, in the
alleged plot to assassinate
Mugabe.
At first, the Zimbabwean government said the arms, which
included old
AK rifles and ammunition, were meant to be used in an uprising
to topple
Mugabe. It said later the arms had been meant for assassinating
Mugabe on
his way back to Harare from celebrations to mark his 82nd birthday
in
eastern Zimbabwe last month.
Hitschmann, a licensed hunter
and former president of the Zimbabwe
Wildlife Society, was reported by state
media as having confessed to working
with opposition firebrand Roy Bennett,
who has since gone into hiding, over
the alleged plot to get rid of
Mugabe.
But lawyers representing Hitschmann and the others have
rejected the
reports, saying their clients were heavily tortured in an
effort to get them
to make false confessions.
Because of
Hitschmann's past, Mutasa told state media, the government
had resolved to
get rid of all remaining white Rhodesians still serving in
the army and
police, regardless of whether they were involved in the alleged
plot or
not.
It is not known how many white Rhodesian army officers remain
in the
police and army. Mutasa did not give figures, and efforts to
establish their
exact number failed yesterday.
One army
source said "they must be very few".
Chris Ndlovu, one of the
lawyers for the arrested opposition
activists, told a magistrate in eastern
Zimbabwe that his clients had been
heavily tortured by the police and
officers from the Central Intelligence
Organisation.
He said
his clients had been taken to army barracks in eastern
Zimbabwe, where
various forms of torture - including being forced to drink
human urine - had
been inflicted on them in an effort to force them to admit
that they had
plotted to kill Mugabe.
But Magistrate Fabian Feshete did not order
a probe into the torture
claims.
Torture is widely used by
Zimbabwean security agencies.
The jailed opposition activists, who
were all denied bail by Feshete,
are led by the shadow secretary for
defence, Giles Mutsekwa, an MDC member
of parliament, as well as Knowledge
Nyamhuka, the MDC Youth Chairman in
Manicaland province.
Ruse
They face a plethora of charges, including contravening the Public
Order and Security Act by conspiring to possess weaponry for insurgency,
banditry, sabotage or terrorism. If convicted, they face the death
penalty.
Mugabe's opponents allege that the arrests were a ruse to
disrupt the
main congress of the more powerful faction of the MDC, led by
Morgan
Tsvangirai, this weekend.
The MDC split last year over
participation in December's senate
elections.
A faction led by
MDC Secretary-General Welshman Ncube has already held
its congress and has
elected scientist Arthur Mutambara as president.
Political analysts say the
government favours Ncube's timid faction and
wants to use the arms cache
allegations to weaken Tsvangirai and keep
opposition politics in
limbo.
The Herald (Harare)
March 14,
2006
Posted to the web March 14, 2006
Harare
THE Ministry of
Youth Development and Employment Creation is seeking more
than $200 billion
to kick-start data collection and the implementation of
various youth
development projects that are expected to lessen poverty by
2015.
Speaking on the sidelines of a consultative meeting held last
week, the
Secretary for Youth Development and Employment Creation, Mr Prince
Mupazviriho said the ministry required an additional $180 billion for the
exercise. He said his ministry received US$5 000 from the International
Labour Organisations (ILO) and was expecting to get another US$30 000 and
Z$6 billion from the United Nations (UN) and Government, respectively. "We
have received US$5 000 from ILO and a further US$30 000 from the UN and $6
billion is coming from the Government.
"Although we are grateful of
these generous donations, the funds are not
enough for the ministry to fully
implement the programme. We need about $200
billion to start the project,"
said Mr Mupazviriho.
The money will be used to carry out a national youth
survey in order to
create a computerised desegregated data bank for youths
that are between the
ages of 10 and 29 years and to train unemployed youths
to carry out field
work. "The objectives of setting up the National Youth
Data Bank are to make
available accurate, timely and relevant information on
the country's youth
so as to facilitate effective planning and decision
making by the ministry
and other stakeholders," he said.
The
information collected from the survey will be used to create a Youth
Directory containing personal and socio-economic information of each youth
interviewed. Mr Mupazviriho said the project would be carried out in
collaboration with key stakeholders and partners in youth development. A
survey will be conducted targeting youths and questionnaires will be used
during data collection. Mr Mupazviriho said: "The information in the Youth
Directory will be analysed to give demographic and socio-economic indicators
that are useful for planning, decision making and evaluation of youth
programmes".
As a JAG member or JAG Associate member, please send any classified
adverts
for publication in this newsletter to:
JAG Classifieds: jag@mango.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
For Sale Items
2. Wanted Items
3. Accommodation
4.
Recreation
5. Specialist Services
6. Pets
Corner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
OFFERED FOR
SALE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1
For Sale (Ad inserted 14/02/06)
2 doors GEC frig, recently overhauled,
1,50cm high, 60 and 70cms deep and
wide. $25 million
Incomplete
English Rockwood dinner service, white with maroon edging,
consisting
of:
5 large dinner plates, 8 small dinner plates, 3 side plates.
6
large bowls, 3 small bowls.
2 large oval serving dishes, I entrée dish
with lid
1 gravy jug with plate
4 million ono
Pair roller
blades in good condition, size 6. $2 million
9 Illustrated children's
encyclopaedias edited by Arthur Mee - $3
million
Lots of lovely
children's books, bedtime stories etc
Childs cricket bat, ball and
stumps, brand new still in plastic. 3
million
Two gum plantations,
also about 70 pines - please come and cut them
yourself, I live in Bromley,
55 kms from Harare. Please find out prices,
as I have no landline, and
limited cell network.
Telephone Jennifer at 011 423 614, or leave message
at office tel 336945
or 333952 and I will return your
call
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.2
For Sale (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
"THE WEAVERY."
Phone your orders
to--Anne--011212424 or 332851.
Email joannew@zol.co.zw
Fax--332851.
SUPER
GIFT IDEAS FOR LOCAL OR OVERSEAS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. LIGHT,EASY TO
WASH AND
SOMETHING DIFFERENT. EASTER IS JUST AROUND THE
CORNER!
Prices.
Small woven bags--$395,000 each.
Large
crocheted bags.--$1,055,000 each.
Large woven bags.--$815,000
each.
Table Runners.--$600,000.
Set of 4 Fringed Table mats +
serviettes--$1,805,000.
Fringed mats only(4)---$1,195,000.
Set of
6 Fringed mats+ serviettes--$2,705,000.
Set of 4 Bordered table mats+
serviettes---$2,185,000.
Bordered mats only(4)--$1,575,000.
Set of
6 Bordered mats + serviettes--$3,275,000.
Set of 8 Bordered mats +
serviettes---$4,370,000.
2m Throws--$2,115,000.each.
Tea
cosy(L)--$350,000.
Tea cosy(m)--$340,000
Tea
cosy(s)--$330,000.
Crocheted oven
gloves(pair)--$800,000.
Cotton(lined)oven
gloves(pair)--$455,000.
Aprons--$945,000.
Decorated cushion
covers--$805,000.
Plain cushion
covers---$560,000.
Scarves(knitted)--$795,000. each.
Hand Woven
Scarves--$900,000 each
Hats(Beanies)--$450,000 each.
Large plain
cotton rug--$1,785,000.
Med. plain cotton rug---$1,155,000.
Small
plain cotton rug.---$740,000.
Cotton Rag Rug--$740,000.
Med. plain
mohair rug--$1,380,000.
Med. patterned mohair rug.--$1,725,000.
X
Large plain mohair rug.--$5,455,000.
Bedspreads-- QS/DB/3/4
and
Single--$6,110,000,/$5,260,000/$4,840,000/$3,175,000.
Wholesale
prices available for orders(over 6 of an article) or
large
purchases.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.3
For Sale (Ad inserted 14/02/06)
HONDA XR 250 R, trail bike with lights
and indicators, 18000km only. In
near original mint
condition.
Phone: 091 326 965 for
details.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.4
For Sale (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
Opel Corsa, GSI 16 Valve, 3
doors.
Red in colour. Mag wheels. Alarmed.
Electric windows. 1995
Model.
Call 011 205 183 or 091 328 261 or
331970
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.5
Business for Sale (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
MOBILE
PAY PHONE BUSINESS FOR SALE
CONSISTS OF 30 MOBILE PAY PHONES
GOOD
CASH TURNOVER
VERY PROFITABLE
ASKING PRICE $ 2.5 BILLION
neg
E-MAIL gcbushby@ecoweb.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.6
Agricultural Items for sale
(Ad inserted
21/02/06)
RADIUM
Imported harrow discs 24" and 26"
New Montana boom
sprayers 10m boom, 600l tank
New 16KVA generators
Radium Zimbabwe 04
870264 / 011 600
389
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.7
For Sale (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
Chemicals
For Sale
Dithian (M45)
Copper Oxy
Dual Magnum
Punch
Extra
Phone: John 334764, Cell
011208893
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.8
BIKE FOR SALE (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
CRX450F - GOOD CONDITION, 2004
MODEL.
PREVIOUSLY USED FOR MOTOCROSS. PRICE ON REQUEST
CONTACT:
WARREN/ANDREA THORNE
091208836 OR EMAIL US: tourleaders@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.9
For Sale (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
Old farm radio equipment for sale....
Motorola.
Antiques as follows:
Mahogany bedroom set with marbled
washstand, dressing table, bedside
table and wardrobe! All exquisitely
carved, bevelled mirrors and in
outstanding condition.
English oak
dining room set. Ten chairs, extendable table and
long
sideboard.
Victorian hall tables x 2. One round and one
oval.
Pie Crust coffee/tea table.
Grandmother clock.
Three
what-nots in outstanding condition.
Collectors cupboard - ideal for
collections of eggs/butterflies etc.
Burmese Teak mirrored
dresser.
Lounge suite, whickered arms with carved backs, legs and arms.
One three
seater and two single seaters.
Large liquor cupboard - lined
with asbestos - antique mirrors, screens
and much more.
Contact no:
011
416937
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.10
Items for Sale
Sony LBT-V302 Stereo Hi-Fi System with 5 discs CD player -
ZWD 100
million.
Excellent condition. Phone Harare
494395
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.11
Item for Sale (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
FOR SALE:
Monarch Chevette 4
plate Stove (black)
Minor attention needed $30 mill
Contact joe@radius.co.zw
or 756363-9 (work)
339378 (home)
091-338414
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.12
For Sale (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
CURTAINS FOR SALE Very good condition and
fully lined
1. SUNFILTER Pale beige with Wheat
design
1 x 2.8m wide x 2.3m
drop
1 x 1.4m wide x 2.3m
drop
$2,400,000
2. SUNFILTER Pale green with floral
design
2 x 2.8m wide x 2.3m
drop
2 x 1.4m wide x 2.3m
drop
$4,800,000
3. HEAVY QUALITY Plain
Cream
2 X 4.0m wide x 2.3m
drop
$5,400,000
4 x 2.16m wide x 2.3m
drop
$5,800,000
Contact Tel 303570 to
view
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.13
Items for Sale (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
Various second hand items for sale
- All must go!!!
Prices are negotiable.
Filing cabinet, 2 draw, wooden
(good condition) - $35m
Wooden and black leather bar 140 x 50cm with 3
leather stools - $20m
18 speed mountain bike - $10m
Square folding
table, wooden 92 x 92cm - $6m
Roller Blades size 5/6 - $3m
Trivial
pursuit for teens (good condition) - $2m
Monopoly - $1m
Scrabble -
$1m
Please contact Monique 309274(w) 091 315 411 (cell)
monique.fachet@gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.14
For Sale (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
1) 2 x 200 litre electric/solar geysers
and drip trays
plus 4 glass covered panels and piping.
2) 1 x
Frigidaire refrigerator (locakable). Old but in excellent
working
condition.
3) 1 set of bunk beds and mattresses.
Contact: Nigel
Rennie on 011-808
752
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.15
For Sale (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
"Shawasha hills, phase one, 4,4 acres,
extensive Msasa/acacia trees,
river frontage, for sale, share transfer, call
496829
evenings"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.16
For Sale (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
Datsun Pulsar 140 A, very economical, in
use every day. Looking for $200
million. Please call Cheryl or Shane on
336710 or send e-mail to
mailto:galorand@mweb.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.17
Stamps for Sale (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
Stamps for Sale: Mint condition,
many in albums.
First Day Covers of the following
Countries:-
Period
Envelopes
South Africa
01/82-02/95
126
South West Africa/ Namibia 12/82-05/95 72
Bophuthatswana
11/81-03/94 60
Venda
11/81-04/94 60
Transkei
01/82-03/94
54
Ciskei
12/81-04/94 58
Rhodesia
02/62-07/76
45
Zimbabwe
04/80-04/00 108
Offers: Phone:
861089
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.18
Bakery for Sale (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
Bakery and coffee shop in Sam
Leavy`s village Borrowdale for sale.
Bakery is operating full speed and
doing catering for
numerous schools and coffee shops in
Harare.
Call: 091 77 55 44 or 011 60 70 45
land line 88 2 384 or
851
729
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.19
For Sale (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
Mazda B2500 Diesel, single cab, pickup.
1997. Driven by owner only.
Contact: Mark at 09 234757 or 011 416
937.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.20
For Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
TOYOTA RAIDER 3.0L KZTE
2003
Model
1 owner since new
Long Range Tank
Rubberised
Back
Spotlights
Please email: office@arniston.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.21
For Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Steel slimline Canopy for Toyota 2.4
truck for Sale. $ 40.
million/offers.
Please phone a.m. 487141 or p.m
evenings.
882713
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.22
For Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
TROLLING MOTOR 24V (FOOT CONTROL) IN
PERFECT CONDITION US$650
PHONE
741671.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.23
For Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Offered for Sale
TOYOTA RAIDER
3.0L KZTE
2003 Model
1 owner since new
Long Range Tank
Rubberised
Back
Spotlights
Please email: office@arniston.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.24
Items for Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Laundry table solid
wood
Laundry table formica
Large TV
Capri
fridge
Desk solid wood
Office Chairs
Pot
plants
Executive office chairs
Defy washing
machine
Verandah furniture Monomatapa round (6seater) and oval 8
seater
Office Computer Desk
Executive desk, cupboard and
sideboard
Adam Bede round oak table and six chairs
Metal
stationary cupboard
Lawnmower red
Lawnmower green
Wooden
Stepladder
Metal stepladder
Wheelbarrows
Hedge
cutter
Edge cutter
Extension for above
Single Beds
4
Kitchen table and 4 chairs formica
Kitchen table and 6
stools
Small washing machine
Movable carport imported
netting
Wooden workbench
Beige Carpet
Music
Centre
Cane Furniture suite and tables
Outside
Table
Trestle Tables 3m and 5m
Table tennis table
4 year
old upright deep freeze
Spades, Forks, shovels, rakes and brooms,
hosepipes, hedge cutters,
garden roller
Brand new mountain
bicycle
PLEASE PHONE 884076 OR 011204060 OR
091384158
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.25
Items for Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Steam Iron $3
million
Porcelin Doll $2 million
Heater $2 million
Electric
Blanket $3 million
Ladies Racer $10 million
Girls 28in Bycle $6
million
4 pine folding tables $5 million
Sewing Cabinet $5
million
Baby Tender $5 million
Carpet - Dusty Pink 12 x 15 ft $15
million
Carpet - Maroon 12 x 9 ft $12 million
Lace Curtain - 18
1/2m on roll (long) $5 million
Lace Curtain - 40m on roll (short) $8
million
Lounge & Dining Room full length curtains - Pale Green 5
drops x 2
widths $5 million
Lounge & Dining Room full length
curtains - Blue Cream 6 drops x 1
width $5 million (with pelmet
covers)
Lounge & Dining Room full lenth curtains - Wine Brocade 2
drops x 2
widths, 2 drops x 1 1/2 widths, 3 drops x 1 width $4
million
Curtains - Pink with bedcover 2 drops x 2 widths $4
million
Curtains - Rose Green & Cream (large set) $6
million
Curtains - Bathroom & Shower - green and blue sets, sun
filter
$2 million
Curtains - Kitchen, fancy lace yellow & white $2
million
Vinyl Records - offers
Summer collection in excellant
condition
Long play, speed 33, 1000 records
Seven Singles, box3s
of 7, speed 45
1st single releases, boxes of 4, speed 78 (some of Elvis's
1st orginal
releases)
Lots of ornaments
Lots of framed
pictures
Lots of Kitchen wear
1998 4WD Ex Jap Pulsar, in good
condition. +\- 89 000 kms $400 million.
For further enquiries please
contact Mrs L Noble on 304426 or
091340334.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.26
Items for Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Items for Sale:
Honda CB 650
B Motorbike. Seat needs attention and needs new Electric
start
batt.
$200 million.
Pink Carpet. 12 x 9 ft $12
million
Blue single bedspread set $2.5 million
Brand New Double
bed sheets $5 million
Brand new 12 piece tea set (6 cups & 6 saucers)
$4 million
Brand new Pyrex oval dish with metal frame $4
million
Brand new Pudding bowls $4 million
Tupperware Rice Cooker
$3 million
Tupperware deep oval casserole dish $3
million
Tupperware low oval casserole dish $3 million
Tupperware
round casserole dish $3 million
Tupperware rolls container $3
million
2x tea sets (for 6) $1 million each
Deep Fryer $8
million
Ice Cream Machine $10 million
Snug and Safe Baby
carrier/car seat (0 - 9mths) $5 million
Baby bath seat $1.5
million
Baby monitor $3 million
Baby carrier $3
million
Microwave Sterilser (brand new) $5 million
2 man canvas
Tents $10 million each
Tennis Rackets $2.5 million each
Hockey
sticks $2.5 million each (one is for goalkeeping)
2000 pieces puzzles $2
million each
Pictionary Game $2 million
For further details please
contact Venetia Bratley on 309914 or
091777668
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.27
For Sale (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Hewlett Packard printer 610C (brand
new)
French lessons course (Oxford) never used
Supersonic radio
and record player (superb condition)
.270 rifle with Lynx scope (4x40)
licensed.
Contact no: 011 416937 or 09
234757
---------------------------------------------------------------
2
WANTED
ITEMS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.1
Wanted (Ad inserted 14/02/06)
Instant cash paid for Working / Non-
Working TV, VCR and/or Hifi. Please
contact Joel on joelsonwozhi@yahoo.com or leave a
message with Mercy on
011 611
637.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.2
Wanted (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
White painted Garden Furniture - we need an
attractive table for eating
round and 6-8 chairs to go with
it.
Contact 04 -
496049
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.3
Wanted (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
MAIZE STOVA WANTED
Are you likely to
have any maize stova available in the next few
months? If so I have cattle
that would like to eat it. Must be fairly
near Harare / Ruwa and have some
sort of cattle handling facilities.
Reply to mnmilbank@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.4
Wanted (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
ANY ROOFING (PREFERABLY CORRUGATED IRON OR
ASBESTOS) WE NEED TO COMPLETE
2 SMALL HOUSES
FOR SALE
A NUMBER
OF LARGE BANANA TREES
PLEASE PHONE:- 071 8 474
CELL 091 238 462/
091 303
097
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.5
Items Wanted (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
WANTED:
Satellite dish around
1,2 meters up to about 1,6 meters,
Contact Joe@radius.co.zw
Or 756363-9 (work)
339378 (home)
091-338414
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.6
Wanted (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
1 medium sized coffee table (wooden not
steel)
1 x three quarter bed, or 2 x single beds in good
condition.
Contact: Kim Rennie on 011-212
697
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.7
WANTED (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
MEASURING WHEEL
Does anyone have a
measuring wheel to, donate, lend or sell to Pony
Club? Ours 'went missing'
last weekend and we urgently require another
one
for our shows and
eventing. Many thanks.
Please call Jo on 091 247001 or 494720 or Kathy
on 023
317537
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.8
Wanted (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
I am looking for a second hand cellphone to
buy. If there is anyone out
there selling his/her cellphone please contact me
on 023756589
or e-mail babsmandava@yahoo.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.9
Items Wanted (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Wanted Items
Is there anyone
out there with a second hand jungle gym for sale? Please
phone Michelle Ross
on 091 202 138 or alternatively
883606.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.10
Wanted (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Pensioner looking for second hand walking
frame to buy.
Any further details please contact Mrs L Noble on 304426 or
091340334
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
ACCOMMODATION WANTED AND
OFFERED
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.1
Looking for House to Sit (Ad inserted 11/01/06)
Honest, reliable, mature
lady looking to housesit as from 01 February
2006. Avondale area preferred.
Please phone Jenny 011 423 614
or
331087.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.2
Accommodation Offered (Ad inserted 14/02/06)
Thatched house for Rent in
Helensvale
(behind Borrowdale Brooke) - Immediate Occupation.
3
bedrooms all on-suite bathrooms, large living room, dining
room,
kitchen/pantry and scullery/store room. Lovely veranda area
overlooking
swimming pool. Borehole and electric gate. House split on 3
levels
and property is 5 acres, all indigenous woodland with beautiful
views.
Price Negotiable.
Please phone Harare
861766.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.3
House for Sale (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
Helensvale Area, on just over 2
acres (8138 sq.mtrs)
Mediterranean style, very neat, well
maintained.
Spacious lounge with jet master fireplace
Separate
dining room
Kitchen with walk in pantry
Two large
bedrooms
Two lock up garages
Well-developed garden of indigenous
trees
Good borehole
Offers phone:
861089
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.4
Wanted (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
Accommodation Wanted
Elderly couple
looking for 3 bedroomed house for long term lease with
lock up garage(s).
Able to maintain home and property very well. Able to
pay rental up to $25
million per month. Please contact Reg Gravett on
302983 after 1800
hrs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.5
Looking for House Sitter (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
House Sitter
Wanted
Marondera - Smallholding - Mature couple required to house sit
from 1st
April to 1st July. Must be animal lovers. Beautiful environment, on
tar
road, Town Centre only 4kms away.
Please phone Rene' on 091
395-576 or 04 747
411
---------------------------------------------------------------
4
RECREATION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.1
Harare International Festival of the Arts (Ad inserted
7/2/06)
The
Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) is one of
Zimbabwe's premier
artistic events. It gives Zimbabweans the change to
meet and interface with
top local artists, as well as regional and
international artists and
performers. The Festival's appeal is for all
ages and interests and during
HIFA, Zimbabweans come together in a truly
carnival atmosphere
to
experience the sheer joy that is art in whatever form - art as
healer,
art as educator, art as up lifter of the spirit.
HIFA 2006 is
scheduled for 25th to 30th April 2006. All the major
international festivals
offer a "Friends of Festival" scheme and ours is
known as HifAmigos.
HifAmigos are a highly valued and regarded
component of the Festival. HIFA
offers a series of comprehensive
benefits in several categories of HifAmigos
to cater for all interests
and needs and subscriptions are
reasonable.
HIFA has been described as "second to Edinburgh" and "among
the top ten
festivals of the world!" HIFA 2006 now invites you to become a
HifAmigo
or to renew your HifAmigo membership. If you do so by 24th
February
2006, you will be listed in the Official HIFA 2006 Programme and
invited
to what is becoming the hottest even on the Zimbabwean social
calendar -
the HIFA Opening Party. Our launch events are legendary. Join
early &
be there!
2006 HifAmigos will enjoy 20% discounts on all
shows and workshops.
Procedure for becoming a hifAmigo
Contact the
hifAmigo Manager for an application form -
Angie Thomas - contactable via
HIFA as below.
Harare International Festival of the Arts
Box A42,
Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe
Phone & Fax: +263 (4) 300 119
Email: amigos@hifa.co.zw
Website: www.hifa.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.2
ABERFOYLE LODGE (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
HONDE VALLEY
Fully serviced, self-catering lodge with cook
and bar.
Something for everyone- golf, swimming, squash as well as lovely
walks in
idyllic surroundings
and brilliant birding. Gather your friends, share
transport, and have a
fun-filled few days.
For further information contact
Sue Fawcett on fawfam@mango.zw or
Val
Marshall on
mfpl@mango.zw or bookings@aberfoyle-lodge.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.3
KARIBA:
GACHE GACHE LODGE (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
Book now for
Easter!
Contact us: tourleaders@zol.co.zw or phone Andrea
on
091 208 836.
Rates on
request!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.4
Looking for Bush Time (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
Are you a writer or just in
need of bush time?
Looking for someone to spend one month at a time in bush
environment.
Would be there as a male presence while husband is working away.
Small
help required mechanically if generator or vehicle needs arise. Must
like
animals, both domestic and wild. Would have own cottage with en
suite
bush shower and flush lou and food would be provided.
If interested
please email: paolillo@users.sourceforge.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.5
(Ad inserted 7/03/06)
The National Institute of Alied
Arts
Presents their Annual Festival from 8th - 23rd March
Choirs
at Harry Margolis Hall
Music across the board
21st, 22nd and 23rd
March
Final Concert at Prince Edward School
Public welcome we need
your
support
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5
SPECIALIST
SERVICES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.1
(Ad inserted 14/02/06)
TAYST The Private Catering Company
At Tayst
we would like to offer you an innovative
cuisine experience using the
finest & freshest
ingredients available.
We cater
for:
· Cooperate functions
· Cocktail parties
· Black tie
dinners
· Birthday parties
· Business Lunches
Please
contact Thea or Christy on 091 282 165
Or email mvanblerk@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.2
Ad inserted (21/02/06)
Farmers -- your favourite hairdressers, Donaghy's,
has re-located from
Farm & City Centre to smart new premises in the City
Bowling Club in
Harare Gardens. Phone Annette on 011 716
246.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.3
Ad inserted (7/03/06)
Blackfordby College of Agriculture
DIPLOMA
IN AGRICULTURE
Enrolment applications for the
intake
Commencing in
August 2006
are now open
The minimum entrance qualifications for the
diploma
Is: Five O-Levels; English, Maths,
Science and two
others.
The course covers two years and is written in
five
Disciplines, Animal Husbandry, Crop Husbandry,
Horticulture,
Farm Mechanization and
Farm Management.
Applicants must send a
non-refundable deposit of
$1 000 000.00 (one million dollars) to the
address below
or deposit the money
into our
account:
Standard Chartered Bank, Avondale Branch
Account Number:
0101723103701.
A copy of the deposit slip with the applicant's name
and
Address must be faxed to 075-2539.
The application forms will
then be sent to you, and will
Include details of fee
structure.
Blackfordby College of Agriculture
P.O. Box EH
197
Emerald Hill
Harare, Zimbabwe
Phone:
075-2532/2533
Fax: 075-2579
E-mail: agfordby@mweb.co.zw
Applications
close on 31st May
2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.4
(Ad inserted 7/03/06)
T.M. LAMBERT (Agent for Mono Pumps
Zimbabwe)
Capacity Test, Installations, Repair Maintenance On All
Borehole Pumps
PO Box GT 629
Graniteside, Harare
Tel:
04-494796
Cell: 091 288 448 or 011 726 062
E-mail: tlambert@zim.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.5
Savuli Safari (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
Savuli Safari, self catering chalets
in the heart of the Save Valley
Conservancy. Game watching, fishing, horse
riding, canoeing, walking
trails and 4x4 hire. Camp fully kitted including
cook and fridges. Just
bring your food, drinks and relax. $900 000 pppn, 1/2
U/12.
Booking direct to John Tayler at 091 631 556 or savuli@mweb.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.6
G - TECH (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
G - TECH: Diesel and plant maintenance,
site contracting, generator and
stationary engine installation and
maintenance, tractors and hydraulics.
Contact Graham at gtech@zol.co.zw or call 011 406023, 091
286657, 04
741001, 075
2264
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.7
For Hire (Ad inserted 14/03/06)
21 & 14" Televisions & videos for
hire - Please phone Hire Electric
on
741913.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
6
PETS
CORNER
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.1
Home Wanted (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
Jack Russell looking for home as only
dog, not a fighter but has always
been an only pet. Jock, tan/white, male 6
years. Docked tail not
neutered. Tel Calla Van Zyl on 884226 or 091-252-744.
To approved
home
only.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2
Homes Wanted (Ad inserted 14/02/06)
"Good homes wanted for Male Toy Pom
and Female Keeshond (miniature
Husky), preferably together. Owner has moved
to a smaller property and
cannot keep all her dogs. Please phone Mrs Ricardo
on 737944-9 or
091
804317."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.3
Lost (Ad inserted 14/02/06)
DEAF OLD FEMALE GOLDEN, LAB/TYPE DOG FOUND ON
CRN. KINGSMEAD AND BLAIR
RD, BORROWDALE ON THURS 2 FEB
MUST BE
SOMEONES SHADOW. LIKES GETTING INTO CARS. WANTS TO GO HOME
PLEASE PHONE
882566
OR ZNSPCA HQ 497885 or
497574
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.4
African Grey Chicks For Sale
(Ad inserted 21/02/06)
Two hand
reared African Grey chicks.
Contact: Trinity on
04-369160-5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.5
Puppies For Sale (Ad inserted 21/02/06)
$ 1 MILLION EACH
Father -
boer bull cross ridgeback
Mother - blue heeler
CONTACT
011
606 783
091 246 233 or 065
2703
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.6
Wanted (Ad inserted 28/02/06)
"5 year old male Golden Retriever "Stanley"
with excellent UCI and FCI
pedigree background ideally looking for female
Golden for breeding, but
also
any friends for playing in yard etc. Pls
call 091
317550.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.7
Homes Wanted (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
2 ex farming male cats both
neutered,
2 ex farming female cats both spayed,
Very relaxed and
well house trained. Looking for a new home. Used to
travelling and good at
settling into different life styles. Please
contact 04 490758 after 6pm
weekdays or
weekends.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.8
HOME WANTED (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
I have two very beautiful tabby cats
that we took onto farm from someone
leaving the country. However now refusing
to come into house because of
dogs. I would very much like to find them good
home where there are no
dogs. Very friendly, young, females, spade.
Independent but love people.
Please phone Carrie 091 206
558.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.9
Wanted (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
LOOKING FOR 2 PEAHENS FOR LONELY PEACOCK
AND WHITE DUCKS COUPLE OF
PAIRS. WOULD LIKE TO BREED PEKIN DUCKS IF ANYONE
HAS ANY BREEDING STOCK.
PHONE JACKIE 091 240 923 OR EMAIL be1371@mweb.co.zw
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.10
HOME WANTED (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
Looking for a good home for a 6 year
old female Pure Bred Boerbul.
Excellent guard dog but very dominant and
probably needs to be an only
dog. Prefer a Farm or big
property
Contact
Colin Paterson 011-206626
Gill Paterson 091-294185
or
04-882013
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.11
Missing (Ad inserted 7/03/06)
MALE GOLDEN LAB MISSING FROM KEPPEL CLOSE
BALLANTYNE PARK AT 3:OOPM MON
6TH MARCH
IF FOUND OR SEEN PLEASE PHONE
884245 OR
882566
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-JAG
Hotlines:
+263 (011) 205 374 If you are in trouble or need advice,
please
don't hesitate to contact us - we're here to help!
+263 (04) 799 410 Office
Lines
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To
advertise (JAG Members): Please email classifieds to: jag@mango.zw
with subject "Classifieds".
FROM THE ZIMBABWE VIGIL
Big demo on
Saturday against Mugabe’s crackdown on the MDC. The demonstration is staged by
MDC UK and is being hosted by the Zimbabwe Vigil. It will be held outside the
Zimbabwe Embassy, London, at the usual Vigil time of 2 – 6 pm.
As you
will know, a number of senior party members have been arrested on what are seen
as trumped-up charges of plotting to assassinate Mugabe.
At the same
time a wave of violence has been unleashed against MDC supporters. Once again
there are reports of police torture and 4 MDC supporters were seriously injured
last weekend when they were attacked by Zanu-PF thugs after a big rally attended
by Morgan Tsvangirai.
The government’s crackdown is widely believed to
be an attempt to derail the MDC Congress to be held in Harare from 17th – 19th
March at which the party is expected to adopt a resolution on mass protests
against the regime.
Please come and support us.
Bring posters and
banners.
Vigil Co-ordinators
The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe
Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to
protest against gross violations of human rights by the current regime in
Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until
internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe.
http://www.zimvigil.co.uk
Daily Mirror, Zimbabwe
The Daily Mirror
Reporter
issue date :2006-Mar-15
THE government is in the process of
importing 50 000 tonnes of wheat to
complement 15 000 tonnes already in
stock in the country to avert looming
bread shortages.
Minister of State
for National Security, Didymus Mutasa, revealed this in an
interview with
The Daily Mirror this week.
Mutasa, who is also the Minister of Lands, Land
Reform and Resettlement,
said: "We are importing 50 000 tonnes of wheat
through Beira (Mozambique).
15 000 tonnes are in stock in the country and we
are urging those holding to
the wheat to release it so that the government
can buy it. We need just a
few tonnes to reach the next harvest."
The
minister explained that the 15 000 tonnes were reserved for bakers by
some
millers, but the confectionary manufacturers were yet to pay for the
wheat.
"We want to buy the wheat so that it can be used. But we are yet
to verify
its state to find out whether it is still okay since it has been
there for a
long period," said the minister, who also oversees national food
security.
The importation of wheat by the government comes hard on the heels
of
demands by bakers to increase the price of a standard loaf from the
recently
effected $65 000 to
$90 000.
The increase in bread price has
been necessitated by dwindling supply of
wheat to millers, among other
things, the bakers argued.
Some millers have since registered their concerns
with the Grain Marketing
Board (GMB) saying they were facing imminent
closure due to erratic wheat
supplies.
Among the millers who wrote to the
parastatal last week were National Foods,
Blue Ribbon and Victoria
Foods.
On the other hand, bakers claim that their viability cannot be
guaranteed as
well if the government does not approve the proposed new bread
price.
Zimbabwe consumes about 400 000 tonnes of wheat yearly, but in 2005,
the
country managed to produce 95 000 tonnes. The government through GMB
imported the balance.
The Millers Association of Zimbabwe recently said
GMB was now giving bakers
400 tonnes of wheat a week, down from 600
tonnes.
It said the shortage of the grain could force bakers to import flour
from
South Africa, which could lead to more bread price
increases.
Agricultural experts were optimistic that this year's winter wheat
programme
would produce sufficient yields to meet national consumption
requirements
following early preparations by relevant stakeholders.
The
experts added that they were expecting at least 115 000 hectares of land
will be utilised for the programme compared to the 50 000 hectares that were
used last year.
Zimbabwe is expected to produce between 450 000 and 500
000 tonnes of wheat
due to the increase in hectarage and irrigation
potential following the
injection of $3 trillion by the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe towards the
rehabilitation of the country's irrigation
systems.
According to media reports, the RBZ was mobilising about US$170
million for
the importation of the chemicals and herbicides required for the
winter
wheat programme.
Daily Mirror, Zimbabwe
Our
Correspondent in Masvingo
issue date :2006-Mar-15
THE future of more
than 60 farmers at Chidza Farm in Chief Chikwanda's area
of Gutu District,
still hangs in the balance, as the Masvingo provincial
land committee is yet
to decide on the farm's status nearly five years after
they settled on the
property.
The farmers, currently sharing the farm with its original owner
John Boland,
have accused the white farmer of deliberately straying his
cattle onto their
fields destroying about four hectares of crops.
The
farmers' spokesperson, Mapondera Chiwawa, alleged that Boland's cattle
had
strayed into their fields about five times since early February this
year.
Chiwawa also accused the provincial land committee of dragging its
feet on
the issue.
"We have been staying at this farm since 2000 and our
calls to have this
farm properly pegged have yielded no results," he
said.
Chiwawa added that efforts to have the local government ministry stop
Boland
from directing his cattle into their fields had been fruitless so
far.
"We are not calling for Boland's ouster from this farm. But all we want
is
for him to look after his cattle so that we can co-exist in peace," he
said.
In 2002, the villagers were evicted from the farm only to bounce back
after
taking their case up with the responsible authorities, including the
Office
of the President and Cabinet.
Masvingo District Administrator (DA)
James Mazvidza said none of the farmers
had official papers entitling them
to occupy the farm.
"The farm has not yet been pegged, but we are in the
process of finalising
the case," the DA said.
He stressed that as things
stand, Boland was titled to the farm that also
includes Dry River Farm,
which villagers claim was his second farm.
The villagers had also sought to
find out why Boland owned more than one
farm in stark contravention of
President Robert Mugabe's call for a
one-person one-farm policy.
The DA,
however, explained that the two properties had one title deed.
"They are two
properties under one title," Mazvidza said.
Asked when the land committee
would come up with a position regarding the
farm's official status, the DA
said the process could not be addressed
overnight. He could not commit
himself to a tentative date, he said.
Daily Mirror, Zimbabwe
Our
Correspondent recently in Gwanda
issue date :2006-Mar-15
ILLEGAL gold
panners in Matabeleland South have vowed to defy moves to push
them out of
the risky, but lucrative business, saying it was their most
viable form of
eking out a decent living.
The panners' statement came against the background
of warnings by several
government ministers on the need to end illegal gold
panning, which is
causing untold environmental damage.
The Deputy
Minister of Environment and Tourism, Andrew Langa, was quoted
recently in
the local press saying the government was in the process of
putting together
legislation to criminalise illegal gold panning.
Langa said it was high time
such legislation was promulgated, as further
delays would cause serious land
degradation by the panners, commonly known
as makorokoza.The chief mining
commissioner in the Ministry of Mines and
Mining Development, Fredson
Mabhena, told a Parliamentary Portfolio
Committee on Mines, Environment and
Tourism recently, that an announcement
banning illegal gold panning would be
offcialised.But some gold panners said
despite the proposed ban, they with
law enforcement agents.
Joseph Mbambo, a panner at a mine claim near West
Nicholson, said it was
tough for them to earn a living on anything besides
gold panning.
"We have become so used to this activity of gold panning such
that it is
difficult to think about any other means of earning a living," he
said.
"This has been the best way to earn a decent living and, as a result,
we
will resist any efforts to try and stop us from doing this."
Mbambo
added that since he ventured into gold panning some years ago, he has
been
fending for his family and also caring for his ageing parents in
Tshelanyemba area of Kezi district.
"I have five kids and a wife that I
am taking care of here. I also have my
old parents whom I am looking after
and all that money is coming from gold
panning. As you are aware, securing a
job is now difficult these days, so
with a family and parents to look after,
one is forced into any kind of job,
regardless of how risky it is," said
Mbambo.
Natasha Moyo, a female panner, said it was better for her to take to
gold
panning than engaging in more risky ventures such as prostitution
because of
HIV and Aids threat.
"I cannot take the risk of engaging in
prostitution. I am better off here
because I am engaged in open cast panning
and I do not go into the dumps as
some male panners do," Moyo said.
"I
have managed to make sure that I provide for my family. I am also able to
pay school fees for my children through panning."
Although police have
clamped down on illegal panning, critics say the light
penalties charged
were not deterrent enough for determined panners who
return to their sites
after paying the fines.The illegal panners fined
between $25 000 and $100
000 - considered a drop in the ocean to what they
reap after selling the
precious mineral to dealers.