http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona
Sibanda
16 May 2012
A faction in ZANU PF is allegedly pushing for a
wholesale revision of the
draft constitution, in an attempt to smuggle in a
provision that allows
serving military officers to be active in political
parties of their choice.
The current constitution in Zimbabwe prohibits
members of the security
services to engage in partisan political activity.
However, that has not
stopped the military elite from endorsing Robert
Mugabe as a ZANU PF
presidential candidate in almost every election since
independence.
The Zimbabwe Defence Act also prohibits any military
personnel from engaging
in any partisan political activity. In a normal
democracy any military
personnel found involved campaigning for political
parties are dealt with
accordingly.
“This is unacceptable and find it
very disturbing,” said Dewa Mavhinga, the
regional director for the Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition.
He said Wednesday: “It is absolutely alarming that
we are witnessing a rapid
militarization of the constitutional reform
process. We hear now that the
army is pushing for recognition in the new
draft for its members to become
involved in party structures of their
choice, like having a Brigadier being
the district chairperson for ZANU
PF.”
Speaking on SW Radio Africa’s Hidden Story program on Wednesday,
Mavhinga
said the same faction in ZANU PF is attempting to scuttle the
constitutional
process by handing in, at this eleventh hour, a position
paper whose demands
are inadmissible.
It is believed this ZANU PF
faction includes individuals like Jonathan Moyo
and Tafataona Mahoso, who
have been vocal in opposing the new draft.
Mavhinga said attempts by this
group to block the new draft seem to have
failed.
“The efforts have
failed dismally and we want to continue on that track to
say it is not for
Professor Jonathan Moyo to decide for Zimbabweans whether
or not their views
are in the draft. It is for every Zimbabwean to read the
document, to
interact with it and to decide for themselves, and reflect
their positions
in a national referendum draft,” explained Mavhinga.
He said he believes
the views of Zimbabweans cannot be assigned to a few
individuals to decide
for them whether or not to accept the draft.
“This is the problem with
some of these professionals who think they know
better than all Zimbabweans
put together, who think they’re right to
prescribe to Zimbabweans what they
think is correct,” Mavhinga said.
He added: “This thinking is driven by
narrow parochial interests that seeks
to advance their positions in the
belief that if Zimbabwe is to go to the
next election under an uneven
political field, under the current Lancaster
House constitution, then it
would retain the kind of regime that would
maintain the status quo, which is
benefitting the same individuals.”
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex
Bell
16 May 2012
Debate in Zimbabwe’s parliament was once again
stalled as it resumed sitting
on Wednesday, with a ZANU PF attempt to block
a private members bill.
Speaker of parliament Lovemore Moyo opened the
session Wednesday by
announcing that debate on the Urban Councils Amendment
Bill would not be
allowed, because Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo
is challenging
the bill in the Supreme Court.
The private members
bill was introduced by the MDC-T Buhera Central
legislator, Tangwara Matimba
in February this year, and seeks to trim the
substantive powers of the Local
Government Minister.
Following a ZANU PF caucus meeting this year, Chombo
wrote to the Speaker
and the Clerk of parliament stating that under the
Global Political
Agreement (GPA), only Government Ministers can introduce
Bills in
parliament, not private members. Chombo also argued that parliament
therefore had no power to consider Matimba’s amendment bill.
The
Clerk replied in a letter that parliament disagreed with the ZANU PF
argument, which has since led to Chombo filing an application with the
Supreme Court to block Matimba’s amendment bill.
MDC-T Chief Whip
Innocent Gonese told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that
Chombo’s legal
challenge is “unfortunate,” not only because it has stalled
parliamentary
work.
“It is very unfortunate that this court application has resulted in
a
situation where debate cannot take place. It is taking us backwards
instead
of forwards,” Gonese said.
He added that it is a “political
move to try and frustrate the efforts of
members who have misgivings about
the bill as it stands.”
There are now concerns that Chombo’s legal
challenge is paving the way for
other private members bills to be blocked,
including a bill to amend the
repressive Public Order and Security Act
(POSA).
According to the parliamentary watchdog group, Veritas, if Chombo
were to
win the ‘sub judice’ argument while the case is with the court, “it
would
also benefit his party not to have the other private member’s bills in
the
pipeline go through parliament.”
Veritas warned that the court’s
final ruling “will serve as a precedent for
other private member’s bills.”
The MDC-T Chief Whip Gonese also expressed
concern about the possible
implications this court challenge will have.
“Obviously if the argument
is sustained it would mean no private member can
then introduce any motion
in parliament in relation to any piece of
legislation,” Gonese
explained.
Veritas also said that it would be “most unfortunate if this
case results in
a precedent for using the ‘sub judice’ rule to stop debate
on a
parliamentary agenda item every time a dissatisfied MP lodges court
papers
challenging Parliament’s handling of the item.”
“That might
encourage flimsy applications to court simply to delay
proceedings in
Parliament. Parliament’s legislative work could be disrupted
and bogged
down,” Veritas said.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/
16/05/2012 00:00:00
by Business
Reporter
A PARLIAMENTARY committee has summoned Mines Minister, Obert
Mpofu, and his
Industry and Commerce counterpart, Welshman Ncube, after it
that emerged the
US$750 million sell of Ziscosteel was in danger of
collapse.
Production is still to begin at the Redcliff-based steel-maker
more than a
year after it was acquired by Indian firm Essar Africa with the
takeover
deal apparently stalled over the transfer of rights to the
company’s iron
ore reserves.
Workers at the company, now renamed
NewZim Steel, said Tuesday they had been
told Essar would to stop paying
salaries, blaming the lack of production,
prompting the Parliament’s
Industry and Commerce portfolio committee to act.
“We met as a committee
today (yesterday) and legislators expressed concern
on what is happening at
Essar. The President officially launched NewZim
Steel and everyone had high
expectations, saying operations will now start,”
Committee chair, William
Mutomba told The Herald.
“We have decided to call the two Ministers to
explain to us. They are
supposed to appear before our committee on May 28 to
explain the challenges
they are facing.”
Ncube blamed Mpofu for
delays in implementing the takeover deal claiming the
Mines Ministry was
stalling over the transfer of mineral rights.
“We are taking 14 months to
sign a document which in a normal country should
take a week,” he said
Tuesday.
“Essar is saying we have been paying salaries since March last
year and we
(the government) are failing to sign a document transferring
mining rights.”
But Mpofu said the delays had nothing to do with him,
insisting: “That issue
does not fall under my ministry. Talk to
Ncube.”
Matomba said Parliament was concerned that workers would no
longer get their
salaries and wanted the ministers to explain the delays in
completing the
deal.
“We don’t understand,” he said. Why is it that
these things hampering the
full implementation of the Essar deal were not
discussed and agreed before
signing it?
“These are some of the issues
we want an explanation on as part of our
oversight role.”
Zisco
ceased production in 2009, weighed down by massive debts, the lack of
working capital, alleged mismanagement as well as moribund plant and
equipment.
But the company’s takeover by Essar sparked hopes of a
quick revival for a
company which was once one of Africa’s largest
integrated steel producer and
a key economic asset for the country.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Mayor Farai Nyandoro has
threatened to report the Zimbabwe Electricity
Supply Authority, ZESA, to
responsible Ministers for further action in
Parliament, following what he
described as reluctance by the power utility
to provide three dedicated
power lines.
16.05.1207:48am
by Jane Makoni
The application was
made three months ago in an attempt to avoid the town
going for days without
water due to haphazard power outages. “I do not want
to think that politics
is at play here. If need be, council would take up
the issue with the
Minister of Energy”.
“Without constant and adequate power supplies, the
water works would not
have the capacity to pump and purify enough water for
consumers. Several
towns have been provided with dedicated power supplies by
ZESA and this
resulted in minimum water shortages,” Nyandoro reportedly told
ZESA
officials.
Marondera has virtually run dry as a result of power
outages. Residents have
resorted to drawing water from unsafe wells and
protected boreholes sunk by
UNICEF.
High altitude residential
suburbs, such as part of Rusike, have gone for
more than three years without
water supplies.Nyandoro said council would
soon invite stakeholders for a
question and answer session with service
providers, to help residents
appreciate challenges faced by the local
authority.
http://www.bernama.com
HARARE, May 16 (Bernama) - Mozambique's
Cabora Bassa Hydro Electricity
Company is threatening to further reduce or
suspend power exports to
Zimbabwe over ZESA Holdings' huge debt, a senior
government official said
yesterday.
Zimbabwe Deputy Minister of
Energy and Power Development, Hubert Nyanhongo
told New Ziana news agency
that Zesa Holdings owes the Mozambican utility
US$80 million and is
servicing its debt too slowly.
However, he said Zimbabwe is committed to
repaying its debt in spite of
financial challenges facing ZESA
Holdings.
Cabora Bassa has in the past reduced power supplies to Zimbabwe
over the
huge debt.
ZESA imports power from neighbouring countries to
bridge a shortfall in
domestic generation and with the onset of the winter
season, the country's
power deficit has slightly increased as power demand
rises.
Nyanhongo said in most cases, only three out of the six power
generating
units at Hwange were functional.
The power utility is
currently seeking a partner to build two new generation
units at Hwange.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
16 May 2012
A total of six traditional leaders in Lupane
East constituency of
Matabeleland have been accused of working with ZANU PF
district structures,
in a scheme to deny donated food and other local
resources to MDC
supporters.
SW Radio Africa correspondent Lionel
Saungweme said villagers known to
support any MDC formation are being denied
everything from maize seed to
spray dips for livestock and fair trials at
traditional courts. The
intensified strategy is meant to force villagers to
support ZANU PF in the
next election.
Saungweme said: “The six
village heads have been co-opted into the DCC
(District Coordinating
Council) structures of ZANU PF and this is happening
in Lupane constituency
which is a very big area with many villages.”
According to Saungweme, the
village heads recruited by ZANU PF are taking
control of donations made by
NGOs in Lupane East and using them to benefit
their party members
only.
“Even the bee-keeping projects under Environment Africa are
benefitting ZANU
PF youth wing members. The NGOs should know this and
realise that their
donations are being diverted to one party,” Saungweme
said.
In Lupane’s Gomoza Ward, Councillor Janet Mpofu was accused of
diverting
seed maize meant to benefit the community and distributing it to
her entire
family, while other villagers went hungry.
Saungweme named
village heads Morris Ndlovu of Maphanda, Luke Mguni of
Sikhwehle, Jacob
Nxele-Moyo of Wolomoka, Joel Tshuma of Siyatshaya and
Timothy Sibanda of
Nzalikhwa Village as the headman working with Gomoza DCC
Chairman Thomas
Moyo.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
16 May 2012
At least 350 starving families were recently
denied maize seed under the
government’s grain loan scheme in Chimanimani,
because officials at the
Grain Marketing Board (GMB) refused to deal with
their MDC-T councillor.
The GMB is required to release the maize to
councillors who present a list
of needy families in their constituency,
regardless of the political party
they support. The councillors in turn work
in collaboration with chiefs and
headmen, but no political interference is
required.
According to activist Peter Chanetsa in Chimanimani, Manicaland
Province,
officials at the GMB at Bumba depot recently turned away
councillor David
Munengu, of ward 15 in Chimani urban. The councillor had a
list with 350
families from different political parties, but was told only
the ZANU PF
chairperson had the authority.
Chanetsa said the MDC-T
councillor was infuriated because the families in
his ward are struggling to
feed themselves.
“Some are surviving by cooking raw bananas because they
had no harvest this
year,” Chanetsa told SW Radio Africa.
He
explained that the grain loan scheme was designed to assist hungry
villagers
to grow their own food and then repay the GMB by the next harvest.
Each
family receives a 50 kg bag of maize seed.
“Some of the maize now ends up
being sold on the black market and the
government is not paid back,”
Chanetsa added.
Reports of ZANU PF using food as a political weapon have
intensified
countrywide. The MDC-T has criticized this abuse of state
resources and
reported documented cases to the Joint Monitoring and
Implementation
Committee (JOMIC). It is not clear what JOMIC intends to do
with these
cases, but the abuses have continued.
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
By Staff Reporter 15/05/2012
21:00:00
HARARE - Zanu PF says there is nothing to celebrate from
the so-called
progress reported to have been made in last week’s talks
between Zimbabwean
officials and the European Union in Brussels.
In a
sign of frustration, Zanu PF Chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo told the
Norwegian
Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Ingbrik Stofring at his party offices
in Harare
that Zimbabwe does not celebrate any so-called progress from the
EU-Zimbabwe
dialogue.
Moyo said there is no need for Zimbabweans to celebrate any
concessions made
as the party believes the whole sanctions regime should
never have been
imposed on Zimbabwe in the first instance.
“We don’t
celebrate anything from Brussels as those sanctions are illegal.
There is no
need to make noise about them, they should just be removed
unconditionally,”
said Ambassador Moyo.
The Norwegian Ambassador revealed unlikely
sentiments which are a departure
from the stance when the country joined
Britain and the EU in imposing
illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe, saying
Zimbabweans must finish their
constitution on their own.
“Norway
believes Zimbabwe must handle its own issues on its own without
interference,” the envoy said.
Zimbabwe-Norway relations hit an all
time low when the European country
sided with Britain and the EU in imposing
illegal sanctions on the country.
The EU has said the wholesome removal
of sanctions now lies on how the
country conducts its elections as the
European Union in Zimbabwe is
objectively recording the country’s political
situation.
EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Aldo Dell'Ariccia has said, “If the
elections are
held freely and fairly then there will be no reason for the
measures to
remain and a credible progress towards that aim and goal of
having a total
regularisation of the situation in the country can be taken
into
consideration,”
(AFP) – 5 hours
ago
JOHANNESBURG — The United States vowed Wednesday that it would not
lift
sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and dozens of
top
officials before there are signs of permanent political
reforms.
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson told a
telephone
conference that Washington will maintain its targeted sanctions
until it
sees "sufficient progress in the area of
democratisation."
"The US continues to maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe and
will do so until we
believe that substantial and irreversible progress has
been made in the
implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement,"
Carson said.
The United States slapped sanctions against more than 50
government,
military and ruling party officials in protest at controversial
elections
and alleged human rights abuses by Mugabe's government.
"We
will continue to review our sanctions and we have taken a few people off
the
list, not as many as the European Union," he added.
Zimbabwe's two main
political parties announced this week that they have
ironed out issues
stalling the crafting of a new constitution that would
pave the way for
fresh polls.
The southern African country currently runs on a wobbly
unity government
between former arch-rivals President Robert Mugabe and now
Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai.
The government was formed three
years ago to avoid an all-out conflict in
the wake of a 2008 bloody
presidential run-off election.
The EU has also kept a travel ban and
asset freeze on Mugabe and his inner
circle.
http://www.radiovop.com/
By Professor Matodzi Harare,
May 16, 2012 - Justice Nicholas Mathonsi has
ordered the country’s
Attorney-General, Johannes Tomana, to pay more than $4
260 to National
Social Security Authority (NSSA) as payment for allegedly
defaulting on
remitting workers’ pension contributions.
Court papers seen by Radio VOP,
said Tomana, who owns Maryland farm in
Darwendale, in President Robert
Mugabe’s home province of Mashonaland West,
did not remit workers’ pension
contributions from April 2010 to August
2011.NSSA said such evasion was in
contravention of the NSSA Act.
“The defendant (Tomana) refuses, avoids
and or neglected to settle the
amount notwithstanding written demand by
plaintiff (NSSA) and dated 7th of
October 2011,” reads part of NSSA’s
declaration against Tomana.
Apart from Tomana, NSSA has also sued
Munyaradzi Kereke, the former advisor
to central bank governor Gideon Gono,
former Mashonaland West Governor
Nelson Samukange who owns Rukoba Farm in
Banket, Local Government, Rural and
Urban Development Minister Ignatius
Chombo, Air Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation and its reporter
Reuben Barwe, who runs a farm in
Norton over unpaid pension contributions.
http://www.radiovop.com/
Harare, May 16, 2012 - Fireworks are
expected at a special politburo session
on Wednesday called to deal with the
serious divisions in Zanu (PF) seen
threatening President Robert Mugabe’s
re-election bid in polls he wants held
this year without fail.
“We
are meeting at the usual time on Wednesday, that is 10am sharp as
promised,”
said Rugare Gumbo on Tuesday evening.
"It is indeed the special politburo
meeting in which everything to do with
District Coordinating Committee (DCC)
elections and other issues raised by
the political commissariat in the last
meeting will be discussed,” said
Gumbo. “We will be looking at the state of
the party,” he added.
A report presented at the last politburo meeting
revealed that the party was
ravaged by a myriad of problems, top among them
factionalism, an indication
that problems bedevilling Zanu (PF) were deep
than what was initially
thought.
The politburo is expected to act on
reports of chaotic DCC elections whose
results were disputed in Masvingo,
Midlands and Manicaland provinces.
Insiders said the special politburo
meeting indicates a specific seriousness
on the part of Zanu (PF) to sort
itself out ahead of their self proclaimed
elections. The fights in DCCs were
indicative more of political ambition
than they were of
divisions.
Apart from the hullaballoo over DCC polls, Zanu (PF) is facing
other
political squabbling.
In Mashonaland West provincial chairman,
John Mafa, faces a plot to oust him
once again through a vote of no
confidence while in Bulawayo the provincial
chairman Isaac Dakamela remains
on suspension. In Matabeleland North’s
acting provincial chairperson,
Zwelitsha Masuku, was suspended for alleged
incompetence and was replaced by
former chairperson Headman Moyo who in turn
was also dropped last month on
similar charges and replaced by Matabeleland
North governor Sithokozile
Mathuthu.
President Mugabe has previously blamed infighting for the
party’s poor
showing during the 2008 polls, a situation that forced him to
share power
with MDC-T leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who is the
premier in the
inclusive government.
http://www.radiovop.com
Bulawayo, May 16, 2012 — Hwange
Magistrate, Collet Ncube, on Tuesday
acquitted Minister of Healing, Moses
Mzila-Ndlovu, who was facing charges of
conducting a Gukuruhundi memorial
meeting.
Mzila- Ndlovu, who belongs to the smaller MDC faction led by
Welshman Ncube,
was arrested in April last year at a road block along
Bulawayo–Victoria
Falls highway just days after addressing a Gukurahundi
memorial meeting in
Lupane, Matebeleland North.
He was being charged
for communicating false statements prejudicial to the
State.
Hwange
Magistrate dismissed the matter due to lack of evidence.
Meanwhile the
trial of Roman Catholic Priest, Father Marko Mabutho Mnkandla,
facing the
same charges is yet to commence at Hwange Magistrate
More than 20 000
civilians were killed by the North Korean trained Fifth
Bridage Army in 1982
during the gukurahundi era to fight dissidents. They
were buried in mass
graves while some were thrown alive in disused mines.
The Washington
DC-based Genocide Watch last year called for the prosecution
of Mugabe and
his allies for genocide and crimes against humanity for the
Gukurahundi
massacres.
http://www.voanews.com
15 May
2012
Tatenda Gumbo | Washington
Zimbabwe has the capacity
to license at least 120 national radio and
television stations, but the Zanu
PF arm of the coalition government is
reluctant to open up the airwaves for
political reasons, says chairman of
the parliamentary committee on media,
Settlement Chikwinya.
The lawmaker, from the MDC formation of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
told journalists in Harare the Broadcasting
Authority of Zimbabwe's decision
not to license more radio stations was
merely political.
He said Transmedia, the country’s signal carrier, has
the capacity for 68
radio and 51 television stations, and could expand if
Harare made the full
switch from analogue to digital
transmission.
Zimbabwe, under the SADC regional mandate, is falling short
in meeting the
2013 move from analogue to digital.
Speaking on the
recent licensing of two new commercial radios, Chikwinya
said potential
"groups like Kiss FM and Vox Media productions should be
allowed to operate
as there is space for them and many others who want to
join the
fray."
According to a legal statue, any potential broadcasters must be
prepared
in-house to begin broadcasting; furnishing equipment to enable
broadcasting,
then apply to be licensed by the authority and if awarded a
license, seek
transmission only through Transmedia.
Last year BAZ
officials told parliament the regulatory agency had not issued
new licenses
because they lacked capacity to monitor new commercial radio
stations as
missioned by law.
In the testimony officials, including Chairman
Tafataona Mahoso said they
are using rudimentary equipment and would face
challenges once new player
launch radio stations, and said it would take
US$3 million to properly
monitor new broadcasters.
But critics have
complained BAZ has lagged behind in issuing licenses, only
to award two
commercial licenses last year to Zanu PF-aligned stations - AB
Communications and Zimpapers.
Director Gift Mambipiri of Community
Radio Harare told reporter Tatenda
Gumbo potential broadcasters are ready to
go on air once given the
greenlight by the government.
"Zimbabwe does
have that capacity just like any other country in southern
Africa,
Transmedia and the ministry of information and publicity have been
trying to
keep a lid over how many frequencies the country has," said
Mambipiri.
He challenged all stakeholders to open the airwaves as
Zimbabwe has more
than enough frequencies to accommodate both television and
radio stations
that are willing to go on air.
http://www.herald.co.zw
By Paidamoyo Chipunza, 16 May
2012
Harare Central Hospital is in serious financial trouble and
is appealing for
funding from the corporate world to enable it to offer
timely and quality
service.
Health and Child Welfare Minister Dr
Henry Madzorera last week said the
corporate world and donors should
consider bailing out the referral public
health institution.
Speaking
to stakeholders attending the hospital's Open Day, Minister
Madzorera said
Government could not do it all by itself.
"We need everyone's
involvement. This institution should go back to the old
days," he
said.
The hospital's chief executive officer, Ms Peggy Zvavamwe, said at
the same
accession that they relied on funding from the National Budget and
revenue
collections which is not enough.
In the last quarter, the
hospital received approximately a tenth from the
National Budget of what it
had budgeted.
Many patients are evading payment by giving false
addresses, sabotaging
follow-ups on revenue collection.
"We are in a
dire financial situation," said Ms Zvavamwe. "We practically
have no
money.
"We only received a tenth of what we had budgeted for from the
fiscus and
that fraction is not enough to buy medicines for three
months."
Chronicling the road that the hospital has travelled since its
inception in
1950, Ms Zvavamwe said services offered at the institution were
actually
regressing.
She said the financial crisis that the hospital
found itself in had affected
every department ranging from training of
nurses and doctors to staff
accommodation, hospital wards, laundry and
equipment.
"Most of our equipment is now obsolete and is always down,"
said Ms
Zvavamwe.
"Specialists are no longer interested in working
here as there is literally
no equipment to use in the wards and those
available require replacement as
they are always down.
"Because of
shortage of funds, we can barely get all the needed supplies for
our
patients and the efficient running of the hospital."
Harare Central
Hospital was officially opened on May 2, 1958 as a 630-bed
health
institution.
Then the institution had 28 Government medical officers
(GMOs) but now there
is only one GMO despite an increase in the
workload.
Ms Zvavamwe said the hospital used to offer more than 20
services, which
included clinical, surgery, maternity, children, renal and
an eye unit, but
now some of the services are no longer offered.
The
hospital has now expanded its capacity to 1 100 beds, but little has
been
done to match the growing number of people needing care.
There are only
34 nurses in the Intensive Care Unit when a full complement
of 60 is
required.
The casualty department is supposed to have an establishment of
64 nurses,
but there are only 49, while the outpatients department has 11
nurses
instead of the required 26.
Other challenges faced by the
hospital include water problems characterised
by dry taps at night and
frequent pipe bursts.
But Ms Zvavamwe said some programmes implemented by
the inclusive Government
in 2009 went a long way in reviving the institution
following its closure
the previous year.
With the assistance of
donors, some departments such as theatres in the
children's hospital,
Intensive Care Unit, Renal Unit and a few adopted wards
got a facelift from
local and international sympathisers.
The hospital's laundry
superintendent, Mr Naison Muchaya, said they were
relying on one machine
after others were beyond repair.
"All things being normal laundry should
be done in one day and sent back to
the wards, but it takes an average of
three days to do that," he said.
In the maternity ward, Sister Joyce
Willis, said some mothers were forced to
deliver on beds without
linen.
She said the labour ward assisted an average of 50 mothers
daily.
The Open Day was attended by Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda,
Health Services
Board chairperson Dr Lovemore Mbengeranwa and HSB members
and consultants,
among other stakeholders.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com/
16/05/2012 00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
THE spokesman of Job Sikhala’s MDC-99 party has been
arrested after
allegedly driving off in a US$57,000 display motor at a car
show.
Aaron Muzungu, 38, chalked up 1,300km in eight days before cops
caught up
with him, the Harare Magistrates’ Court heard on
Tuesday.
Muzungu denies auto theft and was bailed to appear on June 19 by
magistrate
Hosea Mujaya.
Prosecutors say on May 4 this month, Muzungu
attended a Croco Motors
promotional event in Harare and had presented
himself to staff as a
potential buyer.
He took a liking for a Ford Ranger
T6 truck which had keys in the ignition
and a full tank of
diesel.
Muzungu allegedly drove off while staff was busy with other
customers. He
was long gone when the vehicle was finally reported
missing.
Over the next eight days, Croco Motors offered a US$5,000 reward
for
information leading to the recovery of the vehicle which had done just
17
kilometres.
Detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad finally
traced the vehicle to
Muzungu, who told the investigators he had BOUGHT the
truck at the car show.
Its new mileage was 1,317km.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
16 May
2012
New mining fees in Zimbabwe, which have been condemned as
‘exorbitant’, will
not be reviewed, after Mines Minister Obert Mpofu said
the new fees were
proving profitable.
The new licence fees for the
mining sector were gazetted in January this
year and range between US$3000
and US$5 million. This has represented an
increase of up to 5000% which
analysts and observers have warned will impact
local mining ventures the
hardest.
A parliamentary committee on mining has also said that the new
fee increases
could be illegal and called on Mpofu to explain his decision.
The committee
said in a report last month that the fees “impose a hefty
financial burden
on citizens and non-citizens alike who opt to invest in the
mining sector.”
But Mpofu told the committee this week that the new fees
regime had started
paying dividends.
“Since we increased the fees we
have so far collected US$10 million because
now we have serious miners who
are mining than the scenario we had before,
where people would hoard mining
claims for speculative purposes,” Mpofu
said.
He explained his
reasoning behind the fee increase, saying it was an effort
to curb
‘speculative behaviour’ by some claim owners.
“We have been tracking the
listing of companies and we realised most of them
are registered and listed
in foreign countries,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu said: “On the ground they won’t
be doing anything but just use the
mines to count them as their assets. We
thought if we could come up with
these fees it would be a deterrent measure
for those who hoard claims for
speculative purposes and I must say it has
started paying off.”
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
16/05/2012 00:00:00
by Staff
Reporter
THE Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry (CZI) has warned that
the standoff
between government and the US$600 million Chisumbanje ethanol
project is
sending the wrong signal a time the country is in desperate need
of
investment.
Green Fuel, the company behind the project, has
struggled to convince the
government to introduce mandatory blending of
petrol and ethanol leaving the
future of the project in doubt with
production at the Chisumbanje plant
suspend.
600 employees have already
been sent home with the jobs of another 4500 said
to be
uncertain.
CZI president, Joseph Kanyekanye told reporters in Harare
Wednesday that
Green Fuel’s E10 could cut help cut the country’s fuel import
bill by up to
US$2.4 billion with the servings used to bridge the country’s
trade deficit.
“The amount of money saved by utilising the ethanol from
Chisumbanje will be
channelled towards the country’s national debt, payment
of civil servants
among other pressing issues,” Kanyekanye said.
Low
uptake of the Green Fuel’s 90-10 percent Petrol-Ethanol blend, called
E10,
has forced the company to stop production after stockpiling 10 million
litres of product at Chisumbanje and exhausting storage capacity.
The
government has resisted pressure from Green Fuel to introduce mandatory
blending with Energy Minister Elton Mangoma claiming the company has failed
to address concerns over the pricing of the product which is just marginally
lower than unleaded petrol.
Said Mangoma recently: “The Cabinet
committee dealing with the issue has
been asking for answers on why Green
Fuel’s ethanol costs more than US$1.00
while in other countries prices
average around $0.75?
“We want to know who is benefiting from the balance
and why? The company
should justify their prices and they have not done
that; they are not
cooperating with the cabinet committee.”
Green
Fuel insist they have addressed all the concerns regarding pricing
adding
ethanol was cheaper in other countries such as Brazil because of
heavy
government subsides there adding high blending ratios could also help
reduce
the price.
“The price quoted (by Mangoma) is Brazilian, where there is a
47 cents
subsidy by the Brazilian government. They have a 30 year ethanol
industry
and produce 30 billion liters a year with a blend mandate of 25%,”
a company
spokesperson said.
“The cost of ethanol in Malawi
is a $1, 36 and they have a mandatory
blending policy of between 10- 20%.
Even at a dollar per liter, ethanol is
still cheaper than importing dirty
fuel from the Arab states.”
However Kanyekanye said the stand-off was
unhelpful and gave the wrong
signals to potential investors.
“The
ethanol plant is the yardstick for other investors and the failure to
ensure
its success will impact negatively on the inflow of investment in the
country,” he said.
“Those who are advocating for the exportation of
the product are misplaced
as the country is under sanctions imposed western
nations.”
Mangoma has told Green Fuel to export their product but the
company says the
option is a logistical nightmare because of the country’s
virtually
collapsed rail infrastructure.
Officials also claim that
exporting the ethanol self defeating because the
country would then
re-importing the same product as blend but at a much
higher cost.
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Corruption allegations involving grain loan
maize are escalating amid revelations that Agritex officials are allegedly
offloading truckloads of maize onto the black market, prejudicing
drought-stricken villagers in Manicaland province.
The officials are
illegally demanding top-up transport and administration fees.
Traditional
leaders are said to be involved in this sscam of extorting villagers by
demanding lunch allowances for Agritex officials as evidenced on 11 May in
Buhera North Ward 9 at Bere-Nyazvivi Business Centre where Headmen Chitsunge,
through his 28 kraal-heads demanded 50c from each of the 600 drought
stricken-villagers who wanted to collect the grain.
MDC chairman for ward
9, Robison Ushe said despite the kraal-heads having collected 50c from each
person, only $5,00 was given to the Agritex official and the rest was shared
among the kraal-heads and headman.
The people’s struggle for real
change: Let’s finish it.
--
MDC Information & Publicity
Department
‘Zim still patriarchal to allow woman president’-
women’s rights activist
Harare, May 15, 2012: A top official of the Women’s Coalition said on
Tuesday that Zimbabwe is still too patriarchal to allow a woman to assume the
presidency, but the organization continues to engage the Parliament-led
constitution making process in order to entrench women’s rights in the final
document.
“(It’s about) getting a woman or a clique of women who
are strategic enough to position themselves to take over as the president of a
country; no one will allow us. I think we simply have to take it by force. I
think Zimbabwe can have a female president even as early as five to six years
from now… (but now) we are still in a patriarchal state,” said Netsai Mushonga,
National Director of the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ). Mushonga was
responding to an question from a member of the audience during a Food for
Thought discussion session held at the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs auditorium in
Eastgate.
Mushonga said her organization continues to engage with
COPAC to ensure their demands as far as women’s rights and governance are
concerned and the women’s groups are scheduled to meet within the next two weeks
to chart a way forward on the proposed draft constitution.
“We have a national workshop coming in about two weeks
time and in that meeting the women are going to decide on the way forward,” said
Mushonga. “On whether to vote (for or against the draft constitution), we will
really be able to decide when we have the constitution in our hands -- the final
draft. What we have is the zero draft and uncompleted drafts and we are not
able to conclude on those.”
The Global Political
Agreement (GPA), which led to the formation of the inclusive government,
mandates the writing of a new constitution. The process is led by the
Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC), with three co-chairpersons from
the MDC-T, MDC-M, and ZANU-PF.
Mushonga, whose organization brings together a
network of women’s rights activists and women’s organizations, is championing
the inclusion of women’s rights in the constitution. She says there are
still machinations of trying to prevent women from getting into the governance
arena.
Explaining her organization’s decision to participate in
the Parliament-led constitution-making process, Mushonga likened the
constitution-making process to a train that moves from New Dehli to Bombay in
India.
“It’s not a perfect train, it can break down along the
way, it is overloaded, people can come in through windows, people can go in
without paying, some can sneak and contribute, but we knew (eventually) the
train would reach its destination at some point in time,“ said
Mushonga.
She added, “When we decided to participate, we didn’t
pretend that it was a perfect process, (but) we were willing to get on the train
and endure whatever was endured so that we get our demands into the new
constitution.”
She
said in her organization’s engagement with COPAC, they had tried to include
every sector of society.
“We also had a special conference for rural farmers and
they expressed their rights in as far as land and natural resources are
concerned,” said Mushonga, whose organization has chapters
in Bulawayo, Masvingo, Beitbridge, Kariba, Gweru, Gwanda, Bindura, Marondera and
Mutare.
According to WCoZ website, the
women’s groups have listed five minimum demands for women in the constitution.
These are: the quota system for women’s political participation; socio-economic
rights; non-discrimination (all forms of disability); customary law subject to
the Bill of Rights; and Access to and control of resources.
“It’s a women’s struggle, not a
political struggle, which we are fighting for,” said Mushonga– ZimPASİ May 2012.
# # #
ZimPAS is a product of the U.S.
Embassy Public Affairs Section. Comments and queries should be addressed to
Sharon Hudson Dean, Counselor for Public Affairs, hararepas@state.gov Url: http://harare.usembassy.gov
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
A government minister recently dismissed
as trivial the call to preserve
wetlands, urging instead that the natural
environment should be exploited to
boost tourism.
16.05.1211:19am
by
Tonderayi Matonho
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Walter
Mzembi. Tourism and
Hospitality Industry Minister, Walter Mzembi.
At
a recent media briefing, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister,
Walter
Mzembi, told journalists that wetlands would not bring development to
Zimbabwe.
He was referring to the ongoing debate around the
construction by a Chinese
company of a hotel in a wetland next to the
National Sports Stadium in
Harare. Environmentalists are opposed to the
building of the hotel, arguing
that the wetland should be preserved to
improve underground water flows.
The area where the Chinese have been
awarded a tender to build the hotel is
part of the Conservation Society of
Monavale (Cosmo) Project and is a
seasonally partially flooded wetland with
pristine ecosystems.
“This area is known worldwide in ornithological
circles as an important
breeding ground for five of the rarest Southern
African Bird species, in
particular the secretive migrant rails and crakes
which find the vlei’s
inundated fine summer grasses an ideal nesting
habitat,” said Toga Fakarayi
of Birdlife Zimbabwe.
Joseph Tasosa,
Executive Director of the Zimbabwe National Environment
Trust, said building
on the wetland would disturb the ecosystem - killing
organisms, including
locusts and lizards.
“It’s a contentious issue for other people to worry
about locusts and
lizards. Since when did locusts and lizards take
precedence over a country’s
development,” said Mzembi, adding that China and
Zimbabwe had signed a
Preferred Destination Access Agreement that would see
the Chinese promoting
tourist visits to this country.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
The former liberation movement, Zanu (PF), is running
scared because of two
phenomenal developments. President Mugabe’s party is
desperately scared of
the Constitution Parliamentary Committee’s first
constitution draft leaked
to the public a few weeks
ago.
16.05.1211:59am
by John Makumbe
The draft is so democratic
that Zanu (PF) is painfully aware that going for
elections under that
document will be committing political suicide. They are
also dead scared
about the impending visit by Prophet TB Joshua, the man who
prophesied
Malawian president Bingu wa Mutharika’s death months before it
actually
happened. I suspect that there is fear that when and if he gets
into this
country, TB Joshua might prophesy Mugabe’s demise and the chaos
that may
follow such a tragedy.
This is a classic misunderstanding of how prophets
and prophecies work. The
man of God does not have to be in this country in
order to prophesy events
relating to Zimbabwe. TB Joshua was not in Malawi
when he prophesied about
wa Mutharika’s death. In a recent broadcast on his
TV channel, TB Joshua
prophesied about an unidentified African leader who
would fall seriously
ill.
Zimbabweans are aware that Mugabe’s health
is reportedly deteriorating as
the dear leader approaches four score and 10.
His party should know that
denying TB Joshua a visa to enter Zimbabwe will
not change whatever God may
have ordained will happen to Mugabe or to any of
us, for that matter. In
fact, denying the man of God a visa may anger
God.
But back to the draft constitution - one of the things the people of
this
country said loud and clear was that one person, the President, has too
much
power, and that this should be changed to ensure that whoever will be
elected President under the new constitution would lead this country
together with others.
He will have to consult some committee,
commission or Parliament on most of
the serious decisions pertaining to the
governance of this country. Zanu
(PF) reads this to mean that Mugabe’s power
will be diluted, but this is far
from the truth. The point is that Mugabe
will not win the next election so
the President whose power will be diluted
is certainly not Mugabe.
The draft constitution also provides for the
creation of a National
Prosecuting Authority, thereby reducing the Attorney
General to the role of
a mere legal advisor to the government of the day. As
matters stand right
now, the AG is actively doing Zanu (PF)’s bidding when
it comes to the
prosecuting of that party’s political enemies - real or
imagined.
The two MDC formations in Copac will be best advised to insist
on this
constitutional provision for the creation of the NPA. After all,
they have
for too long been at the receiving end of Tomana’s hatred of all
Zanu (PF)’s
political rivals. Several meetings to be held this week will
determine
whether this provision and several others will remain part of the
draft
constitution. It is true that we are headed for a negotiated
constitution,
but the nation must stand firm with regard to the rejection of
the Kariba
draft.
Accepting the noxious Kariba draft will be
tantamount to returning this
country to the period prior to the inauguration
of the inclusive government,
something we can ill-afford given our
experiences since 1980. -
makumbe60@gmail.com
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
The
Lancaster House Constitution was the best our country has had – so far.
At
least it represented a good start for a newly independent, democratic
nation. The drafters did a good job that enabled stability and peace to
prevail at least for a few years after independence. After that, political
actors of all shades and orientations manipulated it into something quite
different.
16.05.1211:44am
by Maxwell V Madzikanga
Some
argue that the Lancaster document was heavily influenced by Western
powers.
The excesses and human rights violations happened during the
struggle and
the constitution had no inbuilt mechanisms to curtail or
prevent or ensure
accountability for a series of sad chapters and
derelictions. The massacre
of innocent civilians and the bombing of
villages, heavily populated areas
and camps as well as poisoning of water
sources was unjustified and the
constitution should have been more forceful
and clearer as a
framework.
It is indisputable that the Lancaster House Constitution was a
compromise
between the then Rhodesian Front and Zanu (PF) at the expense of
other
critical political and economic actors including ZAPU. The result was
unjustified loss of blood in Matabeleland and the Midlands.
My
thinking is that The Lancaster Constitution was more a sanitised
political
document than a constitution representing the aspirations, wishes
and
expectations of the broader Zimbabwean people - including the peasants
and
the disenfranchised. Anyway, after, a long, bloody and terrible war, who
cared! Then we woke up one day and started thinking of a people-owned
constitution!
In 2000 the first constitution-making process came up
with a document,
which, though not perfect, was a massive improvement from
the Lancaster
House treatise. The NCA came up with an equally substantive
document but it
lacked grassroots input particularly from rural communities.
True, the NCA
would argue that the political ground was very uneven,
dangerous and that
broader community based consultation was not possible.
But the fundamental
issue remains, the NCA draft though excellent was
perceived largely as a
one-person constitution - thought out and written by
Lovemore Madhuku in the
confines of his NCA headquarters.
The
constitution is not about regime change
On reflection, I think that draft
contained very critical ingredients that
the government could have borrowed,
shared with the populace and
mainstreamed into their draft constitution. The
government draft was roundly
rejected. I have met many political analysts
who vehemently expounded the
view that the people did not reject the draft
constitution, they did not
reject the process but it was a rejection of Zanu
(PF) and what it stood
for.
In the district I was working then, you
would ask people why they were
voting NO and which sections of the draft
were unacceptable and
paradoxically, many people had not even read the draft
constitution
document. I voted NO and then read the draft constitution
later. How wrong I
had been!
This background serves to inform the
current mayhem. The consultation
process was highly politicised yet
Zimbabweans aired their views candidly
and fearlessly. A national
constitution is not a political and partisan
document. All political and
non-political actors were expected to unite
around this very noble cause.
This did not happen as politicians from the
major political parties
selfishly promoted their partisan position at the
expense of national
virtues, ethos and reason.
The constitution is not about regime change.
The constitution-making phase
was not supposed to be a stone-throwing,
political space expansion exercise.
The forums were supposed to be focus
group reflections, listening tours and
detailed discussions of fundamental
and cross-generational virtues, values
and thinking.
Sadly, this was
not the case. A process that could have been harnessed to
promote national
unity and reconciliation ended up being hijacked by
political heavy weights
that stubbornly postured and arrogantly promoted
their partisan
agendas.
The least we expect is a document that accurately captures and
synthesises
the variegated views from all walks of life - a document that
reflects
maturity and values that cut cross and inform all generations. A
document
that is not authored to reflect the whims of MDCs, ZANU (PF), and
any
political or non-political formation but one that captures the veins and
arteries of the country.
There is still room for salvaging this
embarrassing scenario. The coalition
principals should for once courageously
stand up and relieve the drafters of
their duties and responsibilities.
Second, the principals should publicly
admit that the constitution-making
process outcome has not been successful
despite the massive investment
committed by the fragile inclusive
government.
We now have several
drafts and pieces lying all over the landscape including
the NCA draft. Why
not immediately hire apolitical, professional,
non-partisan, reputable
drafters and use the document that would come out of
this process for the
referendum. A nice name like Constitution Synthesisers
could do the magic.
And Zimbabwe is rich in talent, intelligence and
intellectual firepower! -
Pambazuka News
