http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 20:09
BY
PATRICE MAKOVA
A Mutare man seeking to renew his passport was told at
the Registrar-General
Office he was long dead and was shown a death
certificate to prove it.
Elias Simbarashe Munanzwi got the shock of
his life when last month he was
told by officials that he could not renew
his passport because there was a
death certificate bearing his name,
identity number, date of birth and
village of
origin.
Records from the Registrar-General’s Office show that
Munanzwi died in
Midlands town of Shurugwi on October 9 2009 and was buried
at Mashababe
village in Zhombe. The cause of death was listed as multiple
injuries/assault and the death entry number is #SKW/10.
Munanzwi,
who hails from Chirumhanzu but now works in Mutare, said he has
not been to
Shurugwi for decades and has no relatives in Zhombe.
“I was shocked to learn
that records from the RG’s Office show that I am
dead,” he
said.
“Up to now, I fail to understand how a death certificate was
created bearing
all my identity particulars.”
The case has raised
eyebrows in civic and political circles, as it proves
once again that
records at the RG’s office are in a shambles as living
people are listed as
deceased, further casting doubt about the authenticity
of the voters’ roll
and the possibility of holding credible elections in the
country.
Investigations by The Standard established that the
births and deaths
registration process was fraught with errors and
irregularities as some
officials were not properly capturing data of living
and deceased people,
reflecting badly on the voters’ roll.
The
Standard wrote to Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede seeking clarification
on
the issue. A senior official in Mudede’s office, a K Bvumavaranda said
the
matter was under investigation, but two weeks down the line, the probe
is
yet to be completed.
“We are aware of your request. These issues take
long to investigate. We
will inform you once we have completed the
investigations,” said an official
who answered Mudede’s phone but refused to
identify himself.
Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs were
surprised that the RG’s Office
was taking long to investigate an issue which
should otherwise be completed
in a matter of minutes or hours, as all the
information was computerised and
centralised in Harare.
“The case
of the man who is recorded as dead, but is alive is just a tip of
the
iceberg,” said the source.
“We are aware of several errors which are
being made in the registration
process and people have every reason to fear
that the system can be open to
abuse, especially when it comes to the
voters’ roll.”
The Standard travelled to Kwekwe and Zhombe to try to
establish the true
identity of the person said to have
died.
Investigations in Mashababe village in Chief Samambwa area, showed that
the
person who died in Shurugwi was a gold panner, Mahara Munanzwi (not
related
to Elias).
The Standard spoke to village head, Lameck
Mashababe, and members of Mahara’s
family who were all oblivious to the fact
that their son was still alive, at
least according to official
records.
The village head and family were also not aware of a Pianos
Mashababe, who
signed the death notification in Shurugwi. Mahara was born in
Zhombe in
1981, while Elias Simbarashe was born in 1961.
Mahara’s
younger brother, Tichaona and stepmother, Gogo Munanzwi, said it
was
baffling to learn that the RG’s Office bungled in handling the death
certificate and suspected that this was done deliberately.
“I
smell a rat here,” said Tichaona.
“Maybe someone is trying to steal
my brother’s identity and use it for
political
reasons.”
Political parties and civil society organisations said such
gaffes by the RG’s
Office proved that the registration of births, deaths and
voters was in a
shambles and far from being perfect, contrary to claims by
Mudede.
The director of the Election Resource Centre, Tawanda
Chimhini said the
system was flawed with the voters’ roll populated with
deceased people,
children as young as three years and individuals aged over
100 years.
He said death registration was done using a person’s
unique identification
number, which differed from individual to individual,
even in the event of
people sharing names.
“How could they punch
wrong information as they were in possession of the
person’s ID number?”
asked Chimhini.
“This shows lack of capacity for the office, which
has the mandate to
register voters and help in running elections. It’s a
clear indication that
the documentation process is chaotic and that the
system is not
water-tight.”
He called for a comprehensive public
audit of the deaths registration
process and the voters’ roll in order to
allay fears that the electoral
process could be manipulated using dead
people.
Chimhini said some of the thousands of people who died in
rural areas were
not registered as dead since the process was costly for
people living in
remote places.
Zimbabwe Election Support Network
(Zesn) chairman, Tinoziva Bere, said the
Zhombe case proved that the voters’
roll was imperfect, which could
potentially disenfranchise the
electorate.
“The registration process should not be cleaned in
secret, as this will
produce errors,” he said.
“Errors such as
wrong addresses are still prevalent. We also believe that
the registration
process should be more accessible to the people to
eliminate some of these
mistakes.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April
2012 20:07
BY PATRICE MAKOVA AND NUNURAI JENA
A Central
Committee member has appealed to Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)
commander,
General Constantine Chiwenga, to remove soldiers in the Midlands
province
who are meddling in Zanu PF politics.
Victor Matemadanda’s action has
come at a time when confusion and chaos have
rocked the current Zanu PF
restructuring exercise amid revelations that
soldiers are interfering in the
process in order to prop certain candidates.
Zanu PF
officials claim that soldiers have been deployed in different
provinces
where they are engaged in factional politics, causing confusion to
an
already chaotic process.
Sources told The Standard that Zanu PF
bigwigs were eager to put their
loyalists in strategic positions during the
District Coordinating Committee
elections in order to position themselves in
the race to succeed President
Mugabe and to safeguard themselves, come
primary elections.
“The old guard is running scared because of threats posed
by the youthful
members of the party. They are using every trick in the book
in a desperate
attempt to block their rivals,” said one youth
leader.
In a letter addressed to Chiwenga, Matemadanda complained
about the
deployment of several senior army and Air Force officers in
Midlands
province, particularly Gokwe.
Matemadanda alleged that
the senior officers (names withheld) were engaged
in factional politics
despite concerted efforts to refrain such activities
which have “brewed a
harbinger of discord, minefield of cracks and serious
discontent within the
rank and file ahead of any forthcoming internal
assignments”.
Matemadanda, a known loyalist of the faction led by
Defence minister
Emmerson Mnangagwa, called for the removal of the soldiers
before they
caused further chaos.
Contacted for comment,
Mate-madanda could neither deny nor confirm that he
was the author of the
letter. “How did you get hold of the letter?” he said.
“I cannot speak to
you over the phone.”
ZDF spokesperson Colonel Overson Mugwisi could
not be reached for comment as
he was said to be travelling to
Bulawayo.
In Mashonaland West, John Mafa, who is party provincial
chairman, as well as
head of the Joint Monitoring Committee (Jomic) also
confirmed that there
were reports of soldiers being deployed in the
area.
Mafa said complaints have been raised alleging that soldiers
beat up
residents in Magunje and Norton.
“There are cases of
violence involving soldiers although to some extent we
established that the
cases were not politically motivated,” he said. Mafa
cited the case of a
soldier who was given a hiding after urinating at the
vendors’
wares.
The soldier then ran away and came back with his colleagues
who
indiscriminately beat up patrons and residents in Norton, he
said.
In other parts of the country, there were similar reports of
chaotic scenes.
In Manicaland province, DCC elections were nullified in
Makoni district
where secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa was
accused of imposing
candidates.
There was also chaos in Mutare
yesterday as some party members were
breathing fire, accusing the provincial
executive of trying to impose
candidates in Mutare and Zimunya
Marange.
Sources in the province said there were attempts to block
Harare-based
chicken farmer Jonathan Kadzura from contesting the Mutare West
constituency
which is being eyed by Manicaland Governor, Chris
Mushowe.
In Midlands there were reports that DCC election results
were nullified in
Gweru and Zvishavane due to alleged imposition of
candidates.
Contacted for comment, Zanu PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo said he
had not
yet been briefed about the outcome of the restructuring exercise nor
was he
aware of the deployment of soldiers.
“The Politburo will
only be able to know the challenges and shortcomings in
the restructuring
exercise once provinces have submitted their reports next
(this) week,” he
said.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012
20:14
MDC-T organising secretary, Nelson Chamisa said it was not possible
to hold
credible elections without addressing fundamental issues around the
voters’
roll.
He said the registration process was cumbersome and
repulsive to people who
wanted to register as voters.
“We have tabled our
concerns with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and
other relevant offices,
but they are yet to respond to us,” he said.
Chamisa, who is also the
minister of information and communication
technology, said there was need to
adopt digital biometric voters’ roll
which included photos of those on the
roll.
He said the registration process should also be moved to
ZEC.
Last year, Zesn published findings which proved that 27% of the
registered
names were of dead people and at least 3 000 were of people in
the advanced
ages between 110 and 130 years old.
The report said
about 52% of men were registered compared with 48% of women,
which was
unusual considering that there were more females in the country.
Zanu
PF wants to hold elections this year using the old voters’ roll and
before
the implementation of agreed political reforms, including a new
constitution.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 20:13
MDC-T has
said the late Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and
Infrastructural Development, Senator Tichaona Mudzingwa, who died last week,
must have been declared a national hero for his contribution during the
liberation struggle.
Mudzingwa, who suffered a cardiac arrest,
will be laid to rest today at Glen
Forest cemetery in
Harare.
Speaking at the funeral service yesterday, MDC-T
secretary-general, Tendai
Biti, said it was unfortunate that Mudzingwa was
not accorded national hero’s
status as he fought in the liberation struggle
alongside the late army
commander Solomon Mujuru and Nikita
Mangena.
“Mudzingwa was the chief of doctors during the
liberation struggle, a hero
of heroes,” said Biti, who is also Finance
minister.
“It is however, unfortunate that he was not accorded the
status befitting a
hero who fought liberation struggles in his
lifetime.”
Mudzingwa served in the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA)
between 1980 and 1994,
rising to the position of colonel before retiring. He
was born on December
23 1942 in Buhera and is survived by his son.
His
wife died three years ago.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 20:06
MDC-T MP
for Zaka West, Festus Dumbu was last week interrogated by police
over
allegations that he was hunting for Zanu PF supporters who allegedly
abducted and assaulted an official of his party.
He was
questioned for about 50 minutes at Triangle Police
Station.
MDC-T alleges that Zanu PF leadership in the Wasara
area of Chiredzi North
Resettlement made a police report claiming that
during the Easter holiday,
Dumbu together with youths from Zaka West, were
hunting for the assailants
of one of their members with the intention to
revenge.
They said Dumbu wanted to avenge the abduction and assault
of MDC-T Zaka
West secretary for defence and security, Rhinos Musareva, by
suspected Zanu
PF supporters before being handed over to the police accused
of stealing
from a fellow villager.
The Zanu PF officials told
the police that they had fled their homes and
were now living in the
surrounding hills for fear of attack by Dumbu and his
youths.
Efforts to
get a comment from Dumbu were fruitless.
Masvingo police spokesperson
Tineyi Matake had yesterday morning promised to
supply information regarding
the issue but was not answering his phone when
repeated attempts to contact
him were made later.
— By Our Staff
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 20:04
BY
NUNURAI JENA
CHINHOYI — Zanu PF has disowned its youths who are accused of
spearheading
political violence against perceived opponents in Mashonaland
West province.
Speaking at a Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee
(Jomic) meeting
in Chinhoyi last week, Zanu PF Provincial Chairman, John
Mafa, said the
youths causing mayhem in the town and other parts of
Mashonaland West
province were “criminals and not party
members”.
The group, known as “Top Six”, has been beating up and
harassing residents
and villagers in the name of Zanu PF.
They
became notorious during the 2008 violent elections, in which the MDC-T
claimed that 200 of its supporters were murdered by Zanu PF militia and
state security agents.
Mafa, who is the chairman of Mashonaland
West Jomic liaison committee,
appealed to members of the public who were
victimised to report all cases to
the police.
“I don’t know
whether it’s top one, two or six. I’m appealing to members of
the public to
report such cases to the police,” said Mafa.
When pressed by
journalists, Mafa argued the group’s actions were not in
tandem with his
party’s principles of “engaging the masses”.
Mafa added that
political parties that engaged in violence would learn the
hard way come
elections because “people will vote in their numbers against
such a
party”.
He said the committee was investigating at least 11 cases of
violence in
which teachers were targeted by the marauding youths in
Hurungwe, Sanyati
and Makonde districts.
Another Jomic committee
me-mber from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC
formation, Silas
Matamisa, discouraged journalists from using inflammatory
language in their
reporting to avoid whipping up emotions within the
communities.
The Jomic provincial liaison committee comprises
representatives from the
three political parties in the inclusive
government.
Jomic making progress in reducing political violence:
Ngwenya
Another Jomic member in Mashonaland West province, Tagwireyi
Ngwenya of the
Welshman Ncube-led MDC, claimed that Jomic was making
tremendous progress in
reducing violence in the provinces despite assertions
by some that it was a
“toothless bulldog”.
Ngwenya said the
committee would continue to go to the grassroots level to
preach the gospel
of peace.
“As Jomic, we shall go to the districts and wards, even to
cell level,
preaching the gospel of peace to all members of political
parties,” said
Ngwenya.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012
20:04
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
BULAWAYO — A Bulawayo-based civic organisation
this week hosts an education
conference in the city to tackle root causes of
the poor performance of
schools in Matabeleland during last year’s Ordinary
and Advanced Level
examinations.
The conference, organised by
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association
(BPRA), will bring together
academics, Ministry of Education officials,
residents and other civic groups
concerned with the poor performance of
schools in Matabeleland
region.
According to rankings by the Zimbabwe School
Examinations Council (Zimsec)
for the November 2011 examinations, no school
in Matabeleland region made it
into the top 10 in the ‘A’ Level category.
Only five schools from three
provinces in Matabeleland made it into the top
50 in the ‘O’ Level category.
BPRA spokesperson, Zibusiso Dube, expressed
disappointment at the
performance of schools in Matabeleland.
“It
is unacceptable and a scandal for schools to be performing badly when
parents are spending scarce resources on school fees and subsidising
teachers’ salaries through incentives,” said Dube.
Zibusiso said
the reasons for the poor performance must be known so that
remedial action
can be taken to address the problem.
“It is in this light that we are
hosting this conference bringing together
various concerned groups and
education officials to bring a stop to this,”
he said.
“The poor
performance by Matabeleland schools meant that children from the
region
cannot compete for places at universities, as their counterparts from
other
regions will be better qualified.”
He said it was a tragedy for the
region, as it was likely to continue
lagging behind in terms of development
since education is key to sustainable
development.
Pressure
groups from the Matabeleland region have always complained about
their lack
of development and marginalisation by central government,
prompting them to
call for devolution.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 20:03
BY
NQOBANI NDLOVU
BULAWAYO — A Bulawayo High Court Judge has ordered the
immediate dismissal
of five Zanu PF losing candidates in the 2008 elections
appointed by Local
Government, Urban and Rural Development minister,
Ignatious Chombo, as
Matobo special interest councillors.
Justice Maphios
Cheda last week granted an order to six Matobo villagers who
lodged an
urgent High Court chamber application seeking the dismissal of
Chombo’s
appointees.
In a hearing held last week, Chombo, through his
representative Khonzani
Ncube who is Bulawayo provincial administrator,
however, denied that he had
appointed the Zanu PF losing candidates as
special interest councillors.
Chombo also professed ignorance about a
letter he allegedly wrote to the
Matobo council directing it to install the
councillors.
The said letter written in February directed the local authority
to install
Never Khanye, Jane Phuthi, Pilate Dube, Sithembile Ndlovu and
Sanders Siziba
as special interest councillors.
Khanye is an
aspiring Zanu PF legislator for Matobo, Phuthi is a Zanu PF
central
committee member and Dube is the party’s losing candidate in Ward 28
council
elections in 2008. Ndlovu and Siziba also lost the 2008
parliamentary
elections.
The letter in question came under focus during the hearing
after Ncube kept
denying knowledge of it.
Justice Cheda granted
an order reversing the appointments with immediate
effect.
The
Matobo RDC was represented by its chief executive officer Ernest Ndlovu
and
chairman Watchy Sibanda.
Six Matobo villagers, Garikai Dhliwayo,
Henry Ncube, Themba Dube, Priscilla
Sibanda, Morinah Sibanda and Gladys
Ncube had challenged the appointments at
the High Court after describing
them as illegal and an attempt to disturb
council operations.
The
six were represented by Job Sibanda of Job Sibanda and
Associates.
The MDC formations have accused Chombo of using the
provision on special
interest councillors to dilute MDC-led urban councils
by appointing Zanu PF
functionaries.
According to the Urban
Councils Act, appointed councillors are entitled to
participate in council
business and perform the same functions as elected
councillors.
The act gives the minister a special dispensation to
appoint special
interest councillors up to 25% of the democratically elected
councillors.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 20:01
BY CLAYTON
MASEKESA
MUTARE residents and council workers here have threatened to stage
demonstrations this week, in protest against the acquisition of
state-of-the-art vehicles by senior managers, when service provision remains
pathetic due to lack of funds.
Sources said council bought three
vehicles worth US$150 000 for senior
managers
recently.
Town clerk Obert Muzawazi, received a Mercedes Benz
ML worth US$60 000 while
the remainder was shared between the director of
Housing and Community
Services, Sternard Mapurisa, and engineer, Donald
Nyatoti, who got Toyata
Isuzu double cabs each.
Muzawazi
confirmed receiving the vehicles.
Combined Mutare Residents and
Ratepayers’ Association (Comrra) chairman,
Desmond Mwedzi, has slammed the
move and threatened to spearhead
demonstrations.
“It comes as a
surprise that the council can manage to buy these vehicles
for the top
managers for that kind of money yet service delivery is going
down,” he
said.
He said council employees were poorly paid and were not getting
their
salaries on time.
The workers have not received their
bonuses for last year “but the town
clerk and his senior managers find it
prudent to buy luxury cars using the
ratepayers’ money. We will not rest
until sanity prevails at council”.
Mwedzi said residents were aware
that Mutare mayor, Brian James, was
suspended from council to block the
auditing of council finances.
He said the association had been calling for
the audit of council books and
other books including, Pungwe Breweries,
where “we know that there is
rampant corruption going on
there”.
A council employee in the workers’ committee who cannot be
named to avoid
victimisation said:
“This is painful and at the
same time, heartless. Council employees are
earning peanuts and we have not
received last year’s bonuses.”
The worker also confirmed the imminent strike
adding that the workers were
in the process of engaging their lawyers to
assist them on all the
procedures.
“This time, it is going to be
a massive strike that has never been seen at
the council offices before,
because it will be a joint demonstration where
all concerned residents and
stakeholders are going to join in,” he said.
But Muzawazi said the
purchase of the vehicles was above board, as it was
done in consultation
with the Ministry of Local Government, Urban and Rural
Development.
“We had consultations with the ministry and it is
also under the Urban
Councils’ Act that councils can buy service delivery
vehicles under the
capital account,” said Muzawazi.
“I know that
those people making noise have got an agenda. We did not use
the ratepayers’
money, but it was from the capital account that enables
councils to buy
assets to facilitate smooth service delivery.”
Muzawazi said the
managers had been using their personal vehicles to carry
out council duties
for a long time.
“For example, myself, I have been using a B1800
truck while Mr Mapurisa has
been using his personal truck (a Mazda B1600
truck) and Mr Nyatoti was using
a pool vehicle.
“Let me remind
those who are making unnecessary noise that Mutare was the
only major city
in the whole country that had no vehicles for its top
management,” said
Muzawazi.
In other cities, he said, senior officials were driving
Fortuners, classy
Mercedes Benzes and Prados.
bonus a privilege, not
a right: Muzawazi
On the issue of salaries, Muzawazi said: “We
have been able to pay our
workers monthly. Comparing with other councils,
you can see that we have not
skipped a single month.”
He said the
issue of bonus for workers was not a right but a privilege. “
“It is
regrettable that some of our workers think that bonus is a right, it
is a
privilege. Our employees are very privileged that we are giving them
bonuses.
“As of last week, the employees have started getting
their bonuses and I do
not know what they mean if they say they did not get
their bonuses.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 20:01
BY MOSES
CHIBAYA
ZIMBABWE must abolish the two chambers of parliament, as the country
is too
small and poor to afford such luxury, president of
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn
(MKD), Simba Makoni said.
Speaking at a
public debate on the new constitution, co-hosted by the Media
Centre and the
Election Support Centre in Harare recently, Makoni said
Zimbabwe was too
poor to afford a bicameral system.
“We should abolish the two
chambers of parliament and go to one chamber. A
country as small and poor as
ours, cannot afford the luxury of two
chambers,” said
Makoni.
“Even one chamber should be reduced to a moderate size of 150
people . . .
representing 14 million people is quite
equitable.”
Parliament has 210 MPs and 93 senators who draw
substantial amounts of
allowances and loans from government
annually.
The former Finance minister said politicians in the
coalition government had
failed dismally to serve the people. He said they
were now concentrating on
consolidating their power instead of serving
people who voted them into
office.
“From February 13 2009 to
date, the people who assumed office to transit our
country from crisis and
conflict to peace, reconciliation, harmony and
stability have not seen that
as their principal mandate. instead, they have
made their principal mandate
to contest for power.”
Makoni also said there was a crop of
individuals who were contesting each
other to “acquire more power and more
material resources for themselves”.
The MKD leader added that the new
constitution must affirm limits of terms
of State office, including that of
the Prime Minister and all State offices
“must have term
limits”.
“Two terms are enough for a minister to serve for his
people. two terms are
enough,” said Makoni.
Co-panelist, Minister
of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs, Advocate
Eric Matinenga,
concurred with Makoni, saying he was going to lead by
example by serving
only one term in office.
The inclusive government was formed in
February 2009 after protracted
negotiations brokered by South Africa between
Zanu-PF and the two MDC
formations.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 19:59
BY PATRICE
MAKOVA
ZIMBABWE marks 32 years of independence this week with the future of
the
country still not clear as the major political parties in the country
continue to haggle over the implementation of political reforms while
blaming each other or foreigners for the current socio-economic
problems.
The shaky coalition government has not agreed on the
contents of a new
constitution and the implementation of political,
electoral, security sector
and media reforms remains a pipe-
dream.
Zanu PF wants elections this year with or without a
new constitution, but
the two MDC formations insist on the implementation of
the agreed reforms
and election roadmap.
The country’s partisan
securocrats have indicated that they would not salute
anyone who did not
have liberation war credentials, meaning that they would
not recognise Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of MDC in the event that he
wins elections
against President Robert Mugabe.
While the parties continue to
quarrel, poverty, hunger, unemployment, high
food prices, and political
violence threaten to wipe the gains of
independence.
Analysts
said although the country has made some strides in improving the
lives of
people, 32 years down the line, many are still to realise the
better life
they were promised at independence in 1980.
Social rights activist,
Hopewell Gumbo said the hard-won independence from
colonial rule has been
“recklessly” squandered in the last two decades owing
to poor management of
the economy and a reversal of the boom in social and
economic justice
upliftment in the first decade.
“The boom has been overshadowed by a
completely opposite way of running the
country for the benefit of the
majority in favour of the few rich and
politically powerful,” he
said.
Gumbo said only a small minority now presided over the State
with far
greater privileges than many who looked to the struggle for
independence
with hope.
He said as new generations come to
realise the reality of a struggle that
lost its way, sooner or later a
re-awakening was begging and ultimate
social, economic and political
independence was on the horizon.
“The old and tired forces of
domination are arguably on the other side of
the cliff,” said
Gumbo.
“The poor and politically oppressed must start the long walk
to freedom now
and organise for the restoration of the values for true
independence whose
arrival saw many lose their lives and loved
ones.”
Political commentator, Blessing Vava said significant gains
have been made
in terms of access to resources for the black majority unlike
in the past
when everything was in the hands of the
colonialists.
However, he noted that the processes involved have been
skewed to benefit a
particular group at the expense of broad-based
empowerment.
“A majority of Zimbabweans are still landless and living in
abject poverty,”
said Vava.
He said although the growth of
Zimbabwe’s education system in the last 20
years was highly commendable, it
was sad to note that authorities were now
turning a blind eye on the
sector.
Vava said as long as Zanu PF has no clear succession plan,
the foreseeable
future was not promising as the 88-year-old President Robert
Mugabe is now
in his twilight.
“If Mugabe dies or is
incapacitated, there is a high likelihood of chaos as
political heavyweights
move to assume power from their different factions,”
said
Vava.
He said there was need for the unconditional opening of
democratic space by
doing away with the Public Order and Security Act (Posa)
and all other laws
that stifle enjoyment of the democratic
space.
There is also need for policies that encourage wealth creation
and not
wealth grabbing, while the police and army have to restore
professionalism
and stop being partisan and respect the wishes of the
people, said Vava.
“Above all, Zimbabwe needs a genuine, democratic,
people- driven
constitution that will allow for the participation of
citizens in national
democratic processes like elections,” he
said.
But Zimbabwe National Liberation War collaborators Association
(ZNLWCA)
chairman and Zanu PF activist, Pupurai Togarepi is of the view that
Zimbabweans are now enjoying the fruits of independence as they were now
free to form or join political parties of their choice and exercise their
right to vote.
“We have also reclaimed our resources such as the
land and minerals, but
what the country needs to ensure is that these are
accessible and enjoyed by
everyone which was the basis of the war of
liberation,” he said.
Togarepi said the future of the country was
positive; as Zimbabweans were
now able to sit together in order to resolve
their political differences.
we should vote for capable people,
not noise-makers, says Chihwayi
Kurauone Chihwayi, who is the
deputy spokesperson for the Professor Welshman
Ncube-led MDC, said while his
party joined the majority of Zimbabweans in
celebrating Independence, it was
sad to note many people were still living a
miserable life.
He
said the nation witnessed bizarre incidents such as Gukurahundi in
Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the early 1980’s which saw the
killing of thousands of people during an army crackdown.
Chihwayi
said there has been serious abuse of office by the majority of Zanu
PF
officials, selective application of the rule of law, state sponsored
violence, a partisan and haphazard land reform programme and the crafting of
anti-people laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy
Act (Aippa) and Posa.
“Zimbabweans are yet to enjoy total social,
political and economic freedom,”
he said.
Chihwayi said the past
32 years have been characterised by anarchy, election
rigging, police and
army brutalities and organised “looting” of private
properties.
“The only way out for Zimbabweans is not repeating
the mistake we made in
1980 of replacing a white oppressor with a black
oppressor,” he said. “We
should avoid voting for deadwood, we should vote
for capable people, not
noise-makers.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012
19:57
BY NQABA MATSHAZI
SIHLE Ndlovu, a mother of four, says her
biggest worry is that her two sons
may be deported from neighbouring South
Africa, as they have been her
lifeblood for the past six years.
Her sons
send money regularly back home, but are undocumented and she fears
if they
returned to Zimbabwe, her major source of income may be cut off.
“If
it was not for them, I would have died in 2008,” she says. “They send
money
for rentals, school fees for their siblings and groceries too.”
Ndlovu, a
single mother, said she relied on cross-border transporters to
bring her
money and groceries from her sons, although they were sometimes
erratic and
unreliable.
“Sometimes the money delays or it never gets here, but I
am grateful for the
times when I get it,” she said.
In recent years
pirate commuter omnibuses, popularly known as omalayitsha,
have recorded
brisk business ferrying goods and money between South Africa
and Zimbabwe,
while some bus operators at Roadport Terminus in Harare
regularly tout
themselves as the best “hand to hand carriers” of cash and
goods.
Despite the unreliability of informal remittance methods,
a study by a South
African rights group revealed that Zimbabweans in South
Africa were sending
home up to US$900 million dollars
annually.
However, this money is largely sent through informal means,
a report
launched last week by People Against Suffering Oppression and
Poverty
(Passop) revealed last week.
The study revealed that of
an estimated three million Zimbabweans, 90% sent
money home regularly,
sending an average of a third of their incomes.
“These findings are higher
than those from most other remittance corridors
in various parts of the
world, which underscores the depth of the current
dependence on remittances
in Zimbabwe,” reads the report.
The report estimated that 40% of the
remittances were repatriated back to
Zimbabwe.
“This accentuates
not only the importance remittances currently have in
supporting
livelihoods, but also their effect on the Zimbabwean economy,
being one of
the most important sources of foreign currency inflows,”
continues the
report, titled; Strangling the lifeline: An analysis of
remittance flows
from South Africa to Zimbabwe.
The latest figures by Passop indicate
a huge jump in the amounts being
remitted to Zimbabwe as in 2010 the World
Bank had put the figure at between
US$360 and US$490
million.
Probably to reflect the variance between informal and formal
remittances,
the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in January 2011 said repatriations
accounted
for US$263,3 million.
Latest figures were
unavailable.
Remittances have for long been the backbone of the
Zimbabwean economy,
observers have said, but since most of the repatriation
was done informally,
it was difficult to tell how much was being sent
back.
But for Ndlovu and millions others, they hope the cost of
sending money back
home is reduced as that could mean more money for
themselves and those who
are remitting it.
cost of sending money too
high: Passop
The Passop report argues that the amount being sent
back by Zimbabweans
could be much higher, save for the high costs of sending
money from South
Africa. Remitting money costs between 10 and 15% of the
value sent, while in
other more efficient countries the charge is between 3
and 5%.
“To charge exorbitant fees on the money sent back by
immigrants and refugees
to their desperate families is to strangle their
lifeline,” Braam Hanekom,
Passop director, said. “The excessive difficulty
and high fees charged is
surely another factor prolonging the crisis in
Zimbabwe and increasing
migration flows to South Africa. It is clear that
South Africa is not doing
Zimbabwe or itself any favours
here.”
The report argues that if the development gains for Zimbabwe
are to be
maximised then the formalisation of remittance flows must be
fostered
through the implementation of a number of key reforms.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 19:37
BY JENNIFER
DUBE
CHITUNGWIZA is facing a serious water crisis with some suburbs going for
over a week without running water, exposing residents to diseases.
The
situation is most pronounced in suburbs such as Unit D, E, H, O, N and
St
Mary’s, where residents fetch water from shallow wells and
sewage-polluted
streams. This exposes residents to water-borne diseases such
as cholera and
typhoid.
A visit by The Standard last week established that most
suburbs only got
water for four days per week while others went up to a week
or two without a
drop of the precious liquid.
This situation is
compounded by the fact that Chitungwiza, commonly referred
to as a dormitory
town about 25 kilometres south of Harare, only gets 30
megalitres of water
per day from the capital city although it requires 43
megalitres
daily.
Harare is also battling to meet water demands from its
residents.
The few boreholes drilled by non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) in
Chitungwiza cannot adequately meet the residents’
needs.
For example, a single borehole in Zengeza 1, also serves residents of
Zengeza 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Those with cars are sometimes forced to
drive to Harare to fetch water.
A team assembled by the Minister of
Local Government, Urban and Rural
Development, Ignatious Chombo, following
the suspension of several senior
council officials on allegations of
corruption to resuscitate the fortunes
of the town, has pledged to improve
water supply.
The town recently got 1,9 million euros (US$2,9
million) from the African
Development Bank (AfDB) African Water Facility to
upgrade its water pipeline
which stretches from Harare as part of
interventions to alleviate the water
problems.
Chitungwiza acting
clerk Fungai Mbetsa said the AfDB money had already been
channelled towards
improving water and sewer infrastructure.
“With regards to water supply, the
grant is being utilised to procure and
install 10 bulk meters and 10
automated pressure reducing valves along the
supply pipeline from Harare,”
Mbetsa said.
“Automated pressure reducing valves will therefore
ensure equitable
distribution of water to all sections of the municipal area
of Chitungwiza.”
He said the grant also provided for drilling of 10
boreholes in Seke’s Unit
O and P, which are hardest hit by the water
shortages.
Mbetsa said the council had also started engaging various
stakeholders
including financial institutions and government with the hope
of sourcing
US$550 million for the construction of Nyatsime and Muda dams,
which are
expected to yield 110 megalitres per day.
For fear of
contracting water-borne diseases, some residents have resorted
to boiling or
using chemicals to purify water for drinking.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012
19:37
Economic analyst John Robertson said urban councils should come up
with ways
of ensuring that everyone pays their bills if they are to revamp
service
delivery in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
“The majority
of urban residents are not paying rates to their respective
town councils
and most councils will continue to be overwhelmed by demand
because they
cannot cater for the ever-increasing population. They are
operating on
limited budgets,” he said.
Robertson said councils should adopt
strategies that have been taken in
other countries such as Scotland, England
and Wales, where the local
governments introduced community or poll
tax.
“In other countries such as Scotland, Wales and England, this
system of
taxation was introduced in the late 90’s which provided for a
single
flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the local
authority,” he said.
Community or poll tax is a fixed tax charged
per adult resident, for the
services provided by the local authority in a
community.
The unemployed are usually taxed less than those who are formally
employed.
But social commentator Kennedy Dapi said introducing a tax
would
disadvantage residents as they were already burdened by huge bills
against
the backdrop of poor service delivery and economic hardships.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 19:36
BY
SOFIA MAPURANGA
RESIDENTS of Chitungwiza have lost faith in the local
authority which is
failing to attend to problems of sewage, water and
general decadence of
facilities in the town.
They said reports to
the council about burst sewer and water pipes were
never attended to in
time.
Pedestrians have virtually replaced traffic on the once
tarred roads as most
drivers opt for the side pathways because what has
remained of the roads are
just thin patches of tar that damage the vehicle
tyres.
Chenai Nyazema (32) of Zengeza 1 said reporting a blocked pipe
or
overflowing sewage to council was a waste of time since officials always
referred residents to private plumbers. Most of these plumbers, she said,
were council employees who “moonlighted” during working hours using council
equipment.
“We spent almost a month with raw sewage flowing at
the corner of the main
road from town and Rufaro Street such that we
nicknamed the place pachimbuzi
(toilet place),” said Nyazema. “Council
officials take forever to come and
rectify burst sewage and
pipes.”
Nyazema said the raw sewage was a health hazard to Shingai
Primary School
children who have to cross the road on a daily basis, some of
them
bare-footed.
A grade six pupil at Shingai Primary School
said younger pupils were
oblivious of the danger they exposed themselves to
by walking through the
raw sewage.
“Grade one and two pupils play
with the raw sewage sailing their toy boats
ignoring warnings from older
pupils, ” she said.
She said sometimes pupils were splashed with the
raw sewage by motorists
driving past sewage-filled
potholes.
Another resident, Dorcas Nhira of Unit D said her
neighborhood was now
associated with the stench of raw sewage which has been
flowing
uninterrupted through the area over the years.
“Raw
sewage flows on a daily basis near Seke 1 High School and this place is
not
only a health hazard to students but also to people who reside in the
vicinity,” she said.
officials accused of
greed
Some Chitungwiza residents say city council officials are
more concerned
with lining their pockets than providing services to the
people.
“Council is more concerned with giving huge salaries to top
management while
residents are getting a raw deal in terms of service
delivery,” said Diana
Dhero.
“When you go to make a report of a
blocked sewer or burst pipe, you are
either ignored or referred to someone
who is never within council premises.”
Acting town clerk for Chitungwiza,
Fungai Mbetsa said council was in the
process of developing a maintenance
schedule aimed at improving residents’
living standards.
“Sewer
blockage in the municipal area has been reduced from 400 to below 200
cases
reported weekly and council has secured operational vehicles for use
by
council de-blocking teams to respond to residents’ needs,” said Mbetsa in
a
statement recently.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 19:33
BY JENNIFER
DUBE
HARARE city council has expressed concern over the proliferation of
creches,
the majority of which do not meet the minimum hygienic standards
recommended
by the local authority.
There are fears that poor
hygienic conditions would expose the children to
communicable diseases,
especially now that Harare is experiencing frequent
outbreaks of waterborne
diseases such as typhoid, dysentery and cholera.
A council
discussion on conditions of creches in Harare was sparked by the
rising
number of applications for change of use of residential houses to
creches.
An environmental management committee of Harare City Council
recently
indicated that several landlords in both high and low-density
suburbs had
requested to be allowed to use their residential property as
creches.
These included houses in Greencroft, Braeside, Kuwadzana,
Avondale, and
Tynwald.
“I have visited some of these creches in
my ward and what I saw is not
good,” Councillor Joyce Kariwo
said.
“At some of the creches, you find over 100 children crowded in
a small room
called a classroom and when it is time for their afternoon nap,
small
blankets are spread on the floor for them to sleep on.”
She
said most of the staff at the creches did not possess the requisite
training
on teaching, caring for and cooking for the children.
“In my ward,
some of these creche owners have started tuckshops where they
sell the juice
brought for the kids. If you taste the drink they give to the
children, you
realise it is just tasteless coloured water,” said Kariwo.
Councillor
Urayayi Mangwiro said people were taking advantage of the gap
left by the
few early learning institutions offered by government.
Mangwiro said
very few schools were offering Zero Grade classes, leaving
parents with no
option but to look for alternative institutions for their
children.
Mayor
Muchadeyi Masunda said he had raised the issue with the Minister of
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, who promised that his
ministry would evaluate the extent of the problem before taking steps to
resolve it.
‘Ablution facilities not suitable for
kids’
many councillors said in most cases, ablution facilities are not
suitable
for the young children.
They said, instead of buying
smaller chambers, some creches stuck to the
standard ones, with children
having to struggle to scale on the chambers,
sometimes without adult
assistance.
Others expressed concern that there was no organisation
that looked into
adherence to minimum health requirements of staff at
creches.
In the absence of such a body, the councillors said, the children
risked
contracting contagious diseases.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012
19:33
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
GWERU — A senior official at the Midlands
State University (MSU) has
dismissed reports of rampant prostitution by
desperate female students at
the institution.
There have been allegations
that a number of female students at the
institution had gone into
prostitution to survive the current harsh economic
environment.
Addressing a press conference recently, Dean of
Students at the University,
Thandiwe Mkwananzi, dismissed the allegations as
false.
“Our students are very responsible people who walk with their
heads held
high and are in fact contributing to the fight against HIV and
Aids in the
community,” said Mkwananzi. “If you see them wearing short
dresses or tight
jeans, then you think they are up for grabs, tough luck
because they are
not.”
Mkwananzi however, accused some members of
the community and prostitutes of
tarnishing the name of the institution
(which has now been rechristened More
Sex University) by masquerading as
students in order to improve
marketability. “Even prostitutes want to be
identified as MSU students. they
go around claiming to be part of this
college but when you investigate, you
will realise that they have never been
near our college,” she said.
However, other students who spoke to The
Standard, confirmed that
prostitution was rife among students who were
forced to seek accommodation
in Senga, Nehosho and surroundings suburbs
where landlords demand high
rentals.
On average, students pay
monthly rentals of US$80 per head in rooms where
they are forced to stay in
groups. Landlords collect an average of US$320
per room from the desperate
students.
The high rentals leave female students at the mercy of rich
men.
“Most of our sisters here are in relationships with married man
who spoil
them in return for sexual favours,” said one student who requested
anonymity. “I know some of the girls, if given a choice, they would not
prostitute for loaves of bread.”
Male students are in the same
predicament. They do assignments for girls in
return for a share of the
pickings while others benefit from being go
betweens.
“We
organise girls for the big boys and in return we get cash,” said another
student. “We have now become pimps in order to survive.”
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012
19:32
BY Our CORRESPONDENT
MUTARE — Six police officers who allegedly
smuggled bales of second-hand
clothes from Mozambique to Harare through
Cashel Valley in Chimanimani, were
arraigned before Mutare magistrate
Charles Murowe last week, facing abuse of
public office charges.
Cosmos
Madzivanzira (39), Shadreck Hapaori (35), Godfrey Mazhonga (28),
Timothy
Chatira (29), Alphious Zimhunhu (30) and Lenin Muvengwa (21), who
reside at
ZRP Cashel Camp in Chimanimani, denied the allegations and were
remanded out
of custody to April 16 on a US$50 bail each.
The court heard that on
March 28, the six, acting on common purpose, with a
man only identified as
Dzingayi, hired a lorry and three commuter omnibuses
from Harare to ferry
bales of clothes from Cashel Valley.
Dzingayi allegedly assured the
owners of the motor vehicles, who doubted the
success of the deal that prior
arrangements had been made with police
officers at Cashel Valley. They met
with Dzingayi at the Nyambeya turn-off,
en-route to
Mozambique.
However, a Sergeant Mbewe of Marange Police Station,
received information of
the illicit dealings and went to the border. On
arrival, Mbewe impounded two
vehicles being loaded with 125 bales and took
them to Cashel Valley Police
Station.
The other two vehicles
which were still behind were later impounded near
Mutambara Mission by
vigilant police officers who had set up a roadblock.
After being
caught, the arrested officers resisted arrest and a scuffle
ensured. They
were overpowered and detained at Cashel Valley Police
Station.
Meanwhile, former Manicaland police spokesperson, Brian
Makomeke and two
officers, only identified as Shariwa and Gwede, were last
week arrested by
the anti-corruption unit on allegations of dishonestly
discharging their
duties.
Allegations against the trio are that
they failed to do their duties
transparently by forwarding to court a docket
with half-baked facts.
“The docket was opened against an assault case
which happened at a local
hotel in the city and these three (Makomeke,
Shariwa and Gwede), for reasons
best known to them, deliberately decided to
omit some information which
rendered the courts to throw out the case as
there was no evidence,” said
Assistant Commissioner (Operations) David
Mahoya.
He said while the three would be tried in the courts of the
law, the force
would also ensure that they appeared before an internal
disciplinary
hearing.
Mahoya emphasised on the need to restore public
confidence in the police.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012
19:28
BY KUDZAI CHIMHANGWA
FINANCE minister Tendai Biti has criticised
the manner in which the
indigenisation law is being interpreted and applied
in the country.
He implicitly dismissed the overtures being made by the
Minister of Youth
Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, Saviour
Kasukuwere, who
threatened to seize substantial shareholding of banks under
the guise of the
law.
“This act has been misinterpreted. Section 3 of
this act says it shall be
the endeavour of government to ensure that every
company in Zimbabwe that is
foreign-owned is at least 51%-owned (locally),”
said Biti.
“The word endeavour denotes aspiration, it denotes an
intention. So the
provision is not worded in peremptory
language.”
Peremptory language in legal terms relates to authoritative
wording in a
piece of legislation that is definite and not entitled to delay
or
reconsideration and therefore uses strong wording such as
“shall”.
Said Biti, “The law does not say that every foreign-owned
company shall be
51%-owned, the law says it is the intention to reach the
destination of 51%
ownership, so it’s discretionary. A peremptory
interpretation is therefore
wrong.”
But Kasukuwere recently
published a notice saying that mining firms that
failed to meet last year’s
September 25 deadline should note that 51% of
their shareholding would now
be deemed to be owned by the State.
The banking sector has not been
spared either as the minister vowed to take
a controlling stake in the
country’s foreign-owned banks.
Out of the 23 banks operating in Zimbabwe,
four — Barclays, Stanbic,
Standard Chartered and MBCA through Nedbank — are
foreign-owned.
They have a combined market capitalisation of US$60
million.
The indigenisation and economic empowerment legislation has
caused a great
deal of consternation among international investors seeking
to explore new
and emerging markets, such as Zimbabwe.
Biti
explained that both the law and the March 2010 regulations were very
clear,
providing evidence of there being no nationalisation in Zimbabwe.
“When
shares are to be taken, they have to be ceded for value, for open
market
value and if there is contestation over the value of the shares,
there is a
right of appeal by the shareholder to the Administrative Court,”
he
said
“The Administrative Court is more or less on par with the High
Court of
Zimbabwe”, he added.
“Again I see a misinterpretation of
the law to equate ceding to
nationalisation or appropriation. This is very
important in the banking
sector,” he said.
‘don't tamper with
banking sector’
Biti warned against tampering with the banking
sector arguing that capital
was very fluid and fungible (the quality of
being capable of exchange or
interchange).
The Finance minister
urged authorities to be cognisant of the important role
that banks have been
playing to keep the economy functioning.
After dollarisation in February
2009, government did not buy back the
existing stock of currency with new
currency.
“In a subverted way we nationalised people’s balance sheets
without
compensation, as a result bank assets were found with US$350 million
in
February 2009. Banks resultantly built an asset base on their own which
they
have been able to lend to the market,” Biti said.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 19:26
BY MOSES
CHIBAYA
GOVERNMENT is set to incur a huge budget deficit this year as its
revenue
base continues to shrink, Finance minister, Tendai Biti has
said.
He was speaking at a joint press conference with Agriculture,
Mechanisation
and Irrigation Development minister, Joseph Made, where they
unveiled a
US$20 million finance facility for the 2012 winter wheat
programme.
“Our revenue is under-performing, we are not collecting as
much as we ought
to be collecting,” said Biti.
“Last time, we had
a shortfall of US$58 million and as at the end of March
2012, we had a short
fall of US$93 million.”
He added: “So it’s important that our
resource mobilisation increases. It’s
important that our diamonds perform —
they are not performing.”
Biti told journalists recently that diamond revenue
for February was a
paltry US$5 million against a target of US$41,5
million.
In his monthly state of the economy address, Biti revealed
cumulatively the
actual revenue collections for January and February 2012
amounted to
US$488,24 million, against a target of US$549,5
million.
This implies a cumulative deficit of US$61,24 million,
largely emanating
from under-performance of diamond revenues during the
period under review.
Biti said this had affected the performance of
government as some projects
under the 2012 budget largely depended on
diamond revenue.
Earlier this year, Biti met with President Robert Mugabe to
discuss the
contentious issue of diamond revenues from Marange, which are
still not
flowing consistently into state coffers amid fears of massive
looting of the
precious gems by senior politicians.
Mugabe is
said to have promised to address the issues of transparency and
accountability with regard to the diamond revenues.
The MDC-T
alleges that Mugabe and Zanu PF are running parallel coffers for
the
latter’s administration and political activities.
Diamond revenue is
pivotal to the finance ministry’s budget, as
US$600-million is expected from
the gem exports to cover part of this year’s
US$4 billion
budget.
Last year, Zimbabwe exported 716 958 carats of diamonds with
only US$103,9
million being realised at a time when diamond prices continued
to firm on
the international market.
“We need to mobilise
resources that will mitigate and liquidate domestic
indebtedness to our
local suppliers,” said Biti. “So we want to break this
cycle of
inter-indebtedness and intra-indebtedness in government.”
Biti said
government owed at least US$20 million to power utility, Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa), US$20 million to Zimbabwe National
Water Authority (Zinwa), US$60 million to NetOne and about US$30 million to
TelOne.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 19:25
BY
OUR STAFF
THE government is set to float a tender for a strategic partner for
Agribank
during the second quarter of this year, the bank’s chairman, Sij
Biyam has
said.
He said the privatisation of the bank and search for a
strategic partner
were at an advanced stage.
“The next step is for
government to float a tender for the strategic partner
and this is envisaged
for implementation during the second quarter of 2012,”
said
Biyam.
Finance minister, Tendai Biti, last year announced that
government, which
holds majority shareholding in the bank, would offload its
shares in the
bank to make it more competitive.
This decision
followed cabinet authorisation for the cash-strapped
institution to seek a
new partner.
Government approved a privatisation plan for the bank
where a strategic
partner would buy 49% equity with government retaining 51%
of the same.
Biyam said that government floated a tender in mid-March for
financial and
legal advisors as part of the bank’s
privatisation.
The government has repeatedly sought a suitable
partner for the bank as it
continually recorded losses over successive
financial periods because it
loaned the bulk of its cash to the low
performing agricultural sector.
The plan to privatise Agribank is
part of the government’s strategy to
create private-public sector
partnerships that can help resuscitate and
recapitalise its loss-making
parastatals.
The bank recorded a loss after tax of US$286 409 for the
year ended December
31 2011 compared to a loss of US$8,1 million in
2010.
The reduction in loss was attributed to a growth in operating
income, which
increased by 82% from US$10,6 million in 2010.
“The
turnaround and strong performance also partly reflected the positive
impact
of the Industrial Development Corporation SouthAfrica (IDCSA) line of
credit
of US$30 million, which was disbursed in 2011,” said Biyam.
The
facility was disbursed to local companies on the basis of a criteria
supporting increased local manufacturing capacity, creation of jobs and more
local goods on the market, and this consequently had a positive impact on
the bank’s profile.
The bank presently anticipates more new lines
of credit this year.
Biyam said the bank was currently negotiating
with IDCSA for a second
tranche worth US$30 million, which is expected to be
disbursed during the
second quarter of 2012, focusing on increasing capacity
utilisation and job
creation.
Companies in the agricultural,
manufacturing and tourism sectors would be
the main
beneficiaries.
The facility has a six-year tenor with concessional
interest rates.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April 2012 19:45
BY LANCE
MAMBONDIANI
A year ago, David Brown — the head of Impala Platinum —
believed Zimbabwe’s
indigenisation plans for foreign-owned mines “would not
happen”. The policy,
which required all companies with a share capital above
US$500 000 to
arrange for 51% of their shares or interests to be owned by
indigenous
Zimbabweans, was taken as a bit of a joke — a populist policy by
the
government to win votes ahead of elections. It’s not so funny
now.
Brown, to use former US President George W Bush’s words
“mis-underestimated”
the government’s blind determination. When Zimplats —
the world’s second
largest platinum producer — announced recently that it
would transfer 51% of
its shares “at an appropriate value”, there could be
no bigger scalp for
Saviour Kasukuwere, the Minister of Youth Development,
Indigenisation and
Empowerment than that. After this, Brown announced his
retirement from the
platinum group.
Together with Mimosa mine,
Zimplats accounts for over 40% of the
London-listed Impala’s global platinum
reserves, a priced asset by any
standard and a major victory for the
government’s indigenisation crusade.
The kind of victory that makes you
believe you can pump your car tyres into
a monster truck.
Buoyed by the
Zimplats success, the minister has turned his attention to the
banking
sector and a possible showdown with Barclays and Standard Chartered
now
looms.
The banking sector may yet be a stern test for the
indigenisation policy,
reflecting an ideological chasm between the
“nationalists” and the “free
marketers”.
Legally, the Empowerment
Act makes no sectoral distinction nor does it
exempt the banking sector, but
should it? Indigenising the banking sector,
while possible, may not be as
easy as the mining sector. Unfortunately for
the minister, banks are special
and their interconnectedness makes a
systemic crisis contagious and very
costly. A disruption at one bank could
have a knock-on effect not only on
the entire banking sector but the entire
economy.
Banking is the
business upon which all other businesses are based. Banks are
at the core of
the payment system in the country and play a primary role in
the
intermediation of savings and investments. Several empirical studies
support
the view that countries with efficient and strong financial and
banking
sectors experience higher rates of economic growth.
Indigenisation of
banks would also reverse the core of Gono’s policies which
have forced banks
into seeking international partnerships to meet capital
requirements which
are seemingly disproportionate to the economy.
A coercive change in
bank ownership structure would again lead to a weakened
banking sector.
Indigenising banks in a highly illiquid sector seeking
foreign capital seems
quite irrational, particularly where the 51% is ceded
“on
credit”.
It appears there is an increasing trend towards
indigenisation across
Africa. This is premised on the idea that to achieve
its economic potential
within global capitalism, African governments will
need to redress economic
imbalances created by colonialism through economic
policies such as
indigenisation.
Several African countries have
implemented indigenisation policies with less
controversy or combativeness.
There is the complicated and non-prescriptive
BEE law in South Africa and
the approach in Ghana which proposes that local
participation in the oil and
gas sector be increased to 80% by 2020.
Other indigenisation
approaches include the sectoral approach in Angola,
where locals must hold
51% of the share capital in mining and
telecommunication companies and 30%
in insurance enterprises. In Kenya, the
law requires that at least 20% of
company shareholding in the telecoms
sector must be taken up by Kenyans and
in insurance, while listed companies
must reserve at least 25% for
locals.
The different prescriptive, non-prescriptive and sectoral
approaches to
indigenisation across the region can be analysed to inform
best practice.
While indigenisation is imperative and by all accounts
unstoppable, we don’t
always have to be combative where there are tested
options.
Following challenges previously experienced with the land
reform programme
and the concerns raised by the private sector, a critical
appraisal of the
indigenisation policy and its effect on the economy will
need to be
undertaken. Regional and international best practices will need
to be
analysed. A consultative process between stakeholders will also be
useful.
Technical assistance from international financial
institutions will also be
important to inform a robust and effective
indigenisation policy. The impact
of the policy on foreign direct
investments would need analysing. Although
Zimbabwe’s economy is growing
again, foreign investors are needed to ensure
sustained growth. The damage
which can be caused by a combative policy
cannot be
underestimated.
An alternative for the banking sector may require a
less rigid,
sector-specific approach which factors in the intricacies of
banks. Whilst
Kasukuwere may yet be victorious in a showdown with the
international banks,
the risk may have a destabilising effect on an economy
limping out of a
decade-long crisis. — New Zimbabwe.com
Dr Lance
Mambondiani is an Investment Executive at Coronation Financial.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 14 April
2012 19:42
By Youth Forum
Six police officers who recently
butchered a Shamva mine worker, Luxmore
Chivambo, and fatally injured 11
others have been granted US$50 bail each.
Motion Jakopo (41), Simon Mafunda
(32), Michael Makwalo (30), Lee Makope
(23), Benedict Tapfuma (22) and
Blessing Saidi (26), led by one inspector
Aspias Shumba (48), the member
in-charge at Shamva Police Station, descended
upon Ashley Mine Compound and
rounded up residents in the wee hours of the
night ruthlessly kicking and
punching the residents at the same time
severely hitting them with baton
sticks and clenched fists all over their
bodies. The six are facing murder
charges.
Aspias Shumba commandeered his troops to revenge the alleged
theft of his
wife Judith’s purse which was believed to contain only US$1,
according to
local press reports.
The Youth Forum is deeply
unsettled by this development of granting a paltry
US$50 bail to the Shamva
policemen who grisly murdered a Shamva man and
bread winner in cold blood on
March 17 2012. This bail amount trivialises
the murder charges the policemen
are facing and reduces public confidence in
court processes, especially
those involving state security agents.
This development is in sharp
contrast with the case of the 29 Glen View
residents accused of murdering
Inspector Petros Mutedza following a scuffle
at Munyarari Beerhall in Glen
View, who have been battling for bail since
May 2011. The 29 residents,
including the leader of the MDC Youth Assembly
Solomon Madzore, have been
behind bars since their arrest back then. The 29
residents are all said to
be MDC supporters.
On May 31 2011, two days after the incident,
Police Commissioner-General
Chihuri reacted to Inspector Mutedza’s death in
a speech read on his behalf
at Inspector Mutedza’s funeral: “The Zimbabwe
Republic Police shall not, and
I repeat, shall not sit on its laurels while
innocent citizens of this
country, let alone police officers, are being
decimated by uncouth
opposition political elements in a naïve and imbecilic
attempt to make our
country ungovernable. Those who wish to live by the
sword must be prepared
to die by the sword.”
On March 29 2012,
The Herald reported that Commissioner-General Chihuri had
this to say at a
pass-out parade at Morris Depot in Harare following the
murder of Luxmore
Chivambo; “This incident was uncalled for and discipline
was set aside and
hooliganism prevailed. Such acts should not be repeated
and on behalf of the
organisation I would like to console the Chivambo
family on the loss of
Luxmore. Let us allow the law to take its course,” he
said
What
shocks even street vegetable vendors throughout Zimbabwe is the fact
that
the same courts managed to grant bail to the six policemen 25 days
after
their crime while the 29 who went in last year are still languishing
behind
bars although their charges are similar. This clearly shows that the
judiciary system in Zimbabwe is heavily compromised and plays to the whims
and caprices of Zanu PF.
The glaring case of the insincerity of
our judicial system is worrying and
clearly shows the need for our judiciary
to be rid of political
interference. It is of concern as to whether such an
apparently partisan
justice delivery system can sustain a free and fair
election, given the
obvious role of the police and Judiciary in electoral
processes.
The Youth Forum is further concerned as to whether these
same courts, which
are yet to finalise electoral fraud cases brought before
them, some dating
back as far as 2002, can be able to guarantee a fair
contribution to the
attainment of a free and fair election.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Concern has often been
raised over the chaotic state of affairs at the
Registrar General’s
office.
From missing birth and death records to the shambolic state of the
voters’
roll, the RG’s office has attracted flak from many quarters. Public
perception of the office has also not been helped by the chaos witnessed at
Makombe Building where hundreds of people visit every day in search of
passports and other identity documents.
Faced with mounting
criticism from MDC formations and civil society
organisations, Registrar
General Tobaiwa Mudede has come out in defence of
his office, claiming
everything “is perfect” at the central registry.
But his attempts to
sanitise the department have been seriously undermined
by the results of a
month-long investigation by The Standard carried in this
issue.
A
probe into the case of a Mutare man who, when seeking to renew his
passport, was instead told he was long dead and shown the death certificate
to boot, yet he is alive and well, confirms what has all along been feared;
that records are in a mess and urgently need to be cleaned up.
The
implications of this single case are too ghastly to contemplate.
The
case proves that details kept at RG’s office can easily be manipulated
to
disastrous consequences.
False death certificates can allow criminals to
illegally access pensions
and other benefits while from a political point of
view, these entries can
deprive Zimbabweans their democratic right to
vote.
There have been numerous complaints that supporters of
opposition parties
have turned up at the polls only to realise that their
names were not on the
roll, said to contain scores of dead people. Even more
worrying is how many
victims of political violence have been disposed of
under assumed
identities?
Mudede should stop defending his department
and, instead, initiate a reform
agenda that should result in the compilation
of proper records.
With politicians hinting on elections sometime
this year or 2013, this is
the right time to work on the roll because a
shambolic voter’s roll can only
result in a contested election outcome.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
BY NEVANJI
MADANHIRE
It’s Easter Monday. The weather is unseasonally chilly, for
April is usually
warm in the tropics. An elderly couple is basking in the
morning sun. They
have their chairs set against the white walls of their
house.
Besides them a dog lies on a rug minding its own business. The
woman has the
Bible on her lap.
As we arrive the dog rises and begins to
bark at us. The woman silences it
by calling out its name. We all laugh for
the dog is named Diaspora. We were
soon to find out why the bitch had such a
curious name.
The man is 64 years old while the woman is in her late
fifties. They tell us
the Easter holidays have been hollow for them, for no
one visited. It was
just the two of them; no children, no
grandchildren.
“They are all in the Diaspora,” the woman says
wistfully. We look at the
dog. We giggle.
Their narrative is
bittersweet. They are both retired civil servants. They
married just after
independence and had three children. “All born free,”
they stress. The first
was born in 1981 “during the euphoria of
Independence” and the third “our
Esap child” in 1990. “They are all gone,
to London,” the woman says. The man
chuckles and says, “Not exactly to
London.”
We know, for
Zimbabweans generally call the whole of the UK, London; every
Zimbabwean in
the UK is in London!
“They are all married,” the woman continues
referring to the children,
adding, “We’ve four
grandchildren.”
There is no pride in her voice, only a certain kind
longing. “We may never
see them.”
Later as we bid our farewells
they heap our car with presents; farm fresh
groundnuts, peanuts, mealies and
all they could harvest from their 10 acre
plot, which they say the children
contributed and bought for them. They also
give us jars full of
freshly-ground peanut butter, just like our own
grandparents used to do for
us in the yesteryear. We get into the car and
wave goodbye; Diaspora emits
a friendly bark and wags is tail as we drive
off, feeling rather hurt
inside.
The question innermost our hearts during our drive back to
the city is:
“What have we done to our grandchildren?”
This week
we celebrate 32 years of Independence: the euphoria of
the first few years,
the disillusionment that followed in the 1990, the
despair that ensued when
the dream faded and the exodus. That’s all there
is!
In April 1980 all
Zimbabweans hoped that after the removal of the colonial
yoke, they would
come together and work to rebuild their war-battered
country and build a
nation in which all would live happily ever after, in
peace and prosperity.
Obviously some of the people’s wishes were utopian but
no one had the
foggiest idea that everything would go so terribly wrong.
The
majority of our people live in abject poverty which historians say is
worse
than that experienced in the 1950s. Thousands bear wounds, not from
the
1970s liberation war but from post-independence conflicts that started
in
the 1980s in the form of Gukurahundi and continued in the political
violence
that has characterised each and every election held. The political
cynicism
of the ruling elite was demonstrated most poignantly during the
destruction
of people’s homes in 2005 in what was ironically called
Operation
Murambatsvina.
Because of a leadership that failed to renew itself in
the three-decades
that it has ruled, the economy was the first victim. It’s
collapse had a
knock-on effect on virtually everything else beginning with
the social
services. The education sector which had expanded phenomenally in
the 1980s
began to suffer because of the inadequacy of resources. The health
system
which was very bad because of its discriminatory nature during
colonial days
became even worse as resources dwindled.
In the
late 1990s the nation ran out of food and there were food riots which
were
violently suppressed by the state machinery. The dream had evaporated;
people began to run away from it all. It is estimated that three million
people went into the Diaspora. This usually only happens when a country is
at war. Political violence and corruption became important cogs in the gears
that drove the nation.
Migration became the only way to remove
oneself from the iron grip of a
self-serving, murderous regime; a regime
that would stop at nothing to keep
itself in power.
But one of
the most underestimated consequences of the demise of our nation
is the
effect this mass migration would have on the family unit which should
be at
the core of the national fabric. Not only did families break up as
husband
and wife sought better lives in different places around the globe
but also
thousands left the country never to return.
And the country has
continued to be a pariah as other nations have distanced
themselves from a
state that turned against its own people. Now Zimbabweans
are scattered all
over the world where they are looked down upon and
treated as some kind of
scum because, despite that they are some of the most
academically advanced
people in the world, they can only do menial work.
Those that
remained in the country are not doing any better. Unemployment is
still high
and remuneration awfully inadequate for those lucky enough to get
jobs. Huge
numbers perish every year as they try to unlawfully jump borders
into
neighbouring countries particularly South Africa.
But what are the
country’s prospects as we go deeper into the fourth decade
of our
independence? Unfortunately the future still looks bleak even when we
have
got the potential to quickly turn around the economy on the back of our
abundant natural resources.
It is generally agreed that
Zimbabwe’s Achilles heel is its politics. Clean
up the politics and all the
ducks pile into a row. But this cannot be done
because of the individualism
of the chief players in the game. It’s not only
President Robert Mugabe who
wishes to die in office but those too he has
surrounded himself with in the
past 32 years. They have formed an exclusive
cabal that has its tentacles in
all the sectors of the economy; it is almost
impossible to disentangle its
iron grip on the destiny of the country.
Because of it, our
grandchildren will have nothing to inherit. We will
celebrate our Easters
without our grandchildren for many years to come. Most
painfully, we may
never see them as they become citizens of other countries;
countries we
can’t visit because of our pariah status.
