http://www.telegraph.co.uk
White-owned
companies in Zimbabwe are to be forced to hand majority control
to black
businessmen in a move that could lead to chaos rivalling the
seizure of the
country's commercial farms.
By Peta Thornycroft in Harare and
Sebastien Berger
Published: 5:46PM GMT 09 Feb 2010
The new
regulations demand that all foreign and locally owned companies hand
over at
least 51 per cent ownership to black Zimbabweans.
Thousands of firms,
including the Zimbabwean operations of giants such as
Barclays Bank,
Standard Chartered Bank and the mining company Rio Tinto,
will be affected,
and they must submit their plans to comply by March 1.
Owners who fail to
comply could be jailed.
The new law plunged the unity government into
deeper crisis. Morgan
Tsvangirai, the leader of the former opposition
Movement for Democratic
Change turned prime minister in the coalition, told
The Daily Telegraph the
move had been made without his knowledge.
"I
am in charge of all policy formulations by cabinet and these regulations
were gazetted without being seen by either myself or cabinet," he
said.
"They were published without due process and in contravention of
the global
political agrement [which set up the coalition] and constitution
of Zimbabwe
and are therefore null and void."
The new law will come
as a huge blow to the efforts of Tendai Biti, a former
opposition politician
who is now finance minister in the coalition
government, to persuade foreign
investors to pour money into the country to
rebuild its shattered
economy.
The move dates back to an indigenisation bill passed by the
previous
parliament, in which President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party had a
majority,
before the violence-wracked election of 2008 in which the MDC won
control of
the legislature.
The law had been on hold until
supplementary regulations were drawn up by
the government, which quietly
published them in an official gazette at the
end of last week, with no
formal announcement.
Indigenous Zimbabweans are defined as anyone who
before independence in
April 1980 was "disadvantaged by unfair
discrimination on the grounds of his
or her race and any descendant of such
person". As such white Zimbabweans
are excluded, and the position of
Zimbabwean Asians, some of whose families
have been in the country for
generations, is open to question.
Whites are barred from some sectors
altogether, including agriculture,
retail and transport, as well as barbers,
bakeries and beauty parlours.
Harare's business community was left in
shock by the development. A banker
who did not want his name or his bank
identified said: "This is absolute
madness."
A fuel trader, who asked
not to be identified, said: "These regulations are
theft of any business in
whites have an interest, it's just like the farms."
Nick Cobban, a
spokesman for Rio Tinto, described the regulations as
"draconian and
unworkable".
The company operates a small diamond mine in Zimbabwe which
it considers has
potential for expansion, but it has not taken a decision to
do so "partly
because of the uncertainty".
Some sectors could win an
exception from the 51 per cent requirement, he
pointed out, and the Chamber
of Mines was negotiating on the issue.
"We remain encouraged by the fact
that there still is dialogue," he said.
But he added: "This will have to be
eventually agreed by the indigenisation
ministry though."
Alistair
Smith, director of media relations for Barclays Group, said the
firm was
"considering the implications".
Under the rules avoiding black majority
shareholdings will be a criminal
offence and while companies have five years
to comply, the effects will be
felt long before then.
Daniel Ndlela,
Zimbabwe's most eminent regional economist said: "There will
be no foreign
investment into Zimbabwe. Why would anyone come into Zimbabwe
with $100 and
be left with $49? It sends a very wrong message and those who
might have
invested in Zimbabwe will now never come."
Another economist, John
Robertson, said many local industries will go
bankrupt. "They will have to
bring in people who know nothing about their
businesses which will put off
investors and demotivate company owners."
It is not clear exactly how the
51 per cent stake is supposed to be
acquired. But under neighbouring South
Africa's black empowerment programme,
banks have leant large sums to black
businesses to enable them to buy shares
in major companies, often at a
discount.
Zimbabwe's unity government is already deeply troubled, with
the MDC
accusing Zanu-PF of not keeping to the political agreement that set
it up,
and the regulations amount to a political slap in the face for the
former
opposition.
Mr Biti could not be reached for comment. But an
MDC insider said: "It is
unlikely that Biti knew about this as he is
desperate for investment into
Zimbabwe."
Saviour Kasukuwere, the
Zanu-PF minister of Youth Development,
Indigenisation and Empowerment, who
is responsible for the regulations,
said: "There were wide consultations
with stakeholders ahead of publication
of these regulations and there is
flexibility available.
"We are not trying to damage the investment
climate in Zimbabwe."
http://www.busrep.co.za
February 9,
2010
White businesspeople in Zimbabwe who don't cede control of
their companies
to black partners could face jail under a law going into
effect next month.
An official notice Tuesday says the law will be
enforced from March 1, and
includes jail penalties of up to five
years.
It gives companies worth $500 000 or more 45 days to submit
compliance
proposals. Foreign investors also need to meet an "empowerment
quota."
The law passed by the Harare parliament when it was still
dominated by
President Robert Mugabe's lawmakers in 2008 is meant to benefit
"indigenous"
Zimbabweans - those who suffered under colonial-era racial
discrimination
and their children born after independence in
1980.
That effectively excludes the nation's 20 000 whites. - Sapa-AP
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
By Jan Raath Feb 9, 2010, 18:20
GMT
Harare - Regulations published Tuesday in Zimbabwe declaring that
large
companies must hand blacks a 51 per cent stake within five years were
summarily dismissed as 'null and void' by Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai.
The regulations, passed under two-year-old black empowerment
legislation,
say that by mid-April, all businesses with assets valued over
500,000
dollars will have to submit to the government a form detailing the
racial
composition of their current shareholding.
The power-sharing
government, headed by President Robert Mugabe, would then
decide how much of
its shareholding is to be 'ceded' to 'indigenous'
Zimbabweans.
'I am
in charge of all policy formation in cabinet and neither myself nor
the
cabinet were shown these regulations before they were gazetted,' former
opposition leader Tsvangirai said in a statement. 'They were published
without due process as detailed in the constitution and are therefore null
and void.'
A maximum penalty of five years in jail faces any business
that misses the
deadline, according to the regulations.
The same
penalty awaits whites who use black employees as 'fronts,'
according to the
law. The country's minister of indigenisation will keep of
list of 'suitable
candidates', to whom shares can be ceded.
'We are trying to come up with
policies that attract investment into the
country,' said Tsvangirai's
spokesman, James Maridadi. 'The thrust is to
portray Zimbabwe as a safe
destination for investment. This is
counter-productive, it is old
thinking.'
He said Tsvangirai was to meet with Mugabe over the issue. The
prime
minister has also summoned Empowerment Minister Saviour Kusukuwere, a
Mugabe
appointee, to a meeting Wednesday.
Political analysts say the
promulgation of the law appears to be a
deliberate strategy by Mugabe's
Zanu-PF party to try and shore up its
shrinking support among the
electorate. Mugabe has long used patronage as a
means to secure
loyalty.
'It will obviously turn off investment very strongly,' said
economist Tony
Hawkins. 'It doesn't matter who they are, the Chinese,
everyone. And the
Chinese are the biggest investors.'
Companies most
likely to be affected were foreign-owned, he said, and
investors on
Zimbabwe's stock exchange.
Last week, Tsvangirai told big business at the
World Economic Forum in
Switzerland that 'confidence has returned' to
Zimbabwe following a decade of
economic collapse. 'This is the time to look
at the country in a more
positive light,' he said.
Business
executives expressed shock at the new laws. 'First they took the
farms, now
they are taking businesses,' said one executive.
The regulations take
effect on March 1 and companies have 45 days in which
to complete and submit
to the government a form that gives the names,
nationality and identity
details of their shareholders, and whether they are
'indigenous' or
'non-indigenous' Zimbabweans.
Zimbabwe's racial profile has fundamentally
changed since independence from
white minority rule nearly 30 years ago,
when the economy was heavily
dominated by whites. Since then, the white
population has fallen from
200,000 to around 30,000 and most major
businesses are run by blacks.
At Davos last week, Rio Tinto diamonds and
minerals chief executive Harry
Kenyon-Slaney, said 'the only threat to our
operations is indigenization
programmes.'
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet
Gonda
9 February 2010
The latest negotiations between the political
parties in the coalition
government entered day two with still no progress.
The talks resumed on
Monday after a break of over two weeks.
There is
a media blackout on the sensitive proceeding stalling the full
implementation of the Global Political Agreement, signed in September 2008.
But sources close to the talks said there is still no movement on the
fundamental issues in dispute.
"The MDC-T maintains there is a
deadlock, ZANU PF is not giving in on
anything and the MDC-M, on the other
hand, is trying to prolong the dialogue
as long as it can," said one of the
sources.
MDC-T Chief negotiator Tendai Biti is quoted saying: "You can't
call these
'talks' because there is no talking. We are moving nowhere. We
can't make
any movement on the key issues so there are no talks to talk
about."
A South African team sent by President Jacob Zuma arrived in
Harare on
Monday to facilitate the dialogue between the political parties
and it's
reported the team, Charles Ngqakula, Lindiwe Zulu and Mac Maharaj
had
scheduled more meetings with the negotiators on
Tuesday.
Spokesperson for the MDC-T Nelson Chamisa told SW Radio Africa
ZANU PF
remains inflexible and are simply running away from putting their
signature
on issues already agreed upon. He said: "We continue to see this
attitude of
(ZANU PF) speaking inclusivity but acting exclusivity - meaning
they are
preaching inclusiveness but obviously practising exclusiveness,
despite the
GPA being a shared compromise."
The MDC spokesperson said
the South African facilitation will either help
break the impasse, or
pronounce the negotiations deadlocked.
"We have insisted that we want
finality, closure and conclusion of this
period of talking about talks. We
now need to make sure we either agree to
move forward, or agree to disagree.
And in the event that we agree to
disagree, we need to put in place an
electoral management dispensation and
electoral framework that will usher in
a period of free and fair elections."
The outstanding issues include
disagreements over the appointments of
provincial governors, the Reserve
Bank Governor, Attorney General and the
MDC's Deputy Minister of Agriculture
appointee; the removal of sanctions,
external radio stations, and renewed
land invasions, among other issues.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
09 February
2010
A strike by civil servants protesting their poor wages continued to
gather
steam on Tuesday after Monday's slow start unions have said. Tendai
Chikowore who heads the APEX Council that represents teachers, college
lecturers and other public sector workers said the majority of their members
are now on strike. She said they wanted government to respond to their
demands for improved wages and if this did not happen they would continue to
enforce the strike.
Civil servants want their wages increased from
the current US$150 to US$630
and have since rejected a 10 percent offer from
the government. Negotiations
broke down last week Tuesday and a rally by
civil servants on Friday at the
Harare Gardens effectively launched the
strike. Takavafira Zhou the
President of the Progressive Teachers Union of
Zimbabwe is hopeful 100
percent of state workers will be on strike by the
end of the week. He also
accused government of treating them 'like
slaves.'
A teacher in Harare who spoke to Newsreel said most teachers had
gone on
strike except for those who receive incentives from School
Development
Associations. These mostly Group A schools are supplementing the
wages paid
to their teachers by topping up their salaries. Tuesday's usual
hustle and
bustle of commuters on the roads going to work was replaced by a
general
quiet and deserted roads as workers stayed home.
The strike
has mainly affected public schools, hospitals, government
departments and
the courts. The trial of senior MDC official Roy Bennett for
example was
postponed on Monday after court officials did not turn up.
Meanwhile
Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro is quoted as saying
government's 10 percent offer remains on the table. He said consultations
are still ongoing and when these are concluded the government will call for
another meeting with union representatives.
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
09/02/2010 00:00:00
by Lindie
Whiz
THREE Botswana game rangers held in Zimbabwe since January
19 were released
on Tuesday after they were fined US$100 for using an
undesignated point of
entry, but acquitted on weapons charges.
The
three men's detention in Zimbabwe had sparked a diplomatic spat, with
Botswana threatening to withdraw two of its senior diplomats in Harare by
month-end in protest.
Hwange magistrate Peter Madiba found the men in
breach of Zimbabwe's
immigration laws, but struck off a second charge each
man faced of smuggling
and possessing firearms and ammunition without a
licence.
Kiabetswe Mhiko, 35, Gaetsho Simane, 32, and Petego Gaosengwe
had all
entered 'not guilty' pleas. The rangers, all employed by Botswana's
Department of Wildlife and National Parks, insisted they inadvertently
entered Zimbabwe while pursuing a pride of lions which had killed six cattle
in the Lesoma Village.
The men were arrested at the Kazungula border
post near Victoria Falls when
they presented themselves to Zimbabwean
immigration officials.
Prosecutors said the rangers had no passports and
a search of their car
yielded a rifle, a shotgun and several rounds of
ammunition.
Botswana revealed it had tried unsuccessfully to raise the
issue of the
rangers' detention with President Robert Mugabe at last week's
African Union
summit in Ethiopia. Mugabe, officials said, refused to meet
with a Botswana
minister.
On Monday, Zimbabwe's two Home Affairs
Ministers Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo
Mohadi said they were surprised by
Botswana's "overreaction" and insisted
the rangers must go through the court
system.
Mohadi said: "Members of the Botswana Air Force have crossed the
Zimbabwean
border before and the matter was resolved
administratively.
"Last year, our two police officers strayed into
Botswana and were arrested
and taken to Gaborone for trial. They were
released after fully satisfying
the Botswana courts that they had no case to
answer.
"Along the Shashi River, our people and cattle are often shot
even if they
have not crossed into Botswana and we are concerned why
Botswana is
overreacting over the arrest of its nationals who crossed our
border armed
with two shotguns and ammunition for that matter."
Mutsekwa
said Zimbabwe has no intention of escalating the hostilities with
Botswana.
"As the Zimbabwe government, we have no intentions of
straining relations
between ourselves and Botswana because we share the same
border and we
belong to the same continent."
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
9 February 2010
A three-member
cabinet team led by Vice-President John Nkomo has been tasked
to summon
editors from the state and independent media to discuss as a
matter of
urgency 'hate speech' in the media.
On Friday, a top executive meeting of
the country's inclusive government
comprising Robert Mugabe and his two
Vice-Presidents, the Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, as well as the two
deputy premiers met in Harare and
agreed hate speech should be a thing of
the past.
The executive meeting called for the media in the country to
promote
national healing, and advocated for penalties against media houses
and
broadcasters that promote hate speech and violence.
It is
understood that Mr Tsvangirai took great exception during the seven
hour
meeting to the vicious propaganda war being waged against him, some of
his
ministers and his party by the Ministry of Media, Information and
Publicity.
Tsvangirai was reportedly dismayed by the unusually high dose of
toxic
propaganda that accompanied all his foreign trips, while those by
Mugabe are
always painted in a positive light.
Mugabe is believed to have strongly
objected to the transmission of 'hate
messages' to Zimbabwe from 'pirate
radio' stations based abroad. ZANU PF
insists the foreign-based stations,
which include SW Radio Africa,
jeopardise the power-sharing unity
government.
The issue of foreign-based stations was included in the
September 2008
Global Political Agreement, which said Zimbabwean operators
of such stations
should be encouraged to return and broadcast from
Zimbabwean soil. But SW
Radio Africa station manager Gerry Jackson remains
adamant that media reform
has not progressed far enough to make such a move
advisable.
The Friday meeting appointed Nkomo, because of his former role
as Minister
for National Healing and Reconciliation to head a team that
includes MDC's
Nelson Chamisa and Webster Shamu from ZANU PF to engage the
editors and read
them the 'riot act.'
Tsvangirai has been on the
receiving end of a vicious war waged by the state
media who exclusively
receive their orders from George Charamba, the
permanent secretary in the
ministry of Information and Publicity.
The MDC last year singled out
Charamba as the chief culprit in the
propaganda campaign charging that the
public media has been abused to become
the theatre and arena of maligning
and vilifying its leadership and members
at the expense of covering
pertinent issues affecting the ordinary man and
woman.
'The MDC
regards the lampooning and hate speech against its ministers and
officials
as a threat to the Global Political Agreement. We are worried
about the
threat posed to the longevity of the GPA by a retinue of sulking
remnants
from the old order which is hell-bent on undermining the hope that
had begun
to be engendered by the inclusive government,' the MDC said.
Simon
Muchemwa, our Harare correspondent said it was hard to see how the
principals would deal with hate speech since they were the masters of
manipulating information to influence public opinion.
Usually a
propaganda campaign is aimed at winning the hearts and minds of
citizens but
Muchemwa says those peddling the propaganda campaign for ZANU
PF are infact
arousing anger among citizens than anything else.
'Most Zimbabweans have
since stopped watching or listening to ZBC news or
reading state dailies.
They opt for online publications on the internet or
watch foreign stations
on satellite channels. It's remarkable how they take
every statement from
the state media with a pinch of salt,' Muchemwa added.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex
Bell
09 February 2010
Zimbabwe's commercial farmers are once again set
to approach the human
rights court of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) to
challenge the dismissal of a landmark SADC ruling on the
land 'reform'
programme.
In a ruling that came as a hard won victory
for Zimbabwe's commercial
farmers, the SADC Tribunal ruled in 2008 that
Robert Mugabe's land grab
campaign was illegal. But the government has
ignored the Tribunal's orders,
eventually landing itself in contempt of
court for not adhering to the SADC
ruling. The government even openly
snubbed the court by saying it was 'no
longer recognised in the country,'
despite Zimbabwe being a signatory to the
SADC Treaty and therefore bound by
SADC law to respect the court.
The refusal to adhere to the ruling did
not stop the farmers from trying to
have it registered within the country's
courts, a move necessary to have the
ruling enforced. But last month, High
Court Judge Barack Patel dismissed
efforts to have the ruling registered and
further dismissed the ruling
itself, saying it was a threat to 'the greater
good' of Zimbabwe.
The move has come as a shock to the country's handful
of remaining
commercial farmers, many of whom are still fighting to keep
their land from
being taken over by 'beneficiaries' of Mugabe's selective
land reacquisition
scheme. The farmers are now returning to the Tribunal to
challenge the High
Court's move.
The SADC Tribunal Registrar Charles
Mkandawire told SW Radio Africa on
Tuesday that the court's rulings are
final and binding, but added the
Tribunal does not have the power to enforce
those rulings in Zimbabwe. He
explained that the government's decision to
'pull out' of the Tribunal was
null and void, arguing that Zimbabwe is still
a signed SADC member state.
"As far as we are concerned Zimbabwe is still
part of SADC and according to
Article 16 of the SADC Treaty, the decision of
the Tribunal is final and
binding," Mkandawire said.
Mkandawire continued
that the Tribunal, as an 'impartial body', can advise
SADC heads of state
how to deal with the matter, but said the "full
machinations of the law in
Zimbabwe must first be exhausted."
Meanwhile, as the ongoing seizures of
farms under the guise of land 'reform'
continue, a new law published on
Tuesday is set to further dissuade possible
foreign investment. Any white
owned company in Zimbabwe will be expected to
hand over more than 50% of its
shares to black Zimbabweans and the
government, according to the draconian
style law. The so-called
'Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment'
regulations prescribe that by
mid-April, all businesses have to submit a
form detailing the racial make-up
of their current shareholders to the
government. Based on that declaration,
the government will assess how much
of the company's shares had to be 'ceded'
to 'indigenous
Zimbabweans.'
Any business missing this deadline could face a maximum
penalty of five
years in jail, according to the regulations. The Ministry of
Indigenisation
is reportedly set to keep a list of 'suitable candidates' to
whom shares can
be ceded, a move which is likely to benefit only the well
connected, much
like the land 'reform' programme.
http://www.busrep.co.za
February 9, 2010
Fresh elections
are the only way to a lasting solution for Zimbabwe, the MDC
in South Africa
said on Tuesday.
"We sincerely believe that SADC [Southern African
Development Community]
must now shift its attention and start organising the
new election sooner
than soonest instead of romanticising a loser of
election [President Robert
Mugabe]," said MDC chairman in South Africa
Austin Moyo at a media briefing
in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
The
briefing was held as South Africa negotiators returned to Harare in a
bid to
iron out the troubles plaguing Zimbabwe's unity government.
"This
[elections] should be started by breathing life into a new
constitution and
electoral Act."
Moyo told of an increase in farm attacks in Zimbabwe and
attempts to strip
power from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai by Zanu-PF in
the power sharing
government.
Problems in governance in the
southern African country include alleged
attempts by Zanu-PF to cling on to
power.
The global power-sharing agreement, which will be a year old on
Thursday,
stated that a new constitution had to be in place before fresh
elections
could be held.
The agreement stipulated that the
constitution should be finalised within 18
months. However, Moyo charged
that attempts to finalise the constitution
were being frustrated by
Zanu-PF.
This is because, said Moyo, the current constitution favoured
Zanu-PF.
Moyo wants the South African delegation to put aside all other
aspects of
the negotiation and push for the finalisation of a new
constitution. - Sapa
http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za
Eyewitness News | 3 Hours
Ago
Two executives of a South African firm were arrested in Zimbabwe on
Tuesday
on charges of stealing diamonds from the controversial Chiadzwa
diamond
fields.
The two work for Canadile Miners, a joint
venture between a South African
company and the Zimbabwean
government.
The men were arrested at a roadblock near Hot
Springs, a holiday resort
where most of the Chiadzwa mining personnel are
camped.
Their lawyer, Victor Mazengero, told Eyewitness News he
cannot speak to the
press until he has permission from his clients. But
reports said the two
were found with 57 diamonds worth R280 000. The
diamonds were apparently
packed in plastic in their car.
The
arrests will only heighten the controversy over the Chiadzwa diamonds
and
the companies selected to exploit them.
MPs have been hearing
that one of the firms chosen by the Mines minister has
no history in diamond
mining.
There are also claims that some of the members of
Canadile's board have been
accused of gem smuggling in the Democratic
Republic of Congo.
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Own Correspondent Wednesday 10 February
2010
HARARE - CITES secretary general Willem Wijnstekers has arrived
in Zimbabwe
on four-day working visit which will see him meeting Prime
Minister (PM)
Morgan Tsvangirai and Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa over
rampant
poaching decimating wildlife in the southern African country and
said to
involve top politicians and army officials.
The Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES)
chief who jetted into Harare late Monday will also meet
Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa, Environment Minister Francis Nhema and
other senior
government officials.
According to the official programme, Wijnstekers
will meet the PM on
Thursday.
Wijnstekers will discuss with Mnangagwa
the alleged involvement of senior
military officers in poaching while he
seeks to establish from Chinamasa
security measures put in place to curb
illegal killing of protected wildlife
and measures taken against those
caught poaching including the levels of
sentencing.
"Zimbabwe
welcomes the visit by the CITES secretary general as it affords an
opportunity to interact with political leadership thus ensuring long term
sustainable wildlife management policies," department of National Parks and
Wildlife Management said in statement.
The CITES boss is accompanied
by John Sellar, chief enforcement officer
responsible for providing
technical advice and support in relation to the
enforcement of the
Convention, said the statement.
"He monitors illegal trade in wildlife
and liaises with law enforcement
agencies at the national, regional and
international levels, particularly
Interpol and the World Customs
Organisation. He also coordinates work by
CITES Enforcement Task Forces and
the CITES Enforcement Expert group."
After his arrival Wijnstekers
proceeded on a private visit to the largely
white-owned Save Conservancy
that has suffered poaching while some parts of
the reserve have been invaded
by supporters of President Robert Mugabe's
ZANU PF party.
Zimbabwean
officials last week expressed displeasure that the CITES chief
would tour
the top private game conservancy during his visit to the country,
saying he
would be only told that which suits whites interests and the
government will
not be able to defend itself.
The visit comes after a report in December
by TRAFFIC, IUCN and three other
wildlife organisations said Zimbabwe and
South Africa have the highest
incidences of poaching on the
continent.
Wijnstekers is the current CITES secretary general and he
supervises the
global implementation of CITES and its strategic vision. He
is also
responsible for policy formulation and direction within the
secretariat.
Poaching has been rife in Zimbabwe since landless black
villagers began
invading - with tacit approval from the government -
white-owned farms and
game conservancies over the past nine
years.
Some of the country's biggest state-owned nature and game
conservancies
including Gonarezhou National Park that forms part of the
Great Limpopo
Transfrontier straddling across Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South
Africa have
large parts occupied by villagers.
In many cases farm
invaders poach animals for meat and cut down trees for
sale as firewood
mostly to people living in urban areas.
But there has also been an
upsurge in the poaching of endangered species
such as the rhino targeted for
its horn that is exported mainly to China and
Vietnam where it is in huge
demand. International syndicates working with
local gangs are said to be
behind rhino poaching.
There have also been reports of illegal and
uncontrolled trophy hunting on
former white-owned conservancies now
controlled by powerful government
officials and ZANU PF
politicians.
The government however denies politicians are illegally
hunting game and
insists it still has poaching under control. - ZimOnline
http://www.newzimbabwe.com
09/02/2010 00:00:00
by Lunga
Sibanda
HOPES were fading on Tuesday for a successful rescue of six
miners trapped
in a collapsed mine tunnel in Gwanda since Friday last
week.
The rescue effort has been hampered by lack of equipment and
experienced
personnel.
The rescuers, many using shovels and other
hand tools, have been working
around the clock to get to the
men.
Officials at the Antenior gold mine believe the six miners are 50m
below
ground and by noon Tuesday, they had dug up at least 25m.
The
rescue operation was expected to gather pace later Tuesday with
specialist
equipment and personnel expected to arrive from Shabanie Mine in
Zvishavane.
Matabeleland South Police Spokesman Inspector Tafanana
Dzirutwe said: "The
Civil Protection Unit has been helping but the
shortcoming they are having
is getting experienced personnel on the ground
because of lack of
resources."
Dzirutwe expressed fears the rescue
effort could claim more victims.
"The mine is very unstable," he
said.
A source at the site of the accident, speaking by telephone, told
New
Zimbabwe.com late Tuesday that rescuers had heard a "faint lone voice" -
heightening fears the miners are either cut off from each other or others
may be dead.
Antenior Mine was previously registered to one Douglas
Starling, but is
currently being operated by a man identified only as
Siduli.
Siduli, according to sources, hires workers with poor training
who are sent
into the underground tunnels using mainly unconventional mining
methods.
The mine also has a problem with gold panners who have given the
mine's
shafts names to symbolise a HOME setting, according to sources. The
area
where the miners are trapped is known as the KITCHEN.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=27225
February 9, 2010
By Owen
Chikari
MASVINGO - Mines under Shabanie Mashava Mines (SMM) Holdings,
seized from
exiled Zimbabwean businessman Mutumwa Mawere by the government
six years
ago, face closure due to viability problems.
The problems
have resulted in workers at the mines being sent on forced
leave.
SMM
is the largest asbestos producer in the country.
The mines have been
facing serious viability problems worsened by the
persistent power cuts and
low asbestos prices.
Mawere lost his empire in 2004 after the government
said his companies were
indebted to the state and were seized using the
Reconstruction of
State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act.
At that
time, SMM was said to owe government-owned institutions such as RBZ,
ZESA,
Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and Treasury money. However, Mawere denied
the
claims, and attempted without success to have the seizure rescinded in
court.
The mines have struggled under the management of a
government-appointed
administrator.
One of the mines, Gaths Mine, the
largest underground mine at Mashava, is
struggling to settle an electricity
debt which, this week, stood at US$1
million.
The future of at least
1000 workers is bleak after they were sent on forced
leave starting February
1.
It also emerged Monday that some of the workers had gone for 14 months
without pay as viability problems continued to cripple the once thriving
mines.
In a letter dated January 25, management advised all workers
that they
should stop reporting for work starting February 1 until further
notice.
"You are advised that with effect from 1 February you are all
advised not to
report for work due to viability problems," read part of the
letter.
"Persistent power cuts and lack of funding have affected the
company
resulting in serious cash flow problems".
Although no
official comment could be obtained from the government appointed
administrator Alfias Gwaradzimba, managers who spoke on condition of
anonymity said that the situation at the two mines was very
serious.
"The situation here is terrible," said one of the managers.
"Underfunding,
low asbestos prices and power cuts have affected
business.
"We have since sent nearly half of our workforce on forced
leave until the
situation improves.
"We are appealing to government
to look for investors to chip in or just
allow former owner Mutumwa Mawere
to come back."
Workers at the two mines last year went on a strike
demanding payment of
salaries. At least three striking workers were shot
dead by the police while
others, including union leaders, were
arrested.
Last year, Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara called on
government to
grant amnesty to Mawere, among other exiled businessmen, as a
way of
restoring investor confidence in the country.
Mawere lives in
South Africa.
Zimbabwe
needs an agrarian reform programme that transfers technologies,
imparts
skills, and economically empowers real farmers—both smallholder and
commercial—in an equitable manner that reduces poverty, corrects a colonial
wrong, creates food self-sufficiency and security of tenure.
In July
2009, a five-member Presidential Land Resettlement Committee
appointed by
Mugabe completed its land allocation audit and once again
unearthed
widespread evidence of corrupt allocations and the use of violence
by senior
politicians and military officers to evict landless smallholder
farmers, the
very people Mugabe claimed the fast track land policy sought
to
assist.
The 2010 land audit is essential if as a nation, we are to
permanently bring
to a close the contentious issue of land reform that must
not be allowed to
become a burden for future generations. Zimbabwe must
attract investments
and focus on other means of production and
infrastructure development with
land ownership being the cornerstone for
such national endeavours.
Chegumi means “ten percent” in the vernacular
and is a religious term
referring to tithing, which has unfortunately been
selfishly bastardised and
converted into corrupt ZANU (PF) vocabulary. As
part of its well-oiled
propaganda machinery, church hymns, and other
religious passages, have also
fallen foul to manipulation and Mugabe is
equated to the “son of God” by his
party’s politburo.
It is only
those with a total lack of conscience and insatiable greed who
demand
chegumi for performing their duties as civil servants. This alien
culture of
dishonesty has gone unchecked in government since independence
and has now
morphed into a more primitive and sinister policy of entitlement
within the
ruling class.
The current fast track land acquisition programme—2000 to
present—is the
fourth land allocation programme since independence; the same
persons and
their families who have been looting national assets all along
are raiding
the farms again for self enrichment. The poor are getting poorer
while the
robbery on productive farms has made Zimbabwe’s food security
precarious.
On 10 January 2010, ZANU (PF) announced that, “We fought the
armed struggle
to gain political power and economic power and we believe we
have a right to
this twenty percent we are asking for. War vets are some of
the poorest
people around despite the work that they have done for this
country”.
Compounded with the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act, which
proposes the
transfer of fifty-one percent of all ownership into the hands
of a few
handpicked shareholders, state theft of businesses becomes law in
Zimbabwe.
War veterans now feel entitled to owning twenty percent of all
national
assets, which includes all land, minerals, natural resources, dams,
schools,
government jobs and taxes.
The war veterans’ entitlement
statement is tired and lacks honour. What do
the millions of villagers who
gave logistical and moral support to freedom
fighters during the war get? Do
they not deserve a share of the national
cake? Did ZANU (PF) go to war in a
vacuum, only to hold the whole country at
ransom and demand to be paid for
“our liberation”?
What kind of a society are we creating if ownership of land
or property in
Zimbabwe requires war credentials?
Herewith, a plethora of
self-enrichment and “war veteran” payment schemes
since independence: VIP
Housing Scheme, VIP Farm Leases, VIP Car Scheme,
Scholarship Fund, Farm
Input Scheme, Tractor Schemes, Hunting Concessions,
Exclusive Prospecting
Orders (EPOs); created by like-minded
“revolutionaries” for their own
compensatory benefit for participating in
the war of liberation:
War
Victims’ Compensation Fund
In 1997, the fund had been looted to the tune of
Z$450 million (US$44
million at the time), by senior officials in ZANU (PF).
Government, for the
benefit of former war combatants, whose military service
between December 23
1972 and February 29 1980 had resulted in “physical
disabilities”, set up
the compensation fund for what officials called
“post-traumatic stress
disorder”.
Reward Marufu, Grace Mugabe‘s
brother, who cited "ulcers and a scar on the
left knee" became a
beneficiary. He was rendered one hundred percent
disabled through injuries
sustained during the war of liberation. He was
awarded ZW$822 668 (at the
time US$70 000.00) for his injuries, the highest
single claim ever disbursed
under the fund.
In 1996, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri was listed
among those who
allegedly defrauded the War Victims Compensation Fund and
assessed to be
ninety percent disabled after being diagnosed with
"dermatitis of both
feet".
Air Marshal Perence Shiri, the Commander
of the Air Force of Zimbabwe was
paid ZW$90 249 for "poly-arthritis and
mental stress disorder".
Vice President Joyce Mujuru also qualified for
compensation on account of
alleged “poor eye-sight and mental
stress”.
By the time the massive fraud was exposed, seventy thousand
applicants had
defrauded the Ministry of Labour and Social Services of more
than ZW$450
million, a staggering figure in 1996.
On 14 November
1997, genuine war veterans protested upon discovery that the
War Victims
Compensation Fund had been looted by ZANU (PF) leaders and their
acolytes.
Mugabe, cornered by his lieutenants, was forced to commit to
giving every
war veteran a once‐off payment of Z$50,000 and a monthly
pension of
ZW$2000.
This act of awarded unbudgeted-for gratuities was involuntary as
much as the
land reform was not a priority for ZANU (PF) until after the
referendum.
“Dhora radonha” the Zimbabwe dollar fell against the US dollar
to 40:1 and
thus began the precipitous decline of our economy without any
sanctions.
The government, which did not have money for the payments,
introduced a five
percent War Veterans Levy and work stoppages and strikes
ensued. Zimbabweans
were already reeling from drought, fuel and other
levies, over and above the
highest income and corporate taxation in
sub-Saharan Africa. Instead, ZANU
(PF) started printing money, began a
military adventure in the Congo, and
embarked on farm evictions to appease
its agitated supporters.
In 1995, the Cabinet overrode the Government
Tender Board and gave the
Harare International Airport contract to AHT, even
though their price was
Z$300 million higher than the others. Leo Mugabe,
Mugabe’s nephew, was the
shareholder.
Where did all this money go? Do
we need an audit?
In 1997, the drought levy was converted into a
permanent development levy.
The government introduced a ten percent levy on
tobacco earnings and a tax
on people using company cars.
Government
ministers that year bought themselves new Mercedes Benz vehicles
under the
pretext that these were to be used by foreign heads of state
during the
World Solar Summit held in Harare in September 1996. The same
ministers then
bought their old Mercedes Benz cars from the government for
between ZW$6 000
and ZW$10 000, yet the market value of these cars was
around ZW$250
000.
Today, greasing the palms of the Minister of Lands now produces an
offer
letter that gives a member of the party ownership rights to an
agricultural
business whose shareholders—not being ZANU (PF)—are evicted. To
expedite
allocation of fertiliser, tractors and fuel ministry officials are
paid a
percentage; this has become so much the standard that Zimbabweans now
call
it chegumi (10%).
Recently, the BBC news reported that one
cabinet minister, who did not want
to be named, defended the president's
conduct of owning twelve farms as
follows: "If it's true that Mugabe owned
more than one farm, we mustn't
forget he is the ‘father of the nation’. He
spent over a decade in jail
fighting for your freedom. Don't compare
yourself, or even me, with him."
This statement strikes at the core of
ZANU (PF)’s psyche and renders every
person outside of Mugabe’s party mere
mortals who are not entitled to a
share of national assets and must only be
happy with what he gives us.
Creating a persona that makes him the “father
of Zimbabwe” subconsciously
carries psychological and cultural symbolism
that reduces everyone else to
childlike beings and unable to challenge “the
father”.
It explains why there is a dearth of men without the testicular
fortitude to
challenge Mugabe in ZANU (PF): they are all children or those
that are as
old as he is, behave in bizarre acts of submission, and tremble
before him
in scenes reminiscent to prehistoric ritualistic cult
worship.
Mugabe is but one of the nationalists who spent time in prison
for political
activities and is in no way the “father of Zimbabwean
nationalism”. This
blatant distortion of history is located in ZANU (PF)’s
incessant spin,
which waxes the image of their demigod, Mugabe, as an
upright revolutionary
untainted by sleaze and possessing no bone of
corruption in his body. The
present day ZANU (PF) is a far cry from the
original revolutionary party of
the 60’s, which was one of the custodians of
our liberation.
Since independence in 1980, Mugabe and ZANU (PF) have
arrested, detained
without trial, tortured, raped, murdered and killed more
innocent civilians
than those killed during one hundred years of colonial
rule. Furthermore,
they have stolen from national coffers funds earmarked
for the poor and for
Zimbabwe’s development.
The original ZANU led by
Ndabaningi Sithole—and not Mugabe—was ideologically
different to the den of
thieves and congregation of looting barons known as
ZANU (PF)
today.
The Chidyausiku Commission of Inquiry was set up by President
Mugabe to
investigate massive fraud connected with the War Victims
Compensation Fund.
Where is the report? Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku is
now a recipient of
multiple prime farms, a thank-you present for enabling
tyranny and ignoring
the rule of law, which he took an oath to
uphold.
The same clique in ZANU (PF) is getting richer whilst the rest of
the
populace and rural folk now face another year of food
shortages.
It is an oxymoron to have “integrity” and “fairness” in the
same sentence
with Mugabe and ZANU (PF).
Phil Matibe- www.madhingabucketboy.com
145 Robert Mugabe Road,
Exploration House, Third Floor; Website: www.chra.co.zw
Contacts: Mobile: 0913 042 981,
011 862 012, 0733 368 107 or email info@chra.co.zw,
admin@chra.co.zw, ceo@chra.co.zw
09 February 2010
The Harare City Council has lost
a lot of revenue due to fraudulent issuing of vehicle licenses by some District
Offices around the city. The issue only came to light recently after the City
Authority realized that the expected revenue from vehicle licenses was dwindling
as the money collected from the fake licenses did not reach the city coffers.
Council has centralized its vehicle licensing to Rowan Martin Building in a bid
to curb this problem.
One of the Councillors who
declined to be named told the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) that
the City has lost over a million dollars due to fraudulent activities by the
District Offices. The Local Authority is working closely with ZIMRA so that they
can come up with new vehicle license disks with security features. All motorists
who have the current disks will have to exchange them for the new ones.
Councilor Kapare from Ward 7 explained that the move to centralize vehicle
licensing to Rowan Martin is an interim measure and as soon as proper systems
are put into place, the Council will revert back to the issuing of license disks
at District Offices.
While the move is noble, CHRA has
received complaints from many vehicle owners that they are frustrated by the
long queues at Rowan Martin. Motorists have also raised concerns over the
Council staff that is attending to cases of vehicle licensing saying that the
staff is not efficient and they work at a ‘chameleon’s pace’. This situation
has jeopardized the collection capacity of the City of Harare as a considerable
number of vehicle owners sometimes leave the queues due to the frustration of
waiting for hours before they can be served.
CHRA has since made the following
recommendations to the Council, which will be discussed in the Finance Committee
meeting to be held today (9th February 2010);
CHRA encourages all vehicle
owners who suspect that they are in possession of fake licenses to visit Rowan
Martin Building for confirmation and advice. The Association remains committed
to advocating for good and transparent local Governance as well as lobbying for
quality municipal services on a non partisan basis.