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Ncube hits back at Mugabe, Tsvangirai

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 19 February 2012 14:11

BY NQABA MATSHAZI

DRAFTING of the new constitution has been thrown into disarray after the MDC
led by Welshman Ncube declined to sign an update report meant for the
principals’ meeting set for tomorrow, further casting doubt on prospects of
holding elections this year.

The principals, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
and his deputy Arthur Mutambara, are supposed to meet every Monday, but last
week’s meeting was aborted because they did not have an update from the
Constitution Select Committee (Copac).

Tomorrow’s meeting is likely to be aborted after MDC secretary general,
Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, and Copac co-chairperson Moses Mzila-Ndlovu
declined to sign the update, saying they could not put a signature on a
report that was to be discussed by Mutambara, whom they do not recognise as
a principal.

Copac updates and meetings are only valid if there is consensus and the
refusal by the MDC to sign off on the progress the drafters had made means
the process of writing the new constitution would be further delayed.

“Updates go to the leaders of the three parties, meaning they should go to
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Ncube, but since the leader of our party does not sit
in these principals’ meetings there is no need for me to sign,”
Misihairabwi-Mushonga said.

She said her refusal to sign was based on principle, as Mutambara was not a
leader of any party and the High Court had ordered him to stop “masquerading
as a principal”.

“Copac is a parliamentary, party-driven process, so Ncube should be
discussing on these matters, but if he is not there, there is no point,” she
continued.

Misihairabwi-Mushonga said her party had not pulled out of Copac but rather
would not participate in processes that involved the robotics professor.
Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba said despite the protestation of the MDC,
the principals’ meeting will go ahead as scheduled.
“It’s a protest against a principal they do not recognise,” he said.

“It’s a symbolic protest, which the principals will take note of, but I don’t
know what they will do.”

Charamba said the principals were meeting to discuss a status update and
even if the MDC did not sign, that did not take away the substance of the
report. He said this was not the first time the MDC had protested at the
inclusion of Mutambara in principals’ meetings. Charamba said protesting was
their constitutional right to do so.

“The President’s hands are tied, the matter is at the courts and Ncube, as a
constitutional lawyer, cannot ask the president to violate the
 constitution,” Charamba said.

“You cannot blame the president.”

Copac spokesperson, Jessie Majome, professed ignorance on the development.
She however, described it as unfortunate and one that should be resolved
urgently, if it happened.

“The principals demand an update urgently, they want it as soon as
 possible,” she said.

The drafting of the new constitution is already behind schedule and the
latest snub will only hold it further back. This will make it difficult for
the country to hold elections this year as demanded by Zanu PF.

Last week, members of the management committee of the Copac said they were
still negotiating on a number of contested issues. These include structure
of government, devolution of power, death penalty, dual citizenship and the
establishment of an independent prosecuting authority.

The MDC recently described the meeting of Zimbabwe’s principals as a huge
joke, saying they should not be taken seriously as Mutambara was not a
principal.

The party alleged that Mugabe wanted to keep Mutambara in government to
render the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the negotiating process
dysfunctional. On the other hand, the party said Tsvangirai also wanted the
robotics professor to stay because of his “personal dislike” for Ncube.

Mutambara lost out the presidency of the MDC last January to Ncube, but the
deputy prime minister and his supporters claim his ouster was irregular.
The matter is now in the courts where Mutambara has suffered a few setbacks.


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80 families evicted from Mazowe farm

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 19 February 2012 13:53

BY JENNIFER DUBE
A humanitarian crisis is looming after government evicted 80 households from
a farm in Mazowe and dumped them by the roadside near Caesar Mine in
Mashonaland Central province, where there are no shelter or ablution
facilities.
The families, who were forcibly moved from Arnold farm in Mazowe and areas
surrounding Manzou Game Park, are staying in the open while their children
have since dropped out of school.

The chances of an outbreak of diseases such as cholera, dysentery and
typhoid, which recently killed two people in Harare, are high as they use
the bush system and fetch water from unprotected sources.

In Chinhoyi, 55 other families are stranded after they were dumped at the
Showground following their evictions early this month from Old Citrus Farm,
owned by business mogul Phillip Chiyangwa.

Government officials last week barred a charitable organisation from
providing assistance to the stranded villagers saying it has to get
clearance first.
When The Standard news crew visited those dumped near Caesar mine on
Wednesday, the tired-looking villagers were sitting by the roadside while
others were sleeping on the grass, waiting for government officials to peg
stands for them.

“We have been sleeping in the open since Saturday,” said a woman who
preferred anonymity for fear of victimisation. “The rain drenched us last
night and we fear that this can happen again for many days if the tents we
were promised are not delivered soon.”

She added: “As you can see, we are just in the open with no clean water or
toilet, no school for our children and no clinic.”

Each household had just been given a 50kg bag of maize but there was no
grinding mill anywhere near.

As a result, most families had nothing to prepare for their families.

Fearing torrential rains, some families were busy putting up temporary
shelter using wooden poles and fresh grass cut on the roadside as they could
not venture into fenced nearby farms.

Those who had been given stands complained that they were too small. The few
that were allocated stands were given 20 x 20 metres stands, too small for a
family living in the rural areas.

Mashonaland Central governor, Martin Dinha could not be reached for comment
last week.

Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development, Ignatious
Chombo, who is also Zanu-PF’s secretary for lands and rural resettlement,
said the evictions were carried out to resuscitate the game park and Mazowe
Dam in light of massive siltation caused by gold panners.

“Those people were illegal elements who were involved in panning and thus
destroying the lake for other people.”

Chombo said people from South Africa, Zambia, and the DRC were coming to buy
gold in that area, which is now full of open pits.

He said the resettling of the families was done by the district
administrator in conjunction with traditional leaders, the police and other
government officials as required by the law. Chombo said the government was
happy with the way it had handled the re-location of the families.

“This is a good example of a planned movement of people from an unplanned
situation to a planned situation because they will be given stands for their
homes and kraals, plots for their crops and grazing land,” he said.

Chombo said the evictees must not complain as 80% of them were given offer
letters to another place which they rejected because they were immersed in
criminal activities in Mazowe.

He said government would soon work on resuscitating the dam and the park.


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Political thuggery enslaves Mbare

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 18 February 2012 19:02

BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE
ROWDY young men and women move from house to house ordering residents to
attend Zanu PF meetings regardless of their political affiliation.
Street vendors quickly close their stalls as word of a meeting spreads in
the neighbourhood. Many here fear that the slogan-chanting militia would
beat them up or confiscate their wares for defying their directive.
Because of the militia’s activities, some long-distance travellers now shun
boarding buses in the suburb, lest they risk being force-marched to
meetings, which serve as a platform for intimidation and sloganeering. This
is the extent to which the Zanu PF-sponsored militia group, Chipangano, has
managed to instill fear into the hearts of residents of Mbare, virtually
rendering them political hostages in their own backyard.

Resistance to Chipangano’s orders usually invites severe beatings,
banishment from the suburb or even death.

Those who try to resist are dragged to the militia’s bases dotted around the
suburb where they are tortured. One such base is Carter House — a council
property that was forcibly seized by the group.

Attempts by the city council to evict them have been met with violent
resistance. Last week, market vendors were being forced to contribute to a
“funeral fund”.

“We are being told to contribute a US$1 each to the fund,” said one
resident. “They claim they will take my body to my rural area when I die,
but it is not clear if I will be making monthly contributions. I think it’s
a way of raising money for their operations.”

Over the years, Chipangano has been surviving on forced donations from
residents and vendors who own stalls in the suburb.

Mbare residents fear the worst, as the country prepares for elections this
year or next year, considering that incidences of intimidation, violence and
forced meetings have surged again.

“The situation is getting worse by the day,” said a resident who identified
himself only as Josphat for fear of victimisation. Very soon, as campaigning
enters into full gear, people will start dying again here.”

Last week, the MDC-T pointed a finger at Chipangano following the murder of
one of their activist in the suburb, Shepherd Bandau. The party said the
group, which has tortured and killed other MDC-T supporters before, is
sponsored by known senior Zanu PF officials, some of whom are aspiring for
political office in the constituency.

But Zanu PF officials have denied the allegations or any links with
Chipangano.

Chipangano’s influence beyond politics, extends to business

The group’s influence is not limited to politics. It now determines who gets
a stall at informal markets such as Mbare Green Market, Mupedzanhamo and
Siya-So, shutting out those who do not support Zanu PF from owning stalls
which guarantee one a source of income in a country where unemployment tops
80%.

Presently, those who want to start business projects in Mbare have to get
the nod from the group without which the rowdy militia group would pull down
any development.

The youths are currently trying to block the construction of a US$1,2
million service station and food court in the area that would create
employment for local youths.

Last year, Chipangano disrupted a US$5 million housing scheme under the
auspices of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that would have resulted
in houses being built for the poor in the suburb. This would have eased
accommodation woes especially in the flats where three or more families
share match-size cubicles.

Terror militia overrides police

As Chipangano continues to affirm its authority, fear-stricken residents now
rarely report their cases to the police, but rather to the group.
“If you live in Mbare you are rarely protected by the police,” said Harare
Residents Trust co-ordinator Precious Shumba.

“They (residents) report cases such as theft to Zanu PF structures. They
have lost faith in the police because in most cases, the officers are openly
defied by the militia.”

Shumba said Mbare is a suburb held hostage by political thuggery.

“The situation in Mbare is tense and unpredictable,” said Shumba.

“There is suspicion that permeates all levels of society and even in
churches, members no longer trust each other because Chipangano sends its
people to spy on those who are vocal.”

What is more worrying, said residents, was the fact that some of the Zanu PF
branch chairpersons, linked to Chipangano, are members of the neighbourhood
watch committee.

“Their incorporation serves two purposes,” said one resident who requested
anonymity for fear of victimisation. “Firstly, to spy on officers
sympathetic to the MDC-T and secondly to deal with MDC-T supporters, once
they come to the police station to report cases against their friends in
Zanu PF.”
Harare provincial police spokesperson, James Sabau, said he could not
comment on allegations that Zanu PF members were spying on officers as he
did not have such information.

On Zanu PF members in neighbourhood committees, Sabau said: “These were
started way back and those people could have joined them before they entered
into politics. In any case, the essence of these committees is to protect
communities from crime.”

Sabau dismissed assertions that police officers in the suburb act on Zanu PF
militia’s instruction due to fear.


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SA to block access to free-to- air channels

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 19 February 2012 14:04

A South African television signal carrier has been ordered to encrypt its
signal within the next three months, a development that will see many
Zimbabweans losing access to the neighbouring country’s free-to- air TV
channels.

Sentech distributes free-to-air channels like SABC 1, 2 and 3 among others,
which are popular among Zimbabweans, who use Wiztech, Philibao, Fortec Star
and Vivid decoders to access the channels.

eBotswana, a subsidiary of South Africa’s eTV, last year approached the
Johannesburg High Court, seeking an order compelling the signal carrier to
encrypt its signal, as failure to do so had given rise to signal piracy.

The Botswana channel successfully argued that Sentech was not encrypting its
signal to its northern neighbours, giving rise to signal piracy.

The order will mean viewers from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, Angola
and Mozambique will no longer have access to South African television.
eBotswana had argued that despite Sentech knowing about the piracy, it had
done nothing to rectify the problem.

In a judgement handed down last week, the Johannesburg High Court found
Sentech “wrongful, negligent and in breach” for its failure to encrypt its
signal.

The court has ordered Sentech to take “all reasonable steps necessary” that
the signal is encrypted within three months to prevent pirate viewing of the
SABC channels carried on the Vivid platform.

Sentech has the right to apply to the court for an extension provided it can
show “good cause” why such an extension would be justified. The signal
carrier was ordered to pay eBotswana costs.

The SABC channels have become popular with thousands of Zimbabweans, who are
frustrated by poor programming, a dearth in local broadcasting standards and
the lack of variety from the only broadcaster, ZBC.

Soaps like Generations, Muvhango and Zone 14 have generated a cult-like
status in the country. — By Our Staff

Zim tops broadcast piracy rate in africa

Zimbabwe has the highest broadcast piracy rate in Africa of 92%, as people
use Wiztech and Philibao decoders to decrypt South African signal career,
Sentech’s signals.

Sentech introduced Vivid decoders for South Africans who could not access
its terrestrial signal. However, through Philibaos and Wiztech decoders,
Zimbabweans gained access to South African television.


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Tsvangirai endorses Marange diamonds

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 19 February 2012 14:01

BY NDAMU SANDU

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has endorsed diamonds from Marange saying
the country was operating within international standards but said there
should be transparency in the extraction and marketing of the mineral.

Speaking after a two-day tour of the Marange diamonds fields, Tsvangirai
said all the companies in operation had followed the laws of the country.
Earlier in the week, a pressure group, Global Witness, had called for a
review of all contracts in Marange and “audit concession allocation
procedures and operations conducted so far to see whether they represent a
good deal for Zimbabwe”.

It also called for Mbada and Anjin to publish details of their beneficial
shareholders.

“I am sure that when Anjin was given a licence to mine in Zimbabwe it
committed to follow the rules and laws of Zimbabwe,” Tsvangirai said.

“Secondly, the KPCS (Kimberley Process Certification Scheme) is an
international organisation that certifies all diamond operations and if they
are not satisfied with what has been put in place, they will not allow
Zimbabwe to sell its diamonds…KPCS recently certified Zimbabwe to sell
diamonds so we must be operating within the rules and standards set by the
KPCS.”

He said people might have their own reasons “to object to anything but as
long as we are compliant with the KPCS, I am sure we can mine and sell our
diamonds”.

Tsvangirai said the discovery of diamonds was a blessing and the country has
to benefit from the extraction of the mineral.

Four companies — Diamond Mining Corporation, Marange Resources, Mbada
Diamonds and Anjin Investments — are mining diamonds in Marange.
The premier visited the homes where villagers that previously lived in
Marange are resettled.

He said the new homes should be used as a model for resettlement and the
country’s rural transformation strategy.
Tsvangirai was on a tour of the diamond producers, his first since the
commencement of mining in Marange, after his earlier attempt last year hit a
brick wall.


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Zanu PF dismisses sanctions ‘easing’

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 19 February 2012 13:59

BY PATRICE MAKOVA
ZANU PF has dismissed the European Union (EU) partial easing of sanctions
against the country as of no consequence as the party was pushing for an
unconditional removal of all the restrictive measures.
The EU last Friday removed 51 people, including journalists and politicians,
as well as 20 companies from sanctions, but retained 112 other individuals
and 11 entities on the visa ban and asset freeze list for another six
months.

Zanu PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo questioned why some individuals including
himself were removed from the sanctions list, yet others  like President
Robert Mugabe, his top lieutenants and security chiefs were still on EU
travel ban.

“Removing a limited number of individuals from the sanctions list is
meaningless and of no value,” he said.

“We want all people to be removed from the list because the sanctions are
racist and illegal as they were not approved by the United Nations.”

But political analysts Charles Mangongera said the move by the EU was a
political strategy which could ultimately weaken Zanu PF as questions would
be raised as to why certain individuals were removed from the sanctions
list, while others remained.

“It remains to be seen how the political gladiators will respond, but such
positive moves by the EU may entice them to agree to more reforms,” said
Mangongera.

In easing the restrictive measures, the EU said it was recognising progress
made thus far while affirming its desire to engage in serious political
dialogue with Zimbabwe.

Foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton said to facilitate the process, the
bloc had also suspended travel restrictions on Foreign Affairs minister,
Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and his Justice counterpart, Patrick Chinamasa to
allow the two to travel to Brussels for high-level consultations as part of
the Zimbabwean Ministerial Re-engagement team.

Journalists, politicians off sanctions list

Among the people removed from the sanctions list are former Masvingo
Governor Josaya Hungwe, Jocelyn Chiwenga, and prominent businessmen Billy
Rautenbach and John Bredenkamp.

Journalists such as Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation’s Reuben Barwe, Judith
Makwanya   and Happison Muchechetere, as well as Zimpapers Ceaser Zvayi,
Pikirayi Deketeke and Munyaradzi Huni  were also removed. Tafataona Mahoso
(pictured right), the Broadcasting Authority chair also benefited.


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Frogs won’t stop US$300 million investment — Kaseke

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 18 February 2012 19:43

BY PATRICE MAKOVA
CONTROVERSY rages on over the construction of a five-star hotel near the
National Sports Stadium in Harare with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA)
saying the project will continue as it met all environmental requirements.

But the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) insists that its construction
must stop to ensure that a proper environmental impact assessment is carried
out.

The agency said it will be approaching Environment and Natural Resources
minister, Francis Nhema, to order the construction work to stop.
ZTA chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke, last week said the outcry over
the construction of the hotel on a wetland was largely driven by personal
hatred of Chinese people by certain sections of society.

“Zimbabweans look at everything from a political angle,” he said.

“I am convinced that if the investor constructing the hotel was from the
United Kingdom, USA or other Western countries, no one would have queried
the project. The Chinese are close to Zanu PF and some people are not happy
with that.”

Kaseke said some people were speculating that he was bribed by Anjin
Investments simply because he was the one who personally invited the company
to invest in Zimbabwe.

“That is utter rubbish!” fumed Kaseke, who added that:

“I am not corruptible. I have no regrets because what I am looking for are
investors who can come and put up tourism infrastructure in the country.
This is what I was mandated to do by President Mugabe who appointed me.”

Kaseke said Anjin bought the land from a private developer and from the
Harare City Council which also approved the project with no hassles.
The ZTA boss said over US$300 million will be invested in the new 300-bed
hotel. An additional US$580 million would be invested in the construction of
a shopping mall adjacent to the hotel.

He said already, over 500 locals were working on the site, while over 3 000
jobs would be created once the hotel and shopping malls have been completed.

“So some people wanted us to sacrifice thousands of jobs and forgo these
massive investments in order to protect frogs and 23 trees?” he asked. “Why
did they not complain when the National Sports Stadium was built?”

Kaseke claimed that the wetland would still be preserved as the Chinese
contractors were using technology which will do minimum damage to the area’s
environment. Anjin was also constructing the Zimbabwe Defence College and
mining diamonds in Chiadzwa in partnership with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

EMA said they are now approaching Nhema to issue a ministerial order to
effect the stoppage of the project in terms of the Environment Act.

Nhema yet to be approached

Environment minister Francis  Nhema said EMA had not approached him over the
Belvedere wetland issue.

“I have not received any letter of complaint from any client regarding the
issue,” he said yesterday.

“This may mean that discussions are still in progress. I only come in when
there is a disagreement and one party makes an appeal to me.”
Local Government, Rural and Urban Development minister Ignatius Chombo said
there was no way a person or organisation could construct on a piece of land
without the relevant approval from authorities.

“We read about EMA’s decisions against various local authorities regarding
wetlands but all that hullabaloo has not come here yet,” Chombo said.


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Masvingo NGO ban stupid — Madhuku

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 18 February 2012 19:42

BY MOSES CHIBAYA
THE banning of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from assisting
disadvantaged members of the society in Masvingo province is set to worsen
the plight of communities already afflicted by hunger following poor harvest
last season, civil society organisations have warned.
Masvingo provincial governor Titus Maluleke last week announced that he had
banned 29 NGOs operating in the province for failing to register with his
office.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) director, MacDonald Lewanika, said the
ban was likely to worsen the humanitarian crisis prevailing in Masvingo
Province.
Lewanika dismissed Maluleke’s ban as a nullity and encouraged the NGOs to
continue with their operations.

“The affected NGOs should ignore the order by the governor and continue to
carry out their interventions in the province,” said Lewanika.
The province is facing massive food shortages and many households are in
need of urgent food relief. It is estimated that over 93 000 households are
in urgent need of food in Masvingo.

Lewanika said there is no legal obligation for a NGO to register with
Maluleke’s office or any other provincial governor’s Office.
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairman Dr Lovemore Madhuku also
dismissed the ban.

“The statement doesn’t make sense, it is a completely stupid statement from
a governor in Masvingo,” said Madhuku.


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Bargain hunters prey on Zim Stock Exchange

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 18 February 2012 18:57

BY OUR STAFF
BARGAIN hunters are on the loose on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) as
they have been snapping up shares at a premium since the beginning of the
year.
An analyst attributed this development to latecomers beginning to buy
Zimbabwe assets from companies that are realising profits.
Since January, ZSE has witnessed six special bargains with buyers on the
stock market purchasing huge chunks of shares at a special price agreed by
the seller.

In most cases, the prices were at a premium of the prevailing trading price.

The special bargains come at a time analysts have forecasted rich pickings
in the first quarter buoyed by the expected continued general economic
recovery despite the threats of indigenisation implementation.

In January, 120 million Meikles Limited shares were bought at 17,5 cents in
a deal worth US$21 million.

It came after two special bargains on January 10 when 394 369 Hippo Valley
shares were bought at 110 cents each while Padenga’s eight million shares
were bought at 5,6 cents each.

Last Wednesday 370 000 Econet shares were bought at 360 cents each by MMC
Capital while 2 516,243 Delta shares were sold at 70 cents each.
On Monday, there was a special bargain of 42 798,497 Afre shares at 18,42
cents each as the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) completed its
deal to acquire a significant stake in Afre.

A foreign buyer bought 24 686 561 Delta shares valued at about US$17 million
in a “book over” deal.

A book over is when the broker has both the buyer and the seller in his/her
book.

Since the beginning of the year, the stock market has witnessed six special
bargains which analysts attribute to a host of issues such as investors
rationalising their portfolios and foreclosing when loans have gone bad.

In 2011, ZSE recorded 75 special bargain deals valued at about US$101
million, the highest since dollarisation and analysts predict at this
current rate, it will be surpassed.

Analysts predict improved first quarter gains

Analysts have predicted an improved first quarter compared to last year.

Kingdom Financial Holdings Limited (KFHL) said ZSE will record some gains in
the first quarter of 2012 as most companies will release their results
during the period.

KFHL said the environment “will be more favourable politically given that
electioneering will likely be delayed to the second half of the year”.

It recommended that investors target growth stocks with positive earnings
expectations and manageable debt levels. “Better financial performance by
listed counters on the back of improved turnovers due to higher capacity
utilisation, improved liquidity (diamond and other mineral exports) and
continued support by foreign investors are some of the fundamentals that
will support stock market prices,” KFHL said.


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Diamond firms seeks new concession

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Saturday, 18 February 2012 18:55

BY NDAMU SANDU

DIAMOND Mining Corporation (DMC) wants government to consider allocating it
a new concession, as the lifespan of its mine is only four years at the
current extraction rate.
The revelations come at a time the company is selling the diamonds after
being given the nod by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), a
world body that regulates the trading of diamonds.

DMC, a joint venture between Zimbabwe Mining and Development Corporation
(ZMDC) and Pure Diam of Dubai, is operating on 4 794 hectares in Manicaland
province.

DMC deputy general manager, Gilliam Sithole, told Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai during his recent tour of Marange diamond fields that its plant
has a throughput of 900 000 tonnes per annum with quantified reserves at 3,6
million tonnes.

“The lifespan of the mine at current throughput is four years,” he said.

Sithole said the company had milled 455 885 tonnes with a production of 611
585 carat at head grade of 1,34 carat per tonne which he said is generally
lower than the grades obtaining in the region.

“In order to improve on the return on investment of DMC, government should
consider allocating DMC a concession with diamondiferous conglomerates which
have been known to carry a grade averaging +/- 6 carat per tonne,” he said.

Tsvangirai expressed concern on the high level of gem extraction at Marange
diamond fields. He warned that such high levels of mining could result in
the country exhausting its diamonds within 10 years.

“The fundamental challenge we face is the future of diamonds,” Tsvangirai
said after the tour of the diamond fields. “I was alarmed that DMC says they
are left with four years life span. Should we have all these companies and
everyone flooding the market?”

Sithole said Pure Diam has already contributed US$35 million into the
project. The investment excludes the US$7,5 million for the relocation of
families from the diamond fields to Arda Transau.

DMC began production in August last year.

It is one of the four companies mining in the resource-rich Marange fields
alongside Marange Resources, Mbada Diamonds and Anjin Investments.


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When custodians steal the purse

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 19 February 2012 14:44

If a burning meteorite from outer space were to hit Africa Unity Square in
Harare during lunch hour, guess what would happen? The nearest state “safe
haven” that men, women and children would escape to is a dash across the
road into Parliament House. It is literally axiomatic that when the village
hut is on fire children scurry around their mother for dear safety and
protection. In much the same way all Zimbabweans will rush to “mother”
Parliament House for protection when the object hits the Square. This is the
house that embodies the spirit and aspirations of the Zimbabwe
body -politic. It is a socio-political construct of Zimbabwe’s dream now and
into the future.

But media revelations on Valentine’s Day will result in many questioning the
intelligence of seeking protection in that Parliament Building. Meteorites
do not reside in outer space anymore, but have found a home at Parliament
House.

The house that the people of Zimbabwe built with blood in a protracted
liberation struggle has gone to strangers who eat away at national wealth.
This made sad reading coming on a day when people were supposed to be
reminding each other of their nuptial and filial vows and committing
themselves to some for those yet to.

These are shocking realities and headlines that would send my old granny to
her death bed cold with fear. “Bigwigs refuse to pay Zesa bills”, (The
Herald, February 14 2012); “Bigwigs Zesa debts: Shocking hypocrisy”,
(Newsday, February 14 2012) and “Mangoma taken to task”, (The Daily News,
February 14  2012).

The foregoing however identifies correctly who the real threat to national
security in Zimbabwe is. When Ministers and other senior “civil” servants
deliberately sit on their electricity bills and decide not to pay it speaks
volumes about acts of sabotage  against the nation. How on earth is  Zesa
supposed to function when national leaders renege on their paying their
bills? This is a clear manifestation of national sabotage that has its
contenders only in the ranks of the al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab.

Surprisingly, ministers and parliamentarians  have in recent months fought
tooth and nail to have their sit-in allowances paid, which when they did
come were a huge windfall. The windfall was also coming on the back of the
Constituency Development Funds (CDFs) that many of the MPs decided to
embezzle for their personal benefit. This is in addition to other
ministerial and parliamentary privileges that they enjoy unbeknown to the
public.

Now the writing is clearly on the wall. A lot of the troubles the country is
facing today are a result of public figures who have decided to act as
enemies of the state. When a stranger sits wielding a machete in your
granary then the fate of your family for many seasons to come is set.
Hunger, malnutrition, disease, poverty and death.

The perennial water problems that have seen some children being born and
growing up to adolescence, adulthood, marriage and death without ever seeing
water running  from a tap, if there is a tap to begin with, have their
origin in the behaviour of some of our elected officials at Parliament
House.

Back in the days when politicians  would at least appear honest, such
revelations would call for the resignation of leaders who are implicated.
But that would be too much to  expect from the current crop we have today,
especially those that came to occupy the architecture called the inclusive
government.

It is a provisional structure that has turned leaders into buccaneers bent
on making a dash to grab as much of the national wealth as they can before
their time is up. Theft in broad daylight has become the order of the day,
and the Zesa ministerial debts are just but a tip of the ice-berg in the
plunder of state wealth. How much more of this rot is going on behind the
scenes and may never be exposed? One wonders how much more stealing they are
involved in other sectors of the economy beyond the public eye?

Where are the checks and balances in the system which had to wait until
somebody accrued a Zesa bill in excess of US$100 000? It is shocking that
the minister in charge of energy stands by while his colleagues in
government are  crippling a public utility, and with it the national
economy?  Where is the moral standing and authority that these leaders are
supposed to project?

If governance in this country was about serving national interests then such
thieves of national wealth should be shown the door. The truth is that all
this has set a terrible precedent on governance issues in Zimbabwe. It is
time Zimbabweans demanded action. The time is due for these political
meteorites to be reminded to go back to the outer space where they came
from.


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Sunday View: Banning NGOs is the height of lunacy

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Sunday, 19 February 2012 14:30

BY WALTER MARWIZI

Masvingo Governor Titus Maluleke’s inexplicable ban of 29 Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs) was the last thing anyone expected from a government
official in charge of a province that is in dire need of food assistance.
Maluleke, who is struggling to make a mark in a province once blessed with
political greats such as the late Vice-President Simon Muzenda and Eddison
Zvobgo, who was the Zanu PF legal supremo, hogged the limelight last week
when he suspended aid organisations from operating in his province.
Among these organisations was Care International which has been heavily
involved in drought relief programmes.

Nobody in his right senses expected the governor to behave that way. But
Maluleke had the guts to do so, throwing the lives of thousands of
vulnerable people in jeopardy.

Although he may think he scored some cheap political points, Maluleke’s
actions exhibited deep-seated paranoia that afflicts many Zanu PF
politicians, be they in provinces or at national level.

These officials always fear that the activities of NGOs somehow undermine
Zanu PF while at the same time promoting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s
MDC-T. They view the work of NGOs as a strategy by Western countries, bent
on regime change, to penetrate rural areas that are seen as the last bastion
of Zanu PF’s support base.

With talk of possible elections this or next year, the activities of NGOs
are now being closely watched by officials like Maluleke who fear that by
being left out of NGOs activities, Zanu PF is losing its traditional
stranglehold on the grassroots.

Since independence, Zanu PF has enjoyed unequalled forays in rural areas
where it doled out drought-relief maize to villagers whenever an election
beckoned. Often times this food aid, said to be a gift from President Robert
Mugabe, has been used as a tool to get the much needed votes from starving
villagers. But now times have changed. The party, which once dominated
Zimbabwe’s political landscape, no longer enjoys a monopoly over state
resources.

Bankrupt both in terms of resources and ideas, Zanu PF can only feed
villagers with revolutionary slogans and songs. On the contrary, NGOs do the
opposite by bringing the much needed food aid to the elderly, the infirm and
orphans in rural areas.

Think about organisations like Care that have provided life-saving beans,
cooking oil and maize meal to the needy in Gutu, Chivi, Zaka and Mwenezi
districts. Perennially these districts experience poor harvests, and,
without such interventions, people risk dying of starvation. Other NGOs have
been assisting communities with seed and fertilisers and in the process,
promoting food sufficiency.

All this has evidently alarmed Maluleke who has been reduced to a spectator
as other people continue to make inroads into Masvingo’s  districts, thereby
winning the hearts and minds of the provincial folk.

It is in this context that Maluleke’s unwarranted ban on the operations of
NGOs should be considered. It has nothing to do with enforcing the law but
is more about Zanu PF trying to regain lost ground.

But the question is: if Maluleke succeeds in kicking NGOs out of Masvingo
province, who does he replace them with? All social welfare programmes have
all but collapsed across the country and so the consequences of his antics
could be too ghastly to contemplate for a province that is facing another
poor harvest.

We can only hope that Maluleke’s antics are only the work of one uninformed
governor rather than the beginning a renewed crackdown on NGOs, ahead of
possible elections either this or next year. That would be a recipe for
disaster.


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Zim must seize EU opportunity

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

Political reforms taking place in Burma (Myanmar) are truly amazing. For
more than 20 years, Burma was a pariah state because of its human rights
record. Political opponents were imprisoned for long periods by the military
regime, the media was heavily censored and minorities suppressed. Human
rights campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi, was kept under house arrest for more
than 20 years.

But things have changed dramatically. Suu Kyi is now a free person who is
allowed to campaign for public office. Political prisoners have been freed
and dialogue has been opened with combatant minorities.

And, the world has responded; Burma is no longer the pariah state it was
only a few months ago. The European Union on Friday lifted targeted
sanctions against Burmese officials including President Thein Sein. In doing
so the EU was acknowledging the major strides Burma has made in returning to
normality.

Zimbabwe, like Burma, has been a pariah nation for a decade. On Friday, the
EU moved to ease travel bans on some 51 officials who had been on the
targeted sanctions list. The EU, as in the Burma case, said this was in
recognition of the moves the government was making towards creating an
atmosphere conducive to the holding of free, fair, peaceful and transparent
elections.

It has not removed President Robert Mugabe from the list but will review the
sanctions in six months’ time.

There are two possible ways in which Zanu PF will receive this EU move:
triumphalism or accommodation. They might see the latest move as a victory
for them because, they could argue, the European bloc has seen the folly of
its ways. A more reasonable way would be to embrace the carrot and take more
steps forward to avoid the stick as the Burmese military strongmen have
done.

There will be lots of Zanu PF propaganda about the EU move in the next six
months but the truth of the matter is that the party doesn’t have lots of
room to manoeuvre. It has to open dialogue with EU and return the country to
the community of nations.


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From the Editor's desk: After the crisis, now the insanity

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

BY NEVANJI MADANHIRE

The question on most people’s lips these days is: How will the Zimbabwean
crisis end? But in asking this question many have failed to see the
transient nature of the so-called crisis.
At the turn of the millennium the crisis was that of seriously bad
governance. Having been in power for 20 years, the Zanu PF government had
distanced itself from reality. This disconnection with the common people led
to a serious lack of social services.

The decade leading to the turn of the century was that of disillusionment.
The first decade of our independence was that euphoria and hope; the man on
the street was hopeful that Zimbabwe, under a black government, was going to
remove the suffering people had endured under successive settler regimes.
But realising this was not to be, disillusionment  began to set in and the
people wanted a change of government. This wish culminated in the formation
of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999.

There had been precedents elsewhere particularly just across the Zambezi in
Zambia where the Movement for Multiparty Democracy had just routed the
dictatorship of founding President Kenneth Kaunda. The majority Zimbabweans
saw hope in the new winds of change that were sweeping across the continent.
They rallied behind their new hope, the MDC. Their show of force was
epitomised by the massive anti-Zanu PF vote in the constitutional referendum
of February 2000. Indeed it was an anti-Zanu PF vote rather than a no-vote
against the constitution draft.

In the eight years that followed, the crisis shifted from that of bad
governance and the disillusionment it spawned. It changed into unbridled
repression. Seeing the results of the referendum as a wake-up call that Zanu
PF was no longer popular and the people wanted to see the back of it, the
party saw its only way to survive as through repression. Indeed the period
beginning 2000 and ending in 2008 was arguably the darkest chapter of our
post-independence history; democratic space was closed and the police and
the army were used not to protect the people but to suppress them.

There were a record four elections and all of them were characterised by
extreme violence. Thousands of people were killed and lots more were
displaced. The rule of law was replaced by the law of the jungle – survival
of the fittest. Fittest here meant those who had the backing of the police,
the military and militias created for the sole purpose of repressing popular
sentiment.

By June 2008 the repression had reached a climax; the southern African
sub-continent, fronted by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc)
intervened resulting in the arrangement that is ruling the country today.

So, what is the nature of the crisis now? — When people ask how the crisis
is going to pan out, what crisis are they talking about? Repression has
subsided, though there are still large pockets of it here and there. There
are still isolated incidents of people being murdered for their political
affiliation. There are still groups being denied the basic human right of
the freedom of assembly. The press is still under severe threat.

Arguably, the crisis is no longer about regime change as it was in 2000,
although that would be very useful. The crisis is no longer about, “When is
the old man going?” Zimbabweans have resigned themselves to their fate; his
life-presidency is now foregone. Only in December last year he told his
party: “Sometimes there have been calls that I must retire but as long as
there is still work to be done...I cannot leave you on your own in the deep
end.” And there is, for him, lots of work still to be done!

And for God’s sake, don’t believe that Nigerian charlatan TB Joshua, lest
you begin to have ideas.

The crisis now is the insanity that the earlier crises — bad governance,
disillusionment, lack of rule of law and repression — spawned.  The sheer
enormity of the insanity is shocking. A cabinet minister goes to a GMB depot
and collects 40 tonnes of fertiliser — that’s a whole gonyet (haulage truck)
or two — for his own personal use. To do this he jumps a queue of hundreds
of poor villagers who are only asking for a wheel-barrowful of the
commodity!

These are the very people who voted him into power and who he is going to
beg for the vote in the next election!

But the insanity is much more intense than that. Where did the fertiliser
come from? Fertiliser manufacturers were ordered by this same cabinet
minister to produce the commodity and deliver to the GMB without payment
under the promise that government would get money from the national purse.
But the manufacturer does not have the seed money to produce the fertiliser.
Because it’s an order, the manufacturer borrows the money from the bank at
an extortionate interest rate. After the fertiliser has been manufactured
and delivered (and looted) there is no money to pay the manufacturer, let
alone the bank. In one master-stroke the fertiliser manufacturing industry
has been destroyed.

What else has been destroyed? The agriculture sector itself! —All those
farmers who have not been able to access fertiliser because it has been
looted by the big fish, will abandon their farms and plots resulting in
reduced hectarages. Forget about our former breadbasket status.

Now they are even looting electricity! There is no difference between
someone who has taken delivery of US$150 000 worth of fertiliser without
paying and another who has used US$150 000 worth of electrical energy and
refuses to pay for it! They have both looted. What effect does this have on
the power sector?— Zesa cannot maintain infrastructure; cannot pay its
external debts and cannot expand its power generation capacity.

There are many more examples of the insanity that now pervades our national
landscape. Look at what Ignatius Chombo is doing to our local authorities!
He is dismissing elected mayors and councillors and replacing them with his
own people! Doesn’t this create the right conditions for looting? What
exactly would be the “special interest” of these so-called special interest
councillors?

The insanity we are experiencing is the new form of the Zimbabwe crisis. How
is it going to end?


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Comment: Chihuri saga snuffs power-sharing illusion

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

The re-appointment of Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri to a new
term of office ending 2014 has exposed what had been feared most: that
Morgan Tsvangirai has become a lame duck Prime Minister.
Chihuri’s term of office expired on January 31 and on Wednesday Tsvangirai
announced to the nation that he and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara
had agreed with President Robert Mugabe that Chihuri would perform in an
acting capacity.

But just a day later, Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba announced
that Chihuri’s term had actually been extended to 2014. His revelation
raises a number of questions: Did Mugabe lie to Tsvangirai during their
meeting that Chihuri would be acting police chief or is Tsvangirai
uninformed about goings-on in government?

While it is not possible to get answers to these two questions, what may be
undisputed is that Mugabe unilaterally re-appointed Chihuri to a new term of
office without consulting Tsvangirai.

While on paper Mugabe is supposed to be sharing power with Tsvangirai, he is
in the habit of acting unilaterally on matters that should be jointly
decided by the principals to the Global Political Agreement.

Mugabe has perfected the art of disregarding Tsvangirai on all key
appointments. He kept in office Attorney General Johannes Tomana and Reserve
Bank Governor Gideon Gono against the MDC formations’ demands and is now
again extending the term of office of Chihuri and other service chiefs. In
light of these unilateral appointments, Tsvangirai should be under no
illusion that he is sharing power with Mugabe.

At best the MDC-T leader is a junior partner and at worst merely a
“passenger” in the inclusive government.  The sooner Tsvangirai accepts this
reality, the better.

Appealing to Sadc for intervention may be the easier route for Tsvangirai,
but clearly that won’t stop Mugabe from flagrantly violating provisions of
the GPA.

So the only viable option for Tsvangirai is to push for the conclusion of
the constitution-making process and the subsequent holding of free and fair
elections that will give Zimbabweans a chance to choose their leaders. Only
that way can Mugabe be stopped.

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