By Lance Guma
10 March
2007.
Hundreds of Zimbabweans living in the UK joined in a rally
organized by
Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) in Trafalgar Square on
Saturday. The
rally celebrated the role of women in the global struggle for
justice and
was addressed by Lovemore Matombo the President of the Zimbabwe
Congress of
Trade Unions, and his vice-president Lucia Matibenga. Other
speakers lined
up included Labour MP Kate Hoey and former Zimbabwe Test
cricketer Henry
Olonga as well as Baroness Amos, leader of the House of
Lords.
ACTSA say they have a special interest in the problems faced by
Zimbabwean
women because they have heard through the ZCTU that they were
having
problems preserving their dignity because of the serious shortage of
sanitary pads. The London rally comes two days after the International
Women's
Day and organisers say they will fundraise to get money to provide
sanitary
products to Zimbabwean women. An inflation rate way in excess of
the
official 1600 percent has meant most women are unable to afford
these.
ACTSA keep the Southern African region in the spotlight through
lobbying,
publication of reports and media briefings. The rally on Saturday
was one
such campaign that will keep the problems faced by women in Zimbabwe
in the
spotlight. Kathryn Llewellyn the head of ACTSA's campaigns had urged
people
to come to the streets in solidarity and respect for the bravery of
the
women in Zimbabwe 'not only as they struggle to meet the basic needs of
their families, but as they fight to free their country."
This will
be the second time in a week that Zimbabweans in the United
Kingdom have
come together in a massive show of solidarity with suffering
Zimbabweans
back home. Last week Saturday, hundreds of MDC supporters
protested against
the Zanu PF government's latest restrictions barring
political meetings and
rallies around the country and plans by Mugabe to
extend his term of
office.
SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news
Reuters
Sat Mar
10, 2007 4:06 PM GMT
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe riot police will be used
to stop an opposition
prayer meeting on Sunday, arranged in defiance of a
ban on protests against
President Robert Mugabe's government, police said on
Saturday.
Sunday's prayer rally, called by a coalition of opposition and
civic groups,
is due to take place in a Harare stadium where riot police
clashed with
opposition supporters last month.
Police spokesman Wayne
Bvudzijena accused the main opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC)
of hiring and arming "thugs" to attack police.
Bvudzijena said police,
who imposed a three-month ban on protests and
rallies after last month's
clashes, would act decisively to prevent Sunday's
meeting.
"As far as
we are concerned that is a political rally, and for tomorrow we
are going to
be fully deployed, armed police in uniform and in plainclothes,
and we are
going to stop that meeting," he told a news conference on
Saturday.
Organisers of the prayer meeting were not immediately
available for comment.
Zimbabwe is facing an economic crisis which critics
blame on Mugabe's
policies.
Bvudzijena said police had intelligence
that one branch of the MDC had
formed vigilante groups called Democratic
Resistance Committees to spearhead
violent resistance to the
government.
"We have been monitoring them for a year, and now they are
arming and paying
some thugs to attack police officers," he said. He showed
journalists what
appeared to be a factory-made machete he said had been
recovered from one
such group.
"They are distributing these, and this
kind of weapon can behead a person,"
he said.
The MDC says it has
been a victim of a "dirty tricks" campaign by the
government in which its
officials are accused of violent crimes committed by
ruling party youth
brigades.
Mugabe, 83 and in power since independence in 1980, dismisses
the MDC as a
puppet of Zimbabwe's former colonial master Britain which
opposes him for
seizing white-owned commercial farms to give to blacks.
No sooner had we settled down to take a well
deserved rest this Saturday for
the Sunday event at Highfields, than a new
set of situations was thrown at
all of us by needs of those just released
from custody, from hospitals and
others, who are being arrested this
evening, an exercise by the Police that
began in Dzivarasekwa at 5 pm today,
unbeknown to most.
Peter Pambeni, young, articulate and steady as a rock
inspite of the torture
he endured, sat and recounted to us all, horrific
details of his
experiences, which have now engulfed the whole family, and
these terrors
were still going on, subject of another update, as these
unfold, was
happilly for us, medically reviewed thoroughly and placed on
urgent
medication. While he is recovering steadilly physically, he is a
young man,
he remains riddled with dental problems, incurred during torture
by Police
and accusers, ruling party youth stalwarts, in Epworth at
Domboramwari
Police Station, Harare South Constituency. His family has been
a comfort and
steady support for him throughout his terrible ordeal. His
wife really sad,
young, petite, really pretty, sat there disbelieving as she
said, that her
husband was still alive, that she was seated with him away
from immediate
danger. They live with his widowed Mother, older brother and
their toddler.
Young MaMoyo Pambeni's wife is expecting.
Each of
these traumatised youths when released has a story to tell, even
more
chilling than their own, the persons we were most worried about. The
newest
story is that there are 4 more youths currently under torture in
custody at
Domboramwari Police Station, one of who is definately an MDC
Youth Assembly
activist. He is Jose Gavure (?) who is being accussed of
burgling a home
next door, when owners were out at a funeral/wedding.
Accusations are
unclear as Police change these, with each beating. The
youths were uncertain
about the identity of the other 3. Two were so
severely tortured including
Jose, that they were moving on all fours to get
around to anywhere. Their
feet were too badly mangled for them to walk on
them, two of the worst
cases, they were moved to Mabvuku Police Station
yesterday. Contact has just
been made with MDC structures in that
constituency to look for them. We are
still to hear.
From Dzivarasekwa constituency news is just in that at 5pm
today, some
activist Youth Assembly members including Mary Chimwana were
picked up by
Police at their homes. Chimwana lives with her sick parents and
her three
children. She is the sole breadwinner for the family, a single
mother. This
is the situation of many Zimbabwean households today. There is
usually one
person in a position to support the others because of the
political
situation induced by the Mugabe regime.
The story as it
comes in from different parts of the constituency is that
there is
pre-emptive Police action in Dzivarasekwa going on right now to
discourage
holding of the combined 'Save Zimbabwe Campaign' Rally at
Zimbabwe Grounds
in Highfields this Sunday. Chimwana is accused by Police as
she was picked
up, of distributing leaflets in her township about the Sunday
event. There
is a door to door Police exercise going on in Dzivarasekwa now,
with
families being threatened, if they dare attend Sunday's rally.
It is
Friday evening now in Harare and Grace Kwinjeh has not heard anything
about
her documents from the Registrar General's office. Her trip abroad has
been
postponed again.
There is a general thrust, a strategy by the State, to
disable many sections
of society at this stage that are seen by the ruling
clique, to pose a
challenge with activities and utterances for change for
the better for all.
MDC Youth and Women's Assemblies, revitalised have taken
the lead in
internal Party activites for Change, making the regime even more
nervous and
erratic. Nothing seems to stop these two Party organs. And so
tonight is
another, when we must be on the alert throughout.
We will
keep you all updated.
Sekai Holland
Harare
Monsters and Critics
Mar 10, 2007, 19:39 GMT
Harare - Cash-strapped Zimbabwe
is facing a maize deficit of more than a
million tonnes and will harvest
only one third of its annual needs, state
ZBC radio reported on
Saturday.
Citing Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono, the
report said
Zimbabwe would harvest only around 600,000 tonnes of the staple
maize crop.
It was the first official admission of another looming crop
failure in the
wake of President Robert Mugabe's controversial land reform
programme.
Zimbabwe needs 1.8 million tonnes of maize per year to feed
its 11.6 million
or so people.
The southern African nation used to be
known as the breadbasket of the
region. But a land reform programme that has
seen around 4,000 white
commercial farmers lose their land in the past six
years has led to a huge
drop in yields.
The radio blamed the maize
deficit on new black farmers concentrating on
crops that brought in better
returns than maize which has to be sold to the
government at a controlled
price.
It suggested that the farmers could be forced to turn over half
their farms
to maize cropping.
The United Nations' World Food
Programme (WFP) warned this week that
Zimbabwe, like much of southern
Africa, was facing another year of critical
food shortages.
© 2007
dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Many ordinary people have seen their lives
being at the hands of
unscrupulous politicians who have promised them a
better life from the
previous ones and yet it turns out to be the same song,
enriching themselves
and their chosen elite.
These are the lucky ones who
can claim they have democracy in their country
to at least exercise one of
their fundamental human rights and cast a vote.
But I would like to call a
spade a spade, democracy in much of Africa does
not exist.
Only a handful
of African countries can claim this accolade and out of that
handful very
few can claim the attribute of putting their fellow countryman
before their
own ambitions of greed, plunder and addiction to power despite
the vast and
ample natural resources the continent has at its disposal.
In Zimbabwe
for example, the tyrant Mugabe once declared that hell would
have to freeze
over before any opposition can run the country. He went on to
say that he
would arise from the dead if his party, ZANU PF were to allow
that after his
death.
These remarks defeat the purpose of having the elections in the first
place
because they are not free and fair, any opposition and its supporters
are
intimidated and this is a form of coercion to its followers to
perpetrate
actions not permissible in a democracy.
In 1980 shortly
before Mugabe’s return to Harare, ZANU spoke of the need to
take account of
‘practical realities’ such as the capitalist system and not
to play
make-believe Marxist games and force whites into precipitate flight.
Samora
Machel had warned him as he himself was reeling from the massive
disruption
caused in Mozambique at independence in 1975 by the mass exodus
of whites
fleeing the Marxist regime he had instituted.
Mugabe and ZANU made this
pledge: ‘ZANU wishes to give its fullest assurance
to the white community,
the Asian and coloured (mixed race) communities that
a ZANU government can
never in principle, social or government practice,
discriminate against
them. Racism, whether practised by whites or blacks is
anathema to the
humanitarian philosophy of ZANU. It is as primitive a dogma
as tribalism or
regionalism. Zimbabwe cannot just be a country of blacks. It
is and should
remain our country, all of us together.’
It has come apparent that these
words have been lost in translation. Both
blacks and whites are being
brutalised in Zimbabwe, atrocities have been
committed and are still being
committed in Zimbabwe, human rights are almost
non-existent and every day
life for a Zimbabwean has become unbearable with
an inflation rate of more
than 1 600%, life expectancy at 34 and 37 (women
and men respectively) and
an almost non-existent currency. Is this not
paramount to racism and
regionalism? Where are the ‘practical realities’ of
a capitalist system gone
to?
After 27 years in power it has come apparent that Mugabe and his ZANU
concubines have lost all their marbles. It is either they have become so
drunk with power that they cannot see the black hole sucking Zimbabwe into
oblivion or they just don’t care as long as they can fill their own personal
coffers.
It is a puzzle to many how in a country with the so-called
democracy, these
lazy fat cats are still in power.
The honest truth is
that there is no democracy in Zimbabwe hence Zimbabweans
need to grasp this
concept and know that without a strong conviction to
fight-on, stand
together shoulder to shoulder and rid ourselves of this
plague destroying
our country, surely Mugabe and ZANU will reign over us for
eternity, but do
we have ourselves to blame for it?
Like I said before I prefer to call a
spade a spade and even among your
worst critics, the truth shall always set
you free. I will stir the hornets
nest and very loud and clear I will shout
at the top of my lungs and say ’we
are not to blame for the wars and greed
which besiege Africa’.
The Zimbabwean situation is not an isolated case in
Africa but a unique one
to some extent in that the Zimbabwean people are a
loving and God fearing
people and this has led to many not contemplating the
prospect of another
war of liberation against this regime, but someone has
to do it and only we
Zimbabweans can emancipate ourselves from these harsh
and hard times.
Another reason is that at independence, Zimbabwe was to
be a model and
figure of hope for both black and white living together in
harmony. It was a
unique country with great potential of many vast things to
come.
Mugabe and ZANU inherited what was known as the bread basket of Africa.
A
country with great diversity and ample prospects for development. All
these
attributes have slowly vanished as with all other African
countries.
As with the rest of the continent, African leaders have become
impervious to
the way democracy and the sharing of wealth works. In the so
called west not
everyone necessarily lives a cushy and comfortable
life.
The basic necessities are readily and easily accessible to the masses,
politicians are accountable even when in office (being a politician does not
guarantee your indispensability and no-one is immune to the judiciary
system), and - for God’s sake - the military does not run the
country.
The military and police defend the country and its citizens with
honour, not
to terrorise and hold the country to ransom. These parameters
need to be
imbedded within our constitution to overcome this scourge eating
away
African lives and politics.
Enough with the scapegoat syndrome of
always blaming the white man for our
woes. Like our forefathers before us
African leaders have always put their
selfish and personal greed before the
welfare of their people.
During the slave trade and scramble for Africa,
the white man came in their
droves to acquire slaves and natural resources.
Africans experienced the
most inhumane and traumatising experience any human
being can inflict to
another human being. Human beings were exchanged for
meagre goods and inland
African kings and chiefs were the benefactors of
these commodities.
African kings and chiefs bartered their people for whisky
and guns with the
white man. The slave trade is one of the most painful
experience ever
exerted on the dark continent and as a fact Africans
themselves played a
significant part in the suffering of their fellow
tribesman and kinsfolk.
Even after the slave trade was abolished some
African kings continued this
practise up to this day. Child soldiers are a
normality in Africa. Ethnical
cleansing is an everyday occurrence in Africa
with familiar examples of
Rwanda and Sudan just to mention a few.
It is
about time Africans took account of their actions. I can not seem to
get the
origins of greediness and no regard for another life in African
leaders. Is
it the upbringing in abject poverty or is it genetically
imbedded in us or
Africa is merely CURSED?
There is not a single natural resource you do
not find in Africa. From Cape
to Cairo, natural resources are in abundance
but only a few want to lay
claim to these resources. The
discovery/availability of gold, diamonds, oil,
uranium etc seems to compel
the ruling elite to butcher masses at the blink
of an eye with no
remorse.
Most wars in Africa emanate from the abundance of a natural
resource, which
in fairness is ample to sustain the whole populace. African
leaders have
become blinded by the ambition of joining the many
millionaires’ and
billionaires’ clubs at the expense of their citizens
living in chronic
poverty.
Examples of Sani Abacha and Mobutu Sesesoko
swindling millions of dollars
while their countryman live in abject poverty
just shows how disease,
poverty and wars will always be prevalent in
Africa.
The irony of it is that in death, all these ill-gotten riches are not
buried
with them so as to enjoy in their after life. So why be so greedy
when each
and everyman’s destiny is death?
Like others before them,
Abacha and Mobutu are dead but there is another
breed of blood sucking
African leaders lurking within our midst. For example
Mugabe and his regime
have been at the realm of Zimbabwean politics for 27
years in which they
have managed to bring the country to its knees.
Realistically looking at
themselves, does the amount of peril being exerted
on Zimbabweans by
corruption and human rights violations by them justified?
Does Mugabe really
think that we are all oblivious to his personal vendettas
with the white
people using the white man as a scapegoat for Zimbabwe’s
woes? For how long
shall we be hoodwinked into believing Mugabe and his
concubines have the
best interests for Zimbabwe at heart? I think that time
has come and passed
over and over again.
Another common epidemic common among African leaders
is denial of hard facts
within their grasp. It is hard to diagnose as
ignorance, stupidity or simply
most of our leaders lack the proper
qualifications of being world leaders.
They seem to live in cloud cuckoo
land, just recently the president of South
Africa denied the existence of
violent crimes on the streets of
Johannesburg. Statistically Johannesburg is
one of the most crime ridden
cities in the world and a few years ago, the
same man denied the existence
of AIDS.
Surely in this day and age how
do these leaders get to have so much power at
their disposal in the first
place? Almost 700 000 people have been displaced
by the clean-up programme
instituted by Mugabe and his regime according to
UN reports.
Mugabe has
denied these claims as exaggerated figures and claims only about
100 000
people have been displaced. Surely a hundred thousand people
displaced after
having been settled by you in the first place is a
significant number by any
standard Mr President, wouldn’t you say?
Africa, we need to wake up and
smell the coffee. For how many more centuries
are we going to kill each
other while we stand aside and look? I believe
there is enough resources in
Africa to share, enjoy and live together.
During my writing of this article
one intellect said to me that white people
use divide and rule tactics to
get what they want. This is very much true on
the surface but if this tactic
has been in use for so long, are we that hard
headed that we never learn or
grasp concepts? We have endured this from
slavery to the colonisation of our
continent centuries back and to this day
Africa is still enveloped in
darkness.
You never see people butchering each other in the streets of London
or New
York over elections. A long time ago when I was doing history at
school I
came across this statement,’ AFRICANS NEED TO BE INDEPENDENT BUT
NEED TO BE
GOVERNED.’ I am beginning to wonder if this statement is at all
true.
International Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe April 18,
2007
We are declaring April 18, 2007 as International Day of Prayer and
Fasting
for Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is a country in desperate need of
intervention. And yet the world
is turning a blind eye.
If you would
like to be a part of organizing and mobilizing this event,
please let us
know.
Already over 1200 have joined our facebook group. Can you help us get
the
word out? All we’re asking is for people to 1) pray, 2) organize a
prayer
event in their city, and 3) pass the word along to everyone in their
address
book and ask them to do the same.
Thousands in Zimbabwe are
dying from AIDS. Food is scarce. Medication is in
short supply. The
inflation rate is at an outrageous 1600 percent.
Medical workers are on
strike. 80 percent of the population is unemployed.
Humanitarian aid
organizations are restricted from getting life-saving
supplies to the
people.
Government abuses, skyrocketing crime rates, a disastrous economy,
and an
exploding health crisis have made Zimbabwe now officially the worst
country
in the world for “Quality of Life”.
Kiki Cherry
www.prayzimbabwe.org
Zim Standard
BY FOSTER
DONGOZI
THERE was mounting evidence this week that President Robert
Mugabe has
decided the 2008 presidential election will go ahead - with him
as the sole
Zanu PF candidate.
Insiders said after
consultations with party heavyweights he decided
that his party would not
unanimously endorse his plan to prolong his term to
2010 by instituting a
"harmonisation" of the 2008 presidential and the 2010
parliamentary
elections.
Mugabe proposed the plan, ostensibly to save the
hard-pressed taxpayer
money in a country where inflation is now hovering
nearer to 2 000% than the
official figure of 1 729%.
Most of
the influential party leaders found his reasons for the
harmonisation
implausible. Like the opposition parties, they too saw in it a
ruse to
prolong his term by two years. Mugabe had said he would retire in
2008, and
let someone else lead the party into the 2010 parliamentary
election. But he
appeared to change his mind ahead of the December Zanu PF
conference.
The bottom seemed to fall out of his plan when he
failed to win
unanimous support for the strategy at the December
conference.
If Mugabe's volte-face is confirmed, this could dash
any hopes by
Zimbabweans of an economic recovery and a quick return to
normal relations
with the international community.
If Mugabe
stands and wins next year's election, he could rule Zimbabwe
until 2014 when
he will be 90.
The ruling party's Commissariat Department has
already produced a
campaign programme in which Mugabe will embark on
nationwide "Meet the
People Star Rallies" in September.
The
rallies will be addressed by the Zanu PF presidium: the two
Vice-Presidents,
Joseph Msika, Joice Mujuru and national chairman, John
Nkomo.
The rallies announced by the party'smouthpiece, The People's Voice,
last
week will be held by the Presidium "to drum up support for the party
and
have an opportunity to meet new executives" elected during the party's
restructuring exercise.
A Zanu PF politburo member said there
were elaborate plans to
disenfranchise millions of Zimbabweans ahead of next
year's presidential
election.
"The claims by Mohadi (Kembo) and
Mudede (Tobaiwa) that they cannot
provide passports and national identity
cards fall nicely into plans to
ensure that all young people turning 18
years old cannot vote next year."
Most are likely to be opposition
voters.
Sources said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had already
started
preparations for the election.
ZEC last week splashed
newspaper advertisements saying they were on
the hunt for a chief elections
officer and a deputy chief elections officer
for administration. But Nkomo,
the Zanu PF national chairman, yesterday
denied the rallies would be used to
launch Mugabe's bid for another term of
office.
"There is
absolutely no truth in what you are suggesting," he said.
"The
party leadership once in a while is deployed around the country
to visit
party members. We have done it before and we will do in future. As
we have
shown in the recent Chiredzi South by-election, there is no doubt
about who
is in charge. We don't want to give these other people in
opposition or
independents any chance and that is why we will be going out
to mobilise the
people."
Speaking in a recent televised interview Mugabe said:
"Some say, 'Ah,
because the President wants to lengthen his term'; if I want
to lengthenmy
term, I can stand next year. What prevents me from standing
and beating? I
can stand and then have another six years, for that
matter."
The Herald's Nathaniel Manheru columnist thought to be
close to the
Office of the President yesterday said "sooner" Zanu PF would
nominate
Mugabe as its presidential candidate.
Zim Standard
BY OUR STAFF
MAGISTRATES have threatened strike action if the government does not
review
their salaries soon, now averaging $200 000 a month, against a
poverty datum
line of $600 000.
The threat is contained in a letter to the
Minister of Justice, Legal
and Parliamentary Affairs, Patrick
Chinamasa.
The Magistrates' Association of Zimbabwe has petitioned
the government
to review their pay and working conditions - or face
unspecified action.
The association says when magistrates preside
over cases these days,
they do so on "empty stomachs".
Chinamasa was not available for comment but a letter addressed to him
by the
president of the association, Enias Magate, said magistrates were
contemplating strike action.
According to Magate, magistrates
earn a gross salary of less than $200
000 at a time when the Poverty Datum
Line has shot up to over $600 000. Many
of them, the letter says, now
preside over cases while they are hungry.
"The registration of
dissatisfaction by members of our Association has
prompted me as the
president to write this letter as a matter of great
urgency. Our members are
groaning that the return they get for their sweat
and loyalty breeds strong
feelings of demotivation," says the letter.
"Part of our members
have outlined that they can no longer afford two
simple meals per day, let
alone a cheap breakfast. Some have resorted to
taking glasses of water every
morning before setting (out) for work on empty
stomachs."
The
letter demanded the government review their salaries before the
end of the
month or risk unspecified action.
Zim Standard
BY WALTER
MARWIZI
A top Harare lawyer has said a government minister made an
erroneous
public statement regarding the effect of an appeal on a
declaratory order
granted to Harare Town Clerk Nomutsa Chideya.
The order gave Chideya the green light to resume his duties at Town
House.
Sternford Moyo, who represents Chideya, said yesterday
Ignatius Chombo
erred when he said Chideya could not return to the Town
House on the basis
that an appeal had been lodged with the Supreme
Court.
Chombo is the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and
Urban
Development.
Justice Lawrence Kamocha two weeks ago ruled
that Makwavarara's
commission was illegal.
Following
Makwavarara and Chombo's appeal, Wilson Manase wrote to Moyo
advising him it
was improper for Chideya to return to work.
He wrote: "Our client
holds the strong view that it (declaratory
order) shall be overturned by a
higher court of the land. It would therefore
be a folly were your client to
proceed any otherwise until the appeal is
determined."
But Moyo
wrote back to say Manase's clients were misinformed and
labouring "under an
erroneous impression that the noting of an appeal
suspends the declaratory
order".
Moyo said although it was common law that an appeal
suspends a
judgement appealed against, "a declaratory order is an exception
to that
rule".
"A judicial declaration of the right of parties,
issued as a
declaratory order in terms of the rules of the High Court,
subsists
notwithstanding any appeal," said Moyo.
He recommended
that his learned colleague peruse the Econet (Pvt) Ltd
v Telecel Zimbabwe
(Pvt) Ltd judgement where this was spelt out.
Moyo said Chideya had
not yet returned to work because he was making
consultations regarding
Chombo's intervention.
Meanwhile, Makwavarara and Chombo want
Justice Kamocha's judgement to
be overturned in its entirety by the Supreme
Court.
Part of their appeal notes that the commission cannot be
blamed for
not holding elections because "None of the appellants have
authority to
order the holding or to institute the holding of elections to
appoint a
council." It said that function is reserved for the Zimbabwe
Electoral
Commission.
The appeal also says that "the learned
judge failed to take into
account the notorious fact that the 1st appellant
was deputy mayor in
council who was elevated to acting mayor after the
incumbent was dismissed.
The acting mayor being the 1st appellant has and
had authority to act the
way she did".
Zim Standard
BY OUR STAFF
BULAWAYO - Zanu PF last week postponed elections to choose a new
provincial
executive in Bulawayo after regional heavyweights vetoed a
commissariat
directive to hold fresh polls.
Two weeks ago, the party's national
commissar, Elliot Manyika, wrote
unexpectedly to the Bulawayo leadership,
advising them to prepare for
elections, scheduled for today.
Sources said the elections were blocked by Zanu PF heavyweights. One
of
them, Dumiso Dabengwa, confirmed yesterday he had intervened to stop the
elections.
Insiders told The Standard the decision to dissolve
the committee was
linked to moves by Mugabe to extend his term to 2010,
which has divided the
ruling party into three distinct
factions.
It is understood that the decision to dissolve the
Bulawayo executive
was taken in Gweru three weeks ago at a briefing between
Mugabe and the
party leadership before he addressed the 21st February
Movement celebrations
at Mkoba Stadium in the city.
The
Bulawayo executive is said to be opposed to Mugabe's plans to
extend his
term of office beyond 2008 and would not support the proposal
when it is put
to the vote at a central committee meeting later this month.
Zim Standard
BY
OUR CORRESPONDENT
MASVINGO residents, outraged by the Zimbabwe
National Water Authority
(ZINWA)'s plan to take over the city's water supply
and sewer system, last
week defied the three-month police ban on rallies and
demonstrations and
took to the streets in protest.
Holding a
banner emblazoned with "Rescue us from the Evils of ZINWA",
the protesters
were confronted by the police who arrested at least 20 of
them.
Police provincial spokesperson, Inspector Phibeon Nyambo, confirmed
the
arrests saying investigations were still in progress.
Besides the
protest march, the residents threatened to sue ZINWA. They
also wrote a
petition to the Cabinet to reverse the decision allowing ZINWA
to be in sole
charge of the city's water supplies and sewerage system.
Masvingo
mayor, Councillor Alois Chaimiti, speaking at a meeting last
Friday to
inform residents of the new development, pledged that ZINWA would
not take
over the water supply from the council.
"We are not tired yet and
we as council believe we have not failed in
our role of supplying and
distributing water to our residents," he said. "We
are still strong and able
to continue doing the work for our residents.
"Furthermore, we were
not told the reasons behind the taking over of
our water supply and sewer
system."
The city council recently applied for borrowing powers to
augment its
water works, a move that analysts said was a clear indication
that it was
geared towards fighting the takeover.
Lake
Mutirikwi, the country's largest inland water reservoir, supplies
the city
with water. Even if the water levels of the country's major dams
fall
drastically, it is rare for Masvingo to run dry.
ZINWA catchment
area manager, Albert Mare, failed to give convincing
reasons to the
residents concerning the takeover, forcing him to shorten his
speech as
residents booed him.
Some of the residents walked out before he had
finished speaking.
Masvingo Residents and Ratepayers' Association
(MURRA) spokesperson,
Tendai Mutungira, said they were appalled at not being
consulted about the
take-over. To them, she said, ZINWA was not welcome in
Masvingo.
"We were never consulted as stakeholders, and we did not
participate
in the decision-making process. To us, ZINWA is not welcome,
given the
current water problems in Harare," she said.
A
spokesperson for the Concerned Masvingo Residents and Ratepayers'
Association accused the government of backtracking on its policy of
de-centralisation.
"The government embarked on a policy of
de-centralisation," he said.
"Then, why is ZINWA trying to centralise
everything?
"ZINWA promised to first build dams before taking over
the water
supply from local authorities. Now my question is: how many dams
have you
built so far?" he said.
Another resident, identifying
himself only as Moto, accused ZINWA of
"trying to bring cholera to
Masvingo". He labelled ZINWA as "robbers trying
to grab our
water".
Zim Standard
BY CAIPHAS
CHIMHETE
AS the world commemorated the International Women's Day
last week,
19-year-old Evidence Sibambo was writhing in extreme agony, with
blood
oozing from her injured leg.
Evidence said she feared her
injuries could become septic if she
failed to get medication on
time.
"We had taken all our money to order vegetables for resale.
So I don't
have any money for treatment," she said with tears rolling down
her cheeks.
Evidence, a survivor of last week's train-bus accident
in
Dzivaresekwa, was denied treatment at Parirenyatwa Hospital because she
did
not have enough money.
"We were rushed to the hospital soon
after the accident but the doctor
just examined me and told me to buy
painkillers. They said without $40 000
they would not take an x-ray of the
injured leg and hip, although I could
hardly walk," she said.
Evidence's mother, Veronica, died in the horrific accident which
claimed 36
lives. They were on the same ill-fated commuter bus going to
Mbare Musika to
buy vegetables for resale.
Evidence said it was going to be
extremely difficult for her to look
after the family as her mother was the
breadwinner, operating a vegetable
stall on the roadside.
Her
father, Robert, is unemployed and spends most of his time selling
firewood.The family was victim to government's 2005 Operation Murambatsvina
which displaced more than 700 000 families countrywide.
"We are
now worse off than what we were (in 2005)," she said.
Parirenyatwa
Hospital spokesperson, Jane Dadzie, said she did not know
that Evidence had
failed to pay for medication.
"If she was not treated it could be a
mistake. We thought we had done
a perfect job. Please tell her to come
immediately," said Dadzie.
Zim Standard
BY OUR
STAFF
MUTARE - State security agents have descended on this city's
hotels
and lodges to sniff out suspected diamond and gold dealers, The
Standard has
learnt.
The operation is reportedly
inconveniencing tourists and travellers.
Officials at Holiday Inn
and Mount View both in the city centre, and
lodge operators outside the
city, confirmed last week they had unidentified
people querying their
bookings.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
people they
suspect to be from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO),
and the
Criminal Investigations Department, have been frequenting the
premises,
"asking awkward questions on who was booked and for how long",
information,
they said, was confidential.
"This is personal and
confidential information," said a Holiday Inn
Mutare employee. "We don't
reveal the details, but these people have been
persistent."
A
manager at Mount View Hotel who gave his name as Mr Kavhu denied he
had
received such visitors at the hotel.
But another official at the
hotel said he was aware of the visits by
security agents searching for
diamond dealers.
Inquiries by The Standard confirmed security
agents target mostly
hotels and lodges situated outside town since the
dealers prefer to operate
in quiet areas.
An employee at Valley
Lodge said most diamond dealers had been
arrested while booked at the hotel
when they were found in possession of
precious stones.
The
Standard, however could not establish how many people had been
arrested from
city hotels and lodges following the operation.
Last month the
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) bureau chief
for Mutare Andrew
Neshamba was arrested at a private lodge, accused of
working with "an e-TV
crew", including former Standard Arts and
entertainment Editor, Peter Moyo,
now current affairs producer for the
station.
Moyo was with
William Gumbo, a cameraman for Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Holdings (ZBH) and his
cousin Trymore Zvidzai.
They were arrested at Miami Lodge in
Mutare.
According to Moyo, who is back in South Africa, the police
pounced on
them believing he was a diamond dealer.
Edmore
Manesa says he was last week asked to allow CID officers to go
through his
belongings while they searched for gold, diamonds and other
precious
minerals. He had been booked at Border Home.
Zim Standard
BY OUR
STAFF
THE police yesterday vowed to use full force to stop the Save
Zimbabwe
Campaign from holding a prayer meeting scheduled for today at the
Zimbabwe
Grounds in Harare's Highfield suburb.
The Save
Zimbabwe is a group of organisations drawn from the church,
civic society,
labour, the opposition, students and non-governmental
organisations.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne
Bvudzijena yesterday
told journalists that there would be a heavy police
presence in the city to
prevent the prayer meeting.
Bvudzijena
showed journalists a "weapon" which he claimed was
discovered by the police
in Glen View.
"This weapon was targeted at police officers and we
view it in very
dark light," said Bvudzijena. The so-called weapon is a
scythe.
Zim Standard
BY OUR STAFF
TREVOR Ncube,
the publisher of The Standard and The Zimbabwe
Independent has been
short-listed for a prestigious Index on Censorship
Freedom of Expression
Award.
The Index on Censorship/Hugo Young Award for Journalism 2007
is
reserved for a journalist who has shown an outstanding commitment to
journalistic integrity in defence of freedom of expression.
A
statement released last week by the organisers of the award said:
"Ncube's tireless work in continuing to run the only independent
newspapers
in Zimbabwe while under constant attack from the government has
been
described as 'incredibly inspiring'. Despite a number of personal
attacks,
the government has been unable to shut down Trevor's newspapers or
otherwise
silence him."
The 7th annual Index on Censorship Freedom of
Expression awards will
be held at LSO St Luke's, London, on 14 March
2007.
This year's awards will be presented by Anna Ford, with a
keynote
speech from Jung Chang, bestselling author of Mao: The Untold Story
and Wild
Swans.
Zim Standard
BY CAIPHAS
CHIMHETE
A severe drought has hit several parts of Manicaland where
villagers
failed to plant any crops for two successive cropping seasons
because of
poor rains.
Without any back-up maize stocks from
last season, the villagers now
rely on buying expensive maize- meal from
retail shops, The Standard was
told last week.
Most of the
current maize crop is still less than knee height and has
already turned
yellow, spelling doom for the villagers.
The villagers said they
planted crops three times this season but on
two occasions, nothing
germinated due to poor and erratic rains.
The current crop
germinated because of Cyclone Favio, which hit the
province three weeks ago.
But some of that crop is already wilting under the
scorching
sun.
There are fears that cattle could die of hunger as there is
not enough
pasture for them. Moreover, the small streams, from where the
animals drink
water, may soon dry up before the onset of the rainy season
later this year.
The most affected areas are the diamond-mining
areas of Marange,
Nyanyadzi, Hotsprings, Bangwe, Mutema and parts of
Buhera.
Villagers who spoke with The Standard last week said they
feared
people would starve to death this year if there was no government
food aid
in two months.
Potai Marange of Bambazonge business
centre in Marange has lost hope
for his wilting crops.
"I don't
expect anything from this field this year," he said. "As you
can see, the
maize has already turned yellow. I don't think we will get
enough rain to
see this crop through to maturity."
Most villagers had abandoned
their sun-scorched fields to play
hide-and-seek with security agents in the
diamond mining area of Chiadzwa,
about 20km from his homestead, said
Marange.
Rondwi Mwaziyangeyi (74), of Nemaramba village, a few
kilometres from
Nyanyadzi business centre, said he was trying to beat the
drought by
practising river bank cultivation.
Although the
maize crop is nearing tasselling stage, there is no
guarantee that it will
mature.
"We are appealing for food aid now because we have nothing
in the
fields," he said."Without assistance people, especially children,
will die
this year."
An Agricultural Rural and Extension
Services (AREX) official in Harare
said Masvingo, Midlands, and Matabeleland
North and South were equally
affected by drought.
"There is
virtually nothing in these provinces. I think this year's
drought could be
as severe as that of 1991/2, which killed hundreds of
cattle countrywide,"
said the official, who requested anonymity.
The Arex principal
director, Regina Gata, said her department was
still in the process of
collecting data on the crop situation.
"Right now, our officers are
still on the ground," Gata said.
But she said some parts of the
country received enough rainfall and
could get good yields while others
received far less below normal rains.
Last week, the Grain
Marketing Board (GMB) said it had started
mobilizing resources to ensure
that maize reaches the southern parts of the
country.
GMB
acting chief executive officer, Samuel Muvuti, who could not be
reached this
week, was quoted then as assuring the nation that no person
would starve to
death due to a maize-meal shortage.
The government has denied there
is a food shortage. In late 2006, the
GMB said Zimbabwe was expecting a
surplus above its annual cereal
requirement of about 1.9
milliontonnes.
But independent estimates suggested only 800 000
tonnes of maize was
produced, or less than half the annual
requirement.
Zimbabwe, once the breadbasket of southern Africa, has
been reduced to
a basket case, since the invasion of white-owned commercial
farms by war
veterans and Zanu PF supporters in 2000.
Zim Standard
By Kholwani
Nyathi
BULAWAYO - Eight people have died of malnutrition in
Bulawayo where
hunger-related medical complications have been identified in
suburbs
previously considered affluent, says a city council
report.
According to the report compiled by the health, housing and
education
committee tabled at a full council meeting on Wednesday, eight
people died
of malnutrition in December last year, compared with five the
previous
month.
Their ages ranged from four to 70 and they were
all from high-density
suburbs of Matshobana, Mzilikazi, Old Magwegwe and
Lobengula while one
victim was from Barbourfields.
The 0-4
year-old age group was the worst hit with five deaths
recorded.
Bulawayo resumed publicising malnutrition deaths last year after it
suspended the service in 2004, following threats by the
government.
The government claimed the statistics were designed to
tarnish its
image. But the council maintained the figures were provided by
State
institutions, such as hospitals and the Registrar-General's
Office.
Council reports of mounting malnutrition cases come barely
a fortnight
after the authorities at Ingutsheni Central Hospital - a mental
health care
centre in Bulawayo - revealed that patients had been struck by a
malnutrition-related illness.
Five patients reportedly died of
the condition last year.
But the government has refused to
acknowledge that people are dying of
hunger since the food shortages
surfaced in 2000.
Bulawayo mayor Japhet Ndabeni-Ncube said the
deaths were an indication
of worsening poverty in urban areas and were now a
cause for concern for his
council.
"The trend is disturbing and
it is an indication of the worsening
problem of urban poverty," he said.
"There is also a need to appeal to
non-governmental organisations and other
interested stakeholders to come in
and assist where possible."
Contributing to a council debate on malnutrition, Councillors Amen
Mpofu and
Matson Hlalo expressed concern that people who were now dying of
malnutrition were from medium-density suburbs such as Barbourfields and
Sauerstown.
Since October last year Matabeleland region has
been gripped by a
serious shortage of grain, cooking oil, sugar and other
basic commodities.
The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has blamed grain
shortages on transport
problems.
Zim Standard
By Kholwani
Nyathi
BULAWAYO - When outspoken Roman Catholic cleric, Archbishop
Pius Ncube
openly declared that he was praying for President Robert Mugabe
to die, some
people criticised him for what they termed an ungodly
request.
Mugabe himself lashed out at Ncube, a day after the cleric
made the
remarks. He said the archbishop "prays for God to kill me, but God
doesn't
kill for nothing".
Ncube had told The Economist
magazine that "people just pray that
Mugabe should die. I pray for
that".
But it seems three years after the prelate made the remarks,
a number
of other Zimbabweans have joined him in his prayers.
Of late cases of citizens being dragged to court for "insulting the
president" have been increasing. Most of them were arrested for wishing
Mugabe, who celebrated, rather lavishly, his 83rd birthday last month, could
depart the scene somehow, preferably through natural causes.
Selestin Jengeta of Masvingo appeared in court after he had pointed at
a
picture of Mugabe during a ZBC-TV news bulletin at a bar, saying if Mugabe
died, then Zimbabwe's economic crisis would end.
In Gwanda,
Dingilizwe Ndlovu was arrested after he said the president
"must hang just
like former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for his role in
the Gukurahundi
atrocities".
It is a crime under the notorious Public Order and
Security Act (POSA)
"to make abusive, indecent, obscene or false statements
or gestures about
the President or acting President or in respect of his
office or person".
Both POSA and the anti-freedom of the press
Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) were passed
after the 2000 parliamentary
and 2002 presidential elections.
Both Mugabe and his party, Zanu PF, performed badly in both elections,
worse
than they had done since independence.
Analysts told The Standard
that although the pot shots aimed at Mugabe
could be an indication that
people's patience has been stretched to the
limit by the worsening economic
conditions and Mugabe's determination to
hang onto power; this could also be
a sign of massive, collective despair.
A political analyst in
Bulawayo, Jethro Mpofu, said: "People have
tried all options to get him
(Mugabe) and his cronies out, but he has used
every trick to remain in
power. People have thus resorted to the most
debasing ways of expressing
their anger.
"They will resort to the animal way of lampooning and
wishing him
dead."
Since the 2000 constitutional referendum in
which the government
suffered a humiliating defeat, after voters heeded
calls by the opposition
to reject the document, Mugabe and Zanu PF have been
accused of stealing
subsequent elections.
After two
parliamentary elections in 2000 and 2005 and the
presidential elections in
2002, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) -
the strongest opposition
party to emerge after Edgar Tekere's Zimbabwe Unity
Movement (ZUM) - split
into two factions.
This left opposition forces without a realistic
front to dislodge Zanu
PF and Mugabe.
Meanwhile, Mugabe is
trying to use his technical majority in
Parliament to extend his term beyond
2008, despite strong opposition even
from within his party. State repression
of opposition groups protesting
against his rule is also on the
increase.
Transparency International Zimbabwe chairman Goodwill
Shana, a pastor,
said the insults and death wishes were an indication that
citizens blamed
Mugabe for the political and economic crisis facing the
country.
"People don't just talk and wish evil about someone . . .
there must
be a causal link," Shana said.
"It's a democratic
and human inclination for people to protest in such
a way, once they locate
the root of the crisis."
Mugabe has now become the butt of crude
jokes by citizens grappling
with the worst economic crisis since
independence.
The police have responded by arresting such citizens,
and taking them
to court in the hope that the stiff sentences would act as a
deterrent - so
far with dubious effect.
Zim Standard
TORONTO
- Zimbabwe is set to lose out on US$17 billion Canadian investors are set to
pour into the
African mining sector in the next five years.
This
was announced by officials during this week's "Investing in
African Mining
Seminar" organised here by MineAfrica, a Toronto-based mining
consultancy.
Zimbabwe had no government or private sector
representation at the
seminar and accompanying exhibition and none of the
hordes of Canadian
investors seeking opportunities made enquiries about the
country.
The southern African country is ranked high alongside the
likes of
South Africa, Namibia and Zambia as a mining destination; however,
investor
confidence is at its lowest ebb due to political problems and
economic
instability.
Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Ottawa, Florence
Chideya said: "the Embassy
of Zimbabwe did not receive an invitation to
attend the MineAfrica seminar.
However, we were aware of the conference
through colleagues," she said in a
brief statement to MAP Feature
Service.
In an interview she said Zimbabwe does not necessarily
have to attend
a seminar to receive foreign investment.
"Recently, the Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Roxanne Dube met our
ministers of foreign affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, and mines, Amos Midzi
with a Canadian mining expert," she said.
The seminar and
accompanying exhibition was attended by government
officials and mining
operators in more than a dozen African countries who
were bidding for a
share in the huge investment funding being offered mainly
by some 130 blue
chip mining companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(TSX), one of the
top bourses in the world.
The same companies already have US$7
billion worth of mining assets in
Africa. In fact, 40% of the global equity
raised for mining exploration and
development comes from
Canada.
The African countries were outbidding each other at the
investment
table. Among surprise attendees were Madagascar and Uganda who
were touting
themselves as "the next" African mining
destinations.
Algerians, Burkinabes, Madagascans, Nigerians and
Zambians were
showcasing new policies to ensure investor
confidence.
Angola is touting its unequalled diamond reserves and
its newly won
political stability. The country's mining authority last week
launched its
bid to host the first ever World Diamond Summit in November
2008.
Namibia has vast uranium deposits and it is the only African
country
that has an abundance of capital to export, something that should
interest
investors who often worry about having their assets nationalised by
poor
countries.
Another plus, as explained by deputy
ambassador, Morven Luswenyo, is
that in an era when most African countries
are insisting on legislated Black
Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies,
Namibia encourages voluntary community
responsibility by
investors.
South Africa does not need a podium to talk about its
mineral wealth;
however, it has a new Black Economic Empowerment (BEE)
policy it wants to
articulate to the outside world. The policy requires that
investors ensure
26% equity participation by local communities.
"The policy is there to correct past economic injustices and ensure
lasting
political stability in the country," said Debbie Ntombela of the
Department
of Minerals and Energy.-MAP Feature Service
Zim Standard
BY OUR
CORRESPONDENT
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Minerals Marketing
Corporation of
Zimbabwe have quarrelled over the issuance of CD1 forms to
process the
exportation of Marange diamonds.
The diamonds were
auctioned last month by the MMCZ, apparently in a
manner the monetary
authorities say was improper.
Standardbusiness was told last week
that one international buyer had
bought one parcel of diamonds and was
failing to export them without the CD1
froms from the RBZ. CD1 forms are
issued by the RBZ but international buyers
collect them from the
MMCZ.
Standardbusiness was told last week the RBZ were holding onto
the CD1
forms arguing that the diamonds were disposed of without independent
valuations.
Sources said the central bank contends that there
was need for
independent valuations before the diamonds were disposed of, to
avoid
prejudice to the country.
"The RBZ argues that diamonds
are precious stones and have to be sold
in a transparent manner. They have
the Exchange Control regulations and
Statutory Instrument 110 of 1996 on
their side," a source said.
According to the regulations, no one
has the right to export or cause
to be exported from Zimbabwe any precious
stone or pearl whose value exceeds
such amounts as may be prescribed ($5
000), or any article mounted or set
with a precious or semi-precious stone
or pearl whose value exceeds such
amounts as may be prescribed.
MMCZ had written to the monetary authorities arguing that the
corporation
had asked its principal, the Ministry of Mines and Mining
Development to
provide an independent evaluator in the interest of enhancing
transparency.
"The ministry had responded that MMCZ had the
capacity to dispose of
the diamonds and the corporation invited all
stakeholders to participate in
the process. The RBZ were invited but said
that they would not participate,"
a source said on Friday.
"MMCZ felt RBZ were undermining their efforts and wanted to take over
the
marketing of diamonds," the source added.
Sources said last week
the marketing corporation said it was mandated
by the Interministerial
Cabinet Committee on Marange to dispose of the
diamonds by 20 February 2007
in order to "raise money as part payment for
agricultural equipment imported
from China".
Zim Standard
BY NDAMU
SANDU
ZIMBABWE is ranked among the worst tourist destinations in
the world,
an inaugural index by the World Economic Forum
reveals.
The index, 2007 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness
Report ranks Zimbabwe
as one of the outposts of unattractive travel and
tourism destinations
alongside Surinam, Bolivia and Burkina Faso, among
others.
Chad is ranked the lowest on the charts.
Zimbabwe is placed on 107 with a score of 3.48 from a total of 124
countries. Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Iceland and the United States
respectively were ranked the best destinations.
Jennifer
Blanke, a senior economist with the World Economic Forum said
although the
index was not a "beauty contest", or a statement about the
attractiveness of
a country, it nonetheless measures the factors that make
it attractive to
develop the travel and tourism industry of individual
countries.
On the top five ranked countries Blanke said it
"demonstrates the
importance of supportive business and regulatory
frameworks, coupled with
world-class transport and tourism infrastructure
and a focus on nurturing
human and natural resources, for fostering an
environment that is attractive
for developing the travel & tourism
(T&T) sector".
The index looked at the regulatory framework;
business environment and
infrastructure; and human, cultural and natural
resources.
Zimbabwe did not fare well on the regulatory framework
and was ranked
108. Under policy rules and regulations Zimbabwe was at 114
while the safety
and security aspect placed Zimbabwe on 86.
Zimbabwe under-performed in the business environment and
infrastructure with
a ranking of 84. Airport infrastructure was at position
72nd while tourism
infrastructure was ranked 91st. Price competitiveness in
travel and tourism
was placed at 32nd .
On the human, cultural and natural resources
category, Zimbabwe fared
badly with a ranking of 114. Under this category
Zimbabwe fared badly in
human resources posting a position of 123rd but did
well on the national
tourism perception, stationed at 29th .
In
Africa, Tunisia was the best ranked at 34th followed by Mauritius
and
Morocco at 39th and 57th respectively.
Zimbabwe's southern
neighbour, South Africa was tied with Poland on 62
while Zambia was placed
94th. Zimbabwe's tourism industry is picking up its
pieces after suffering a
downturn in the aftermath of the 2000 land reform
fiasco. The sector employs
200 000, both direct and from other ancillary
industries.
In
the period to September 2006, tourist arrivals grew by 45% to 1 596
489
compared with the same period the previous years.
The tourism
industry was in the news last year following the closure
of tourism
facilities for failing to register with the Zimbabwe Tourism
Authority
(ZTA). In his Monetary Policy review statement in January, Reserve
Bank of
Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono implored relevant representative
bodies
in the sector to "self-police" and encourage their members to comply
with
standing regulations in contributing to the turnaround programme. Gono
said
the RBZ was working with various authorities locally and abroad to
realise
benefits from the 2010 World Cup soccer showcase in South Africa.
Zimbabwe has also put in place a tourism blue-print, the National
Tourism
Development and Marketing Strategy (NTDMS), to lay the foundation
for
revival of the industry.
NTDMS envisages to generate foreign
exchange of over US$2 billion a
year for the economy by 2010. It also
targets to raise tourism contribution
to GDP to 12% from the current 3% and
increase the average length of stay by
tourists to seven days and six nights
by 2010 from the current three days
and two nights. ZTA has also bemoaned
the shoe-string budget which it said
was inadequate to properly market the
country.
ZTA acting chairperson Shingi Munyeza told
Standardbusiness last year
Zimbabwe had budgeted for less than US$500 000
for image building, while its
regional peers, South Africa, Botswana and
Zambia had budgeted for US$60
million, US$10 million and US$6 million
respectively for the same purpose.
Zim Standard
By our staff
MOST
small-scale miners are reportedly still out of business because
they cannot
raise $2.6m for the compulsory Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) and the
Environmental Management (EM) Certificates.
The certificates were
recently introduced by the government after
Operation Chikorokoza
Chapera/Isitsheketsha Sesiphelile.
In an interview with
Standardbusiness, the Zimbabwe Miners' Federation
president George Kawonza
said the fee was "a tall order" for his members.
"People were out
of work for the past four months and they are finding
it difficult to raise
the fee," he said. "It is a tall order for most of
them."
ZMF
secretary general, Daniel Gurure said before the operation,
small-scale
miners could afford the EIA fee, because it was lower than it is
now.
Miners can obtain the certificates after the government,
through four
Harare-based consultancy firms, has ascertained their
activities are
environment-friendly.
But ccording to Mr Gurure,
most miners are still out of business as
the new mining regulations prohibit
them from operating without the
certificates.
"Small-scale
miners have been living from hand-to-mouth operations and
they do not have
any cash reserves to enable them to raise the fee,"said
Gurure.
Activity in the sector was brought to a halt last November, with the
launch
of Operation Chikorokoza Chapera, ostensibly to bring gold panning
activities under control.
With the implosion of the economy,
the sector burgeoned, albeit
illegally in most cases, as poverty-stricken
Zimbabweans struggled to
provide for themselves and their families.
Zim Standard
Comment
STRIKING junior doctors may have returned to
work but the agreement
they reached with their employer is bound to be
short-lived.
The explanation for this is to be found in a similar
but futile
attempt by the Ministry of Transport and Communication on one
hand and bus
operators on the other to broker a fare freeze. In less than a
week of this
"agreement", the operators had recanted. The reason is
government erred in
isolating a segment of a whole and hoped that by
attempting to negotiate
with the isolated portion, they could provide a
panacea for the bigger
problem.
Bus operators pulled out of the
entente cordiale because the price of
fuel shot up to new levels, rendering
the understanding between the ministry
and the operators
redundant.
Similarly, the predicament junior doctors face is that
most likely by
next week, the price of commodities will have gone up,
exposing the futility
of the basis of the agreement with the government. It
is total tomfoolery to
try and negotiate when there is no absolute control
over everything.
Zimbabwe cannot keep the price of commodities on the
international market
frozen in a bid to honour "contracts" because it has no
control over the
international market and how prices are determined. In any
case, controls
are a recipe for scarcities.
The suggestion that
the doctors be advanced loans of $2.5 million or
US$3 000 an individual to
enable them to buy or import cars defies logic.
The said amounts would be
inadequate for the purpose of buying a decent
vehicle. Whoever negotiated
those figures was doing so in bad faith or was
not fully conversant with the
reality of the current situation in this
country. There is a measure of
desperation in the manner in which the whole
dispute has been handled by the
government. Locally available pre-owned
vehicles cost in excess of $2.5
million, while US$3 000 will afford one a
vehicle for use for a limited
period, but when service and spares are
factored in, the junior doctors will
be back to square one.
A long-term approach to the doctors' strike
could be to engage the
international community - the United Nations in
particular -to assist in a
programme involving retention of skilled people.
One of the causes behind
Zimbabwe's rapid decline is because of professional
people leaving the
country. Once these are lost to other countries, it is an
uphill task
persuading them to return so long as the situation - the cause
of their
flight - remains unattended.
The International Office
for Migration (IOM) assists in efforts to
stem the flow of skilled people
fleeing from their countries and countering
the negative effects of
migration. There are some merits in the government
exploring such
initiatives as they can reduce the flight of skills. But
there has to be a
sweetener in it for people with skills to bite.
But this approach
has its own problems. It cannot be specifically for
the medical fraternity.
Pilots, engineers, scientists and other
professionals would demand similar
preferential treatment, unleashing
another vicious cycle that can only
exacerbate the crisis in which there are
no winners.
The
solution to the country's current crisis does not lie in piecemeal
approaches.
The issue is that there is no guarantee the country
will not relapse
into a basket case. There needs to be a complete overhaul,
which is
predicated on the political will of the country's leadership to
correct the
fundamentals and their willingness to engage the international
community
meaningfully. That doesn't look likely yet.
Zim Standard
sundayopinion by
Bill Saidi
A LONG time ago, Zimbabweans had this fathomless
capacity to laugh at
themselves. Not any more.
Recently, I have
related the lyrics of a song by a popular 1940-50s
troubadour, George
Sibanda, deriding his own people, the Ndebele, for being
tightwads when it
came to entertaining the fair sex.
He sang that they would not
change a pound. But then along comes a
"manheru" who off-loads a pound and
flattery on her and - voila!
It's not easy to translate into
English such esoteric phrases as "wati
mwana wachena, kachuchu
pendeka!"
A long time ago, everybody laughed at the lyrics - Shona
(the manheru
in the song) and Ndebele.
Today, people are apt to
frown, especially the young. It's a trend I
have noticed over the
years.
More than ten years ago, a young man complained to me his
career as a
stand-up comic was about to go up in smoke - because The Man in
Dark Glasses
had got wind of it.
His act was a parody of
President Robert Mugabe speaking in public, in
his perfectly-enunciated
English, which some people call his Oxbridge
accent.
There was
little I could do. I knew that tangling with the MIDG was
foolhardy. I could
only offer an ambiguous message of hope, its main stem
being A Man's Gotta
Do, What A Man's Gotta Do.
A few months later, I read a Letter to
the Editor in a newspaper,
under his name, praising the MIDG paymasters with
enough treacle for me to
almost throw up.
A nation whose
leaders are devoid of humour deserves the misfortune of
an inflation rate
literally out of this world.
Zimbabweans can't laugh at themselves
any more. They take themselves
so seriously the only humour they are capable
of is to insult their leaders
with obscenities.
We were not
always like this. Under colonialism, we would laugh at how
assiduously we
tried to look like the typical "advanced" Africans; how we
dressed and
carried ourselves like "assistant Europeans".
Two men who did this
with marvellous aplomb were the great comedy duo
of Misheck Mugambiwa and
one man nicknamed Fourpence, of the pioneering
Black Evening Follies, led by
Moses Mafusire-Mpahlo.
We men parted our hair, either straight in
the middle or on the side -
another fashion copied from the
Europeans.
In a recent photograph shown on TV for his 83rd
birthday, President
Robert Mugabe is wearing such a parting of his hair - on
the side. It's fair
to say he was dead serious then.
Most
nations led by humourless people, people without a bone you could
describe
as "funny", have seen periods of bloody strife - Italy and Germany
spring to
mind.
In Africa, Uganda under Idi Amin is an ideal
specimen.
People have described Amin as a buffoon, but careful
examination of
his utter contempt for human life, reveals evidence to the
contrary.
There are Ugandans reported to be unhappy with the
portrayal of Amin
by the great African-American actor, Forest Whitaker as
The Last King of
Scotland. Some even suggest an African should have been
given the part.
This demonstrates an ignorance of Whitaker's
pedigree. In The Crying
Game, he performed with such virtuosity the only
reason he didn't get the
Oscar then was probably because of his
colour.
Again, in Bird, directed by Clint Eastwood, he portrayed
the great but
perilously flawed jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker so
peerlessly, he
was nominated for an award.
Whitaker is a
consummate actor who, typically, researched his role as
if he wished to
enter the skin of the dictator.
Which bring us to a film I have
tentatively called The Last
Chimurenga, directed by Cont Mhlanga, starring
Forest Whitaker as Joshua
Mqabuko Nkomo, Billy Dee Williams as Robert Mugabe
and Denzel Washington as
Edgar Tekere.
Rod Steiger would play
Cecil John Rhodes, with Peter O'Toole as his
long-time partner - his
portrayal of the sexually ambivalent Lawrence of
Arabia was
riveting.
This is, of course, a pipedream. Under the present
leadership, Cont
Mhlanga was almost rusticated to a literary Siberia with
Workshop Negative,
a fairly mild critique of our first few years of
independence.
I doubt he would ever forget that dramatic episode of
his life.
Mhlanga is now famously executive producing Amakoroza,
whose actors
are, by popular vote, better than anyone appearing on Studio
263.
Laughter, particularly laughter at one's own expense, is said
to be
immensely therapeutic. Certainly, its effect cannot be compared to the
constant self-harassment to which most us now subject ourselves as we search
for ways to survive the day, which is synonymous with the leadership's
ineptitude.
There are countries today where people have formed
laughter clubs,
where they gather regularly to laugh.
India,
apparently, has many such thriving clubs - and India is
speeding fast
towards total economic emancipation.
The chances of such clubs
sprouting in Zimbabwe are distinctly remote.
If people can get all flustered
over a cartoon of laughing baboons . . . .
Zim Standard
reflections with
Dr Alex T
Magaisa
"WAS it really worth the effort?" In the
beginning, it may have been a
murmur. It might have been whispered in the
security of private enclosures.
It is the question that, 27 years ago might
have been contemptuously
dismissed, given the euphoric atmosphere attendant
upon the advent of Uhuru
in Zimbabwe. But it has now become uncomfortably
audible and fairly
commonplace, a sad sign of a heartbroken nation beginning
to doubt itself
and the foundation of its existence. It has become like the
pungent odour
that slowly invades the trapped atmosphere of a small room,
creating an
enforced silence and imposing a sense of collective guilt. Hard
though you
might try to pretend otherwise, it cannot be ignored, because it
is so
stubbornly and uncomfortably present.
It is, in our current
circumstances, a question that is at once
painful and pertinent; requiring
the mind to enquire whether, given the
physical decay that has been visited
upon Zimbabwe, independence (and the
struggle for it) has been worth the
sacrifices that were made. Was it, after
all, a lost cause?
It
is painful because thousands of lives were sacrificed to achieve
Uhuru.
Indeed, some would consider such a question to be an insult to the
memory of
those who paid with their lives to displace the colonial system,
arguing
that they cannot be condemned for the gross failures of their
compatriots
who lived on to assume power and whose inept political and
economic
management has brought harsh consequences upon the country. But it
might
also be said that, the sacrificed souls must surely now rest rather
uneasily
given the manner in which the dreams for which they fought appear
to have
been jettisoned by their living comrades.
It is pertinent however
because it goes to the very root of the nation's
existence, for the
definition of Zimbabwe, as we now know it, is
inextricably connected to the
encounters, both harsh and sweet, between the
peoples of different races and
tribes who constitute it. Its future too, is
dependent upon how these
constituents are able to negotiate a reasonable
co-existence and part of
this process involves finding common ground and
understanding on the key
aspects that define the nation - among which
include the liberation
struggle, the contribution of the settler and
immigrant communities and also
overcoming the bitter and divisive aspects
such as Gukurahundi.
Citizens are asking this and related questions more openly because of
the
physical degeneration of the country since independence and the negation
of
the idea and spirit of independence by those who led the fight for its
achievement. The struggle after all, was meant to achieve freedom and lead
to the improvement of their material conditions. Yet most people have become
worse off materially, than they were at the time of independence in 1980 and
the emasculation of the freedoms is no different from their position in
colonial Rhodesia. In short, they have not seen the fruits of the struggle
for freedom.
That notwithstanding, there is an important
distinction that must be
made between the ideals of the struggle for
independence and the outcome of
that process as seen today. It would, in my
opinion, be unfortunate to
nonchalantly dismiss the notion of independence
on the basis of the failures
of the leadership. Freedom is a natural right
and to the extent that the
colonial system deprived other people of that
right and claims to allied
rights, it was necessary to fight for
independence. The post-independence
regime appears to have failed dismally,
to deliver what was envisaged in the
struggle for independence but that
cannot be used to detract from the notion
of independence. It is important
always, to distinguish Zanu PF's failures
and the idea of independence,
which by all accounts, is still to be
achieved.
A troubling
trait of the debate about the value of independence is
what appears to be an
attempt, in some circles, to impose collective blame
for the failures of
Zanu PF, on the black people. Accusatory statements are
sometimes recklessly
thrown about, implying that the failures of Zanu PF
provide conclusive proof
that black people cannot govern. This has not been
helped by the chaotic
land reform programme, the poor implementation of
which has caused a
dramatic fall in agricultural productivity. It is
important, in my opinion,
to avoid being unnecessarily divisive on racial or
other grounds by
denigrating a whole race or tribe on the basis of the
incompetence of a
particular regime.
The generalisations have unwittingly turned
otherwise well-meaning
people into defenders of what is ordinarily
indefensible, simply because the
issue would have shifted from one about the
incompetence of particular
leaders, to one about racial or tribal
responsibility.
It seems to me that the problem is that during both
colonial Rhodesia
and independent Zimbabwe, the political landscape has been
dominated by
extremists on either side and unfortunately those extremists
have held
positions of power to make key decisions that have sown the seeds
of
polarisation along racial and tribal lines. It is an historical fact that
Zimbabwe has broadly speaking, both white and black people, among others and
also people from various ethnic tribes. The challenge has always been and
remains achieving reasonable co-existence, respecting the dignity, equality
and Zimbabweanness of every man and woman who claims it.
You
cannot blame every white person for the excesses of the Smith
regime, no
more than you can blame every black person for the excesses of
the Mugabe
regime. But this appears to happen with reckless abandon causing
bitter but
unproductive divisions in the communities.
Despite both
colonial Rhodesia and independent Zimbabwe having the
common denominator of
pursuing unsatisfactory politics, the independence
regime has the
distinction of having performed dismally on the economic
front. Their
colonial predecessors appear to have fared better in economic
management,
which even when it guaranteed unequal treatment, still had some
excess to
cushion the marginalised.
It is a fact of life that socio-economic
conditions remain the core
interests of citizens. There can be an
unfavourable political system, but
they will thrive so long as they can get
by economically. Citizens who say
they were better off before independence
are not necessarily condoning the
repressive political system of that time;
they are simply confirming that
they care more about their economic
well-being.
This of course, is a lesson for any future government,
that whatever
you do, the most important aspect is the economy. It is also
the same
message to every politician that the key lies in finding a
pragmatic
solution that reverses the economic decline. They care less about
who does
it; they just want to see something done, by Zanu PF, MDC or
whomsoever can
deploy the necessary skills and resources towards that
end.
The bitter lesson for Zimbabweans appears to be that
regardless of
their worthy efforts, liberators are not always the best
governors. The
science of leading a liberation struggle is significantly
different from the
science of governance. Experience has shown that the
liberators lacked the
transferable skills that could be deployed in the
process of government.
There has always been a militaristic approach in
handling party and
government affairs, which probably explains the frequent
resort to military
personnel and methods in governance matters. If there is
any lesson to be
learnt by those at the forefront of today's liberation, it
is that when the
time comes, instead of clamouring for power and staying
there until the end
of time, they ought to defer to those of their own who
have the skills to
manage the economy.
But at the end of the
day, it important to not let the understandable
bitterness that people have
against the current regime, to detract from the
idea and struggle for
independence, which was and remains a key ideal,
because in an event true
Uhuru is yet to be achieved. It is not about
rhetoric and slogans - it
constitutes finding ways of promoting coexistence
of the people regardless
of the bitter past and creating systems for the
management of resources,
both human and material, to improve the
socio-economic well being of the
people. As we have seen, the erosion of
socio-economic status of the people
ha now caused people to openly question
the whole idea of independence. It
is sad because in some ways, it
represents a decline in collective
self-confidence; a psychological crisis
that will drag down a whole nation.
That collective mental fall will be
harder to recover from than the
rebuilding of the physical structures that
have
deteriorated.
Alex Magaisa can be contacted at wamagaisa@yahoo.co.uk
Mai Mujuru should not be fazed by Mugabe outbursts VICE-PRESIDENT Joice
Mujuru has suffered a lot of humiliation recently at the hands of President
Robert Mugabe simply because somebody said something about her in some
book.
But there is one point she needs to bear in mind: she does not
owe her
life to Mugabe. She was a fighter in her own right and her record
during the
struggle for independence of this country speaks for itself,
therefore, she
does not need some old petty-minded man to humiliate
her.
We hope Enos Nkala changes his mind about having his own views
of what
happened during the struggle for independence being published
posthumously.
We need to hear the story of the struggle for independence
being told by the
various players. After all, it is their right to tell the
nation about how
they saw things at that particular juncture and what in
their view was
responsible for such outcomes.
In a sense we are
very happy that the long promised version of the
struggle for independence
according to Zanu PF has not been published. It
was always going to be a
bastardised version intended to project one person
as the Alpha and Omega of
the struggle.
By putting together what the various writers say
about what transpired
during the war years, we should be able to come up
with what is close to the
truth.
Mujuru is not like a fish that
will succumb the moment it is removed
from water. She needs to understand
that there is life after Mugabe and that
the humiliation she is being
subjected to must strengthen and not weaken
her.
In fact, given
the role that women freedom fighters played and their
representation, she
must stand out as a role model and refuse to beg for
what should rightly be
hers. Women have allowed themselves to be trampled
upon for far too long and
this is one reason why today we have about three
women buried at Heroes'
Acre disproportionate to the men.
As students, we hope that the
various camps in Zanu PF sit back and
reflect on who the real enemy is so
that they can forget their differences
and begin to work in the interests of
the people of this country. We cannot
have people being humiliated and
denounced because someone's ego is deflated
if another person's role during
the struggle for independence is cast in a
way that shows not only one
person was as powerful and resolute as the
praise-singers have been telling
us.
Mugabe might not like what is being written by the various
political
players such as Edgar Tekere, but we would like to warn him to
prepare
himself for more and damaging disclosures. By the time the various
writers
offer their perspectives Mugabe will no longer be the "consistent
and
authentic" revolutionary we were told he was.
The more
versions of the liberation war the better. No one owns the
history of the
struggle for independence.
UZ students
Mount
Pleasant
Harare
-------------
AZ
chairman owes us an explanation
ACCORDING to the chairperson
of the Board of the national
airline, Air Zimbabwe, Mike Bimha, the former
acting Chief Executive
Officer, Engineer Oscar Madombwe, did a fantastic job
while at the helm of
the national carrier enabling it to post profits for
the first time in over
a decade.
Bimha also said that
Madombwe was responsible for drawing up a
strategic turnaround plan for Air
Zimbabwe. He was beside himself in
lavishing praise on the former acting
CEO.
The question that begs an explanation is: If you have
someone
who is able to perform such a miracle in such a limited time and
with ageing
equipment, why was he not confirmed as substantive
CEO?
There are two explanations: Either the AZ chairperson
suffers
from the common malaise that afflicts the majority of Zimbabweans -
that
they identify a problem or solution but have no courage to implement
the
kind of changes that are required to achieve progress, or it is that
Bimha
was effectively telling the nation that in their view, as a board,
Madombwe
was their choice based on his track record, but that political
interference
came into play and their plan was rendered
useless.
It will be recalled that in October last year The
Standard
published a report in which it was disclosed that Bimha and his
board had
recommended Madombwe for the top post at Air Zimbabwe, while the
Minister of
Transport, Christopher Mushowe, was rooting for Peter Chikumba,
who has
since been appointed CEO of the national airline.
On the basis of the "recommendation" Madombwe received from
Bimha and his
track record, it will not be surprising to hear that the man
has been
offered a job in the region. This is one way in which this country
has lost
skilled personnel to the region and the world. We are busy
promoting
mediocrity, while frustrating the people who have the expertise to
make
enterprises not only viable but profitable.
Whatever Madombwe
decides, I certainly wish him the best of
luck. Let's not hear anyone
preaching patriotism because Madombwe showed his
patriotic commitment and
how was he rewarded? We are very good at
approaching things with one
determination: to plunge everything to new
depths than when we took
over.
Death of an airline
Chivhu
------------------
Succession
imbroglio: Mugabe fears 'Ngwena'
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has
not just had a sudden change of
heart on his views on the succession issue
and Vice-President Joice Mujuru
versus Emmerson "Ngwena"
Mnangagwa.
Mugabe was presented with a stuffed "Ngwena" for his
birthday
present recently and it appears the present did much more than
might have
been the original intention of the people making the presidential
birthday
present.
The issue is not that Mugabe has
suddenly found Mujuru lacking
as presidential material. Rather he has
realised the potential harm that
could be occasioned by "Ngwena" should he
decide to write his own Lifetime
of Struggle as Edgar Tekere has done. More
damaging disclosures would
demystify the "aura" of a great leader that
Mugabe has craved and for which
he dearly wants history to remember
him.
Diana Mitchell's recent contribution in The Standard (25
February 2007) described the role "Ngwena" played in ensuring Mugabe's
safety. As someone who was in charge of national security, Zanu PF business
companies and a critical link person between Mugabe and the Kabilas, Ngwena
could write revealing best selling novels/books on each of those to leave
Mugabe in tatters.
My view is that Mugabe has just
realised how invaluable an ally
"Ngwena" is. In fact, in a way he has always
made this recognition, which
accounts for why he has retained him in
Cabinet. But it needed Tekere for
Mugabe to appreciate how useful and
significant it is and would be for him
to have "Ngwena" on his side. He
knows too much, probably more than any
other Zanu PF politicians or
ministers.
In the end, it remains a matter of conjecture
whether this will
result in a significant shift in the succession. Mugabe
may or may not wish
to go beyond recognition of the debt of gratitude he
owes "Ngwena". Ngwena,
the aquatic reptile, and not the person, has enormous
patience.
Only time will tell. However, celebrations in
"Ngwena's" camp
could prove premature just as they did for the Mujuru camp
in December 2004.
We live in interesting times.
Sibangilizwe
Zibagwe
The
Midlands
---------
Real enemy number
one
THIS is an urgent appeal to your readership and
politicians to
take the issue of water pollution as their real Number One
Enemy.
Our five-year long research has come to the uncontested
conclusion that due to a serious increase (3 000%) in levels of
contamination of water bodies, particularly rivers, more people are dying
from the subsequent effects.
In the same way it took
longer to accept HIV and Aids, it has
also needed this jolting revelation
for politicians to wake up to the
dangers of water
pollution.
We therefore urge all of government at local and
national levels
to declare a pollution emergency and take the necessary
policing action in a
serious manner. The cities of Gweru, Masvingo,
Marondera and Harare
participated in this research and sadly the last came
first in confirmation
rankings.
Toxicants are being
openly deposited in very large quantities
particularly during weekends via
container vehicles, lorries and even
minibuses who seem to believe washing
their dirt downriver promotes hygienic
standards. Shame! The more the
sludge, the less effect any amount of
chemical treatment will make our water
safe.
In Marondera, the authorities are touting Wenimbi dam
as their
new salvation but the year-long monitoring project has revealed 1
700
percentage point increases in pollution already.
M Masimba
ZIMRESEARCH ORG.
--------------
Chickens coming home to roost WHAT is the main
reason why a man
would want to stay in power forever?
I know
quite well that so many of his critics had him as their
hero in the early
days of this country's independence but as for many in my
home area,
considering the part of the country where I come from, we found
no reason to
clap and cheer for the man.
My home area is under-developed;
many of our people (the young
and the old) have fled to neighbouring
Mzantsi, where they have a sense of
belonging more than they have in their
motherland. One day, the chickens
will come home to roost, and when they do
I will be there to witness.
Giya Mthwakazi
kaNdaba
Tsholotsho
Comment from The Daily Telegraph (UK), 8 March
Harare - "Why didn't I buy milk yesterday," a tired looking
woman wailed at
a check out till in Harare's Avondale shopping centre. She
told anyone
prepared to listen, that a 2 litre bottle of milk cost Z$10 000
on Tuesday,
but 24 hours later it was Z$17 000. Someone paying for milk at
the next till
snapped: "There wasn't any milk yesterday." So what is that in
real money?
Well depends on the hour of the day as the Zimbabwe dollar is
depreciating
all the time. In the morning the new price of milk would have
been about £1.
Later in the day it would have been down to about 98 pence.
That's on the
black market, the only money market these days. Madly illegal
of course, but
everyone does it, especially the ruling Zanu PF, and the
money police, the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Legally that milk would cost
about £36, (if the
calculator on the mobile can be trusted) as the official
rate of exchange is
US$250 to one Zimbabwe dollar.
Please send any job opportunities for publication in this newsletter to:
JAG
Job Opportunities; jag@mango.zw or justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
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partnership.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 9 March 2007)
Wanted Manager for Dodhill Garden Centre
Restuarant.
It is a position that would suit a semi retired person, male
or female, and
entails supervising the kitchen staff who are well trained,
and supervising
the garden centre nursery, which also has trained staff, so
all in all it is
more of a supervisory position.
The position requires
a working knowledge of computers, mainly spread sheets
for stock
control.
Our contact details are as follows:
Mrs A MacCallum,
DODHILL GARDEN CENTRE
P O Box 102, Chegutu, 091 273056, 053 -
3555
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(Ad
inserted 9 March 2007)
JOB OPPORTUNITY, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH
AFRICA
Help needed by elderly lady owner of a national monument garden
and home
situated 5 km from stellenbosch.
prefer retired or
semi-retired couple or single lady. Farming or similar
practical background
would be a great asset. South african residency would
be
necessary.
Private accommodation in a 2-bedroom cottage in a group of
cottages adjacent
to the main homestead in a peaceful and magnificent country
setting only 10
minutes drive from shops.
duties would be part time,
assisting owner with activities such as local
driving, shopping, paying
garden and domestic staff, incidental faxing and
phoning, preparing
occasional meals, handyman repairs and light maintenance
around the buildings
and gardens, arranging for servicing and repairs of
motor vehicles,
lawnmowers and similar activities.
This is very much a flexitime position
with minimal routine. You would be
able to pursue other interests and
activities in the area.
Remuneration comprises the cottage accommodation
and a salary commensurate
with duties and individual requirements, by
negotiation.
we are hoping to fill this position by late
april.
Please reply, providing relevant information about yourself and
with contact
phone numbers, to the lady's son in harare, email miner@mweb.co.zw or fax
263 (0)4 70 70
35. Confidentiality and prompt response
assured.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 9 March 2007)
Position Required: GARDENER AND MAID
Ex
farm gardener and wife who is a house maid require positions in Harare.
Very
honest and reliable couple.
Please Contact Jo on 0912-247001 for
info.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 9 March 2007)
Employment Offered
1.
Position for bookkeeper up to trial balance (pastel), to
assist with
administration, salary by negotiation.
.
2. 2 Workshop
managers to supervise caterpillar and
earthmoving undercarriage repairs.
Mechanical knowledge essential. Salary by
negotiation.
For both
positions please contact Mr J.Meintjes on cell: 011411117,
0912434293
or
263 4
447180-3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMPLOYMENT
REQUIRED
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad inserted 15 February 2007)
Employment Wanted
Been
self-employed for 17 years, in Zimbabwe, specializing in the service,
spares,
and sales of tractors but due to the change of the economy it has
become
almost impossible to make self-employment worthwhile at present.
Due to
this, I am looking for a consultancy, management, supervisory work,
willing
to do hands on work only when necessary, related to the above, our
first
preference being Zambia, second Mozambique. My wife is computer
literate with
ICDL certificate and office experience and certificates and
would be able to
handle the administration side if a position were
available. Our preference
would be something along the lines of servicing,
managing, repairing a fleet
of tractors belonging to a large farming
operation or a syndicate of farmers
in close proximity of each other. With
33 years experience in the above type
of work, specializing particularly in
Fiat, Ford and MF, I would request an
attractive package including
accommodation, vehicle and salary which would
make my efforts worth while.
I wish to stress that regular work hours are not
a necessity and that if my
services were required I would be fully committed
to whatever contract I
agree to. My wife is computer literate and would be
able to handle
administration work.
My wife and I would like to do
this together and would need to travel back
to Zimbabwe fairly regularly to
spend time with our children as they are all
being schooled
locally.
For CV and/or interviews, please contact us on 263-68-22463 /
263-11212545 /
tracspray@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 22 February 2007)
Employment
Sought
Position Accounts Clerk / Assistant
Accountant
Experience 4
years
Qualifications S.A.A.A Diploma in
Accountancy
Computer Packages Microsoft word, excel and
(S.A.P)
For more information an Curriculum Vitae madziwanacollins@yahoo.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 22 February 2007)
Employment Sought
Been self-employed
for 17 years, in Zimbabwe, specializing in the service,
spares, and sales of
tractors but due to the change of the economy it has
become almost impossible
to make self-employment worthwhile at present.
Due to this, I am looking
for a consultancy, management, supervisory work,
willing to do hands on work
only when necessary, related to the above, our
first preference being Zambia,
second mocambique. My wife is computer
literate with ICDL certificate and
office experience and certificates and
would be able to handle the
administration side if a position were
available. Our preference would be
something along the lines of servicing,
managing, repairing a fleet of
tractors belonging to a large farming
operation or a syndicate of farmers in
close proximity of each other. With
33 years experience in the above type of
work, specializing particularly in
Fiat, Ford and MF, I would request an
attractive package including
accommodation, vehicle and salary which would
make my efforts worth while.
I wish to stress that regular work hours are not
a necessity and that if my
services were required I would be fully committed
to whatever contract I
agree to. My wife is computer literate and would be
able to handle
administration work.
My wife and I would like to do
this together and would need to travel back
to Zimbabwe fairly regularly to
spend time with our children as they are all
being schooled
locally.
For CV and/or interviews, please contact us on 263-68-22463 /
263-11212545 /
tracspray@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 9 March 2007)
FULL OR PART TIME EMPLOYMENT SOUGHT
I am an
active, multi-skilled retiree seeking a fresh challenge. I have
extensive and
long-standing knowledge of the Agrichem and Veterinary
supplies industries
with over twenty years experience in management and
research. I am computer
competent, multi-lingual, and have good
communications skills with all
segments of Zimbabwean society. I will
consider full or part time engagement
in any field.
Please contact me on 885236, on cell 0912 535737 or e mail
at:
carmiked@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 9 March 2007)
Employment Sought
Single male aged 45
mechanic by trade, keen knowledge of nature. Looking
for a job within the
wildlife environment within the SADC Region.
Contact Nick MyBurgh: lee@qouimetgirls.co.zw
References
- available on
request.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For
the latest listings of accommodation available for farmers, contact
justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
(updated 9 March 2007)