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Minister says diamond officials not clean

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Clara Smith Monday 22 March 2010

HARARE - Mines Minister Obert Mpofu has admitted that some officials of the
two companies contracted to mine diamonds at the controversial Marange
fields might be "crooks" but insisted during a parliamentary probe into
irregularities in the mining sector that it was "virtually impossible" to
get clean people in the industry.

Giving evidence to a parliamentary committee investigating operations in
Marange last week, Mpofu said he was aware that some of the directors of the
two firms Canadile and Mbada Mining were involved in shady business deals
but challenged the committee to identify any investors in the diamond
industry who were clean.

"He said he had done his research and found that people in the diamond
business globally are drug traffickers, smugglers or plain crooks. He said
this was the trend worldwide and the committee was fooling itself by
thinking that they could get a clean diamond investor," said a source who
attended the briefing by the minister.

The hearing was held in camera.

The government-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) last
year partnered little known Grandwell of South Africa to form Mbada
Investments which is mining diamonds at the Marange field that is also known
as Chiadzwa.

The ZMDC also partnered another little known South African firm Core Mining
and Minerals in a joint-venture operation trading as Canadile Miners to
exploit the Marange deposits.

But parliamentarians have accused some members of the boards of two firms -- 
whose names they have note disclosed -- of being former illegal drug and
diamond dealers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sierra
Leone.

Under the law, Mpofu can appoint the chairperson and deputy of the ZMDC
board but has no authority to name people to sit on boards of joint venture
companies formed by the state mining corporation and other entities.

One of the appointments is former Airforce of Zimbabwe helicopter pilot
Robert Mhlanga -- who has interests in Grandwell but was named by Mpofu to
represent the ZMDC on the Mbada board as chairman.

According to diamond.net, Mhlanga was Zimbabwe's first black helicopter
pilot and worked as a courier for Mugabe's late first wife, Sally.

Mhlanga is said to have made a fortune through various projects in Africa
and was active in the DRC's diamond trade when Zimbabwean troops fought
there.

The Mbada chairman is known to have close ties with Zimbabwe's military
establishment that is accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of
diamonds from Marange and offloading them onto the foreign black market for
precious stones.

The committee accused Mpofu of failure to diligently vet people before
forming partnerships with them to mine the Marange diamonds.

Mpofu admitted that he did not follow laid-down procedures when he licenced
Canadile and Mbada to mine diamonds at Chiadzwa.

Sources said the under-fire minister vainly sought to explain away his
actions by arguing that the "country badly needed money that following
procedures would have affected government efforts to get immediate cash".

"He confirmed that proper procedures were not followed. He however defended
his action, saying this was necessitated by the fact that Zimbabwe is under
sanctions and needed money fast," said a source who attended the committee
briefing by Mpofu.

Our sources said Mpofu sought to shift blame to the ZMDC after
parliamentarians alleged that he had personally handpicked the same people
he now described as crooks.

"He said while he could have recommended the two firms to partner ZMDC, the
parastatal had the responsibility to draw up agreements that benefited the
government," the source said.

He said he was investigating the ZMDC because the parastatal had structured
agreements that are favour the private partners instead of the government.

But sources who attended the meeting said Mpofu, while admitting to the
irregularities, insisted that Mbada and Canadile would continue with
operations because Cabinet on Tuesday endorsed their operations.

He also defended himself by stating that his ministry lacked expertise and
financial resources to fully utilise Marange diamonds hence the rush to
appoint people who he said "knew the business", according to the source.

The joint ventures with Mbada and Canadile were formed as part of measures
to bring mining of diamonds at Marange in line with standards stipulated by
world diamond industry watchdog, the Kimberley Process (KP).

Marange is one of the world's most controversial diamond fields with reports
that soldiers sent to guard the claims after the government took over the
field in October 2006 from a British firm that owned the deposits committed
gross human rights abuses against illegal miners who had descended on the
field.

Human rights groups have been pushing for a ban on Zimbabwean diamonds but
last November, the country escaped a KP ban with the global body giving
Harare a June 2010 deadline to make reforms to comply with its
regulations. - ZimOnline.


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Mpofu admits issuing mining permits without ‘proper procedure’

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
22 March 2010

Mines Minister Obert Mpofu has admitted he didn’t follow proper procedure
when he allowed two mining firms to operate in the controversial Chiadzwa
diamond fields, confirming reports that the mining permits were issued
fraudulently.

Mpofu was giving evidence at a parliamentary committee hearing set up to
investigate operations at Chiadzwa, including exactly who gave the two
companies mining the fields clearance to do so. Mpofu told the committee, in
a meeting held behind closed doors, that he did not follow laid-down
procedures when he licensed Canadile Miners and Mbada Investments to mine
diamonds at Chiadzwa. Sources quoted by the ZimOnline news service said the
minister defended his decision by arguing “that following procedures would
have affected government efforts to get immediate cash.” He also voiced his
ZANU PF party’s beliefs that international, targeted sanctions, were to
blame for his decision.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti earlier this month called for all mining
licences in Chiadzwa to be suspended, stating that the permits had been
issued fraudulently. The parliamentary committee has since been trying to
get answers, in an effort to try and establish control of the alluvial
fields where unknown quantities of gems are still being extracted. An
official from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) made the
shock admittance in parliament earlier last months that diamonds were being
airlifted from Chiadzwa to Harare without proper supervision. Biti meanwhile
acknowledged that the government was not benefiting directly from diamond
sales.

Mpofu also admitted last week that ‘crooks’ were involved in mining the
diamonds. Mpofu said he was aware that some of the directors of Canadile and
Mbada were involved in ‘shady business deals’ but challenged the committee
to identify any investors in the diamond industry who were ‘clean’.

“He said he had done his research and found that people in the diamond
business globally are drug traffickers, smugglers or plain crooks. He said
this was the trend worldwide and the committee was fooling itself by
thinking that they could get a clean diamond investor,” said a source quoted
by ZimOnline.

Officials from Mbada and Canadile, which are joint ventures with the
government’s Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), have snubbed
the same parliamentary committee three times on Minister Mpofu’s orders.
Committee members have threatened to seek ‘Contempt of Parliament’ charges
if the directors do not attend their meetings, and a fourth such meeting has
been scheduled for Tuesday. The two firms took over from the UK based
African Consolidated Resources, (ACR), the mining firm that holds the legal
title to the Chiadzwa claim. ACR was forced off the claim at gunpoint in
2006 and has been in the middle of the protracted ownership wrangle ever
since.


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Obert Mpofu: odds-on favourite for corruption

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/5572
 
 

A new and very up market casino has opened at the Ascot Race Course in Bulawayo.

The race course ceased to operate several years ago and the once splendid buildings and grandstands are now the homes of various businesses and restaurants.

The new casino comprises two floors of opulent decadence featuring plush red carpeting and satin lampshades!!

The downstairs area boasts rows of brightly coloured and enticing one armed bandits and the more discreet upstairs area is tastefully decorated with fringed red satin lampshades placed artfully and subtly low over several elegant baize tables.

There is also the obligatory bar with imported beers and the finest wines.

All this owned by our diamond studded minister Obert Mpofu and his brother, and while the Red Cross and World Vision rush around Zimbabwe in an effort to avert  massive humanitarian starvation amidst the less fortunate Zimbabwe population, the nouveau riche and infamous will gamble the night away happily.

Scores of croupiers have been engaged to deftly deal cards on the black jack tables, and young men and women with slender fingers were seen practising their sleight of hand moves with the roulette wheels, prior to the gala opening night.

Casinos traditionally attract money and with the spate of robberies and hold ups in Bulawayo, Obert has done the wise thing and positioned two security guards day and night to protect his latest venture. The guards are both armed with rifles.

But hark, who are these guards? Are they dressed in the apparel of private security guards ?

No indeed the first cadre of security personnel were garbed in the navy and blue fatigues of the Zimbabwe Support Unit and could their rifles possibly be drawn from the government armoury?  More recently the daytime security was none other than a fairly languid pair of police officers perched outside the casino.

Armed guards, courtesy of the tax-payer

To guard the 'honest' minister's own private gambling empire? Surely not?  Indeed, the question arises that surely the taxpayer's money could be better spent on other things than safe-guarding the controversial minister's private empire.  One wonders if the police are also being deployed to secure the property kingdom Prince, oh sorry, Minister Mpofu is busy building with the recent purchase of properties in Victoria Fall, houses in Bulawayo's  elite suburbs and several buildings - all for cash.

Perhaps the Honourable minister will name the new casino "Nero's Palace" after the much maligned emperor who fiddled while Rome burned?



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Knives out as ZANU PF turn on Gideon Gono

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
22 March 2010

Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono's enemies in ZANU PF have moved swiftly to
denounce him for his scathing attack against the controversial
indigenization bill and want him removed from his job.

Gono's enemies within the powerful ZANU PF politburo are now using his
unusually strong criticism of the bill to plot his downfall. He's already
facing accusations that he's now being 'too friendly' to the MDC and Finance
minister, Tendai Biti.

In an interview with the weekly Financial Gazette last week Gono said the
new indigenization regulations would scare off badly needed foreign
investment. He said the country would be shooting itself in the foot if it
embarked on the programme.

His remarks, which have been applauded by many Zimbabweans, have reportedly
not been welcomed in ZANU PF's corridors of power. A highly placed source
told SW Radio Africa on Monday that the party intends to send a delegation
to Robert Mugabe with a request to relieve Gono of his job.

Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa says there are reports however that suggest
Gono is ready to quit, for the sack of progress in implementing the Global
Political Agreement. But Mugabe remains fiercely opposed to the idea and
wants him to stay put.

The easiest and most effective way to destroy someone with close links to
ZANU PF lately is to label him as an MDC sympathizer or as some would say, a
ZANU PF member by day and an MDC activist by night. Some in ZANU PF are
allegedly saying Gono now 'smells' of MDC, hence he is the target of the
clandestine political campaign to purge him.

His reappointment as the RBZ governor by Mugabe was severely criticized by
the MDC and is still a source of conflict within the inclusive government.
International donors and lenders do not have confidence in Gono as the
custodian of their funds, and the MDC is contesting his appointment and does
not consider it legitimate. He was also the man who would have been behind
the funds that helped ZANU PF launch is violent election campaign in 2008.

But unconfirmed reports suggest the MDC may have agreed during South African
President Jacob Zuma's mediation efforts in Harare to let Gono continue as
the RBZ governor, after the Senate last week passed the Reserve Bank
Amendment Bill.

According to the Bill, Gono's powers will be reduced by appointing an
independent chairperson and board for the bank. The amendments are aimed at
ensuring the bank reverts to its core function of price and financial sector
stability and stops quasi-fiscal operations that saw inflation reaching
percentages in the trillions.

A source told us Gono's opposition to the indigenization bill have caused
much consternation within ZANU PF circles, especially in those who have an
eye at taking over white and foreign owned firms, as they did with the
farms.

The wealthy Gono has told friends he was ready to walk out of the RBZ job
and run his vast business empire on a full time basis. Meanwhile
Attorney-General Johannes Tomana has been reportedly advised to consider
taking up a job as a High Court judge, to ensure that contentious issues in
the GPA can be resolved, Muchemwa said.

On Roy Bennett, Muchemwa said there are rumours that the former commercial
farmer and the MDC treasurer-general may be offered another deputy
ministerial post, other than that of the preferred agriculture portfolio.

Negotiators from the three parties will meet starting Thursday to work, in
theory, on the final implementation of the GPA. The negotiators will be
working on guidelines drawn up during Zuma's trip to Harare last week.

Unfortunately, despite South Africa having a free press, President Zuma did
not seem to think Zimbabweans deserved the same and journalists were not
allowed to ask questions at the press conference at the end of his visit to
Zimbabwe.


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Zimbabwe y/y price slide cools further in February

http://af.reuters.com

Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:40am GMT

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's consumer price deflation eased in February,
with prices falling just 0.7 percent on the year to February, compared to a
4.8 percent drop in January.

Prices have stabilised somewhat since a power-sharing government set up by
President Robert Mugabe and rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai more than
a year ago adopted use of multiple foreign currencies to replace the
Zimbabwe dollar, rendered worthless by hyperinflation.

On a month-on-month basis, inflation quickened to 1.0 percent in February
from 0.7 percent previously.

The CSO started calculating price movements in United States dollars in the
same month, and published the first set of annualised data under the system
with the December 2009 print, when inflation stood at -7.7 percent
year-on-year.

Zimbabwe's inflation peaked at 500 billion percent -- according to the
IMF -- as a decade-long political and economic crisis reached its height in
December 2008.


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Zimbabwe plans to relax security and media laws

http://af.reuters.com/

Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:31pm GMT

* Document sets target of 2010 to amend laws

* Tough media regulations to be repealed

* Government plans audit of land ownership

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE, March 22 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's strict security and media laws
criticised by opponents as undemocratic will be relaxed by the end of the
year, an official document showed on Monday.

The unity government formed last year by President Robert Mugabe and his
rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, has stabilised the economy but has
yet to implement many of its agreed political reforms.

The fragile coalition has been marred by policy differences between Mugabe's
ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) but its new
programme sets a target of the end of this year to repeal and amend
contentious security and media legislation.

Mugabe's critics say the president, who has ruled since 1980, has used the
laws to keep opponents in check and extend his stay in power and foreign
donors have withheld funding until the new government implements political
reforms.

The government plans to introduce at least 17 amendments to laws including
the Public Order and Security Act, which police have used to ban protests by
the opposition and unions, a document seen by Reuters on Monday shows.

The changes will also repeal the Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act, used to ban foreign journalists from working permanently in the
country.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

A Freedom of Information Bill allowing journalists greater access to
official information will be introduced, while a Media Practitioners' Bill
will be tabled in Parliament to regulate the conduct of journalists.

Cabinet ministers will now be required to make monthly reports to the
council of ministers chaired by Tsvangirai, who is in charge of government
policy.

"The programme sets clear targets on which the government's performance can,
and should, be judged," Tsvangirai said in a foreword to the document.

"This document is also intended to help members of parliament ... in their
task of holding government ministers to account for their performance."

The government also plans a land audit to establish cases of multiple farm
ownership.

The MDC has previously said Mugabe's land seizure drive that started in
2000, in which white-owned commercial farms were redistributed among blacks,
largely benefited the 86-year-old veteran leader's allies, an allegation he
denies.

"Timely implementation of this critical dimension (land audit) is likely to
promote accountability and directly enhance productivity in the agricultural
sector. It is therefore one of the critical targets under the government
work programme," the document said.


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Magistrate suspended over alleged corruption

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=28160

March 21, 2010

By Our Correspondent

BULAWAYO - A senior Bulawayo magistrate was suspended on Friday on charges
of corruption after he allegedly secretly granted bail to two city council
employees who had been remanded in custody by a junior magistrate.

Magistrate Singandu Jele based at Bulawayo's Tredgold Magistrate Courts was
suspended by Matabeleland regional senior magistrate John Masimba for
allegedly violating Section 44 of the Public Service Regulations 2000.

"You are hereby suspended from work with immediate effect because your act
was inconsistent with or prejudicial to the discharge of your official
duties and also included abuse of office," reads part of the letter of
suspension signed by Masimba, which was shown to The Zimbabwe Times.

Allegations against Jele are that on December 11 2009, two Bulawayo City
council employees were convicted of fraud by a junior magistrate Ntombizodwa
Mazhandu.

The fraud involved a 30 000 Rand deal for a housing stand in the city

The council employees, Mandlenkosi Ncube and Mthandazo Ndlovu, were remanded
in custody to January 6 for sentence after pleading guilty to fraud before
Mazhandu.

The following day the pair applied for bail pending sentence, but Mazhandu
declined to grant them bail and instructed they should be sent back to
remand prison.

However, on the evening of the same day, Jele allegedly secretly granted the
pair US$100 bail each in exchange for a certain amount of money.

There has been an upsurge in the number of judicial officers involved in
corruption over recent years. Observers blame this on poor salaries.

Magistrates currently earn salaries as low as US$200.

Last year the country's judicial system was grounded to a halt after
magistrates and prosecutors went on strike to demand more pay and better
working conditions.

The strike by the magistrates came a few months after the government gave
judges of the High and Supreme Courts luxurious cars, computers and plasma
screen television sets as part of their perks.


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Mutambara says talk of elections for next year is ‘misplaced’

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Violet Gonda
22 March 2010

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has ‘spiced up’ a one day retreat for
ministers and parliamentarians, saying talk about holding elections next
year were misplaced. Mutambara said that if elections are held next year
they would likely produce more people like him, who got into government
through the backdoor, as a result of fraudulent elections.

The Deputy Prime Minister was giving his closing remarks at a retreat
convened by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare on Monday. Tsvangirai
had organised the retreat to try and defuse mounting tensions between the
ministers and the backbenchers, represented by parliamentary portfolio
committee chairpersons and the three parties’ chief whips.

Both ZANU PF and MDC-T have indicated that they want elections to be held
next year. Robert Mugabe went further to say elections will be held next
year with or without a new constitution.

But the MDC-M leader indicated that while there is talk about elections he
doesn’t believe they will be held next year.

Tongai Matutu, the chairperson of the Justice and Legal Affairs
Parliamentary Committee and MDC-T Masvingo Urban MP, said Mutambara may have
said that to protect his position, but that he raised some important issues.

Mutambara said there cannot be talk about elections when the constitution
making process has not kicked off and he said problems of legitimacy would
continue to arise as a result of a defective constitution.

The Deputy Minister also said the issue of violence has not been dealt with
and there has been no real attempt at any type of national healing. People
are still deeply traumatised by the 2008 violent elections.

Matutu said Mutambara’s closing remarks were frank and honest as he pointed
out that he is a beneficiary of election fraud.

Meanwhile, the meeting was held against a background of increasing friction
between the frontbench and parliamentarians. In his opening remarks Speaker
of Parliament Lovemore Moyo said ministers were not respecting the role of
parliament and have not been bothering to respond to questions. He said the
ministers come to parliament but as soon as they are supposed to respond to
written questions they immediately leave the chamber, a clear indication
that they are not prepared or interested in responding.

Matutu said: “And clearly for last week that was very embarrassing, whereby
48 written questions that were on the Order Paper, none of those questions
were answered. All of them were deferred on the basis that ministers had not
turned up.”

He said some answers from the ministers are arrogant and don’t add value to
the debates, thereby undermining the role of parliament. Some legislators
had posed questions over a month ago, but have still not received a response
from ministers.

Matutu said some of the ministers who have failed to respond to questions
include the Minister of Transport and Communications, Local Government
Minister and the Minister of Health. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee
on Mines and Energy had also clashed with the Mines Ministry over
allegations of corruption.
Ministers on the other hand said they felt the MPs in portfolio committees
were harassing and embarrassing them.

It is understood the meeting managed to ‘iron out’ some misunderstandings
and tried to create a platform to explain the different roles of the
stakeholders. Surprisingly some ministers said they were not aware they had
to attend parliamentary committee meetings.

 


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War Veterans group splits into three factions

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Lance Guma
22 March 2010

The Zimbabwe National Liberations War Veterans Association (ZNLWA) has split
again, after deputy chairman Joseph Chinotimba and his group boycotted a
weekend congress that re-elected Jabulani Sibanda as chairman. In 2008 the
group had already split into two, with this faction calling itself Mwana
Wevhu and led by Retired Colonel Basten Beta who says its patron is Grace
Mugabe.

Two weeks ago Chinotimba, who claimed to have the backing of 11 out of 16
executive members, said they had passed a vote of no confidence in Sibanda,
accusing him of being over-whelmed by power and making decisions on his own.
Sibanda, who claims to have the backing of 5 out of 10 provincial
executives, dismissed the no confidence vote as 'shadow boxing in the dark,'
by Chinotimba and his group.

Last Thursday in the run-up to the weekend congress Chinotimba announced he
and 11 other executives had resigned from the executive led by Sibanda. The
move was meant to force the placement of an interim executive as stipulated
by the constitution. This never happened and the congress went ahead in
Bindura on the orders of Mugabe who said "they should all be silent and go
to a meeting and elect a leadership at congress.'

Problems within the association have been rumbling on for some time with
several scheduled rival congresses being postponed. In December last year
Army General Constantine Chiwenga summoned the factions to his office and
ordered them to put their congress on hold. Reports said ZANU PF was worried
about the 'domino effect' an acrimonious congress would have on the ZANU PF
party congress.

Despite orders from Mugabe to the veterans stop fighting, the animosity is
so high they are defying even their patron. During a rare meeting with
editors of media houses Mugabe said that the infighting in the war vets
association started with the 2008 elections. Retired Colonel Beta approached
him and said you cannot 'lose what we got through the bullet through the
ballot'. Mugabe claims the war veterans defied his advice to respect the
vote and formed the faction Mwana Wevhu.
Mugabe's explanation appears to be aimed at avoiding blame for the murderous
Operation Mavhotera Papi (Where did you vote) which saw the murder of
hundreds opposition activists and the assault and torture of tens of
thousands more.

But the campaign was coordinated by the notorious Joint Operations Command
(JOC), a grouping of all security departments from the police, army, air
force, prisons and state security departments and as President Mugabe would
have had to approve the campaign.

 


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MDC-M Feels Side-lined

http://news.radiovop.com

22/03/2010 16:08:00

Harare, March 22, 2010 - The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-M)
formation led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has intensified its
campaign to be allocated one of the 10 governorship positions, adding more
complexity to one of the outstanding issues scuttling Zimbabwe's inclusive
government.

This comes amid growing reports that Zanau PF and the bigger MDC formation
led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai might soon seal an agreement to take
five governorships each and ignore the rocket scientist's formation.
Initially, it had been agreed that Zanu PF would take five governorships,
MDC-T four, while Mutambara's formation would take one. These would be
allocated based on the parties performance in the March 2008 harmonised
elections.

However, of late it is understood there was a new new lobby for Zanu PF and
the MDC-T to get an equal share of the positions, and sideline Mutambara's
formation.

On Monday, MDC-M director of Information Maxwell Zimuto said in a statement
that the party "stands to get one governorship position purely on the basis
of its performance at the 2008 general election".

"A run- down of how the parties performed in the 2008 election in this
(Matabeleland South) province shows that out of the 13 house of assembly
seats and 6 senatorial seats contested for," said Zimuto. "MDC won seven
House of Assembly seats and two senatorial seats, giving them a combined
majority representation of 9 seats in the province.  If we go by the
combined total number of seats won in both houses per province, the MDC is
undoubtedly the most deserving party to take the governorship position for
Matabeleland South province."

The issue of provincial governorships was among the five outstanding issues
presented to the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) last November,
leading to the current facilitation by South Africa President Jacob Zuma.

Following Zuma's latest mediation, it is understood new governors would be
sworn in at the latest in August. These will be drawn only from Zanu PF and
the MDC-T, on the basis of their majorities in the two houses of Parliament.

The MDC-M got a resounding majority in Mat South, winning seven seats Gwanda
Central, Gwanda North, Insiza South, Umzingwane, Bulilima East,  Bulilima
West and  Mangwe. The party also got two senatorial seats in Bulilima-Mangwe
and Umzingwane.

Based on the 2008 election results, Zimuto said "it is evident that MDC
deserves and is entitled to the provincial governorship position for
Matabeleland South".
 


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Poaching: Zim probed by Interpol

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Own Corespondent Monday 22 March 2010

HARARE - Zimbabwe is among 18 countries being investigated for complicity in
a racket involving the illegal trade in traditional medicines containing
protected wildlife products, the International Criminal Police Organisation
(Interpol) that is coordinating the probe has announced.

Interpol said last week that the operation - codenamed Operation Tram - saw
national wildlife enforcement authorities, police, customs and specialised
units from countries across five continents working together to combat
illegal trade in traditional medicines made from animal parts.

Countries targeted under Operation Tram are Australia, Canada, the Czech
Republic, Ecuador, France, Georgia, India, Italy, New Zealand, Nigeria,
Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom
and Zimbabwe.

Interpol said its investigations into individuals and companies as well as
inspections of premises such as seaports and wholesalers have so far
discovered a large amount of medicines either containing or marketing the
use of illegal ingredients such as tiger, bear and rhinoceros.

"This operation has again proved that while environmental criminals may
cross borders and display high levels of organisation, so too will the
international law enforcement community in its efforts to apprehend those
criminals," said David Higgins, manager of the Interpol Environmental Crime
Programme.

The exercise has so far resulted in a series of arrests worldwide and the
seizure of thousands of illegal medicines worth more than US$15 million.

Zimbabwe is also under tight scrutiny by the wildlife and flora watchdog,
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora
and Fauna (CITES), amid allegations that high-ranking officials are
suspected to be behind the country's unacceptable rate of rhino poaching.

Rampant poaching - allegedly being spearheaded by senior government and army
officers - has caused both black and white rhino populations to decline in
Zimbabwe.

A December 2009 report by TRAFFIC and the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) showed that since 2006, 95 percent of the
poaching in Africa has occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The report also showed that the conviction rate for rhino crimes in Zimbabwe
is only three percent.

The Interpol operation, coordinated by the organisation's Environmental
Crime Programme with support from the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, was
developed in response to the increasing use of endangered and protected
wildlife products in traditional medicines throughout the world.

Most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for medicinal markets
in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam, where demand has escalated
in recent years.

The demand for rhino horn is driven by an insatiable appetite in China and
Vietnam where superstitions attribute medicinal properties to rhino horn.

China's recent economic upswing has enabled an unprecedented number of
citizens to afford "remedies" made from rhino horn, and from other
endangered species.

Chinese pharmaceutical companies manufacture rhino horn into "medicines",
which are sold openly in pharmacies throughout China and in hospitals in
Vietnam.

Contrary to popular belief, rhino horn is not used by the Chinese as an
aphrodisiac.

Primitive superstitions - still widely believed in China and other parts of
Asia - consider rhino horn to be a cure-all for common ailments such as
fever, pain, and even acne.

Scientific testing has however proven that rhino horn has no medicinal
effect on humans.


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Villagers offer goats for health services

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=28156

March 21, 2010

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - Villagers in Zimbabwe's rural areas have now been reduced to
engaging in barter trade in order to access health facilities due to a
widespread lack of foreign currency, a parliamentary report presented in the
House of Assembly on Thursday has disclosed.

The report by the parliamentary portfolio committee on Health and Child
Welfare expressed concern that the villagers maybe ripped off as there is no
standard evaluation for mainly livestock which they are now tendering in
return for receiving medical attention.

The Zimbabwe dollar ceased to be legal tender at the formation of the
inclusive government in February last year following the adoption of
multi-currencies - the United States dollar, the South African Rand and the
Botswana Pula - in a bid to kill hyperinflation which at one time stood at
231 million percent.

"Due to the economic meltdown, the committee observed that some institutions
are now accepting non cash payments. Patients are now settling medical bills
with non-cash payments such as goats, maize and beans. This is most common
at district hospitals. The committee will make further enquiries and make
appropriate recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare,"
said the health committee report.

"The committee was concerned that the health delivery system is now a shadow
of the post-independence era when it was one of the best in the region with
positive indicators such as high health per capital, good infrastructure,
progressive, equity-oriented budgets; wide access to other determinants of
health such as access to safe water, immunization, family planning and other
basic interventions; low maternal, infant and child mortality rates and
improved life expectancy."

The report also said there should be regular reviews of medical personnel
salaries to avoid the current brain drain.

"However, it is pleasing to note that Zimbabwe is now seeing substantial
external funders starting to fund government programmes," the report said.


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Zuma’s tough negotiations with Zanu-Pf and MDC emerge

http://en.afrik.com/article17199.html

  Monday 22 March 2010 / by Alice Chimora

Finer details of South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma mediation trip to
Zimbabwe are starting to emerge. Last week, Zuma spent two days in Harare
locked up in talks with political rivals, Mugabe’s Zanu PF and the premier
Tvsanagirai’s MDC.

Although initial indications were that he left Harare empty handed,
‘encouraging’ news began to filter through over the weekend. Sources from
both MDC and Zanu PF say “landmark strides where made’ and proposals would
be finalised by negotiators before the end of the month.

Zuma reportedly tabled a golden handshake proposal for controversial
Zimbabwe Attorney-General Johannes Tomana and central Bank boss Gedeon Gono.

"Zuma told Tomana that he was illegally appointed by Mugabe. He was told to
give up the Attorney General’s post in order to save the country from
further political and economic decline," said the source.

A bench in the High Court judges was dangled to him.

On Central Bank Governor Gideon Gono, Zuma also offered the position of
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa. The incumbent Moyo is now Zanu PF
National Chairman and should be stationed in Harare.

"Zuma also told Gono that he was a stumbling block to the economic revival
of the country and was urged to sacrifice his loyalty to Zanu PF and
relinquish his post," said the sources.

The sources also revealed that Zuma told Roy Bennet to consider another
ministerial portfolio other than agriculture as Zanu PF was now willing to
have a former white farmer occupying a senior agricultural portfolio.

"Zanu PF is not at ease with Bennet and so they want him to occupy a less
influential ministerial post," said the source.

The MDC has been highly critical of the two men, blaming Gono for fuelling
hyperinflation through printing money to shore up Mugabe’s past governments,
while accusing Tomana of presiding over the prosecution of rights and
opposition activists.

Mugabe has maintained that Tomana and Gono would not go, but the issue was
referred to the regional body for arbitration, culminating in the latest
overtures.

Some of the measures on which Zuma, reportedly, won agreement include:
- The resignation of Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono;
- The appointment of Attorney-general Johannes Tomana as a high court judge
and replacement by someone acceptable to all three parties;
- The dropping of Treason charges against MDC MP Roy Bennett, and his
appointment to a different position different to the deputy agriculture
minister slot initially assigned to him;
- The sharing of ten provincial governorships among the parties and;
- The involvement of all parties in lobbying activities for the lifting of
targeted sanctions against Mugabe and key Zanu-PF leaders.


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ZBC Demands Licences At Road Blocks

http://news.radiovop.com

22/03/2010 08:21:00

Harare, March 22, 2010 - Cash strapped Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC) is demanding listeners and viewers licences at road blocks.

The ZBC said it wanted people to prove that they were holding valid
listeners and viewers licences. It was also demanding that people who wish
to enter or participate in any radio or television competitions such as Pick
Your Box show should prove that they hold valid television and radio
licenses.

The sole state broadcaster has lost viewers and  listeners to satellite
television and exiled radio stations because of its perceived biased and
poor programming.

ZBC is demanding $50 per television set per house hold and $40 for a radio
licence.
 


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Ministers Shun Tsvangirai's MPs Retreat

http://news.radiovop.com/

22/03/2010 11:43:00

Harare, March 22, 2010 - Only a few Ministers from the Inclusive Government
turned up for the one day retreat held in Harare on Monday and addressed by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai said this showed a lack of cohesion between the Executive and the
Legislature.

Ministers Obert Mpofu, Nelson Chamisa, Elias Mudzuri, Henry Dzinotyiwei,
Eliphas Mukonoweshuro and the two deputy prime ministers Arthur Mutambara
and Thokozani Khupe were some of the few members of cabinet who turned up
for the retreat.

Tsvangirai told the MPs that he will soon present a Government Work Plan for
2010 in Parliament which "clearly sets out what the government intends to do
and how it will be done and financed."

He said over the past weeks he found himself in an "unenviable position of
being caught between Parliament and the Executive" as the former exercised
its oversight role.

He said he had received complaints from Parliament relating to the
reluctance by ministers to submit themselves to on-going enquiries conducted
by Parliament as well as complaints from Ministers who feel that Parliament
is overstepping its oversight role and subjecting them to "unnecessary
scrutiny and enquiry".

"While this is not a pleasant situation, I am nonetheless able to derive a
certain amount of comfort from it. For it shows, without a shadow of doubt
that both MPs and the members of the Executive are actively engaged in
fulfilling their respective mandates," he said adding that the tensions
between the two arms of government will subside.

Among the clashes are the ones between the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee
on Mines and Energy and the mines ministry over the MPs investigations into
the controversial diamond mining by Mbada Diamonds and Canadile Miners at
Chiadzwa. The Mines Minister is said to have prevented the heads of the two
diamond companies to appear before the parliamentary committee to answer
allegations of corruption. The committee has again called the two heads to
appear at a parliamentary committee hearing on Tuesday.

Speaker of Paraliment Lovemore Moyo appealed to cabinet ministers to take
the business of the House seriously and avail themselves to take questions
from back benchers during question time on Wednesday.

"I have witnessed incidences where Ministers leave the chamber when it is
about time respond to question on the Order Paper. As such, I am appealing
to the Prime Minister to encourage Ministers to take the business of the
House seriously, for they are MPs first before they are Ministers," said
Moyo adding that out of the 48 questions that were on the Order Paper last
Wednesday not even a "single of those questions was responded to by the
Front Benchers".

Tsvangirai also came out to support a Private Member's Bill brought to
Parliament by Mutare South legislator Innocent Gonese arguing that the move
was catered for in the country's laws.

Tsvangirai said MPs should strive to come up with laws that are a "true
reflection of the type of society that we wish to build for the good of all
our peoples".

"Legislation is a key instrument of public policy and is instituted either
by the Executive or through Parliament via the Private Members' Bills. Both
routes are catered for in our laws and therefore must be respected. Indeed,
it is the content of the bill and its impact on our citizens that is of
prime importance, not necessarily its origin," said Tsvangirai.

Gonese, through a private member's bill, recently introduced a number of
amendments to the draconic Public Order and Security Act (POSA) which did
not down well with most Zanu PF MPs. They argued the amendment will weaken
police powers thereby creating lawlessness.


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Two MDC Youth activists injured in hit-and-run at Epworth, Harare

Zimbabwe Information Centre Inc

PO Box K824, HAYMARKET NSW 1240

www.zic.com.au

Media Release

March 22, 2010,

Two MDC Youth activists injured in hit-and-run at Epworth, Harare

Alice Banda and Rutendo Bvute were badly injured last Saturday when hit by a car while walking off the roadway at Epworth, the poor urban area on the northern edge of Harare. The two were taken to hospital by police, but the identity of the attacker remains a mystery. Alice and Rutendo are sure that it was a punishment attack by ZANU-PF militia.

Alice Banda has a deep head wound, now with eight stitches, severe grazing on her right shoulder, and extensive bruising. Rutendo Bvuke has a dislocated shoulder and elbow.

The pair had just distributed a suitcase full of clothes among some of the poorest youth in Epworth – a gift from Zimbabwe democracy supporters in New York.

Alice Banda was badly torture din the election violence in 2008, and has been courageous in continuing to work in Epworth. Both she and Rutendo have been badly injured three times now in political violence.

Initially the police stated that the driver did not have a licence and that he had been detained at the Epworth Police Station. But when Alice and Rutendo reported to the police after they were released from hospital, they were told that the driver had been released, but had left his name, address and driver’s licence.

Alice and Rutendo allege that they can identify the driver - a well-known member of the ZANU-PF militia – and the owner of the vehicle, a local ‘war vet’ in the militia mould.

Both had been injured on February 21 this year when ZANU-PF militia in four vehicles drove into an MDC rally called to discuss the proposed new constitution.

Local MDC Senator and co-Minister for National Healing, Integration and Reconciliation, Mrs Sekai Holland, is still waiting for a response from the co-Ministers for Home Affairs to her request for an investigation of the attack on February 21.

“These flashes of violence indicate that the work of the Organ for National Healing needs to be speeded up. But a lack of reliable funding has slowed it down,” said Senator Holland. “I believe that National Healing has now the same high priority as the consultation on a new Constitution”.

Mr Jembere, the MDC MP for Epworth, said that community members want an urgent consultative meeting at Epworth where the official monitoring team for the Global Political Agreement, the two Home Affairs Ministers and the three Ministers for National Healing can listen to the views of the Epworth residents who are resolutely opposed to any continued political violence.

The residents report that the ZANU-PF militia bases that were operating in February have now been re-opened in the guise of licenced wood-selling businesses, run by the same people. The bases are: Donoro in Ward 2, Harare South constituency; in Epworth constituency -  Ward 7 - Garakara and Mai Mawire, Ward 6 – Makandira, Ward 5 – Kadumbu and Solani, and Ward 4 - Reuben.

Mr Jembere said that the presence of these thinly disguised militia bases is making the community very uneasy.

For further comment: Peter Murphy     0418 312 301

Photos of Alice and Rutendo are available.

 

 

 

Coordinator

SEARCH Foundation

www.search.org.au

Level 3, 110 Kippax St,

Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia

Ph: +61 2 9211 4164; Fax: +61 2 9211 1407

ABN 63 050 096 976

 

promoting democracy, social justice and environmental sustainability

 

This email is provided by the SEARCH Foundation as an information service. Any views expressed are those of the author/s, and not necessarily those of the SEARCH Foundation.


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Another person linked to the Mnangagwa saga



Got another number today.  This fellow has been involved with evicting
commercial farmers from their farms.  He evicted a farmer in Somabhula
last week Tuesday 16 March 2010.  He has been placed in Gweru by
Mugabe.

Only have his surname.

Kanengoni       +26311329807    (this is his mobile number, people
should feel free to call or text him as well)

[This information from a contact in Zimbabwe - Ed.]


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CHRA to conduct a meeting with ZEDC on electricity billing


 

CNewLog2145 Robert Mugabe Way, Exploration House, Third Floor; Website: www.chra.co.zw

Contacts: Mobile: 0913 042 981, 0912 864 572, 011862012 or email info@chra.co.zw, admin@chra.co.zw, ceo@chra.co.zw

 

 

 

 

 

22 March 2010

 

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) will hold a meeting with The Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company (ZEDC) to discuss and map the way forward on the power utility’s billing system that has raised an outcry from residents. The meeting will be conducted tomorrow at 2.30pm at the ZEDC head offices in Samora Machel.

 

CHRA   is urging   all residents   who have queries on their electricity bills to bring their bills to the CHRA offices tomorrow by 2pm. Other useful information that will be needed includes receipts of previous payments, actual meter readings conducted by the residents themselves vis-à-vis the readings indicated on electricity bills. Residents with queries are also welcome to attend the meeting.

 

Please contact Loreen on 0913 042 981 for more details.

 

CHRA Information, making the implicit, explicit


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Did Zuma find a more muscular way than Mbeki of squeezing Mugabe?

Comment from The Cape Times (SA), 22 March

Peter Fabricius

What are we to make of the apparent "breakthrough" deal which President Zuma
pulled off in Zimbabwe last week? Zuma announced only in very general terms
that Zimbabwe's three parties had agreed at last to fully implement their
commitments under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) which they had signed
in September, 2008, to create the framework for the coalition government
they launched in February last year. Mugabe has not kept his word, thereby
paralysing the government. Zuma, the official Zimbabwe facilitator appointed
by his regional peers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC),
went to Harare with a new determination to sort out the problem. He put a
lot of effort into it, devoting more than two days to wide consultations
with the leaders of the three parties in the unity government - Mugabe,
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara - and other key players.

Most notably he personally met the three officials whose positions have
become contentious in the quarrel among parties. These were Reserve Bank
governor Gideon Gono, attorney-general Johannes Tomana and Deputy
Agricultural Minister-elect Roy Bennett, MDC treasurer-general. Mugabe had
unilaterally re-appointed the first two in breach of at least the spirit, if
not also of the letter, of the GPA. Conversely, Mugabe has refused to
appoint Bennett to his government position because he has been charged with
treason for allegedly trying to overthrow Mugabe's government by force.
Though no one has divulged any details of what Zuma persuaded the parties to
do, leaks to the media agree that Mugabe will now at least appoint several
MDC officials as provincial governors.

The media leaks differ on Gono, some saying he is on his way out, others
that the MDC has agreed he can stay because the MDC no longer regards him as
important because most of his powers have been transferred to MDC Finance
Minister Tendai Biti. Some leaks also suggest that the treason charges
against Bennett will be dropped and that he will be appointed to the
government, but in a different portfolio. And, apparently as a sop to
Mugabe, the three parties will form a joint delegation to lobby Western
powers directly to lift their targeted sanctions against him and his
cronies. These would all be promising developments. But of course Mugabe
reneged on countless agreements to Zuma's predecessor in the facilitation
job, former President Thabo Mbeki, not least his signature on the GPA
itself. And so a weary world is asking how many more times we have to hear
the Zimbabweans agree once again to do what they have already agreed to do
so many times before.

But power-sharing negotiations are like that. Those conceding power, as
Mugabe ostensibly is, generally resist every inch of the way. Perhaps there
is a difference this time because it was Zuma, not Mbeki, facilitating.
Perhaps he did at last put the squeeze on Mugabe. We shall see. But even if
Mugabe does fire Tomana and others, we should not take our beady eyes off
him. He has been known to concede past battles while he redeploys his troops
to a new front. In this regard, why have we had no leaks about Mugabe's
unilateral transfer of substantial powers from several MDC ministries to his
own Zanu PF ministers? These included significant control of the electoral
machinery. Has Mugabe decided that Gono has already fleeced the Treasury and
Tomana has also served his purpose, and that all that counts now its to keep
control of the electoral apparatus to ensure he wins the election due next
year, which will end the unity government? It would be unwise to conclude,
even if he has conceded this battle, that he has also surrendered in his
lifelong war to seize and hold power.

 


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When do sanctions become restrictions?

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by The Zimbabwean
Monday, 22 March 2010 16:26
The other day I was approached by an elderly member of Zanu (PF) leadership
in Harare and asked "How did you overcome sanctions during the Smith regime?
" We discussed his question and I discovered that this man actually believed
the propaganda that was being peddled by the State controlled media that the
devastation that we see all around us is the result of western "sanctions"
on the country.
I then outlined what sanctions against the Smith government had entailed. I
told him that in 1967, the United Nations had imposed global, mandatory
sanctions on Rhodesia covering all commercial and financial activities.
Under these sanctions no UN Member State was allowed to trade with or to
transact financial dealings of any kind with Rhodesia - they were a blanket
ban on trade and finance and had universal application. I said that the
Rhodesian government had overcome the sanctions regime largely because a
small number of States were prepared to circumvent the restrictions.
Nevertheless, their impact was immediate and far reaching and the State
response to these limitations was to transform the economy, make it more
diversified, less reliant on international trade and finance and despite
every effort by the international community, the Rhodesian dollar was still
worth two US dollars at independence in 1980. Rhodesia had virtually no debt
and all the development that was evident had been paid for from own
resources. A remarkable achievement in the light of the fact that the State
had been fighting a civil war for a decade.

Tatty governance
I then outlined what had happened to the Zimbabwe government in the past
decade or so. I said that the government had been in trouble well before
1997 - budget deficits had consistently exceeded what is regarded as being
prudent (averaging 9 per cent of GDP for many years), the national debt was
growing exponentially, the land reform programme was in trouble and the
State was ignoring both the views of stakeholders and key advisors. Zimbabwe's
reputation as a democratic state that recognised and applied the basis rules
of good governance was looking decidedly tatty.
It was in this context that the international community and the multilateral
institutions reacted as they did when the Zimbabwe government paid out to
the war veterans nearly a billion US dollars in 1997 and then committed
itself to the war in the Congo at a cost of US$1,5 million a day. Money
Zimbabwe simply did not have and within a short time the economy started to
decline and the Zimbabwe dollar devalue.
Initially, all that the multilaterals did was to apply their normal rules
for States that are in default in respect to debt and basic macro economic
fundamentals. They suspended us from the Fund and the World Bank and
withdrew their support. Even then the international community did little to
bring the Zimbabwe government into line with globally accepted fundamentals.
However, when the Government continued to abuse its power and authority at
the expense of the majority and flaunted all the norms of democratic
practice and all basic human rights, the demand for action against what was
called a rogue regime became ever more strident.
The first serious measure taken was the adoption, by the United States
Congress of legislation in 2002 that basically reinforced the actions taken
by the multilaterals and in addition imposed restrictions on Zimbabwe until
democratic values and norms were reinstated and respected. These additional
restrictions made it illegal for American firms and agencies to engage with
the Zimbabwe government but did not impose any trade or financial
restrictions on the country.

Not sanctions
When further serious violations of human rights and democratic practice took
place and macro economic delinquency became more rampant, the United States
and the European Union as well as Australia and New Zealand, began to impose
restrictions on individuals whom they felt were responsible for the worst of
the violations of the norms of good governance. These restrictions froze
assets (largely ineffective) and imposed restrictions on entry to their
respective countries on any business except those activities related to the
UN.
Such restrictions do not constitute "sanctions" in any way from a national
perspective. They simply made it difficult for about 200 individuals to
travel and they limited what those individuals could do in the countries
that were imposing the ban. The UN cannot in any way, compare them to the
sanctions regime imposed on the Rhodesians. They affect a minority of the UN
membership and are strictly bilateral - the leadership of the implementing
organisation in each case governs them.
Even while they have been attempting to influence the State by these
carefully considered and designed restrictions, the States applying the
restrictions have poured US$7 billion dollars into humanitarian and
development assistance in Zimbabwe. Half of this aid has come from just two
countries - the United States and the United Kingdom. Most of the balance
has emanated from the European Union and Austral Asia. Trade with these same
countries has been maintained and even increased as a percentage of our
national trade statistics.
Despite this massive inflow of resources and easy access to export markets,
the Zimbabwe economy has collapsed - GDP declining to 40 per cent and we now
have the lowest GDP per capita in the region. Exports have fallen two thirds
and life expectancy has crashed to 35 years from over 60 in the 80's. All
social indicators are negative - child mortality, nutrition, literacy and
our school and university systems are in a shambles.
The most obvious symbol of collapse was the Zimbabwe dollar, which
eventually had to be withdrawn and replaced by the US dollar. A final
humiliating loss of sovereignty and ceding control of our monetary system to
the US Central Bank. The restrictions imposed on selected individual and
organisations do not in any way explain this collapse, it was entirely
self-grown.
I felt sorry for the old man from Zanu (PF) because this failure is a
failure for all of them - even if they were not directly responsible for the
decisions that gave rise to this situation. The sense of failure is palpable
and I can see George Nyandoro and other liberation stalwarts turning in
their graves at what has happened to the tribe that lost its way and now
does not know the way home.


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Trust me and come on over !!

http://www.morningmirror.africanherd.com/

Tourism in Zimbabwe and the World Cup

I read an article recently quoting the CEO of one of Zimbabwe's
largest tourism groups which said Zimbabwe could expect 40  000
visitors as a spin off from the World Cup Soccer in June of this year.

In the same publication the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism has stated
that the country's tourism sector is expected to increase  its
contribution to the Gross Domestic Product by 400 % !!

Well last week we took a little spin up to Hwange and the Vic Falls to
see for ourselves.

The roads were quiet, there were two tolls between Bulawayo and the
Falls at $1.00 each and several roadblocks.

The police officers at the road blocks were very civil in general
except for the one at the Dete/ Kamativi crossroads.They  have always
been a militant , belligerent bunch and their commanding officer needs
to have a quiet word in their ear !!

With tourism becoming a major player once again in the economy, these
sweet folk need to be made aware that they need to be  civil to
ordinary people in the vehicles passing through their check point !!

Police check points are great if they are looking after speeding cars,
unroadworthy cars and drunken drivers but why be rude,  objectionable
and harsh to a  car load of tourists for absolutely no reason at all ?

Our first stop was that magical place Hwange Safari Lodge. Ah ....
many evocative memories were resurrected as this was one  of our prime
destinations as young marrieds, where the fabulous waterhole is in
full view of the rooms and the gardens, and  the piece de resistance
was a visit to sundowner boma on stilts.

Sadly we comprised three people of the six in total who were visiting
the Safari Lodge  that night ! The staff admitted to a  ten percent
average occupancy for the last ten years ! A two hundred bed hotel,
right on the edge of one of the most glorious  game parks in the
world, and we were six people in total to dinner !!

The dinner was excellent, the service was fabulous, the rooms were
most appealing in their decor and undoubtedly acceptable  except for
the zircon but that should not affect the World Cup visitors as June
is a relatively "cool" month in Hwange.

The little bar on stilts was sad as it was not being used and judging
by the smell  the baboons had obviously taken up  residence !!
Solution - reintroduce the famous  Flame Lily Holidays, re-instate the
triangular flights between The Falls,  Hwange and Kariba and make
Zimbabwe one of the great tourist destinations it once was.

Our game parks knock spots off the Kruger as there is not the plethora
of safari companies working the park. We have more  lions, elephant,
buck and cats and we are still wild, desolate and unspoiled, the real
and most authentic way to see nature  in the wild.

Our next stop was the Victoria Falls and here we stayed at the
Lokuthula Lodges. They too were fabulous. Beautifully  decorated, wide
open to the night sounds, well protected by every means available for
the tourists ' safety and comfort.

The Falls were certainly not busy, but they were spectacular. The
water level unseasonably high, we were drenched at the end  of our
pilgrimage from the Giant Baobab tree, past Dr Livingstone and down
past the most amazing of all the world's natural  wonders, as far as
the bungi jumping off the falls bridge.

The Vic Falls tourist authority has the touts well curbed, there is
such peace, tranquillity, and security, and yet once  again "no
tourists"

The TIPs "Tour inclusive Parties"as the tour operators call them were
quite well patronized. and buses carrying passengers to  and from the
hotels and the airport and to and from their various inclusive tours,
were plentiful.

Well done to the handful of tour operators who have taken the
initiative to  try and bring tourism back to the country, but  there
is room for lots lots more !!

The fabulous shops were empty of customers and yet full to bursting
with excellent quality hand made crafts.

Weddings have become quite popular at the Falls and the Vic Falls
Safari Lodge was alive with an ebullient  Irish wedding  party, but
there were literally hundreds of rooms, in several top class hotels,
at not bad prices, waiting to be occupied  once we get our good
reputation back after a lost  Zimbabwean decade.

The famous sundowner cruise was just the same and then the dash to the
Boma restaurant was easy as no one dresses for dinner  !! The staff at
the Boma ensure you are dressed for the occasion as they doll you up
in ethnic colorful sarongs, they wash  your hands for you, and they
paint your face so no need for make up !!

A fascinating old witchdoctor is on hand to read fortunes, and a
traveling barman made us the most fabulous of cocktails -  the Kenyan
"dawa" made of some ferocious spirit, lemon, lime and honey !!

Then the party started, we were taught noisy  African Drum  solos,
treated to fabulous rhythmic dance routines and fed an  absolutely
delicious smorgasbord which included Eland, Warthog, Kudu, local
fruits and berries as well as more traditional  western fare.

If you would care to get n touch with me I can send you the e mail
addresses of several reputable and caring tour operators  who can look
after your every need for a magical, safe inexpensive tour of
Zimbabwe, far away from the madding crowds that  will be South Africa
during the World Cup in June 2010 !!

Trust the local tour operators, they know the lie of the land, they
know where there is fuel, good food and safety, they know  where you
will not be taken for a ride price wise too.

No charge, I get nothing from it, I just LOVE Zimbabwe and know it
deserves so much more....

 magskriel@mac.com

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