http://www.newzimbabwe.com
28/03/2013 00:00:00
by Phyllis
Mbanje
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has filed papers at the High
Court
challenging President Robert Mugabe’s plan to hold elections for a
substantive government before June 29 this year, arguing he was not
consulted over the time-frame.
High Court Justice George Chiweshe on
Thursday postponed to April 3 a
hearing into an application by Mugabe
seeking to be excused from a court
order compelling him to announce the
dates for by-elections in Nkayi South,
Bulilima East and Lupane East
constituencies.
The postponement followed an application by Tsvangirai
who wants to be
included among the respondents, insisting that Mugabe cannot
come up with an
election time frame without consulting him.
“I n
terms of the current constitutional dispensation, the applicant
(President
Robert Mugabe), in the main matter, has to consult me in my
official
capacity before he makes a proclamation relating to the dissolution
of
Parliament,” the MDC-T leader said in papers filed by his lawyer, Chris
Mhike.
“It came as a surprise for me at the Applicant has neither
conferred nor
consulted me. It is imperative that as individuals occupying
the highest
offices of the land we act within the parameters of the law and
where there
are peremptory constitutional provisions and procedures that
have to be
followed, we give them life and credence.”
The
constituencies became vacant after MDC legislators Abednico Bhebhe
(Nkayi
South) Njabuliso Mguni (Bulilima) and Norman Mpofu (Lupane East) were
expelled from the party for allegedly working in with the rival
MDC-T.
The former legislators however, successfully petitioned for new
elections to
be conducted at the courts which ordered Mugabe to announce a
poll date by
March 31.
However, the President wants the courts to
allow the by-elections to be held
as part of the general vote which he said
would be held by June 29, a time
frame that is however opposed by his
coalition partners.
In his application to be included as a responded in
the case Tsvangirai
argued: “Considering that the applicant (President
Mugabe) has made material
allegations relating to the dissolution of
parliament more specifically
outlining dates when such dissolution is to
occur I believe I should be
given an opportunity to comment.
“I
verily believe that is my duty to illuminate the impossibility of the
applicant’s proposed timelines.
“The applicant makes an assumption that
the elections which will be held by
the 29th of June. He does not tell the
court what must happen should he be
afforded relief and the elections are
not held on the said date.”
In his application, Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa, who is representing
Mugabe, said it would be uneconomic
for the country hold the three
constituencies shortly before general
elections which he insists must be
held by June 29.
“It does not make
economic or practical sense to conduct a parallel process
leading to the
holding of by-elections about the time it is anticipated to
hold harmonised
elections,” Chinamasa said.
“Compliance with the order to publish a
proclamation for the holding of
by-elections in the three constituencies is
no longer feasible as a general
election is now imminent.”
But the
MDC formations have rejected Chinamasa’s proposed time-frame with
MDC-T
secretary general and Finance Minister Tendai Biti warning that his
party
would boycott an election held before June 29.
The MDCs have said
completion of the constitutional reforms will take longer
than Chinamasa
anticipates adding more reforms must also be implemented to
ensure a
credible vote.
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/
Staff Reporter 22 hours 36
minutes ago
ZANU PF senior members have savaged President Jacob Zuma’s
International
Relations Adviser, Lindiwe Zulu castigating her for saying the
29th of June
election date is feasible due to a number of issues to be
finalised
Speaking to State media, Zanu PF Politburo member Professor
Jonathan Moyo
said President Robert Mugabe is the only one mandated by the
constitution to
announce the election date.
He said SADC’s role is to
facilitate the processes in the country and not to
supervise.
Moyo
also said the country and its people should note that at midnight on
the
29th of June, parliament automatically seizes to exist, adding that even
if
the executive can extend its lifespan, this has never happened as
Zimbabwe
follows constitutional discipline.
Another Zanu PF loyalist, Godwills
Masimirembwa concurred with Moyo, saying
the three parties in the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) should know that
elections will come after
parliament’s adoption of the new constitution.
The two MDC formations
want elections after the 29th of June, arguing that
there is still
unfinished business in the GPA.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai has filed papers at the High
Court challenging President Robert
Mugabe’s plan to hold elections for a
substantive government before June 29
this year, arguing he was not
consulted over the time-frame.
High
Court Justice George Chiweshe on Thursday postponed to April 3 a
hearing
into an application by Mugabe seeking to be excused from a court
order
compelling him to announce the dates for by-elections in Nkayi South,
Bulilima East and Lupane East constituencies.
The postponement
followed an application by Tsvangirai who wants to be
included among the
respondents, insisting that Mugabe cannot come up with an
election time
frame without consulting him.
“I n terms of the current constitutional
dispensation, the applicant
(President Robert Mugabe), in the main matter,
has to consult me in my
official capacity before he makes a proclamation
relating to the dissolution
of Parliament,” the MDC-T leader said in papers
filed by his lawyer, Chris
Mhike.
“It came as a surprise for me at
the Applicant has neither conferred nor
consulted me. It is imperative that
as individuals occupying the highest
offices of the land we act within the
parameters of the law and where there
are peremptory constitutional
provisions and procedures that have to be
followed, we give them life and
credence.”
The constituencies became vacant after MDC legislators
Abednico Bhebhe
(Nkayi South) Njabuliso Mguni (Bulilima) and Norman Mpofu
(Lupane East) were
expelled from the party for allegedly working in with the
rival MDC-T.
The former legislators however, successfully petitioned for
new elections to
be conducted at the courts which ordered Mugabe to announce
a poll date by
March 31.
However, the President wants the courts to
allow the by-elections to be held
as part of the general vote which he said
would be held by June 29, a time
frame that is however opposed by his
coalition partners.
In his application to be included as a responded in
the case Tsvangirai
argued: “Considering that the applicant (President
Mugabe) has made material
allegations relating to the dissolution of
parliament more specifically
outlining dates when such dissolution is to
occur I believe I should be
given an opportunity to comment.
“I
verily believe that is my duty to illuminate the impossibility of the
applicant’s proposed timelines.
“The applicant makes an assumption that
the elections which will be held by
the 29th of June. He does not tell the
court what must happen should he be
afforded relief and the elections are
not held on the said date.”
In his application, Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa, who is representing
Mugabe, said it would be uneconomic for the
country hold the three
constituencies shortly before general elections which
he insists must be
held by June 29.
“It does not make economic or
practical sense to conduct a parallel process
leading to the holding of
by-elections about the time it is anticipated to
hold harmonised elections,”
Chinamasa said.
“Compliance with the order to publish a proclamation for
the holding of
by-elections in the three constituencies is no longer
feasible as a general
election is now imminent.”
But the MDC
formations have rejected Chinamasa’s proposed time-frame with
MDC-T
secretary general and Finance Minister Tendai Biti warning that his
party
would boycott an election held before June 29.
The MDCs have said
completion of the constitutional reforms will take longer
than Chinamasa
anticipates adding more reforms must also be implemented to
ensure a
credible vote.
http://www.voazimbabwe.com
Blessing
Zulu
28.03.2013
WASHINGTON — South African president Jacob Zuma,
backed by fellow southern
African leaders, is insisting that Zimbabwe
implements a roadmap to
elections before rushing to proclaim a date for
general elections.
Zanu-PF wants elections to be held in June before
Zimbabwe and Zambia
co-host the United Nations World Tourism conference in
August.
But the two Movement for Democratic Change formations, now backed
by the
regional bloc, say reforms must take place first before the holding
of the
crucial polls.
The Southern African Development Community
(SADC) executive secretary Tomaz
Salomao said regional leaders will meet
soon to discuss Zimbabwe.
Lindiwe Zulu, President Jacob Zuma’s
international relations advisor, told
VOA that SADC is closely monitoring
Zimbabwe, adding that Mr. Zuma’s
facilitation team has been beefed-up by
three envoys from SADC who will
monitor the electoral
environment.
Political analyst Earnest Mudzengi of the Media Centre said
SADC has the
capacity to push Harare into implementing critical reforms
ahead of the
crucial elections.
But speaking to the state
broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation, State Security Minister
Sydney Sekeramayi, said the ploy by the
West to push for security sector
reforms is only meant to perpetuate the
regime change
agenda.
Regional leaders are pushing for security sector reforms ahead of
the
general election. Security forces are accused of dabbling in politics.
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
Staff Reporter 23 hours 23 minutes
ago
HARARE - The west’s calls for security sector reforms in Zimbabwe
have been
described by Zanu PF as well orchestrated plots to weaken the
country for
recolonisation.
The issue of security sector reforms in
Zimbabwe once again came under the
spot light this week in Britain during
the re-engagement meeting between
Zimbabwe and Britain together with her
allies.
Zanu PF has once again made its position clear, saying accepting
the reforms
is tantamount to allowing the country to be weakened so that it
can be
recolonised.
State Security Minister, Sydney Sekeramayi says
the ploy by the west to push
for security sector reforms is only meant to
perpetuate the regime change
agenda.
He said the west is simply
against those in high command in the police,
army, the air force and the
central intelligence organisation as they are
veterans of the liberation
struggle which toppled the colonial regime.
“That is a project by the
country’s enemies who want to weaken the state.
The security forces in the
country are internationally acclaimed and very
professional, that is why
they are called into peacekeeping missions. So
this is a mere project to
destabilise the country and it is not acceptable,”
said
Sekeramayi.
Sekeramayi said Zimbabwe’s security sector does not need
reforms from
elements that have been busy trying to incapacitate
it.
Analysts say true security sector reforms were formulated and
implemented
soon after independence when liberation forces and the Rhodesian
Front
soldiers were amalgamated.
Despite the west’s calls the
reforms, facts however show that African
countries that have weak security
structures have been infiltrated, causing
perennial civil wars and strife.
http://nehandaradio.com/
on March 29, 2013 at 1:55
pm
BOTSWANA will not accept Zimbabwean Temporary Travel Documents
with effect
from Monday, an official has said.
Assistant regional
immigration officer-in-charge of the Western Region,
based at Plumtree
Border Post Mr Nqobile Ncube said their Botswana
counterparts have
officially notified them of the development.
“The Botswana Immigration
Department has officially notified us that they
will not be accepting the
Zimbabwean TTDs as authentic travel documents
starting from 1
April.”
“There is nothing much that we can do to reverse this decision
because we
have tried to engage them, but they have clearly indicated that
they will be
rejecting our TTDs and we cannot force them to do
otherwise.”
Mr Ncube said Botswana immigration officials did not give
reasons for the
development. “People should just take note of this new
development as it
will affect them,” he said.
In 2010, South Africa
banned the use of emergency travel documents (ETDs)
and other travel papers
by countries in the Sadc region as it sought to
align its immigration system
with advanced security checks.
Following the development, hundreds of
Zimbabwean travellers were turned
back at the South African border. Mr Ncube
said Plumtree Border Post was
getting overwhelmed with travellers as the
number of people either entering
or leaving the country keeps
rising.
“Yesterday, we recorded a slight increase in the number of
travellers with
about 4 000 being cleared either entering or leaving the
country. On a
normal day we clear an average of 1 500 travellers, but by 4pm
yesterday the
number had increased.”
Mr Ncube said they had made
arrangements to handle the increase in the
number of travellers due to
Easter.
“We have arranged for a full staff turnout during the Easter
Holiday and as
such we do not expect the number of travellers to exceed our
working
capacity. We will be using outside counters as extra clearing points
to
ensure that people are not stuck at the border,” he said.
Mr Ncube
said his office had engaged its Botswana counterparts to avoid a
repeat of
the Christmas and New Year’s holidays when travellers spent long
hours in
queues waiting to be cleared at Ramokgwebana Border Post.
“We have been
holding several meetings with officials from the Botswana side
in the run-up
to the Easter Holiday to ensure that they are ready to handle
the increase
in the number of travellers being cleared.
“What I can say is that they
have increased the capacity of their computers,
the number of staff,
clearance points and they have also upgraded their
system. From our own
assessment, we are confident that this time around they
will be able to
handle whatever traffic comes their way,” he said.
http://www.ipsnews.net
By Jeffrey Moyo
HARARE, Mar 29
2013 (IPS) - As former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe employees
went to the Labour
Court in Harare this week hoping for a ruling in favour
of the finalisation
of their retrenchment packages, the country’s public and
private sectors
continue to lay off workers without paying the promised
compensation.
Economists in this southern African nation say
companies that have had to
cut down on their number of employees in order to
boost falling profits are
finding it hard to raise retrenchment packages for
their laid-off workers.
“The country’s economy is underperforming and
without local manufacturing
occurring, there is little or no money for
companies to award retrenchment
packages to laid-off workers,” independent
local economist Kingston
Nyakurukwa told IPS.
Hapson Munjanja,
another independent local economist, concurred and added
that businesses
could not be blamed for being unable to pay their laid-off
workers
compensation.
“It is not the fault of companies that retrenched workers
aren’t getting
their compensations, but government policies have never been
good for
employers to do profitable business as they scare away investors,”
he told
IPS.
But it has not stopped dismissed workers from seeking
compensation. On Mar.
27, 1,456 former RBZ employees were in the Labour
Court in Harare, as the
bank is yet to pay them their full retrenchment
packages after they were
laid off in 2011 in a desperate cost-cutting
measure. The case was postponed
to Apr. 3.
Webster Ngundu,
chairperson for the retrenched RBZ workers group, told IPS
that their
situation had degenerated into a humanitarian crisis.
“With no jobs and
with no retrenchment packages, several former RBZ workers
and their families
are no longer on medical aid. And many of our children
are at home because
we cannot afford the school fees,” Ngundu said.
“We have several cases
where former RBZ workers killed themselves after the
bank failed to fulfil
its promises, with more retrenched workers succumbing
to stress,” said
Ngundu.
Mildred Chikukwa, a 37-year-old single mother of four who was let
go from
RBZ in 2011, told IPS: “Owing to my desperate situation, I may as
well opt
for commercial sex work to feed my children.”
But RBZ
governor Gideon Gono has been on record claiming that the bank has
no money
to pay retrenched workers due to liquidity challenges. One of the
reasons is
because the central bank stopped printing money in 2009, opting
to adopt a
multi-currency regime to beat hyperinflation under the Zimbabwean
dollar.
The RBZ is not the only case as several other public and
private firms like
Rio Zim, a local mining company; Air Zimbabwe and the
Cotton Company of
Zimbabwe also dismissed hundreds of workers between 2011
and 2012.
While there are no recent figures, a 2009 report by the United
Nations
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that the
country’s
unemployment rate was 94 percent. A great majority now work in the
informal
sector. And renowned economist Eric Bloch went on record saying
that at the
peak of Zimbabwe’s economic crisis from 2000 to 2010, an
estimated 15,000 to
20,000 workers were retrenched.
Statistics by the
Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) show that
even after the
country’s economic crisis, retrenchments continue.
In 2011, 4,432 workers
were retrenched from both the private and public
sectors, compared to some
6,972 who were laid off in 2010. In 2012, the
Ministry of Labour and Social
Services alone approved the retrenchment of
1,681 workers nationwide,
bringing to over 6,100 the number of workers the
government approved for
retrenchment in less than two years.
“Several industries have turned into
shops, and the country (has turned)
from a manufacturing to a supermarket
economy,” Emcoz’s director, John
Mufukari, told IPS. He said that
retrenchments increased when the country
adopted a multi-currency regime,
and wages began surpassing production
levels.
One top labour ministry
official who preferred not to be named told IPS:
“Reduced product demand,
outdated machinery, lack of raw materials, lack of
working capital and low
production capacity are the factors leading to
retrenchment and the
subsequent shut down of industries.”
However, according to economists,
Zimbabwe’s retrenchment figures dropped in
the first nine months of 2012 to
3,060 from 4,432 in 2011.
Though economist Godfrey Dupwa told IPS that
this is because there are only
a few employees left to
retrench.
Percy Mcijo, tegional officer of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions, told
IPS that several companies initially failed to pay salaries to
their workers
prior to retrenching them.
“Due to the hardships they
experience living in towns, numerous laid-off
workers end up returning to
their rural homes, subsequently dying without
getting their retrenchment
packages,” Mcijo said.
Many retrenched workers, like 44-year-old Donson
Mbizi from Harare’s
low-income suburb Highfields, have not been able to find
steady employment
after losing their jobs.
“I lost my job in 2009 at
Patchway gold mine in Kadoma District (in
Mashonaland West), where I worked
for 16 years. Up to now, I haven’t
received my compensation and I’m now a
vegetable vendor,” Mbizi told IPS.
He said that although he took his
grievance to the labour courts, nothing
came of it.
But prominent
economist John Robertson from Robertson Economic Information
Services in
Harare questioned the concept of compensation.
“The idea that people are
deserving of compensation if their employers can
no longer retain them has
never been properly justified. The employees’
compensation for their labour
was given to them as their wage every month
while they were working. Why
should compensation continue when their work is
no longer needed?” Robertson
told IPS.
But chairperson for the Council of Social Workers in Zimbabwe
Philip Bohwasi
said that the lack of compensation for laid-off workers had a
bearing on
their dependents.
“The suffering of the retrenched workers
is transferred to their families,
children and spouses. Tension and stress
grows, leading to unwarranted
domestic disputes and eventual violence and
abuse of children,” Bohwasi told
IPS.
http://nehandaradio.com/
on March 29, 2013 at 5:39 pm
BIKITA – An MDC supporter allegedly
died after being denied medication by
the nurse in charge at Mukore Clinic,
Martin Mabasa who is a war veteran.
MDC secretary for Information and
Publicity for Bikita South Constituency
last week said Mavis Shava an MDC
supporter from Musvasva village in ward 8
went to Mukore Clinic to seek
medication two months ago but the nurse in
charge claimed he was not allowed
to work during weekends and public
holidays.
Saidi said Shava was
bleeding excessively when she was rushed to the clinic.
“Mabasa has been
on record saying he does not treat MDC supporters. He
openly told the
Musvasva family that he does not work during weekends .In
addition he said
MDC supporters should seek medical treatment from Prime
Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai.
“Mavis was in a critical condition when she was taken to the
clinic. She was
bleeding excessively after giving birth to twins. Mabasa
however turned them
away. He further said he had no time to attend to attend
to people who
support imperialist ideologies.
“We now have two
victims of circumstances and it is very sad. This is a
clear violation of
constitutional rights. Everyone has the right to medical
attention. The
level of callousness in Zanu PF is frightening. This reflects
the state of
Zanu PF `s animosity towards MDC supporters.
“We have a complicated
matter here so we hope JOMIC will immediately resolve
the matter, “said
Saidi.
Farai Musvasva, from the same ward who is related to the late
Mavis, said
former opposition party supporters were living in absolute fear
since
Mabasa`s attitude towards MDC supporters and members was
regrettable.
“Our relative passed away because of gross negligence and
politicking on the
part of Mabasa who has openly declared that he will never
attend to MDC
supporters. We have a very serious matter. People have to
travel for at
least 25 km to Chigumisirwa clinic to seek medical
attention.
“We believe that the medical centre was set up to serve the
local community
despite political affiliation. Mukore Clinic has been
literally turned into
a Zanu PF medical centre where the self styled war
veteran is using
government and council facilities to openly drum up support
for Zanu PF.
“Mabasa was confronted by JOMIC members and he has remained
unmoved. It is
the gravity of the matter that leaves us unsettled. Even if
he attends to
our supporters you never know what he is up to. We have
written several
letters to the Ministry of Health but we have not seen any
change, “said
Musvasva.
The local MDC leadership has since appealed
to JOMIC to reign in on the
errant nurse whose behavior is sending shock
waves in the community. “We
will continue pestering JOMIC because they carry
our hopes of resolving the
matter as a matter of urgency, “said Saidi.
http://nehandaradio.com/
on March 29, 2013 at 4:40 pm
HARARE – Yet
another clash between police and touts erupted on Wednesday at
fourth street
bus terminus causing a dramatic scene. The touts were
protesting against
police who used a private recovery vehicle to tow a kombi
that they had
impounded for causing a traffic jam.
Police round up touts at the
Speke Avenue rank in Harare last year as part
of the blitz to rid the city
of rank marshals and touts who were terrorising
commuters and extorting
money from kombi operators.
The kombi driver, Phillip Kamoto, incited his
colleagues against the driver
of Bless It Up Recovery registration ACH 6848
that was hired by police. He
argued that this move was not above board, a
claim that the police
dismissed. The kombi belongs to one E. Kaseke from
Borrowdale.
“Mavekuita zvekupanana mari that is why you called that
private car,” one of
the touts shouted. Phillip said that the police officer
snatched the keys
from him as he was reversing to give way to the kombi
which was about to
leave the rank.
“The police officer failed to
drive the car after he snatched the keys from
me and the car is now facing
mechanical problems,” said Phillip. “What we
are not comfortable with is
their idea of calling a private recovery car to
tow my vehicle,” he
added.
The driver of the private recovery vehicle refused to entertain
reporters.
Police are on a clampdown to flash out unroadworthy vehicles off
the road
and also bring sanity at designated bus terminus. H Metro
http://www.postzambia.com
By Gift Chanda and Edwin Mbulo
Fri 29
Mar. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ZAMBIA and Zimbabwe should work hard towards making
the UNWTO General
Assembly a success because of its benefits to the two host
countries, a
senior UNWTO executive has said.
Helder Tomas, the UNWTO
deputy director for Africa region, said the general
assembly in August stood
to boost the small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
sector in Zambia and
Zimbabwe as well as give the two countries an
opportunity to market
themselves as ultimate tourism destinations.
The two countries will co-host
the 20th session of the UNWTO General
Assembly from August 24 to August 29
in Victoria Falls Town and Livingstone.
"We are expecting delegates from all
over the world. From America, Asia, the
Middle East…all of them heading to
Zambia and Zimbabwe and all of them are
to be transported, entertained, fed
and accommodated and that brings along a
number of opportunities for Zambia
and Zimbabwe's SMEs," Tomas said on
Wednesday.
"It also gives a unique
opportunity for the promotion of the Victoria Falls,
the promotion of
Zambia, Zimbabwe and Africa as a tourism destination.
Therefore, we need to
really work together to make this event successful."
On the just-ended
regional media workshop, Tomas said the UNWTO was
satisfied that the
objectives of highlighting to journalists the deeper
meaning of tourism were
achieved.
A Nigerian delegate, Ikechi Uko said participants had been enriched
with a
paradigm shift in tourism reporting.
Meanwhile, information deputy
minister Mwansa Kapeya urged the media in
Africa to take a leading role in
telling the continent's success stories to
the outside world.
Kapeya said
there were many good happenings in Africa which unfortunately
had largely
gone untold and, therefore, unheard.
He said the international media's
perception of Africa had often focused on
the negative side of the continent
such as poverty and crime.
"The lesson from this is that the world owes us no
obligation to market our
continent, hence it is Africa's duty to tell its
own story to the outside
world. I therefore implore the media on the
continent to lead the way in
telling Africa's success stories," said
Kapeya.
He, however, noted that the media could not tell stories and educate
the
public unless they were informed and educated first.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/
Publish Date: Mar 28,
2013
By Henry Sekanjako
The leadership of the Ugandans in the
diaspora are investigate circumstances
under which over 5,000 Ugandans are
being detained in Zimbabwe and South
Africa without trial.
The
development follows media reports that there are about 5,800 Ugandans
held
in prisons of both countries for unspecified period of time.
The media
recently quoted the executive director human rights defenders
Gideon Tugume,
saying; "More than 500 Ugandan prisoners have been identified
in South
Africa (mainly in Pretoria and Johannesburg) and more than 5,000 in
Zimbabwe".
However the head of Diaspora, Elogu said they had embarked
on investigations
to ascertain the actual number of Ugandans being held in
both countries and
the reason for their arrest.
"We want to find out
who is where, have they been charged, we want to ensure
that due process is
followed, you cannot keep people in the cells for long,"
said
Elogu.
He made the remarks yesterday during a press conference on the
fourth coming
Uganda convention Nordics 2013 which will take place starting
28 -30 June in
Stockholm Sweden.
Elogu who could not confirm the
alleged 5,000 number of arrested Ugandans in
both countries said; "we are
trying to get in touch with our local embassies
there, to get the exact
number it is difficult to say how many were
arrested".
He however
urged Ugandans abroad to respect policies of countries where they
travel for
greener pasture.
"When you travel and infringe on certain aspects of the
law of that country,
chances are high you would be arrested," he
said.
Many Ugandans have been victims of arrest in many foreign countries
such as
china where they have been arrested for long without
trial.
Meanwhile, the chairman Ugandan convention Nordics, Peter Ntende
said
preparations for the Ugandan convention Nordics 2013, were in high
gear.
He said they would use the convention to promote Uganda's tourism
and oil
sector to potential investors in the Nordic countries such as
Sweden,
Denmark Norway among others to attract more investors to Uganda.
http://www.herald.co.zw
Friday, 29 March 2013
00:00
Beitbridge Bureau
LIONS believed to have strayed from
Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana
have descended on Maramani area here
where they are reportedly killing
livestock.
Maramani ward councillor,
Clr Luka Ndou yesterday said Shashe and Limpopo
were the worst affected
villages where 10 cattle have so far been killed by
the predators.
“A
pride of lions from Botswana has strayed into Maramani area where it is
preying on our livestock and so far we have reports of 10 cattle having been
killed.
“This is an issue of grave concern particularly taking into
account that
local villagers rely on cattle farming for a living.
“We
are appealing to the relevant authorities to address this problem as a
matter of urgency,” he said.
Mr Morgan Muleya, one of the affected
villagers, said: “The lions have
killed two beasts from my kraal while my
neighbour lost two calves. What
continues to worry us as villagers is that
relevant authorities were
notified but they are not doing anything to
address the problem.”
Clr Ndou also expressed concern over hyenas, which are
reportedly
terrorising villagers in the same area.
He said villagers
were losing an average of 20 livestock per month to the
hyenas.
“The
hyenas mainly target donkeys while grazing at night and every month we
get
reports of about 20 animals, especially donkeys having been attacked by
hyenas,” said Clr Ndou.
Clr Ndou said efforts were being made to
engage a local safari operator to
address the problem, which has affected
the villagers since last year.
The village head for Maramani, Mr John
Maramani said their records indicated
that so far more than 100 donkeys have
been killed.
Maramani is situated at the confluence of the Limpopo and Tuli
Rivers.
Meanwhile, a serious shortage of public transport has hit
Maramani and
surrounding areas resulting in unscrupulous unregistered
transport operators
capitalising on the situation by charging exorbitant
fares.
Clr Ndou expressed concern and urged Government to chip in with
assistance.
“We are facing a serious problem of transport to travel between
Beitbridge
and Maramani ward and villagers are currently relying on one bus,
which
plies the route once a week leaving them at the mercy of private
transporters who charge high fares,” he said.
A single journey to
Beitbridge cost R150 using a private transport while
buses charge R80 for
the same distance.
“We are appealing to Government to bring back Zupco buses,
which used to ply
the route at affordable fares and again we are also urging
other bus
companies to come on board as the fares charged by private
vehicles are
beyond the reach of an average person,” said Clr
Ndou.
Bus operators are shunning the Beitbridge-Maramani route citing bad
roads.
Most of the roads and bridges linking the area with Beitbridge town
were
damaged by floods resulting in them being inaccessible.
Several
transporters have pulled out of the route.
Some of the bridges, which were
destroyed more than 10 years ago by Cyclone
Eline-induced rains in 2000,
have not yet been repaired.
Villagers in the area are also facing a
problem of communication and the
locals rely on South African and Botswana
mobile networks.
“We are appealing to local mobile network providers to
install boosters in
our area to improve on communication.
“It’s a
quite a big challenge to contact an ambulance from Beitbridge in the
event
of disaster as we rely on foreign networks, which are quite expensive
and
unreliable in terms of coverage,” said Clr Ndou.
Some villagers in
Limpopo are forced to walk long distances in search of
medical attention at
Shashe Clinic, situated about 20km away.
Maramani ward is situated 120km west
of Beitbridge town and the area lies
along the country’s borders with
Botswana and South Africa.
Due to its proximity to Greater Mapungubwe
Trans-frontier Conservation Area,
a vast safari land jointly shared by
Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa,
villagers have not been spared either
by stray elephants which continue to
destroy their crops.
The jumbos have
destroyed crops and canals at Bili and Jalukange irrigation
schemes.
At Shashe irrigation scheme, prior to the electrification of
the fence, the
jumbos had pulled down the fence and destroyed the
canals.
Clr Ndou urged the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to electrify
Jalukange
and Bili irrigation schemes to deter elephants from straying into
the
fields.
Many farmers have also lost massive crops due to the
destruction by the
jumbos.
http://nehandaradio.com
on March 29, 2013 at 3:40
pm
HARARE – The Fifa executive committee have quashed
sanctions imposed on all
players and officials, entangled in the Asiagate
match-fixing scandal, with
a landmark declaration that an endorsement of the
punishments would be a
gross violation of the spirit of Fair
Play.
The world football governing body’s secretary-general, Jerome
Valcke, was
instructed by the executive committee to bring the matter to
finality,
“without any further prejudice to the players and officials” whose
careers
have been derailed by the Asiagate drama.
Fifa have also
thrown out the sanctions that Zifa imposed on three
journalists — Robson
Sharuko, Hope Chizuzu and Josh Munthali — by ruling
that the local
association stepped beyond its authority and does not have
jurisdiction to
mete out such punishment on media practitioners.
Zifa’s attempts to dress
Chizuzu as football official, which would then
subject him to be liable for
punishment under Fifa statutes, have also been
dismissed with Fifa saying
the local association failed to provide
supporting documents, within the set
timeline, to back the status they
imposed on the journalist.
Even if
Zifa had successfully backed their claims that Chizuzu was a
Monomotapa
official during the club’s controversial trip to Asia in 2009,
and did not
travel in his capacity as a journalist, their sanctions would
still not have
been endorsed in the spirit of Fair Play.
The Fifa executive committee
also took a swipe at Zifa saying it was
registering its “total dismay and
unhappiness at the conduct, or lack of it,
of Zifa in providing the
necessary documentation in a matter they were
supposed to have heard and
tried, leaving us in doubt of whether the matter
was handled according to
the provisions of the law.”
CAPS United coach Taurai Mangwiro, Shabanie
coach Luke Masomere and Dynamos
centreback Guthrie Zhokinyi have borne the
brunt of the Zifa sanctions,
which had been effective on the domestic scene
only, and Fifa’s ruling that
there should be “no further prejudice to
players and officials” gives them
their freedom to continue with their
careers.
The careers of their counterparts in South Africa, who had been
caught up in
the sanctions imposed by Zifa, like former Warriors’ coach,
Sunday
Chidzambwa, ex-Warriors’ skipper Method Mwanjali and BidVest Wits
defender
Thomas Sweswe, had not been frozen because the local association
has no
jurisdiction to dictate matters to Safa.
Only an endorsement
of the Zifa sanctions by Fifa, which would have given
the punishment a
global effect, would have frozen the careers of Chidzambwa,
Mwanjali and
Sweswe but the trio can now afford to sleep peacefully in the
wake of the
latest developments.
Valcke was scheduled to communicate the world
football governing body’s
official position, with regards the Asiagate
issue, in a letter and dossier
that was expected to have been received by
Zifa officials in Harare
yesterday.
The Fifa executive committee’s
position, taken at their indaba in Zurich on
Wednesday and Thursday last
week, had been embargoed, for the past week,
until an official position from
the world football governing body’s
secretariat had been communicated to
Zifa officials.
Fifa said until they advised otherwise, or Zifa complies
fully with the
provisions of laws that govern football in ensuring that
their process was
fully compliant with the provisions of the world governing
body’s
disciplinary code, the sanctions the local association imposed on
individuals cannot be enforced nor endorsed.
That means Zifa would
need to revisit each case and ensure that everyone was
properly cited in
being dragged to a disciplinary hearing, given a chance to
defend himself
and the outcome of that disciplinary procedure properly
communicated to him
or her.
But with the Zifa board having set a precedent, by making a
determination
before the cases had been heard at the primary platform for
such
disciplinary issues, it complicates matters and virtually puts any
processes, which might be arranged, in direct conflict with the spirit of
Fair Play.
The latest developments have also thrown into turmoil, the
appeal process
that had been set-up by Zifa, whose hearings were set to
commence soon.
A transcript of the Fifa executive committee indaba’s
discussion on
Asiagate, which has been obtained by The Herald, shows the
world football
governing body’s frustrations with Zifa’s reluctance to
co-operate with
them, by forwarding relevant documents needed to help the
Zurich-based
organisation, to make a determination on the matter.
On
four separate occasions Fifa officials, starting from October last year,
Fifa officials wrote to Zifa requesting for documentation but on each
occasion their requests were not answered, leaving the world football
governing body to make a final request on February 18 this year.
They
gave Zifa 10 days to forward the documents but nothing was forwarded
and
Zifa chief executive, Jonathan Mashingaidze, apparently lied, in
correspondence with the world football governing body, that he had already
sent four boxes — marked A to D — by DHL.
The Herald can reveal that,
contrary to Mashingaidze’s message to Fifa that
he sent the documents in
October last year, by DHL, the first bag, with
documents from Zifa, was only
sent on Monday, 18 March, by DHL and arrived
in Zurich three days later. It
weighed 14kgs.
The second bag was sent from Harare, by DHL, on Thursday,
March 21, the day
the Fifa executive meeting was scheduled to end, and
arrived in Zurich four
days later and it weighed 21kgs. This left the Fifa
executive committee with
no option but to make a determination on the
case.
The official transcript of the Fifa executive committee indaba’s
discussion
on Asiagate reads:
“Fifa Exco (executive committee) that
met in Zurich on 20-21 March 2013,
decided that after Zifa failed, despite
repeated reminders, to furnish the
Legal Affairs Department with a complete
transcript of their Disciplinary
proceeding against players and officials
sanctioned in October 2012, the
following must obtain:
(i) PLAYERS
AND/OR OFFICIALS’ SUSPENSION IS AND CANNOT BE SANCTIONED BY FIFA
IN THE
INTEREST OF FAIR PLAY.
ZIFA HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO AVAIL ALL
THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION
PERTAINING TO THE MATTER, BUT HAVE NOT DONE SO
SINCE THE FIRST COMMUNICATION
OVER THE ISSUE SIX (6) MONTHS AGO, A PAPER
TRAY OF COMMUNICATION ON FILE
SHOW.
(ii) The matter involving three
journalists Mr Robson Sharuko, Mr Hope
Chizuzu and Mr Josh Munthali, who
appear to have been sanctioned, is not
obtainable as according to the FDC,
Article 3, there is no provisional
authority over them.
According to
the Zifa letter dated 16 October 2012, seeking clarification on
the matter,
Fifa legal department advised, in a letter dated December 4,
2012, that they
can not act outside the provisions and scope of the law (Art
3 of
FDC).
Furthermore, for the avoidance of doubt, Fifa requested from Zifa
clarity on
the status of the journalist (Mr Hope Chizuzu), whom they
described as
former Monomotapa official. The December 7, 2012 deadline, by
which Zifa
were to provide evidence on the above, elapsed three (3) months
ago, giving
the impression of doubt on the fairness of the
exercise.
THE EXCO DECIDED THAT FIFA, AND INDEED ZIFA, CANNOT SANCTION
THE BANNING OF
JOURNALISTS AS THEY OPERATE OUTSIDE LAWS THAT GOVERN
FOOTBALL, ONLY THOSE
GOVERNED BY OUR LAWS CAN SUBMIT TO ITS PROVISIONS SUCH
AS PLAYERS, REFEREES
AND CLUB OFFICIALS.
(iii) Until Fifa advises
otherwise, or ZIFA fully complies with the
provisions of the football laws,
the matter remains unenforceable.
THE EXCO REGISTREED THEIR TOTAL DISMAY
AND UNHAPPINESS AT THE CONDUCT, OR
LACK OF IT, OF ZIFA IN PROVIDING THE
NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION IN A MATTER
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HEARD AND
TRIED, LEAVING US IN DOUBT OF WHETHER
THE MATTER WAS HANDLED ACCORDING TO
THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW.
(iv) The General Secretary of Fifa was,
however, instructed to CONCLUSIVELY
DEAL WITH THE MATTER WITHOUT ANY FURTHER
PREJUDICE TO THE PLAYERS AND
OFFICIALS.”
http://www.cathybuckle.com
March 28, 2013, 8:15 am
Cyprus has been an
off-shore tax haven for many an anonymous millionaire.
The great advantage
of off-shore banking is that identities are protected.
The island’s economic
collapse must have caused many sleepless nights for
these shady individuals
some of whose wealth has been acquired in less than
ethical ways. This
week’s news that Cyprus will place a levy on those
clients with accounts of
over 100.000 Euros in order to raise money cannot
have done much to improve
their slumbers; it is estimated that these
individuals may lose as much as
40% of their wealth. For Zimbabweans, it’s
all very reminiscent of the
country’s own economic collapse. The sense of
absolute panic for thousands
of ordinary account holders is not something
one easily forgets. The notion
that you cannot access your own money seems
deeply unjust: if you cannot
trust the banks to look after your money, then
who can you trust? “Better to
withdraw the whole lot and put it under the
mattress.” I heard a desperate
Cypriot citizen argue this week. With
Zimbabwe in mind, one has to wonder
how many Zanu PF’s fat cats are sick
with worry about Cyprus’s collapse.
Mugabe’s indigenisation programme has
been the perfect opportunity for these
fat cats to take over companies and
greatly enrich themselves. That new
wealth needs to be squirreled away
somewhere and off-shore accounts provide
the solution - with no questions
asked. A recent attempt by Zimbabwe’s Anti
Corruption Commission to raid the
offices of certain prominent cabinet
ministers suspected of corruption was
promptly stopped by the police and
ZACC claims that there is political
pressure on them to delay the probe
until after the election. In another
curious development, the head of ZACC
has himself been arrested and charged
with fraud; corruption even within the
Anti Corruption Commission!
The great African writer Chinua Achebe
who died this week once said
that one of the reasons for African corruption
was that Africans had been
out in the rain for so long that once they found
shelter under a tree, they
were loath to give it up. I’m not sure how well
that applies to Zimbabwe
which is not exactly just emerging from the
colonial yoke. The wave of
corruption that has hit the country is nothing
new but it appears to have
accelerated recently. The news of the enormous
exit packages that are going
to be paid out to ministers when this
government officially ends its life
may be exaggerated but this week Patrick
Chinamasa is in the UK with the
begging bowl, apparently at the invitation
of the British. Beatrice Mtetwa’s
release might just convince them that
Zimbabwe is on the right track.
Certainly the Brits seem very anxious to
bring Zimbabwe back into the fold,
possible because they are desperate to
get their hands on Zimbabwe’s
diamonds and other minerals before the Chinese
take the lot! What Chinamasa
will not be admitting to the former colonial
power is that it is his
government’s indigenisation programme that has
caused the desperate shortage
of funds which has led to the closure of
companies all over the country.
Meanwhile the EU has lifted most of
the sanctions that were imposed on
Zimbabwe. Just why the EU chose this
particular time to remove sanctions
from all but ten individuals and two
companies is inexplicable. With a top
human rights lawyer held for eight
days in gaol, the police rounding up MDC
activists all over the country, and
corruption on all sides, what exactly is
Zimbabwe is being rewarded for?
This is the carrot to replace the stick, I
read somewhere but Zanu PF has
declared that the EU is just trying to divide
them. From what I read they
are doing themselves!
Yours in the (continuing) struggle, Pauline
Henson.
