Thursday, 07 May 2009 21:37 THE
troubled inclusive government yesterday secured substantial rescue packages
from African banks and donors which should restore some stability in the
financial system and brighten prospects of recovery in the battered
economy.
The bailouts came after Finance minister Tendai
Biti held critical meetings with the African Import and Export Bank
(Afrexim) and the PTA Bank, officials in Harare said yesterday.
Afrexim gave Zimbabwe a US$250 million facility, while the PTA Bank extended
US$185 million.
Added to the US$400 million secured from Sadc and
Comesa recently and amounts from Britain, Germany and the Scandinavian
countries, Zimbabwe has been able to mobilise close to US$1 billion - the
equivalent of its 2009 budget - in three months. Revenue collections have
also been slightly improving, from US$4 million in January, to US$13 million
in February, US$37 million in March and US$54 million in
April.
A total sum of local revenues and donations might save
the struggling coalition government from the blushes of having its first 100
days performance - which elapse on May 23 - generally rated between poor
and mediocre.
Nothing much for ordinary people has changed
since the new government came in on February 13, although economic and
social conditions might improve if donors chip in with significant
aid.
Biti met with donors yesterday as they pushed to establish
the Multi- Donor Trust Fund to marshal resources under the Humanitarian
Aid-Plus initiative. The fund will be managed by the World Bank, African
Development Bank and United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP).
The three institutions are liaising with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) which has said it would not be able to give Harare money
any time soon due to unpaid arrears and financial restrictions imposed on
it.
After visits to Washington and London last week, Biti said
Western sanctions must be removed to ensure economic recovery. Zimbabwe is
also engaging with the European Union under Article 8 of the Cotonou
Agreement to lift financial sanctions imposed via Article
96.
Government also got a confidence boost after former South
African President Nelson Mandela's Global Elders Group yesterday wrote to
development ministers of 18 donor countries and the European Commission,
urging them to respond more "swiftly, generously and creatively" to
Zimbabwe's needs by providing "Humanitarian-Plus"
assistance.
Humanitarian-Plus is the term used for aid that is
not limited to humanitarian needs but which does not extend as far as
development aid.
The "like-minded" donors have been meeting on
Zimbabwe over the past few years, but first held a critical meeting in
Harare in October last year after the signing of the political agreement
which led to the coalition government. A series of further gatherings set
out parameters for the principles and processes of re-engaging Zimbabwe, a
broad economic recovery plan and aid architecture.
Donors
are willing to pour in more funding, especially if the government makes
progress with political and economic reforms. The donors are demanding the
restoration of the rule of law, respect for property rights, upholding of
human rights, a rollout of credible democratic reforms and macro-economic
stabilisation before giving money to government.
Government
yesterday secured close to US$500 million in credit from two regional
lenders in its bid to revive the ravaged economy.
Biti told
journalists in Harare at a joint press conference with the African Import
and Export Bank (Afrexim) and the PTA Bank that government has been offered
a lifeline by the two institutions.
Afrexim president
Jean-Louis Ekra said his institution had offered a US$250 million line of
credit to government through an ongoing facility to support the
cash-strapped tobacco, gold and financial sectors.
Apart from
the US$250 million from Afrexim, Zimbabwe will also get US$185 million from
the PTA Bank.
Afrexim, according to Biti, also agreed to
facilitate the establishment of a diaspora bond, which is earmarked for
July. It will guarantee the undisclosed bond, which seeks to tap onto funds
from the over three million Zimbabweans estimated to be living outside the
country.
"The future will involve the bank committing to
provide lines of credit to the tune of $250 million that will be used to
support ... the gold and tobacco sectors as well as provide liquidity for
banks and grain imports," Biti told reporters after meeting Afrexim
officials in Harare.
"The bank has also agreed to work with us
to facilitate a diaspora bond, which will be open to Zimbabweans living
abroad and other investors. We can't give you the (issue) figure. It's a
matter we are still discussing with the bank, but the bond should be floated
by July 1."
Biti said Afrexim would also help government in
"rationalising" public enterprises and public assets. "Zimbabwe has
been comatose for the past five to 10 years. I hope you are going to walk
with us through our recovery," he said.
PTA Bank president
Michael Gondwe said local companies with a regional influence were more
likely to benefit from this facility.
Biti said the funds would
be facilitated by a committee of banks and Ministry of Finance
officials.
"There are some Western colleagues who still have
bones to chew with us, and we understand that," Biti said. "We welcome
African institutions that want to help us."
Thursday, 07 May 2009
21:27 THE Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe have
started a process to hand over Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group (ZABG) assets
to their previous owners, the Zimbabwe Independent has
established.
Impeccable sources this week told this paper that RBZ
governor Gideon Gono has appointed Ngoni Kudenga & Associates chartered
accountants to conduct an urgent valuation of ZABG's assets.
According to the sources, Gono has mandated Kudenga to conduct a valuation
of the banking group's assets inside a week so that the central bank can
deal with the ZABG matter by month-end.
Gono ordered that a
valuation of ZABG's assets be done inside a week to pave way for a smooth
handover of the controversial bank's assets back to their original
owners.
The banks, Royal, Barbican and Trust, were merged at the
behest of the central bank to form ZABG after a sector-wide liquidity crisis
in 2003 left the institutions insolvent.
The central bank's
valuation comes in the wake of another parallel valuation being conducted by
Gwatidzo & Associates. Both auditors were expected to present their
assessments to the RBZ and bank owners by end of this week, according to the
same sources.
ZABG started trading on February 1 2005 through a
special purpose vehicle called Allied Financial Services.
After
the formation of the bank, assets belonging to the troubled banks were
transferred to Allied Financial Services, which is owned by the government
through the central bank. The valuation by the auditing firms seeks to
establish government's level of investment in ZABG and the value of Royal
and Trust's assets in the bank.
On completion of the
valuations, the government, through the central bank, is expected to hand
the assets back to the directors of the affected banks.
However, the central bank is said to be keen to recover unspecified amounts
it advanced as liquidity support to the banks until their closure. Trust and
Royal banks initially argued that the in-duplum rule would have to be
followed.
Trust and Royal Banks argue that because of the
in-duplum rule, interest due to the RBZ could not exceed the capital and
therefore the claim by the RBZ that the banks owed the central bank
trillions was misplaced.
Sources revealed that Trust and Royal
shareholders have been lobbying in government circles, particularly the
Ministry of Finance, for a resolution of the case.
The two
banks got a favourable Supreme Court ruling in 2005 which declared the
transfer of Royal Bank's assets to ZABG "null and void".
Legal
experts interpreted Justice Wilson Sandura's ruling as virtually pulling the
plug on ZABG and declaring it insolvent.
The ruling was handed
down on appeal by Trust and Royal banks who sought an interdict against
their inclusion in the ZABG, an amalgamation of banks set up by the
government.
Should Gono follow through on plans to disband the
amalgamated bank, ZABG would be rendered insolvent.
Experts
say if ZABG is stripped of assets seized from Trust and Royal, the ZABG
would cease operations. The judgement also said that the curators who
sold those assets did not follow the Troubled Financial Institutions
(Resolution) Act and the Banking Act.
Despite the ruling,
ZABG continues to exist to this day unfettered by the unambiguous
judgement.
It is this landmark judgement that the troubled
banks are using to ratchet up pressure on government, sources
said.
Should the disbanding of ZABG occur, Trust Holdings and
Barbican Bank could be allowed to trade once again on the Zimbabwe Stock
Exchange after a four-year suspension.
At its peak, Trust
had risen to become the third largest bank by capitalisation in a market
dominated by foreign-owned banks, namely Standard Chartered and
Barclays.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
21:22 THE Attorney-General's Office has revealed the names of some of
the members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the police
who were allegedly involved in the abduction of human rights and MDC
activists last November.
Eighteen MDC and human rights
activists, among them Zimbabwe Peace Project director Jestina Mukoko, were
allegedly abducted, kept incommunicado and tortured between November and
December last year by state security agents.
Notices of
indictment for trial in the High Court served on some of the activists this
week revealed the role the CIO and the police played when the activists were
reported missing last year.
They also revealed that the
activists were in the custody of state spies, though the police professed
ignorance of their whereabouts until late December when they issued a press
statement saying the abductees were in their custody facing banditry
charges.
A perusal of the notices revealed that Assistant
Director External in the CIO, retired Brigadier Asher Walter Tapfumanei,
police superintendents Reggies Chitekwe and Joel Tenderere, detective
inspectors Elliot Muchada and Joshua Muzanango, officer commanding CID
Homicide Crispen Makedenge, Chief Superintendent Peter Magwenzi, and Senior
Assistant Commissioner Simon Nyathi were involved in some of the abductees'
cases.
In the notice of indictment served on Regis Mujeye, the
Attorney-General's Office said Tapfumanei would tell the High Court when the
trial opens on June 29 that on November 29 last year he "caused" the accused
"to be collected from a secure place" where he was being held in connection
with banditry allegations.
Mujeye, freelance journalist
Shadreck Andrison Manyere, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's former aide
Gandhi Mudzingwa, MDC-T security director Kisimusi Dhlamini and party
members Zacharia Nkomo, Chinoto Zulu, and Mapfumo Garutsa, are facing five
counts of twice bombing Harare Central Police Station, Manyame River Bridge
and Rail Bridge and Harare CID headquarters at Morris
Depot.
"He (Tapfumanei) will state that he captured the 1st
accused (Dhlamini)'s statement on video in which he narrated his
involvement, especially the bombings and implicated the 2nd accused person
(Mudzingwa)," read the notice. "The 1st accused's statement which was
captured on video was given freely and voluntarily."
Chitekwe will tell the court that he was requested by the CIO on November 25
2008 to assist them in "conducting a search at the residence" of Dhlamini
where he allegedly recovered a cordtex and a safety fuse in his tool box in
the bedroom underneath the bed.
The police officer will also
testify that he interrogated Dhlamini who then implicated Mudzingwa, Zulu,
Manyere, Nkomo and Mujeye.
Chitekwe will also testify that he
was requested by the CIO to assist them in searching Mudzingwa's home and on
December 13 last year the security agents asked him to search Manyere's
house.
The police officer will claim that they recovered a tear
smoke grenade from Mudzingwa and 48 rounds of ammunition of 9mm cartridges
at Manyere's residence.
The notice revealed that the seven
accused persons were officially handed over to the police on December 22
last year who had kept them in their custody since they were allegedly
abducted in November the same year.
"On December 22 2008 he
(Makedenge) was handed over the seven accused persons by state security
agents who were holding them at a safe place whilst conducting
investigations into acts of insurgency, banditry, sabotage or terrorism
which the accused had committed," the notice read. "On the same date he was
handed the following exhibits by state security agents: i) a cordtex and a
safety fuse; ii) a tear smoke grenade; and iii) 48x9mm rounds of
ammunition."
The following day, Muchada recorded the accused
persons' warned and cautioned statements in the presence of
Muzanago.
In another indictment notice served on MDC-T youth
chairman for Zvimba District, Collen Mutemagau, Tapfumanei and Nyathi were
involved in the case.
Mutemagau is jointly charged with MDC-T
national executive member Concillia Chinanzvavana and fellow party members
Fidelis Chiramba and Violet Mupfuranhewe on allegations that between July 1
and October 30 last year they recruited Tapera Mupfuranhewe and other party
youths to undergo military training in Botswana for the purpose of
committing acts of banditry.
The AG's office said
Tapfumanei would tell the High Court when the case opens on June 8 that he
used Tapera as an informer in the alleged recruitment of the
youths.
Nyathi will testify that on October 31, Chiramba and
Violet were arrested by Magwenzi on the banditry allegations and their
warned and cautioned statements recorded. They were released on November 4
from police custody.
The two accused persons, according to
their lawyers, were then abducted.
"He (Nyathi) will state
that on 22 December 2008 accused persons were handed over to Chief
Superintendent Magwenzi by state security agents and on 23 December 2003 he
interviewed them and later recorded warned and cautioned statements," the
notice read.
In another notice of indictment served on MDC-T
activist Manuel Chinanzvavana, who is jointly charged with Mukoko, Audrey
Zimbudzana, Brodrick Takawira and Pieta Kaseke, Magwenzi will testify that
the five accused persons were handed over to him by the CIO on December 23,
while Tapfumanei will confirm that he interviewed the suspects and recorded
a video in connection with their case.
Chinanzvavana,
Mukoko, Zimbudzana, Takawira and Kaseke will face trial in the High Court on
July 20 on allegations that between April 2008 and October 31 2008 they
recruited Ricardo Hwasheni to undergo military training in Botswana for
purposes of banditry in Zimbabwe.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
20:56 THERE was acrimony at Zanu PF's politburo meeting on Wednesday
after the party's faction leaders engaged in protracted verbal exchanges
ahead of their crucial congress in December.
The bickering
reflected power struggles in the party over its unresolved leadership
succession crisis. The jockeying has of late been taking place at various
levels of the party, including the Women's Parliamentary
Caucus.
The succession race is expected to intensify at various
forthcoming events leading to the congress in December. Zanu PF will hold
its Youth League's congress from July 17-19, Women's League August 26-29 and
the main congress from December 8-13.
Informed politburo
sources said the clashes on Wednesday pitted the two long time rival camps,
one led by retired army commander General Solomon Mujuru and the other by
Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Apart from pushing to take over the party,
the Mnangagwa faction wants to oust Vice-President Joice Mujuru at the
women's congress. The battling began at the Women's Parliamentary Caucus two
weeks ago.
Sources said this week's tussles revolved around the
issue of provincial party elections in Harare and a report on the issue
presented by chairman John Nkomo and another given by acting political
commissar Richard Ndlovu who took over after the death of Elliot Manyika
last year.
Harare province has become a theatre of war for Zanu
PF as factions battle for the heart and soul of the party in the capital.
Both camps want to take control of the province as part of their strategic
plan to win at least six out of 10 provinces which makes it possible for
them to either directly challenge Mugabe or push their candidates to higher
posts.
Harare, both the administrative and commercial capital
of the country, was used by the Mujuru camp as a platform to launch an
unprecedented rebellion against Mugabe at the volatile 2006 Zanu PF
Goromonzi conference where he was for the first time blocked from extending
his presidential term to 2010 without going to elections.
The Zimbabwe Independent first exposed Mugabe's plan and the Mujuru
faction's counter strategy. Mnangagwa and Mujuru's wife Joice are
known by insiders to be planning to succeed Mugabe. The two clashed in 2004
for the position of vice-president and Joice Mujuru won with Mugabe's
backing before they fell out two years ago.
Sources said
the Wednesday politburo debate got so heated that Nkomo lashed out at his
rivals in a fearless charge and ended up threatening to walk out in protest.
Had it not been for Mugabe, the party leader since 1977, who stopped him
storming out, Nkomo would have left the meeting.
Nkomo, whom
colleagues say is bad-tempered, almost walked out of the Zanu PF
extraordinary congress in Harare in 2007 while the proceedings were
unfolding live on ZBC, but was stopped by Mugabe. Nkomo was in that incident
supported by Vice-President Joseph Msika.
In the run-up to
the 2007 congress, former Zanu PF politburo stalwart Dumiso Dabengwa,
supported by the Mujuru group, had openly fought for Mugabe's
removal.
Dabengwa and Simba Makoni, another former
politburo member who later went on to challenge Mugabe in last year's
presidential election, initially won by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai before
the Zanu PF leader forced his way back into office via a campaign of
brutality and violence in a run-off, confirmed efforts to remove Mugabe
before the 2007 congress.
Sources said the Wednesday meeting
was dominated by the battle over Harare. They said some of the issues on the
agenda of the meeting such as the state of the party ended up being
postponed due to the protracted and turbulent proceedings.
The sources said the meeting started on a controversial note with Ndlovu
distributing a "shocking report" on the state of the party. The report was
later withdrawn after Mugabe, who described it as "outrageous", intervened.
The sources said Ndlovu had taken a risk to tell the truth about Zanu PF in
his no-holds-barred report, warning Mugabe and others that the party had
virtually collapsed and had left a vacuum in the political landscape which
was being filled in by the opposition MDC.
Sources said the
report alarmed Mugabe because of its details and ramifications for the
party's unity, cohesion and future. They said Mugabe ordered the report to
be withdrawn and be suppressed because it would expose Zanu PF as a "dead
organisation" awaiting to be buried at the next elections.
Nkomo's report on restructuring and the Harare province caused major
ructions. Zanu PF is always in a restructuring mode, especially before its
annual conferences and congresses every five years.
Nkomo
presented a report specifically on Harare after he was last year tasked to
investigate acts of violence and mayhem which rocked the Zanu PF Harare
provincial elections in the run-up to the Bindura conference last December.
The probe came after Zanu PF MP Hubert Nyanhongo defeated former provincial
chairman Amos Midzi in polls marred by violence and
intimidation.
After the elections fiasco, Zanu PF tasked Nkomo
to set up a committee to probe the incident. When Nkomo presented the
report, it was greeted with dissent and triggered the
clashes.
Those throwing stones at the politburo meeting from
the Mujuru faction included General Mujuru himself and his wife Joice,
Nicholas Goche, David Karimanzira, Tendai Savanhu and Saviour
Kasukuwere. They targeted Nkomo and Ndlovu and the Mnangagwa faction in
the broader fight.
The Mujuru faction is said to have
rejected Nkomo's report which would have led to fresh elections in Harare if
adopted because the restructuring had left the structures geared in favour
of Nyanhongo and Mnangagwa's wing.
Although Zanu PF secretary
for administration Didymus Mutasa claimed Nkomo's report was "well-received"
at the politburo, sources said there were bitter exchanges. Mutasa however
admitted "divisions" in Harare which are generally to be found in all
provinces and across party structures.
There were suggestions
by the Mujuru faction Ndlovu was being sponsored by the Mnangagwa group as
he slept in five star hotels while on party duty without getting money from
the party's treasurer. Nkomo is said to have indicated this was untrue
as Ndlovu had actually faced serious accommodation problems while on
duty.
Sources said the Mujuru faction persisted and blocked
Nkomo's report, attacked Ndlovu and struck at the heart of the Mnangagwa
camp, which is vigorously pushing to take over Harare to occupy a vast
swathe of the Zanu PF provinces, forcing the party to revisit the Harare
dispute.
Nkomo and Ndlovu, who are not necessarily Mnangagwa's
allies, fought back but in the end were forced to redo their assignment. The
Mujuru group also forced one of its key allies, Goche, into Nkomo's
committee, creating an opportunity to influence the next report and possibly
outcome of the Harare elections.
The infighting is expected
to escalate when Zanu PF meets in dates yet to be set to discuss the
contentious state of the party and processes leading to congress in
December.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
20:33 THE MDC-T has given an ultimatum to President Robert Mugabe,
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara
to resolve outstanding issues of the global political agreement (GPA) by
Monday.
The ultimatum signalled growing frustration with the
inclusive government, which is struggling to deal with the country's
economic and social problems.
The outstanding issues that
remain unresolved include the reappointment of provincial governors,
permanent secretaries, ambassadors, Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono and
Attorney-General Johannes Tomana.
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and
Mutambara met on Tuesday for the sixth time in two weeks to try to deal with
the sticking points.
Addressing a press conference in Harare on
Wednesday, MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti said if the issues were not
resolved by Monday, the matter would be referred to the party's national
council, which will meet on May 17, to decide the way
forward.
"The delay in settling outstanding issues is an
assault on the integrity and health of the all-inclusive government," Biti
said. "It is hoped that these issues will be brought to finality when the
three principals meet on Monday... which should be the last meeting. and
failure of which we will convene a national council meeting to chart the way
forward."
He, however, said that his party would not pull
out of the unity government saying doing so "will be a betrayal of the long
suffering people of the MDC and Zimbabwe".
Biti said the
reappointments of Gono and Tomana were unprocedural in that they were
executive appointments done after the signing of the GPA, which states that
such appointments must be done following agreement by the
principals.
Also of concern to the MDC-T, Biti said, was
the refusal by Mugabe to swear in its treasurer-general Roy Bennett as the
deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Mugabe has cited what he
calls "serious charges" against Bennett. Biti said Bennett was innocent
until proven guilty. He said according to the GPA, which was now part of the
constitution, Mugabe had no powers to refuse to swear-in Bennett after he
was nominated by his party. Biti urged the deputy-minister-designate to go
to his office and start work.
The MDC-T secretary-general also
lashed out at the service chiefs for failing to respect "the new authority
in town, which is the office of the Prime Minister".
He
said the service chiefs had shown reluctance to respect Tsvangirai during
the Independence Day celebrations and at the Zimbabwe International Trade
Fair.
"The delay in finding a lasting solution to outstanding
issues is of great concern to the MDC," Biti said. "In our view these issues
should have been concluded soon after the formation of the inclusive
government in February."
He said the party was worried that
some elements in government, Zanu PF, the security forces and public media
continued to disregard provisions of the GPA.
"There are a
number of toxic and poisonous attitudes that some of these institutions are
showing. Their attitude is as if they are in a war situation," Biti
said.
Biti also raised concerns over the disregard of human
rights by state security agents in light of the re-arrests of Zimbabwe Peace
Project director, Jestina Mukoko, former personal aide to the Prime
Minister, Ghandi Mudzingwa, journalist Shadreck Manyere, and 15 other MDC
and civil society activists.
Meanwhile, High Court judge
Justice November Mtshiya yesterday deferred to today the bail application by
Manyere, Mudzingwa and MDC-T security director Kisimusi Dhlamini to give the
Attorney-General (AG)'s Office an opportunity to file its
responses.
Chris Mutangadura, a law officer at the AG's office,
applied for postponement of the hearing to Monday protesting that defence
lawyers had not served him the bail application on time.
He
said he needed time to "uplift certain judgements from this court (High
Court) and to peruse the large documents".
But defence lawyer
Alec Muchadehama disputed Mutangadura's assertion and told Justice Mtshiya
that he had served the bail application papers on Tuesday on Morgan Dube of
the AG's Office, who refused to accept them.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
20:30 PRINCIPALS in the global political agreement have reportedly
agreed to create an extra non-constituency senatorial seat to enable MDC
vice-president Gibson Sibanda to secure his cabinet post.
Sibanda was appointed Minister of State in Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara's office despite him not being an MP.
The constitution of
Zimbabwe stipulates that cabinet posts should be held by legislators and if
a non-MP is appointed minister, he or she must find a constituency within
three months.
Sources in government said President Robert
Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Mutambara had agreed to create
a senate seat for Sibanda before month-end. Sibanda would lose his cabinet
post if the seat was not created by then.
The sources said
the MDC initially tried to persuade MPs from the party to step down and
accommodate Sibanda, but they declined.
The party's deputy
secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga told the Zimbabwe
Independent this week that Sibanda's status in cabinet was referred to
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara.
"The issue of Sibanda is now
before the principals," Misihairabwi-Mushonga said. "The principals are the
ones who negotiated the cabinet portfolios and appointed the ministers and
they will decide Sibanda's fate." Sources said the creation of an
additional senate seat would be gazetted before the end of the month and
will be occupied by Sibanda.
"The issue of Sibanda has been a
thorn in the flesh for Mutambara and he was left with no option but to take
up the issue with the other two principals who created a seat for him in the
senate," one of the sources said.
It could not be
established at the time of going to press yesterday what the other two
parties got in return for accommodating Sibanda.
Sibanda failed
to retain his parliamentary seat in Nkulumane, Bulawayo, after he lost to
MDC-T's Thamsanqa Mahlangu in the March 2008 harmonised
elections.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
20:26 WORKERS gathered for Workers Day celebrations in Bulawayo last
week took Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe to task demanding to know
when the government would cease paying military personnel attached to
parastatals double salaries.
The workers who were given an
opportunity to air their views at the May Day celebrations held in Bulawayo
said senior army personnel who were seconded to parastatals were receiving
double salaries as they were still getting their military salaries at a time
when the government had inadequate funds to pay civil servants.
Workers expressed outrage that the same military personnel were also
receiving war veterans' allowances and demanded that all military personnel
heading parastatals return to army barracks.
"We want to
know when the new government will send all serving soldiers who were sent to
parastatals back to the barracks because most of them do not serve any
meaningful purpose," complained one worker at the
celebrations.
Sources at parastatals in Bulawayo revealed
that the majority of army personnel seconded to parastatals were earning
their full salaries from the army and from public entities they were working
for.
"There are too many army people running parastatals and
the majority of them are colonels. Their role is not clear in the
parastatals and they are earning huge salaries when there is no expertise
they are bringing to the organisations they were sent to," said one
worker.
Khupe told the workers that the government would look
into the issues raised and said civil servants should be patient with the
government on salaries and urged teachers to return to
work.
It also emerged that the ongoing audit being conducted by
the Ministry of Public Service will also seek to establish how many military
personnel are not in barracks but doing work elsewhere.
The
Minister of Public Service, Elphias Mukonoweshuro, however could not be
drawn to comment on the issue directly but said there was an audit of the
civil service going on.
"The audit of the civil service is
ongoing and if there are any abnormalities, they will be unearthed when the
process is complete. The whole process seeks to establish such things and we
will announce our findings once the exercise is complete," said
Mukonoweshuro.
The Ministry of Public Service embarked on the
public service audit after it emerged that there were thousands of ghost
workers who were milking the fiscus at a time when the country was in dire
straits.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
18:13 ZIMBABWE'S media industry is capable and ready to self-regulate
without the use of government's restrictive and oppressive legislation,
analysts have said.
The analysts said there was urgent need to
abrogate legislation that stifle media freedom, among them the Broadcasting
Services Act (BSA), the Interception of Communications Act and the Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa).
They argued
that there were "more than enough" laws governing the operations of the
media and that the industry needed self-regulation not more
regulation.
The global political agreement (GPA) signed by the
country's three major parties last September, the analysts argued, gives
Zimbabwe the opportunity to embark on media reforms that would result in the
mushrooming of both print and electronic media houses.
Under the GPA, the inclusive government shall ensure the immediate
processing by the appropriate authorities of all applications by media
houses for registration in terms of both the BSA and Aippa.
The agreement also stated that steps should be taken to ensure that the
public media provides balanced and fair coverage to all political parties
and that both the private and public media refrain from using abusive
language that may incite hostility, political intolerance and ethnic hatred
or that unfairly undermines political parties and other
organisations.
The media analysts said self-regulation
objectives must satisfy the demands of all-stakeholders - the media and
their publics.
Matthew Takaona, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists
president, said the setting up of the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe
(VMCZ) in June 2007 - which is spearheading self-regulation - indicates the
readiness of the industry to play its part.
"The industry
is ready to embark on self-regulation and we should be given the chance to
prove that," Takaona said. "The machinery to monitor self-regulation is in
place. The setting up of the VMCZ is a testimony that we are ready for the
task."
Takaona said government and other stakeholders should
not worry that under self-regulation professional media standards would be
compromised because the VMCZ would enforce ethical standards in the
industry.
"The VMCZ should instill unquestionable confidence in
government, the public and the media practitioners.
We can have
a mixed bag on the board, but the bulk of the members should be
professionals who understand the media operations," Takaona
said.
He added that all stakeholders, including government,
should subscribe to self-regulation.
The VMCZ said it had
since come up with a code of conduct for journalists that should be
buttressed by sound editorial guidelines or stylebooks, as they are
called.
"The stakeholders within the media who conceived the
VMCZ, namely the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe, Misa-Zimbabwe, Zinef,
publishers, civil society and the churches, drew up a code of conduct that
will be adopted by all media organisations that endorse the principle of
self-regulation," the council said.
The VMCZ said the
inclusive government must pass legislation that encompasses an institutional
culture of self-regulation within both the print and broadcast
media.
"If supported by open-minded politicians, media owners,
editors, reporters and civil society, the code of conduct will go a long way
in promoting high professional standards in the noble profession of
journalism," VMCZ said.
Takoana said the VMCZ in handling
complaints should show impartiality.
"When stakeholders realise
that there is a high level of impartiality in handling complaints, be they
from government or the public, it would be respected," said
Takaona.
But he said there was a "degree of frustration" in
the inclusive government about the unprofessional conduct of
journalists.
Zimbabwe's press freedom record has come under
severe local and international scrutiny following the forced closure of
several media outlets.
The chairman of the Parliamentary
portfolio committee for Media Information Communication and Information
Technology, Gift Chimanikire, on Saturday said there was genuine need for
media reforms in Zimbabwe.
"It's my view that there is real
need for reforms in the media. This is one of the tasks facing my committee.
Zimbabwe has the right to have a free media space," he
said.
Tawana Khupe of Wits University in South Africa said
although it was a general perception that the existing media laws were
oppressive, there were sections that were good.
"It's my
view that current media laws in Zimbabwe are a bit restrictive. But there
are some sections which are good for media operations and people turn a
blind eye to them," Khupe said. He, however, said calls for self-regulation
and reforms were genuine.
"Stakeholders should come to a
consensus and agree that media reforms are long overdue. But the reforms
should be carried out in a sober manner as, like I said, there are good
sections of Aippa that should be retained," Khupe said.
Media practitioners said the fact that this year's celebrations passed with
no journalist been arrested or harassed indicates a shifting government
stance.
Andy Moyse, the co-coordinator of Media Monitoring
Project of Zimbabwe, said although reforms were needed his fear was that
"some form of Aippa" would remain.
He said the airwaves
should be tightly monitored as they were "a finite resource unlike the print
media where people who can afford to run the business should be allowed to
operate".
Deputy Minister of Media, Information and Publicity
Jameson Timba told journalists in Bulawayo on Saturday that he was not in
favour of laws that limit freedom of expression.
He said he
took an oath to uphold the laws of this country and granting of freedom of
expression and the press to the citizens remains one of the unfinished
businesses of the liberation struggle.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
19:53 RAINBOW Tourism Group (RTG) majority shareholder, Nicholas van
Hoogstraten, wants to fire the group's directors before the hospitality
company's next annual general meeting scheduled for May 28.
Van
Hoogstraten (64), who holds 463 million shares in RTG, representing a 34%
stake through Banhams Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Messina Investments and
Willoughby's Finance (Pvt) Ltd, said the chairman and directors of RTG
should be removed.
Van Hoogstraten alleged that the chairman and
directors did not did not know how to run his company and therefore should
leave".
A letter to RTG dated March 11 and addressed to RTG
company secretary Aldoh Musemburi by Banhams Investments said: "We require
the removal of the chairman and directors on or before the 2009 annual
general meeting. Please ensure that the relevant resolutions are tabled for
the annual general meeting. Please provide us with the proposed date for the
2009 annual general meeting to enable us, in consultation with other large
shareholders, to put forward our nominations for the appointment of a new
chairman and directors."
Banhams is the largest shareholder
in RTG with a 23,6% shareholding and holds about 388 million
shares. Van Hoogstraten -- the single largest investor on the Zimbabwe
Stock Exchange -- has an 8,6% stake in NMB, 20% in Hwange Colliery and an
influential shareholding in CFI Holdings.
He has proposed that
Grace Muradzikwa be removed as chairperson of RTG. He is also proposing that
seven directors be removed. The seven are Pascal Changunda (group finance
director), Cannan Dube, Charmaine Daniels, Godfrey Manhambara, Yardim
Mariuma, Elliot Nyoni and Chipo Mtasa, the chief executive
officer.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Changunda said he was
"waiting for the outcome of the AGM" and so could not comment
further.
RTG company secretary Musemburi said they had
responded to Van Hoogstraten's letter and advised company
shareholders.
"It seems he (Van Hoogstraten) has already taken
a side with regard to the whole issue, we will have to wait for the AGM like
what happened in 2006," Musemburi told businessdigest
yesterday.
Market analysts however questioned if Van
Hoogstraten had "enough support from shareholders" to move his proposal to
fire the entire board.
"The board is appointed by shareholders
at a general meeting. It is really not the decision of one shareholder but a
collective decision of all shareholders including minority shareholders," a
stockbroker said yesterday.
"The rules on nominations and
appointments vary from company to company but are regulated by the company's
memorandum and articles of association. This will define who gets appointed,
who appoints the chairman and other appointments," he said.
"Broadly though, the rule of thumb is that every 10% shareholding deserves a
board seat. The appointment of a member though must then be at an AGM in
line with the specific provisions of the company's articles," added the
stockbroker.
An analyst said it was not going to be easy for
Van Hoogstraten to fire the directors as they have different interests and
had not explained in detail why he wanted all of them
fired.
RTG yesterday said Van Hoogstraten's proposal suffered
from "certain legal deficiencies which have been partially remedied in
subsequent communication between Banhams Investments and the
company".
RTG said in a statement advising its shareholders
that the board had resolved to amend the AGM notice issued to shareholders
and contained in the annual report of the company to allow due and
unfettered determination of the proposed resolution by Banhams Investments
in the public domain and in order to comply with good corporate governance
policy and procedures.
RTG said the amended notice was issued
and included the specific resolutions as proposed by Banhams in
correspondence with the company.
"It is a point of fact that
the major shareholders have been unhappy for some time with the way the
company has been run by a group of persons with little or no knowledge of
business or in particular the hospitality business and by persons with no
financial substance or with any personal financial stake in the company,"
RTG said in the statement.
RTG said the removal of directors as
proposed by Van Hoogstraten required a "special notice, in terms of the
Companies Act and the articles of association of RTG".
"The
resolution, for it to be legal, must be passed by members holding not less
than 51% of the issued share capital of the company present in person or by
proxy at AGM," said the RTG.
It said the removal of directors
must be dealt with on a person by person basis.
"It is
incumbent upon the board to advise members that the Companies Act requires
that any company in Zimbabwe must, at all times, have a minimum of two
directors and further, that it is not in the best interest of the board or
the company for the entire board of a public company to be removed without
being replaced or otherwise re-organised," the RTG said.
This
is not the first time that Van Hoogstraten has threatened to fire the RTG
board. In what could have turned out to be the biggest boardroom coup ever
staged on a tourism counter in 2006, he vowed to fire influential RTG
directors citing "fraud and misconduct" in the previous year's then $80
billion rights issue.
Van Hoogstraten emerged as the
largest shareholder in the RTG after the hospitality giant's rights offer in
September 2005.
Documents at hand indicate that the first shots
of the impasse were fired on March 20 when van Hoogstraten wrote to RTG: "My
intention to remove all the directors that were in office at the time of the
rights issue is not solely related to their illegal action over the share
allocations. I have no confidence in the board and they have no future with
the company.
"In particular there is a clear conflict of
interest between the board and Mr Dube and the shareholders, it cannot be
right that shareholder funds are being used to defend the illegal actions of
the board and their advisors. The contents of this fax may be disclosed to
the second major shareholder group but not to the board members that we
intend to remove," said Van Hoogstraten in the fax letter dated March 20
2006.
The dispute was referred to an arbitrator where the
outcome was not in Van Hoogstraten's favour.
Van
Hoogstraten is no stranger to controversy. The property tycoon was in 1968
reportedly Britain's youngest millionaire (aged 23) with a portfolio of over
300 properties, but the same year he began serving a four-year sentence in
prison for paying a gang to throw a grenade into the house of Rev
Braunstein, a Jewish leader whose eldest son owed him £2 000. Of the
incident he has said: "It seems a bit distasteful to me now," he says, "but
back then when I was young . . . these weren't anarchists, they were
businessmen, respectable people."
He was also jailed on eight
counts of handling stolen goods and in 1972 was given a further 15 months
for bribing prison officers to smuggle him luxuries. "I ran Wormwood Scrubs
when I was in there," he has said. By 1980 he owned over 2 000
properties. He later sold the majority of his housing, investing in other
fields outside Britain, including mining interests in Nigeria and later
Zimbabwe.
He first bought an estate in Zimbabwe in 1964 when he
was 19. At around the same time he became friends with Tiny Rowland, who was
then in charge of the London and Rhodesian Mining Company.
He has been a close associate of Presient Robert Mugabe who he describes as
"100% decent and incorruptible".
Thursday, 07 May 2009 19:49 SOUTH Africa
is arguably one of the most popular destinations for many
Zimbabweans.
This is not a new phenomenon but a practice that
has been there since the 19th century when mostly men would cross into South
Africa for work. Firstly it was in the sugar plantations in Natal but
later on it was on the diamond mines in Kimberley and then on gold mines on
the Witwatersrand.
People were recruited through the
Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (Wenela) - an agency which had
exclusive rights to recruit labour from the region - to work in South
African mines. While some people went to "Wenela" willingly, some
historians argue that many were coerced into wage labour through imposition
of taxes which had to be paid in cash.
The emigration into
South Africa slowed somewhat after Independence as people were hopeful that
the new dispensation would bring in better prospects for them. At the same
time some restrictions on migration to South Africa were imposed as the
government sought to retain skills and labour to spearhead economic
development.
Since then, the movement of Zimbabweans into South
Africa, particularly after the economic decline started, has in fact
increased. While some people have been crossing the borders legally, a
substantial number used undesignated crossing points because they did not
have travel documents. Some of the border jumpers had passports but could
not meet the stringent visa requirements.
Most people go to
South Africa in search of better employment opportunities, some to do
shopping while others, especially the rich, are attracted by the affluent
life and the good facilities in the cities. The latter group usually buys
homes in South Africa and obtains residents' permits.
The
rich and professional emigrants ordinarily have the necessary travel
documents. On the other hand most of those seeking menial jobs would either
bribe immigration officials at borders to gain entry or use the numerous
illegal points on the porous border to cross. In the southern areas of the
country, that is Matabeleland and Midlands, most prospective emigrants pay
couriers popularly known as umalayitsha who would deliver them exactly at
the doorsteps of their destinations in South Africa.
In recent
times there has been a surge of young professionals and artisans relocating
into South Africa running away from the economic implosion in Zimbabwe. As
opposed to their counterparts who went to the UK in the early 2000s and
ended up doing menial jobs many of those emigrating to South Africa are
getting better jobs in areas such as construction, engineering, teaching,
banking and finance among others. They are benefiting from South Africa's
recruitment drive under the quota work permits programme for foreigners who
have scarce and critical skills.
Those who cannot afford the
costs of applying for quota work permits despite having the skills often
travel as visitors and look for casual jobs on the farms and in the informal
sector. The resultant local skills gap is not apparent now because the
economy is dysfunctional but when growth returns the situation will be a
major constraint.
Emigration to South Africa is likely to
intensify following the scrapping of visa requirements. On average, 2500-3
000 people have been crossing the border legally every day and the number is
expected to shoot up. On the first day of the visa-free system, the
Beitbridge Border Post was overwhelmed with people wanting to cross into
South Africa.
Most of the people cleared were those seeking
employment. The new system requires people to apply for a free 90-day
visitor's permit at the border. In addition, Zimbabweans who cannot qualify
for the normal work permit can now apply to do casual work. This is expected
to reduce the number of people applying for asylum.
For
starters all those unemployed people in Zimbabwe may want to try their luck
down south. In addition even those in employment may find the temptation of
the rand too good to resist.
Most people may be driven away by the
low wages in the country averaging US$100 per month in an environment of
high living costs. Some professionals might also use the casual work permit
as an opportunity to arrange for permanent permits while they are in South
Africa. The loss of skills may scupper economic recovery in the country
while benefiting South Africa which has a major demand for labour at all
levels ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Unlike those in
the Diaspora who repatriate money to Zimbabwe, people who work in
neighbouring countries often bring in commodities and not money. Prices for
most goods are much cheaper in those countries than in Zimbabwe and besides,
the transport costs are reasonable. The importation of goods at household
level by Zimbabweans working in those countries and by cross border traders
will reduce consumer demand for local goods.
Already companies
are facing stiff competition from imports which land in the country at much
lower prices. If the temporary suspension of import duty on most items was
bad news for local suppliers then the scrapping of visas could be
catastrophic. Maybe, or maybe not!
Thursday, 07 May 2009
19:26 FINANCE minister Tendai Biti has failed to implement the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV consultation proposals seeking
an overhaul of the Reserve Bank following a cabinet decision that thwarted
his efforts, the Zimbabwe Independent has gathered.
According
to an IMF Staff Report compiled by the fund following the routine policy
consultations in March, Biti promised to restructure the eight-member
central bank board by April after the multilateral institution criticised
the central bank for poor corporate governance.
The report was
submitted to the IMF executive board for discussion on Monday where
government lobbied for the reinstatement of its voting rights suspended in
June 2003 over non-payment of arrears.
Government owes over
US$130 million to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility-Exogenous Shock
Facility Trust Fund of the IMF.
The government requires US$8,5
billion from external lenders to stop the decade-long economic
meltdown.
Government and the visiting IMF team, according to
the report, also agreed that the revised 2009 budget expenditure was
understated and higher humanitarian assistance was needed to ensure the
provision of critical public services.
Informed sources
said Biti intended to remove Gono as board chair and have it chaired by a
non-executive member. A number of names for a potential RBZ board chair were
being proposed, but the prerogative to appoint the members lies with
President Mugabe after consultation with the minister.
"The
authorities agreed that RBZ governance needed to be strengthened," said the
IMF. "As a first step in this direction, the staff underscored the
importance of ensuring compliance with the RBZ Act's accountability
requirements. In line with staff recommendations, the Minister of Finance
intends to recommend five non-executive board members who would be appointed
by the president by end-April 2009."
The board, the IMF report
said, should ensure "effective oversight of the RBZ operations", including a
thorough review of 2008 audited financial statements of the central bank and
its subsidiaries.
The board, according to the report, would
have been tasked with "closely monitoring" the central bank's international
reserves management, and borrowing, guaranteeing, and pledging
activities.
Sources said Gono however objected to the move when
he wrote to Ministry of Finance accountant-general Judith Madzorera last
week, saying that the accountants of the country in consultation with
international boards of accounts had indicated this was not possible for
last year's accounts.
Gono said the Public Accountants and
Auditors Board, which regulates accountancy in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe
Accounting Practices Board and Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, had issued a joint
statement on financial reporting explaining why 2008 accounts "had to be in
local currency terms and at historic values".
"Significant
improvement is needed in all areas of economic statistics, and transparency
of government and RBZ operations. Priority should be given to timely
compilation, reporting, and dissemination of standard monthly monetary and
fiscal statistics, financial soundness indicators for the banking system, as
well as the reconciliation of debt data with external
creditors.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
19:23 THE just ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) has sent
mixed feelings in the business community with some being optimistic that the
showcase will be used as a stepping stone for the revival of the economy and
some believing that there was more to be done in order to regain investor
confidence.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC)
president Obert Sibanda said the trade exhibition went on well considering
that companies were only beginning to start major industrial operations
which had been restrained due to lack of foreign currency after
dollarisation.
"Generally considering the fact that we were not
even sure that the showcase was going to occur due to the economic
situation, I would say it went on well," Sibanda said.
"A
lot of people did not expect it to be a success because companies were ill
prepared due to finances but we managed to have a number of local companies
exhibiting."
However, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries
(CZI) president Kumbirai Katsande said describing the event as a success
will give the impression that everything in the business community is now
back to normal when challenges are still plaguing
businesses.
"ZITF under normal circumstances is supposed to be
a showcase of where the economy is at and its potential to grow," said
Katsande. "But in any case it did manage to show the world that the
Zimbabwean business community is not dead and out."
Katsande said the business community should not sit back and bask in the
glory of the success of ZITF as an event because there is more work to be
done.
"We are currently not at our best because some of our
members from CZI did not even attend due to various challenges that include
part producing or no production at all."
John Robertson, an
independent economic analyst, said it is much too soon to describe ZITF as a
success and key to economic revival.
"We don't look as sound
and we are still bankrupt, it might have taken courage to host the showcase
but what the country needs is money to keep such an area worthy and ensure
that international exhibitors who attended come next year," said
Robertson.
"As a country, we have not made the progress that we
should have made since the inclusive government came into place and that
sends out bad messages to the international business community which may
want to exhibit and invest in the country."
The showcase
which ended on May 2 and ran under the theme "Golden Opportunity for Dynamic
Take-off" saw over 400 local, regional and international exhibitors
converging in the country to give Zimbabwe its first chance to showcase its
trade and investment potential since the formation of the inclusive
Government in February.
The ZNCC boss said the success of the
showcase was likely to assist in changing the image and perception that the
international community has on Zimbabwe and increase trade with other
companies.
"As business, we had meetings with countries like
South Africa, Zambia and Botswana, they had groups who were on a fact
finding mission doing their own assessment of the environment," said
Sibanda.
"These countries said they were optimistic and they
have since made arrangements to come back and engage the local business
community to partner in trade."
A Kingdom report has also
predicted unmistakable signs of recovery noting that most economic
indicators which previously struggled to find a bottom have somewhat
stabilised.
"Inflation is on the retreat, macro-economic
conditions are improving and dollarisation has reduced price distortions.
Prices of goods are coming down and products are returning to supermarket
shelves," the report said.
Thursday, 07 May 2009 19:13 THE
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of Tourism and
Hospitality and Africa Investor from South Africa will next month host an
investor's summit to explore areas of opportunity in an attempt to breathe
life into the country's economy which has been unstable over the past nine
years.
The business sector has been incapacitated by the
economic meltdown the country has been experiencing which has resulted in
companies operating at below 30% capacity.
Harare Chamber of
Commerce, an affiliate of ZNCC said that they expected the summit to start
during the last week of June.
"Because of dollarisation most
businesses are operating at zero capacity, We anticipate that this summit
will bring about synergies and engage in projects such as toll manufacturing
to build capacity in the business sector," said Harare Chamber chairman,
Tendai Mavima.
Mavima said they were also working with African
embassies in the country to boost the country's industrial capacity. He said
as a result of their efforts, two trade exhibitions with Zambia and Algeria
have been pencilled in to create partnerships with local business people in
these countries.
He added that the Harare Chamber of
Commerce will hold their annual business awards this month to recognise
business people who managed to stay afloat despite the harsh economic
environment prevailing in the country.
"Survival in Zimbabwe is
an achievement especially against a background of policies that were not
conducive for business survival. Companies were made to withdraw money that
was not enough to buy a loaf of bread but we survived," he
said.
Mavima said the selection process for the winners of the
various awards will be done by members of the Chamber with the adjudication
process being done by a committee of independent judges.
The categories for this year's awards are Businessman, Businesswoman, Best
Exporter, Best Social Responsibility Programme and Entrepreneur of the
year.
The awards will be held under the theme "Business, a
diamond ready to shine". Previous winners of these awards include Brian
Mutandiro, (Businessman of the Year 2007), Chipo Mtasa (Businesswoman of the
Year 2007) and Cargill Cotton (Exporter of the Year 2007).
Thursday, 07 May 2009
18:15 YOUR edition of April 24 made very interesting reading as it
painted a very ugly picture of the state of the inclusive government
involved in a tug-of-war with itself.
Of particular interest to
me were the articles that touched on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor,
Dr Gideon Gono. One article on the front page accused the Finance minister
of hypocrisy and the other sympathised with MPs facing transport blues in
trying to execute their tasks. These articles set the tone for your paper
and one may be forgiven for concluding which side your publication is
on.
I do not have illusions about what the inclusive government can
and must do. It is a fact that the mere existence of a negotiated
government, when people spoke their wishes clearly, is a tragedy for
demo- cracy. Our democratic values are being trampled upon every single
day.
But with specific attention to the issue regarding the
cars being dished out by the Reserve Bank, I think there are issues which
the media is ignoring.
Joan Chittister once wrote:
"Awareness of the sacred is what keeps the society
together."
Our constitution, no matter how defective, contains
within itself values which we define as sacred. They are critical to the
continuance and a stability of our nation. What Zanu PF has done to this
sacred document over the past two decades is exactly what we expect from the
devil, if given custody over the Holy Bible. Mr Editor, it's a shame but it
is much worse if the MDC, now in bed with Zanu PF, is to perpetuate such
nefarious contact.
We, the people, refuse.
The doctrine of separation of powers is enshrined in our constitution, which
creates three distinct organs of government in Chapters IV, V and VIII.
This doctrine is borne of the ancient wisdom that power corrupts, absolute
power corrupts absolutely. Time and again history has given us reason to
mistrust our governments, especially the current one which we did not
elect.
The conduct of the RBZ Governor is a serious assault
upon this doctrine. It is not inspired by charity. It is hunger for power:
a desperate attempt to defraud the sacred values of our constitution for
personal glory. We the people say no. Mr Editor, you will remember
when the same governor dished out plasma screens and laptops to judges and
there was an outcry. You will remember when a learned judge of the High
Court was allocated a farm just before hearing a critical case involving the
former Attorney-General Gula Ndebele, and there was an
outcry.
We are still worried that the whole bench of judges in
our country are "new farmers" yet they continue to preside over land
disputes. We are still worried that years after the Judicial Services Bill
was signed into law, magistrates are still being salaried by the Public
Service. They work under one master and are paid by the other. The
judiciary is heavily compromised.
We understand that the
executive has got the financial and physical muscle required to run
government. The judiciary has got no army of its own, while parliament has
got no treasury. Somehow, the executive will have an influence over the
judiciary and the legislature. However, there is a civilised way in which
these three organs can complement each other without sacrificing the values
which the constitution seeks to protect.
It is mischievous for
the Reserve Bank governor, being an executive agent, to go to individual
members of the judiciary or the legislature with "incentives". The RBZ is
not an NGO, or a donor organ. It is funded by the taxpayer and thus cannot
afford the luxury of dishing out resources with the arrogance of a
god.
Where there is real need for such executive bodies as the
RBZ to intervene in other government bodies financially, there are heads in
all three organs. Without blowing the trumpet, the executive can, through
the Speaker or the Chief Justice transfer the scarce resources from one
organ to the other and they become the property of that particular body. If
the legislature gets relief from the executive, individual members of the
legislature do not necessarily have to know the source of the relief so that
their independence is not compromised.
Gono is potentially
a good candidate for prosecution in this country. He must respect the
independence of both the legislature and the judiciary. He cannot be setting
the legislature against itself. If his contact regarding the cars offered
to the legislature is genuine charity, he ought to have given the cars to
the Speaker of Parliament and let not the right hand know what the left hand
is doing. His sincerity is subject to doubt as one can easily deduce from
the press statement he issued regarding the re-call of the offered
cars.
We expect the MDC MPs to be alert and continue to respect
the values of our nation. People who hunger for power appeal to our sense
of greed. The MDC MPs must know where we are coming from. They represent a
suffering and angry people and they are part of this suffering people. We
refuse the choice of expediency over our values. There is nothing special
about the legislators to warrant tearing down our constitution. Judicial
officers have been commuting and judges living in abject poverty since
"Hondo Yeminda".
* Dzikamai Francis Bere can be contacted on
912 415 524, 011 799 009, or (04) 300750.
ADDRESSING last week’s International Business
Conference at the 2009 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, the deputy Minister of
Finance said that government has begun crafting a medium to long-term economic
blueprint to replace the current Short Term Economic Recovery Programme (Sterp),
which expires at the end of this year.
In
doing so, the deputy minister stated that the blueprint would be
“stakeholder-driven”.
This is very positive, for it is those that are
actively engaged in an economy who know best what is needed to drive an economy
into recovery, and thereafter to maintain that recovery. Even the most competent
of governments inevitably have detached perceptions of the details of economic
activity and needs.
Constructive appreciation of the positives and
the negatives of an economy is best available to those actively engaged in it,
or impacted by it. In contrast, with very rare exception, governments have a
very detached overview of an economic environment, driven primarily by
statistics and political preconceptions, instead of “hands-on” experience on the
economic “battlefield”.
This does not mean government must not lead an
economic recovery, and do all that is necessary to assure its continuance and
wellbeing. It is therefore somewhat heartening that the African department
director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in a recent statement on the
IMF’s website providing an update on the IMF’s sub-Saharan African regional
economic outlook, Antoinette Sayeh, said: “In Zimbabwe specifically, there are
some encouraging developments… coming out of the agreement earlier this year to
put in a coalition government... It’s the context in which we think there is a
window of opportunity in Zimbabwe that is worthy of support by the international
community.”
She added that “the actions taken recently… by
the government in Zimbabwe are encouraging. We think hyperinflation has been
stopped by the decision to use the rand and the US dollar, to recognise the use
of those currencies because those currencies have become quite widespread in
Zimbabwe. The formal recognition, and the formal decision, to ‘dollarise’, as we
call it, to use external currency as domestic currency, has helped to put a stop
to the quasi-fiscal deficit… So, in the very recent past developments in
Zimbabwe have been broadly positive.”
She also said that the IMF hopes to assist
Zimbabwe with policy advice, and by the provision of technical assistance in key
areas of IMF’s mandate, and could work with Zimbabwe’s authorities to assist
continued progress.
All this is very pleasing, but does not suffice.
Hopefully government’s declared intent of substantive interaction with
Zimbabwe’s economic stakeholders will be a reality.
This would yield governmental recognition that much
more is needed of government itself than has been or is presently forthcoming
from it, if the critical restoration of economic wellbeing is to be achieved,
and if the economy is to grow to the extent necessary to support, in reasonable
wellbeing, Zimbabwe’s population.
In particular, government has to become conscious of,
and constructively responsive to, the prerequisite for any sound economy — and
that is unrestricted, absolute, good governance. And that good governance is
founded upon unequivocal adherence to the principles of democracy, respect for
human property rights, adherence to and implementation of, law and order (just
and equitable), respect, co-operation and interaction, with other nations, and
total fulfilment of all agreements and obligations.
Regrettably, that is not yet the case despite
recurrent governmental protestations to the contrary. Last week the Minister of
Finance, Tendai Biti, intensified Zimbabwean efforts to convince the US
government and international financial institutions that enough change has taken
place for the international community to extend beyond only the provision of
humanitarian aid, and in addition to fund Zimbabwean reconstruction.
Unfortunately he failed in this endeavour.
This was evidenced by a statement by a spokesman for
the US State Department, Robert Wood, that the Zimbabwean presence at the Spring
meetings of IMF and World Bank a fortnight ago did “not signal any kind of
change” and that “there are a number of things we have to see yet in Harare”
before the US will consider providing developmental funding. There is a clear
indication that the US is not yet ready to repeal the Zimbabwe Democracy Act
and, until it does, it must veto any IMF funding for Zimbabwe.
Consequently, the IMF cannot even reschedule
Zimbabwe’s existing, long overdue debts, which is essential if the IMF is no
longer to have Zimbabwe as a payment defaulter, which precludes further
advances. Despite the many commendable achievements of the inclusive
government, it cannot claim to have achieved necessary standards of good
governance. A few prime examples are:
Notwithstanding the Global Political Agreement
(GPA), President Mugabe continues to resist swearing in Roy Bennett as Deputy
Minister of Agriculture, saying that he will only do so once Roy Bennett has
been acquitted. This is clearly contemptuous disregard for the fundamental
principle of Zimbabwean law that a person is innocent until proven guilty, and
instead adopts a stance of “guilty until proven innocent”! The inevitable
international perception is that the GPA is shallow, and cannot endure, and that
the president and Zanu PF are determined to retain considerable power,
irrespective of agreements concluded by it.
With almost a decade having elapsed since Zimbabwe
embarked upon its land reform programme in a horrendously destructive and
unproductive manner, it has still failed to honour its obligation under
Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (Bippas), which cannot
instil any confidence within the international community, and amongst potential
investors, that Zimbabwe will honour future agreements. Moreover, Zimbabwe’s
limited external assets are now at grievous risk for, on April 15 this year, the
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), sitting in
Paris, France, awarded 8 220 000 euros to 13 Dutch farmers unceremoniously
ousted from their farms with contemptuous disregard for the Netherlands and
Zimbabwe Bippa. Moreover, in ruling in favour of the farmers, ICSID prescribed
interest of 10%, compounded half-yearly, which has increased the award to 16
million euros (approximately US$21m).
This judgement could well provoke attachment of
Zimbabwean government assets abroad, albeit that this should not include assets
of any parastatals that are structured as independent legal entities for their
assets are not, in reality, government’s assets — notwithstanding that
government is possessed of the shares in such entities. The judgement of ICSID
will inevitably provoke innumerable further legal actions by many other
displaced farmers, intensifying Zimbabwe’s already grossly poor international
creditworthiness.
=Continuing vehement castigation and
recrimination of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and its governor, of various
previous ministers, and of the minority white population in general, and those
from the agricultural sector in particular, projects an appalling international
image of intense division prevailing in Zimbabwe. This is not conducive to
necessary political harmony, which is essential for economic recovery, national
reconciliation and creation of a conducive investment environment.
The bottom line is that government in general,
and those in the inclusive government who constituted the preceding government,
need to prioritise Zimbabwe, its people, and its economy and international
standing ahead of themselves, effecting utmost good governance instead of
self-preservation and enhancement. Until then, inevitably economic recovery
will be slow and incomplete. Utmost good governance is the key to the future
that Zimbabweans need, and deserve!
Thursday, 07 May 2009
17:23 HIFA, a ray of sunshine in Harare's gloom, is over for another
year.
Record numbers attended this year in what is undoubtedly the
country's leading cultural showcase. The complex management of an event such
as this with dozens of performers brought into the country all requiring
special needs represents an organisational triumph for Manuel Bagorro and
his team.
About 5 000 people a day streamed through the gates over
a six-day period, all requiring food, drink and other
services.
Needless to say not everything went smoothly. Some
traditional Irish dancers missed their flight to Johannesburg because of a
surfeit of Zimbabwean hospitality the night before. Malaika, the star
Afro-pop attraction from South Africa that thousands came to see, was a
disappointment, largely for technical reasons beyond their
control.
PJ Powers was mean to the Rusike Brothers. And the
audience that attended the show by Chinese theatre company Lanzhou were
unimpressed when performers donned Tibetan attire while the master of
ceremonies announced that "Tibetan people happy under Chinese
rule".
Mostly, however. everything went smoothly. The "Green
Room" was beautifully laid out with palm trees and fairy lights, and
show-goers had access to good food supplied by a transplanted Shop Café
while the bar was run by the Crowne Plaza.
The hotel
charged $5 for a tot of Scotch which everybody agreed was a tad expensive,
and they never had change for any note over $20.
Why were the
Crowne Plaza's managers taken by surprise by the numbers coming into the
Green Room and will the organisers next year please assess the capacity of
caterers before awarding them a licence to make money!
Elsewhere on the green a tot of Scotch was $2.
While the various
bands were obviously popular, with Alick Macheso in his first appearance at
Hifa, pulling in a record number of fans, this year theatre did particularly
well. Quirky and offbeat would be a fair description of the various
productions.
Two Gentlemen of Verona featuring Denton Chikura
and Tonderai Manyevu, directed by Arne Pohlmeier, was highly
rated.
The two actors play 15 characters -- from amorous
suitors to sullen daughters, depressed servants and even a dog. It was a
tour de force.
So was Bafana Republic -- Extra Time featuring
the combined talents of Mike van Graan and Lindiwe Matshikiza. "Biting",
"clever" and "insightful" the critics called it.
What strikes
the visitor to Hifa most is the sheer diversity of the talent on display.
From Chaputika featuring Cde Fatso and his Chabvondoka band to operatic
highlights, there was something here for all but the most philistine
punters. And another generation looks set to take up the torch. Max Wild and
Sam Mtukudzi gave us a "cross-Atlantic musical encounter".
Max
plays the saxophone and Sam provides the vocals as well as playing the
guitar. Sam is of course the son of legendary performer Oliver Mtukudzi
while Max was raised in Zimbabwe by his German parents. His Mom, Flora
Weit-Wild (pronounced "vite-vilt") is the leading biographer of Dambudzo
Marechera while Dad, Volker Wild, was for many years a Harare-based
academic.
State editors based in Bulawayo have been complaining
bitterly about their inability to do their work with sanctions hanging like
a dark cloud over them.
Muckraker fully supports all
editors in their call for the lifting of state-sponsored sanctions imposed
on them. Zimbabwe Association of Editors chairman Paul Mambo said on the
occasion of World Press Freedom Day: "We say no to sanctions on editors for
doing their work the best way they know how."
We know what he
means. We join his call on the state to stop harassing editors and
journalists. We call for the repeal of all repressive legislation such as
Aippa and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
The last time we heard from Mambo and his associates on media reform they
were unable to say a single critical word about Aippa. We are delighted they
have now found their voice. So let's hear it Paul and the hitherto silent
ZAE: All sanctions imposed by the Zanu PF regime on the media must go. They
have no place in a democratic society.
And who knows, if the
newspapers from which the ZAE members are drawn stop their bleating about
"illegal" sanctions and "pirate" radio stations and provide space for a
diversity of views instead of allowing themselves to be manipulated by
government officials, they might in due course see those sanctions
lifted.
With the media reform conference drawing to a close today
you would expect newspapers to be on their best behaviour. After all, much
has been made of the need for "responsible" journalism. But it seems some in
our fraternity are determined to carry on as if nothing has
changed.
This was illustrated by the drubbing Eddie Cross got
for expressing an opinion on the Herald's opinion pages. Only certain types
of opinion are welcome, it would seem. Every professionally-angry columnist
in the newspaper's stable was unleashed against him in an extraordinary
display of old-style belligerence. And Cross's naïve suggestion that the US
ambassador should, as a visitor here, be accorded some respect was treated
to a further outburst of indignation that extended into the letters page
where, we can be sure, the Herald's handlers were active.
The episode showed just how far we have to go in reforming the state media
which is a stranger to open and tolerant debate.
Then there was the
episode in which Swedish ambassador Sten Rylander was quoted by the Herald
as blaming "some EU member states which were unwilling to take practical
steps by offering financial assistance, arguing that they preferred watching
from a distance without playing an active role". Rylander wrote to the
Herald pointing out he said nothing of the sort.
"It is amazing
to see the consistent misrepresentation of constructive statements that I am
making in various fora," he said. "In the Herald of 22 April you make
reference -- on the front page -- to fabricated statements that are
attributed to me; this in connection with the SALO (South African
International Liaison Office) meeting 20 April in Pretoria with Hon Minister
Elton Mangoma. In fact I said the complete opposite to what you claim that I
have stated."
He enclosed a summary of his remarks. To no
avail. The Herald didn't print his letter.
Just for the
record, Rylander said the following at the meeting in question: "The donor
community is not watching from the background with cynicism; on the
contrary, aid flows for humanitarian-plus activities are increasing (already
$300 million the first quarter in comparison to $600 million last year) and
there is increased coordination with the Fishmonger group and also as part
of the MDTF."
You would have thought that the ambassador of a
country that was leaning over backwards to help Zimbabwe would be accorded
just a little space to clarify remarks that had been willfully
misrepresented in a major national daily.
But no, things
have changed so little at Herald House that they couldn't extend to
that.
The Independent, by the way, is guilty of publishing letters
addressed to a civic website recently without acknowledgement. We confess
this professional lapse and apologise.
Beatrice Mtetwa made
a useful point at the Press Freedom Day exhibition hosted by the US at
Gallery Delta called "Lost Voices". Although largely a tribute to the Daily
News, she pointed out that perhaps the most notable lost voices are those
missing from the Herald, Sunday Mail and Chronicle. Think how widely read
and well regarded the Sunday Mail was under Willie Musarurwa, she reminded
us.
The exhibition will be on until the end of the month so see
it while you can.
We had a good chuckle over a Met Office
bulletin which told Zimbabweans to brace for a cold wet winter.
This was the first we had heard from the Met Office for months. And their
forecast was followed by beautifully clear skies and relatively warm
weather.
We would hate to think somebody is sticking his
thumb out the window and "forecasting" what he feels. We were promised by
officials that they would "update" the nation as the winter season
progressed.
Don't hold your breath. Their records show that the
country used to have rain in winter, they tell us.
What
nonsense. Which year was that? The Met Office needs to awake from its deep
slumber and provide regular and accurate bulletins for the media instead of
unexplained disappearances and dubious stories.
Finally, could
somebody explain why Zambian flags and portraits of President Rupiah Banda
were being taken down along Samora Machel on Tuesday when he left the
previous Saturday?
And did we hear any mention of Levy
Mwanawasa during the state visit and his contribution to the political
settlement? We recall the memorable phrase "sinking like the Titanic". So no
change there!
Thursday, 07 May 2009
16:40 I STAND before this House and the nation overwhelmed by the
responsibility that is being thrust upon my shoulders.
I am
truly humbled by the opportunity to serve as the fourth President of the
democratic Republic of South Africa. South Africa is a remarkable
country with very special people. We normally get caught up in our
day-to-day challenges and forget to appreciate this fact. We made history in
the world in 1994 when together we discarded our tragic past, and opted for
a future of harmony, peace and stability.
We elected our first
President, our icon Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, whom we all love dearly.
Madiba taught us the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation and
humility.
He made us walk tall and feel proud to be South
Africans. As President of the Republic, I will do my best to lead the
country towards the realisation of Madiba's vision of a truly non-sexist,
non-racial South Africa, united in its diversity.
With the
support of my organisation the ANC, as well as all South Africans, I hope to
lead the country on a path of friendship, cooperation, harmony, unity and
faster change.
We have just emerged from very vibrant
elections. The Independent Electoral Commission, which can always be relied
upon to deliver free and fair elections, rose to the occasion. The millions
of South African voters made us their public representatives, the custodians
of their hopes and dreams.
The next five years will depend
on us as public representatives to serve them with dignity and respect and
to maintain the decorum of Parliament, which is the face of our democracy.
Our people have high expectations. As the executive, we will do our best to
be more hands-on, more accessible and to deliver on our
commitments.
We also intend to start a new chapter in relations
between government and the opposition. We reiterate that it should be
possible to work with opposition parties on issues that are in the national
interest. While appreciating a robust opposition, we also trust that we will
be able to move slightly away from the dogmatic approach, which turns every
issue into a contentious one.
On the side of the executive,
we will also need to try to avoid being over-defensive, and not view all
criticism from the opposition in a negative light.
We can
surely be able to build a working relationship that emphasises oversight,
while also allowing cooperation where necessary. It is going to be a busy
five years. We have deliberately given ourselves five priorities to focus on
which will make us more effective in implementation.
As you are
aware we will focus on education, health, land reform and rural development,
the fight against crime as well as creating decent work. We are determined
to leave an indelible mark in these five areas. Our most immediate priority
is to respond decisively to the challenges posed by the global economic
downturn.
We must move quickly to implement the framework
agreed by government, business and labour to protect jobs and boost the
economy. It is my fervent hope that our public servants heard our campaign
message and understand that it shall not be business as usual. We expect
hard work and utmost dedication.
Allow me to point out that
it was quite a moving moment for me to be sworn in again as a Member of
Parliament, even though my membership was just for a few
hours.
I have a special relationship with parliament,
especially this House. I have sat in various sections and now know every
corner of the House. In 1994 I used to sit in the cross-benches as an NCOP
KwaZulu-Natal representative, when I was still MEC for Economic Affairs and
Tourism.
In 1999 I moved to the front benches as Deputy
President of the Republic. Members who were part of the last parliament will
confirm that I was a very well behaved member. I attended sessions and
presented myself timeously for the fortnightly deputy president's question
time.
I dutifully answered all questions, amid occasional
heckling from the opposition benches. Honourable Members who would not let
me rest and kept me very busy with questions included the Honourable Koos
van der Merwe and Velaphi Ndlovu of the IFP, Pieter Mulder of FF Plus and
the Honourable Cherilyne Dudley of the ACDP.
I was also a
proud recipient of little notes from honourable members from various
political parties, usually gossiping about each other, which I have kept
very safely at home.
I left rather unceremoniously on June 14
2005, without an opportunity to say goodbye to all my friends. However,
members will recall that I continued to visit, now sitting in the public
gallery during the opening of parliament and other
occasions.
However, despite all this dedication, I
automatically lose my seat on being elected President! I am therefore
considering running for honorary life membership! I am sure that even the DA
would support such a motion!
Let me use this opportunity to
congratulate our new presiding officers, and wish them well on their
appointments.
We also recognise the contribution of all our
former presiding officers. We must also acknowledge and thank the outgoing
Cabinet for their good service. I will not dwell too much on the matter of
Cabinet, Honourable Speaker. I understand the anxiety.
I
intend to have my Cabinet assume office by May 11, so that we can get down
to business. I have gained immensely from the wisdom of the top five ANC
officials whom I have consulted on the matter.
I should be able
to produce a team that will work very hard, and with the necessary speed. We
mean business when we talk about faster change.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
16:36 THIS week we reveal details of a process by government and the
central bank to hand back assets illegally taken from financial institutions
to form the Zimbabwe Allied Banking Group (ZABG) in 2004.
The
process of handing back the assets to Royal Bank and Trust Bank is taking
place four years after a Supreme Court ruling by Justice Wilson Sandura that
the sale and transfer of Trust Bank and Royal Bank's assets to the ZABG was
"null and void, and of no force or effect". The judgement said the RBZ acted
unlawfully when it approved the sale of the assets to the ZABG.
We have not lost sight of the fact that the formation of ZABG followed a
liquidity crisis wrought by impropriety on the part of the affected
financial institutions. We do not also discount the fact that something
needed to be done to rescue the situation in the financial sector at the
time.
It is the handling of that financial crunch leading
to the formation of ZABG that today brings to the fore the flawed policies
that were employed in the name of extraordinary intervention measures. In
essence, it was blatant recklessness which never made sense from the word
go.
Today, the ZABG stands tall and dark as a testament to
lawlessness, assault on property rights and the state's disregard for the
rule of law. The authorities have been working quietly to undo this
structure largely because of what it represents: illegality. Justice
Sandura said in his judgement: "This is an appropriate case in which this
court (Supreme Court) should mark its disapproval of the unlawful conduct of
the Reserve Bank, (the) ZABG and the curators."
The ruling
was critical of the conduct of the curators who instead of nursing ailing
banks back to life decided to bury them alive by selling their assets. It is
emblematic that four years after the ruling, the bank has continued to exist
largely due to the fact that government, through the Reserve Bank, was
determined to disregard the law.
The sale of the assets to the
ZABG was unlawful. The bank has been operating on stolen assets. The
unresolved issue of ZABG therefore stands as a stark reminder of the tasks
to hand in the quest to protect property rights and adhere to basic tenets
of the rule of law.
ZABG is not the only institution whose
legal standing is open to question today. The agro-industrial sector is in
this sorry state today because the land reform programme was badly executed
in a hurry in part to settle political scores. This unfortunate deviancy is
the reason Zimbabwe is begging for food when it has the capacity to feed its
own people.
There is also another case yet to be dealt with.
Businessman Mutumwa Mawere lost diversified SMM Holdings in yet another
dubious project undertaken in the guise of corruption busting. The
government used a conveniently crafted law to grab the company, just as it
amended the Land Acquisition Act along the way to legalise the seizure of
white-owned commercial farms.
The long incarceration in
remand of former Finance minister Chris Kuruneri on spurious charges of
corruption should not be discounted either. Such has been the lawlessness
that the central bank recently admitted to grabbing foreign currency from
private accounts as if it was the zenith of innovation in financial
management. This illegality should never be allowed again.
The formation of the GNU has ushered positive energy into the economy but
the continued existence of institutions like ZABG, the closed Kondozi
horticulture estate and vast stretches of fallow land remind us of how
lawlessness can easily ruin an economy. These are issues requiring urgent
attention and not just the outstanding political issues in the global
political agreement on which too much energy is being
spent.
The quest to address the ZABG issue is a positive
development. The resolution of the issue in an amicable and legal manner
will help build confidence in the financial services sector which has borne
the brunt of obtuse state policies.
It is a truism that
economic liberties cannot be separated from civil liberties. The government
must be seen to be adhering to the rule of law and not using the law to
dispossess and punish. A government that abducts, illegally detains or
tortures anyone for whatever reason will not find it difficult to take away
private property, interfere in private contracts and commandeer private
resources.
When leaders are unaccountable, it's impossible to
predict where they will strike next in pursuit of their ruinous aims.
Economic freedom and civil liberty must move together. Both are threatened
by unaccountable power that refuses to be confined by the rule of law. We
hope to see justice being served in the ZABG saga.
Thursday, 07 May 2009
16:22 I WAS taken aback last week to read a Human Rights Watch
statement calling on Western Countries to withhold developmental aid to
Zimbabwe until there are what the rights organisation calls "irreversible
changes on human rights, the rule of law, and accountability".
Equally, I was surprised by the group's assertion that "humanitarian aid
that focuses on the needs of Zimbabwe's most vulnerable should
continue".
In essence Human Rights Watch is saying Zimbabwe's poor
are fine as long as there are receiving food handouts and rudimentary
services from donor states for them to survive.
The statement
from Human Rights Watch then makes a dangerous assumption that developmental
aid can wait -- as long as there is humanitarian aid coming in -- while the
government sheds another layer of demagoguery and repression.
There is the supposition that withholding developmental aid is a way to
punish the ruling aristocracy and not the poor who can always find their way
to the soup kitchen.
To Human Rights Watch, not much has
changed since the formation of the unity government. They see outstanding
issues, which the principals to the GPA are still grappling with, looming
larger than the positives to date.
The route to take therefore is
to forget about rebuilding this country. This position -- despite its past
attraction to many Zimbabweans who would love to see the back of President
Mugabe and Zanu -- is fast losing its lustre.
I am not under
any illusion to suggest that Zimbabweans have made peace with Mugabe as
leader of the unity government. What has changed about Zimbabweans is that
they want to get on with life and start living normally again. Gone is the
era when business people thought investing in industry and commerce was an
endorsement of Zanu PF rule.
Zimbabweans have their heads
up.
This applies to everyone; from the struggling subsistence
farmer to well-heeled business magnates. They are aware of the deformities
in the political settlement between Zanu PF and the two MDC
formations.
They are all keen to see a stable and peaceful country
where there is fairness and equity in the distribution of resources.
Zimbabweans agree that there must be rule of law and respect for property
rights.
To achieve these, however, Zimbabweans today are not
saying that processes meant to achieve social development should be
suspended as the country addresses the democratic deficit to achieve what
Human Rights Watch calls "irreversible changes on human rights, the rule of
law and accountability".
The process of achieving the
desired change is not an overnight event of sculpting the designed image. It
is therefore incumbent on Zimbabweans to lead this process of change using
realistic timeframes and yardsticks.
There are pitfalls in
trammelling the "democratisation" process in order to suit donors'
requirements. There is the danger of the unity government making shortcuts
in amending laws without proper consensus-building. We see the government
being pressured to fast-track the writing of a new constitution to satisfy
the agenda of financing the country's recovery.
Erasing
traits and hangovers of the dictatorial Zanu PF administration will take
more than just setting up institutions and amending laws. It requires
changing the collective conscience of the nation.
This is not
achieved by impositions. Human rights defenders should therefore not confuse
building democratic institutions with generic notions of stability and good
governance. Many of Africa's more effective and economically reform-minded
leaders, from President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda to President Paul Kagame
in Rwanda, have demonstrated autocratic tendencies.
In pushing
for change in Zimbabwe, human rights groups should not just focus on the
ruling elite but also look at the lower rungs of our social ladder. If the
rights promoters are not frightened by the unemployment, disease, collapse
in health, education and basic infrastructure, then this is the time to
be.
Poverty is a human rights issue, so are education, health and
shelter. Poverty is a huge threat to stability and the longer this economy
takes to mend the more the country is susceptible to a return to yesteryear
moments of madness.
Financing is key and efforts must be
made to mobilise such instead of pretending that Zimbabwe can make do with
humanitarian aid whilst sorting out the outstanding issues.
I take heart in AfDB President Donald Kaberuka's position on what is
required here. He said: "I don't think the strategy of making Zimbabwe
dependent on foreign aid is the right one. What we need to do with Zimbabwe
is to work with them to establish business confidence, rehabilitate their
infrastructure and ensure that skilled Zimbabweans come back to their
country." He added: "I very much welcome the political arrangement in
Zimbabwe. It may be imperfect but it represents a chance for that country's
recovery and return to its previous prosperous status."
Thursday, 07 May 2009 16:44 I
WAS appalled to read about suspects in a US$300 000 theft who were freed on
the flimsy grounds that the state could not afford to hire translators to do
the French and Swahili translations.
That is a lame excuse not
worthy of coming from our courts. From the facts presented in the story, it
is apparent that the suspects have a prima facie case and for them to go
scot-free just like that sets a dangerous precedent. This is a travesty of
justice which may well come to characterise our judicial system if the
powers-that-be do not move in swiftly to nip this corruption cancer in the
bud.
Unfortunately, the case is just a tip of the iceberg. The
deterioration of other government services as a result of the economic
challenges facing the nation resulted in the attendant privatisation of
government services by government employees for their private benefit, the
justice system included.
TelOne technicians were demanding
bribes from TelOne customers to fix their phones.
Zesa
technicians were also demanding hefty bribes to attend to faults which they
are supposed to do anyway.
Teachers were using school
facilities to conduct private lessons, officers at the passport office were
making a killing selling passports, ETDs, death certificates, and
citizenship to foreigners, while law enforcement agents instead of enforcing
the law were now offering their services to the highest bidder, mostly the
criminals who having committed a crime wanted to buy their
freedom.
Police officers have now taken to extorting money from
criminals and other transgressing businessmen and citizens.
As a result a lot of wronged citizens are frustrated to see criminals who
would have committed crimes against them going scot-free having bribed the
law enforcement agents to secure their freedom.
Now that there
is an inclusive government whose major brief is to turn around the economy,
the powers-that-be in the law enforcement agencies should stamp out the rot
in their agencies to restore law and order in these law enforcement
agents.
I appeal to police Commissioner General Augustine
Chihuri, Attorney General Johannes Tomana and Justice Permanent Secretary
David Mangota to act decisively to ensure that our law enforcement agencies
are not turned into permanent private cash cows for the benefit of the
officers of state employed in these agencies.
Kudakwashe
Marazanye, Harare.
------------- We Need a
Democratic Culture
Thursday, 07 May 2009 16:09 THE problem
with Zimbabwean politics is the absence of a democratic
culture.
I am referring to leaders who do not respond to the
concerns of the voters and those of ordinary people. Our leaders are not
willing to accept that they can be voted out of power because of their own
failures. They rule without any regard of the views and sentiments of
the ordinary people.
People do not need to join politics or
belong to a specific political party to have their views
heard.
I have worked in the UK for the past six years and
whilst I am not a citizen I am urged to register for
voting.
Hate or love the British, one cannot help but admire
how the ordinary people and the media have the power to influence how the
government runs the country on any issue, from education, health to the
economy.
If Zimbabwe was anywhere near that level of a
functional democracy, the formation of an all-inclusive government, cars for
the MPs and the Gideon Gono vs Tendai Biti saga would be heavily influenced
by the sentiments and views of voters and not by some closed door quarrels
between political leaders who just want to impose themselves on the
people.
Munhamo, United
Kingdom.
-------------- Are Road Block Searches
Legal?
Thursday, 07 May 2009 16:03 I RECENTLY travelled to
South Africa by road and shortly after starting off from Harare I was
stopped by the police at a road block on the outskirts of the
city.
The police detail demanded to see what was in the trailer
that I was towing. I asked why he wanted to see what was in the trailer and
what he was looking for. He stated that he was looking for weapons. I and my
partner are both over 70 and were accompanied by a young child of seven
years old.
I opened the trailer and he demanded to see what was
under the suitcases which were packed tight for the journey.
My
partner replied that we would have to be stupid to have anything under the
suitcases at which point an altercation arose and the former said he would
delay us and was arresting my partner for calling him stupid.
After
some considerable time the police then insisted that we go to Mbare Police
Station, which we did, taking two of them with us.
I found it
strange that no one had asked for our name or any other form of
identification. We eventually got to see a senior officer who did ask who we
were and he explained that it was a security road check and allowed us to
proceed. We resumed our journey after some considerable delay.
I am quite used to traffic road checks for licences and vehicle lights but
this was my first experience of a security road check and I request that the
police should provide a notice in the event of a specific security check so
that the general public become aware that a search may take place.
Search is a very personal operation which involves an invasion of privacy
and is why a search warrant issued by a magistrate is necessary to search
individual premises or there is a reasonable suspicion for a search to take
place.
As far as I am aware there is no state of emergency in
Zimbabwe and a general search of all vehicles is not actually allowed in
terms of the constitution. However the police may be able to correct me and
advise of the correct position. I am sure that the general public would like
to know their rights.
I do believe that police officers
should also be properly trained because the police officer concerned had no
idea of how to carry out an arrest which requires the symbolic detention of
the individual, an explanation of the precise law or reason for the
detention and requires that the policeman knows the name of the individual
he is detaining. People cannot be arrested for many of the minor offences
under the law.
P W Bailey,
Harare.
------------- PSL, Clubs Must put House in
Order
Thursday, 07 May 2009 15:57 THE Premier League
season is six weeks old and already ugly scenes of violence have been
witnessed outside the stadiums especially in matches involving Dynamos and
Caps United.
In the first match between Caps United and Hwange,
soccer fans fought running battles with the police as they protested against
high gate charges which were pegged at US$2 for the cheapest ticket. The
cheapest ticket approved by the PSL management committee was
US$1.
In DeMbare's first home match, there was pandemonium when
thousands of DeMbare fans failed to make their entry on time due to the
club's decision to open fewer gates. The trouble outside the stadium
affected the proceedings on the pitch and the watch was temporarily stopped
as teargas engulfed part of the pitch.
In the clashes
property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed and scores of supporters
were left injured. Violence has become a permanent feature almost every
season and it is more worrying when the violence is a product of poor
organisation and lack of professionalism.
In a game between
Dynamos and Rhinos they used a new ticketing system they have never used
before and it caused unnecessary delays as the fans and cashiers are still
to familiarise with this new system.
One would have expected
the PSL management committee to test this system during the off season to
see the merits and demerits of the system.
The Caps United and
Hwange fiasco was a result of bungling by the PSL because they gave Caps the
green light to hike charges although they pegged the cheapest ticket at
US$1. What was even more frustrating for fans in this game is the failure by
the club to notify the public about the hiking of charges.
The clubs must take into account that fans are finding it difficult to
obtain this forex as most soccer fans are poor. As if that was not enough
the charges where hiked even more when Dynamos were hosted by Caps United
and a rest of the ground ticket was going for US$3. What is disturbing about
the two incidents is that the leadership is to blame. Surely we cannot have
to blame the corporate world from not sponsoring domestic soccer if this
continues.
Soccer fans should not be made to pay for
whatever costs are incurred by the club, as it is the duty for clubs
officials to look for funds elsewhere and not from supporters. In other
clubs in the world the money generated at home games is used to cater for
the expenses of travelling fans when they are away.
The
problem with our football is that some people think by owning a football
club one can make money by selling players abroad and generate revenue from
paying soccer fans.
The PSL clubs and management committee
should iron out the pricing issue as it has got the potential of causing
violence at stadiums as fans will be resist paying that much
money.
Concerned Fan,
Harare.
-------------- Tel-One Tariffs
Exorbitant
Thursday, 07 May 2009 15:52 I AM a Tel-One
customer bemused by their exorbitant tariffs. Communicating in this day
and age is not a luxury but a necessity. Therefore I am of the opinion that
the services you offer are a need and not a want.
The tariffs
that you are currently charging are not a reflection of this fact. They are
inhibitive and are not practical to the working class of this
country.
Instead of earning revenue for your company from a few
astronomically high charges, rather aim to put a phone in every household in
the country and charge reasonable rates.
This way, Tel-One and
Zimbabwe as a nation can benefit. Realistically not many people can afford
these hundred something dollar bills -- some stretching into the
thousands.
Irate customer,
Harare.
----------- SMS Zimbabwe Independent Thursday,
07 May 2009 16:14 CONGRATULATIONS Monomutapa Football Club for getting
to the league phase of the champions league. It is a major success and now
is the time to prove to the continent that we have what it takes. You are
the true warriors! I say well done to the players and the technical
team. Enos "Mutape" Chikukwa.
THE President and Prime
Minister should resolve the outstanding issues in the inclusive government
quickly, especially issues of governors and permanent secretaries to instill
a measure of confidence in the unity government. TSM,
Mutare.
OUTSTANDING GPA issues are still to be addressed and we
have an increasingly flawed constitutional process. I bet my last dollar
that the GNU's lifespan will be increased.
Thwalimbiza.
SAYING that Robert Mugabe is being held to ransom by
the service chiefs is the same as saying that a ventriloquist is a slave of
his puppet collection. Analyst.
WITH the horrendous
abuse of human rights by unreformed state institutions continuing, no
foreign aid will ever come our way. Concerned.
CAN someone
explain to me how the title "comrade" is earned? Is it given to
ex-combatants or is a political party title? Tendai,
Mutare.
IT seems that Dumiso Dabengwa's "bull" has gone into
hiding. What are the latest developments? Time conscious,
Bulawayo.
DUMISO Dabengwa must come out of the silence.
Obsever, Bulawayo.
WELSHMAN Ncube should get industry to start
kicking because the former "high rate" dealers are now indulging in criminal
activities. Sekuru JB.
JACOB Zuma must be left to sing his
song. He is a natural politician with mass appeal. His detractors should
tell us how well the non-dancing leaders have done! Ngwenya,
Bulawayo.
I HOPE that local film actors learnt something from the
Nigerian actress Patience "Mai Azuka" Ozokwor who toured our nation. Let's
have something from our actors now. The Nigerians have had to come to show
their expertise whilst we continue to play second fiddle. What a
pity! Enos Chikukwa.
ONE has to be blessed with a
keen sense of humour to understand Eric Bloch and Dusty Miller's columns.
Bloch gives us a lighter side to the horrible economic situation whilst
Miller's articles are hilarious. I would not miss them for anything! Tough
luck to anyone who cannot see such witty humour. Joannah
K.
ANYBODY who has driven a car in Harare will attest to the
terrible driving of commuter omnibus drivers. Their aggressive attitude
towards other road users is totally contemptible. What is it about these
drivers that even the ZRP or the municipal police idly watch whilst the law
is broken? Curious.
I IMPORT motor parts and accessories
and am distraught by the custom duties we are being charged at the border.
To Tendai Biti I say 40-65% duty in hard currency is too much. It results in
the inflation of the prices of the spares. Zimra ends up making more money
than all of us! Rip off.
THE Zimbabwean government denied
us foreigners travelling documents and our home countries are also doing the
same. Where do we Zambians stand? Taurai Tembo, Bulawayo.
I HEARD that George Chiweshe went to South Africa as an election observer. I
hope he learnt that you don't wait for a month to release results.
Madzibaba.
GIDEON Gono admitted that he stole money from corporate
foreign currency accounts. He should be arrested for theft or should just
resign. I Sibanda, Harare.
IT'S amazing how Gideon Gono
can borrow billions whilst the Finance minister is begging for US$ 8 billion
for the country's recovery plan. Gono should pay back part of the loan so
that the minister will start the recovery plan. Please Gono have the nation
at heart. Concerned.
WHEN we told Gideon Gono and Obert
Mpofu that the price controls do not work they jailed us. Now they and their
task force must be jailed for what they did to us.
Businessman.
SOLUSI University should be realistic with their fee
structure and review them. No one is getting paid as much as they are
demanding. Please have mercy on us. Ross
Madhumbeni.
HARARE - A group of eminent global leaders, among
them, former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan and ex-South Africa
president Nelson Mandela, have pleaded with key donor governments and the
European Commission (EC) to give aid and other support to crisis-sapped
Zimbabwe.
In a statement yesterday, the group known as the Elders said it
had written to Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States
and the EC asking for aid on behalf of Zimbabwe.
The Elders said they
were concerned about the lack of political and judicial reform in Zimbabwe
which suggested that there was considerable determination in some quarters
to resist lasting political change.
However, the Elders said they
believed that under the circumstance, the risks of inaction by donors
outweighed the challenges of delivering increased aid to the inclusive
government formed last February.
"The inclusive government needs more
support to ensure that it can initiate the urgent stabilisation and early
recovery programmes that the people so desperately need," said Archbishop
Desmond Tutu, chair of the Elders. "Now is not the time for donors to take a
'wait and see' approach. This is the best chance Zimbabweans have had for
peace and prosperity in decades."
Annan, who was together with former
United States president Jimmy Carter and Mandela's wife Graça Machel, barred
by the government last November from entering Zimbabwe to assess the
humanitarian situation in the country said there were times when a swift,
generous and creative response is required.
"A rapid infusion of
'humanitarian-plus' resources are needed to help stabilise the country at
this vulnerable stage in its recovery. Supporting the inclusive government
to deliver better services will foster much needed change," said
Annan.
Donors provided around US$670 million in emergency aid to Zimbabwe
in 2008 and more humanitarian assistance has been pledged for 2009, but they
have indicated that they will not deliver long-term development support
until the government implements much-needed political and economic
reforms.
The Elders agree that full donor re-engagement should be linked
to reforms, but in private letters sent to donors this week, they pointed
out that there was a big gap between the provision of emergency food and
medical supplies, and longer-term development
assistance.
Humanitarian-plus funds, according to the Elders, were needed
to bridge that gap, for example more funds were needed to rehabilitate water
and sanitation infrastructure, especially after health experts blamed a
devastating cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe on the broken down water and
sewerage facilities.
The elders said more funds were also needed to
provide teaching materials for primary and secondary schools, cover school
fees for Zimbabwe's estimated 1,3 million orphans and vulnerable children,
support local food production, provide housing for the poor, manage waste
and support the revival of the micro-finance sector.
The Elders
acknowledged donor concerns about the need for proper and transparent use of
aid, but said there were times when greater flexibility was required and
suggested that 'humanitarian-plus' funds could be delivered through
specially administered accountable mechanisms.
The Elders are a group of
eminent global leaders convened by Mandela and Machel, who offer their
experience and independent voices to support the resolution of conflict and
the alleviation of human suffering. - ZimOnline
Zimbabwe's
troubled national unity government showed signs of stabilizing on Thursday
after President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party declared it is committed to
the uneasy partnership and criticized its governing partner, the Movement
for Democratic Change of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, for issuing an
ultimatum for the resolution of outstanding issues.
Secretary General
Tendai Biti of Tsvangirai's MDC formation, who is minister of finance in the
so-called inclusive government, told reporters in a news conference on
Wednesday that if the principals in the unity government do not resolve all
outstanding issues by Monday the matter will be referred to the MDC
grouping's national council for discussion.
But Biti stopped short of
threatening to pull out of the power-sharing government, which he said is
the best option for Zimbabwe at the present moment.
Responding,
ZANU-PF Deputy Spokesman Ephraim Masawi told Web-based news publication
ZimOnline that ultimatums should not be issued in a negotiating
process.
Mr. Tsvangirai opened talks last month with President Mugabe
and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara hoping to resolving a number of
vexed questions left from before the government's formation and others that
have cropped up since its February launch.
These include the ongoing
invasions of white-owned commercial farms, which Mr. Mugabe has encouraged,
the president's unilateral reassignment of ministerial responsibilities, and
his appointments to top posts including the governorship of the central
bank.
Political analyst Charles Mangongera told reporter Blessing Zulu of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that ZANU-PF is showing signs of panic at the
MDC ultimatum.
Zimbabwe's three-month-old all-inclusive government hit
a speed bump this week when a Harare magistrate revoked bail for 18
individuals who were mostly members of the Movement for Democratic Change
formation of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, sent a number of them back to
remand cells, then reversed herself in large measure within 24
hours.
It was the most serious shock to the government since early March
when the death of Susan Tsvangirai, wife of the prime minister, initially
raised suspicions among MDC activists of an assassination plot but was
quickly reclassified as a tragic highway accident.
This week's
arrests came in the midst of a series of talks among unity government
principals about resolving outstanding issues - among them the prosecution
of members of the former opposition party on charges of terrorism that are
widely seen as politically inspired.
Some observers saw a provocation by
hardliners in President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party - though rapid
climbdown by Attorney General Johannes Tomana and the magistrate suggested
someone underestimated the force of the MDC reaction of outrage.
For
analysis of this episode, reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe turned to Bekithemba Mhlanga, a London-based analyst, and Ozias
Tungwarara, director of the Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy
Project in Johannesburg.
Both blamed Mr. Mugabe for this latest upset
to the unity government.
Mhlanga commented that the episode raised doubts
as to whether the government will ever be able to resolve all of the
outstanding issues that divide it, such as continuing takeovers of
white-owned commercial farms, which Mr. Mugabe endorses and Mr. Tsvangirai
opposes.
7 May 2009 - The cholera outbreak that
took hold of Zimbabwe from last August sustained its downward trend last
month while aid agencies continued their efforts to combat the disease,
according to the latest United Nations update. The UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported 65 cholera infections
by the end of April with four deaths, compared to 26 cases and 13 deaths the
previous month.
The total number of people contracting cholera reached
97,400 and the death toll stood at 4,271 since August 2008.
The
Cholera Command and Control Centre continues to provide medical supplies to
the districts and all provinces have received cholera kits and generators,
while agencies partnering with the UN are supporting the control effort by
providing case management expertise, distributing non-food items, borehole
drilling and water trucking.
Also in April, basic hygiene kits were
distributed in 14 districts and additional non-food items (NFI) reached some
93,000 households, at least 465,000 people.
Aid agencies working in
water, sanitation and hygiene are also responding to cholera spikes as they
occur, focusing efforts in Harare in April.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) donated computers and communication equipment to the Ministry of
Health and Child Welfare, with the aim of strengthening surveillance through
better data management.
A tobacco farmer waits for the tobacco auction floors to open
Thursday
By Our Correspondent
HARARE - Zimbabwe’s tobacco selling season began Thursday with few deliveries
being made in comparison to first-day deliveries over the past decade.
Tobacco farmers are said to have adopted a wait
and see attitude while observing prices on the floors.
Prices at the three auction floors ranged from $2, 30 to $4, 50/kg on opening
day, depending on the quality of the leaf.
The Zimbabwe Tobacco Growers Association (ZTGA) says a total of 42 000 tonnes
of tobacco is expected to pass through the auction floors.
“It is now expensive to be a tobacco farmer, more so when payments do not
come on time and are not attractive when compared to what is being offered
around the world,” ZTGA said.
Tobacco used to be Zimbabwe’s major foreign currency earner, producing as
much as 227 762 tonnes in 2000 before the disruptive land reform program.
The Zimbabwe Tobacco Association says not only has crop output declined but
the number of growers has also declined as only 8 000 farmers planted tobacco,
compared with 28 000 last year.
The Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) says it expects deliveries to
increase as the selling season progresses.
Philemon Mangena, managing director of Tobacco Sales Floor said although the
national output of tobacco had declined, he was hopeful that the sector would
rebound.
“Last year and the two previous seasons there was chaos because of the poor
pricing structure and the use of the overvalued Zimbabwe dollar, but now
everyone will earn money in hard currency,” Mangena said.
Zimbabwe tobacco production area, yield and output,
1980-2000
“Although this year’s output is the lowest we have had in many years, the
sector will do much better next year as inputs are readily available and there
are no disputes between growers and buyers over pricing.”
TIMB said they were expecting sales to be concluded within 80 selling days or
at the least by 28 August.
During the last season about 67 percent of the total deliveries of 47 000
tonnes were sold through the contract system. The dual system would be in
operation for the fourth successive season this year.
TIMB said to ensure orderly marketing, growers producing for auction would
sell their entire production through auction sales.
“As is usual more than one contractor could have funded a contracted grower,”
said TIMB chief executive, Dr Andrew Matibiri. “Accordingly, an agreed
arrangement of sharing the crop among contractors and loan recovery from
contract growers will be operated.
“However, the overriding principle will be that contractors will be obliged
to purchase tobacco equivalent to the level of indebtedness of the grower.
Thereafter, transactions will be by mutual consent of the parties involved.”
In addition, all transaction on sales floors would be denominated in United
States dollars and accordingly, growers will be paid their sales proceeds in US
dollars, less statutory payments, selling commissions and stop order deductions,
Matibiri said.
“The default payment modality is that all growers will be given a stated
amount as cash with the rest being deposited into their Foreign Currency
Account,” he said.
“However, a grower can elect not to encash any portion of his/her sales
proceeds, and have his entire proceeds transferred into the FCA account, by
informing the auction floor before the sale.”
At least 16 contractors have been licensed to conduct contract sales at the
floors.
Other contractors are Shasha Tobacco P/L, Tian Ze, Western Tobacco Company,
Zesa Enterprises, Zimbabwe Farmers Development Company and Zimbabwe Global Agric
Development, Zimbabwe Leaf Tobacco Company and Zimbabwe Tobacco Growing
Company.
We are pleased to announce
IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) fellowships forthreatened academics
whose lives and work are in danger in their home country. Professors,
researchers and lecturers from any country or field may apply. We invite you to
refer suitable candidates, and
ask for your help in forwarding the announcement to any academic colleagues who
may be interested.
In addition, we are eager to
identify new partner
institutions interested in hosting SRF fellowship recipients as
visiting scholars, professors or researchers. We would especially like to
invite participation from universities, colleges and academic research centers
outside of the U.S.
Apply or nominate a
candidate for SRF fellowship support
Fellowships for Threatened
Academics: Professors, Researchers and Lecturers
Application
Deadline:June 15th,
2009
TheInstitute of International
Education's (IIE) Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF)provides fellowships for established
scholars whose lives and work are threatened in their home countries. These
fellowships permit professors, researchers and other senior academics to find
temporary refuge at universities and colleges anywhere in the world, enabling
them to pursue their academic work. During the fellowship, conditions in a
scholars home country may improve, permitting safe return after the fellowship;
if safe return is not possible, the scholar may use the fellowship period to
identify a longer-term opportunity.
How The Scholar Rescue Fund Works:
Professors, established researchers and other senior
academics from any country, field or discipline may qualify. Preference
is given to scholars with a Ph.D. or other highest degree in their field; who
have extensive teaching or research experience at a university, college or other
institution of higher learning; who demonstrate superior academic accomplishment
or promise; who are facing or have recently fled from direct and immediate
threats; and whose selection is likely to benefit the academic community in the
home and/or host country or region. Applications from female scholars and
under-represented groups are strongly encouraged.
Fellowships are awarded for visiting academic positions
ranging from 3 months to 1 calendar year. Awards are issued for up toUS $25,000, plus individual
health coverage.
Fellowships are disbursed through host academic
institutions for direct support of scholar-grantees. In most cases, host
campuses are asked to match the SRF fellowship award through partial
salary/stipend support, and/or housing, research materials, and other in-kind
assistance.
Applications are accepted at any time. Non-emergency applications will be considered according
to the following schedule:
Summer 2009:Applications received by June 15th; decision
by July 31st.
Fall 2009:Applications received by September 15th;
decision by October 31st.
To
apply, please download the information and application materials
from:
SRF
fellowship recipients are established academics from 40 different countries who
represent a diverse array of disciplines and academic experience. Many
prestigious institutions around the globe have welcomed SRF scholars to their
campuses and provided the safe haven vital to allowing a scholar to resume his
or her academic activities. While on fellowship, scholars may teach courses,
conduct research, facilitate seminars and offer guest lectures and
presentations. Smaller colleges and large research institutions have reaped the
benefits of hosting SRF scholars who bring compelling professional and personal
experiences to their host communities.
IIE
Scholar Rescue Fund Fellowships 809 U.N. Plaza New York, New York
10017 Tel: (USA) 1-212-205-6486 Fax: (USA) 1-212-205-6425 E-mail: SRF@iie.org Web: http://www.scholarrescuefund.org/
A tobacco farmer waits for the tobacco auction floors to open
Thursday