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Tsvangirai meets Zuma over poll roadmap

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 09:07

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has met Sadc mediator in Zimbabwe Jacob
Zuma to push for the immediate implementation of the regional bloc's roadmap
towards free and fair elections in the country next year.

Tsvangirai met Zuma on Wednesday as a 30-day deadline set by regional
leaders for Zimbabwe's coalition partners to implement outstanding issues
lapsed without movement. Regional leaders set the deadline, which expired
this week, when they met in Namibia last month.

Zuma's spokesman Zizi Kodwa yesterday confirmed the meeting but referred all
questions to Tsvangirai's office, saying "it was the Prime Minister of
Zimbabwe who requested the meeting and it's only appropriate that they
should comment on it".

Tsvangirai's spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka last night confirmed the
meeting. He said his boss raised the issue of clearing remaining global
political agreement sticking points and the need for a roadmap for free and
fair elections.

Officials close to Tsvangirai, also the MDC-T leader, said he had been
mandated with pushing Sadc and the African Union, through Zuma, to pay
closer attention to Zimbabwe's political processes to ensure a free vote.

"He is there to discuss with Zuma how best Zimbabwe can avoid another
disputed election," a source said. The parties had committed themselves to
implementing 24 issues they claimed to have agreed on within the deadline,
while continuing negotiations on three deadlocked matters: the swearing-in
of Roy Bennett into government and the appointments of Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono and Attorney-General Johannes Tomana.
Zuma, appointed by Sadc to mediate and ensure the implementation of the
political agreement which led to the formation of the inclusive government,
had told his regional colleagues last month that implementation of the
issues would form the basis "for the conviction to grow that Zimbabwe can
reach her goal of holding free and fair elections".

But top officials in the MDC-T said a party national council meeting last
week resolved to push for elections after resigning themselves to the
reality that unresolved issues were likely to remain  as shown by lack of
movement within the agreed 30-day timetable.

Mugabe said days after the Sadc meeting that he would not give in to the
concessions until sanctions were removed, despite having earlier committed
himself to the Sadc deadline.
To Page 2

MDC-T officials told the Independent that as result, a general election next
year was inevitable. They said they had tasked Tsvangirai to fight for
greater regional involvement as well as push for faster implementation of
electoral reforms whose contents are already on the table.

The party now wants coalition partners, Tsvangirai, Mugabe and Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara to agree on an actual timeframe for the polls to
avoid an ambush situation by Mugabe.

Mugabe's Zanu PF party has already announced that an election is inevitable
next year, while Mutambara has reiterated that the political and economic
environment did not favour polls. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are likely to get
their wish for a 2011 election, soon after a constitutional referendum which
should be held in the first quarter of next year. Tsvangirai and Mugabe have
greater control of both central government and parliament than Mutambara.
"It is almost certain that Zimbabwe should return to the ballot box next
year because these outstanding issues are unlikely to be solved within the
lifespan of this coalition government," said an MDC-T official close to
Tsvangirai. "The meeting with Zuma was part of the election preparation
because we want Sadc to start preparing a monitoring team."

Nelson Chamisa, the MDC-T spokesman, said he did not have details of Zuma
and Tsvangirai's meeting, saying the Prime Minister was in South Africa on
government business.

Tsvangirai is in South Africa where he addressed an economic summit on
Zimbabwe. He told delegates that he was keen on fresh elections to break the
coalition government logjam.

"I am extremely grateful for the leadership that Sadc has shown in its quest
to find a lasting solution to the Zimbabwe crisis by prescribing an exit
strategy from the current transitional arrangement, which strategy includes
a roadmap to a free and fair election. This will not be easy, but with help
from South Africa and Sadc, and the rest of the international community, it
is possible," he said without specifying a timeframe.

Chamisa said the Sadc 30-day deadline had passed this week without any
movement because neither inter-party negotiators nor the principals met to
discuss how to implement the issues before the expiry of the deadline. He
said an MDC national council meeting last week emphasised the need for Sadc,
as well as local stakeholders, to ensure free and fair elections.

Chamisa said apart from intensifying regional lobbying, his party was
pushing for faster implementation of democratic reforms to avoid delays in
holding elections.

"This government has always been temporary. Any longer gestation period will
benefit Zanu PF because they are the ones being cleansed and sanitised by
this government," he said.

"Election preparedness and readiness is not just a function of timetables.
What is important is a framework for fair elections. That is what the party
is focused on."

Some of the issues the MDC has decided to push for are electoral and media
reforms, as well as demilitarising rural areas where Chamisa alleged
soldiers were still intimidating people. Tsvangirai told delegates to the
economic summit that discussions were underway to achieve these reforms
before the next poll.


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AG’s Office Bill ‘falls short’

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:47

GOVERNMENT has gazetted the Attorney-General’s Office Bill which provides
for a board to supervise the operations of one of the institutions at the
centre of Zimbabwe’s political stalemate that has stunted economic growth.
But rights lawyers say the Bill falls short of addressing challenges facing
the AG’s Office such as independence from the executive, low remuneration
and corruption.
They cite President Robert Mugabe’s strong influence on the appointment of
the board members as one of the Bill’s weaknesses.
The AG’s Office has repeatedly been forced to defend allegations that it is
being used to prosecute Mugabe’s rivals, while ignoring Zanu PF officials
and activists implicated in political crimes.
“The president has a larger say in the appointment of the board as he has
the power to appoint at least four members of the seven member board,” said
Andrew Makoni, chairperson of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, a group of
over 100 lawyers that has represented activists prosecuted for their
political work.
”He also appoints the Attorney-General,” Makoni says. “Virtually all the
appointed board members are appointed by the executive. Parliament, which
represents the people, has no say in the appointment of the board. Although
it is provided that this board shall not be subject to the control of any
person or authority, the appointment process in my view compromises its
independence.”
The purpose of this Bill, first introduced in 2005, is to constitute the
Attorney-General’s Office as a service outside the public service. It should
provide for the administration of the AG’s Office and conditions of service
for staff.
Alleged politically motivated prosecutions as well as the continued stay of
AG Johannes Tomana that have emerged as some of the contentious
power-sharing disputes were unlikely to end, Makoni said.
According to the gazetted Bill, the AG’s office board shall also consist of
the AG, a commissioner of the Public Service Commission and not more than
four members appointed by Mugabe.
Section 5(3) of the Bill states that the “board shall not be subject to the
control or direction of any person or authority other than for the purpose
of audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of those funds of the office
that are voted by parliament or charged on the Consolidated Fund by this Act
or any other law”.
Makoni said issues of remuneration would also affect the prosecuting
authority’s independence as staff, whose salary structure is not clearly
defined, could still be tempted to engage in corrupt activities to boost
income.
“Contrast this with the South African National Prosecution Authority (NPA)
Act 32 of 1998, which guarantees the earnings of the officials in the NPA,”
Makoni said. “It specifies the salary of the office bearers in a simple
formula: The salary of the national director shall not be less than the
salary of a judge of the High Court; the salary of a deputy national
director shall not be less than 85% of the salary of the national director;
and the salary of a director shall not be less than 80% of the salary of the
national director,” said Makoni.
He added: “Such clarity in earnings of the officials guarantees their
independence as their earnings will not be diminished by politicians who
might want to use their financial muscle to influence prosecutions and
decisions. There are many imperfections in this Bill, such that I recommend
a complete revision.”

Wongai Zhangazha


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SK Moyo ads raise furore in Zanu PF

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:46

A POLITICAL row has erupted in Zanu PF over controversial newspaper adverts
placed in the local and South African press by party chairman Simon Khaya
Moyo.
The issue has raised disquiet within Zanu PF structures, particularly among
senior party officials, who are now querying Moyo's agenda and the damage
the adverts are inflicting on the party. Some newspapers have been
interpreting the adverts to mean President Robert Mugabe's party has now got
into election mode and was stirring the troubled political waters by
resorting to familiar threatening language and name-calling.
Well-informed sources said grave concerns about Moyo's adverts have been
raised at various party forums, especially among politburo members. The
worries of the politburo members include that Moyo's adverts had not been
sanctioned by the party, no party structure was involved in their
preparation and it is not known for certain who is paying for them, although
Moyo apparently used his friends to place them and later reimbursed them.
In one of the adverts, Moyo claims that Zanu PF is an "unstoppable machine"
and that "off-shoot political parties will remain off-shoot, offside and
scoring own goals".  He then goes on to talk about the liberation struggle,
the 1987 Unity Accord between Zanu and Zapu, the land reform programme, and
the country's resources and sovereignty.
Senior Zanu PF officials have questioned why Moyo was placing the adverts
which were not officially approved by the party and what his agenda was. A
senior Zanu PF official said Moyo was working with an organised group of
people who want to position themselves for the Zanu PF leadership and
possibly the presidency of the country. The official said the issue was
being viewed in the context of Mugabe's succession race in which Moyo's name
had from time to time come up.
"The adverts were not approved by the party as is usually the case and no
party structure was involved in their production," a senior Zanu PF
politburo member said.
"They are also not being paid for by the party and this raised even more
serious questions about Moyo's agenda," he said. "We understand a friend of
his paid for them but he was reimbursed. However, we do not know for sure
who is behind all this. This has caused problems in the party. Everyone who
has seen the adverts is asking what Moyo's agenda is behind all this. They
are controversial. The adverts don't even make political sense in some
aspects. What does it mean that Zanu PF is an 'unstoppable machine'? What
are off-shoot political parties? The football metaphors of off-side and own
goals in politics are also misplaced. In football how can an offside player
score an own goal? It shows he doesn't even understand football and this is
making us a laughing stock."
Moyo was not available for comment. Even Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo
could not be found. However, senior party officials said the issue had
raised disquiet in the party and left Moyo in the spotlight.
The situation is fuelled by the recent eruption of a simmering power
struggle between Vice-President John Nkomo and Moyo.
Nkomo and Moyo clashed recently in Bulawayo over the co-option of central
committee members as a new form of succession surfaced in Matabeleland.
Senior Zanu PF officials say Nkomo and Moyo, who showed traces of political
hostility against each other during the Zanu PF leadership nomination
process before last year's elective party congress by not working together,
are now battling to control the Matabeleland political turf. Obert Mpofu,
another Zanu PF politburo member, is also one of the senior politicians from
the region battling Nkomo for control and supremacy.
"There is a new power struggle in Matabeleland which has a succession
dimension. Nkomo is eyeing the Zanu PF leadership, so is Moyo. The two, who
failed to work together before last year's congress, now view each other as
rivals," another politburo member said.
"Their fight, which is still a low intensity power struggle, can erupt into
a fierce battle. It was discussed in the politburo last month after the two
clashed on the co-option of central committee members in Bulawayo."
The Zanu PF politburo last month rejected the co-option into the central
committee of Nkomo's allies in Bulawayo.
The politburo ordered fresh elections to fill central committee vacancies
for Bulawayo after rejecting seven names forwarded by Isaac Dakamela, the
provincial chairman.
Former Bulawayo mayor Abednico Nyathi, Dennis Ndlovu, Misheck Velaphi,
Elphus Tshuma, and former Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial commissar Raphael
Baleni, Nelly Dupute and Violet Ncube were supposed to have joined the
decision-making central committee, but were rejected after Moyo intervened.
The issue has sucked in senior Zanu PF leaders in Matabeleland, including
politburo members Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and Absalom Sikhosana.
Moyo blocked Nkomo's allies in a move seen as retaliation for the
vice-president's move to stop the chairman's faction from getting onto the
central committee. Nkomo opposed the election of Bulawayo war veterans'
leader Themba Ncube, former Bulawayo councillor Emmanuel Kanjoma,
businessman Charles Chiponda, Anna Moyo, Sifelani Dube, Otilia Pasipanodya
and Emily Hela. This has left Nkomo and Moyo on a collision course.

Dumisani Muleya
 


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RBZ, ministry official squabble over diamond claim

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:43

A SUBSIDIARY of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has accused an official
in the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment of
using government indigenisation policies to grab a diamond claim in which
the central bank has an interest.
On the other hand, Wilson Svova, the Indigenisation ministry official,
argued that the RBZ should have no business in diamond mining because the
government had already weaned it off quasi-fiscal operations.
The case brings to the fore fears of how individuals and institutions could
be abusing controversial government policies to enrich themselves.
Svova, a partner in Shuma Mining Syndicate, has claimed ownership of two
mining claims where Carslone Enterprises, a subsidiary of the RBZ, is
constructing a diamond processing plant at a disputed farm in the Midlands.
The processing plant and ownership of the land is already at the centre of a
dispute between the RBZ and Gweru farmer Magiel Jovner. Svova's firm has
entered into a deal with Jovner, hence his insistence on staying on the land
ahead of the RBZ.
The takeover prompted Carslone to petition the High Court in Bulawayo
seeking an order to interdict Svova and his associates from entering
Carlsone's diamond processing plant.
Carslone director Emmanuel Shuro accused Svova of forcibly entering the
processing plant after claiming that the government's indigenisation policy
empowered him to gain access into the plant.
"He cannot therefore be allowed to intrude into the area under the guise of
indigenisation - which he clearly does not comprehend," said Shuro in his
court papers filed in July.
"As earlier on mentioned, the applicant (Carslone) is a subsidiary of RBZ.
It is owned by the central bank of Zimbabwe. It is an indigenous company.
How the indigenisation policy can be applied to the applicant therefore
boggles the mind. The respondent (Svova)'s misconception of indigenisation
must not be allowed to infringe upon applicant's rights to its operations."
Shuro charged that Svova had visited the plant on several occasions where he
forced Carslone's employees to leave their employ and join Shuma Mining
Syndicate and made threats to the employees in a "manner reminiscent of
medieval barbarism".
The Carslone director said the area that Svova wanted to convert into his
"playground" housed a strategic government project and was a high security
area.
"Diamonds need to be protected given that they are a strategic mineral. The
respondent's conduct is an affront to these efforts. He basically has a low
appreciation of all this," Shuro said in his founding affidavit lodged with
the High Court in Bulawayo.
But in defending the takeover of the mining claims at Kleimpton Farm, Svova
said the RBZ had no right to continue with mining operations at the farm as
it had been barred from conducting any quasi-fiscal operations.
He said Carslone was neither the owner, tenant nor tributary of the property
and had no right to interdict him from accessing the processing plant. This
was because the company had failed to renew its tribute agreement with
Jovner, the owner of the farm, after the expiry of their partnership
agreement with him on June 24.
"The Reserve Bank was instructed to refrain from its fiscal policy and it is
to this effect that subsidiaries are to wind up and the Reserve Bank focuses
on its core/main business."
High Court Judge Justice Cheda has since ruled in favour of Carslone and
interdicted Svova and his associates from entering the diamond processing
plant.
Apart from battling with Svova, the RBZ has also been taken to court by
Jovner who sought to interdict the central bank's subsidiary from mining and
processing diamonds on his farm.
Jovner took Carslone to court after a joint-venture mining deal which the
two signed in 2007 turned sour. A High Court judge has since ordered Jovner
and the RBZ to find an amicable solution before approaching the courts.

Kumbirai Mafunda


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Zim snubs Africa-Europe energy indaba

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:42

ZIMBABWE blew an opportunity to lure international energy investors when it
snubbed the first high-ranking Africa-European Union Energy Partnership
(AEEP) meeting in Vienna, Austria, this week.
The country sent a junior diplomat to the meeting, whose aim was to secure
renewable energy supplies for at least 100 million people on the continent
by 2020.
Zimbabwe is going through one of its worst energy crises since Independence
in 1980 despite boasting vast untapped natural energy reserves, which
include methane gas.
Some African countries, excluding Zimbabwe, struck deals at the meeting,
according to French Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development
and Sea Green Technology and Climate Change Negotiations, Jean-Louis Borloo.
Zimbabwe's ambassador to Austria, Grace Mutandiro, briefly attended the
meeting, and left after an hour while several African countries, including
South Africa, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Senegal and Morocco
sent their energy ministers.
A junior diplomat, Silibaziso Mangonya, was left to follow proceedings after
Mutandiro left. Mangonya said Mutandiro had to rush for another important
meeting when quizzed why Zimbabwe appeared not to take such an opportunity
more seriously. It was not possible to get a comment from Energy minister
Elton Mangoma.
Industry cites electricity shortages as one of the biggest hindrances to
Zimbabwe's economic recovery bid. The country desperately needs investors to
build new power plants and rehabilitate obsolete equipment.
Recently, government announced that the country would soon open its doors to
investors in the energy sector to invest as independent power producers or
participate in public-private partnership arrangements in the development of
larger power projects in the country.
The country's energy sector produces a daily average of 1100 megawatts of
electricity on average against demand of 2100 megawatts. The shortfall is
met by imports from regional countries.
Zimbabwe's absence at the meeting attended by European financiers and energy
companies robbed the country of an opportunity to enhance this drive.
Most  African  ministers and their delegations used the opportunity to
engage in bilateral negotiations both with their European counterparts and
potential financiers.

Nqobile Bhebhe in Vienna, Austria


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VP Nkomo blocks Mpofu allies

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:40

VICE-PRESIDENT John Nkomo has blocked efforts by Mines minister Obert Mpofu,
his rival in the Matabeleland region, to slot his allies onto the
Matabeleland North provincial executive.
The latest development is part of a running feud between the two politicians
who are battling for control of the region.
Party sources said Nkomo frustrated a bid by Mpofu to restructure the
provincial executive that would have resulted in chairman Zenzo Ncube losing
his post.
Ncube, sources said, is Nkomo's ally and he reported the matter to the
vice-president who swiftly blocked Mpofu's move by ordering provincial party
members to defy any moves to expel the current executive.
The sources said Nkomo made it clear to Mpofu a month ago that he was the
most senior party members in the region and would use his powers to stop any
reshuffling of the executive. This left Mpofu with little choice but to
shelve the plans, authoritative sources said.
Ncube confirmed that Mpofu and allies were barred from removing him from
power after internal discussions.
"We have managed to settle the issue in the party and they no longer want to
remove me from office," he said.
On August 1, Mpofu wrote to Ncube ordering him to call for an urgent
provincial coordinating committee meeting on August 21 where a vote of no
confidence should have been passed on the provincial executive.
The meeting flopped after it clashed with a central committee meeting held
in the capital on the same day.
Mpofu wrote to Ncube last month that his executive was unsuccessful in
championing vibrant party programmes in the province. Ncube was accused of
failing to hold meetings, or educating supporters on Zanu PF's position on
the new constitution.
"Mpofu accused Ncube of failing to lead the province and requested an urgent
meeting where Mpofu and allies planned to pass a vote of confidence. In the
letter, Mpofu said Matabeleland North was a skeleton province due to lack of
political activity," said the source.
Former provincial chairman Headman Moyo headed Mpofu's list that was
supposed to replace Ncube in a coup that would have seen vice chairman
Zwelitsha Masuku losing his post. Sithembile Gumbo should have taken over
from Madeline Bhebhe as women's league chairperson.
Zanu PF central committee members who were linked to Mpofu's plans included
his wife Sikhanyisiwe, Fati Mpofu, Melly Nkomo, Rebecca Fameli and Josephine
Moyo. The central committee members held meetings earlier this year at Mpofu's
personal York House offices in Bulawayo to plot the move, which sources said
has not been permanently shelved.
Mpofu's other allies include Bulawayo war veterans' leader Themba Ncube,
former Bulawayo councillor Emmanuel Kanjoma, businessman Charles Chiponda,
Anna Moyo, Sifelani Dube, Otilia Pasipanodya and Emily Hela.
Zanu PF insiders said Mpofu's plans faced serious resistance from other
Matabeleland North central committee members like Sithembiso Nyoni,
Sithokozile Mathuthu, Cain Mathema and Samuel Mgande who are Nkomo's close
allies.
Mpofu, who has repeatedly refused to talk to the Zimbabwe Independent, again
refused to comment.
"I don't talk to people I don't know," Mpofu said before abruptly
terminating the conversation.
Efforts to get a comment from Nkomo were fruitless.

Brian Chitemba
 


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Judges among corruption accused

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:39

HIGH Court Judges are among judicial officers who could be receiving bribes,
according to a senior Anti-Corruption Commission official who has revealed
that graft has pervaded virtually all levels of the justice delivery system.
Sukai Tongogara, the Anti-Corruption Commission investigations manager, said
cases of bribery involving magistrates, prosecutors, clerks of court and
lawyers in private practice continued to rise.
She said some of the graft involved judges presiding over cases involving
relatives and friends without disclosing their interests.
She said this at a Joint Judicial-Legal profession colloquium held at
Victoria Falls last week. The Law Society of Zimbabwe organised the
colloquium.
"The Commission has received cases against magistrates, prosecutors, clerks
of court, legal practitioners, officers of the Labour Court, traditional
chiefs and judges," said Tongogara in her presentation.
"Of these cases the highest number received were cases of bribery and
corruption against magistrates, prosecutors and clerks of court."
When asked by delegates the extent of corruption and bribery at the High
Court, Tongogara said judges' cases contributed 1% of bribery and corruption
matters reported to the anti-corruption commission.

She said judges represented the lowest number of corruption cases being
handled by her organisation, but some lawyers said it was worrying that
senior officers such as judges could be involved in any form of graft.
"This was really surprising because people did not expect to get that from
the judges due to the vigorous screening they are supposed to undergo before
appointment," a lawyer who attended the colloquium told the Independent this
week.
Tongogara cited interference in the independence of the judiciary as the
biggest contributor to possible cases of corruption. Poor remuneration, lack
of supervision, weak monitoring mechanisms, inadequate work facilities,
greed, lack of integrity and unprofessionalism also contributed to the
scourge, she said.
Some lawyers were fraudulently selling properties, conniving with
prosecutors to solicit money to obtain judgments and conniving with clerks
to remove documents from records, she said.
Senior Assistant Commissioner Benjamin Mhiripiri, the director of legal
services in the police, admitted that cells at Matapi Police Station were
inhabitable, and pledged to convince his boss Augustine Chihuri to close
them down.
This was after lawyers questioned the continued use of detention cells that
posed a danger to human life. Matapi Police Station in Mbare,  is notorious
for its dehumanising conditions.
Mhiripiri's admission came as a group of local women activists have taken
steps to have the facility closed down. Lawyers for Women of Zimbabwe Arise
(Woza) members detained at Matapi in April for protesting against poor
energy supplies, have written to the co-Ministers of Home Affairs notifying
them of their intention to apply to the Supreme Court for Matapi to be
declared inhabitable. Mhiripiri admitted that many police officers had
abandoned their public duties and were using their positions to coerce
bribes as well as do private work using police uniforms and other resources.
"Regrettably some of our members abuse these wide powers to advance their
own selfish interests. We have recently received correspondence from some
magistrates complaining that some of our members are now specialising in
debt collection, judging by certain cases brought before them," he said.

Wongai Zhangazha
 


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Zipra out to repair ‘war veteran’ tag

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:38

IN Zimbabwe the tag “war veteran” is not one that draws much inspiration.
Many Zimbabweans, particularly in rural and farming communities, bear body
scars as their most vivid memories of encounters with veterans of the
country’s 1970s war of liberation.
This band of what was once regarded as the country’s heroes have turned
villain in most Zimbabweans’ eyes.
But one group of ex-combatants is trying to change this perception.
Irked by the negative reputation war veterans have earned over the years,
Ray Ncube, a retired army colonel, has joined with fellow ex-combatants from
the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) to make peace their main
priority.
The group, which was Zapu’s armed wing during the war against colonialism,
has embarked on a peace building campaign aimed at rebuilding war veterans’
battered image. Zapu and President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu were the two parties
that led the fight against colonialism.
Ncube chairs the Zipra war veterans trust headquartered in Bulawayo, but
with members countrywide.
Ncube spoke to the Zimbabwe Independent this week about his group’s
initiative, which he said was anchored on national healing. This was after
realising that the true values of the liberation struggle had been
sacrificed for personal and political gain by “selfish” politicians, some of
them ex-combatants.
Instead of rehabilitating former combatants, politicians are taking
advantage of ex-fighters’ poverty to use them as cannon fodder in violent
political and self-enriching projects such as farm invasions.
Ncube said Zipra’s community-based initiatives were inspired by the feeling
that some of their war colleagues were being used by self-serving
politicians who thrived on violence to gain power and control.
“There is a disturbing phenomenon where ex-combatants are involved in
political violence. We feel that ex-combatants are becoming victims of abuse
during the process of elections or any national events,” said Ncube on
Wednesday.
“In 2008 there were elections which were bloody and most of the people who
committed the violence were ex-combatants. That is not good. That was not a
civilised way of doing elections,” he said. “People know who to vote for and
they should have been allowed to exercise their right to vote for a person
of their choice, or even to be voted for,” he said.
The Zipra Trust was formed in 2008 to cater for the welfare and dignity of
Zipra war veterans.
Ncube said his group had been with grassroots communities and traditional
leaders in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces to discuss “where the war
veterans had gone wrong”, as a first step towards restoring ex-combatants’
dignity.
He said communities discussed ways of solving disputes that arose from
political violence and how victims and perpetrators could achieve
reconciliation at these meetings.
Some of the areas where these meetings have taken place are Bulawayo,
Gwanda, Gweru, Beitbridge, Manama, Bulilima and Mangwe.
The group, Ncube said, planned to roll out the programme countrywide to
counter the influence of rogue war veterans who turned communities into fear
zones during election periods.
The group says it is not linked to the revival of Zapu, which elected former
Home Affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa at a congress last month.
“Zipra Trust is a national organisation,” Ncube said. “We have
representatives in all provinces of the country. We refuse to be viewed as a
tribal group.  Recently we held a workshop with representatives from all the
provinces and the idea was to come up with ideas on how to introduce
transformational measures that will move communities all over Zimbabwe from
a culture of fear to a culture of peace and transparency.”
Ncube also dissociated Zipra from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War
Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), a militant group of war veterans still loyal
to President Robert Mugabe.
Now led by Jabulani Sibanda, ZNLWVA members have been at the forefront of
violent election campaigns and farm invasions since it turned into a
de-facto Zanu PF militia in 2000 under the leadership of the late Chenjerai
Hunzvi.
“Zipra Trust is not an appendage of any political party. While it is an
inescapable reality that Zipra was the military outfit of Zapu, the mandate
of the Trust to date is to take care of the welfare of the people who
sacrificed their lives to bring Independence to the country,” asserted
Ncube.
“We are just Zipra former fighters who are not connected to Zapu. All we
want is to establish peace and tranquility and also to look after the
welfare of war veterans,” he said.
Ncube said national healing was the best route to stability, but criticised
the way a specially appointed government organ was handling the process.
“The current national healing process is being touted in the media with
nothing specifically being done on the ground.
“There is need to walk on the ground, talk to the people and making them
meet with those whom they think perpetrated the violence,” Ncube said. “This
is an issue that should be discussed openly. Moreover, methods should vary
from community to community because the violence starts in the community.
You can not prescribe the same treatment for different communities because
the circumstances and magnitude can be different,” he said.

Wongai Zhangazha


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Zim still one of least competitive economies

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:43

A RECENT report says Zimbabwe has become one of the world's least
competitive economies, but analysts foresee growth if the relative stability
brought about by the formation of the coalition government is followed
through with policies that can unlock credit and investment.

According to the 2010-2011 Global Competitiveness Report released by the
World Economic Forum (WEF) last week, Zimbabwe is six places down the
previous year at 136th out of 139 countries.
The economy, which had been on a free-fall until the formation of the
coalition government, has failed to significantly grow despite the country
holding strategic minerals such as gold, diamonds and platinum.
Economic researchers who compiled the report pointed out that dilapidated
infrastructure, limited healthcare and education services and poor
institutional frameworks made Zimbabwe less competitive in the global
marketplace.  Over 13 500 business leaders worldwide were polled before the
report was compiled.
Economists who spoke to the Zimbabwe Independent this week noted that while
Zimbabwe was still recovering from a 10-year economic decline, lines of
credit, sound, consistent economic policies and trade were crucial to
increasing the country's competitiveness.
Farayi Dyirakumunda, an economist and executive director at African
Investment Markets, told the Independent that Zimbabwe was in the initial
stages of an economic recovery cycle and indications on the ground revealed
"a changing corporate landscape driven by a set of reforms including
dollarisation, and deregulation across various sectors".
"The country's competitiveness will continue to improve if we maintain
policies that place a focus on the drivers and facilitators of
 productivity," he said.
"The country's overall global competitiveness has been hindered over the
years by shortcomings across the basic requirements of productivity. Limited
attention has been given towards efficiency enhancers and there is a
deficiency of innovation and sophistication factors," said Dyirakumunda.
According to the WEF report, the sharp fall in Zimbabwe's ranking was due to
a decline in the majority of the 12 pillars used to rank overall
competitiveness of each country. These are institutions, infrastructure,
macro-economic stability, health and primary education, higher education and
training, goods market efficiency, labour market efficiency, financial
market sophistication, technological readiness, market size, business
sophistication and innovation.
Economic analyst Eric Bloch told the Independent on Monday that Zimbabwe's
economic rating will improve, but this would be "very long and slow".
"The most critical requirement for significant improvement to be achieved is
the creation of an internationally acceptable secure investment environment,
including unequivocal governmental and activist organisations and respect
for property rights," he said.
Bloch said unlawful expropriation, occupation and or abuse of property must
cease. Unreserved compliance with Bilateral Investment Promotion and
Protection Agreements (Bippas), he said, was a key element missing in
Zimbabwe.
"There is need for unequivocal respect by government, police and armed
forces, and the courts for human rights," Bloch said.
Bloch and Dyirakumunda both said Zimbabwe's ranking was "fair" as the
economic recovery that commenced in 2009 was snail paced.
"Currently Zimbabwe has minimal economic competitive ability due to the
immense volatility in governmental policies, and in parastatal service
delivery," Bloch said
Economists said Zimbabwean businesses could become more competitive if the
government and international partners improve access to finance, resist
pressure to erect trade barriers, upgrade infrastructure, improve healthcare
and educational systems and strengthen governance institutions.
Coronation Financial Service investment analyst Lance Mambondiani called for
regional integration to increase Southern Africa's trade competitiveness.
"Integration tends to promote higher growth through such channels as
improved resource allocation, greater competition, technology transfers and
learning and improved access to foreign capital. Trade and investment tend
to increase in countries which have opened themselves up to the world
economies and growth itself tends to promote integration," he said.
"Needless to say, Zimbabwe and Africa are a totally different proposition to
the European Union or Nafta countries. African countries have a history of
bad governance, dictatorships and protectionism. Whether a common ground can
be achieved to narrow political divisions is perhaps the biggest stumbling
block in implementation," he said. The US, Mexico and Canada make up the
North American Free Trade Agreement, shortened to Nafta.
The WEF report corroborates findings by the World Bank/International Finance
Corporation (IFC)'s Doing Business Report which noted that despite notable
improvements in some key indicators, Zimbabwe was still rated unfavourably
for business. The two indices are the world's most widely followed gauges of
economic competitiveness.
Zimbabwe is rated 159 out of the 183 economies surveyed by the Doing
Business Report, released earlier this year.
The ranks are important determinants of the global distribution of Foreign
Direct Investment.
FDIs marginally grew to US$60 million in 2009, up $8 million from the US$52
million recorded in 2008, according to United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development figures released in July.
Economic analyst John Robertson said a stable political environment was key
to competitiveness globally.
"Zimbabwe needs to invest and attract investment in major sectors of the
economy to improve infrastructure, limited healthcare and educational
services, and poor institutional frameworks that make it less competitive in
the global marketplace," he said

Paul Nyakazeya
 


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Return of banks will lead to dog fight –– Tetrad

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:35

THE re-emergence of more  Zimbabwean banks will result in a serious dogfight
over deposits as banking institutions struggle to sustain operations, a
Tetrad Group report says.
A weekly market report by the group says the re-opening of previously shut
banking institutions—Barbican, Trust and Royal Bank — could result in more
banking institutions employing aggressive tactics in frantic efforts to have
a portion of Zimbabwe’s bank deposits currently standing at over US$1, 8
billion.
The return of the three banks closed six years ago by the central bank would
increase commercial banks to 17, a figure some critics say is too high for
Zimbabwe’s small economy.
“The struggle to secure deposits is still inherent. Subdued economic
activity has not made it easy for banking institutions to revive
 themselves,” the group said.
“Ironically, Barbican, Trust and Royal Bank were re-issued their banking
licences. This brings the total number of commercial banks to seventeen.
Competition is going to be stiffer and a lot of banks are going to find
their slice of the cake much smaller than before as the dogfight worsens.”
Also expected to open its doors to the public is Time Bank which was granted
its licence last November.
The new banks are unlikely to be a reprieve for jobless bank employees who
faced retrenchment early this year. Some banks have already announced more
job cuts.
Half-year interim financial results have shown that although most banks made
varying profits during the period, at least 1000 bank workers were
retrenched during the first half of the year.
The financials also showed that most banks reported a profit although some
such as NMB, Barclays and MBCA were at loss positions.
Deposits grew from US$1,4 billion in January to US$1,8 billion at the end of
June although banks remained prudent in their lending.
Tetrad Group says ongoing restructuring exercises characterised by job cuts
and streamlining operations resulted in staff costs eating into company
profits.
“The losses were mainly due to high operational costs, which varied from
retrenchment costs to high staff expenses in general,” reads the group’s
weekly report.
With interest rates expected to go down in the next months as banking
institutions go for lending with longer tenure, it remains to be seen how
many institutions will wade through, given the liquidity problems prevailing
on the market.
More so, with most banks having generated non interest income from
commissions and fees, less aggressive banks could continue to feel the
pinch.
Most banks are charging between US$3 and US$5 in monthly service charges.
BancABC and CBZ were some of the biggest earners of interest income with net
amounts of approximately US$21,2 million and US$9,408 million respectively.

Bernard Mpofu


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‘Mining sector needs US$5b to recapitalise’

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:34

THE Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines says the country needs between US$3 and US$5
billion to recapitalise the sector over the next five years.
Speaking at Zimbabwe’s second mining Indaba on Wednesday, the chamber’s vice
president, Winston Chitando said the country needs the money to ensure that
positive growth and viability is maintained in the mining sector.
“Zimbabwe needs about US$5 billion for recapitalisation of the mining sector
over the next five years,” Chitando said
“It is important to realise the requirement for investment in infrastructure
that supports growth in mining,” he said.
Chitando said of the US$5 billion, US$1 billion would be channeled towards
gold production with platinum taking up US$1, 2 billion, ferro chrome US$250
million, nickel US$110 million, coal US$280 million and diamonds US$300
million.
“Most minerals are expected to record increased volumes of production in
2010 compared to 2009,” he said.
Chitando says production could have been higher with the provision of better
power supplies and funding.
“The future looks very bright and mining will continue to be prominent.
Coal, gold, chrome, iron ore, nickel, and diamonds are expected to be the
main attractions,” he said.
Chitando says a stable operating environment had provided better
opportunities for planning and execution of projects.
“Investor interest is still high as evidenced by the number of business
enquiries for investment opportunities. Supplier-miner relations have
improved considerably with some credit being availed to producers,” he said.
According to the chamber of mines,  it is estimated that to achieve self
sufficiency in electricity, about US$10 billion may be required for the
various electricity generating projects including Sengwa and Batoka which
will result in an additional generating capacity of 3 000 MW.
“The country has immense potential and is under-explored. Zimbabwe has the
second largest known deposit of platinum, quality coal, gold, chrome, and
diamonds,” Chitando said.
Chitando said the Chamber anticipates production of ferrochrome for 2010 to
be 145 000 tonnes and platinum 8 700 kg while gold is expected to peak at 8
500 kg.
A total of 520 000 tonnes for chrome ore is anticipated this year, which
will be 170% higher than last year.
Zimbabwe’s mining sector has been trailing behind the rest of the world in
terms of mineral exploration and development and has lost out on major
“commodity booms” enjoyed elsewhere mainly as a result of the “lost decade”
between 1998 to 2009.
Presenting the mid term- fiscal policy in July, Finance minister Tendai Biti
said mining productivity continued to be hamstrung by erratic power supply.
“This has meant that mining houses have not been able to sustain increased
production even in cases where they have had limited access to lines of
credit in support of recapitalisation,” he said.

Paul Nyakazeya


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Zimbabwe’s payments remain poor —IMF

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:32

ZIMBABWE’S cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on
policies has weakened significantly while payments remained poor, the
multinational lending agency says.
Zimbabwe, together with Somalia and Sudan — countries which are destabilised
by war and have been declared failed states — are in protracted arrears to
the Fund’s poverty reduction and growth trust (PRGT).
The trio made baby steps in reducing total arrears to the fund, paying a
combined US$26,51 million and leaving their total balance at US$1,9 billion.
In a report released last week, IMF says while economic policies improved
last year, renewed political instability and subsequent policy slippages
intensified macro-financial vulnerabilities.
“While tax policy and administration improved significantly, the authorities
moved away from cash budgeting, wages and capital expenditures were ramped
up, rapid credit growth increased systemic vulnerabilities in the banking
system, and serious governance problems remained at the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe,” said IMF. “So far in 2010, Zimbabwe has made three payments to
the Fund totaling US$1,3 million (equivalent to SDR 0,85 million).”
The country’s payments exceeded Zimbabwe’s new obligations falling due for
the period and the authorities’ commitment to quarterly payments to the Fund
of about US$100 000.
Last year, Zimbabwe paid a paltry US$200 000 to the IMF.
Zimbabwe, which has been in arrears to the PRGT since February 2001, owes
the Fund US$134,85 million, which translates to 7% of the total owed by the
three countries which are in protracted arrears.
Zimbabwe owes IMF, the World Bank and African Development Bank US$1,4
billion as at the end of June this year.
In May, an IMF team visited the country and the Fund’s executive directors
urged the authorities to take corrective action to return to cash budgeting
and a path to medium term sustainability.
The directors also urged the authorities to contain the “rising systemic
banking risks, and to improve the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s governance.”
“Directors further urged the authorities not to use their SDR holdings to
finance budgetary expenditures, and to continue to make timely payments to
the Fund and increase them as payment capacity improves,” added IMF. “The
Board also noted the benefits of the Fund’s technical assistance provided
since May 2009 in targeted areas and decided to add macroeconomic statistics
to the targeted areas in which the Fund provides technical assistance.”
IMF directors have also agreed to keep in place the remedial measures that
were imposed with respect to Zimbabwe’s arrears to the PRGT and to review
the country’s overdue financial obligations to PRGT within six months.
Zimbabwe’s relations with the Fund improved significantly since last year
and in February this year the country’s voting rights were restored.

Leonard Makombe
 


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Anti-Corruption Commission ‘corrupt’

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:28

THE Anti-Corruption Commission has been accused of corruptly protecting
former ZBC finance director Oniyas Gumbo, who allegedly attempted to
fraudulently wrestle control of a Harare real estate company, Assetfin Pvt
(Ltd).
The accusations come at a time when the term of office of current
commissioners has ended, amid concerns that the commission had done little
to investigate vice in the country and bring culprits to book, especially
bigwigs in both the private and public sectors.
The commissioners’ term ended last September and are reportedly demanding
golden handshakes for doing little in the form of houses and luxury cars,
cash and generators.
In a damning letter of complaint to the outgoing chairperson of the
commission, Eric Harid, dated August 26, Assetfin director Paul Chidawanyika
claimed that three officers were blocking the commission from probing Gumbo
for alleged fraud and forgery when he tried to seize the property firm in
2007.
Chidawanyika and Antony Parehwa, current Assetfin directors, are embroiled
in a bitter ownership wrangle of the company that has also seen top cops
accused of fighting in Gumbo’s corner. Parehwa and Chidawanyika own 50% of
Assetfin through their company Unitime Investments Pvt (Ltd), while the
remainder is owned by Gumbo.
Gumbo allegedly forged a CR14 form and submitted it to the Registrar of
Companies on June 27 2007 purporting that he owned 100% Assetfin. He is
currently facing a criminal trial over the matter at the Harare Magistrates’
Courts.
In his letter to Harid, Chidawanyika accused Charles Charuma, Antony
Mahwamba and Isaac Takawira — officers in the Anti-Corruption Commission —
of corruption.
The letter was copied to co-Home Affairs ministers Kembo Mohadi and Theresa
Makone, and Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri, among others.
Besides writing the letter to Harid, Chidawanyika also filed a complaint
with the Harare Central Police State, case IR081978, against Charuma,
Mahwamba and Takawira.
He said the three officers were aware that his company had made a corruption
report against Gumbo in March 2010 to the commission and that affidavits
were proffered by witnesses.
“This case against Oniyas Gumbo has gone nowhere, but has been suppressed or
interfered with,” wrote Chidawanyika. “The issue to be resolved by the
Anti-Corruption  Commission and other law enforcement agents is CR14 form
(copy attached), forged by Oniyas Gumbo and delivered to the Registrar of
Companies… Criminals should not be allowed to abuse the office of the
Registrar of Deeds and Companies because such office is the custodian of the
property rights of the country.”
Chidawanyika said Charuma, Mahwamba and Takawira were aware that Gumbo had
made misrepresentation and had committed fraud and forgery in a bid to
assume 100% ownership of Assetfin.
“They (officers) have upheld this CR14 form in an attempt to present it as a
genuine document, thereby, favouring Oniyas Gumbo,” he alleged in the
letter. “They have also not taken into consideration affidavits by the
witnesses, which confirm crimes committed by Oniyas Gumbo.
If these affidavits had been taken into consideration, Oniyas Gumbo’s crimes
would have been exposed before the arrest of Willie Mushayi (deputy
registrar of companies).”
Chidawanyika added: “It appears there is a clear criminal abuse of duty or
obstruction of the course of justice and corruption by them as public
officers.”
He also wrote to the police saying the Anti-Corruption Commission officers
contravened the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23)
because they failed to carry out their duties as public officers.
Chidawanyika said Parehwa reported the alleged corruption case against
Gumbo — case RR22/04/10  — and Charuma, Mahwamba, and Takawira were fully
aware of it and failed to act. Instead, he claimed, the anti-corruption
officers levelled counter accusations as a way of victimising him and
Parehwa.
As part of counter accusations in favour of Gumbo, Charuma arrested Mushayi
on July 1 before he gave evidence exposing Gumbo’s fraudulent activities.
Charuma, Chidawanyika said, deliberately ignored statements issued by
witnesses namely Parehwa, John Mwarumba, Misheck Mutara and Emilda Mapanzure
who disposed off affidavits.
“The suppression of the above affidavits was meant to promote the counter
case by Gumbo while suppressing the case reported by Parehwa,” Chidawanyika
wrote.
Criminal Investigation Department spokesperson, Inspector Augustine Zimbili
declined to comment on the latest fight between the Assetfin shareholders.
Gumbo’s criminal trial continues on Tuesday.

Brian Chitemba


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Comesa, EAC, Sadc grand free trade area on the horizon

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:10

SIGNIFICANT progress has been made by the Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (Comesa), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern
African Development Community (Sadc) to establish an enlarged Free Trade
Area (FTA) encompassing 26 countries in east and southern Africa by 2012.
A report presented to recent summits of the Comesa, EAC and Sadc said the
three regional economic communities are committed towards deepening
integration through the harmonisation of their trading arrangements.
Chairperson of the Tripartite taskforce, which is spearheading the
implementation process, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, said a draft plan of
action on the FTA has been approved by the three secretariats for adoption
at the forthcoming Tripartite Summit of the Heads of State and Government
expected in early 2011.
However, Comesa and Sadc have already endorsed the roadmap on the framework
document for consultations and negotiations on the Tripartite FTA.
The two endorsed the roadmap in their individual capacity as separate
trading bodies at their recent summits held in August and September
respectively. The EAC is also expected to back the action plan at its summit
scheduled late this year.
"The member states have had sufficient time to review the documents and to
propose improvements," said Mwapachu, who is also the EAC
executive-secretary.
"It is expected that when the Tripartite summit next meets, the heads of
State and government will pronounce themselves on the way forward on the
establishment of the single FTA."
The draft roadmap agreed in November 2009 by the three secretariats has 14
annexes covering various complementary areas that are necessary for
effective functioning of the proposed regional market.
The main proposal is to establish the FTA on a tariff-free, quota-free,
exemption-free basis by simply combining the existing three FTAs.
By  2012, it is expected that all the three FTAs will not have exemptions or
sensitive lists thus promoting the smooth movement of goods and services
across member states.
Provisions have, however, been made for those that wish to continue
maintaining sensitive lists, especially with some big partners such as the
European Union.
Comesa said it is happy with the document and urgaed all stakeholders to
continue working together for the success of the FTA.
"We endorse the draft agreement establishing the Tripartite Free Trade Area,
together with the annexes as the basic negotiating documents for
consultations and negotiations on the Tripartite FTA," Comesa said in a
communiqué released after the summit.
Comesa chairperson, King Mswati III of Swaziland also said that by working
collectively, member states stood to benefit more as opposed to working
individually.
"Working closely with our sister organisations, we have demonstrated that,
acting jointly and through the tripartite arrangement, we can tackle the
most intricate problems facing us in this part of the world," Mswati said
soon after assuming the chairperson at the summit held at the beginning of
the month hosted by his country.
Sadc, which is expected to host the forthcoming Tripartite summit, said it
is committed towards moving this integration process forward for the good of
the region.
"Summit noted with satisfaction the preparations towards establishing the
Comesa-EAC-Sadc Tripartite FTA," Sadc's communiqué reads in part, adding
that preparations are now underway for the next Tripartite summit.
"To this end, Summit mandated the Chairperson of Council and the Executive
Secretary to consult with member States regarding the dates and venue of the
Tripartite council and summit meetings," says the Sadc communiqué issued
after the Summit hosted by Namibia in August.
The new Sadc Chairperson, President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia, also
said in his acceptance speech: "I will work to further strengthen
co-operation among member countries with the objective of increasing our
capacity to confront and solve the common challenges we face."
Comesa, EAC and Sadc approved the current Tripartite agreement at their
inaugural summit of heads of State and government held in Kampala, Uganda in
2008.
At that historic tripartite summit, leaders from the three organisations
resolved to immediately start working towards merging their FTAs into a
single grand FTA with the ultimate objective of fast-tracking the attainment
of continental integration as envisaged by the African Union.
The creation of a grand FTA with a combined population of about 568 million
people and a Gross Domestic Product of US$625 billion would open borders to
literally half of the continent, spanning the entire southern and eastern
regions of Africa, from Cape to Cairo.
It would facilitate the smooth movement of goods and services across member
countries, boosting intra-regional trade.-sardc.net


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Women, girls crucial to progress on MDGs

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:50

NEXT week leaders from around the globe will meet in New York for the UN
Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit.  The actions they take over these
three days could hold the key to creating a stable, successful future for
millions of the world’s poorest people.
The MDGs were agreed 10 years ago with a palpable sense of urgency.
Something needed to be done to save the lives of mothers dying needlessly in
childbirth, to get the millions of children missing out on an education into
school, to fight the spread of killer diseases and first and foremost to
halve the number of people living in poverty across the world.
Those leaders, a decade ago, set themselves a deadline of 2015 to achieve
the goals. So with the clock ticking down to 2015, now is the time to take
stock, review progress and press hard on the accelerator pedal to speed up
in the areas which need the most urgent attention.
The Summit takes place in the tailwind of the global financial meltdown. In
this difficult economic climate the temptation is for nations to pull back
from the international commitments they have made. It is a temptation that
the UK government is determined to resist. The new coalition government has
been clear — we will keep the promises made to the world’s poorest people,
and maintain our commitment to reducing poverty around the world.
But aid is only part of the story. Trade and investment are the engines of
economic growth, offering the only sustainable way out of the grinding
poverty that afflicts nearly a billion people across the globe. Boosting
private investment and enterprise in the developing world has the potential
to help us meet every single one of the MDGs. People with secure jobs and
fair wages have the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.
The UK goes to the Summit putting women and girls at the forefront of its
efforts. Investing in them will reap dividends. How can countries propel
themselves towards sustainable economic growth when 50% of its talent are
not given the opportunity to make a contribution? Every day about 1 400
women die in pregnancy or childbirth, nearly all of them in the developing
world.  This cannot be allowed to continue. The UK will be making a huge
effort at the Summit to bring an end to this daily tragedy and will be
pushing other governments to do likewise.
In Zimbabwe, maternal mortality has worsened significantly over the last 20
years; moving further away from the MDG target. This is a huge concern. The
UK has been providing support to health improvements in Zimbabwe for a
number of years, protecting the lives of mothers and newborn children,
especially those affected by HIV and Aids.  We have improved access to
family planning services, including contraceptives, life-saving obstetric
services and newborn care.
And what of the 2000 deaths a day — mostly children, the vast majority
preventable  — from malaria? The disease leaves only tragedy in its wake  —
families suffering, countries robbed of future talent and huge burdens on
health services already at breaking point. It is right that tackling malaria
is also right at the top of the UK’s agenda for the summit.
Everyone of us has an interest in meeting the MDGs, but they can only be met
with the determination of governments, charities and businesses, civil
societies and citizens. We now urge others attending the summit to join the
UK in agreeing a course of action that will meet the MDGs by 2015, setting
us on the path to eradicating poverty once and for

Mitchell is the UK Secretary of State for International Development.

By Andrew Mitchell


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Muckraker: Populist Mudenge flaunts his English

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:47

WOULD you regard a pay hike of 437% as "humble"?
The state's public relations machine was over the weekend creaking into
action to persuade an understandably sceptical public that President Mugabe's
huge salary increase was "ever so 'umble'", as one of Dickens' characters
might say.
The Sunday Mail reported that the head of state could now go shopping
following his pay rise from US$400 to US$1 750.
President Mugabe can now be "a happy shopper", the paper reported. He can
open an account at Edgars.
The hike represented a relatively small amount when compared to the salaries
of parastatal bosses, we were assured.
Wasn't Mugabe already a "happy shopper"? Is it seriously suggested that on
all those trips abroad he didn't bring home a single item? Purleez!
And is it also seriously suggested that Zimbabwe's top retail stores would
have refused him credit when he was earning US$400 a month? Somebody could
lose their head for such lèse majesté!

Still on the subject of presidential perks, we were surprised to note First
Lady Grace Mugabe being referred to in newspaper advertisements as "Her
Excellency".
Only the president and foreign ambassadors based here carry that title.
Admittedly members of the "first family" can call themselves what they like.
Even the title "First Lady" is a courtesy title with no constitutional
basis. In fact it is an Americanism and it has no official standing there
either!
We suspect this was a case of somebody who doesn't know any better handing
out "airs and graces", as the expression goes! Or is it "Heirs and Graces"?
It appeared in a large ad headed "Appreciation Note". It said "the Marufu
family and Her Excellency, the First Lady Mrs G Mugabe would like to extend
their appreciation to the following people who assisted during the funeral
of Cde Reward Marufu".
There then followed a long list headed by "His Excellency the President of
the Republic of Zimbabwe".
The Salvation Army in Bindura, war veterans, Zaoga Bindura, and Food King
were among those thanked. We were rather surprised to see Vice-President
John Nkomo's name missing from the line-up.  And why did the
Director-General, President's Department and Staff, not ensure the president's
many titles, which we see everday in the state media, were included.

There has been much discussion in the media of the new fees for passports.
And in every report there has been emphasis on the need to ensure the
Passport Office is ready for the surge of applicants keen to take advantage
of the reduced fees.
But predictably the Passport Office was swamped by applicants last Friday.
They could only manage 230 people a day, those lining up were told. Come
back on Monday.
Rather like Beitbridge, this is a human disaster. Why can't the
Registrar-General's office get its act together? Why should the Zimbabwean
public be made to undergo this ordeal, especially when it was anticipated?
Why did the RG's office make an announcement on reduced fees when it wasn't
prepared to manage the consequences?
Another point needs to be raised here. Zimbabwean passports have very few
pages compared with other countries. And many countries have imposed visa
requirements on our nationals for various reasons in recent years which
fills up the pages.
Many applicants would be happy to pay extra for a larger passport. Wouldn't
that reduce queues and increase revenues?
Meanwhile, what is happening about the building near the old Drill Hall that
has been standing there unused for years? Isn't that supposed to be a
Passport Office? And wasn't this a scheme that involved affirmative
action-builders with political backgrounds?
The name Kuchi comes to mind!

Does Stan Mudenge want public respect or public ridicule? First he was
threatening to jail the heads of tertiary institutions. Then he was playing
fast and loose with the Queen's English (or the Queen's language as the
state media likes to say).
Principals and vice-chancellors should know they were breaking the law by
excluding students who couldn't pay fees, Mudenge announced at the Harare
Polytechnic graduation ceremony. He lashed out at the media for reporting
that students were prevented from writing exams for non-payment of fees.
"Such a claim is playing fandango dance with the facts; it is based on a
farrago of confusion which has created a phantasmagoria of conflicting
images of dreamland on the minds of the public," the minister said to
laughter from his audience.
Our question is: was the laughter with him or at him?
We understand the minister is one of many advanced degree holders in
cabinet. But does he have to show off like this? As for his assurance that
no students had been expelled for non-payment of fees, there is another word
the minister needs to be familiar with: populism!

A good speech last weekend came from VP Joyce Mujuru. Underscoring the fact
that Zanu PF deplored all forms of violence, the Herald reported her as
saying: "Zanu PF liberated the nation from the colonial yoke and there was
no reason for the party to turn against the people it had freed."
Indeed! But we should of course add that it wasn't Zanu PF alone that
liberated the country. There were one or two others involved!

What does Theresa Makone think about the arrest and detention of American
doctors who were providing their skills to assist poor sick Zimbabweans who
cannot access healthcare? These African American Christian volunteers were
here to help. In particular they were assisting Aids patients. A New
Zealander and a Zimbabwean were also arrested as part of the volunteer
medical group.
Makone told the Zimbabwe Independent recently that reforms in the police
force would result in a less partisan force. That presumably means fewer
arbitrary arrests.
The state media has been talking endlessly recently about changing
"negative perceptions" of Zimbabwe. Nothing could have been more calculated
to portray a negative perception of Zimbabwe than the arrest and detention
in filthy cells of volunteer doctors providing help to sick Zimbabweans
whose government is no longer able to help them.
This is another own goal that will be reported widely around the world. Let's
have no more squealing about "negative perceptions" from  apologists for
this regime.

Police were on high alert last Friday because they were suspicious of
advertisements in the local media by a company urging people to wear red,
the Herald reported.
Africom, a communications company, had been advertising in the local media
urging people to "simply wear a dash of red".
Prizes were offered for people wearing the best outfit.
Police spokesperson Andrew Phiri, who said he had "received conflicting
reports" on the intentions of the organisers, warned the public to be "on
their guard and report to the nearest police station any suspicious or
anti-social developments".
It is not known how many Zimbabweans reported "anti-social developments" in
their vicinity. Perhaps Phiri should tell us what "conflicting reports" he
had received, if any. Messages such as "Get ready to celebrate the arrival
of Zimbabwe's most advanced communications network" might be deemed
subversive in certain paranoid circles but most people would see it for what
it was - a simple rebranding exercise.
What we can be sure about is that foreign companies seeking to invest here
will be deterred by this sort of heavy-handed response to a simple
advertisement by a company that sought to raise its business profile.

Muckraker was intrigued by reports of "scores of illegal settlers" who have
"helped themselves" to farms in the Chakari area of Mashonaland West. The
settlers began moving in last year, the Herald told us, and have intensified
their activities in the last two months "endangering developmental plans by
the rightful farm owners".
Then came this announcement: "Zanu PF last week said they had never ordered
anyone to invade land and if their supporters were involved, it was a
criminal act on their own part." The party called for the eviction of all
illegal settlers.
One of the affected farmers said: "These people are MDC-T supporters. They
want to cause confusion on farms and they are supported by NGOs."
Provincial chairman Robert Sikanyika joined in: "We don't welcome any
invasion of private property. We have already made our position clear
regarding this issue and these squatters should be chased away."
Delightful isn't it? "Rightful owners chasing away squatters". What goes
around comes around.
We only have one question: Were the "invaders" wearing red?

Finally, Muckraker was distinctly unimpressed by Reuters' interview with the
president.
It was designed to show how well and alert Mugabe is. And it did the very
opposite.
There were long pauses during which the presidential mind appeared to drift,
and just when the interviewer thought it safe to venture a question, the
monologue resumed.
There were too many of these stops and starts to suggest all was well. At
times he looked as if he was reading the paper in front of him.

The interview will have done little to inspire public confidence. And why
did we have to have Reuben Barwe doing a voice-over against scenes of
traffic? Was this a Reuters interview or not? If so, there should have been
far more interventions from interviewer Cris Chinaka and none at all from
Barwe.
What we did hear was Chinaka laughing his head off at Mugabe's not-so-funny
reference to chickens and eagles. Interviewers should never be impressed by
the person they are interviewing. It is Rule No 1 of good interviewing.
Generally, Mugabe was allowed to get away with all sorts of claims such as
the suggestion that regime change would come when the people wanted it. The
last time they wanted it, in 2008, they were brutally denied it. Then there
was the claim that he had politically outlived Bush and Blair. The
difference of course is that in democracies heads of government change!
In all it was a very unsatisfying performance from all concerned. And
Reuters should never have provided a platform of this sort unless they were
going to ask some reasonably robust questions.


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Eric Bloch: Mumbengegwi’s claims: Fiction or reality?

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:45

SEVERAL Western diplomats abruptly departed the funeral of the late Sabina
Mugabe, sister of president Robert Mugabe, after Mugabe availed himself of
his obituary speech to berate Western countries, and to tell them to “go to
hell, to hell, to hell, to hell!”

The Foreign Affairs minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi subsequently summoned
those diplomats to a session of castigation for having done so.  However, if
the state-controlled media is to be believed (which is not always possible,
but probably justifiable in this instance), two weeks ago the minister again
demanded the presence of those diplomats in order once again to spew a
diatribe of hatred upon them.
The media claims that the minister aggressively reproved the ambassadors,
alleging that all that their countries were intent upon doing was to bring
about regime change in Zimbabwe and attain unhindered control over Zimbabwe
and its wealth.  He alleged that their strategy to achieve these objectives
was to destroy the economy, primarily by imposing non-existent illegal
sanctions upon that economy. Non-existent because such sanctions as do exist
are not illegal, but within the unequivocal rights of imposition of the
countries applying them, and barely targeted at the economy.  Those
sanctions are focused upon the Zimbabwean politicians, their families and
their associates, as  are seen to have contempt for international norms of
democracy, human rights, respect for law and order, justice and property
rights.  And the economic consequences of the sanctions are generally
minimal.  However, this did not deter the Foreign Affairs minister from
vigorously reiterating the specious allegations against the Western
countries.
Moreover, in doing so the minister claimed that those Western countries,
having deliberately imposed hardship upon the Zimbabwean population, then
try to endear themselves to that population by recourse to provision of
humanitarian aid.  The minister is reported by the state media as having
emphatically stated to the diplomats that Zimbabwe does not need that aid
from the West, for it is wholly able to look after its own people.  He
energetically implied that the Western countries were not entitled to any
gratitude and appreciation from Zimbabwe and its people for the Western
largesse, which was only being given as a salve to conscience for having
caused the hardships, and in order to create a sense of indebtedness to them
on the part of the Zimbabwean populace.  He also stated vociferously that
Zimbabwe was not in need of such aid, for it could look after its own
people.
Such a contention by the minister, and to all intents by government, for he
was speaking for and on behalf of government, must provoke the query in the
minds of the world in general, and of Zimbabweans in particular, as to
whether government and the minister are living in cloud cuckoo-land, are
victims of self-deception, and purveyors of fiction and myth. Is it that —
contrary to all national and international impressions and perceptions —
Zimbabweans are devoid of poverty, hardships and suffering? What is the
reality?
The reality is indisputably that poverty is extremely pronounced and
widespread.  The reality is that if the Zimbabwean government is able to
look after the people, as the minister claimed (notwithstanding government’s
state of undoubted bankruptcy), it is failing to do so.  In a recent issued
national crop food situation report, released on  August 9, the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme
(WFP) stated that although Zimbabwe’s production of maize, has improved
“significantly”, the country is still food insecure.
The report states that about 1,68 million people will require food
assistance in the first quarter of 2011.  Although there has been a marked
improvement and increase in food production, at least 15% of Zimbabwe’s
population will require food aid in rural areas.  In addition, although not
addressed in the FAO/WFP report, it is generally believed that more than
half of the urban population of Zimbabwe has income below the food datum
line, and therefore unable to adequately sustain itself, and desperately in
need of aid.
And, it is not only food aid that is necessary, but also aid to produce
food.  In the 2009/2010 agricultural season, United Nations agencies and
other humanitarian organisations distributed nearly 140 000 tonnes of
fertiliser and top dressing, and 22 373 tonnes of maize seed, to more than
700 000 households.  This contributed substantially to Zimbabwe achieving a
production, in the last season, of 1,66 million tonnes of cereals, as
against total needs of 2,09 million tonnes, resulting in a shortfall of 428
000 tonnes.
This was a major improvement in production volumes as against the previous
season, which had resulted in seven million Zimbabweans being dependent upon
food assistance, but that improvement could not have been attained if it had
not been for the immense provision of inputs by the international community,
despite the minister’s claim that Zimbabwe can look after its own people,
and does not need international aid.  Also, it cannot be overlooked that
despite the significant increase in production volumes, the total output was
still not sufficient to meet the needs of the rural population, let alone
also to satisfy the requirements of even those urban residents as could
afford to purchase their cereal requirements.  Hence, the impoverished
economy, with its minimal foreign exchange resources, had to resort to food
importations, to the prejudice of innumerable other critical needs, and to
general economic wellbeing and combating of the poverty that is so
widespread that it is believed approximately 87% of Zimbabweans are
struggling to survive below the poverty datum line (the minimum income
necessary for survival without endangering health).
The government is allowing its fanatical hatred of Western countries to
blind itself to realities, and instead to enunciate claims which are total
fiction and myths.  It convinces itself that the West has nothing but evil
intents and machinations against Zimbabwe and its government.  It believes
that any and all Zimbabwean ills are wholly attributable to those intents
and machinations (the only exception being acts of God, such as
droughts-actual and imaginary, and deviously conceptualised and implemented
strategies of political opponents, who are believed to be as Machiavellian
in their actions as is government).
If, as the minister claimed, the government is able, unassisted, to look
after all Zimbabweans in need, why does it not do so?  If the government is
genuinely concerned about the welfare and the wellbeing of the populace, why
does it not recognise that it is bankrupt (financially and morally) and
therefore is unable to address that welfare and wellbeing.  If the
government’s concerns for the wellbeing of all Zimbabweans were not
fictitious and totally mythical, but a real reality, it would graciously
accept the international aid, instead of castigating the donors.
Concurrently, it would make real and meaningful, politically sound, efforts
to achieve the long-awaited, greatly needed, economic turnaround. For this
it is necessary to engage the West.

 


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Bracing for another Kariba draft

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:41

THE Parliamentary Constitution Committee (Copac)   outreach  programme ends
this month. As has been argued by the NCA, ZCTU and Zinasu  it was
characterised by political party dominance as opposed to a democratic
pursuit of the people's views.

But as is typically characteristic of our inclusive government, attempts
will be made to force Zimbabweans to swallow a bitter but totally
ineffective pill.
At the recent 11th anniversary commemoration of the formation of the MDC,
party president Morgan Tsvangirai indicated that supporters should not worry
about the outreach programme of Copac. Instead, he stated, all problems
around the constitutional reform process would be addressed via a negotiated
process -  a statement that in effect confirmed the uselessness of the Copac
process for all its pretence at being democratic and independent.
So once again, Zimbabweans shall be asked to compromise for the sake of
"progress" as defined by Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC-M - the parties to the
inclusive government.  That millions of taxpayers' money, both Zimbabwean
and foreign, have been spent on an outreach programme that never achieved
anything in particular is a fact that the political leaders would have us
ignore. Instead, they ask of us a complete trust in their ability to pursue
a democratic path behind the closed doors of Munhumutapa building.
Essentially, they are asking us to prepare for the second coming of the
Kariba Draft constitution. It may not be named the "Kariba draft" again
seeing as Copac will be trying to save face. However, the negotiations
around it will be similar in character and import to those that led to
drafting and appending of signatures to the Sadc mediator-endorsed Kariba
draft.
Like the processes in 2007 that led to the meeting of parties on a boat in
Kariba, the constitutional negotiations that the MDC president mentions will
be done with elections in mind. The three political parties that comprise
the inclusive government will negotiate with daggers drawn behind their
backs because their primary target is the acquisition of power by pretence
to being democratic. In other words they are turning our country's political
clock backwards as though they never had an inclusive government.
Naturally they will play the blame game on who is not functioning in the
interests of the people or the "findings" of Copac. This is because they
would want their particular party's constitutional principles to be endorsed
over and above those of their rivals. This will include the regular threat
of campaigning for a "No"' vote against the draft at the referendum. Even
Zanu PF, for the first time in Zimbabwe's history, will threaten to vote
against a government document.
The truth of the matter is that none of the political parties in the
inclusive government are going to campaign for a rejection of their own
baby. They are simply going to negotiate again and again. If need be, they
will declare deadlocks and take the issue up with the Sadc mediator, until
they reach some sort of agreement on the form and nature of the executive.
And then they will all campaign for what they would want to call an
overwhelming acceptance of their negotiated draft.
What they however potentially miss out on is an understanding of the full
political ramifications of their Kariba 2 draft constitution.  A joint
campaign for a "Yes" vote to the draft would be a perpetuation of their
inclusive government and an expectation of the public to understand the
same.
It will also mean that in the event of a general election, there should be
the acceptance of the possibility of the formation of another inclusive
government by way of electoral result, especially if the draft contains a
proposed executive that includes a president and a prime minister.
Further, were such a general election to be held, the term of office of the
resultant government would no longer be subject to the implied time frame of
the GPA. Instead, it would have to last for the full five-year term, and
therefore have an aura of permanence.
Secondly, because clauses on property rights, especially as regards land and
minerals, will be controversial no matter how many compromises the MDCs may
have arrived at, the joint campaign will be viewed unfavourably by the
international community. This is because Zanu PF will present these property
clauses as a finalisation of its Third Chimurenga, regardless of counter
narratives of the MDCs.  It will potentially mean a triumph of one party
over the others and because of a joint "Yes" campaign, will have Sadc's
endorsement.
Thirdly, the confusion that will engulf greater components of civil society
will serve to give the inclusive government immunity from direct or popular
criticism. Arguments concerning the opportunities for a reformed Zimbabwe
will be ubiquitous in so far as they relate to a continued availability of
funding for pursuing a path palatable to those with the money to spend. This
debate will attempt to hoodwink Zimbabweans into accepting false change on
the basis of the fact that the endorsement of the process by the still
popular MDC-T is beyond reproach.
So as it is, Zimbabweans must brace to be inundated with a Kariba 2 draft
constitution with all the media and political spin that will come with it.
It will most likely yield another inclusive government should it be the
framework through which a general election is held. Except that such an
inclusive government will be more permanent.

Takura Zhangazha can be contacted on kuurayiwa@gmail.com


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GNU should be judged on delivery, not posts

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 11:39

THE signing of the global political agreement (GPA) by the three political
players, the MDC-T, MDC-M and Zanu PF was welcomed  by all Zimbabweans and
people the world over. The media, academia and the general populace
described its signing as a historic and monumental occasion.
For some of us, there was nothing historic or monumental about this
agreement as indeed it was nothing  but a compromise package offered to many
Zimbabweans who had been robbed of an opportunity to practise their
democratic right to choose.
For many, however, the signing of the agreement gave them hope after going
through a decade of untold suffering and deprivation. Many looked forward to
it as an opportunity to live again.
It is now two years after the signing of the agreement and the subsequent
formation of the government of national unity (GNU).
Many people have made an assessment of the achievements and failures of the
GNU at different fora. Debates, publications, seminars and conferences have
been held at different junctures of the GNU's existence in an attempt to
measure whether it succeeded. Unfortunately, most of the issues raised have
concentrated on whether the political packages of the agreement have been
implemented. Dominating at such platforms are issues to do with whether
there is supposed to be a governor there, a minister here or such a
commission there. But to be honest, how many of us sincere and hardworking
Zimbabweans at one time or the other have cared to know the name of governor
of, for example, Manicaland. In fact, how many of us ordinary Zimbabweans
know what these so called governors are supposed to do. I am yet to find one
Zimbabwean who has received much needed assistance from the incumbent
governors. In short, we have wasted so much time looking at whether such and
such a meaningless political appointment has been made for an obscure
political reason at the expense of looking at how the GNU has fared in its
mandate to serve Zimbabweans. When the agreement was signed, people looked
forward to having food on their table, another opportunity to take back
their kids to school, to be employed again and to live a decent and normal
life. It is such issues  that the GNU should be judged on.
For most long suffering Zimbabweans, the GNU represented an opportunity for
their problems to be looked at. They expected Parliament to start tackling
issues affecting the ordinary man on the streets. Poverty, the right to
education, health and a decent salary were the core issues the people
expected the government to engage head on. After all, it's supposed to be a
united government if its name is anything to go by. Two years down the line,
I am yet to hear meaningful debate about the plight of the school children,
the college-going young adult or about the hordes of unemployed Zimbabweans
miserably trying to make ends meet by selling all sorts of wares on the
street corners. After all, isn't this avalanche of problems what all
Zimbabweans expected the GNU to tackle? Instead parliament spends precious
time debating how they are supposed to benefit from one car scheme or the
other, how they would not want so and so to be appointed to this post
because of the colour of his skin or how this governor or this commissioner
are not supposed to be removed from their post. Please parliament, that is
not what ordinary Zimbabwean taxpayers expect you to spend their money
debating! They want their Parliament, of the much awaited GNU, to debate on
bread and butter issues like their salaries, their children's education,
their health and their safety.
Please do not get me wrong, I am not saying that the GNU has not done
anything to improve the lives of Zimbaweans. What I am saying is that, more
can be done! Indeed, thanks to the GNU, most workers can now look forward to
going to work every morning because they can now earn something that can
make a difference. Our streets are once again filled with happy school
children, walking their way to school. Our shops are once again almost
filled to the brim with all sorts of basics and niceties. We can now afford
to visit the rural folk more often because transport is now cheaper. Car
owners can now have the luxury to drive into a service station, fill up and
drive out in less than five minutes. The resettled farmer can now sell his
cotton, tobacco or cucumbers and live on the profit of his sweat. But more
can be done. The worker can earn more to make more than just a difference.
The school kid can go to school and learn more from a happily remunerated
teacher rather than spend half of their time playing in the school grounds
because their teacher is unhappy and unwilling to teach. Our shops can once
again be filled by our own local and cheaper products. We can do more than
just visit our rural folk, we can bring them money and food to make a
difference in their lives.
For the first time we have a government with the opportunity to tap into
each other's abilities regardless of political persuasions. But to do that,
those in the GNU have to make important choices about what they hope to
achieve in the course of the GNU's existence. They have to make hard choices
about prioritising the needs of the Zimbabweans first and everything else
later.
For the two years of the GNU existence, that trust has been very elusive.
The ability to prioritise and put trust in the abilities of others has been
the missing link. For two years partners in the GNU have concentrated on
vilifying each other's attempts at making a difference. They have spent much
time in trying to find fault in each other at the expense of putting up a
united front at nation building. Others have spent time trying to claim
credit for anything that has been remotely positive. At the same time, they
have spent precious time on blaming the other parties for anything that has
gone wrong. In fact, during the two years of the GNU's survival, the
partners in it have spent a lot of time and effort looking for an
opportunity for the other to make a mistake so that they can celebrate it.
Seriously, can anything positive come  from such an arrangement? These
people are supposed to be a government, a government of national unity for
that matter.
The other reality is that such compromise governments the world over have
never really worked. Indeed, we learn from history that we do not learn from
history. For us to break from this frame of stereotype, we need pragmatic
statesmanship and more importantly, we need to stop this filibustering and
political bickering and work for the common good. At least the GNU has
managed to tap from almost all corners of the political landscape. Let's use
the experience and business minds of the likes of Zanu PF's Walter Mzembi,
the energy, drive and determination of the likes of the MDC-T's Tendai Biti
and Nelson Chamisa  and the intellect of the MDC-M's two professors Welshman
Ncube and Arthur Mutambara.
Let's try to find strength in each other's abilities. The government can
benefit from Zanu PF's experiences. Likewise, great benefit can be derived
from the MDC's determination, youthfulness and drive. It is a lot to ask
for, I know, but this agreement is what we have and let us try to get the
best out of it. It is the U that is lacking in the GNU; Unity of purpose.

Chitofiri is a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe's Economic History
Department.

By Kudakwashe Chitofiri


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Comment: Genuine reforms must precede polls

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:31

ZIMBABWE now appears to be heading for the polls, possibly mid next year,
after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai confirmed he had agreed with
President Robert Mugabe that "the prevailing peace was ideal for us to go
for elections".
Tsvangirai told his supporters last weekend during his party's 11th
anniversary celebrations in Gokwe that he had agreed with Mugabe that they
should go for elections and whoever loses should not contest the result.
This followed confirmation by Finance minister Tendai Biti that Mugabe had
ordered him to budget US$200 million for the referendum on the draft
constitution and elections.
The issue of elections must be taken seriously. Genuine democratic elections
are an expression of the will of the people that provides the basis for the
authority and legitimacy of government.
While Mugabe and Tsvangirai claim "the prevailing peace was ideal for us to
go for elections", we think the environment is far from conducive, let alone
"ideal".
It is true that Zimbabwe, which has invariably since 1980 gone through
cycles of political violence, is relatively stable and calm since the
inclusive government was formed last year.
However, the country is clearly not yet ready to hold free and fair
elections for many reasons. The current electoral reforms have not yet been
finalised. There is need for time to allow the reforms to be
institutionalised and new institutions to start functioning efficiently.
Before free and fair elections can be held there is need for far-reaching
political reforms. One of the critical areas which need to be addressed
before elections is security sector reform. The security forces have always
been used to influence elections in favour of Mugabe and this must be
stopped.
This is a very critical pre-condition to free and fair elections because
security forces and para-military Zanu PF-linked structures have been at the
forefront of unleashing violence and intimidation during elections.
There is also a need to change the political culture and mindsets of
citizens. This will take a long time but it must start now. Although
elections are confrontational by nature, no one should be intimidated or
coerced to vote for anyone. It is both inhumane and wicked for politicians
to walk on the corpses of their countrymen back into power.
Before fresh elections Zimbabwe needs first to fully adopt Sadc principles
and guidelines governing democratic elections. These include creating
conditions to ensure full participation of citizens in the political
process, freedom of association, assembly and speech, political tolerance,
equal opportunity for political parties, independence of the judiciary,
impartiality of electoral institutions, opportunity to exercise the right to
vote and be voted for, voter education, acceptance of election results and
the opportunity to challenge contested results in terms of the law of the
land.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which runs elections, must be impartial
and competent. A new voters' roll which is accurate and up to date is
needed. Impartial voter education must be freely allowed. Delimitation of
constituencies must be transparent and credible, and there should be no
gerrymandering.
Elections are a process, not just an event. For elections to be free and
fair, it is necessary the entire process leading up to and including the
actual voting be peaceful, free and fair. Political parties must be able to
campaign freely and peacefully. Violence or intimidation must not be
allowed. Bribery and corruption, as well as other illegal electoral
practices such as inducements by politicians, must be prevented or severely
punished.
Political parties contesting elections must have fair and equal access to
the public media. Polling stations must be accessible to voters and be
adequately manned. Monitors and observers must be given free access. The
counting of votes must be done accurately and efficiently and results
announced promptly.
So far Zimbabwe, still divided and nursing political wounds from the past,
remains a long way from creating conditions for free and fair elections.
Government must not take chances and in the process risk people's lives and
their future by rushing to elections before the country is ready.


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Editor's Memo:Elections: Tsvangirai needs reality check

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:30

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai naively told the world last weekend that he
had agreed with President Robert Mugabe to hold elections next year and that
whoever lost should not challenge the outcome.
The decision to go for the polls, he quoted Mugabe as saying, was informed
by the prevailing peace in the country.
While the election trajectory is the only solution to our political crisis,
Tsvangirai's assumption that the current relative peace would obtain in an
election period is daft, if not downright foolish given that very few
democratic reforms have been undertaken to guarantee credible elections.
Before Tsvangirai made his pronouncement he should have asked himself a
simple question: Will conditions have changed in 2011 from those that
prevailed in 2008 and prevented a credible election?
Mr Prime Minister, fundamental obstacles to credible elections remain and
there is nothing in the attitude of Zanu PF to suggest that it will behave
differently this time around.
The top brass of the security arm of the state have been accused of having
played a fundamental role in the previous election and all the indications
are that
they will do the same in 2011. Even under this inclusive government they
have shown scant respect for Tsvangirai.
This week we tried with no success to get service chiefs to state their
positions on the outcome of the proposed election next year given that
before the March and June 2008 polls they vowed never to salute Tsvangirai
in the event of him winning the election.
Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri and Army commander Philip
Sibanda declined to state their positions. Chihuri said he was not a
politician while Sibanda flatly said he didn't trust us.
Political commentator and lawyer Alex Magaisa told me this week that for all
his shortcomings, Mugabe is not stupid - he has seen the writing on the wall
and knows he cannot win a free and fair election. Also on age and health
grounds, he probably realises that he needs to step down, but that choice is
no longer in his hands.
"It is vital to recall that Tsvangirai and the MDC did not lose the
elections in 2008 - they won, but in Tsvangirai's case by an insufficient
margin to give him the presidency," Magaisa said. "But let's not forget that
the result of that election came five weeks after the polls and God knows
what happened in that period."
The suspicion has always been that the delay was used to ensure that he
failed to go past the necessary threshold. Then of course you have the
practical issues of voter registration and the voters' roll - which has been
a mess for years and needs to be cleansed to get rid of the ghost voters.
In short, a credible election requires a fundamental change in conditions,
including serious and unbiased monitoring and enforcement of electoral laws.
So far we have not seen evidence of those changes. Indeed the constitutional
reform exercise itself is still to be completed.
Sadc needs to get more involved in ensuring that those conditions are in
place and in particular to ensure that the fate of the country is not in the
hands of the security generals.
An election under conditions similar to those prevailing at the 2008
elections would be a sheer waste of time, resources and most likely human
lives. Tsvangirai must wake up to this reality and stop pretending all is
well.

Constantine Chimakure


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Candid Comment: Crack the whip on Air Zimbabwe management

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/

Friday, 17 September 2010 12:29

WHAT the hell is happening at the national carrier, Air Zimbabwe? This must
be the question on the minds of many Zimbabweans who see the strike by
pilots and the handling of the industrial action as emblematic of
deep-rooted problems that are being swept under the carpet.
The arrogance exhibited by board chairman, Jonathan Kadzura towards striking
pilots is reminiscent of the behaviour of a father who has failed to provide
for his family but thunders with anger when challenged to at least put a
morsel of food on the table.
As board chairman, Kadzura, together with other executives at the airline,
should shoulder the blame for the near collapse of Air Zimbabwe as they are
responsible for decisions that account for its failure to make hay in a
market where it enjoys a virtual monopoly. Anybody would have seen the
problems coming because Air Zimbabwe does not have a history of excellence
in corporate governance. Examples abound, but one thing that is clear is
that management has failed to consistently make business decisions that grow
the value of the airline at a time when national airlines elsewhere in the
region are the mainstay of the economy. For example, South African Airways
recorded a pre-tax profit of R581 million, 44, 5% more than the previous
year. Management at Air Zimbabwe might be tempted to hide behind the
economic malaise that has reduced the country to a basket case but the real
problems are there for everyone to see: lack of strategic planning,
mismanagement, political interference and patronage, corruption, uneconomic
flights and the high incidence of senior government officials who divert
planes from commercial routes. It is no wonder that Air Zimbabwe is one of
10 companies that have been listed for attention by the 13-member
ministerial committee that is to give advice to government on whether
parastatals should be hived off or restructured.
It is easy to see a speck in other people's eyes but perhaps this is the
time for the leadership at the airline to remove the log in its own eye
before trying to use pilots as scapegoats. As if to confirm the poor
leadership, the board and management have dragged their heels on dealing
with the pilots' grievances, to the extent that they have even told the
airmen to go to hell, as if they could be replaced with kombi drivers!
Meanwhile, the airline is reportedly losing US$500 000 per day. Are the
pilots asking for a pay rise? No! They are asking for the payment of
outstanding allowances which are part of their contracts. It stands to
reason that even if their strike drags on forever, the allowances would
still be due. So why let the airline lose so much revenue when the panacea
is to find an amicable settlement. The dearth of leadership in parastatals,
triggered by the appointment of people on the basis of political patronage
instead of competence in specific areas, threatens to ruin the economy
because these state utilities continue to milk the fiscus when critical
areas such as health care cry out for funding. It is time that the
responsible line ministry took action to end the rot that has turned
parastatals into little fiefdoms.
Air Zimbabwe management must be forced to produce their financials and
strategic plans that will turn the business into a profit-making venture, in
line with the national vision of economic recovery. Those that find the
kitchen too hot must quickly move out and those mandated with superintending
over public enterprises must read the riot act.

Edwin Dube

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