* Reforms must take place before poll, Tsvangirai
says
* MDC government would adjust law on foreign firm
ownership
By Nelson Banya
HARARE, Sept 10 (Reuters) - President
Robert Mugabe's plan to call an election in Zimbabwe unilaterally for March
2012 would be "illegal", and the vote cannot be held until reforms are
carried out to make it fair, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on
Saturday.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai, longstanding foes, are in an uneasy
power-sharing coalition set up two years ago following disputed 2008
elections.
Last week, Mugabe accused Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic
Change of stalling constitutional reforms in order to delay the vote, which
Mugabe had wanted in 2011. The veteran ruler vowed to call for elections
whether the MDC agreed or not.
Tsvangirai told thousands of MDC
supporters at a rally in Harare that the president did not have the
authority to set a date unilaterally.
"Mugabe says he wants an election
in March. That's illegal, we both have to agree on the date for the next
election," Tsvangirai said.
He said the MDC would insist first on an
agreement with Mugabe on electoral reforms and the involvement of the
regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc, the African
Union and the United Nations.
The reforms would include a new voters'
roll and constituency boundaries as well as the removal of election
officials who ran previous disputed polls, he said.
"SADC has said
these are the steps which must be taken first. We want an election conducted
in a free and fair environment, so there are no future disputes," Tsvangirai
said.
"SADC knows that without a roadmap with clear timelines, we could
have another disputed election."
Tsvangirai said while the unity
government had managed to arrest Zimbabwe's economic decline, sharp
differences remained over policies such as a law championed by Mugabe which
seeks to transfer control of foreign-owned firms to locals.
"The
inclusive government cannot create jobs because of conflict of policy.
Today, Mugabe assures investors that their investments are safe, but the
next day (Empowerment Minister Saviour) Kasukuwere threatens to close down
mines," Tsvangirai said.
"We're not in agreement with these policies.
When we win the election, we'll adjust them so we restore investor
confidence in our country."
Keynote Address by President Morgan Tsvangirai at the occasion of the 12th
Anniversary of the Movement for Democratic
Change
Harare Saturday, 10 September 2011
Today is a momentous
day for the Movement for Democratic Change.
I would want to thank the
national chairperson of the party, Hon Lovemore Moyo, for unpacking the road
we have travelled, the challenges we have faced, the blood we have lost and
the victories we have posted in the past 12 years.
Twelve years ago,
we came together from various social stations led by the Zimbabwe Congress
of Trade Unions to form this great party whose 12th birthday we celebrate
here today.
So today we are here to celebrate the people’s triumph, the
resilience of people power and the chastity of our collective mission to
fight for democracy, freedom and good governance in Zimbabwe.
We are
here to mark another milestone and to look back with an odd mixture of pride
and frustration at the long journey we have travelled over the past dozen
years.
So today you must congratulate yourselves!
For 12 years,
you survived violence and intimidation! For 12 years, you braved the
brutality of an entrenched dictatorship and kept your faith in democracy and
non-violence!
For 12 years, you survived a split and retained your faith
and trust in your leadership! For 12 years, you braved brutal killings,
arrests and torture and kept your eyes focused on the object of your
mission!
For 12 years, you confounded your critics and gave Zimbabwe a
Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and the majority of MPs and councilors in
the country without firing a single bullet! In 12 years, you built a
movement that has morphed into one of the biggest political movements in
Zimbabwe, in SADC and in the whole of Africa!
So Congratulations MDC!!
This is your day!!
And I tell you, we could not have achieved this
without the unity of the leaders you see here. I guarantee you that this
unity will continue into the future.
Exactly three years ago, on 15
September 2008, this great movement whose 12th birthday we celebrate today
signed the Global Political Agreement (GPA) with two other parties we had
defeated in an election which led to the eventual formation of the inclusive
government in February 2009. We accepted this painful compromise because
we were guided by the righteous and noble objective of stabilizing the
economy and rescuing the people from the precipice of poverty, uncertainty,
starvation and indignity wrought by three decades of corruption and
misgovernance.
Today, we celebrate our 12th anniversary as State actors,
well aware of the value we have brought into government and the role we have
played in stopping the bleeding and making sure that Zimbabweans have every
reason to hope again.
We are not there yet and I have no doubt about
the huge task that lies ahead in returning the country to normalcy and in
laying the foundation for a great future for our children.
But over
the past two-and-half years, we in the MDC have shown that it is possible to
turn over a new leaf, to have some semblance of functionality in government
and to bring Zimbabwe back to its years of glory. Yes, we are proud of our
record.
It is true that the MDC has added value to this
government.
It is true that we have pulled this nation from the brink of
collapse to a new potential of hope.
It is true that we have averted
an inevitable plunge into the abyss to set the country back on the rails; on
a new path towards stability, development and growth.
It is true that
we are the people’s conscience in this government and we have alleviated the
excesses of entitlement and corruption and kept in check a stubborn
political partner who has shunned the new culture of inclusivity.
And
indeed, the MDC has shown what a determined people can do, even in the face
of open provocation, violence and intransigence.
It is also true that we
have weathered and survived dark and sinister plots to undermine the
collective government work programme and to waylay the people’s hopes and
aspirations.
And yes, we have remained resolute, in the full knowledge
that we are the true people’s representatives because of the clear mandate
given to us in a legitimate election on 29 March 2008.
As I take
stock of the past few years, especially since the formation of the inclusive
government, I am humbled by some notable achievements driven by our members
in government but at the same time aware of the great strides we would have
made were it not for the unstable and volatile nature of this coalition
government.
Our positive impact is a matter of public record.
We
have brought down inflation to levels that are no longer a cause for
national embarrassment.
At least there is food on the shelves, our
schools have opened and hospitals have begun functioning again.
We
are equally proud of the one-stop shop that will enable prospective
investors to have their papers processed under one roof in less than 48
hours so that we create jobs and expand our economy.
Last year, with
the support of the United Nations and other donors, I commissioned 13
million textbooks to all the 5 575 primary schools in the
country.
This was the largest single investment in the education sector
since independence and it ensured that every primary school child will have
access to textbooks. I have commissioned new medical equipment at several
hospitals across the country and Zimbabweans can be guaranteed of at least
some decent service in our health institutions.
I am aware that more
needs to be done to realize our full potential in bringing hospitals and
schools to their former glory and in ensuring there is noise in our silent
factories once again.
I know how easy it is for all of us to forget that
only three years ago, this country was on its knees and we were competing
for wild fruits with animals in our forests as hunger and starvation exposed
the incompetence and ineptitude of the previous government to respond to
national challenges. But we are proud that we have made our positive
contribution and this country has begun a slow but sure march from a dark
past of uncertainty to a future full of hope and progress.
But we
have been frustrated by the intransigence of our partners and their
reluctance to obey their signatures.
We are five days away from the
third anniversary of the signing of the GPA and yet we are still talking
about outstanding issues.
We must be ashamed as political parties that
even the things we have agreed on have become outstanding issues because of
non-implementation.
Partisan policing, a biased justice system and
violence remain rooted in our culture to the extent that rogue elements can
beat up elected MPs in the Parliament chambers and escape
unpunished.
As we trudge from the discredited non-event of June 2008
towards yet another election, the onus falls on all of us, SADC, Africa and
the broader international community to stand by the people of Zimbabwe to
ensure that their security, their freedoms and their vote is
protected.
I am glad that SADC and the facilitator, President Jacob Zuma
of South Africa, have exerted their energies to ensuring that the parties in
Zimbabwe come up with a roadmap to a free and fair election.
In the
modern world of regional groupings and interconnected economies, it is
necessary for peace to prevail even in the homes of our neighbours.
That
is why we are heartened by the unstinting effort of our colleagues in SADC
in helping us craft a roadmap that will ensure a credible election, an
undisputed result and a legitimate government.
A time-bound roadmap,
with clear milestones and signposts to ensure the people of Zimbabwe cast
their votes in peace, with neither fear nor coercion.
A roadmap that
will ensure that the outcome of that election is respected and that the
people’s will is protected.
I urge everyone in SADC, in Africa and the
broader international community to be global citizens; to be responsible
citizens of the world who will fight for freedom and democracy anywhere in
the world, including Zimbabwe.
I call upon everyone to support the people
of Zimbabwe as they navigate through this delicate transition into a new
country, with new values and a new ethos.
In 2008, the people spoke
in an election that they wanted a new culture and a new
beginning.
But their vote did not count.
Those who lost the
election were smuggled into an inclusive government that is now
dysfunctional due to their intransigence and lack of a common vision.
The
challenge before us is to make sure that this does not happen again. The
challenge for us and the rest of the world is to vaccinate against yet
another stolen election in Zimbabwe and to ensure the implementation of a
roadmap to a free and fair election.
A roadmap characterized by
security sector realignment, a credible and neutral secretariat of the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, a new voters’ roll, extensive electoral and
media reforms and a new Constitution, coupled with foolproof mechanisms to
ensure security of the person and security of the vote.
So the date
for our next election is going to be defined by a process and not by the
whims of any individual who feels they can dream a date and impose it on the
people. Only after the full roadmap has been agreed and concluded to our
satisfaction will President Mugabe and I agree on the date for the next
polls.
And I want to make it clear today that the MDC is ready for an
election anytime and anywhere.
Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC are
ready for an election tomorrow, as long as all the benchmarks have been met
to ensure the security of the people’s vote.
So I am ready for
elections! But we have agreed, with the backing of SADC, that we will abide
by a process, characterized by clear benchmarks so that we do not repeat the
ridiculous charade of 2008 when one presidential candidate contested an
election against himself and proudly declared himself a winner. So I want
to send a message today that we won the last election and we are ready for
you!
We will defeat you-again!
Only a legitimately elected
government can develop and implement a common vision and programmes that
will deal with the massive unemployment and poverty that we currently
face. The major lesson we have learnt is that there are serious limitations
to what a coalition government can do because there is no shared vision and
shared values.
The world must stand by us as we try to agree and
implement a roadmap to a free and fair poll.
So I call for global
support to the people of Zimbabwe as we walk through this difficult
transition; as we wage this protracted struggle to bring back our dignity
and to become part of the global family of nations once again.
I want to
say today on our 12th birthday that I am certain that we will succeed in our
struggle for a new Zimbabwe and a new beginning.
A new Zimbabwe for which
we have sweated, toiled and even lost some of our comrades not only in the
last 12 years, but the since the liberation struggle.
A new Zimbabwe
where political differences are not an excuse for violence and unnecessary
conflict; where state institutions promote peace and unity - not war and
violence against defenseless people.
Which brings me to the issue of
national security institutions. My concerns about the Security Services are
well-known but often misrepresented. When I talk of the need for change I
mean that the security sector must be politically neutral – which is, of
course, exactly what is provided for in Article 13 of the GPA.
The
present position is that a few security chiefs see themselves as an
extension of ZANU-PF. The Zimbabwe Security Services are the best trained in
Africa. We all know from our contacts with members of the security services
that they join the military or the police so that they can protect the
people of Zimbabwe, not to threaten and abuse them.
There are
therefore a few individuals bent on tarnishing the image of our professional
security services.
My pledge to the Security Services is that under an
MDC Government they would be properly paid, properly equipped and properly
respected. They would be trained to the highest standards and promoted
entirely on merit.
The challenge for us as the new crop of African
leaders is to kill the culture of violence against defenceless citizens so
that governments concentrate on pressing national issues such as eradicating
poverty, creating jobs, growing the economy and delivering quality and
affordable services to the people.
And I want to add that the future
we envision as the MDC is a future where women are stakeholders. A cursory
look at those people who have cast a shadow over Africa and brutalised their
people, from Idi Amin and Mobutu Sese Seko to Gaddafi and Mubarak; the
architects of racism in South Africa and Rhodesia; the instigators of
genocide in Rwanda and Gukurahundi; they all had one thing in
common.
There were all MEN.
We all know women leaders would never
have allowed such suffering to take place. As a party and a country we must
do more to promote the interests of women and the girl child.
We need
more women to enter politics and to take up positions of influence.
One
in three households is headed by a woman and the appalling figures of women
dying in childbirth as well as the statistics of violence against women
shame our nation.
For business, we promise a conducive environment with
policy consistency and predictability to enable companies to thrive so that
they improve our economy and create jobs for ourselves and our
children.
For the youth, this is your country. I pledge to bring the
noise back in our factories not only to create employment for young people,
but to create a sound base to nurture our own business tycoons. We are ready
to give you your space so that you are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but
even the leaders of today.
The youth, women and the business
community can only invest in the future MDC government because of the
reckless behaviour of some of our colleagues in the current coalition
government.
Of course, it is important that indigenous Zimbabweans should
be able to become investors in their own country but this should not be an
excuse for well-connected individuals to loot and frighten investors for
their own selfish ends in the name of the ordinary people.
All that
prevents major, reputable investment in Zimbabwe is a complete lack of
respect for the rule of law and what some Zimbabweans have called the
outrageous and frankly illegal behaviour of the Minister charged with the
responsibility for Indigenisation. They are now regarding him as the
Minister for Youth, Unemployment and Economic Destruction.
As Prime
Minister, I feel saddened that any one of my ministers should be labelled
thus.
An MDC Government would put great effort into pro-investment
policies that balance the need to empower the ordinary man and woman and the
interests of the investor so that we are able to create jobs and widen our
tax base.
For the farmers, we envisage a land audit to establish who owns
what in order to eradicate multiple farm owners. We believe in giving title
deeds to our farmers to enable them to access loans so that they concentrate
on providing adequate food in the country and to ensure that we regain our
status as the bread basket of Africa.
And all of us must be serious
about HIV and Aids, which has wrought havoc in our country and the
sub-region. Only a robust health delivery system biased towards prevention
will help stem the scourge if we are to guarantee a healthy nation which is
the cornerstone of any economy. And an MDC government will ensure that those
living with HIV/Aids have access to medicines and adequate care.
As
the future government, we are preparing our economic blueprint which speaks
to our efforts towards achieving a $100 billion dollar economy by 2030 so
that we create jobs and set the foundation for a sound future for the people
of Zimbabwe.
And I want to add that this struggle is for all of us, not
just for the MDC.
I may be standing before you as leader of Zimbabwe’s
largest political party. But the struggle facing the country goes beyond the
person of Morgan Tsvangirai or the party I lead.
It has always been
an ordinary people’s struggle; a collective struggle of a determined people
across the political divide fighting for a new Zimbabwe and a new
beginning.
A struggle by ordinary people in the villages, in the urban
townships, in the mines and in the Diaspora to bring back their dignity and
to be allowed to express themselves in a free and fair election.
And
I promise you that the new Zimbabwe we have all struggled for in the past 12
years is possible in our lifetime.
I assure you that we are in the last
mile. The signs are there for all to see that this society is pregnant with
a new one. This culture of State-sanctioned violence in this country has not
taken us anywhere as a people.
Let’s finish it!
This culture
of unpredictability and policy inconsistency has cost us foreign direct
investment and business opportunities.
Let’s finish it!
Patronage,
corruption and avarice have been the political game of the previous
government.
Let’s finish it!
Poor and dilapidated infrastructure,
a collapsed transport system and a poor road network are the hallmark of
this country.
Let’s finish it!
Politicising food aid, jobs for the
boys and girls, intimidation, grabbing people’s property and multiple farm
ownership had become part of government culture.
Let’s finish
it!
And on 29 March we collectively began our journey of ensuring that
ZANU PF becomes history.
Let’s finish it!
As we go back home,
let us keep our hope and remain united in our political diversity as we
await to cast our vote for the MDC, the only party through which we can
regain our collective dignity once again.
Bulawayo, September 10, 2011— Movement
for Democratic Change’s (MDC-T) second in command and Zimbabwe’s first
deputy prime minister has threatened to break ranks with the government’s
constitutional led process and campaign for a No Vote if the draft
constitution does not offer reforms that will empower women.
Deputy
Prime Minister Khupe said she will mobilise Zimbabwean women to vote
oagainst the draft constitution in a referendum expected later this year or
early next year if the Constitutional Parliamentary Select Committee
(Copac) does not include a provision that promise women
empowerment.
Addressing a meeting of Bulawayo women in business and
politics on Friday during her 50-50 Campaign Programme meant to empower
women, Khupe said Copac should not make a mistake to bring a draft
constitution that doesn’t give equal rights to women as it will be
rejected.
“Copac should take us seriously if their draft constitutional
document does not carry a provision that empower women we will reject it. We
also want Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to disqualify any political
party which will want to enter next elections without 50 percent gender
balance,” said Khupe.
Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus
chairperson and Zanu-PF legislator for Goromonozi West, Beater Nyamupinga
who also attended the meeting called for women to support all women in high
positions in government besides that there are from different
parties.
"We should not politicise this programme we should support all
women in government of Zimbabwe whether its Vice President Joice Mujuru or
Deputy Prime Minister Khupe,”said Nyamupinga.
Under a the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) that gave birth to the country’s power-sharing
government Zimbabwe through Constitutional Parliamentary Select Committee
(Copac) is currently drafting a new constitution before holding new
elections.
The struggle for control of Zimbabwe has
entered a disturbing new stage after President Mugabe declared that
elections will have to be held before March 2012. 09.09.1109:45am by
Chief Reporter
Until recently, there was a general perception that
polls would be held after critical political reforms had been completed. It
is now clear that the presidential declaration is expected to be an element
of surprise to the MDC.
"We will not go beyond that date once I
announce it and it does not matter what others will say, once I announce it,
that's all," Mugabe told his National Consultative Assembly last
Friday.
Political analysts say the announcement is part of a wider plan
to hold elections in an atmosphere that renders only one possible
outcome.
All the elements of one-man rule are being put into place in
Zimbabwe. The President's own party is increasingly irrelevant as Mugabe
relies instead on armed squatters and elements of the war veterans to act as
his private campaign force. All those who might be inclined to back the MDC
are threatened with violent retribution.
Dewa Mavhinga, the Regional
Information and Advocacy Coordinator for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, said
the announcement was shocking.
"This is alarming considering the
incredibly slow pace of reforms to create a conducive environment for free
and fair elections," Mavhinga said. "It appears the only 'major' reform that
will be achieved before March 2012 is the finalization of a new constitution
which is likely to be presented as a major trophy by Zanu (PF). However,
major areas of concern - partisan security forces and intact structures of
violence and intimidation - remain outstanding and
unresolved."
Divorce inevitable
Mugabe has already shot down that
demand. The President said the MDC formations were making every effort to
cling on to the ramshackle inclusive government by trying to derail the
constitution making process, but reiterated that the marriage of convenience
had run its full course and should be discarded.
He added that his
party had done everything to accommodate the "unending and concocted list of
demands" such as the MDC formations' push for security sector
reforms.
"We cannot continue like this when others make demands for
security reforms, we don't do that. The security forces remain what they are
and they will not be tampered with by anyone," Mugabe said.
Election
observers
Mugabe may or may not choose to announce an election date this
week. Even if that ballot actually occurs it will not be in conditions
remotely compatible with democracy.
Political commentator Ronald
Shumba said the SADC should put election observers in place immediately.
"The earlier the better," he said.
A fraudulent contest must lead to
Zimbabwe's automatic suspension from the regional body, he added. The
primary outside power with real influence, though, remains South Africa. It
provides Zimbabwe with virtually all fuel and power and is its main trading
partner.
President Zuma has ratcheted pressure on Mugabe and withheld
public support in the belief that he could then extract concessions from the
recalcitrant Zanu PF leader. Shumba said it was time for Zuma to make it
clear that South Africa will not tolerate elections conducted by terror, nor
subsidise what is fast becoming a military dictatorship.
A delegation of Zimbabwean civil society leaders
and electoral officials will this week participate in meeting in The Hague
to mark the third anniversary of the Global Political
Agreement. 09.09.1110:08am by Vusimusi Bhebhe
According to the
Netherlands-based pressure group, Zimbabwe Watch, the delegation includes
Constitutional Parliamentary Committee national coordinator, Gift Marunda,
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission official, Dominic Chidakuza, and Brian Penduka
who is a programmes manager at the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO
Forum.
The experts meeting, jointly organised by Zimbabwe Watch and the
European Partnership for Democracy, is scheduled for September 15, the third
anniversary of the signing of the GPA by President Robert Mugabe and former
opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara.
It will
look at the status of constitutional reforms, election preparations, and the
role of the Southern African Development Community. Marunda is expected to
provide an update on the troubled process of drafting Zimbabwe’s new
constitution.
Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party is against any new constitution
that would clip the long-serving leader’s powers and has deliberately sought
to stall the process since it began in 2009.
ZEC’s preparedness to
organise Zimbabwe’s next elections has been a subject of intense debate amid
allegations that the country’s voters’ roll is in shambles.
The public media has upped its media-onslaught on Prime
Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC, with journalists at the
state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings and Zimpapers complaining
that they were being continuously forced to denounce him. President Robert
Mugabe and Zanu (PF) party are insisting on holding elections in March next
year while other political parties in Zimbabwe are against the
idea. 08.09.1110:32am by Tony Saxon
Television and radio
producers at ZBC said they were being forced to interview Zanu (PF)
officials selected by the editors.
“Every time we are ordered to re-write
scripts that seem to be objective on the Prime Minister. We are being given
orders by the editorial team that Tsvangirai should never be given positive
coverage,” said a senior radio news producer, who declined to be named for
fear of victimisation.
“Zanu (PF) propagandists like Jonathan Kadzura,
Goodson Nguni and Chris Mutsvangwa among others are called for staged
interviews on radio and television, and we are not given the chance to ask
them questions. Everything is prepared for us by the editors. In fact these
politicians come to tell the nation on TV and Radio what they want people to
hear,” said the news producer.
A senior reporter from the Herald who
also declined to be named said: “We have been reduced to secretaries of Zanu
(PF) politicians, and we are no longer journalists. Most of the reporters
are frustrated with the system and given a chance would be glad to
leave.”
ZBC and the Herald are reportedly acting on orders from the
Ministry of Information and Publicity, which is under the stewardship of
President Mugabe’s favourites -Webster Shamu, and chief propagandist George
Charamba.
By Diana Chisvo, Business
Writer Saturday, 10 September 2011 18:15
HARARE - Air Zimbabwe is
set to remain grounded for longer after the ailing airline’s chief executive
said yesterday the state airliner is yet to get money for
salaries.
Pilots who have been on strike since July have said they
will only return to work once Air Zimbabwe paid them their dues.
The
strike has already paralysed Air Zimbabwe, which has been forced to abandon
several key routes.
Innocent Mavhunga, the Air Zimbabwe acting chief
executive, said the situation was so bad that he was unaware of when the
money would be available.
“As it is now, we do not have the money in
our accounts.
“But as soon as we get the money, I am sure even the pilots
themselves will call you to let you know,” he said. The pilots are
demanding $200 000 each in unpaid salaries and allowances.
The airline is
being weighed down by debt, labour disputes and mismanagement.
To
alleviate the collapse, government says it is in the process of courting
partners for the airline.
Transport Minister Nicholas Goche and
Finance Minister Tendai Biti last month held talks to try and bail out the
state-owned airline.
Air Zimbabwe has not been able to service its daily
Harare-Johannesburg route as well as its regular London and Beijing routes
since the strike started.
By Roadwin Chirara, Business Writer Saturday, 10 September
2011 18:11
HARARE - Zimbbwe Platinum Mines (Zimplats) executives
yesterday met Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere in an effort to
resolve the current impasse on its empowerment proposal, deputy chairman
Muchadei Masunda said.
“I had a constructive discussion with
minister Kasukuwere this morning. Our teams will continue with the
negotiations,” Masunda said.
“The main bone of contention revolves around
the implementation of the Release of Ground Agreement (RoGA). Whilst the
government of Zimbabwe has qualms with the validity of the RoGA, it wants to
wriggle out of its obligations in terms of the RoGA,” he
said.
Kasukuwere on Tuesday announced that his ministry had started the
process of cancelling the mine’s operating licence after failing to agree on
terms of an initial agreement signed in 2006.
He said the company
would continue with its operations while negotiations continued.
“The
Zimplats team is scheduled to meet a team from Obert Mpofu’s Mines ministry
this afternoon (Thursday). In the meantime, it’s all systems go in all
operations at Zimplats,” the deputy chairman said.
Masunda said the
Australian-listed miner was confident of the outcome of the talks with the
government departments. “I am optimistic and I am quite confident that the
outstanding issues will be resolved to the satisfaction of all interested
parties,” he said.
Zimplats signed an agreement with the government in
2006 to release of a portion of its mining claims in exchange for a
combination of empowerment credits and cash.
In its financials
statement in June, Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) — an 87,3 percent
shareholder in Zimplats — said the area contains 99 million ounces of
platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold.
According to a Wikileaks cable
dated May 08, 2011, former chief executive officer Greg Sebborn, said the
claims had been transferred to a Chinese company.
He said the
company’s claims based in the Darwendale area of the Hartley Complex had
also been conveyed jointly to the Zimbabwe Mineral Development Corporation
and a Russian company.
Zimplats, with a market capitalisation of about
A$1,2 billion, was one of 11 companies given an ultimatum in August to
resubmit “acceptable” indigenisation plans after their initial proposal
failed to meet the government’s criteria.
According to Zimbabwe’s
Indigenisation Act, all foreign-owned companies with an annual turnover
of $500 000 dollars are compelled to cede at least 51 percent shareholding to
black locals.
Zimplats produced 182 100 ounces of platinum in the
year to June 30 and is in the midst of a $460 million expansion of its Ngezi
mine, southwest of Harare, to ramp up production to 270 000 ounces in
2014.
David Brown, Implats chief executive, said his company was
considering investing as much as $10 billion in Zimbabwe to expand
production.
Meanwhile, shares of fellow platinum producer, Aquarius, fell
6,1 percent to close at R26,28 on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange on
Wednesday following news of the planned suspension of Zimplats
licence.
Aquarius operates the Zvishabane-based Mimosa Platinum mines in
a 50-50 joint venture with Implats.
Employment for thousands of workers in the country
hangs in the balance after the government indicated that it has plans to
cancel operating licenses for several foreign owned companies that it
accuses of failing to comply with the indigenisation
regulations. 08.09.1102:47pm by Fungi Kwaramba
The government,
through the ministry of Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, gave
Zimplats, along with British American Tobacco, Nestle, Cargill, Barclays and
Standard Chartered a 14 day ultimatum to come up with acceptable plans after
their initial proposals were rejected.
Workers, however, are set to lose
the most if Minister of Indigenisation Saviour Kasukuwere threat to cancel
the operating licenses of companies such as Zimplats is carried
out.
Zimplats currently employs 4 000 workers, including contractors.
Projections were that the mega rich company that is exploiting platinum
group of metals estimated at US$4 billion would in the next two years employ
6 000 people and 10 000 by 2016.
In an interview, Lovemore Matombo,
the President of a fractured Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, said that
indigenisation had been hijacked by a political party and its members and
not the workers were set to benefit the most.
“We need to understand
that the whole process is highly political and appeals to benefiting
politicians from a certain political party. If it would benefit the people
then the first beneficiaries would be the workers. The cancelation is
ridiculous as far as we are concerned and we condemn the government’s
insensitivity to workers,” said Matombo.
Despite the uncertainties wrought by the
indigenization laws in the country, Nestle Zimbabwe, one of the companies
that has its submissions rejected, said it has plans to expand
further. 09.09.1112:21pm by Mxolisi Ncube
Last week Nestle
Zimbabwe, along with other foreign-owned companies, received a letter from
Indigenization Minister Saviour Kasukuwere which stated that the company
submissions for indigenization had been ‘unacceptable’.
Kenyan-based
Brindah Chiniah, Nestlé’s corporate communications manager for the region,
said in an interview that the milk and cereal products manufacturer had been
in Zimbabwe for the past 50 years and would continue to strive through good
and bad times.
“Nestlé has been in Zimbabwe for 50 years, working with
the population of Zimbabwe and striving to maintain a long-term viable
operation in often challenging conditions. We operate in Zimbabwe, as we do
in every country, through good times and bad. We work for the long-term, in
a way which has positive impact on our consumers, employees and suppliers,”
said Chiniah.
Nestlé submitted its first plan in November. The law
compels foreign firms to cede 51% ownership to black Zimbabweans. Despite
concern over the future of foreign corporations in Zimbabwe because of the
policy, Nestlé said it would continue with expansion at its Harare
manufacturing plant.
Saying its focus for now was for the long-term
prospects and that it would continue operating "through good and bad times"
in Zimbabwe, just as it did in several other hot-spot countries. The factory
in Zimbabwe is important for Nestlé in meeting rising regional demand for
its foodstuffs.
But the Swiss based company has been under pressure since
it stopped buying milk from President Robert Mugabe’s Gushungo farm after an
international outcry over the dealings with the Zimbabwean dictator. Despite
threats of seizure it says it will continue with its long term plans and is
currently expanding in order to meet rising demand in products
regionally.
Nestlé’s rejected submission had proposed it dispose of 25%
equity to the company’s Zimbabwe pension fund, the Nestlé Zimbabwe Pension
Fund, while the remaining equity would go to the firm’s employees under an
employee ownership and empowerment scheme.
Chiniah added that Nestle
would, “remain in continuous consultations with concerned authorities on the
subject. We are confident that our proposals will contribute to the growth
of the economy of Zimbabwe.”
Other companies such as Zimplats, New Dawn
Mining and Mwana Africa have also had their initial plans rejected, with
Kasukuwere indicating this week that the Implats Zimbabwe division is set to
lose its license.
Some of the rejected submissions entailed listing on
Zimbabwe’s bourse and social development credits as part of plans to comply
with the law.
Tourism here is under serious threat following
revelations from World Environment Zimbabwe that the invasion of the Save
and Chiredzi River conservancies by Chitsa people has put natural resources
in danger.
09.09.1110:06am by Rejoice Ndlovu
The
illegal dwellers have been accused of cutting down trees for firewood or to
make charcoal for sale in urban centres. They have also been responsible for
starting fires with a view to clearing areas for settlement and driving
animals away. This has put wildlife at risk and WEZ warned that if it is not
stopped, it will turn the area into a semi-desert.
The invaders have
also been accused of poaching animals for meat, ivory and skins in order to
sell the products on the curio market.
“We need a political
intervention,” a spokesperson for WEZ said.
He urged Minister Francis
Nhema to intervene before it was too late.
Harare - Door-to-door testing for HIV could be part of a new attempt
by Zimbabwe's health minister to curb infections, state media reported
Saturday.
'We must be innovative and embrace new approaches such as
the know-your-HIV status campaigns through door-to-door testing,' said Henry
Madzorera.
At least one in seven Zimbabweans are believed to be positive
for the HIV virus, a precursor to AIDS. But testing remains optional in
Zimbabwe.
Critics say the lack of adequate anti-retroviral drugs for
those found to be HIV-positive deters many from seeking to discover their
status. New figures revealed at the conference show up to 7,000 children die
in Zimbabwe every year because they cannot access appropriate
medicine.
But Madzorera, who was speaking at the close of a national AIDS
conference this week, said it was important that every Zimbabwean 'knows
their status,' the official Herald newspaper reported.
Zimbabwe's
vice premier, Thokozani Khupe, recently announced an ambitious plan to have
all male ministers in President Robert Mugabe's cabinet circumcised in a bid
to encourage other men to participate in a nationwide circumcision campaign,
aimed at cutting HIV rates.
Director of the tuberculosis and AIDS unit in
the Health Ministry, Owen Mugurungi, said Zimbabweans needed to be 'brave
enough' to accept door-to-door testing.
Gweru, September 10, 2011- Minister of Tourism
and Hospitality Industry has castigated Zimbabwe’s VISA regime that still
favours European countries ahead of Zimbabwe’s traditional Far East
countries.
Mzembi said Zimbabwe is holding on to a VISA system that is
friendly to European countries that have imposed “illegal Sanctions” on
Zimbabwe but hostile to friendly countries, addressing a public lecture at
Midlands State University .
“There should be a paradigm shift in our
Immigration processes so that we do not continue to hold on to a colonial
inherited Visa Regime that favors European countries at the expense of
friendly countries like China. As the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, I
advice that Visas’ be processed on entry as the current methodology used has
a negative impact on revenue from the tourism sectors. Tourists favour
destinations that have easy access,” Muzembi said.
He added that
Visas’ of nationals from friendly countries should fall in the A category
and not in the C category as is the case at the moment.
Visitors from
countries in category A, which at the moment mostly includes European
countries, do not require visa’s to Zimbabwe. There are also those countries
that fall under category B and these get Visa’s at the point of entry.
However Category C, which has countries like China and Libya obtain Visa
systems in their home countries and in most cases it is only done in the
capital cities which means those staying outside the capital cities have to
travel to the appropriate City to apply for a VISA.
Muzembi urged that if
Zimbabwe and Africa were to realise maximum profits in the tourism sector,
they are to take a cue from the European Union (EU). “The EU adopted the
Schengen Visa system which allows visitor’s entry into several countries and
this is what we should do as Africa,” Engineer Mzembi said adding that even
the boarders that Africa wants to respect so much and retain are a colonial
product.
The Minister also bemoaned the grounding of the national Airline
saying any success story in boosting tourism revenue is based on a reliable
national Airliner and an open sky policy.
“Our Airline is needed and
it is high time that as a government we concentrate on opening the sky. We
used to have more than 45carriers using our airports but now they have
dropped to less than 10 and our target is that by 2015, Zimbabwe should
have been able to attract back the 45 Airlines,” he said
Quizzed on
Libya’s Investments in Zimbabwe following the fall of the Libyan leader
Muammar Gaddafi and also allegations by the Former Libyan Ambassador in
Zimbabwe El Magrahi that during a recent visit Gaddafi’s son Al Saadi had
used Libyans funds to invest on family business in Zimbabwe, Muzembi
dismissed the statements as blatant lies.
Villagers in Mutoko were recently shocked when their MP,
Ordo Nyakudanga, ordered the traditional leadership to get rid of MDC
supporters in the area. 09.09.1109:49am by Fungi
Kwaramba
Villagers, who spoke on condition that they would not be
named, said Nyakudanga terrified them at a recent meeting they were forced
to attend at Kapondoro Business Centre.
“Ordo told the chiefs and
village heads that they should not allow MDC supporters into the area
because they are not welcome in Mutoko, he said that Mutoko is an area for
Zanu (PF) supporters only,” said one villager.
Chief Chimoyo also
attended the meeting. Traditional leaders who have been accused of
supporting Zanu (PF) have, according to villagers, denied humanitarian
organisations access to the area.
“The traditional leadership here is
overzealous they have been making life very difficult for us by forcing us
to buy Zanu (PF) membership cards,” said another villager.
According
to villagers, temperatures in Mutoko are rising amid fears of renewed
attacks from Zanu (PF) supporters.
The city of Mutare has scooped the Zimbabwe National
Chamber of Commerce national award as the best municipality in terms of quality
service delivery.
by Liona
Mwayera
Not only is Mutare excelling in service
delivery, it is also the cleanest city in Zimbabwe for the second year
running.
The city won the cleanest city accolade in 2010 and
2011.
City of Mutare mayor, Councillor Brian James, received a
prize from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who praised the local authority for
the sterling work they were doing in improving the lives of residents. He
encouraged residents to work closely with the elected council in order to
promote development and growth in the city.
“I would like to congratulate the local authority for
scooping this coveted prize. It’s a clear testimony that the local authority is
delivering to its ratepayers,” said Tsvangirai.
Through its transparency and accountability operations,
the local authority has become the first municipality in the country to receive
a US$1 million revolving grant from Swedish International Development
Agency.
Government ministers have said the so-called
"luxurygate" scandal has been blown out of proportion, with factual
inaccuracies distorting the whole scam. 09.09.1111:10am by Chief
Reporter
Two furious ministers who spoke on condition of anonymity
said the vehicles purchased for ministers did not amount to US$20 million as
widely reported but US$1.6million. These figures were confirmed by the
Finance Minister Tendai Biti.
It has also emerged that the Land Rover
Discover 4 vehicles that have raised a storm were part of ministerial perks
they were entitled to in 2009 when they joined the inclusive government.
They were not given the vehicles then because of a critical funding
shortfall. As a result, ministers have been hiring off-road vehicles from
CMED pending the issue of their vehicles.
"These cars are part of our
conditions of service," said an MDC minister piqued by the
reports.
"Every minister is entitled to two vehicles: a ministerial Merc
and one off roader. We were entitled to these cars in 2009, and they put
that off to 2010. In 2010 they again said there were no funds to buy the
vehicles. Then when we finally got the vehicles this year, there is this
hulaballoo over nothing."
He said the ministers had been patient and
did not deserve all this bad publicity.
"It’s a storm in a tea cup,"
said a Zanu (PF) minister. "Ministers have been getting these vehicles since
time immemorial. I think it’s just unfair bad publicity mainly targeted at
the MDC. But the truth of the matter is that this is no
scandal.”
Critics have lashed out against the government, saying there is
no justification for ministers to accept such pricey vehicles amid grinding
poverty.
Zimbabwe has been placed under the
International Monetary Fund’s radar amid fears the country could be a safe
haven for syndicates engaged in money laundering and the financing of
terrorism. 09.09.1110:02am by Vusimusi Bhebhe
The IMF said that
at the beginning of the year it engaged the Zimbabwean authorities with a
view to strengthening the country’s ability to fight money laundering and
combat the financing of terrorism.
“In January 2011, the Executive Board
saw significant merit in continuing regular staff visits and also decided to
add public finance management and anti-money laundering and combating the
financing of terrorism to the targeted areas for which the suspension of the
Fund’s technical assistance had been lifted in May 2009,” the Fund announced
last week.
The IMF has already been assisting Zimbabwe with the
improvement of its tax policy and administration, payments systems,
lender-of-last-resort operations, banking supervision and central banking
governance and accounting. But due to its weak law enforcement and lax
banking controls, Zimbabwe has been seen as a playground for money
launderers, some of whom have links to international terrorist
cells.
In one of the cases, the army-run Zimbabwe Defence Industries was
last year alleged to be linked to an arms trafficking syndicate and money
laundering activities involving rogue Ecuadorian bishop Walter Crespo and
rebels of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionariasde Colombia.
FARC is a
violent guerrilla organisation described as a terrorist group. It has been
accused of kidnapping government officials and aid workers and recruiting
child soldiers.
Meanwhile, the IMF said Zimbabwe was one of three
countries in protracted overdue financial obligations to the Fund. The other
countries are Sudan and Somalia.
ROY Bennett feels the West would do well to recognise that Zanu
PF “is not going anywhere” and instead train their efforts on helping
strengthen the inexperienced MDC-T government benches, it has
emerged.
The MDC-T treasurer revealed his misgivings about the MDC-T’s
performance in government and the leadership of Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai during meetings US Ambassador, Charles Ray in February last year,
according to leaked embassy cables.
Bennett told Ray that Zanu PF was
part of the country’s future and urged the US envoy to find ways of helping
moderate elements in the party stand up to the excesses of
“extremists”.
“Apart from the MDC, Bennett acknowledged that Zanu PF will
be involved in a future Zimbabwe; the challenge is to identify those in Zanu
PF who can play constructive roles, and to find ways to bolster them against
extremists,” Ambassador Ray wrote following the meeting.
The MDC-T
financier also expressed concern over the MDC-T’s failure to deliver in
government and admitted that Tsvangirai’s office was “weak”.
“Bennett
talked with the Ambassador about MDC-T's inability to 'deliver the goods' to
the people ... The party was very good at campaigning, but lacked a strong
bench in terms of governing,” Ray said.
“Hardly any of the MDC ministers
had any previous experience in administration, and the few with any
capability were overstretched.”
Regarding the holding of fresh polls to
replace the coalition government Bennett claimed the MDC-T leadership wanted
elections to be held in 2011.
He blamed Tsvangirai’s penchant for
contradicting agreed party positions in his public pronouncements for the
apparent confusion in the MDC-T over the issue.
“We noted that a
couple of weeks ago, Tsvangirai had said the country was not ready for early
elections, but had apparently reversed course in Davos and supported 2011
elections,” Ambassador Ray wrote.
“Bennett said the party leadership had
always supported 2011 elections; but despite party decisions, Tsvangirai had
a tendency to publicly take inconsistent positions.”
Dear Family and Friends, It’s that
time of year when fires are burning on every horizon, leaving us shrouded in
a blanket of smoke almost every day. Bright blue summer skies are permanently
smudged with grey, white and yellow smoke and the wind is heavy with dust and
ash. Fires are out of control again this year, mostly because there are no
longer clear boundaries between all the seized commercial farms and nothing
to stop the fires once they start. There are almost no visible fire breaks
and even fewer genuine farmers with the will or the inclination to put
the fires out once they start. As a result the smallest fire is picked
up by the wind and travels scores of kilometres through the dry
bush, destroying everything in their path.
On a brief visit to the
east of the country this week, the view from the road provided a graphic
picture of life in Zimbabwe, leaving you feeling as if you had gone back
decades in time. A man and woman waited outside a bottle store in a dusty
clearing, holding a length of rope made from tree bark at the end of which
was tied a very large pig. Two young men were walking along the edge of the
tar road, leading a goat on a length of frayed black raffia
string.
Across a newly burnt field a barefoot old woman, wearing a long
black dress, was walking through the smoke. A little puff of ash and
dust rose at every footstep, her voice carried on the wind as she
shouted in conversation with a young woman she passed. This young woman,
also barefoot, carried a baby on her back, wrapped in a pink towel, had
a toddler at her feet and a basket filled with pots and enamel bowls
on her head. Women in blue and white dresses and head scarves walked
in pairs on the roadside, heading to a church meeting, their
eyes streaming from the inescapable smoke and dust. A little further on
a young teenage boy struggled to control the wheelbarrow he was
pushing, running to keep up with it as it took on a life of its own down a
very steep hill. All around him the tops of the surrounding mountains
were invisible, bathed in smoke. The Msasa trees covered in new
spring foliage, were also suffocating, their splendour and colour lost
in smoke and haze.
A green bus roared past at tremendous speed,
rattling and shaking, part of its back fender hanging off, with the words:
‘God Answers,’ written in big letters above the front windscreen. From the
other direction came two minibuses, both clearly overloaded and travelling
way over the speed limit. One had the words: “Smooth Operator” painted on its
front, the other bore the legend: “Check Yo Time.”
Fires were burning
on both sides of the road providing a feasting frenzy for black fork-tailed
Drongoes which swooped and dived into the flames to catch fleeing
grasshoppers. Locusts and beetles flew blindly from the fire, straight into
the mouths of birds or pinging and cracking as they hit car windscreens. A
slender mongoose ran across the road, from one smoky side to the other, its
black tipped tail held high above its sleek burgundy body.
Along a
stretch of road passing through communal farms, as opposed to seized
commercial farms, the scene was much more orderly. Piles of dry and combed
thatching grass was stacked high off the ground on racks. Dry maize leaves
and stalks, called /mashanga/, had been gathered from the fields and was also
stacked safely on racks well off the ground. This was the precious food for
their cattle and goats, the means to support the animals until the rains
bring new green grass in two months time. So far the villagers have managed
to save the grazing around them from fires and their cattle and goats have
still got full bellies. These rural villagers with their seven acre plots
continue to put the fat cats and political land grabbers on the seized
commercial farmers to shame. How different things could have been for the
country if farm land had been given to farmers and people who knew what to
do with it.
Until next time, thanks for reading, love cathy. Copyright
� Cathy Buckle. 10th September 2011. www.cathybuckle.com
