The Zimbabwe Situation

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Lance Guma
20 August 2012

SADC leaders met in Mozambique on Saturday, to debate the political crisis
in Zimbabwe among other things, and after 2 hours of discussion produced a
list of resolutions that analysts say will do little to resolve outstanding
issues.

South African President Jacob Zuma, the SADC appointed facilitator,
presented his report to the summit. The regional grouping later produced
another watered down communiqué, urging the parties in Zimbabwe to develop a
roadmap with timelines for the creation of conditions for a free and fair
election.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa Dewa Mavhinga, the regional coordinator of the
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, said: “SADC has been taking timid decisions
and steps forward and there is clear need, if we are to reap dividends, for
SADC to be more pronounced and decisive in terms of where it stands.”

Adding to the dark clouds around the summit was Zuma having to leave
Mozambique early to go to Rustenburg in South Africa, where more than 34
striking miners were shot dead by police.

There were to be more side shows when Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara threw
his toys out of the pram when Zuma refused to meet him as a ‘principal’ in
the negotiations. Zuma had also refused to meet Mutambara last Wednesday
when the South African leader travelled to Harare.

ZANU PF spent the whole weekend attacking Zuma and accusing him of ‘nepotism’
for siding with Welshman Ncube, who is embroiled in a leadership dispute
with Mutambara. ZANU PF strategist Jonathan Moyo claimed in an article that
Zuma was biased because Ncube’s son is married to Zuma’s daughter.

Ncube says Mutambara brought the embarrassment upon himself by bringing up
the dispute that has torn the smaller MDC apart. “This whole debate would
not have taken place had Mutambara not arrogantly raised the issue before
the Troika and SADC would not have de-recognised him,” he said.

Meanwhile sources at the summit say SADC leaders criticised ZANU PF’s
behaviour in the constitution making exercise. Despite all three parties in
the Constitutional Select Committee (COPAC) putting their signatures on a
draft constitution, ZANU PF has made a u-turn and wants to change certain
clauses.

Commentators say Mugabe’s party, which is being torn apart by factionalism,
is desperately trying to manage its internal dynamics and certain clauses
like the selection of Vice Presidential running mates are creating vicious
acrimony.

SADC leaders clamp down on human rights court

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
20 August 2012

SADC heads of state who met in Maputo for the annual summit over the weekend
have been accused of “shutting the doors” to the SADC Tribunal to the region’s
citizens, following a decision to limit the court’s Protocol to dealing only
with conflicts between member states.

A final communique issued at the summit on Saturday said SADC leaders had
“resolved that a new Protocol on the Tribunal should be negotiated and its
mandate confined to interpretation of the SADC Treaty and Protocols relating
to disputes between Member States.”

The Tribunal’s original mandate allowed the court to hear and decide on
cases brought by individual citizens, who felt they had been denied justice
in their home countries. The weekend decision essentially leaves no legal
recourse for individuals seeking justice, therefore undermining the rule of
law.

The SADC Tribunal was suspended in 2010, after the Mugabe regime dismissed a
ruling by the court which said his chaotic land grab exercise was illegal
and racist. But Mugabe dismissed the ruling and challenged the legality of
the Tribunal. Rather than deal with the issue the SADC leaders suspended the
court’s operations instead.

The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) have strongly criticised the
SADC leaders. They had expected the Summit to adopt the recommendations from
their own Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General from the region, which
limited the human rights mandate of the Tribunal while a new Protocol was
decided on.

“This weekend’s decision goes far further in narrowing the Tribunal’s
mandate. Individuals won’t have any access to the Tribunal whatsoever, no
matter what type of case is concerned,” the Centre’s director Nicole Fritz
told SW Radio Africa.

She added: “Most of cases that were heard by the Tribunal so far had been
brought by individuals. Member states almost never bring cases against each
other before the courts. They try and resolve their disputes by diplomatic
means. So the SADC tribunal is essentially not going to be worth the
expense.”

Civic society groups that had also lobbied for the revival of the Tribunal
have said they are disappointed with the decision to block individual cases.

Nobel peace prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu was one of the campaigners
fighting for the court’s re-instatement. He had described it as “a place
where crimes could not go unpunished and victims of injustice and human
rights abuses could turn with confidence”, adding: “but that house is now in
grave danger.”

Tutu had warned that “the region will lose a vital ally of its citizens, its
investors and its future” if SADC leaders did not revive the court. “It is
up to all of us to ensure that SADC not only reinstates the Tribunal but
also strengthens it,” Tutu was quoted as saying.

Media Release: SADC Leaders Deal Fatal Blow To SADC Tribunal

Johannesburg, 20th August – Leaders of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) took a momentous decision in Maputo over the weekend – to shut the doors of the SADC Tribunal to the region’s citizens, preventing them from seeking justice and undermining the rule of law.

The shocking decision, which was taken at the annual summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in Maputo, not only left the Tribunal in limbo but also rendered it completely toothless by denying individual access to the court.

“The decision to deny the region's inhabitants any access to the Tribunal is astounding and entirely without any lawful basis,” said Nicole Fritz, Director of the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC). “Civil society groups were worried that SADC leaders would conspire to weaken the Tribunal but this is far worse than we had feared. SADC has destroyed it.”

The summit's final communique explains that SADC leaders have “resolved that a new Protocol on the Tribunal should be negotiated and its mandate confined to interpretation of the SADC Treaty and Protocols relating to disputes between Member States.”

The original Tribunal Protocol made it clear that individuals also had access to the court – and all previous cases heard by the Tribunal had been brought by individuals.

“The decision flies in the face of the recommendations of both the SADC-instituted review of the Tribunal and SADC's own Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General,” said Fritz. “It is also completely at odds with the best practice of other regional institutions and undermines the protection of human rights and hopes for future economic growth and development.”

The SADC Tribunal has been defunct for the past two years after SADC leaders demanded a review of its powers and functions, following a series of cases in which it had ruled against the Zimbabwean government.

Despite a campaign spearheaded by legal bodies, civil society organisations and individuals such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, SADC’s leaders decided not to the revive the Tribunal immediately and to ensure that in future it will be little more than a shell.

“Our leaders have shown their contempt for all of us in southern Africa and for the rule of law,” said Fritz. “Not only did they deny the region’s citizens access to the Tribunal but Member States almost never bring legal cases against each other so the court will be a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.”

Richard Lee, OSISA Communications Manager; Cell +27 83 2314192; Richardl@osisa.org

Zuma abusing SADC role to help Ncube: Moyo

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

19/08/2012 00:00:00
by Gilbert Nyambabvu

A SENIOR Zanu PF official has accused South Africa President, Jacob Zuma, of
abusing his role as SADC facilitator to interfere in Zimbabwean politics and
help boost the political fortunes of his relative Welshman Ncube.

Ncube – whose son is married to one of Zuma’s daughters – has been battling
to replace Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara as a GPA principal, having
deposed him as leader of the MDC.

And the Industry and Commerce Minister appeared to receive a boost last week
when Zuma refused to meet Mutambara during a visit to Harare ahead of the
SADC summit in Maputo, Mozambique.

But the snub drew fire from Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo who
accused Zuma of a nepotistic scheme to install Ncube as a GPA principal and
described the move as “illegal, unconstitutional, intrusive and impolitic”.

Writing in the Sunday Mail, Moyo charged: “In a dramatic public display of
intolerable inconsistency apparently driven by an equally intolerable big
brother ‘knows it and does it all’ mentality, upon arrival in Harare
President Zuma … decided to unilaterally recompose the forum of GPA
principals by removing Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara and replacing him
with Welshman Ncube, who is his relative through the marriage of their
children, thereby opening himself to growing allegations of nepotism that
are now beginning to stick given the unsatisfactory manner in which
President Zuma has used his dual role as facilitator and outgoing chairman
of the Organ Troika to mislead the Sadc summit into imposing Welshman Ncube
as a GPA principal.”

Mutambara, still smarting from the snub, also angrily rebuked the South
African leader in Maputo and acussed him of undermining Zimbabwe’s
constitution.

“He (Zuma) came to Harare and unilaterally decided that Ncube is the MDC
principal and that the MDC congress was valid and yet the matter is still
pending before the Supreme Court which is the final legal authority,”
Mutambara said.

“Anyone who undermines the Supreme Court by making a determination on a
pending issue is violating Zimbabwe’s laws and Constitution.”

Moyo added: “The whole effort is informed by a plot to influence the
conclusion of the draft constitution through Welshman Ncube being used as
a GPA principal when he has already played his part as a member of the Copac
management committee.

“It is now common cause that Ncube is one of the authors of Copac’s final
draft produced on July 18 2012 and he did that not as a GPA principal but as
a GPA negotiator because he clearly knew and understood that he is not a
principal otherwise he would not have stooped that low.

“Why then does Zuma’s facilitation team think it is right or legal under the
false cover of Sadc to enable Ncube to now double-dip by posing as a GPA
principal?

“Ncube has had his say on the Copac draft constitution as one of its
drafters. He must now let the GPA principals do their work unhindered and he
certainly must refrain from pushing his in-laws in South Africa to bid for
his politically hopeless and illegal cause.”

Still, the SADC meeting in Maputo appeared to back Zuma with part of the
resolutions relating to Zimbabwe stating: “The facilitator and the chair of
the Troika must engage on the Zimbabwe issues with the three political
parties to the GPA through their Presidents and Principals, namely President
Robert Mugabe (Zanu PF), Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and
Professor Welshman Ncube (MDC).”

Commenting on the resolution a triumphant Ncube said: “Talk of the laws of
unintended consequences! The Troika recommended to the full Summit that from
now on, the facilitator and the Troika should no longer have any dealings
with Mutambara and that consequently he should not be invited to any Troika
or Summit meetings since SADC should only deal with the three political
parties to the GPA.

“When President Robert Mugabe sought to draw a distinction between party
leaders and GPA Principals, the Summit firmly rejected that distinction
insisting that Mutambara did not sign the GPA in his personal capacity but
in his representative capacity as then leader of the MDC.”
Moyo however, said the SADC communiqué did not make any difference and
insisted that Mutambara would remain a GPA principal.

He said: “GPA creatures should put this reality in their thick and empty
heads and they must understand that nobody is going to become a GPA
principal or political leader in Zimbabwe on account of a Sadc communique
made and facilitated by an important in-law.
“That cannot be right no matter how many times it is written in as many
SADC communiqués.”

We recognise Ncube not Mutambara: SADC

http://www.zimdiaspora.com

Monday, 20 August 2012 12:25 Editor News

By Correspondent

THE Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has declared that they
recognise MDC leader Welshman Ncube as a principal in the Global Political
Agreement (GPA) contrasting ZANU-PF and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s
choice of Arthur Mutambara.

President Mugabe and Tsvangirai have maintained that Mutambara was more
legitimate despite lack of political base which many say the former student
leader was more of ZANU-PF poodle.

Zanu PF have since reacted angrily to the decision by Sadc to recognise
Ncube with a politburo member launching a tirade against South African
President Jacob Zuma for initiating the move.

Tsholotsho North MP Jonathan Moyo accused Zuma of helping Ncube to “now
double-dip by posing as a GPA principal”.

The just-ended Sadc summit in Mozambique refused to accept Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara as a principal.

Sources who attended the summit on Saturday said Mutambara left Maputo with
egg on his face after Zuma — the Sadc mediator in Zimbabwe’s political
impasse — refused to entertain him for the second time in as many days.

Zuma refused to meet Mutambara when he visited Harare on Wednesday for an
update on the implementation of the GPA with his facilitation team stating
that the Deputy Prime Minister did not represent any party in the inclusive
government.

President Robert Mugabe’s attempts to protect the robotics professor at the
summit also failed spectacularly after regional leaders spoke against the
stance.

The sources said Mugabe spoke for about two hours in Mutambara’s defence.

Ncube said the veteran ruler’s interpretation of the GPA was disputed by
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba
and Botswana President Ian Khama.

Kikwete is the new chairman of the Sadc Troika on Peace, Defence and
Security that is seized with the Zimbabwe political dispute.

“When President Mugabe sought to draw a distinction between party leaders
and GPA principals, the summit firmly rejected that distinction insisting
that Mutambara did not sign the GPA in his personal capacity, but in his
representative capacity as the leader of the MDC,” Ncube said.

“By the end of the day, even President Mugabe was forced to concede that on
political matters, such as that of the negotiations for a new constitution,
he was duty-bound to deal with the MDC leadership as elected at the party
congress.

“Only President Michael Sata of Zambia argued that the issue of Mutambara
was an internal issue which should not concern Sadc.”

Ncube said Mutambara invited the embarrassment on himself by taking the
issue of the leadership contest to the summit.

“This whole debate would not have taken place had Mutambara not arrogantly
raised the issue before the Troika and Sadc would not have de-recognised him
had he not put the matter up for discussion,” he said.

Moyo, a Zanu PF politburo member used his regular column in the State media
yesterday to launch an astonishing attack on Zuma accusing him of abusing
his role as mediator to help Ncube politically because they were related.

Ncube’s son is married to Zuma’s daughter.

“Zuma used his much-awaited night visit to Harare ostensibly to review GPA
progress ahead of Friday’s Sadc summit in Maputo to unilaterally install
Welshman Ncube, who is also an in-law of his, as a GPA principal in a manner
that shockingly violated Zimbabwe’s Constitution and sovereignty,” Moyo
wrote.

“Welshman Ncube has had his say on the Copac draft constitution as one of
its drafters.

“He must now let the GPA principals do their work unhindered and he
certainly must refrain from pushing his in-laws in South Africa to bid for
his politically hopeless and illegal cause.”

Mutambara made way for Ncube at the MDC congress as party leader, but
refused to be recalled from the DPM’s post.

A group linked to him challenged the outcome of the congress at the High
Court and lost the case.

The MDC successfully sought to bar him from masquerading as a principal in
the inclusive government in the High Court.

The group aligned to Mutambara has appealed against both rulings at the
Supreme Court.

Mugabe has refused to force the former University of Zimbabwe student leader
to step down and has received support from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday refused to comment on
the latest developments on Mutambara’s status.

“Our principal leads his own party and does not want to be seduced to
comment on problems bedevilling other political parties,” he said.

Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba was unavailable for comment as his
phone was not reachable.

Anger as Zim land invader seeks Canadian residency

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
20 August 2012

There has been an angry reaction to news that a Zimbabwean land invader who
has successfully led the prosecution of a white farmer in Chegutu is now
applying for permanent residency in Canada.

ZANU PF official Timothy Mudavanhu is believed to have already filed his
application. His daughter and her family are Canadian residents.

Since 2001 Mudavanhu has spearheaded an intensive campaign to evict the
South African born Dirk Visagie from his Wantage farm in Chegutu. This is
despite being given a different piece of land as part of the land grab
campaign. The Visagie’s meanwhile had bought the property from a government
parastatal and received a ‘Certificate of no interest’ from the Ministry of
Lands.

But Mudavanhu insisted the Visagie property was the one he wanted and he
soon initiated a campaign of harassment and intimidation that included
moving hired thugs onto the property, breaking into the Visagie family home
and lighting raging veld fires. The family has also faced off physical
violence, often with no assistance from the police, who repeatedly insisted
the matter was a ‘political’ one.

In January 2011 Visagie was criminally charged for a second time in four
years for illegally occupying State land “without authority”. This has now
resulted in a judgement by a Chegutu magistrate who passed a guilty sentence
against Visagie last week.

John Worsley-Worswick from Justice for Agriculture (JAG) told SW Radio
Africa on Monday that the case is “a further indication of the breakdown of
the rule of law in Zimbabwe.”

“This is again the total disregard of international protocols, of
international laws,” Worsley-Worswick said, referring to the fact that
Visagie is meant to be protected by a bilateral investment agreement (BIPPA)
between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Visagie meanwhile was also meant to be protected by a landmark ruling in the
regional human rights Tribunal in 2008. The SADC court ruled that the land
grab campaign was unlawful and ordered the then ZANU PF government to
protect the remaining farmers.

This never happened and instead the court was suspended by SADC leaders
almost two years ago, in what was widely regarded as a clear sign of loyalty
to Robert Mugabe. The court looks set to never again possess the same human
rights mandate, after a weekend Summit of SADC leaders made steps to hobble
to court’s work.

Worsley-Worswick meanwhile called on the Canadian authorities to issue a
strong statement against Mudavanhu’s attempts to get a permit to remain in
that country.

“We are absolutely shocked to hear he is trying to get into Canada and we
hope the authorities have a strong statement about this,” Worsley-Worswick
said.

EU mulls UNTWO boycott

http://www.theindependent.co.zw

August 20, 2012 in News, Politics

Herbert Moyo

ZIMBABWE’S troubled preparations for the co-hosting of the 2013 United
Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNTWO) conference with Zambia have been
thrown into fresh turmoil after revelations that the European Union (EU) is
considering a boycott of the Victoria Falls proceedings because of
government’s violation of bilateral investment protection agreements.
The threats pertain to the granting of hunting licences in the Save
Conservancy to Zanu PF cronies, with government claiming this was part of
wildlife-based “land reform”.
Government last week issued hunting permits to 25 “indigenous farmers” who
were given land in the wildlife-rich Save Valley Conservancy in the Lowveld.
National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director-general Vitalis
Chadenga said this was part of government’s “wildlife-based land reform”
exercise, in which beneficiaries had been allocated 25-year land leases in
conservancies throughout Masvingo province.
The list of beneficiaries reads like a who’s who of top Zanu PF officials in
the province such as Maluleke, former Gutu South legislator Shuvai Mahofa
and Higher Education minister Stanislus Mudenge. Mudenge holds the lease to
a 16 507 hectare property, Senuko 2 Ranch in Chiredzi district, while Mahofa
has the 5 526 hectare Savuli Ranch in the same district.
The Zimbabwe Independent saw a copy of an e-mail written by Wilfried Pabst,
the vice chairman of the Save Valley Conservancy and a German citizen,
alleging that EU countries, particularly France and Germany, would boycott
the Zimbabwean side of UNTWO proceedings due to the long-running conflict in
the Save Conservancy exacerbated by the granting of the hunting licences.
Pabst, who could not be drawn into discussing details of his email which
suggested EU countries could boycott the UNTWO Assembly meeting in Zimbabwe,
described the granting of the hunting permits as “highly illegal and
criminal”.
EU ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia stopped just short of confirming the boycott
when he told the Independent a firm decision would only be made after a
meeting with Environment minister Francis Nhema and his Lands and Land
Resettlement counterpart, Herbert Murerwa.
He however described the government’s actions as “totally unexpected from a
country preparing to host such an important function connected with tourism,
in addition to having bilateral agreements enjoining it to protect
investments of EU nationals”.
“While we respect Zimbabwe’s sovereignty, it is clear they have violated
their bilateral agreements with EU member states and next week I will be
engaging ministers Nhema and Mzembi because these actions are a danger to
property rights and tourism,” said Dell’Ariccia on Wednesday.

Police, army officers used as prosecutors

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

19/08/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

POLICE officers as well as army and prison service officials have been
ropped-in to prosecut cases around the country due to an acute shortage of
civilian public prosecutors, a deputy minister has said.

According to the Justice Ministry, out of the 200 public prosecutors
stationed around the country, 125 are from the Zimbabwe Republic Police, six
have been drawn from the Zimbabwe Prison Service and another five from the
Zimbabwe National Army.
Deputy Justice Minister Obert Gutu said the development risked militarising
the country’s public prosecution department.

“The task of prosecuting suspects should be solely left to civilian public
prosecutors to enable the efficient running of our justice delivery system.
We do not want a militarised public prosecution service,” he said.

“The ideal situation is to have civilian public prosecutors in all the
stations in the country. There is a general freeze in the public service and
this is the main reason why there is such a chronic shortage of civilian
public prosecutors.”
Gutu said the Justice Department was struggling to recruit more law officers
because of poor salaries.

“Students are getting enrolled at the country’s two law schools at the
University of Zimbabwe and the Midlands State University,” he said.

“The main problem is not lack of trained legal manpower. Rather, the main
challenge is failure by Government to recruit more law officers because
Treasury doesn’t have the money.”
Treasury had made available funds for the recruitment of some 33 law
officers but Gutu said this was not adequate.

“This will, in a small way, alleviate the shortage of civilian public
prosecutors because Treasury doesn’t have the money to pay salaries and
other related expenses for more civilian public prosecutors. The main and
foremost challenge is lack of budgetary support,” he said.

Chihuri ‘shreds’ Police Act to protect Mugabe

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 12, 2012 in News

By Caiphas Chimete
THE police force has been rocked by indiscipline in the past few years with
most of them violating the Police Act which is supposed to direct their
behaviour, in pursuit of personal or political gains, investigations by The
Standard have shown.
Some of them have for a long time actively participated in politics in
violation of the Act which forbids their involvement in such matters.

Chief among the culprits is Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri,
who has openly declared his political allegiance to Zanu PF against the
provisions of the law which forbids members of the force to dabble in
politics.

The Police Act says a member of the police force would be deemed to be
actively participating in politics if “he joins or associates himself with
an organisation or movement of a political character.”

That President Robert Mugabe has been re-appointing Chihuri as police boss
since 1994 gives credence to suggestions that he was doing so to protect his
political interests. His re-appointment early this year caused a stir with
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai dismissing it because he had not been
consulted, as stipulated by the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

Tsvangirai wants Chihuri and other security chiefs fired, accusing them of
authorising violence against his supporters and helping to keep Mugabe in
power by subverting the will of the people.

Chihuri’s open support for Mugabe could have encouraged his juniors to
follow suit. Police chief superintendent and national spokesperson Oliver
Mandipaka is said to be eyeing a seat in Buhera under a Zanu PF ticket. He
could not be reached for comment last week.

Chihuri and other security chiefs have declared their allegiance to Zanu PF,
vowing that they would not salute anyone without liberation credentials,
referring to Tsvangirai.

Abel Chikomo, executive director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum,
said it was regrettable that Chihuri had decided to dabble in politics.

“It’s not in line with the Constitution,” he said.

It is illegal for police officers to “unnecessarily detain any person” or
ill-treat any person in custody but human rights activists last week said
this had become the norm as the police tried to silence opposing voices.

He was however quick to point out that some officers were now being punished
for misconduct.

A group of police officers from Shamva are currently on trial for allegedly
fatally assaulting a man accused of robbing a senior officer’s wife of a
purse containing a few dollars.

The police are currently saddled with millions of dollars’ worth of lawsuits
by individuals, political and human rights activists who are claiming
compensation for torture, wrongful arrest or abduction. Some of the
claimants are demanding as much as US$1 million each from the Ministry of
Home Affairs, Chihuri and individual policemen.

Last year, the NGO Forum, handled over 250 cases of torture, wrongful arrest
or abduction by the police.

“In a number of cases the police have owned up to their misdeeds,” said
Chikomo. “In some cases of torture, they have shown commitment for an
out-of-court settlements with the aggrieved people.”

Apart from dabbling in politics and torturing suspects, the behaviour of the
current crop of officers leaves a lot to be desired. It has become normal to
see officers in bars drinking alcohol while in uniform and at times acting
in unbecoming manner.

The Standard news crew recently witnessed a visibly drunk police officer in
full uniform playing a game of snooker with other revellers in one of the
bars in Harare’s Kopje area, a thing that was never heard of in the past.
Some use their positions to solicit for free beer.

But the Police Act says it is an offence to enter any place licenced for the
sale of intoxicating liquor while on duty, except in the immediate exercise
of duty or when necessarily requiring a meal or accommodation. The Act also
forbids drunkness on or off duty rending oneself unfit for duty by indulging
in liquor or drugs.

The condition of some of their uniforms is so pathetic — dirty and
thread-bare — that the officers lose all the dignity and respect they are
supposed to command.

Reports of officers, who openly solicit for bribes especially at roadblocks,
have become an everyday occurrence.

Officers openly demand bribes from almost every public transport vehicle
that passes by and the operators comply to avoid being ticketed for the
whole day.
In public transport vehicles, police officers continue to get free rides not
because the owners like it, but they fear victimisation.

It is an offence under the Police Act for an officer to “improperly using
his position as a member for his private advantage.”

Efforts to get a comment from Police spokesperson Senior Assistant
Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena were fruitless last week.

But he is on record saying the police force disciplines all officers that
break the law.

Police intensify campaign against gay activists

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
20 August 2012

Police in Harare have intensified a campaign against members of the Gays and
Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), initiating a manhunt for the 44 members that
were detained last week and attempting to raid their offices again on
Monday.

According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the activists are
being visited at their homes and those that were not found have been ordered
to report to their local police stations.

Lawyer Kumbirai Mafunda said two truckloads with about 20 police officers
raided the GALZ offices Monday afternoon, claiming they were searching for
illegal data and offensive materials. No search warrant has been produced.

“We have not been advised of any charges being brought by the police. We
have deployed lawyers to monitor the situation and they have not been shown
any search warrant by the police,” Mafunda told SW Radio Africa.

Last week riot police, some of them “visibly drunk”, disrupted a party at
the GALZ offices that was held following a meeting to discuss the new draft
constitution. The group had also launched their Violations Report, detailing
abuses against the gay community in Zimbabwe. It is believed this may be the
reason for the raid.

A group of 31 male and 13 female members were arrested last Thursday and
taken to Harare Central, where they were ordered to give their names,
addresses and other personal details. Some members said they were assaulted
with baton sticks, open hands and clenched fists. No charges were specified
by the police.

Mafunda confirmed that police were searching for the same activists that
were detained last week and at least three members have been interrogated so
far. They say police asked them about materials at the GALZ offices that
“insult the authority of the President”.

The global rights group Amnesty International released a statement
condemning the police action. Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s
Africa director said: “The police action is a blatant violation of the basic
human rights of these individuals. They have not committed any crime under
Zimbabwean law.”

Amnesty said they fear “these acts of harassment and intimidation by police
contribute to a climate of discrimination, harassment and fear for
individuals who may be targeted for violence on the basis of their real or
perceived sexual orientation or gender identity”.

Zimbabwe moves towards e-passport

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 20, 2012 in Local, News

JENNIFER DUBE
ZIMBABWE may start using the electronic passport before the end of this
year, a Cabinet minister has said.
Home Affairs co-minister Theresa Makone told The Standard that progress had
been made towards digitalising the country’s travel document to match
international standards.
“We are moving to what we call the e-passport which is readable worldwide,”
Makone said.
“It follows international set standards and we should have the e-passport
available to our citizens very soon, I would say in the next three to six
months.
“He (Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede) has been working very diligently at
it, quietly but it has been happening.”
An e-passport is the same as a regular passport but in addition, it has a
small contactless integrated circuit (computer chip) embedded in the back
cover.
The chip securely stores the same data visually displayed on the photo page
of the passport and additionally includes a digital photograph.
Makone said the introduction of the e-passport would reduce the price of the
travelling document, which she said was very expensive.
“At the moment, I want to say that, at least the process of getting a
passport, although it is still very expensive in my opinion, at least now it
is systematic,” she said.
“You know on the day you hand in your form, what day you can come and
collect your passport but it is still very expensive compared to regional
prices.
“I would like to see it mass produced and once we start getting mass
production, then the cost will come down.”
An ordinary Zimbabwean passport costs US$50 while other regional countries
charge less than US$30 for the same document.
Makone said digitalising the document would also curb the practice of fake
documents as that would instantly be detected internationally.
She added that the movement of the Registrar General’s Office to a spacious
building, which has been pending for the past five years, was likely to
decongest the office that had become synonymous with long queues.
“Issues about minor things like lifts, lights and keys have been stopping
the movement from those small premises which give the department a feel of
overcrowding and inefficiency,” Makone said.
“I would like to see the Registrar’s offices commissioned as soon as
possible to allow the different departments to handle their own traffic in
different floors, unlike the current situation where everyone stands in the
same queue.”
Turning to immigration issues, Makone said her ministry was now receiving
fewer complaints regarding employment permits after government revoked some
of the powers that had been ceded to the principal immigration officer.
“We had given too much power to the principal immigration officer (but) we
have since reversed some of those powers so that the minister has a final
say and this has brought a little bit of sanity in the employment permit
application process,” she said.
“The decisions are based on merit, largely because we do not know the
applicant as we do not deal with them on a day-to-day basis.”
Makone said the Home Affairs ministry was working on a bill to domesticate
the Parlemo Protocol aimed at curbing trafficking of persons, especially
women and children.
The ministry recently successfully pushed for the protocol to be ratified in
both houses of parliament, eight years after the country acceded to it.
“When we have got situations where people are trafficked or suspect that
they are being trafficked, we will no longer prosecute offenders under a
whole array of laws, making it very difficult for us to allocate the correct
kind of sentence,” she said.
“Now that we will domesticate those laws after ratification by both the
lower house and upper house, we will now have uniform treatment for people
that do trafficking, but with special emphasis on the trafficking of women
and children.”
Most victims were being trafficked under the guise of employment, where they
ended up being ill-treated and in some cases forced into prostitution in
South Africa, Europe and Middle East.
She said internal trafficking was also rife, with urban dwellers fuelling
this through taking people from the rural areas so they work for them as
domestic workers but end up underpaying them.

‘Congestion at the registrar’s office will be a thing of the past’

Makone said congestion would be reduced if the draft constitution is adopted
as it proposed that voter registration be handled by the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission instead.
She said the department would then concentrate on registration of births,
deaths, marriages and other related things.
There has been complaints that the Registrar General’s Office was failing in
its mandate of registering voters, with allegations that the voters roll had
names of dead people.
Complains have also been raised that the department was centralised, thereby
inconveniencing those who live away from voter registration centres.
“He (Mudede) is trying by all means at the moment to have everyone
registered, get equipment into the country, get people trained and open
centres throughout the country,” she said. “But while we are doing it at the
moment, we are not the final authority in the near future.”

MDC-T to block draft amendment: Biti

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

19/08/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

MDC-T secretary general, Tendai Biti has insisted that his party will block
any amendments to the draft constitution and blamed the new impasse over
document on President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party.

Last week SADC Executive Secretary Tomas Salomao was optimistic that the new
constitution had been agreed to by all parties in Zimbabwe and could go to a
referendum in October, thus paving the way for general elections next year.
But that timetable has been thrown into uncertainty by Zanu PF’s demand for
further amendments.

Speaking after the weekend SADC summit in Mozambique Mugabe said the GPA
principals would consider changes to the draft proposed by Zanu PF.
"The principals have not yet met on the draft constitution," he said.

"As soon as we get home we will be working with the facilitator, and we do
hope we can improve that work on the new constitution soon and there will be
a referendum before we have fresh elections."

But Biti, who is Finance Minister in the coalition government, told
reporters that, as far as both MDC factions are concerned, the constitution
was a done deal.

“Three years were spent discussing the constitution,” he pointed out, and
the two MDCs did not accept Zanu-PF reopening those discussions. “When the
Zanu-PF team negotiated with the MDCs, we assumed they had the authority
from their party to do so”.

Biti insisted that the constitution could not be amended here and there,
because it all hung together as a coherent whole. He was unsure what the
SADC could do to unblock this latest impasse.
Both MDCs wanted the referendum on the constitution to take place in
October, Biti said.

He suggested that if there was no longer agreement with Zanu PF, perhaps the
simplest thing to do would be to put both texts before the Zimbabwean
electorate - the text agreed by negotiators of all three parties and the one
Zanu PF is now writing on its own.

Census exams: Zanu PF youths flop

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 20, 2012 in Local

NUNURAI JENA AND LESLEY WURAYAYI
OVER a hundred soldiers and Zanu PF youths who had been hired as census
enumerators at the expense of civil servants returned home empty-handed
after failing entry tests.
Sources revealed that in Chinhoyi, 120 Zanu PF youths, who were seconded by
the Ministry of Indigenisation and Empowerment, failed to score above 15
marks out of 25 in the entry tests set by the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency
(ZimStat).

Sources say one youth scored four out of 25, while the highest got eight,
way below the required 15.
Most teachers who wrote the same entry tests passed with marks above 18.

In response, the youths, together with soldiers, war veterans and members of
the Zimbabwe Prison Services, accused ZimStats officials of using the
entrance tests to bar them from conducting the count, which started on
Saturday.

After failing the tests, the youths and the soldiers were replaced by mostly
teachers, who had been unfairly dismissed after soldiers gate-crashed
training centres, demanding to be recruited as enumerators as well.

ZimStats conducted the entry tests to measure aptitude and accommodate those
who were not civil servants but had been seconded by government institutions
and political parties.
A war veteran based in Chinhoyi, who requested to be identified as Cde Rati,
claimed the tests were meant to embarrass the youths and war veterans by
portraying them as uneducated.
“When we went to war, there were no qualifications required, but now they
want qualifications because there is money involved. What’s so special about
the teachers, after all they rigged the last elections in favour of (Prime
Minister Morgan) Tsvangirai,” Rati charged.

The census process was also marred by allegations of favouritism, as some
teachers accused Provincial Administrator, Christopher Shumba, who is also a
Zanu PF provincial executive member, of recruiting political activists from
his party.

They cited the inclusion of a local MP’s private secretary in the programme,
yet he was not a civil servant.

But Shumba said the whole process of recruitment was done above board as
those who were not civil servants had to write an entry test for
transparency purposes.
In Bulawayo and Gweru there were reports that teachers were resisting
working with the soldiers and Zanu PF youths.

“There is a lot of resistance to working with soldiers, as supervisors do
not want incompetent people in their teams and the conflict is too much to
handle,” a source said. “It has been suggested that soldiers should
enumerate in barracks only.”

It has also been revealed that four journalists from ZBC have been included
as enumerators, further raising questions about the independence and quality
of the enumeration process.
Efforts to get a comment from Population Census director, Washington Mapeta
were fruitless as his phone went unanswered.

Finance minister, Tendai Biti, was unreachable as he was in Mozambique for
the Sadc Summit.

ZimStat has enlisted services of 30 100 enumerators, a majority of them
civil servants, and acquired 700 vehicles for the 2012 population census.
The last census of 2002 census put Zimbabwe’s population at 12 million.

Soldiers enumerating despite failing entry tests

However, in some areas, soldiers who failed the entrance tests were still
included in the count, as enumerators.

One enumerator at Kwekwe Primary School said a total of 16 soldiers and Zanu
PF youths dismally failed the entrance test but were not turned away, as
regulations required.
“We know soldiers failed the test because the highest had a score of eight
out of 30,” the source said, adding that the process was fraught with
irregularities.

Zimbabwe moves towards e-passport

Tension brewing over Chimanimani diamonds

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 19, 2012 in Business

BY KUDZAI CHIMHANGWA
THE discovery of diamonds in Chimanimani is set to become yet another source
of friction between partners to the Government of National Unity,
Standardbusiness can reveal.
Zanu PF has courted criticism from MDC formations over the way it is
monopolising the mining and marketing of diamonds from Chiadzwa.
Experts say the Chimanimani diamonds deposit occur in the same geological
structure as those of the Marange diamond fields and therefore, have the
potential to be as good in terms of grade or quality but the bone of
contention is centred on their ownership.
Between 2009 and 2010, Botswana Diamonds prospected the Chimanimani area
trading as African Diamonds, before entering into a joint venture with a
local company and beginning construction of a trial mine. Their licence was
however withdrawn last year under unclear circumstances.
A joint venture named DTZ-OZGEO (Pvt) Ltd, between a Russian company OZGEO
and a Zimbabwean company, Development Trust of Zimbabwe, is expected to go
into full diamond mining in the area by year end, as it has a special grant
to explore and mine diamonds.
The Russian government, which has already expressed interest in Zimbabwe’s
mining and energy sectors, is finalising a Bilateral Investment Promotion
and Protection Agreement with the Zimbabwean government.
Last month, a business delegation from Russia met with Vice-President Joice
Mujuru and expressed profound interest in investing in the country’s mining
and energy sectors while another delegation is expected next month.

Since the beginning of trial mining in 2010, the venture says it has mined
over 7 000 carats. Between 2007 and 2010, DTZ-OZGEO (Pvt) Ltd, carried out a
substantial amount of work in construction and technical fit-out of the
Chimanimani site in terms of preparation, prospecting and diamonds mining.
It could not be established how much of diamonds had been mined during that
period.

President Robert Mugabe last week said the new diamond claims discovered in
Chimanimani had to be reserved entirely for indigenous companies for
purposes of implementing the indigenisation programme.

However, MDC-T deputy secretary for mines who is an expert in the diamond
sorting industry, Pearson Mungofa, last week warned Zanu PF was about to
monopolise the diamond fields.

He said the lack of government representation at the mine was a cause for
concern, adding that the lack of transparency and political will by the
mines ministry to create employment opportunities would deprive the nation
of the much needed revenue.

“The problem with the Chimanimani (diamond) find is that government is not
taking the rightful position to safeguard the discoveries for the benefit of
the nation. In effect, they are not applying proper procedure to secure the
discoveries and fully account for them,” he said.

“There is need to change the mode of control if anything is to be realised
from these discoveries,” he said, adding that diamonds, being among the
most precious minerals on earth, have the ability to remit substantial
revenue to Treasury in a short period of time.

Mungofa pointed out that the new found diamond-rich tracts were most likely
going to be parcelled out to “favourites”, saying current operations at the
mine were not sustainable.

He noted that since the joint venture was operating independently of
government control, it was possible they could declare any diamond figures
which they deemed fit.

According to figures brought before the parliament recently by the Mines and
Mining Development ministry, the country sold three million carats of
diamonds in the first three months of 2012, with Treasury only receiving
US$30 million.

In his Mid-Term Fiscal policy presentation last month, Finance minister,
Tendai Biti said he was forced to cut the 2012 budget from US$4 billion to
US$3,4 billion owing to poor revenue inflows from diamonds from Marange.

Biti said of the US$600 million which was expected from diamond sales this
year, only US$41,6 million had been received during the first half of the
year.

Mungofa seeking relevance: Mpofu

Mines and Mining Development minister, Obert Mpofu, however dismissed
Mungofa’s concerns, saying they were “usual excuses being used by people
seeking relevance”.

“Presently, there is an on-going initiative by government to establish the
extent of deposits in the area. When this is established, the focus will
then be on encouraging indigenous players to enter for purposes of
exploration and investment,” said Mpofu.

He said the DTZ-OZGEO (Pvt) Ltd joint venture had been present in the fields
for a long time, with government’s knowledge and the company was also
involved in gold exploration activities.

EU scales down humanitarian aid to Zim

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 19, 2012 in News

BY OUR STAFF
THE European Union (EU) head of delegation, Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia has
said the bloc was scaling down on its humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe
because of the reduced disaster situation in the country.
He however said the bloc would remain committed to providing emergency
relief whenever the need arises.
Dell’Ariccia told The Standard that the EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil
Protection department (Echo) had for the past 10 years channelled over 180
million euros in response to Zimbabwe’s emergency relief needs such as the
recent typhoid outbreak.
However, he said, the bloc was now of the view that the country was no
longer in a situation of humanitarian emergency.
“Our focus is now on a long-term approach which is aimed at fighting the
causes that provoke possibilities of emergencies,” he said.
Dell’Ariccia said the EU was channelling its aid through United Nations
agencies and NGOs and recently provided US$6 million to the Food and
Agriculture Organisation to implement a programme meant to improve the food
security situation in the country.
He said since the formation of the coalition government in 2009, the EU and
member states have provided over US$1 billion in development assistance to
Zimbabwe.
Dell’Ariccia said with effect from the 23rd of last month, the Zimbabwe
government now qualified to get direct funding from the EU.
He said this followed the European Council’s decision to suspend measures in
Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement between the EU and countries of the
African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group which prohibited the bloc from
channelling aid through the government of Zimbabwe.
But the EU head of delegation said funding for next year and 2013 was
already committed, meaning that the Zimbabwe government would only benefit
from a new cycle of cooperation which starts in 2014.
Since 2009, the EU development assistance has been channelled to projects
such as those meant to improve access to water and sanitation for more than
six million people.
It has also assisted in the provision of medicines, health personnel and
printing and distribution of 22 million textbooks to both primary and
secondary schools.
The bloc has also supported 700 000 small-scale farmers to improve
productivity and sustainability in agriculture.
Meanwhile, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian
Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva has expressed concern at the
increased attacks on humanitarian workers across the globe.
In a statement marking today’s World Humanitarian Day, Georgieva said
attacks on humanitarian posts have tripled in the last decade, with 109
humanitarian workers having been killed, while 143 others were wounded and
132 have been kidnapped since last year.
She said the overwhelming majority of the victims were not international aid
workers from Western countries but those serving in their own country,
working closest to the local population.
“Humanitarian aid is not the preserve of the West but a global imperative.
The many national aid workers who have made the ultimate sacrifice bear
witness to this,” said Georgieva.

Cattle dying in numbers in Matabeleland

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/

August 20, 2012 in Local

NQOBANI NDLOVU

BULAWAYO — Scores of cattle are dying every week in Matabeleland, a region
dependent on livestock farming, owing to lack of pasture and water caused by
the poor rains last season.
Matabeleland South is the hardest hit with worst affected districts being
Gwanda, Kezi, Mangwe and Bulilima where over 20 cattle are dying on a weekly
basis.
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union (ZCFU) president, Donald Khumalo said he
was shocked that the government was not taking any urgent measures to save
livestock.
He warned that Zimbabwe could face a repeat of the 1992 situation, when over
half of the national herd succumbed to drought with Matabeleland regions
being the most affected.
“We are staring in our faces a repeat of the 1992 situation when livestock
was lost due to drought. The situation is extremely bad,” said Khumalo.

“It’s a sorry sight which is degenerating at an alarming rate. There are no
pastures anymore in Matabeleland South provinces and cattle are dying in
numbers.”
Khumalo said the people of Matabeleland, who are mostly dependent on cattle,
faced grinding poverty, making it practically impossible for the country to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which call for poverty
eradication.

When The Standard visited the province recently, some villagers were selling
their cattle for as little as below US$200 while others exchanged their
beasts for solar panels and motor cycles for fear of losing out.

“Government should come up with a stockfeed loan scheme programme to save
livestock. If that cannot be done, government should ask donors or others
with resources to assist and save livestock,” said Khumalo.

“Buyers are no longer interested in the cattle because they are below the
grade which is a big loss to farmers as they are now exposed to ‘vultures’
who are buying the cattle for a song.”
The villagers get their drinking water from the same sources as cattle,
donkeys and wild animals.

Presenting the mid-term budget review statement recently, Finance minister
Tendai Biti said there was need for mitigatory strategies in the form of
supplementary feeding and relocation of cattle from drought-stricken areas
to places with enough pasture to save livestock.

Deputy Agriculture minister, Seiso Moyo on Thursday said there was no plan
to save livestock, adding that government was still carrying out some
research.

“It is not that government does not know that there is drought and cattle
are dying . . . agricultural extension officers are on the ground planning
to see what can be done to save livestock,” said Moyo. “As soon as they have
finished with their research, the action plan will be unveiled.”

Harare Agric Show kicks-off

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw

Monday, 20 August 2012 13:49

Farming Reporter
THE biggest show on the country's calendar opens its gates today for the
102nd edition of the Harare Agricultural Show, with an improved security
system to monitor all criminal activities within the show grounds.

The Closed-Circuit Tel-evision (CCTV), which will be operating during this
year's Harare Agricul-tural Show, is expected to assist security officers,
including the police, in monitoring all activities at the park, after a
child, Given Matapure disappeared from the exhibition grounds last year.
Given went missing during last year's show and his remains were discovered
on the show grounds a few months after his disappearance.
This year's Harare Agr-icultural Show runs from August 17 to 25.
Although parents have been apprehensive of taking their children to the
yearly event, Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) public relations manager,
Heather Madombwe, assu-red parents that this year's event will be even
bigger and better considering they have more security officers monitoring
the grounds.
"We have increased our plain clothed security and we are working with the
Zimbabwe Republic Police to monitor the grounds. We have also installed CCTV
in and around the exhibition and especially on gates," Madombwe said.
The Exhibition Park, the venue for the showcase, has 780 stands that include
commercial, industrial and agricultural exhibitions.
Among the exhibitors this year, countries such Malawi, Kenya Tanzania and
Italy making their maiden appearance to the exhibition, while farmers will
this year have the opportunity to buy breeding cattle at relatively low
prices.
A total of 1 000 exh-ibitors showcased their wares last year with 12 foreign
exhibitors from South Africa, Zambia, Demo-cratic Republic of Congo,
Nigeria, Ghana and Iran while China and the Netherlands participated for the
first time.
"The theme for the 2012 event which is ‘Innovative; inspirational,
informative' allows exhibitors to incorporate technology on their stands to
inspire the next person.
"It will be a platform for sharing of ideas especially for farmers who needs
inspiration from others to boost their production hence the introduction of
cattle sale by negotiation," Madombwe said.
Previously, ZAS has been auctioning the cattle but this year it will be a
platform for sellers and buyers to negotiate a favourable price.
The Show Society also re-introduced the amusement park for children's
entertainment.
"The Show is running for nine days. We set aside two weekends to allow
parents to come with their children also giving a day out for the whole
family," she added.
Last year there were 350 farmers exhibiting cattle, small livestock units
such as goats, sheep and chicken including livestock producers. - Farming
Reporter.

‘Illegal logging costs Zim millions of dollars’

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 20, 2012 in Environment

By Tonderayi Matonho
ZIMBABWE is losing several millions of dollars annually through illegal
logging, a senior official with the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe (FCZ)
has said.
Bernard Chiparange, a senior manager with FCZ, said some of the plundered
timber — mostly hardwood, was being sold in neighbouring countries.
Illegal logging, he said, was being fuelled by corrupt officials as well as
weak legislation governing the timber industry.

“Illegal logging is rampant throughout the country and we are going to
reinforce our laws to bring some semblance of sanity in the timber industry
that is losing millions of dollars annually,” said Chiparange, who however
could not give an exact figure of the amount of money being lost.

“We need to promote greater transparency, accountability and improve public
confidence in how decisions on forests are made and implemented.”

He said the commission issues out at least 200 permits to timber players
every year, but admitted there were loopholes that were being capitalised on
by unscrupulous dealers in the industry.

During a recent visit to Nyanga, this writer witnessed numerous groups of
people, who operate as syndicates, armed with chain saws, felling down
exotic trees such as the wattle, cypress and indigenous acacia. “There are
several groups here in this business and it is very lucrative,” said Pfungwa
Sedze, a young man involved in the illegal logging.

He said he cuts down about 10 trees a week and pockets about US$150 a month,
which he said was enough to sustain his family’s needs.

Safari operators in Nyanga said some of the timber was being used to cure
tobacco or as firewood.

Illegal logging was also rampant in Matabelelend region, Gokwe’s
Mapfungautsi Plateau and Chimanimani district.

Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe (WEZ) director, Dr Willie Nduku, said
unauthorised movement of forest resources had a dramatic and far-reaching
impact at both the local and national level.

“Illegal logging destroys forests and damages the environment, disrupts
communities, wildlife habitats and costs the government millions of dollars
in lost revenue annually,” said Nduku.

He noted that the country had weak legislation to curb illegal logging.

Rautenbach’s controversial mining deals

http://www.theindependent.co.zw

August 20, 2012 in Business, News

Tendai Marima

GAMBLING investments king and long-time Zanu PF ally, Billy Rautenbach is at
the centre of a complex global web of quick buying and selling of shares in
mining corporations. Rautenbach invests and short-sells shares, which has
afforded him political protection from top-ranking Mugabe allies.
Last week the Zimbabwe Independent and its sister paper, the Mail and
Guardian revealed that during March 2008 elections, Lefever Finance, a
Rautenbach-linked enterprise advanced Zanu PF a US$100 million loan for its
campaign. This week, further searches show how Rautenbach gained platinum
mining rights after Zanu PF parcelled out Anglo American’s surrendered
claims to the government. Under pressure to comply with the government’s
empowerment plan, in 2006 Anglo American, operating as Implats, gave up an
estimated 30% of its claims to the government. Bankrupt Zanu PF then sold
these for a song to its political allies and business associates.
Implats was forced in 2006 to cede sections of its Hartley and Selukwe
Complexes to government as part of its empowerment drive. Government
apportioned the surrendered claims into four sections with one claim in
Darwendale given to British, Chinese and Russian investors including
army-linked Russchrome.
Parts of the Hartley Complex that Zimplats had surrendered to government in
2006 were split into four sections. RussChrome took over the Darwendale
section at the northern tip of Hartley Complex and has sought unsuccessfully
to sell it.
Of the other three parts, a Chinese company called Global Platinum Group was
trying to sell the claim it had acquired; a Russian company had sold part of
its claim to a UK company called Amari; a Hong Kong company Cross Global had
acquired some ground, while a South African company wanted to purchase part
of ground.
As the Zimbabwe Independent previously reported, Russchrome is in a
potential billion-dollar partnership between Russians and Zimbabwe whose
interests are represented by Zimbabwe Defence Industries board member and
Marange Resources Chair, Rtd Colonel Tshinga Dube and Judge Dube.
In 2007, a little-known company, Lefever Finance, registered in the British
Virgin Islands, expressed interest in acquiring the then Implats’ Selukwe
Complex claims. During 2008 American investors Lehman Brothers held a 14,07%
share and later disposed of it while international Swiss bank, Credit Suisse
bought 6% of Camec in May 2008.
As the Independent reported last week, Lefever was owned by Central African
Mining and Development Company (Camec), listed on the London-Stock Exchange’s
subsidiary market, Alternative Investment Market (Aim) from 2002-2009. Camec
has vast mining interests in DRC, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Through money from an American hedge-fund, Camec then advanced Lefever a
US$100 million in March, “to comply with its contractual obligations to the
Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe.”
After the loan Camec, now representing Lefever together with Zimbabwe Mining
Development Company (ZMDC) recieved joint platinum mining rights to the
Bokai Platinum Project south west of Gweru in which the British Virgin
Islands-registered company held 60% equity in Todal Mining (Pvt) Ltd with
ZMDC representing the Government of Zimbabwe holding 40%.
In exchange for investing in Camec, Rautenbach would receive a 13% share in
Camec. A company press release quoted by Private Eye Magazine states, “Upon
acquiring a stake in the Zimbabwean platinum assets, Camec confirmed that
‘Meryweather Investments Ltd, the seller of the shares in Lefever, will on
completion of the transaction hold a 13,07% interest in the enlarged share
capital of Camec.’ ”
Prior to the Todal/Lefever deal, Rautenbach in 2007 had sold two of his DRC
companies to Camec via his family company which enabled him to gain 7,4%
equity.
“Camec has been notified that Harvest View Ltd, a company controlled by
Rautenbach and his family, holds an interest in 90 926 134 Camec Shares.
This currently represents 7,40% of the outstanding Camec Shares,” Camec’s
statement disclosed.
With a 20-year mine life, Todal was expected produce an average of 140 000
tonnes of platinum ore per month, but it first required a $250 million
investment to revive the plant. Despite Rautenbach’s enlarged ownership and
a subsequent change in Camec’s ownership, little has been done by its new
owners of Kazakhstan origin.
In order to raise capital, England cricketer and then chair of Camec, Phil
Edmonds, sold the company to a Kazakhstan FTSE-listed mining consortium,
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) in November 2009. ENRC paid
US$945million for Camec shares.
International rights groups have questioneed how, despite EU and US
sanctions, UK Treasury permitted Camec to trade with Rautenbach. An
extensive report submitted to the AIM by UK-based Rights and Accountability
in Development (Raid), a human rights and responsible corporate conduct
advocacy group questions how Camec’s purchase of Todal, via Lefever, could
have been approved by the UK Treasury when the Mugabe government was under
EU and US sanctions.
Raid asks: “Did Camec at the time of Lefever/Todal transaction notify or
otherwise seek the advice of Treasury as to whether its proposed acquisition
complied with the sanctions then in force, require a licence or other
permission from Treasury in order to make loan finance via Lefever available
to the Zimbabwean government, given that President Robert Mugabe and other
senior Zimbabwean government and Zanu-PF officials were all designated under
EU sanctions?
“In respect of Aim regulations, why did Camec not disclose ZMDC’s SDN status
given the reputational risk presented for Camec’s share price of being in
partnership with an SDN (Special Designated National)?”
The rights groups also question why ENRC did not take steps against
Rautenbach as a significant shareholder under an asset freeze. Camec
defended itself saying it had taken the necessary steps to notify Treasury
of its intent. “As soon as the sanctions were announced Camec took
appropriate legal advice and subsequently, in early February (2009), made a
notification to Treasury. Camec is in full compliance with its requirements
under the sanctions,” Camec spokesperson said. ZMDC was added to the US
Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list on July 25 2008, and was
designated under EU sanctions on January 27 2009. Rautenbach and
Merryweather were also added to the list although Rautenbach is contesting
this in court.
Raid notes that ENRC will not disclose whether Rautenbach via Harvest View
still hold any shares in Camec under ENRC’s 95% majority-share ownership.
While much remains to be answered as about Rautenbach’s complex mining
deals, what is clear is that Zanu PF received a $100 million loan to fund a
brutal political campaign run by army generals in the run to the
blood-soaked June 2008 presidential election run-off which saved Mugabe from
the jaws of defeat.

Stray lions feast on villagers’ beasts

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 19, 2012 in Community News

BY TATENDA CHITAGU
CHIVI — Several villagers in Chivi have lost their livestock to a pride of
lions believed to have escaped from a nearby conservancy over three weeks
ago.
The villagers said they had since limited their movements especially at
night, for fear for their lives.
One of the villagers, Tapiwa Mukusha of ward 16 in Phwanyayi area under
Chief Masunda, said a lion was recently shot by officials from the Parks and
Wildlife Management Authority.

This leaves four others roaming in the area, he said.

“While the lions have not yet reached our village, people in neighbouring
villages like Chakawa, Makani and Gwitima villages under Chief Chipindu have
lost their cattle and other livestock to the lions,” said Mukusha. “We hear
the lions roaring even though we have not yet seen them. But our neighbours
say they often see their paws when a beast has been attacked.”

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director-general Vitalis Chadenga
last week said they had sent a team of officials to investigate the matter.
“If this is confirmed, it will not be the first time that lions escaped from
Simply Wild Conservancy,” said Chadenga. “We are engaging the new owners so
that they can manage that conservancy well and secure the animals. But we
have sent a team on the ground to investigate.” The owners of the
conservancy could not be reached for comment.

This is the second time that stray lions have caused havoc in Masvingo.

In February this year, a pride of about four lions that strayed from Devuli
Ranch Conservancy in Bikita district reportedly killed about 20 beasts in a
month.

China tightens lending rules

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

August 19, 2012 in Business

Reuters

CHINA is readying twin initiatives to curb opaque financing practices that
threaten the stability of the country’s US$864 billion investment trust
industry and booming corporate paper market, sources with direct knowledge
of the plans said.
The moves, coming separately from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the
China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), form part of a campaign to clean
up China’s financial system as it opens up domestic capital markets to
diversify funding options for cash-strapped firms in the world’s second
largest economy.

Two sources close to the CBRC said China’s big four managers of bad loans —
so-called asset management companies (AMCs) — would be banned from lending
directly to investment trust companies under the pretext of acquiring bad
debt.

Meanwhile, continuing a clampdown on the corporate bill that began in 2011,
the PBOC will, from next year, stop bankers’ acceptances and similar
products from being used to camouflage off-balance-sheet lending to firms,
sources with direct knowledge of the situation said.

Trade in commercial bills began to cause concerns in Beijing when the
economy showed signs of overheating on a flood of cheap credit in 2010 and
an issuance of such notes exploded.

Pay lobola first, Kirsty’s fiancé told

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

19/08/2012 00:00:00
by The Standard

SWIMMING sensation, Kirsty Coventry has hinted that she is not ready to
start a family despite getting engaged to her long-time boyfriend last week.

The queen of the pool said she was waiting for her boyfriend Tyrone Seward
to pay lobola before they can wed.
Coventry, who turns 29 next month, recently announced her engagement to
Seward, her boyfriend of three years.

The couple, who met in Johannesburg through mutual friends, have been
travelling together around the world for the past two years with Seward
acting as Coventry’s manager.

“Right now we are celebrating our engagement but we have not yet decided
about the wedding. Tyrone is currently working on his lobola for my father.
He knows that there would be no wedding before paying lobola,” Coventry said
with a chuckle.
Seward said he was looking into that.

“Her dad is asking me when I will pay lobola but I am working on that. We
will see,” said Seward, who was born and bred in Chinhoyi.

They will have to wait a little longer before they start their own family
because Coventry is still committed to the pool despite rumours that she was
to retire soon after the just-ended London Olympics.

“I am sure we will have kids but not anytime soon. I am still swimming so
there is no way I can have kids now. Besides, I am too young for children,”
said Coventry.

With a lot of expectations from a success-starved nation on her shoulders,
Coventry came back home without a medal from the London Olympics.
But she feels she could have bagged a medal had it not been for a nagging
knee injury and a bout of pneumonia.

“I injured my knee in March this year and had pneumonia in May but still
went on to compete. I even went for my Olympics trials carrying that knee
injury,” she said.

“As an athlete, you always want to be on the podium but that did not happen
this time around. I was happy with my performance in London though.”

While many people attributed her medal failure to her age, the seven-time
Olympic gold medalist feels it was the injury that was her major drawback.

“Yes I raced against swimmers who had an average age of 18 or 19 but my knee
was my major problem and not my age. I was not able to kick in the water
when I was injured for six weeks, which is a very long time on the sidelines
for an athlete preparing for the Olympics.”

Coventry, who was recently elected to the International Olympic Committee
Athletes’ Commission, said she still had a role to play in Zimbabwean sport
and is contemplating relocating back home for good after spending more than
a decade abroad.

“I still have a very big role to play in Zimbabwean sport, especially in
swimming. I want to be heavily involved but I am not yet too sure about the
exact role I will be playing,” she said.

“We have some extremely talented athletes here in Zimbabwe but we cannot
just expect them to go and win medals in major competitions. That is why I
want to be involved in supporting athletes.

“I did not make a lot of money with swimming so relocating to Zimbabwe
depends on me getting a job first. I will have to make a decision in the
next two months while I am still here at home.

Transcript: Wilfred Mhanda and Pedzisai Ruhanya Behind the Headlines

http://www.swradioafrica.com

Join SW Radio Africa journalist Lance Guma for a Heroes Day special where he speaks to former guerrilla commander Wilfred Mhanda (whose liberation war name is Dzinashe Machingura) and political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya. The two share their views on national hero status and why many prominent Zimbabweans have been denied that honour, despite their outstanding contributions.

Wilfred Mhanda and Pedzisai Ruhanya Behind the Headlines

Interview broadcast 13 August 2012

Lance Guma: Good evening Zimbabwe and thank you for joining me Behind the Headlines. Tonight we have a Heroes Day special programme looking at the contributions of various individuals in the struggle for an independent Zimbabwe.

Some have been honoured as national heroes, while others have been ignored for various reasons. Joining me is former guerrilla commander Wilfred Mhanda, known by his liberation war name Dzinashe Machingura and political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya. Thank you both for joining me on the programme.

Wilfred Mhanda & Pedzisai Ruhanya: Thank you, you are welcome.

Guma: Okay let’s start off with Mr Mhanda; the Zanu PF controlled Sunday Mail newspaper is having a go at you and the late Ndabaningi Sithole, describing you as ‘sell-outs’ in the struggle. Let’s start the programme off by getting your reaction to that article.

Mhanda: Yah I would understand it in the sense that maybe with regard to the late Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, Morgan Tsvangirai had actually attended a memorial event at his farm and probably Zanu PF would think maybe Morgan is trying to make political capital out of it.

But for me actually to link the two, I’m at a loss as to why they would just come out and say such a thing without any corroboration at all. And actually I would say it’s the very first time maybe in the local press it has come out so strongly to say a ‘sell-out’ which is different from the Shona parlance of maybe say kupanduka, kupanduka means vanhu vasiyana pfungwa, we know it has happened kunana Tsholotsho. But when you go to the extent of saying ‘sell-out’ without providing any evidence I think it has gone beyond what is reasonable.

Guma: Was any attempt made to maybe get your reaction to those allegations?

Mhanda: From whom?

Guma: The Sunday Mail. Did they make any attempt to get you to react to the article?

Mhanda: No, no, no, no not at all. Actually, the problem is, I would say it’s like even when I published my book, “Memories of a freedom fighter” the only person from the Zanu PF aligned press and hierarchy who responded was Lovemore Mataire who was not even born for the period that I was writing about.

That is what is fascinating me, you get Munyaradzi Huni – I don’t believe that he was even born during that period. How then does he have the audacity to use such a strong term as to say ‘sell-out’ without any shred of evidence. At what point did I ever betray the struggle? Having a difference of view and a difference of opinion with Mugabe is not tantamount to selling anybody out.

From what I understand, I think I made the whole saga clear in my book and no-one has come out from Zanu PF to challenge my account of what actually transpired and happened. For then someone to come out the blue and say ‘you are a sell-out’, I’m taken aback, I don’t know it’s like they are clutching at straws, they are failing to find a way to get at me.

Guma: Let’s get Mr Ruhanya to contribute on this – Pedzi – your reaction to the Sunday Mail having a go at Mr Mhanda?

Ruhanya: I’d have been surprised if they’d not done that. They sought to malign those who differed with the leader of Zanu, Mugabe, and said they are sell-outs but I’ve not heard them saying that Chihuri is a sell-out, Rugare Gumbo is a sell-out.

You know all those guys who were once incarcerated by Mugabe during the said period but they are now, one is a spokesperson, the other is chief of police and so many other things but, the other thing is that if you look at the history of Mugabe since he went to the helm of Zanu, I don’t know any person who has critically differed with Mugabe who has not been called a sell-out.

So in fact those who have not been called a sell-out by Mugabe are the real sell-outs. You read “The story of my life” by the late Joshua Nkomo how Mugabe treated him, how he was called a sell-out and when we were in primary school in the 1980s we used to compose songs, sing songs denouncing Nkomo.

When I was at primary school I remember having a choir that was being led by Zanu PF zealots, masquerading some of them as war veterans, and were singing songs denigrating all these people for the sole reason that they differed from Mugabe. And to differ with Mugabe does not mean that someone is a sell-out.

And we know, as far as we are aware, there’s no evidence, there’s no any history that tells us that the likes of Mhanda were sell-outs, we don’t have that kind of history. That history is only found at the Sunday Lies and the Herald; that is the place where we kind of find that concocted, distorted, malicious history that seeks to denigrate the living heroes like Mr Mhanda.

It is undisputed that he played a critical role in the liberation of this country and for people to move around, writing to say Mr Mhanda is a sell-out – we don’t know where they get that and what is most tragic about it is that the man is there, he wrote a book, no-one could gave us have another view, no-one went out to say they challenge that book but they simply write malicious stories and anyone who listens to that kind of malice is not interested in the history of this country.

Guma: The issue of national hero status has been contentious since independence; let me get your thoughts on this Mr Mhanda – this issue about deciding who is a hero and who is not – what are your thoughts on it?

Mhanda: It is indeed a contentious issue, this conferment of hero status. As far as I’m concerned, what has happened since independence that this has been based on dispensing patronage. I do not doubt that there are people who played truly heroic roles like Herbert Chitepo, Tongogara, Mangena and others.

But I don’t believe in the concept of national hero status because the problem is I know of the sacrifices made by rural folk, peasants in the countryside, the mujibas and chimbwidos and ordinary fighters, whose memories of their sacrifices are not harboured anywhere and when you look at Harare and Bulawayo, you find street names named after the nationalists, not even ordinary fighters, not even leading commanders like Josiah Tungamirai or Mayor Urimbo or Lookout Masuku.

Why? Why this discrimination as if the heroes were only the nationalists? So I really take exception to the concept of national heroes. I believe there should be no discrimination after death. All people contributed equally and we should not claim a bigger share.

Actually most of those people who are now claiming, or arrogating themselves the privilege of appointing hero status, probably were more of a liability than an asset in the struggle but now they arrogate themselves the responsibility of deciding who is a hero and who is not when probably if a fair account is given, they were more liability to the struggle than an asset.

Guma: Mr Ruhanya – your views on the national hero status?

Ruhanya: I think Mr Mhanda came up with a broader perspective, a more inclusive perspective of having, recognizing those who fought for this country. To say that were it not for those on the forefront, those who were holding guns but there were different people in different sections in society who contributed to the liberation struggle.

But my contention is that even using the Zanu PF standard, I think what Zanu PF has done is flawed, it’s discriminatory and is also a way of victimizing those who particularly did not like or differed with Mugabe. I think this is the most sad and tragic aspect of the whole heroes thing, I would give as an example, in my home area, I come from Zaka and people usually talk about a war veteran, an ordinary war veteran whose name was, chimurenga name was comrade Musa.

Even now when you go home, people talk about him. But when I hear that there are people who have been put on the heroes acre, then I look, I listen to these stories about rural folk who talk about this generous, critical and inspiring liberation war hero who was not even declared a village hero.

So I would concur with Mr Mhanda but also to say that the way Zanu PF that has done it is illogical, it’s criminal and is a sham, because particularly and most importantly, you have to have to be in good books with Mugabe but Mugabe is not Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is not Mugabe.

Guma: Someone like Ndabaningi Sithole, a founding Zanu member, not even getting at the national heroes acre, Mr Mhanda, I’ll throw this question to you – for our listeners listening in – why on earth would somebody like Sithole not make it to be a national hero? Setting aside your views on the whole concept, why would someone like Sithole not make it to the national shrine?

Mhanda: Yah obviously I think what Mr Ruhanya has been saying is as long as you’ve got past with Mugabe, you are condemned, you then become an untouchable, nothing can come your way that is favourable. It is all negative simply because Mugabe had dethroned Sithole in Rhodesia unconstitutionally and this was challenged and rejected by all the leaders of the frontline states and that then sets Mugabe against Sithole.

And for that reason he will never forgive. Mugabe is not known for forgiving anybody. But when you look at it, articulating the objectives of the liberation struggle, the concept which became the rallying cry for the liberation struggle like we are our own liberators’, no other person in Zimbabwe ever articulated it in such a way.

It was such a motivating factor to the fact, to the extent that we really believed in our own capabilities in terms of liberation also but this is an inspiration that came from Ndabaningi Sithole. He was a decisive and able leader, irrespective of what might have happened along the way.

There are so many things, when other people, generations later, come to look at and view what has happened in Gukuruhundi in the early 80s, I’m sure they’ll all come to their own judgment about Mugabe’s character and whether he was actually qualified to be a national hero given the divisive approach that he adopted at independence by refusing to cooperate with, only when he thought Zapu was weakened he was ready for unity in 1987.

But in 1980 he was not prepared to share a platform to contest as Patriotic Front simply because he does not want anything who is a potential challenge. He said even during the period of Gukuruhundi – if there is a snake in the midst, strike it out, meaning Joshua Nkomo. It’s only now that Nkomo is dead that he is heaping praise on him for the sake of maybe reaping electoral benefits from Matabeleland.

Guma: Mr Ruhanya, are there people…

Ruhanya: …I just wanted to add to what Mr Mhanda said – in fact “The story of my life”, Mugabe called Nkomo the son of dissidents; he also called Nkomo a cobra. And you know what a cobra is – it’s a snake, a poisonous snake and when you meet a snake, poisonous as it is, if it gets into your house or near it you have to kill it so he incited violence against the founding father of this republic.

When we come to independence in 1980, the most senior nationalist pulled them altogether was none other than Joshua Nkomo and Mugabe rewrote his own history but unfortunately that won’t stand the test of time.

Guma: Are there people Mr Ruhanya who are currently buried at the national shrine that you think should not be there.

Ruhanya: Yes of course there are national thugs like Chenjerai Hunzvi, Border Gezi, Elliot Manyika and even the likes of Solo Maimbodei, you can’t compare Solo Maimbodei and that woman, I think if my history’s proper I think comrade Mhanda could assist me on that, that Sheba Tavarwisa was one of the few women in the liberation struggle who was up there.

I think when she died she was a senior army officer in the Zimbabwe airforce, air commodore or something like that but you have national thugs like Hunzvi, how many people did Hunzvi kill in the 2000 parliamentary election? How many people during the campaigns, Zimbabweans who only differed with Zanu’s ideology who died at the hands of Manyika, at the hands of Border Gezi.

And what does Mugabe do because these were his puppets, these were his surrogates, he gave them the national heroes acre to enjoy the tax dollar to enjoy our money after having killed, in fact they are enjoying the money of the people they killed.

Guma: This concept of who is a war veteran, who is a national hero is kind of hard to define Mr Mhanda and we’ve all these competing war veterans associations. Could you make sense of it for us – we’ve got all these associations claiming to represent war veterans – how do you determine who is a genuine one and who is not?

Mhanda: I think the War Veterans Act itself clearly defines who a war veteran is. He must have actually left this country with the intention of undergoing military training and actually did undergo military training and was then deployed either to the front or any other task but after training – that is the definition within the War Veterans Act.

But then what happens is because you had people who had not participated in the war and who felt, who Mugabe felt had to be war veterans, he then came up with the concept of third chimurenga and to say now they are veterans of third chimurenga. That’s why people like Chenjerai Hunzvi and others who would then qualify, and the Border Gezi’s and that.

Coming up with the concept of third chimurenga for convenience of conferring hero status on people. Normally I’m not keen to say ill of the dead in terms of our culture but when you look at what Chenjerai Hunzvi was doing and what Elliot Manyika and Border Gezi were doing, that cannot be condoned at all.

We have people like Jabulani Sibanda it might be debatable whether he underwent training or not; maybe at best he did undergo training but he was a very junior person because he only joined in 1979. But the point I am still trying to say is the struggle, the armed struggle in Zimbabwe started in the 60s; where are these people? Why is reference not made to these people?

Why do we get to hear of people who came 1977, 78, 79? Where are these senior war veterans? Mugabe does not like it that’s why he invents his own, these new veterans through the third chimurenga which actually incidentally they were actually mentioning even in the article that was deriding me in the Sunday Mail.

They want to make, to nullify the second chimurenga because Mugabe himself did not play a central role in it. He now wants to become the leader of the third chimurenga so he that gets the hero status that he has been craving for.

Guma: Well we’re running out of time – Mr Ruhanya I’ll ask you to throw in a few names that you think should be at the national heroes acre who are not there. Who would you recommend Mr Ruhanya?

Ruhanya: I think the founding president of Zanu Ndabaningi Sithole, he is the founder, Mugabe did not ‘found’ anything just like you heard from comrade Mhanda, I think Zimbabweans need to know this. He was not the founder of this party that he took to his pocket, firstly.

Secondly Ndabaningi Sithole coined the name, the thing, ‘none but ourselves’, to make Zimbabweans realise that we have to liberate ourselves. What is it that you know about Mugabe? In fact I wanted to ask a question as my closing remarks to say that I have seen that the external wing of Zanu, the critical people who played a critical role in the liberation of this country did not see independence or were sidelined.

We are talking about Chitepo – he died during the liberation struggle; Ndabaningi Sithole was booted out; Tongogara died during the liberation struggle. Then a critical core group of the liberation commanders including the one on air, Mhanda, did not see independence in terms of leading this country.

Why is it that those who were out, who were fighting for this country did not play a critical role in 1980, those who were under (Ian) Smiths jails, including the president are the ones who are now singing a whole lot of nonsense about the liberation struggle. Those who were in Smiths jails are the ones who think that they fought but those who fought were sidelined, criminalized, de-legitimised or died – why?

Guma: Well we give the final word to Mr Mhanda – what would you suggest as a way forward? Supposing we have a new dispensation, a new government – how should these issues be dealt with Mr Mhanda to the satisfaction of all?

Mhanda: We do indeed need a time for soul searching. What I would appeal is to all the former fighters to put pen to paper and write down about their experiences, the sacrifices of all those they knew so that the country knows that there were multiple sacrifices that made this liberation possible.

We need those accounts by, including even by civilians, by people in the countryside, we need their accounts so that people get a true account, not a sanitized version of how the liberation struggle for Zimbabwe was fought. We need the accounts of everybody; everybody should contribute to the historical narrative of the liberation struggle.

Guma: Well Zimbabwe that’s former guerrilla commander Wilfred Mhanda, known by his liberation war name Dzinashe Machingura and political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya joining me on this special Heroes Day programme Behind the Headlines. Gentlemen thank you for your time.

Ruhanya and Mhanda: You are welcome. Thank you.

To listen to the programme:

http://www.swradioafrica.2bctnd.net/08_12/bth130812.mp3

Feedback can be sent to lance@swradioafrica.com http://twitter.com/lanceguma or http://www.facebook.com/lance.guma

Bill Watch 39/2012 of 20th August [SADC Summit Resolutions; Parliament Update]

BILL WATCH 39/2012

[20th August 2012]

Both Houses of Parliament have adjourned until Tuesday 4th September

SADC Summit Resolutions on Zimbabwe

President Zuma presented his report on the Zimbabwe situation to the Troika of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation when it met on the afternoon of Thursday 16th August. Although President Zuma had to return to South Africa the following day in the wake of the bloody confrontation between South African police and striking mineworkers, the Heads of State Summit, meeting on Friday and Saturday 17th and 18th, received his report through the Organ Troika and endorsed it. Although the official Organ Troika report is not made available, it was said to have recommended that Zimbabwe set up a Cabinet mechanism to implement facilitated GPA agreements. The end of Summit Communiqué included the following on Zimbabwe:

“Summit adopted the Report of the SADC Facilitator in Zimbabwe, H.E. Jacob Zuma, the President of the Republic of South Africa.

Summit noted the progress in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and urged the stakeholders to work together in particular, on the Constitution Making Process in Zimbabwe which is about to be concluded.

Summit urged signatories to the GPA to develop a Roadmap with timelines that are guided by the requirements of the process necessary for adoption of the constitution and the creation of conditions for free and fair elections to be held.

Summit resolved that if there are any difficulties with regard to the Constitution and implementation of agreements, the Facilitator should be called upon to engage with the parties and assist them resolve such issues, bearing in mind the timeframes and the necessity to hold free and fair elections.

Summit urged the parties to the GPA to continue the implementation of the GPA.

Summit noted the partial lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe and urged the European Union and the rest of the international community to lift all the sanctions unconditionally.

Summit commended H.E. President Zuma and his team for the progress made towards normalising the Zimbabwe situation.”

Parliament Approves Chinese Loan Agreements at Last Sittings

When the members of the House of Assembly and the Senate assembled on Tuesday 7th August, it was to find that the “urgent business” for which they had been recalled from their adjournment [see Bill Watch 37/2012 of 6th August] was the approval of three Chinese loan agreements in terms of section 111B of the Constitution:

· $150 million for the Victoria Falls Airport project

· $ 141.3 million for the rehabilitation and upgrading of water and sewage infrastructure in Harare

· $ 89.9 million for a medical equipment and supplies project.

Some members of both Houses protested at not having had enough time to study the loan agreements and at being expected to rubber-stamp agreements to fund projects already commenced in advance of funding. But all seemed satisfied with the Acting Finance Minister’s reasons for approving what he described as cheap concessional loans for worthy projects, and the agreements were approved without opposition, by the House of Assembly on 7th August and the Senate the following day. Since then the Victoria Falls Airport loan agreement has attracted adverse comment because it has a provision for payment of interest and instalments out of a special escrow account into which Zimbabwe will pay all revenue received from the Harare and Victoria Falls airports.

Why approving the loans was “urgent business” Acting Minister of Finance Gorden Moyo explained to the House that if the agreements were not approved Zimbabwe stood to lose the funds. This was because “the Chinese Government will, in September, be sitting to evaluate all their programmes and projects worldwide and would withdraw funding for projects not already under implementation”. On the Victoria Falls Airport project he stressed the need to complete it in time for United Nations Tourism Convention in August 2013.

Why were they not brought to Parliament earlier? Not answered was why the Ministry of Finance did not bring the agreements to Parliament before the Houses adjourned in late July in preparation for the end of the session. After all, the agreements were signed on 21st March and 5th April. Sitting days from April to July were not fully utilised, so there was plenty of Parliamentary time available that could have been devoted to dealing with these agreements properly. And that would have avoided the additional expense and inconvenience of the special recall.

Other Business

House of Assembly

Portfolio Committee Report on Operations of State Procurement Board While waiting for the Acting Minister of Finance to arrive from a prolonged Cabinet meeting, the House heard Hon Madzimure’s presentation of the report of the Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Investment Promotion on the operations of the State Procurement Board [SPB] and contributions to the debate on the report from members of the Committee. The report outlines shortcomings in the present system, including unnecessary delays caused by current procedures and the SPB’s lack of capacity and expertise to evaluate large technical tenders. It recommends an urgent review of the State Procurement Act and its attendant regulations. [Copy of report available from veritas@mango.zw]

All other business on the Order Paper was left unfinished when the House adjourned until 4th September after approving the Chinese loans. This included the presentation of the Privileges Committee’s report on the contempt of Parliament charges against SMM administrator Mr Arafas Gwaradzimba, which will now have to wait until the next session.

Senate

The sitting on 7th August was adjourned after a few minutes because no Ministers were available when Senators assembled at 2.30 pm. Senators did not take the opportunity to make progress on unfinished business still on the Order Paper, the most urgent being the accumulation of adverse reports on statutory instruments from the Parliamentary Legal Committee [see Bill Watch 37/2012 of 6th August]. It is hoped that these will be revived and dealt with in the next Session. Delaying on PLC reports which the Senate has done before is creating regrettable precedents which will erode Parliaments effectiveness and public confidence. In letting them slide they are in effect “rubber stamping” Ministry regulations.

On 8th August the entire sitting was devoted to the Chinese loan agreements. The Senate then adjourned until 4th September.

Securities Amendment Bill Gazetted

The Securities Amendment Bill was gazetted in the Government Gazette dated 10th August. The Bill provides for extensive amendments to the Securities Act of 2004, and related changes to the Collective Investment Schemes Act and the Asset Management Act. Its objective is to increase the effectiveness of the Securities Commission, to provide further protection for investors, and to respond to developments in the financial sector since the principal Act was passed in 2004. Changes include making the Commissioners non-executive, with executive powers vested in its CEO; requiring all securities exchanges [e.g. the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange] to be companies rather than mutual associations; establishing a single Investor Protection Fund; and bringing asset managers and collective investment scheme managers under the control of the Commission rather than, as at present, the Reserve Bank. The title of the principal Act will be changed to “Securities and Exchange Act” and the Commission’s new name will be “Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe”. [Bill available from veritas@mango.zw]

By-Elections Deadline Approaches

Friday 31st August is the deadline given by the Supreme Court for the gazetting of a Presidential proclamation calling the three Matabeleland by-elections in terms of by the Supreme Court ‘s order of 12th July.

Status of Bills

[Bills available from veritas@mango.zw unless otherwise stated]

Passed Bills being prepared for Presidential assent before gazetting as Acts

Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission Bill

Electoral Amendment Bill

Older Persons Bill

Appropriation (2012) Amendment Bill

Finance Bill

Bill gazetted and awaiting presentation in Parliament

Securities Amendment Bill [Gazetted 10th August 2012. See above.]

Bill being printed for gazetting before presentation [not yet available]

Micro-Finance Bill

Bill approved by Cabinet, but not yet in the Parliamentary Pipeline

Income Tax Bill – mentioned by the Minister of Finance in his Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review [not yet available]

Government Gazette of 10th and 17th August

[copies not available]

Bill Securities Amendment Bill gazetted 10th August [see above]

Statutory Instruments

Collective bargaining agreements 2012 remuneration packages for cigarette and tobacco manufacturing industry [SI 131/2012] and tobacco miscellaneous industry [SI 133/2012]; comprehensive new conditions of service for employees in grades 5 to 16 in the Harare Municipal Undertaking [SI 135/2012].

Local authority by-laws Bindura Municipality cycle by-laws [SI 132/2012] requiring licensing of all cycles kept in the council area, and replacing 1968 by-laws.

Radiation protection SI 134/2012 enacts a new schedule of licensing and registration fees for the Radiation Protection (Safety and Security of Radiation Sources) Regulations of 2011.

General Notices

Land acquisition GN 338/2012 notifies Government’s compulsory acquisition of pieces of land for urban development in Harare and Zvishavane.

Specifications under Prevention of Corruption Act By GN 339/2012 the Co-Ministers of Home Affairs declare Mabonde Agricultural Enterprises and two individuals to be specified persons under the Act and assign an investigator. [A specified cannot dispose of property, incur debts, operate bank accounts, etc without the investigator’s approval.]

SADC summit again delivers nothing for Zimbabwe

SADC leaders clamp down on human rights court

Media Release: SADC Leaders Deal Fatal Blow To SADC Tribunal

Zuma abusing SADC role to help Ncube: Moyo

We recognise Ncube not Mutambara: SADC

Anger as Zim land invader seeks Canadian residency

EU mulls UNTWO boycott

Police, army officers used as prosecutors

Chihuri ‘shreds’ Police Act to protect Mugabe

Police intensify campaign against gay activists

Zimbabwe moves towards e-passport

MDC-T to block draft amendment: Biti

Census exams: Zanu PF youths flop

Zimbabwe moves towards e-passport

Tension brewing over Chimanimani diamonds

EU scales down humanitarian aid to Zim

Cattle dying in numbers in Matabeleland

Harare Agric Show kicks-off

‘Illegal logging costs Zim millions of dollars’

Rautenbach’s controversial mining deals

Stray lions feast on villagers’ beasts

China tightens lending rules

Pay lobola first, Kirsty’s fiancé told

Transcript: Wilfred Mhanda and Pedzisai Ruhanya Behind the Headlines

Bill Watch 39/2012 of 20th August [SADC Summit Resolutions; Parliament Update]