Zimbabwe off AU agenda after Mugabe lobbies chairman

http://www.businessday.co.za

Officials privy to the details of the meeting said the AU chairman would
support the Zimbabwean president should African leaders confront him over
electoral, media and human rights reforms

TAWANDA KAROMBO
Published: 2012/01/11 08:05:29 AM

HARARE — Zimbabwe will not be on the agenda at the next African Union
summit, it has emerged, after President Robert Mugabe held talks with AU
chairman and Equatorial Guinea President T eodoro Obiang Nguema in Harare
this week.

Mr Mugabe, who is under scrutiny from regional leaders for pushing for early
elections before electoral reforms are completed, is widely believed to have
lobbied Mr Nguema to remove Zimbabwe from the spotlight.

Equatorial Guinea’s leader has been in power as long as Mr Mugabe, and
during his over three-decade reign has shown little tolerance for political
opposition.

When asked if Zimbabwe would be on the agenda at the next AU meeting, Mr
Nguema replied: "The agenda for the AU summit has been set as per the
provisions of the AU Commission and it would focus on how African leaders
would strengthen co-operation between their countries."

The AU Peace and Security Council met on Monday, ahead of an AU summit next
month.

The two leaders met for more than six hours on Monday. Official
communications show they sought to cement trade ties. Zimbabwe buys some of
its oil from Equatorial Guinea, which seeks investment in its manufacturing,
energy and construction sectors.

Officials privy to the details of the meeting said Mr Nguema would support
Mr Mugabe should African leaders confront him over electoral, media and
human rights reforms.

"The meeting was unannounced until very late and the fact that it was a
lengthy meeting … suggests that Mr Mugabe is looking for support," said an
official source, who declined to be named.

MDC minister warns of another GNU

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

By Richard Chidza 7 hours 18 minutes ago

HARARE - Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Eric Matinenga
has warned that there would be another government of national unity after
next elections, most likely next year, because security chiefs won’t let go
of power.

Matinenga said Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party was certain to
win the next elections, but taking power remained another story.

He said Zanu PF’s desire to see President Robert Mugabe die in office, as
well as the continued military dominance on state affairs could derail
smooth transfer of power to Tsvangirai if the former trade unionist won the
election.

“Looking at the crystal ball, what I see at the horizon will dampen some of
your enthusiasm and spirits,” Matinenga told people gathered for a United
States embassy discussion on Refining the Justice System in Zimbabwe Lessons
from Kenya.

“It is not a nice picture to look at. Zimbabwe is heading into another unity
government after the next elections,” said Matinenga, a Tsvangirai appointee
to the coalition government.

Bitter rivals Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a coalition in February 2009
after the African Union rejected a disputed presidential election runoff in
June 2008 and tasked regional grouping Sadc to oversee the negotiation of a
coalition.

Tsvangirai, who had won first round voting, had boycotted the runoff citing
violence that he claimed killed at least 200 of his supporters.

Churches, civil society and election observers blamed the military and Zanu
PF gangs for the violence, an allegation Mugabe denies.

Policy differences have left the coalition dysfunctional, with both Mugabe
and Tsvangirai agreeing on the need for an election.

Mugabe, turning 88 next month and reportedly suffering ill-health,  wants
the election this year.

But Tsvangirai and Sadc say elections can only be held after the completion
of democratic reforms, including a new constitution as agreed under the
power sharing Global Political Agreement.

“How can one explain Zanu PF’s rush for elections with or without credible
reforms, an election anyone in that party will tell you they have no chance
in hell of winning,” queried Matinenga, a veteran lawyer before joining
politics.

“The only logical conclusion one can draw is they want another chaotic
election whose outcome will obviously be disputed and then we will be drawn
into another long winding negotiation routine that will result in another
inclusive transitional authority,” Matinenga said.

The military, which held fort after Mugabe’s March 2008 election defeat
continued enjoying vast powers, an issue not helped by Mugabe’s refusal to
implement security sector reforms meant to depoliticise state security
institutions, Matinenga said.

“You have Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa declaring that there will be no
security sector reform in Zimbabwe yet the country’s constitution through
Amendment 19, which gave birth to the current arrangement, is very explicit.

“The constitution is very clear that there shall be need to reform state
apparatus so that they conform to the new dispensation and tenets of a
democratic state,” he said.

Matinenga said he had been disappointed by some of the country’s judges who
have allowed themselves to be compromised.

“It is disheartening to say the least to see a judge who has benefited from
the land reform exercise sitting on farm “A” agreeing to sit down and hear a
matter in which his neighbour on farm “B” is being tried for unlawful
occupation.

“It is the worst conduct for any judge to be manipulated in the manner that
our judiciary has allowed itself to be,” said Matinenga. - Daily News

ZANU-PF Mulls Pulling Out of Unity Gov't to Force Elections

http://www.voanews.com/

10 January 2012

ZANU-PF insiders say party hardliners want President Mugabe to impress upon
Southern African Development Community leaders that the unity government is
totally dysfunctional and should be dissolved

Blessing Zulu | Washington

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe will lobby his fellow Southern African
leaders on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa later
this month to acquiesce in an election in Zimbabwe this year without reforms
many say are indispensable.

Sources in Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party say hardliners want Mr. Mugabe to tell
peers in the Southern African Development Community that the Harare unity
government should be disbanded because it has become totally dysfunctional.

The hardliners are calling on the parliamentary committee responsible for
overhauling the constitution to abandon the revision process and let the
country to hold elections.

They say the views Zimbabweans expressed in a 2010 outreach phase have not
been incorporated in early drafts, and that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s
Movement for Democratic Change is delaying the process to fend off early
elections.

ZANU-PF members of the constitution drafting technical team, Godwills
Masimirembwa and Jacob Mudenda, say drafters have not delivered a proper
document.

ZANU-PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo says the constitution-making process
has become a "dead and already stinking donkey," charging that the two MDC
formations in government are using it to subvert popular views gathered in
public hearings.

Moyo contended that it is unthinkable anyone in SADC would make putting the
new constitution in place a precondition for holding new elections in
Zimbabwe - though that is one of the basic premises of the 2008 Global
Political Agreement for power sharing, which is the basis for the unity
government launched in February 2009.

Attorney Jeremiah Bamu of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said ZANU-PF
knows broad reforms would undermine its already weak electoral position.

War vet and white farmer behind Chiredzi ranch invasions

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
11 January, 2012

A white farmer named Ken Drummond is reported to have teamed up with war vet
Francis Zimuto, who calls himself Black Jesus, and the unlikely duo are
alleged to be intimidating the remaining white farmers in the Chiredzi and
Hippo Valley area, taking over properties illegally.

SW Radio Africa reported earlier this week that war vets had taken over
Mteri Lodge on the Hippo Valley estate and that Drummond was after the
hunting rights. We have since been informed that Zimuto was behind the
takeover and has been intimidating the owners at nearby Nhari Lodge.

The two are also alleged to be involved in similar deals at Impala Ranch and
Savuli Ranch, both in the Save Valley Conservancy. Five thugs working for
Zimuto invaded Savuli ranch four months ago and are living there, attempting
to turn the workers against the owner.

Sources in Chiredzi who chose not to be identified, said Zimuto is working
for the former ZANU-PF Minister Shuvai Mahofa. Drummond has visited Savuli
with his son Tiki, pretending it was an inspection.

“Mai Mahofa” claims to be the new owner of Savuli and has produced a copy of
a lease, according to trusted sources, who said close inspection showed that
the lease was invalid and had different dates on the pages.

Zimbabwe’s wild life conservancies have been under constant threat for ten
years and there appears to be a concerted effort to remove all remaining
obstacles to plundering them. Massive deforestation is taking place as all
the trees are cut down and thousands of animals continue to be snared and
slaughtered.

Deon Theron, former president of the Commercial Farmers Union, said the
conservancies were protected by law, but the absence of the rule of law
means any individual can target an area and invade with impunity.

“Although there is a unity government we all know that ZANU PF dictates what
should happen. Over the last ten years the law has been applied selectively
and those with the right connections are not prosecuted,” Theron explained.

Harare turned into war zone as vendors clash with police

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
11 January 2012

The Harare city centre was briefly turned into war zone on Wednesday after
street vendors clashed with police trying to close down their stalls.

SW Radio Africa understands around 10 police officers surrounded vendors
between First Street and Nelson Mandela Avenue. Vendors were furious at
having their wares impounded and retaliated by throwing stones.

Onlookers joined in the fracas and before long things got out of hand. Our
correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us the police beat a hasty retreat, with
the vendors in hot pursuit. One of the officers fell to the ground and the
vendors caught up with him and beat him severely. Muchemwa said he was badly
hurt.

Riot police were called in as re-enforcements and they fired tear gas but
the vendors retaliated by picking up stones and pelting the ‘wooden cabin’
police post along George Silundika and First Street.

Muchemwa spoke to some of the vendors, who questioned the role of the
Zimbabwe Republic Police in cracking down on them when it was the role of
Harare City Council police to monitor their activities. Not helping matters
is the fact that the police are now also running flea markets in Harare.

On Monday SW Radio Africa reported how Police Commissioner-General,
Augustine Chihuri, defended the flea market which the police are running at
the Harare Central Police Station car park. Despite having no council
approval, vendors are paying police to set up at the flea market. There is a
cash office in the car park that takes this money.

Chihuri claimed there was nothing illegal about the flea market and warned
the City Council against trying to close it down. Despite using space owned
by the council and not paying for it, Chihuri has told city fathers that
whoever wants to shut down the project would ‘meet me head on’.

The irony is that in 2005 Mugabe’s regime destroyed so-called ‘illegal’
houses and market stalls belonging to hundreds of thousands of people under
the controversial ‘clean up’ dubbed Operation Murambatsvina. 6 years later
the police are busy putting up and running ‘unsanctioned’ illegal market
stalls.

Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us it would appear the police, by
cracking down on the vendors in other parts of Harare, were trying to get
rid of any competition.

Similarly, it was revealed that the recent police crackdown of what they
claimed were un-roadworthy commuter omnibuses, was because many senior
police officers are running their own fleets of commuter buses. Their
vehicles never get impounded by the police and always go through roadblocks
easily.

With no rule of law in Zimbabwe Mugabe’s supporters are being given free
rein to make money any way they want, creating in-fighting for lucrative
areas of ‘business.’ This creates desperation in those struggling to survive
in this system and the decision by the vendors to fight the police mirrors
the desperation that later brought down the government of Tunisian President
Ben Ali.

Twenty-six year old fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after
a municipal inspector seized his wares. Bouazizi’s attempt to overcome his
poverty was halted by an officer claiming he was working without the
necessary legal permit. The anger and subsequent protests over his death led
to President Ben Ali fleeing the country and his regime collapsing.

Constitution drafters cleared of any wrongdoing

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
11 January 2012

A preliminary probe by the COPAC select committee has found no evidence the
three drafters working on a new charter included issues not contained in the
national statistical report.

The report includes views gathered around the country during the
constitutional outreach program. In recent weeks ZANU PF has vehemently
accused the drafters of distorting people’s views.

But Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC-T point man in the drafting of the new
constitution, told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that a review of the four
areas covered so far by the drafters clears them of any wrongdoing.

The experts drafting the new charter are Botswana High Court judge Moses
Chinhengo, University of Zimbabwe law lecturer Brian Crozier and prominent
lawyer Priscilla Madzonga. The trio resumed work on Tuesday following the
festive season break.

But before the drafters resumed work, COPAC members and their technical
committee went on a ten day retreat in Vumba, Manicaland to look at what has
been covered so far and to see if the drafters were working in accordance to
instructions given to them. The retreat also dealt with contentious
constitutional issues, which were still to be resolved at select committee
level.

‘After our retreat in Vumba, it is clear people have sobered up and it is
also clear some of the people in ZANU PF were just criticizing the draft
without even reading it. It appears they have now studied it and there is
relative satisfaction and trust on the process,’ Mwonzora said.

Paul Mangwana, the ZANU PF co-chairperson of COPAC, last month called for
the drafters to stop work, accusing them of sneaking in gay rights and other
issues which were not part of the views collected from the public at the
over 4,000 outreach meetings.

The areas covered by the drafters include the founding principals of a
constitution, citizens’ rights, bill of rights and national objectives.

Mwonzora said: ‘We’ve gone through the chapters written by drafters and
confirm one thing… that the drafters did nothing wrong. They drafted from
the documents we had given them. All material they used is in the national
statistical report and it’s from the people of Zimbabwe.’

Police Deployed In Nkayi

http://www.radiovop.com/

Bulawayo, January 11, 2012 - There has been a sudden heavy deployment of
police officers, members of the dreaded state spy agents CIO and some Zanu
(PF) activists in Nkayi South constituency in Matebeleland North this week.

This has put fear among Nkayi residents as they suspect that Zanu (PF)
leader and President Robert Mugabe is planning to call for by- elections and
violence might erupt.

In October last year Bulawayo High Court judge Nicholas Ndou ordered Mugabe
to call for by-elections in three vacant constituencies of Nkayi South,
Lupane East, and Bulilima East all in Matebeleland region. The three
constituencies were left vacant after the expulsion of three Members of
Parliament by the smaller Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by
Welshman Ncube for aligning themselves to the MDC-T. The expelled
legislators were Abdenico Bhebhe of Nkayi South, Njabuliso Mguni of Lupane
East and Norman Mpofu of Bulilima East.

Attorney General Johannes Tomana in November once indicated that he will
appeal against the High Court judgment.

However the sudden deployment of security agents in Nkayi constituency has
left many questions than answers among Nkayi residents.

Bhebhe confirmed to Radio VOP:“Hordes of police officers have been deployed
at Nkayi Business centre this week. We are surprised by this and everybody
here suspects that by- elections are about to held,” said Bhebhe who is also
the MDC-T deputy national organizing secretary.

Bhebhe added: “The officers are residing at Nkayi High School and are
holding some secret training workshops daily .During those training session
they will be singing Zanu (PF) songs especially that one called
 Nyatsoteera.”

Nkayi district is now regarded as a “hot spot” for the two MDC formations
and human rights activists as police have blocked several meetings in recent
months.

Last week there was chaos at Nkayi business centre when a group of heavily
armed police officers in riot gear allegedly went on the rampage beating up
residents in revenge after their colleague was assaulted at a birthday
party.

Last week again Nkayi police defied a court order and disrupted an MDC-T
provincial rally at Khomayanga Business Centre.

Rhino horn smugglers appear in court

http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/

Eyewitness News | 7 Hour(s) Ago

Three men will appear in a Zimbabwean court for rhino horn smuggling on
Wednesday.

This after they tried to smuggle US$120,000 (R960,000) worth of horns into
South Africa.

Authorities believe the men shot and killed a rhino on a farm in eastern
Zimbabwe on New Year’s Eve.

Two men were arrested at Harare’s busy Road Port Terminals, where buses
leave for South Africa.

Officials said the two horns weighed 8.2 kilograms and were found inside an
Isuzu bakkie.

One of the suspects, Zivanai Masvaire, is a game scout at Eldorado Farm in
eastern Macheke.

The official Herald newspaper said he led his two accomplices to the farm to
kill the rhino and dehorn it.

Like South Africa, Zimbabwe is battling to preserve its dwindling rhino
population.

In the 1980s, Zimbabwe had a rhino population of around 3,000. The figure is
now closer to 700.

Statement by Minister Zvidzai on rhino horn

Statement by the Deputy Minister of Local Government Hon. Sessel Zvidzai on
his alleged involvement in smuggling of rhino horns

Today, I woke up to an astonishing lead story in The Herald alleging my
involvement in a case in which three men were arrested for possessing rhino
horns worth $120 000.
The story alleges that the horns were recovered in an Isuzu KB 300
registered in my name.

The true facts of the matter are the car ceased to be mine on 22 March 2010
and the new owner is Mr Rodgers Gaka of Harare who runs a car-rental
company, Rodygar Tours and Car Hire.

Since then, I have had nothing to do with the said vehicle and was surprised
to see my name being linked to this vehicle probably because the change of
ownership process is yet to be completed.

For the record, I am a devout Christian who has a strong position against
criminal activities.
As Deputy Minister of Local Government, species such as rhinos have assisted
the CAMPFIRE projects whose proceeds have gone a long way in boosting the
coffers of many local authorities.

It is in this spirit that I applaud the police for arresting these criminals
and I hope that justice will be done not only to save the dwindling rhino
population in Zimbabwe, but to send a clear message to criminal elements in
our country.

Hon S. Zvidzai
Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development

Some Teachers Embark on Nationwide Sit-in Labor Action

http://www.voanews.com/

10 January 2012

Zimbabwe Teachers Association Chief Executive Sifiso Ndlovu said his members
have ignored the call for a sit-in strike issued by the more militant
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe

Gibbs Dube | Washington

Members of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe in Harare launched a
sit-down labor action Tuesday on the first day of the new school term to
enforce their demand for pay increases of more than 100 percent for the
lowest paid instructors.

A VOA correspondent who visited primary and secondary schools in the capital
reported that most teachers were not conducting lessons on the first day of
2012's first term.

But some headmasters at schools in Bulawayo, in Matabeleland North, and
Gweru, in Midlands province, said teachers were conducting lessons as usual.

The Progressive Teachers Union is demanding a salary of US$540 a month for
junior teachers who are now receiving just US$253 monthly.

PTUZ Vice President Nokuthala Hlabangana said her union called the strike in
spite of a meeting that has been set for Wednesday between government
negotiators and representatives of civil servants.

Hlabangana said her members will continue on strike until salaries rise.
"The government has no choice at all because we need better salaries," she
said.

Sifiso Ndlovu, chief executive of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association, said
his members have ignored the PTUZ call for a sit-down strike.

Neither Education Minister David Coltart nor Labor Minister Lucia Matibenga
could be reached immediately for comment.

Elsewhere in Harare, more than 700 students of the Cold Comfort Primary
School in the suburb of Warren Park were barred from entering the school by
its putative new owners, leading to a protest by pupils and parents at the
Ministry of Education.

Ownership of the school, which has a historical association with the
liberation movement that led to the creation of Zimbabwe in 1980, has been
contested since the Herentals private educational group announced its
purchase of the school in 2011.

A group called Release Power was the main contestant to Herentals' title.

Journalists Case Takes New Twist

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare, January 11, 2012 - A Zimbabwean court on Tuesday perfomed an about
turn, saying it wanted to proceed with criminal defamation charges against
two journalists accused of defaming a Reserve Bank advisor.

In December, the state indicated that it wanted to drop criminal defamation
charges against editor of the privately owned The Standard newspaper
Nevhanji Madanhire and reporter Nqaba Matshazi.

Their appearance in court was expected to be a formality.

This was after a theft charge against the two was dropped.

Madanhire and Matshazi are accused of criminally defaming Green Card Medical
Aid Society founder and an adviser to the RBZ, Munyaradzi Kereke in an
article published by The Standard that the company was facing viability
problems.

For the state, Tapiwa Kasema indicated that they wanted to proceed with the
charge following correspondence between Kereke and Alpha Media Holdings, the
publishers of The Standard.

Linda Cook, representing the journalists, told the court that Kereke was
using the prosecution as his personal lawyers by constantly flip flopping on
the charges.

She said what made matters worse was that Kereke did not even bother showing
up in court.

The case was remanded to next Tuesday, where Cook is expected to make her
submissions to have the case referred to the Supreme Court.

Magistrate Sandra Mupindu heard the case.

Zimbabwe Utility Moves to Expand Pre-Paid Consumer Meter Program

http://www.voanews.com

10 January 2012

ZESA spokesman Fullard Gwasira said using prepaid meters will benefit
consumers and ZESA and increase the available power supply

Tatenda Gumbo, Sithandekile Mhlanga & Jonga Kandemiiri | Washington

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority says it will soon launch a prepaid
meters pilot program in the aim of helping consumers reduce power usage and
costs.

The utility plans to install 600,000 prepaid meters - but said the State
Procurement Board must conduct a tender to choose a supplier of the
necessary meters.

Meters have been placed in locations in both Harare and Bulawayo, the
country's two largest cities, to test preparedness before the project goes
nationwide.

Skeptics of the prepaid meter system say ZESA's plan will not benefit
consumers as the national supply of electricity remains a continuing issue.

ZESA spokesman Fullard Gwasira said using prepaid meters will benefit
consumers and ZESA and increase the available power supply by reducing
waste.

Simbarashe Moyo, chairman of the Combined Harare Residents Association, said
meters will not help a country that generates only half the power it needs,
insisting that ZESA must focus on the main problem which is insufficient
electrical generation.

But Progressive Bulawayo Residents Association Organizing Secretary Ambrose
Sibindi said residents will embrace pre-paid meters if the rates are low
enough.

Chimani constituency office still closed

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
11 January, 2012

A constituency office in Chimanimani, which was closed earlier this month as
a result of infighting between ZANU-PF officials, has still not reopened.

Constituency offices around the country are supported by parliamentary funds
and are to be used by all residents, regardless of what political party they
support. But ZANU-PF MP, Samuel Undenge, closed the office on January 3rd,
accusing his assistant of using the office to conduct illegal business.

On Wednesday local activist Peter Chogura visited the office, located in
ward 15, and reported that burglar bars that resemble a prison had been
installed. He said local residents are furious because it is not a ZANU-PF
office and they plan to approach parliament to intervene.

Joshua Sacco, a white farmer and militant ZANU-PF supporter, and the former
provincial chairperson for Manicaland “Mai Knight”, are both alleged to be
campaigning to replace MP Undenge in the next election. The power struggle
has reportedly intensified and Chogura said the MP’s assistant now openly
supports the rival Sacco.

“Sacco held a meeting at the ZANU-PF office this week and Mandeya was there.
He is now officially campaigning for Sacco and spends his time on the land
he was given by ZANU PF,” Chogura explained.

Sacco is planning to hold a political rally next week where he will
officially announce his candidacy for the legislative seat held by Undenge.
But according to Chogura, ZANU-PF will have to rig the election if they want
to retain ward 15.

Zhanda wants Gono’s head

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

By Chengetai Zvauya 7 hours 23 minutes ago

HARARE - The war between Zanu PF MP for Goromonzi North Paddy Zhanda and
Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono has escalated with the legislator
insisting that the parliamentary probe of the central bank is not yet over.

Zhanda the parliamentary portfolio committee chairman of the Budget and
Finance Committee said his committee was not yet done with Gono and were
going to call him soon for another probe, once the house resumes sitting
next month.

The case has reportedly taken a new twist with indications from MPs last
week that the committee also wants to investigate Gono’s personal finances
and investments.

Briefings to the Daily News by Zanu PF and MDC MPs revealed that they are
extracting “useful” information from some RBZ officials to nail Gono.

Gono is well-known for printing huge sums of money to fund President Robert
Mugabe’s Zanu PF activities including the 2008 election campaign.

Mugabe’s opponents accuse Gono of propping up the 87-year-old veteran
leader.

The clash emanates from the parliamentary probe of the farm mechanisation
programme and other quasi-fiscal activities which were financed by the
central bank and as part of a wider inquiry into the central bank
indebtedness to the tune of $1,2 billion.

Zhanda had been temporarily asked to recuse himself from the RBZ debt issue
after Gono alleged that the Goromonzi North MP had asked for a bribe from
him to stop the probe.

But speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, Zhanda said: “We have not yet
finished looking into the RBZ issues. We are going to complete our work as
legislators and we are going to recall Gono before the committee again."

“It is unfortunate that Gono has decided to take this issue to be personal
and he tried to make up false statements against me and I am very grateful
to the MP’s findings that I was not guilty of any wrongdoing.

“I shall remain sober and doing my work as the chairman of the committee.
This issues is not about being against Gono but we want to know the truth of
the RBZ operations."

Last year Gono wrote a letter to Parliament complaining that besides asking
for a bribe, Zhanda was chasing a personal agenda emanating from the days
when the Central Bank governor disciplined a number of banks.

Gono forced Zhanda to resign as NMB Bank chairman accusing him of abusing
his position to access the bank’s funds.

Gono’s allegations of bribery resulted in the Speaker of Parliament Lovemore
Moyo ordering Zhanda to step aside as chairman of portfolio committee while
Parliament probed him.

Another MP close to the proceedings said: “We want to even go to the extent
of probing his investments including all the properties he bought over the
years. We want to know the source of funding even for his chicken projects.
We are getting useful information from banks and even from the Central
 Bank.”

Gono was not available for comment but an RBZ official close to the governor
but who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the issue
said: “The governor would cross all paper, pole and dagger bridges when he
gets there and I’m sure he would welcome as guest, anyone seeking to
personalise national matters and make them appear the governor’s family
matters.”

Questions put across to RBZ spokesperson Kumbirai Nhongo on Monday had not
been responded to at the time of going to press yesterday.

In the past, Gono has defended the extravagance spending saying he had to
employ “extra-ordinary measures to deal with an extra-ordinary situation.”

Zhanda to his credit, did not take part in the Zanu PF gravy train of
looting inputs or grabbing farm implements which Gono and Mugabe distributed
to party supporters, war veterans and chiefs.

An MDC MP who spoke to the Daily News said: “Zhanda is a self made farmer
who made his money from pigs. That’s why he doesn’t care about the past. He
has not benefitted from the party so he operates with an independent mind
not like a blinkered and brain washed Zanu PF MP.

“That is why it was easy for him to survive the bribery allegations made by
Gono,” said the MP who described Zhanda as a fearless man who could even be
a future Zanu PF leader. - Daily News

Zimbabwe's Richest Man Joins Hilton Foundation Jury

http://www.forbes.com

Mfonobong Nsehe
1/11/2012

Zimbabwe’s richest man and telecom tycoon Strive Masiyiwa has joined the
jury of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

According to a press release issued by the foundation, Masiyiwa’s new
appointment means he will work with the foundation in helping select the
2012 recipient of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize-a $1.5 million
annual award which is usually presented to an international non-profit
organization judged to have made significant and extraordinary contributions
towards alleviating human suffering. The prestigious Hilton prize is one of
the world’s largest humanitarian awards. Sixteen organizations including
Handicap International and Operation Smile have been recipients to date.
Zimbabwe's Richest Man Ventures Into Solar Energy Mfonobong Nsehe Mfonobong
Nsehe Contributor
Meet Chris Kirubi, Mr. Kenya Mfonobong Nsehe Mfonobong Nsehe Contributor

The Zimbabwean tycoon described his appointment as both an “honor and a
great responsibility”. Masiywa joins other reputable individuals like
Princess Salimah Aga Khan, an international ambassador for SOS-Kinderdorf
International, and Professor Amartya Sen, a Nobel Prize Laureate in
cconomics, as members of the jury.

Apart from his new appointment at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Masiyiwa
is also actively involved in a number of other non-profit organizations.
Along with Richard Branson, he is a co-founder of the Carbon War Room, an
organization which seeks to implement market-driven solutions to climate
change. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Rockefeller
foundation.

Masiyiwa is the founder of Econet Wireless, a publicly-listed mobile
telecoms company with operations in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Burundi and
Rwanda. He was the only one from Zimbabwe to make the inaugural Forbes list
of Africa’s 40 Richest in November 2011. He ranks 34th with an estimated net
worth of $280 million.

Mother-to-child HIV transmission at 18 percent

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

10/01/2012 00:00:00
    by Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE has managed to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission to 18
percent but researchers say elimination of breast-feeding can, among other
things, help take the country to within the five percent risk levels
recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to an article in the January issue of medical journal PLoS
Medicine, at least 16 percent of pregnant women in the country are infected
with HIV and most mothers breastfeed their infants which is one means of
viral transmission.

But the country has managed to reduce transmission risk levels through a
three-drug antiretroviral therapy on pregnant women with advanced HIV
infection and a single dose of the antiviral drug nevirapine for all others.

The programme reached more than half the country's HIV-infected pregnant
women in 2009, reducing transmission rates to18 percent.

However, researchers have found that transmission risk could be decreased
further to 14 percent with even greater participation among infected women
and the use of newer medications.

“Mother-to-child transmission could be further reduced to 6 to 7 percent –
approaching "virtual elimination" – if three goals can be reached,” the
researchers noted in the PLoS Medicine article.

These goals include ensuring that 95 percent of infected pregnant women
receive the most effective available medications as well as maintaining
excellent medication adherence for both mothers and infants throughout
pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The country would also need to ensure that breastfeeding is safely reduced
or avoided altogether which requires access to both adequate infant formula
and safe drinking water.

"Pediatric HIV infection has been nearly eliminated in resource-rich
settings, such as the U.S. and Europe, through a combination of anti-HIV
drugs and avoidance of breastfeeding," Andrea Ciaranello of the
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) division of Infectious Diseases and
lead author of the PLOS Medicine report said.

"The WHO has urged health programmes throughout the world to aim for the
same successes, calling for the 'virtual elimination' – defined as reducing
transmission risk to less than 5 percent – of mother-to-child HIV
transmission.”

The researchers however concede that maintaining this "cascade of care" can
be particularly challenging in resource-poor areas like sub-Saharan Africa,
where as much as 90 percent of worldwide mother-to-child transmission takes
place.

Zim loses out on foreign deals

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

The government takes too long to approve investment proposals, a top
visiting Indian businessman has said.
11.01.1211:19am
by Ngoni Chanakira Harare

All international investment projects are approved by the Zimbabwe
Investment Authority, currently led by Richard Mubaiwa. However, the
government has been criticised for being slow to approve deals and unwilling
to work with foreigners.

Sri Srivastava, a top visiting Indian businessman, said his engineering firm
was interested in deals worth at least $20 million. The Ministry of
Agriculture is his top priority area. Srivastava was part of the more than
25-member delegation that jetted into Harare for a one-day investment
conference recently, a follow-up to one held last September.

“I am looking at investment worth about $20 million,” he said. “Our firm
deals with huge projects and we have invested in more than 25 African
nations, including Zambia, the DRC, South Africa and Malawi. However, it is
sad to note that your government is very slow in approving Projects. It is
also slow when it comes to taking the initiative to work with foreigners.”

There is a keen interest in India to invest in Zimbabwe. A multi-million
dollar investment has already taken place aimed at resuscitating the vital
iron and steel works at Zisco, which had collapsed due to mismanagement and
corruption. Political interference continues to hamstring this project.
Other Indian investors have expressed keen interest in the diamond industry.

Srivastava said the Indian government was also worried about the decision to
indigenise the economy when it made more sense to allow investors to work in
the country and invest some of their profits here instead of “penalising
them”.

“Why would anyone invest here when you cannot take home any profit?” he
asked.

Other delegates at the conference also expressed concern over this issue.

“Just look at what happened to commercial farmers – they had their

farms taken away from them. We are worried about your investment regulations
because they are slow and not very clear either,” said another Indian
businessman. “Look at Zambia, their mining industry has picked up very well
because they are investor-friendly.”

He said other African nations such as Ethiopia had much better regulations
than Zimbabwe.

“Just look at their airline (Ethiopia) which is among the best in Africa.
This is because their economy is open.”

Srivastava said his engineering firm could sign deals with Zimbabwe in areas
such as irrigation, engineering equipment and building machinery for the
business sector. But he expressed concern at the possibility of elections,
saying: “This could seriously affect your business sector and prospects.”

Land reform: going beyond the policy impasse

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

For most commentators, Mugabe’s fast track land reform programme was an
unmitigated disaster. Thousands lost their jobs and homes, food production
nose-dived, laws on property rights no longer seemed to apply and the
economy spiralled out of control.

11.01.1208:10am
by Special Correspondent

However, recent studies have shown a different, more complex picture of the
situation on the ground. For the first time, all the academic studies that
have been carried out on FTLRP over the past 11 years have been gathered
together in the Journal of Peasant Studies, edited by Lionel Cliffe, Jocelyn
Alexander, Ben Cousins and Rudo Gaidzanwa. The group hopes the collection
will lead to further debate and analysis of the issues so a workable way
forward can be found.

One of the most recent studies was carried out by a team lead by Professor
Ian Scoones at the Institute of Development Studies. Zimbabwe’s Land Reform:
Myths and Realities challenges the myths that there is no investment,
agricultural production has collapsed, food insecurity is rife, the rural
economy is in precipitous decline and farm labour has been totally
displaced.

They carried out a detailed study looking at 400 new farmers in Masvingo,
who had taken over land from commercial farmers that was previously
dedicated to cattle ranching with little agrarian output.

Blasio Mavedzenge, a field researcher for the Zimbabwe Department of
Agriculture who worked with Scoones, spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Crossing
Continents recently about what they found.

“The large scale farmers were not practicing any cropping at all. A huge
diversity of crops is now being produced from the same land. The land is
being better utilised now than before. It caters for more people now than
before,” he said.

He called the programme “a roaring success”. The BBC interviewed one of the
new farmers in the area. Shadrack Ruwafa works on a former commercial farm
which has been sub-divided into about 200 plots.

He said: “The Zimbabwean struggle has always been about land. Land is our
factory. We are farming people and land has always been important to us. We
did not just come without talking to the then farm owner. We went to him and
asked him can we share the land and that is how we came here. He accepted
there was no violence.

“We are doing some great farming here. We had 68 trucks to take the produce
away from the farms. The white farmer was only planting about 12 hectares
and now look at all the produce that is coming out of the land. There was
one farmer here and now there are about 200. We have far exceeded what he
was doing.”

Mavedzenge said the study showed political persuasion did not seem to be a
factor in land redistribution. “No one was asked which political party they
belonged to. Once they heard land was available, people came from north,
south, east, west. We were at pains to find things like that,” he said.

However, he admitted he could not say that cronyism wasn’t a factor.
Although there are significant geographical gaps in the areas surveyed,
studies included in the journal show the great majority of the beneficiaries
were not members of the ruling elite. In their introduction, the editors
found most studies concluded land went to “poor” Zimbabweans, with
Manicaland as an exception.

In A synopsis of land and agrarian change in Chipinge district, Zimbabwe,
Phillan Zamchiya finds: 50 per cent of the beneficiaries are listed as civil
servants including members of security branches, 22 per cent traditional
authorities; veterans received 17 per cent of the land and only 11 per cent
of the recipients were listed as “ordinary”. However, the editors
acknowledged a number of gaps in research that need to be looked at.

Despite a number of positive findings in the reports, more than a million
people in Zimbabwe will require food aid between now and March 2012 with 12
per cent of the rural population unable to buy food, according to the World
Food Programme. The Institute for Development Studies says just over one
third of new farmers are making a living from their land, 20 per cent are
juggling their farms with other work but 40 per cent are barely managing.

Zimbabwean economist John Robertson told the BBC: “The areas where there has
been something that can be called success are very small and very few. Most
of the new people farming the land that was confiscated from large scale
farmers are producing enough for themselves and not much more.” “We have got
all these thousands of people, desperately trying to make a living. But it’s
all at a very low level. We have halved output, it has been a disaster.”

He points to the mass displacement of farm workers, most of whom lost their
jobs and homes in the land invasions. One farm worker, who did not wish to
be named, told the BBC they were living in an old tobacco shed on the farm
they used to work at, hiring themselves out as labour to the new farmers for
little or no money. He said: “Before land reform, we didn’t have any
problems with our employers, it was very nice. We got union level wages so
we did not have any problems. Our employers even used to pay our children’s
school fees and even hospital bills.”

However, studies have shown that some farm workers did benefit from land
reform. In some of the schemes surveyed in the journal, in Masvingo they
constituted 11 per cent of A1 beneficiaries; in Mazowe a smaller proportion;
in one scheme the proportion was 30 per cent.

The editors of the journal concluded that a lot more analysis needed to be
done on the land situation in Zimbabwe but added: “It is to be hoped that
this collection can prompt some potential applicable ideas for policy, but
also further debate around options – especially about ways forward beyond
what most contributors see as a policy ‘impasse’.”

Regional News Roundup

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

11.01.1209:39am
by The Zimbabwean Harare

Queues at the border

Holiday travellers on South Africa’s side of the Beitbridge border had to
contend with long queues during the holiday period. Some people waited for
up to 12 hours to be cleared. Both those coming in and going out were
affected.

Despite setting up extra three tents, authorities on the SA side could not
cope with the demand. Surprisingly, Zimbabwean authorities easily managed to
deal with the large volumes, with most of those going to SA spending less
than 30 minutes in the queues.

The SA Home Affairs is yet to explain its failure to cope.

Death in the Limpopo

Unconfirmed reports are that more undocumented Zimbabweans are dying in the
Limpopo River, as they try to wade their way to better life in South Africa.
Human traffickers, Omalayisha, who spoke to The Zimbabwean this week
confirmed that at least four people were being swept away by the river on
each trip. The river was running very deep and angry on Thursday night, when
our reporter passed through the border.

“My two-month-old child was nearly swept away when I crossed. The
four-year-old one crossed safely after I was assisted by one Impisi. I paid
these people R2 000 to see us safely in, but they still forced us to cross
through the river, where water reached just under my chin,” said a young
lady, who saw four of her fellow passengers being swept away.

“My child’s towels and clothes were torn and swept away by the tide.” No
police confirmation was immediately available.

Cahora Basa overloaded

Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), the company that operates Cahora Bassa
dam on the Zambezi River in the western Mozambican province of Tete, is now
being asked to supply more electricity than it can possibly generate.

HCB chairperson Paulo Muxanga told Mozambican Prime Minister Aires Ali, who
visited the dam last Thursday that HCB is being contacted continually by
companies within Mozambique and by the authorities of neighbouring countries
who need more power.

Zambia, Malawi and Swaziland have all expressed a desire to buy electricity
from HCB, while Zimbabwe and South Africa want their quotas increased.

Publicly owned electricity company EDM wants to increase its Cahora Bassa
quota from 400 to 500 megawatts, something Muchanga says would mean reducing
supply to one of HCB’s other major clients – ESKOM in SA or ZESA in
Zimbabwe.

Transcript of Mutare Mayor Brian James on Question Time

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

 

Posted by admin on Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Mutare Mayor Brian James

Mutare Mayor Brian James recently announced his intention to go on a ‘leave of absence’ in protest at a refusal by his councillors to have the city’s finances audited. The Mayor was a guest on Question Time and told SW Radio Africa journalist that the councillors refused to accept his request to go and discussions resulted in an amicable resolution of the crisis. So what really happened?

 

Interview broadcast 04 January 2012

 

Lance Guma: Mutare Mayor Brian James has announced his intention to go on a ‘leave of absence’ in protest at a refusal by his councillors to have the city’s finances audited. The Mayor joins me tonight on Question Time and will be answering questions from SW Radio Africa listeners.

Thank you for joining us Mr Mayor.

Brian James: My pleasure Lance, my pleasure.

Guma: Now it is reported that you are taking a ‘leave of absence’ – first of all – what does that mean?

James: Well yes it is, I did write a letter to the Town Clerk asking for ‘leave of absence’ and I found out that to apply for the ‘leave of absence’ it’s to the Council itself, it’s basically wanting to withdraw myself from mayoral duties for a period of time, to take stock, but we’ve just come out of a think tank with the bulk of the councillors and they haven’t accepted my letter and with further discussions, I have actually, in the last hour or so, withdrawn that request

Guma: Your initial intention, how long had you wanted to be away?

James: It was to the end of April.

Guma: End of April. Okay, most of our listeners want to know why you had initially made this decision?

James: I think it’s more frustration on financial matters regarding audits and budget processes and that sort of thing; differences of opinion and I thought maybe I should just take a break, maybe I was being over zealous but as I said we’ve had a very constructive meeting with the bulk of the councilors there and I’ve found good reason now to withdraw that request.

Guma: In your letter you had talked about disharmony, poor working relations with your peers. What was happening that had prompted you to conclude you needed a break?

James: Well it is, what I think I was getting at there was lack of the final push, the final commitment to get our audits done. We passed these resolutions and then everyone sat back; partly my fault I suppose, I should have pushed management a little further to get these audits done but I think that has been resolved now and as you see, we will be pushing this forward now.

Guma: One of the residents in Mutare, her name is Marilyn, she sent a question saying she’s rather surprised that you are, or were facing these problems when the council is controlled by the MDC-T. Her question is – are these people not from your party and why would you be facing this sort of resistance?

James: Yes certainly the mix of councillors, we have 19 wards and all 19 were won by MDC councillors; we have four vacancies at the moment and there are four appointed councillors by Minister Chombo, so yes, you are right – they are from our party but democracy is at play here and it was my frustration at the pace of things that got me to this position but I think we’ve managed to resolve a lot of them now.

Guma: Pungwe Breweries owned by Council is cited as one of the problem entities needing an audit; could you tell our listeners what is the problem there, just as an example?

James: Yes certainly – Pungwe Breweries which is the brewery brewing opaque beer for sale in the city limits and beyond is traditionally a profit-making enterprise wholly owned by Council and profits from this entity are normally spent in our welfare department but as you know, and as I’m sure everyone knows that Council hasn’t been receiving any monies from this entity for some years now.

And we’ve tried one or two plans to try and get it off the ground but since dollarization, no audits have been done and we resolved to have a company – Ernst and Young – to audit it but although we’ve resolved to have that done there’s been delays in actually notifying them to start the audit. But I think that you’ll see in the coming weeks now that action will be taken.

Guma: Is there suggestion though that funds could have been misappropriated?

James: Well I think it’s premature for me to say that, to say or comment on that aspect but the fact is that Council is not recording any income from this entity and as the 100% owner of it, we need to find out and I think the best way to do it is to have an independent audit and then Council will make their decisions from that.

Guma: Has this entity not been making any reasonable income since your Council took over or it’s been like that for quite some time when Zanu PF was in charge.

James: Yah I think it’s well before we took office, yah.

Guma: Okay now I know you’ve said you’ve since made a u-turn but prior to that, some of your councillors were quoted in the papers as accusing you of jumping ship when you are needed the most as the captain of that ship. Could that be partly the reason why you’ve had a change of heart? Would you agree with that argument that you were abandoning ship?

James: Well I think the initial reasons were that I didn’t want to be associated with inaction but as I say we have resolved a lot of that now and we are re-invigorated and moving forward as a solid team.

Guma: There’s a growing perception that a significant number of elected MDC-T councillors across the country are following the Zanu PF behaviour of engaging in corruption.

Do you feel the councillors in Mutare are falling into this trap or certainly this whole episode around you wanting to take a break temporarily, do you think it feeds into that perception that there’s a lot of corruption in councils across the country?

James: Well it’s common knowledge here now that it’s a Zanu tactic to try and equalise us as they call it, which is to corrupt us in one way or the other, to pull us down into their way of thinking and I think all councillors need to be well aware of this and I think you’ll probably find around the country, some councillors have succumbed to this practice.

The MDC National Council just recently has passed quite a strong resolution regarding this and they intend to investigate and deal with councillors that might have succumbed to this.

So yah, maybe it’s premature to comment on any councillors within our own set-up there but one must realise that resolutions that we’re passing are not being implemented in quite a few cases and it’s up to us as councillors to vigorously make sure that they are implemented.

Guma: All the way from Victoria Falls we have a question from a guy called Edward. Now Edward’s question is what are your challenges as the Mutare City Council and particularly given reports, he quotes reports that council workers have not been paid their November and December salaries? So he’d like you to comment on some of those challenges, what’s really happening?

James: Yes, well I think our challenges are pretty common throughout the country; it’s available resources and that’s why I’m pretty adamant that we need strong budgetary procedures and not only to create a strong budget but to actually monitor that budget throughout the year.

The fact that our workers he says haven’t been paid November and December is not true – they have been paid, albeit a little bit late, we’re paying probably a week into the following month but I’m certainly making it my endeavour to make sure that all workers are paid in the month of work.

We do have cash flow problems and that’s why we need strong budgetary controls. And how can I put it? I’m with the workers; it’s their right to be paid within the month of work and I’ll certainly do what I can to make sure that they are.

Guma: We understand that to date Mutare City Council has not yet submitted its proposed budget for 2012 – what’s the problem?

James: Okay again the process was a little late and it’s been part of our discussions today that we resolved some months ago to get some external consultants in to help us with this process.

Management have presented a parallel budget which is under discussion. In fact we have a special council meeting tomorrow to deal with the final draft of it and the issue of any objections that might have come in from the public.

And tomorrow’s council meeting – there should be some lively debate I should imagine with this regard. Yes it is late, we were hoping that the consultants, in fact who had started their work there, would get their proceedings done by the end of February but with the debate tomorrow in council we should resolve all these outstanding issues

Guma: So you are confident that…

James: Sorry if I can just add there – the reason why it is late is that I think the process always starts late and that’s cause for concern and we need greater public participation in the beginning, in the process side of it and again that’s what we are trying to do in council is to get the public on board right from the start rather than just criticising the end result.

Guma: So as things stand, you are confident that the reported power struggles and corruption that was said to be dominating council – that should be a thing of the past? You are quite confident that you can develop a harmonious working relationship with your councillors?

James: Yes I’m confident of that and I think dialogue, closer dialogue between us all needs to be effected and I think there’s a new realisation amongst us councillors here that service delivery is the prime object of our endeavours and we shouldn’t be swayed by forces, some of which I mentioned earlier. We should concentrate on service delivery and bettering the lives of our constituents.

Guma: So would it be fair to say, Mr James, that your intention to go on leave has actually worked for the good? It’s given impetus to have what you wanted done in terms of the audit and everyone seems to be moving in the same direction now?

James: To a certain extent, yes.

Guma: Okay let’s move on to Harare. Priscilla who stays in Harare says your battles with the Local Government minister, Ignatius Chombo are well documented and her question is – how are things at the moment?

James: Ah yes they are well documented and I think we’ve got to realise and I’m glad that she’s brought up this question because the public must realise as well where some of our problems are originating from and if we can concentrate on service delivery and bring the public on board in those endeavours then his influence, his disruptive influence, can I put it that way if it is disruptive, minimises, but at the same time he is the minister and we have to take his directives and his thinking on board and deal with it independently and consultatively.

Guma: But are there any pending issues that are a source of conflict? Last time we, you had that whole issue over the deputy mayor and him (Minister) overturning your directive. How have those issues been resolved?

James: Well history has actually resolved a lot of that and that’s not the main problem. At the moment we are waiting for his approval of our choice of auditors for our 2010 set of accounts.

I’m told that our choice, a letter has been written to him but he seems to be sitting on actually approving it and that’s what we also discussed today. So I think that’s the main burning question at the moment is that council has elected Ernst and Young to come and do the 2010 accounts, plus the Pungwe for that matter, but we need his signature of approval for the 2010 set of accounts and I’m sure there’s no reason why he shouldn’t sign that approval.

Guma: On a separate matter and we have questions from listeners based on the incident last year, last year in October – two armed robbers attacked your home and made off with two laptops, cell phones, cameras and cash. You also sustained a minor head injury. Several of our listeners want to know has there been any progress in apprehending the culprits?

James: Not immediately. There have been quite a few incidents of armed robberies around the low density areas of Mutare and is cause for concern but police and security firms are more aware of it and are working closely together with the community.

As far as recovery of the stuff stolen from our place there, nothing has been recovered but police are making good progress I’m told on the cell phones, through serial numbers and that sort of thing which is heartening to know.

Guma: My final question – obviously I know it’s not all gloom and doom – is there anything positive you’d like our listeners to know about Mutare. I was just reading online it was voted the ‘cleanest city in Zimbabwe’ – any stuff like that that you could maybe tell our listeners that you are involved in as the City of Mutare?

James: Yes, yes, of course let’s dwell on the positives rather than the negatives! Yes we’ve had these accolades about being the cleanest city and what we’re trying to work on now is to sustain that position.

We have terrific goodwill in the city, volunteer groups, voluntary groups have got together and are busy re-treeing the Dangamvura Hills; obviously the cleaning of the city is on-going and there’s a huge movement to keep the city clean and that’s evident in just comments that come across, visitors that are scared to drop sweet papers and everything and I think that’s a good sign.

Generally keeping their own road verges clean and whatnot, yah I think we hope to showcase the city later this year to all and sundry so yes, please keep in touch with us through various websites and facebook etcetera.

Guma: As I talked to you, we have just received a question via Twitter – somebody wants to know – has there been any benefit from the diamond mining in nearby Marange for Mutare? Is there anything you could quantify and say we’ve benefitted from this?

James: Well indirectly. We’ve got massive infrastructural requirements and whatnot and we would hope that the diamond sales go through the organised channels, through ministries so that we can lay our hands on those volumes of money but obviously the smaller sales and the businesses that are working there and the employees are working there, there’s that spin-off into the city.

Some of the concession holders are assisting council with some repair work on the Sakubva Stadium and some of them actually donate towards various charities around town. But I think generally, we even resolved to apply for a diamond concession there but its been met with a stony silence.

But I think there are these indirect spin-offs from it and hopefully we will build on that and when sanity prevails in the whole mining sector, maybe there will be sort of more concrete and bigger benefits.

Guma: Well Zimbabwe that’s the Mutare Mayor, Mr Brian James joining us on this edition of Question Time and I hope he’s been able to answer most of your questions. Mr Mayor, thank you so much for joining us on the programme.

James: My pleasure and thank you.

To listen to the programme:

http://www.swradioafrica.com/01_12/qt040112.mp3

 

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

Free maize seed for sale

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/7297

January 10th, 2012

The ZANU PF conference was another moment to bring amazement to ordinary
people of Zimbabwe.

It all started with the usual noise about the revolutionary party telling
the us how the conference is going to pass resolutions that will drive the
party and Zimbabweans in the right direction.

I am not going to say much on the resolution but what had me laughing was
the announcement by the ZANU PF National Chairman Simon Khaya Moyo that each
province is going to be given six tonnes free maize seed, with each delegate
taking home 10 kilograms .

The ululating that followed was not for the benefit of the delegate but the
person who is going to buy these seeds.

If my memory serves me right when the most popular Governor in the
Sub-Saharan Africa, Dr Gideon Gono was distributing free seeds, fertilizer
and farming equipment, Zimbabwe experienced the worst period ever in the
agric-sector with nothing being produced .

Giving a delegate free seeds does not mean a successful farming season and
your guess is as good as mine,  this seed will be sold to some serious
subsistence farmers who will then produce for the family only.

And just before the non-event in Bulawayo, Mugabe had also launched his
Presidential free farming inputs campaign for his supporters.  Before they
even left for Bulawayo it had already been “sold out”.

This clearly shows that ZANU PF will never learn from the past “Gono’s era”
and they are living in their own world of foolishness.

This entry was posted by Bob Gondo on Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 at 8:00 am

Elections will never cease to take their toll

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/7292

January 8th, 2012

Election continue to haunt Zimbabweans to the point that when any
politicians mention the “E” word, people start to quiver and shake.  There
is no sense of celebration that should come with exercising our democratic
rights. This will only change when all politicians change their ways.

Only when democratic reforms are fully instituted, torture camps are
dismantled and perpetrators of political violence who continue to roam the
streets are incarcerated will we see our grandparents in the rural areas
accepting the holding of yet another poll.

As long as headmen continue to get orders from certain political parties,
and farming inputs carry on being distributed on partisan basis, with those
in charge demanding political party cards from the recipients our families
will continue to view elections as a farce.

We have become a nation whose children obey authority, but do not respect
it.  How do you respect a police force that openly uses its power to solicit
bribes to pay for their Christmas parties?  How do you respect a government
that cares more about its own enrichment more than children starving and
receiving sub standard educations?

The armed forces still harbour the same evil designs as in all previous
elections, because they still have the same fears and interests in Mugabe’s
continued tenure of office. There is nothing on the ground to indicate that
they will not behave in the same violent manner as they did in 2008. This is
worsened by the fact that the GPA proposed reforms of the security
structures have not been implemented to date.

This entry was posted by Beven Takunda on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 8:00
am

Open letter

Would SADC and the AU endorse a military coup in Zimbabwe?

By Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, 11/01/12

Media reports that Mugabe and his Zanu-pf party are again pushing for
elections before the end of the year despite lack of key electoral reforms
points towards what looks like a military coup.

It would be synonymous with a military coup because, without a clean voters
roll, a new constitution adopted in a referendum, security sector and
electoral reforms – and obviously the necessary funds among other
essentials, it is unlikely to hold any serious polls in the present
environment.

It is arguable that Mugabe is pressing for elections this year ahead of the
GPA’s schedule of 2013 or after, because of his poor health, advancing age
and internal party disquiet over his unresolved succession crisis.

Mugabe is unlikely to anoint a successor because he believes he is the only
one who can hold Zanu-pf together, according to former Zanu-pf legislator
Michael Mataure who was described as a party contact by the United States
Embassy in cable 00Harare5829 which was released by the WikiLeaks website.

That could explain Mugabe’s sudden return home from the Far East despite
missing the ANC centenary celebrations, and being on leave until 1st
February 2012, amid jostling for power in his party, unless it had something
to do with his sister’s illness, Bridget who has been in a coma for 18
months.

There are many other reasons why Mugabe and Zanu-pf are not ready for what
most people would want to see as the minimum requirement for internationally
supervised and UN monitored, free and fair, peaceful elections in Zimbabwe –
the absence of violence and intimidation.

It is ironic that Zanu-pf claims to be ready for presidential or harmonised
elections, when it is arguably scared of its own shadow by reportedly
planning to postpone its primaries until after the referendum.

Signs that Mugabe might push for elections include, the resurgence of
violence in the form of the illegal seizure of white owned businesses, such
as that of Border Timbers, the last two fishing lodges and a small game
reserve on the Hippo Valley Estates in the Lowveld and Kasukuwere’s renewed
threats to move on international banks.

However, if Zanu-pf hardliners could be banking on SADC and the African
Union and the rural areas for support of their “snap elections” which will
arguably be a military coup in the current situation, they need to rethink.

SADC, the African Union and the United Nations suspended Madagascar in
response to a military coup in that country in 2009 which overthrew
Ravalomanana’s elected government.

The message got home to other flashpoints when the African Union adopted a
resolution against military coups or “unconstitutional changes of
 government” at its summit in Addis Ababa in 2010.

Neither would any ‘coup plotters’ bank on the latest ‘discovery’ of
skeletons in a Chinhoyi mineshaft for their electoral support, because that
will backfire as happened with Chibondo skeletons some of which had body
fluids raising fears they were those of 2008 election violence victims.

As for the rural areas which were admittedly the party’s backbone in the
1980 elections, a lot has changed since then. In the absence of genuine
opinion polls some of the rural people have declined media claims that they
prop-up Zanu-pf.

One rural resident reportedly said: “Musatinakurira nyoka mhenyu iyi vedu
we-e. Musatinakurira Dhiyabhorosi nyoka’ (Do not scoop this live snake
‘Diabolos the serpent’ with a stick and toss it in our direction please).
For more, see Benjamin Semwayo, Zanu-pf unpopular even in rural areas, SW
Radio Africa, 18 March 2011.

It is very unlikely that SADC and the AU would endorse a military coup in
Zimbabwe by whichever party or individuals – educated or otherwise.
Otherwise, civil society would be justified to invite the United Nations and
Nato to protect the people.

One hopes Zimbabwe will be spared of any unconstitutional change of
government, no matter how impatient and desperate some people seem to be.

Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, Political Analyst, London,
zimanalysis2009@gmail.com