Politics - Zimbabwe's Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, said here
Friday that the country would hold by-elections for 38 parliamentary
constituencies which fell vacant after their sitting legislators either died
or were expelled by their parties.
The country's ruling three-party
coalition had agreed not to hold any election to avoid violence and allow
for reconciliation following inter-party fighting in the last general
elections in 2008 which claiming the lives of scores of people.
This
was also meant to allow for reconciliation, and a cooling down of
tempers.
But the country's Supreme Court last week threw out the
agreement as unconstitutional.
This followed a petition to the court
by three legislators who wanted by-elections to be held in their
constituencies after they were expelled by their party.
But Chinamasa
said the inter-party agreement would now fall away, and the country would
head to polls in 38 vacant parliamentary constituencies.
'Country-wide,
we will have to run harmonised elections for all vacant seats in both
parliament and local elections,' he said.
'The implication is we can't
hold by-elections in three vacant constituencies only, but in 38
parliamentary vacant seats and in all vacant seats in local authorities as
well,' said Chinamasa.
Mugabe
would call for harmonised polls to fill vacant posts in the Senate, Mugabe
would call for harmonised polls to fill vacant posts in the Senate,
The
two MDC formations on Friday welcomed indications that President Robert
Mugabe will order by-elections in 38 vacant constituencies, saying they are
ready for the polls.
Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa told the
Senate on Thursday that the by-elections would be held before the end of the
year following a Supreme Court ruling last week ordering Mugabe to call for
House of Assembly polls in Bulilima East, Lupane East and Nkayi
South.
This was after former MPs Njabuliso Mguni, Abedinico Bhebhe and
Norman Mpofu dragged the veteran ruler to court for delaying the
by-elections.
Chinamasa said instead of confining the elections to the
three constituencies, Mugabe would call for harmonised polls to fill vacant
posts in the Senate, House of Assembly and local councils.
Analysts
yesterday said Zanu PF would try to use the polls to test the mood in the
country ahead of a crucial general election due before June next
year.
Douglas Mwonzora, MDC-T spokesperson, told NewsDay that
although it was not Chinamasa’s role to announce when elections would be
held, his party was ready to contest in the by-elections if they were held
in a free and fair environment.
“First of all, it is not Chinamasa
who has the responsibility of announcing when and where elections will be
held,” he said.
“He is not the President of Zimbabwe nor is he the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, so what he has said must be taken for what it
is: a statement of wish by a Zanu PF functionary.
“Having said that,
the MDC is not worried over whether the elections will be held in three
constituencies or in 38. The MDC is insisting that it is ready for elections
at any time.”
He said the elections must be free and fair without any
political violence.
“For as long as that is done, we are ready for
elections at any time and we will win those elections,” Mwonzora
said.
“These elections will test the sincerity of the parties in the GPA
(Global Political Agreement), especially Zanu PF and
Mugabe.”
Kurauone Chihwayi, MDC deputy spokesperson, concurred with
Mwonzora saying his party was more than ready to participate in the
by-elections.
“Our understanding is that the judgment was for the three
by-elections,” Chihwayi said. “We don’t have a problem if they hold the
elections in all the 38 constituencies if they have the
resources.
“We as a party are ready to contest. Our congress resolution
made at our last congress meeting was that we agreed that we would go to
every part of this country and contest anywhere where there is an
election.
“We are ready and we are very confident that in those 38 we
won’t enter as underdogs.
“We have made inroads, we have adequate
ammunition to wrestle for those seats. We are hoping to prove that we have
covered a lot of ground and we are a national party.”
Zanu PF
hardliners have been calling for by-elections in the 38 constituencies that
have fallen vacant since 2009 saying it would be one of the ways of
collapsing the inclusive government, which they say has become
dysfunctional.
The party believes it has regained support after a
dismal performance in 2008 where it lost control of Parliament to the two
MDC formations in 2008.
Analysts believe Zanu PF has not managed to
reverse its decline and faces a real test in the next polls. - NewsDay
Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, also the MDC mainstream party President, has urged the
international community to support the democratisation process in
Zimbabwe. 21.07.1201:48pm by Tawanda Majoni
Addressing
participants to a United Nations University debate on Africa’s
democratisation in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Tsvangirai said there was need
for international players to help consummate a fragile transition process in
Zimbabwe.
‘‘(It) would be remiss of me to leave this platform without
seeking your support for the delicate transition process towards democracy
that is taking place in Zimbabwe,’’ Tsvangirai said.
His MDC is part
of a three-party coalition government formed in early 2009, after the 2008
Global Political Agreement providing a roadmap to a new and democratic
political dispensation.
Zanu (PF), led by President Robert Mugabe, and a
smaller MDC party led by Welshman Ncube, complete the Government of National
Unity that all parties acknowledge is marred by discord.
The GPA was
agreed on by the three parties in Sadc-brokered talks following a wave of
politically motivated violence that resulted in the deaths of more than 300
people aligned to Tsvangirai’s party during a presidential run-off in June
2008.
Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe in the first round but could not form
a government because he did not garner enough votes to do so.
The GPA
exhorts the parties to implement key electoral, media and political reforms
that would create a conducive environment for the holding of a free and fair
poll.
‘‘As we prepare for the next election, I urge all of you to support
the call for a free and fair election in Zimbabwe in which the people's will
is respected and protected. I urge all of you to be ambassadors of
democracy, torch bearers for a peaceful environment in our country that will
enable citizens to cast their vote without let or hindrance,’' he
said.
He added: ‘‘I urge you all to support SADC and the regional effort
in stabilising the situation in Zimbabwe so that the people in our country
are allowed to choose their own government without violence and
intimidation. I call upon every one of you to stand by us in this delicate
moment, aware that we must all become global citizens ready to defend peace
and democracy everywhere.’’
He described the fight for a democracy in
this country as ‘‘an extra-ordinary struggle by ordinary people keen to
create a new culture and a new country with new values’’ and hoped for a
‘‘new Zimbabwe with a legitimately elected government and in which the
ordinary citizen will be free to pursue and live their dream’’.
The
dates for the next general elections are yet to be announced.
Mugabe has
been calling for the immediate holding of elections, but local and
international pressure against that position seems to have prevailed, with
2013 increasingly becoming the likely year to conduct the
polls.
Tsvangirai took a swipe at coalition governments in Africa, saying
they shortchanged the electorate.
‘‘What we have seen in coalitions
such as the one in my country, Zimbabwe, demonstrates a serious breach and
betrayal of the will of the people because those who lost the election were
brought back into government through the formation of undemocratic
“inclusive”
governments. Inclusive governments that are exclusive to the
people's will. They have become more of elite pacts than the true expression
of the will of the people,’’ he said.
HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has made an
international appeal to pressure President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF to end
violence and to ensure a credible poll in Zimbabwe.
Tsvangirai told
delegates at the United Nations University in Tokyo yesterday that Zimbabwe
was preparing for an election he hoped regional and international leaders
would monitor to ensure a credible result to help end the troubled coalition
government.
“As we prepare for the next election, I urge all of you to
support the call for a free and fair election in Zimbabwe in which the
people’s will is respected and protected,” Tsvangirai said.
“The
people of Zimbabwe would greatly benefit from a global campaign to end
violence and to ensure a credible poll in our country.
“I urge you
all to support Sadc and the regional effort in stabilising the situation in
Zimbabwe so that the people in our country are allowed to choose their own
government without violence and intimidation,” he said referring to South
African leader President Jacob Zuma, who has a regional responsibility to
mediate in the Zimbabwean power-sharing deal.
“I call upon every one of
you to stand by us during this delicate moment, aware that we must all
become global citizens ready to defend peace and democracy
everywhere.”
Tsvangirai is on an official visit to Japan and was
proceeding to Australia and New Zealand where he was officially invited by
the two governments.
The Prime Minister said he was confident he would
win the next election to end the power-sharing deal he entered with Mugabe,
adding that his main task would be to revive Zimbabwe’s
economy.
Mugabe wants the elections held this year, but Tsvangirai has
demanded reforms first.
“Any government and leadership that claims to
be in charge should have the clear mandate of its people,” he
said.
“What we have seen in coalitions such as the one in my country,
Zimbabwe, demonstrates a serious breach and betrayal of the will of the
people because those who lost the election were brought back into government
through the formation of undemocratic ‘inclusive’
governments.
“Inclusive governments that are exclusive to the people’s
will. They have become more of elite pacts than the true expression of the
will of the people.”
The fragile coalition government has been marred
by disagreements between the former political foes, with Tsvangirai claiming
that Mugabe is reluctant to make Zimbabwe a democracy.
The Prime
Minister has said elections would be held in 12 months.
Tsvangirai said
while all African nations have gained their independence with the last
bastion of a racist edifice collapsing with the advent of a new South Africa
in 1994, he said he has had to wage a new struggle for democracy against
some of the former nationalists who have perfected the same repression used
by colonists to subjugate Africa for almost a century.
“As an opposition
leader in our democratic struggle in Zimbabwe, I was treated with scorn,
vilified with impunity and generally treated as an enemy. How dare I have a
different view?
“This intolerance polarised the nation, scarred society
and the people suffered as a consequence,” he said.
“When the
inclusive government was formed after protracted negotiations in 2009, I
became Prime Minister, sharing national responsibilities with President
Mugabe.
“I had won an election but did not win power because of certain
pillars in the State that decided not to allow the will of the people to
prevail. Now the barriers of suspicion are slowly collapsing and I am now an
opponent and not an enemy.”
The PM said the misfortune of Africa was
that leaders have helped to confirm and to entrench the negative stereotype
of a continent of political violence, conflict, disease, hunger and
war.
“They have pilfered national resources, pick-pocketed the collective
people’s struggle and shut their ears to the loud national demand for
democracy and good governance,” Tsvangirai said.
“They have
personalised national institutions, perfected the art of political patronage
and undermined their own legacy.”
He said this was the same culture that
brought about the Arab Spring revolution that swept long-serving dictators
in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya out of power. Tsvangirai said African leaders
must realise that they were not immune to the revolutionary fervour that has
swept through North Africa and now the Middle East.
“That challenge
for us as the new crop of African leaders is to consign repression and
mis-governance to the dustbins and to create a new society with new values,”
he said.
“We are a new generation which must focus on building strong
economies, creating jobs and developing a qualitative and affordable social
delivery system especially in the fields of health and education.
“We
must embrace ICTs and become part of the global village. ICTs will enable us
to realise our full potential and bring all citizens to the same level in
terms of economic development and access to information.”
Zimbabwe's draft constitution,
completed this week by the parliamentary select committee responsible for
crafting the country's new charter, will see the Southern African nation
adopting 16 official languages, up from just three.
The final draft
states that Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau,
Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and
Xhosa will be treated equally.
Law lecturer at Kent University in the
United Kingdom, Alex Magaisa, was one of the expert advisers to the select
committee.
He says the official languages issue created heated debates
during discussions with many arguing the need to recognize different
cultures in the country.
But the legal expert said a practical
approach still needs to be taken on the issue. It's one thing, he says, to
have an official language but another to have a language of
record.
“A language of record means if you go to a court of law it is the
language which the records are kept. If you are going to have multiple
languages then you might have a very serious problem," said
Magaisa.
“Let’s assume you go to Chipinge and Ndau is used there as a
language of record, and someone else does not speak Ndau and only speaks
Tonga, and someone else might want to get a record in English – it means you
have to prepare the record in three languages and that is going to be a
practical nightmare.”
He said the list appears to be exclusive and
that it would have been easier to simply say all indigenous languages in
Zimbabwe are official languages in addition to English to keep the list
open.
In a wide-ranging interview analyzing critical issues in the
proposed charter, Magaisa told the VOA’s Violet Gonda that other notable
aspects include an emphasis on the issue of gender equality and specific
rights given to women.
“Women will have the same rights of
guardianship as men. There are also issues of protection of women in
marriage insofar as property is concerned and in regards to inheritance
where there has been discrimination against women and widows,” revealed
Magaisa.
There are also ‘some’ positive steps being made to recognize
that women should get more space in politics, through proportional
representation.
“The draft goes to great lengths to safeguard the rights
to personal liberty and also the rights of persons who have been
arrested.
“So I think it is going to be very difficult to sustain the
abuse or misuse of the Section 122 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence
Act which has been used routinely against political
activists.”
However, he said the gay rights lobby will be disappointed as
the new charter does not recognize gay rights.
The proposed charter
separates the Attorney General’s office into different entities. It will now
be restricted to legal advisory roles to the government with a National
Prosecuting Authority being created to exclusively prosecute all criminal
matters.
The document also restores the right to vote for so-called
aliens or Zimbabweans with one foreign parent, who for long have been
disenfranchised and denied passports.
Other positive developments
include the acceptance of devolution as a structure of government and the
acceptance of dual citizenship for citizens by birth. However, there is
provision for parliament to regulate dual citizenship for citizens by
descent or by registration.
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Eric Matinenga said the draft will be handed over to unity
government principals anytime now.
The document, to replace the Lancaster
House constitution that has been amended 19 times, will also be presented
before an All-Stakeholders Conference in the next few weeks before going for
a national referendum.
Magaisa said there are some clauses that were in
the first draft that appear to have disappeared.
These include
allowing the Diaspora vote in the presidential race, and the parliamentary
public appointments committee, which was supposed to recommend or vet
appointments made by the president.
The expert said there is still room
for improvement, especially on the issue of presidential powers, to ensure
the checks people demanded in the outreach exercise are put in
place.
The new charter does not have a cap on the number of cabinet
ministers and deputies, despite criticisms that the current establishment is
too big for a bankrupt government.
It has abolished the death
sentence for women and those under the age of 21 and above 70 years, but
pro-life activists say it does not go far enough.
Among other notable
aspects, the new charter adopts the American and Malawi system where a
presidential candidate has a running mate who automatically takes over if
the head of state is incapacitated or unable to continue in office. Critics
say there is no need for Zimbabwe to have two running mates. They say it's a
waste of resources.
“For all those people who were arguing so hard about
who is going to succeed who, in the different political parties, the signal
will be shown by who is selected as a running mate in the elections. So that
is important for Zimbabwe," Magaisa appointed out.
He says the draft
will be criticized by many but adds what is important is that Zimbabweans
finally have a starting point to discuss and shape their
destiny.
Written by Chengetai Zvauya,
Parliamentary Editor Saturday, 21 July 2012 13:36
HARARE -
Zimbabwe’s new draft constitution recognises war veterans, war collaborators
and political detainees who participated in the war of liberation struggle
in the 70’s.
In the present constitution the war veterans are not
mentioned although they are being administrated through an Act of Parliament
the War Veterans Act.
War veterans have been fighting for their
recognition in the constitution so their welfare can be catered for by the
state.
In the draft constitution, under Section 2.15 it states that war
veterans should be accorded respect, honour and recognition from the
government and its agencies.
Their welfare should be catered for by
the state and they are also entitled to economic empowerment, according to
the draft constitution.
The section includes those that fought in the war
of liberation, war collaborators and detainees — to be assisted by the
state.
During the outreach programme gathering people’s views, the war
veterans issue was one of the items people were being asked to comment
on.
The war veterans thematic committee was chaired MDC Senator Morgan
Femai.
Constitution Select Committee co-Chairperson Douglas Mwonzora
confirmed the inclusion of the war veterans in the draft
constitution.
“They are a specific group that played an important role in
the history of this country. We recognise that most of the genuine war
veterans and their families are suffering and it is the duty of the state to
take care of them.
“The recognition of war veterans is not unique to
Zimbabwe alone as other countries in the world like United States of America
(USA) and United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa do look after them as
mentioned in their constitutions,” said Mwonzora.
Mwonzora said in
the event of a new political party taking power to govern the country, the
war veterans will continue to be helped by the state.
“Zanu PF has been
monopolising on the issue of war veterans but we know they are dealing with
fake war veterans because genuine war veterans respect citizens of this
country. Any future government has to help war veterans,” said
Mwonzora.
He said during the outreach programme people had spoken about
the issue of war veterans and mentioned that they ought to be
respected.
“But they were also expected to respect human rights. The
people also argued the citizens who assisted them were also important and
were to be respected equally as the war veterans.”
Under the
leadership of late Chenjerai Hunzvi in the 1990’s war veterans staged
demonstrations countrywide demanding to be compensated by the state
resulting in government bowing down to their demands. Close to 50 000 war
veterans were paid Z$50 000 each.
However, since beginning of the
millennium the war veterans have been associated with beating and
brutalising MDC supporters, during election periods.
Delays in delivering justice to the
victims of human rights violations during the bloody 2008 elections and the
Gukurahundi massacres in Matabeleland and the Midlands provinces in the
1980’s could drive them to take the law into their own hands and seek
revenge. 21.07.1201:03pm by The Zimbabwean Harare
Speaking
at a talk show organised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition on Wednesday,
ZimRights Director, Okay Machisa, said it was highly likely that people
would explode.
“It’s a possibility that such elements can come when their
issues are not addressed. The delay of justice would provoke these
people,”
Machisa said, warning however that taking the law into their own
hands would cause further torment as they would be arrested and
prosecuted.
The talk show was discussing the Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission Bill which recently went through the committee stage in
parliament after cabinet agreed to expedite it.
The Bill seeks to
limit the jurisdiction of the commission to the post-2008 era, despite many
human rights having been committed against innocent citizens prior to
that.
Machisa insisted the commission must stretch back to the early days
of independence that was attained in 1980 and also cover the politically
motivated murders, tortures, rape and other excesses that occurred in 2008
during a presidential runoff from which MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai
withdrew.
Machisa cited the example of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Liberia which was established in 2003 but had a jurisdiction
going back to 1979.
“So in other words we are saying if you are
saying the human rights commission which is going to be in operation in
Zimbabwe is as good as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, why are you
putting a cutoff date two years down the line?” he queried.
The
ZimRights director said the people who were murdered, maimed and had their
properties destroyed would one day demand explanations from politicians who
were making decisions on their behalf without consulting them.
“We
are speaking representing the people whose hands have been cut off. We are
actually representing the people whose houses were burnt,” he
said.
However, representatives of the two MDC’s, Douglas Mwonzora and
Qobani Moyo, as well as Zanu PF’s Patrick Chinamsa, defended the cutoff
date, saying it was in the people’s interests as it helped prevent further
conflict.
“We negotiated amongst the political parties and one of the
core issues that we had to discuss was the cutoff date. As Minister of
Justice, and being a lawyer, I proceeded from a position which says all good
laws and the rule of law are about the present and the future,” Chinamasa
said.
Mwonzora, however, said the MDC- T had agreed to the cutoff date
after realizing that there were chances that the new constitution would
provide for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“The reason why we
have agreed to the cut off date is because we are certain that there could
be another organ to deal with what we are worried about,” he said.
He
admitted that the victims’ demands, which were echoed during outreach, had
not been included in the Bill. “The views were unequivocal. They wanted the
commission to be independent and they didn’t want the cutoff date,” Mwonzora
said.
Moyo, who is the Director of Policy Research and Coordination in
the smaller MDC, said the Bill was the best they could do as it was not
possible to put a law that would investigate the same people who were making
it.
He said laws would be put in place to deal with the issues not
covered by the Bill when the time was ripe. “It wasn’t possible to apply the
law going backwards now,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights
Commission Bill, which was passed in Parliament last week and is now being
debated in the Senate, where it is expected to pass, seeks to operationalise
the Human Rights Commission which was established in 2009.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe addresses a memorial
service for retired general Solomon Mujuru at Ruzambo Farm in the Beatrice
area, about 65 km (40 miles) south of the capital Harare, May 5, 2012.
REUTERS/Philimon BulawayoView Photo
Zimbabwe President Robert
Mugabe addresses a memorial service for retired general …
BRUSSELS
(Reuters) - European Union governments will lift restrictions on EU
development aid to Zimbabwe on Monday and hold out the prospect of easing
sanctions further, depending on improvements in the rule of law, EU
diplomats said on Friday.
The move recognises economic difficulties
in the southern African country and aims to persuade President Robert
Mugabe's government to hold a fair referendum on constitutional changes
later this year.
"We will suspend sanctions on development aid," one EU
diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Foreign ministers
meeting in Brussels will agree to allow the EU to deal directly with the
Harare government on delivering aid, the diplomats said. Currently the aid
has to be directed through non-governmental organisations.
The EU's
executive Commission channels around 100 million euros a year ($123 million)
in development assistance to Zimbabwe.
Western governments have
considered easing sanctions since a power-sharing deal was agreed between
Mugabe and now Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for
Democratic Change, following disputed 2008 elections.
Fresh elections
must be held by next year, with a new constitution drawn up first. A
referendum is expected to be held on such reforms.
The EU could lift
asset freezes and travel bans from a number of officials, not including
Mugabe and his inner circle, if the referendum is deemed credible.
Currently, 112 people are affected by such measures.
"One could have a
substantial lifting of (sanctions) depending on the assessment of the
referendum," one EU diplomat said.
Mugabe is one of Africa's
longest-serving leaders and has been accused of hanging on to power through
vote-rigging. The 88-year-old has denied reports of ill health and says he
is fit enough to contest the next presidential election.
Bulawayo, July 21, 2012- Wheat
production has dropped by over 5000 hectares compared to last year as a
result of government’s failure to avail the promised US$20million input
support scheme to farmers.
Only 9500 hectares of wheat was planted during
the winter cropping season compared to 15 982 registered last year, Donald
Khumalo, the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) president
said.
Khumalo noted that wheat farmers are disappointed with
government’s failure to honour its promise to avail the US$20 million input
support scheme to ramp up production.
“We had numerous challenges
with regards to winter wheat farming. The promised input support scheme
never materialised.
“You will recall that the government promised
US$20million input support to wheat farmers but that never materialised
again.
“This is the reason why farmers only planted less than 10 000
hectares of the crop due to lack of inputs,” Khumalo said in an
interview.
“Wheat farmers do not have money to buy top dressing
fertiliser to protect their crops and that is a disaster. Load shedding by
the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) is also threatening the
planted crop.
“At the same time, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is
yet to pay farmers for last year’s wheat deliveries leaving wheat farmers in
a quandary as they owe a number of suppliers and banks. Farmers are
demoralised ," he added.
The US$20 million input support scheme was
announced in April with hopes of helping increase the country’s wheat
production to 75,000 tonnes this year.
Wheat production had declined
sharply over the years owing to lack of proper financing and implementation
mechanisms by government.
Zimbabwe requires 400,000 tonnes of wheat
annually and wheat shortages mean that the country has to meet the shortfall
with costly imports from countries such as South Africa and Zambia.
A LOW income family of six now requires at least US$560 to
survive each month, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) has
said.
The consumer watchdog said the low income consumer basket for June
increased a marginal 0.18 per cent from about US$560 the previous
month.
Incomes for most ordinary people however remain well below that
figure with government employees earning just over US$280 per
month.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti ruled out any wage hikes for this
year when he presented the mid-term budget Wednesday and warned that the
government faced a real risk of failing to pay its workers.
"Indeed,
even in the absence of such (salary) reviews, government faces the real
danger of defaulting on salary payment," he said Wednesday.
"Hence, we
need not take the current monthly payments for granted but seriously
appreciate the limited fiscal space for wage adjustments."
Wages are
nmuch better in the private sector either with most companies still
operating well below capacity as the country’s economy struggles to
shake-off the effects of a decade-long recession.
The CCZ said the
food basket increased by 0,92% to US$148,88 in June up from US$147,53
recorded the previous month. The surge was largely due to an upward swing in
the prices of rice, tomatoes and other vegetables as well as sugar, cooking
oil and bath soap.
Prices for mealie-meal eased marginally to US$9,38 per
20kg bag, down from US$9,90 in May while fresh milk went down 3US cents to
70US cents in the same period. The transport, rent, water and electricity,
health, education, clothing and footwear basket remained stable at the
US$399.
But electricity and water supplies continue to be a challenge,
with a number of households forced to use untreated water and staying in
darkness for periods beyond 12 hours.
The consumer watchdog said it
was concerned with the hike in transport fares during peak hours and would
continue to monitor the situation closely.
Bulawayo, July 21, 2012—The
MDC-T has embarked on anti-corruption programme where the party mayors and
council chairpersons around the country are trained on fighting
corruption.
Last year the MDC-T fired all its Chitungwiza party
councilors after party investigations reportedly unearthed massive graft
within the council. The party also suspended several councilors around the
country on charges of corruption.
However on Thursday in Bulawayo
Deputy Minister of Local government Sesil Zvidzai who is also the party
secretary for local government started training MDC-T mayors and councilors
in Matebeleland and Midlands region on fighting corruption.
“We are
teaching our councilors on transparency, we don’t want corruption in the
MDC-T, corruption is for Zanu-PF. We want our councilors to save the people
and not to enrich themselves. We are doing this countrywide ,”Zvidzai told
Radio VOP on Thursday
The MDC-T anti-corruption programme came at a time
when Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the party leadership reportedly
declared their personal assets in the interest of encouraging transparency
and accountability in the party.
The MDC-T leader, his deputy
Thokozani Khupe, secretary general Tendai Biti, along with other members of
the MDC-T’s senior hierarchy declared their assets on Monday last week at
Harvest House, the party’s headquarters.
Nearly everyone in the top brass
of the party listed houses, land, cars, livestock and household goods in
their inventories to be forwarded to Parliament soon, according to Speaker
of Parliament and MDC-T chairperson, Lovemore Moyo.
This comes amid
reports of obscene accumulation of wealth by MDC-T officials during the
four-year lifespan of the coalition government. A number of MDC-T
councillors have since been suspended or arrested over corruption charges,
among them expropriation of council property, particularly residential and
commercial stands.
Written by Staff Writer Saturday, 21 July 2012
13:38
HARARE - It has come to the attention of the Harare
Residents Trust, HRT that Harare suburbs have experienced serious power
outages over the past two weeks.
Guided by Objective Four of the HRT
which states clearly that in order to fulfil our vision of a “free and
prosperous citizenry” the organisation shall “monitor and audit the
performance of service providers so that they deliver quality and affordable
services to the citizenry”.
True to its promise to be the eye and the ear
of the residents, and through the organisation’s community coordinators
located in various suburbs across Harare, below is an update on the state of
electricity supplies covering the period of July 16-20, 2012;
Mbare:
At Nenyere and Matapi flats, electricity is switched off in the morning and
for the greater part of the day residents resort to firewood and paraffin as
energy sources. Supplies are usually restored around 7pm or 8pm.
Uplands,
Shortson, Hilton Park, Derbyshire and Picnic Park: Without electricity from
4:25 am-1pm.
Highfield, Glen View, Glen Norah, and Mufakose: Generally in
these areas there is no electricity from 4am to about 9pm but in some
instances the electricity supplies are restored by 7pm.
But in
Highfield the load-shedding last for about 9 hours daily for instance when
power outages occur around 4.25am, the area will be reconnected around
1pm.
These suburbs at times go without electricity for more than 15
hours, yet there is no difference in billing at the end of the
month.
Mabvuku and Tafara: Residents feel neglected. Electricity is
switched off from around 5am to 7-9pm.
There are various faulty
points within the suburb and along Chizhanje way and Mashingwe road some
houses have no electricity for more than two days now and the Zesa Holdings
(Zesa) personnel have not been proactive in addressing the
problem.
Borrowdale, Hatcliffe and Mount Pleasant: Residents are
concerned that power supplies are inconsistent. In the past two months
Zesa has disregarded its published timetable.
Sometimes power outages are
experienced during the night and it can last for about nine
hours.
Kuwadzana and Dzivaresekwa: In these areas on Mondays, Wednesdays,
Fridays and Sundays, the residents spend most of the day with electricity
until 5pm.
When it is switched off, it is only restored probably after
midnight when most people are asleep.
However, on Tuesday, Thursdays
and Saturdays there will be no electricity from 5.30 am to
9pm.
Kambuzuma, Rugare, Warren Park: on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays’
the electricity will be available until 5pm but on Mondays, Wednesday,
Fridays and Sundays there will be no electricity from around 5.30 to 9
pm.
Greendale, Highlands, Chisipite, Mandara, and Eastlea: Usually
experiences power outages for about eight hours every day.
Zesa is
urged to adhere to its published load-shedding schedule and put in place
mechanisms to improve power supplies, recover all the outstanding debts from
senior government and prominent officials.
Residents have a right to
realise the full value of their money in rates from Zesa and all its
subsidiaries.
The KwaDukuza Municipality has sounded alarm
bells about the future of the R100-million Ballito property development by
Robert Mugabe’s former pilot.
Hundreds of thousands of rand in municipal
rates is owed on the property.
This emerged in papers filed in the Durban
High Court in response to a counter-application launched by the property
owner, Straightprops 92 and Formate Pty Ltd. Straightprops was responding to
an application by the municipality to force it to submit building plans for
approval, to stop work and to prevent occupation.
It has now emerged
that the municipality obtained a default judgment of R602 225.22 against
Straightprops in May.
The company has since been acquired by SalesTalk
403 Pty Ltd. Zimbabwean diamond mining magnate Robert Mhlanga is the sole
director. He is also the sole director of Formate Pty Ltd and chairman of
Mbada Diamonds in Zimbabwe.
A Mail and Guardian report yesterday claimed
that a deeds search had revealed that Mhlanga, using various shelf
companies, had bought four other properties over the past 18 months at
inflated prices. These included two R29m mansions in Hyde Park, Sandton; a
R25m house in Umhlanga Rocks and a R31m apartment in the Oysters, in
Umhlanga.
In court papers, Kwadukuza Municipality building control
officer Njabulo Ngwane, said of the Ballito property: “A private residence
of the size and nature proposed cannot be accommodated by the existing
zoning or property boundaries.
“Kwadukuza Municipality is extremely
concerned that what is being constructed will prove too costly to maintain
in the long term and become unmarketable and redundant.
“The first
respondent (Straightprops 92) is already in arrears with payment of rates
and judgment has been taken against it,” Ngwane said.
The municipality
also outlined its reasons for rejecting the property plans. It alleged that
the development had been undertaken in a “secretive manner”; that the
municipality had not been advised about it; and the developer’s attitude was
“puzzling and completely different from that which the applicant is used to
when dealing with the professionals and contractors which the respondents
have employed”.
He said the developer had not been forthcoming with
detailed plans or information.
“The applicant has been denied access
to working plans, drawings and other documents which will give details of
what is being built,” Ngwane said.
However, Mhlanga’s attorney Lazelle
Paola said yesterday that her client questioned the circumstances under
which the default judgment had been granted and was unaware of it until he
had seen the responding papers. She said her client would apply for
rescission of the judgment.
“Our client’s dispute the validity of many of
the items and many others are minor and not unusual in the context of a
building plan application. All items are being addressed and the plans will
be resubmitted,” Paola said.
“Our client’s dispute that the development
has been undertaken in a secretive manner.
“The order did not
prohibit access, and construction was not halted by the court. Only
occupation of the new structures is prohibited until the issue of
certificates of occupancy,” Paola said.
“All of the relevant matters
raised in the council’s latest affidavits will be addressed and it is not
appropriate to respond at this stage,” Paola said.
Asked to confirm
or deny the report of four additional properties, Paola said, “it does not
pertain to the litigation we are involved in and we hold no instructions
therewith.”
She stated Mhlanga was not associated with Zimbabwean
president Robert Mugabe.
“Dr Mhlanga denies having any business or
other relationship with President Mugabe save that Dr Mhlanga is a
Zimbabwean and Mugabe the head of state in Zimbabwe’”.
KwaDukuza
Municipality was earlier granted an interim order by consent in which the
developer agreed not to occupy any of the new structures on the properties,
to submit building plans, to allow access to building inspectors and to
demolish any further work done on the properties should plans not be
approved.
The property comprises an existing upmarket dwelling, two
new man-made dams, a new gazebo structure which functions as an
entertainment area, a new guard house and a new changeroom.
Mhlanga
had contended that the municipality had obstructed efforts to lodge plans on
several occasions, but the municipality denied this.
Several attempts to
contact Mhlanga through his local company in Joburg, Liparm, were
unsuccessful on Friday.
HIGHWAY cops smashed a suspected human smuggling
syndicate in Victoria Falls on Thursday and arrested 16 illegal immigrants
from Bangladesh.
Police believe the 16 evaded immigration authorities in
both Zambia and Zimbabwe on the porous border shared between the two
countries either side of the Victoria Falls Bridge. The 16 were held
together with their Zimbabwean driver of a commuter minibus which was
stopped by cops at a roadblock.
Jairos Chiona, the Victoria Falls police
chief, said: ““We are holding 16 Bangladesh nationals on suspicion of
illegal entry into the country.
“They managed to evade both Zimbabwe and
Zambia immigration procedures and were only arrested at a police roadblock
on their way to Bulawayo. “They are going to be charged under our immigration
laws and if convicted they will be deported.”
Their driver, who has
not been named, was “assisting police with their investigations”, he
added.
The group is expected to appear in court sometime on
Friday.
Corrupt immigration officials at the country's border posts are
blamed for an influx of illegal immigrants into Zimbabwe. Many simply bribe
their way through.
Zimbabwe’s cash-strapped government
is searching for a solution to the recurring problem of water-borne disease.
Getting clean water in some parts of Zimbabwe is
a luxury. The country was once tipped as one of the most prosperous in Africa
with a rich economy, but the government is currently battling to allocate
sufficient finances for water treatment and chemicals. The dire situation has
over the years resulted in the deaths of hundreds of residents from water-borne
diseases such as cholera. In 2008 the disease claimed an estimated 5,000
lives.
Cholera is a major threat to health in
Zimbabwe
Campaign launch
In an effort to address the problem, the
government is seeking to emulate other African countries that have taken action
to contain the situation. It recently launched a campaign entitled ‘Conserve
water and stop littering to save money and the environment.'
The campaign was launched by Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai at a ceremony in the high density suburb of Harare, Budiriro.
This was one of the areas hit most severely by the 2008 cholera outbreak. The
government is hoping the campaign will encourage Zimbabweans to use sparingly
the small amounts of clean water to which they have access.
Speaking at the launch, the prime minister
blamed the lack of clean water on multinational companies that get rid of liquid
waste in rivers which provide water to residents.
"As a government, I think that we must give
local authorities the power to arrest and fine anyone who is found dumping waste
in our water system. If there is no authority like that we must revisit that,"
Tsvangirai said.
Lack of finance
There is a need not only for a law to ensure
that the water in Zimbabwe's rivers is not polluted, but also for the government
to take measures to provide people with adequate water supplies. But this looks
like remaining a dream until the country's economic situation
stabilizes.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai told the audience at
the campaign launch that the government could not increase the allocation of
funds for water treatment until the cash flow situation in the country
improves.
The government also wants to improve waste
management
Amongst the audience was the former Area
Councilor for Budiriro suburb, Lovemore Chiito, who held office during the 2008
outbreak of cholera.
He praised the new campaign which he said
restored hope amongst the people.
"The government and residents must put their
heads together so that this campaign remains on course. We really want people
heavily involved in this campaign if it is to succeed," he told DW.
Clean water just a dream for
many
For a group of women sitting on a riverbank on
the outskirts of Harare, having access to clean water is just a dream. The women
chat as they do their laundry. The water looks filthy and the air is full of
flies buzzing around. Further down the stream other people are collecting water
for use at home. Despite the high risks attached to the use of untreated water,
they have no option but to use this water.
One of the women told DW how this situation came
about.
"This is water that we have been drinking after
standpipes were removed when they stopped delivering water. Many children suffer
from stomach ailments as a result of this water from the river," she
said.
Not an isolated
problem
Zimbabwe is not the only country in Africa that
is battling with water-borne diseases. Between June 23 and July 17, 2012 the
number of deaths from cholera in Sierra Leone is put at over 60. A statement
from the health ministry announced that four areas in the country including the
capital Freetown have been declared cholera outbreak areas.
According to a health official, "the outbreak
has been traced to unsanitary conditions, acute water shortages in many parts of
the country and migration from affected regions."
In Niger, authorities are concerned that a
cholera epidemic ,which broke out in January, has now spread to a refugee camp
housing Malians who had fled the unrest in the north of their country.
HARARE, Zimbabwe — When
Roger Boka started his auction business in the 1990s, this city’s tobacco
trading floors were hushed places, save the mellifluous patter of the
auctioneer. A handful of white farmers, each selling hundreds of bales of
tobacco, arrived in sport utility vehicles, checking into the city’s best hotels
while waiting for their big checks to be cut.
Tobacco growers were paid after selling their crop in
Harare, Zimbabwe, in April. Many small farms run by blacks have replaced larger
ones owned by whites. More Photos »
During this year’s
auction season, a very different scene unfolded underneath the cavernous roof of
the Bock Tobacco Auction Floors. Each day, hundreds of farmers arrived in
minibuses and on the backs of pickup trucks, many with wives and children in
tow. They camped in open fields nearby and swarmed to the cacophonous floor to
sell their crop. The place was lively and crowded; two women gave birth on the
auction floor. The most obvious difference, though, was the color of their
faces: every single one of them was black.
“You used to only see
white faces here,” said Rudo Boka, Mr. Boka’s daughter, who now runs the family
business. “Now it is for everybody. It is a beautiful sight.”
Before Zimbabwe’s
government began the violent and chaotic seizure of white-owned farms in 2000,
fewer than 2,000 farmers were growing tobacco, the country’s most lucrative
crop, and most were white. Today, 60,000 farmers grow tobacco here, the vast
majority of them black and many of them working small plots that were allotted
to them in the land upheavals. Most had no tobacco farming experience yet
managed to produce a hefty crop, rebounding from a low of 105 million pounds in
2008 to more than 330 million pounds this year.
The success of these
small-scale farmers has led some experts to reassess the legacy of Zimbabwe’s
forced land redistribution, even as they condemn its violence and destruction.
The takeover of white
commercial farms was a disaster for Zimbabwe on many levels. It undermined one
of Africa’s sturdiest economies, and as growth contracted and its currency
became worthless because of hyperinflation, joblessness and hunger grew. Large
chunks of land were handed to cronies of President Robert Mugabe, many of whom
did not farm them. It spurred a political crisis and violent reprisals by the
security forces that have killed hundreds of people. Yields on food and cash
crops plummeted.
But amid that pain, tens
of thousands of people got small farm plots under land reform, and in recent
years many of these new farmers overcame early struggles to fare pretty well.
With little choice but to work the land, the small-scale farmers have made a go
of it, producing yields that do not match those of the white farmers whose land
they were given, but are far from the disaster many anticipated, some analysts
and scholars say.
“We cannot make excuses
for the way it was carried out,” said Ian Scoones, an expert on farming at the
University of Sussex who has been intensively studying land reform in Zimbabwe
for the past decade. “But there are many myths that have taken hold — that land
reform has been an unmitigated disaster, that all the land has been taken over
by cronies in the ruling party, that the whole thing has been a huge mess. It
has not. Nor has it been a roaring success.”
The result has been a
broad, if painful, shift of wealth in agriculture from white commercial growers
on huge farms to black farmers on much smaller plots of land. Last year, these
farmers shared $400 million worth of tobacco, according to the African Institute
for Agrarian Studies, earning on average
$6,000 each, a vast sum to most Zimbabweans.
“The money that was
shared between 1,500 large-scale growers is now shared with 58,000 growers, most
of them small scale,” said Andrew Matibiri, the director of Zimbabwe’s Tobacco
Industry and Marketing Board. “That is a major change in the country.”
The new farmers are
receiving virtually no assistance from the government, which for years poured
money into larger farms given to politically connected elites.
Instead, farmers are
getting help from the tobacco industry, in the form of loans, advances and
training. It is in Ms. Boka’s interest to revive the industry, so the company
has invested heavily in helping farmers improve the yields and quality.
Tobacco is a tricky crop,
requiring precise application of fertilizer and careful reaping. It must then be
cured and graded properly to fetch a top price.
Recently, Alex Vokoto,
head of public relations at the auction house, spotted several bales of
desirable tobacco leaves cured to a honey color on the floor, and hustled the
man who grew them, Stuart Mhavei, into the V.I.P. lounge for a cup of coffee and
a chat.
“This man is growing top-quality tobacco, and he has only
been at it for three years,” Mr. Vokoto said.
Mr. Mhavei, a 40-year-old
tile layer, got a small piece of a tobacco farm several years ago in the town of
Centenary in central Mashonaland, about 80 miles from Harare.
“All the big guys who got
land, they are doing nothing,” Mr. Vokoto said. “But these small guys are
working hard and really producing.”
Mr. Mhavei has steadily
increased his yield, quality and income. So far this season, he has earned more
than $10,000 on part of a vast farm that once belonged to a white family,
investing the profits in a truck to transport his tobacco, as well as renting
the truck to other farmers.
Mr. Mhavei said that like
many of the other people who got land, he supports Mr. Mugabe and his party,
ZANU-PF.
“Why should one white man
have all this?” he asked, sweeping an arm across the lush, rolling farmland
around his fields. “This is Zimbabwe. Black people must come first.”
Charles Taffs, president
of the Commercial Farmers Union, said that the industry could have been
transformed to include more black farmers in a much less destructive way.
“The tragedy with tobacco
is that expansion, if they had the right policies, could have been done in the
1990s in conjunction with the commercial sector,” Mr. Taffs said. Instead,
hundreds of thousands of workers have lost their jobs and the country has
suffered huge economic losses as a result.
The personal cost for
white commercial farmers has been immense. One white tobacco farmer in northern
Zimbabwe whose family purchased its land after independence described the slow,
painful erosion of his family’s livelihood.
“Now that we are down to
less than 200 hectares, there isn’t enough income to support everyone,” said the
farmer, who asked not to be identified because he feared seizure of even more
land if he spoke out. A plot of 200 hectares is less than 500 acres.
His brother had to leave
the farm to find work elsewhere, and his own future was deeply uncertain. The
farm employs far fewer workers. Yields are down since critical investments in
irrigation and other infrastructure have been put off, he said.
“We are Zimbabweans,” the
farmer said. “We employ people, and take care of our workers. It is really
painful to see this happening to our country.”
The tobacco yield is
still below its peak in 2000, when the crop hit 522 million pounds. But Tendai
Murisa, a researcher who has studied tobacco farming since land reform, said
that judging the success of land reform by looking at production figures misses
a crucial point.
“No one ever argued that
this is a more productive form of farming,” Mr. Murisa said. “But does it share
wealth more equitably? Does it give people a sense of dignity and ownership?
Those things have value, too.”
Our new
draft constitution has finally been released. It has been four years in the
making and cost over forty million US dollars to get to this stage. The draft
runs to 164 pages; each of its fifty six thousand plus words has cost over
one thousand US dollars. Within hours of its release the draft constitution
had been posted on numerous websites on the internet.
Despite the vast
expense, incessant leaks, political bickering, accusations and threats, the
release of the Draft Constitution did not make headline news on the country’s
one and only TV station. ZBC TV relegated the news of our new Draft
Constitution to a sluggish slot, twenty six minutes into their main evening
news bulletin. The Draft Constitution came in fifth place after stories of
the President talking at the AU , the President calling for the removal
of sanctions, the President launching a women’s economic
empowerment framework and Zanu PF saying there was no going back on
their disbanding of their party’s district co-ordinating
committees.
Inspecting and understanding 164 pages of a document so
critical to the future of our country is no small task but already eyebrows
are being raised about the most contentious topics whose interpretation
is difficult and often confusing. In the grey areas it’s hard to
know which are the guiding principles Zimbabweans really wanted and
which are the result of negotiated settlements between rival
political parties protecting their own interests.
Expecting to read
that the current President, in power for the past thirty two years, would not
be able to stand again in elections next year, the draft constitution has
introduced new limits but they will not disqualify current leaders from
standing again. The new draft reads: “A person is disqualified for election
as President or Vice President if he or she has already held office as
President under this Constitution for two terms.”
Then there is the
section relating to citizenship. Despite earlier assurances that dual
citizenship would be enabled in the draft constitution, it isn’t. Three
million plus Zimbabweans living in the diaspora must be questioning what
their place or that of their children is in the future of our country or in
its decision making. For those Zimbabweans in the diaspora who have
faithfully been sending home millions of dollars every month to support their
families, not to mention the economy, this is a sad, sad day.
Eyebrows
are raised at the section relating to the right to life. Conditions have been
significantly increased but it seems the death penalty will continue to be
allowed - for men - but not for women. So if a man commits aggravated murder
he will die but if a woman does the same she won’t. Surely the question then
will easily be: who was holding the gun?
A referendum on this draft
constitution may take place as soon as October and is expected to cost thirty
million US dollars but at this stage it is not clear which Zimbabweans will
actually be able to vote in that referendum. Will all the born and raised,
resident ‘aliens’ already struck off, be allowed to vote in the
referendum or just the resident ‘aliens’ whose parents were born in SADC,
or none of the resident ‘aliens’ until the electoral laws are changed? NO
one seems able to answer the question.
Trying to make headway through the
164 page draft constitution our attention couldn’t help but he diverted by
the sudden freezing weather to hit the country. Thick frost, frozen hose
pipes, outdoor water bowls and bird baths turned to solid ice and plants
burnt and crisped. According to the met dept a cold continental air flow is
upon us, it will last for a week and night time temperatures of minus
three degrees Celsius can be expected in some centres. The quote
which raised a smile came from the head of the Met Dept who said: “
People are also advised to put on warm clothing.”
Parliamentary Committees Series - 20th July 2012 [Meetings Open to the Public: 23-26 July]
BILL
WATCH
PARLIAMENTARY
COMMITTEES SERIES
[20th July 2012]
Committee Meetings Open to the Public 16th to 19th
July
NOTE:
Members of the public who cannot attend meetings, including Zimbabweans in the
Diaspora, can at any time send written submissions to committees by email
addressed to clerk@parlzim.gov.zw
Thematic Committee and Portfolio Committees will meet this week, in
both open and closed session.Only the meetings
listed below will be open to the public – as observers only, not as participants, i.e. members of the
public can listen but not speak.The
meetings will be held at Parliament in Harare.If attending, please use the entrance on Kwame Nkrumah Ave between 2nd
and 3rd Streets and note that IDs must be produced.
This
bulletin is based on the latest information from Parliament.But, as there are sometimes last-minute
changes to the schedule, persons wishing to attend a meeting should avoid
disappointment by checking with the committee clerk [see below] that the meeting
is still on and open to the public.Parliament’s telephone numbers are Harare 700181 and
252936.
Monday
23rd July at 10 am
Portfolio Committee: Defence
and Home Affairs
Oral
evidence from the Secretary for Defence on war veterans projects
bids.
Committee
Room No 2
Chairperson: Hon
MadzoreClerk: Mr
Daniel
Public Accounts Committee
Oral
evidence from the Ministry of Mines and Energy on their 2009 and 2010 annual
reports
Committee
Room No. 4
Chairperson: Hon
ChinyadzaClerk: Mrs
Nyawo
Monday
23rd July at 2 pm
Portfolio Committee: Budget,
Finance, Economic Planning and Investment Promotion
Oral
evidence from the Deposit Protection Board on the placingof Interfin Holdings Limited under
curatorship and the closure of Genesis Bank
Committee
Room No. 4
Chairperson: Hon ZhandaClerk: Mr
Ratsakatika
Tuesday
24th July at 10 am
No open meetings
Wednesday
25th July at 10am
Portfolio Committee: Media,
Information and Communication Technology
Oral
evidence from POTRAZ on the state of
telecommunications in Zimbabwe and the utilisation the of Universal Service
Fund
Senate
Chamber
Chairperson: Hon
ChikwinyaClerk: Mr
Mutyambizi
Thursday
26th July at 10 am
No open
meetings
Veritas
makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied
