The Marange diamond mine in
eastern Zimbabwe has been the scene of human rights abuses Image by:
Picture: TSVANGIRAYI MUKWAZHI
A Zimbabwe court has jailed a
former senior police officer for 18 years for beating a diamond miner to death
last year.
This the first conviction related to alleged abuses at
the mines.
The High Court found Joseph Chani, 51, a former
police chief superintendent, guilty of murdering the illegal diamond panner in
Zimbabwe's Marange fields and the assault of three others.
Prosecutors said Chani, who retired from the
police force during his trial, beat Tsorotsai Kusena, 37, with clubs, leading to
his death in September 2011.
Judge Hlekani Mwayera said the police officer
would also serve three years concurrently for the assault of the three other
panners.
Junior police officers and soldiers who guard
the fields gave evidence during the trial about how Chani had assaulted the
small-scale miners.
The Marange fields have been at the centre of a
years-long controversy over alleged abuses by President Robert Mugabe's army,
and the Kimberley Process once suspended exports from there.
But last year the international watchdog cleared
Zimbabwe to export from Marange, the site of one of Africa's biggest diamond
finds in recent years.
Rights groups have alleged gross human rights
violations in the Marange fields, when the Zimbabwean army cleared small-scale
miners from the area in late 2008.
Human Rights Watch says more than 200 people
were killed in the operation.
There were scenes of jubilation in Mutare on
Thursday when a senior police officer was sentenced to 21 years in jail for
murdering a diamond panner in Chiadzwa.
As soon as word went around
that Joseph Chani, the 51 year-old former Chief Superintendent, had been
convicted and sent to jail, a lot of residents in the eastern border City
could not contain their joy and elation.
The former ZANLA war vet was not
only despised by the residents for his brutality, but by his own colleagues
in the police force and soldiers based in Mutare.
Although he was the
officer-commanding Mutare district, Chani had no respect for authority,
especially towards his commanding officer in Manicaland province, Senior
Assistant Commissioner Munorwei Shava Mathuthu.
Transferred to Mutare on
a special assignment to stop the smuggling of diamonds from the Marange
diamond fields, Chani thereafter assumed so much power that he became
untouchable.
A Mutare based journalist told SW Radio Africa that Chani
became such a powerful figure that even the Governor Christopher Mushowe,
and both ZANU PF and MDC-T legislators, were scared to cross his
path.
‘He used to physically assault police officers and soldiers who
held junior positions to his if he suspected them of dealing in diamonds. He
harassed vendors he thought were smugglers and residents were scared of him.
No one dared cross his path and he didn’t see eye to eye with his commanding
officer,’ the journalist said.
There are allegations that in one week
Chani was involved in the killing of 15 suspected diamond smugglers along
the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border. These allegations have never been
investigated although the police are aware of them.
‘It’s believed
the evidence is there because he used his service pistol to shoot most of
the victims and if forensics were to be carried out, he would be fingered as
the culprit. The reason why the police didn’t block his murder case was that
there was so much overwhelming evidence lodged against him by members of the
public.’
His troubles started in September last year when he brutally
assaulted four family members in police holding cells after they were
arrested on allegations of illegal diamond panning.
The brutal
beatings led to the death of Tsorosai Kusena and the other three
complainants, Pikirai Kusena, Onesai Kusena and John Gwite, testified that
they still felt pain due to the torture.
‘Usually when police
officers commit such crimes they go to great lengths to cover their deeds,
including covering up for each other. But in this case, almost every police
officer wanted to testify against him and all were unwilling to sweep the
incident under the carpet,’ the journalist, who asked not to be identified,
said.
When passing sentence on Thursday Justice Hlekani Mwayera said
Chani had abused his office and tainted the image of the police
force.
‘The accused became a menace and a law unto himself at the diamond
base. This has tarnished the image of the police force and society loses
confidence in police with such conduct.
‘He also abused his position
of authority considering how he uncontrollably assaulted the complainants,’
the judge said.
Zimbabwe’s central bank governor, Gideon Gono, warned the
government yesterday against its planned seizure of majority stakes in
foreign-owned banks, saying the move breached the country’s own banking
laws.
“There is no law that provides for arbitrariness on the part of
anyone and/or expropriation of banking assets in Zimbabwe yesterday, today
or tomorrow,” Gono said.
In a government notice made public this
week, Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere gave foreign banks and
other companies a year to cede a 51 percent stake to locals, as required
under current laws.
“I will soon be consulting with and obtaining further
guidance from… President Robert Mugabe on the latest moves by the minister
in relation to the sector that I superintend, the banking sector,” Gono
said.
Mugabe’s “instructions will be final in the manner in which we will
proceed”, he added.
In 2007 Zimbabwe enacted a law that forces all
foreign-owned companies to hand over a majority stake of at least 51 percent
to local people.
The law has forced mining firms, including Impala
Platinum subsidiary Zimplats, to submit schedules on how they will surrender
majority shares.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, a partner with Mugabe
in the power-sharing government, has dismissed the ultimatum on the banks as
illegal and a threat to the ailing economy’s recovery prospects.
Gono
said Zimbabweans wishing to set up banks should apply “and we will give them
a licence to join the sector at 100 percent ownership (rather) than waste
money in taking over other people’s banks”.
The latest notice, aside from
banks, also covers schools, universities, hotels and telecommunications
firms.
Written by Richard Chidza, Staff Writer Friday,
06 July 2012 15:04
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe is likely to
side with Indeginisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s decision to grab
shareholding in foreign-owned banks, presidential spokesperson George
Charamba has said.
Charamba’s comments come after Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono launched a scathing attack on Kasukuwere
saying the bank takeovers were illegal.
But Charamba told the Daily
News yesterday that Gono and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai should explain
why they had become spokespersons of foreign shareholders regarding the
ceding of a mandatory 51 percent under the country’s indigenisation
law.
Tsvangirai and Gono lambasted Kasukuwere’s drive to expropriate
shareholding in banks such as Barclays and Standard
Chartered.
Charamba said: “The media has not asked these two (Gono and
Tsvangirai) why they are speaking on behalf of foreigners. I can almost
predict the President’s response to this. He will dismiss this false
conflict with the contempt it deserves,” Charamba said.
Kasukuwere
says Gono and Tsvangirai are offside because he is targeting shareholders,
declaring: “The banking sector must not be treated as a sacred
cow.”
Charamba said Mugabe shared Kasukuwere’s stance.
“The
indeginisation issue is a matter between the government and foreign
shareholders,” Charamba said.
“The technocrat (Gono) should speak to
Finance minister Tendai Biti, who will then discuss this issue with the
President. If dialogue does not fix this, then it goes to Cabinet,” he
said.
Charamba said Tsvangirai should be better informed.
“If the
PM has a problem with a particular policy he should use the right channels
not the media or speak through a spokesperson,” Charamba said.
Gono this
week hit Kasukuwere hard saying the minister was least qualified to talk
about banks since he was part of the shareholders who presided over the
collapse of Genesis Bank.
Robert Mugabe may still be pushing for a general
election in Zimbabwe to happen as soon as possible, but the ageing ZANU PF
leader has insisted there is no money for the country to hold critical
by-elections.
This was revealed in the Supreme Court this week, where
judgement was reserved on an appeal of a ruling ordering Mugabe to call for
by-elections in three constituencies.
The case was launched by MPs
Abednico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu after they were fired as
MPs for Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima East by the Welshman Ncube-led
MDC. This followed accusations that they were siding with the MDC led by
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
The MPs then petitioned the High Court
to direct the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), its chief elections
officer Lovemore Sekeramayi and Mugabe to facilitate the by-elections. The
matter was presided over by Justice Nicholas Ndou last year who ordered the
by-election process to begin without delay. Ndou dismissed the case against
ZEC and Sekeremayi, but upheld the case against Mugabe, ruling that
according to the Constitution Mugabe had the power to call for the
constituency elections.
The decision was appealed with the Mugabe legal
team insisting there isn’t money to have by-elections in all the
constituencies where there is a vacancy, with 38 seats across the country
still empty. ZANU PF Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa has said the
government is too broke to afford the estimated US$38 million needed for the
by-elections for the 38 constituencies.
Representing the President at
the Supreme Court this Thursday, Advocate Ray Goba said Justice Ndou
‘misdirected’ himself when he failed to consider Mugabe’s
affidavit.
“In his affidavit, he (Mugabe) said everyone was fully aware
of the economic situation prevailing in Zimbabwe since 2008 and that because
of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country, the government did not have
any money,” Goba said on behalf of Mugabe.
He added: “For this
reason, it is not possible to hold by-elections and as soon as funds permit
they shall be held.”
Political analyst Professor John Makumbe told SW
Radio Africa that ZANU PF’s reluctance to hold by-elections is a sign of
their insecurity, because of how the balance of power will shift in
Parliament if the constituency vote is allowed now.
“If a by-election
is called, even just in these three constituencies, then the MDC-T will
likely gain three more seats and ZANU PF is not willing to allow that,”
Makumbe said.
He added: “Support for ZANU PF has declined notably, to the
extent that they have had to dissolve their District Coordinating Committees
because of factionalism and declining support at grassroots levels. So they
are petrified about any by-election anywhere in the country.”
WOZA women spent 48 hours in the hell hole that
is Bulawayo central police station cells. During that time the police hid
two of them away in an office denying access to them. Police officers lied
that they had rushed Sibongile Lumbile to hospital, instead they ignored her
breathing problems and made her sit hidden away in an office thereby denying
her access to food for the night. Food has to be brought in by the support
team as the police arrest people whom they cannot
feed. 06.07.1211:00am by WOZA
The activists had an extra
day in custody due to the police homicide department refusing to accept the
case and process the activists for court. The excuse - WOZA can only be
dealt with by the notorious Law and Order department! Police in this unit
are plain clothed intelligence officers who target opposition voices in
Zimbabwe.
Officers in this department have pursued WOZA and its leaders
on political orders as if WOZA is a public enemy rather than a women's
movement peacefully fighting for social justice.
These are just some
of the reasons one of the messages painted on the roads reads 'Fire Chihuri'
- he is the police commissioner appointed by the President and leads a
partisan police force.
Judge for yourself but send us your views or
questions regarding this! To help you here are the messages reflected in the
police docket put in court papers. The police are accusing the ladies of
writing the following messages on the main roads:
Sibongile Lumbile
accused of writing 'DEVOLUTION'. Catherine, Violet and Vigilant accused of
writing 'DEVOLUTION OF POWER' Mpikelelo, Eunice and Teresia accused of
writing 'NO TO DEATH PENALTY' Miriam and Ottilia accused of writing 'No to
snap elections and Go and register to vote'
WOZA would like to also
acknowledge the hundreds of members who participated in the Monday write-in
of messages all over the western suburbs of Bulawayo and Harare. These are
some of their messages they wrote: Free + safe streets/ Freedom of peaceful
protest/ We want Separation of powers/ Gender equality /Free primary school
education/ Devolution for development /No to death penalty /Women demand
equal pay/ Women demand Protection from violence/ Informal trade + licenses/
Young President 2 terms/ Fire Chihuri/ Fire AG Tomana /Fire Mudede
/Referendum first /Boycott snap election/ Resources for development /Remove
militia /Refugees in our own country
Written by Tonderai Kwenda, Investigations
Editor Friday, 06 July 2012 15:02
HARARE - Troubled national
airline Air Zimbabwe was on Wednesday grounded yet again, this time not
because of an industrial action by workers but technical issues.
Its
two Boeing 737 aircrafts and one Boeing 767 plane currently plying domestic
routes and servicing President Robert Mugabe’s overseas trips are left with
very few flying hours, informed sources at the airline have told the Daily
News.
One of the two Boeing 737’s flying hours lapsed on June 28 and has
been put in the hangar for the required extensive technical checks known as
Corrosion-Check or C-Check.
The other two’s flying hours will lapse
in the next few weeks, sources say.
Old problems such as prolonged labour
disputes are coming back to haunt Air Zimbabwe.
“The problem is this
C-Check cannot be done without workers because it requires a good number of
people to work on it,” a source told the Daily News.
At the time of
writing, sources said one of the Boeing 737 planes was left with just under
10 hours of flying time while the Being 767 aircraft is left with just under
30 hours of flying time.
The mandatory C-Check routines are periodic
inspections that have to be done on all commercial/civil aircraft after
approximately every 15–21 months or a specific amount of actual flight hours
(FH) as defined by the manufacturer of the aircraft.
This maintenance
check is much more extensive as pretty much the whole aircraft is
inspected.
This check puts the aircraft out of service and unless it is
completed, the aircraft must not leave the maintenance site. It is also
usually done in a hangar at a maintenance base.
The time needed to
complete such a check is generally one to two weeks and the work involved
can require up to 6 000 man-hours.
The Boeing 737 aircraft, which last
went through a C-Check last July, needs three weeks of work to complete the
procedure which involves the dismantling of the whole aircraft.
Air
Zimbabwe will have to recall some of its legion of restive workers to do the
C-Check as it requires a huge number of technicians and engineers to carry
out the task.
The workers, who have been on strike for several months,
particularly the engineers, have been reluctant to return to work before
receiving their outstanding salaries.
As a result, Air Zimbabwe
management was last week forced to pay half of the salaries owed to
engineers to lure them back to work.
Furthermore, the procedure will set
back the struggling national airline $400 000 in costs on each
aircraft.
Permanent secretary in the ministry of Transport Patson Mbiriri
was dispatched to the airline’s headquarters on Tuesday to have a first-hand
appreciation of the latest crisis.
The C-Check could have been done
earlier but was abandoned when engineers went on strike last
year.
The latest turn of events comes as Air Zimbabwe has just been
handed a 90-day ultimatum by the International Air Transport Association
(Iata) to comply with global safety standards or face a ban from using
international airports and air spaces of other countries.
The warning
was issued after the troubled national carrier failed to carry out a
mandatory audit.
Air Zimbabwe also risks being struck off the register if
it fails to comply with international safety standards in three months which
means it will be unable to take up to world skies as its continued
operations would endanger passengers.
Iata is a global aviation body
that works with airline members and the air transport industry to promote
safe, reliable, secure and economic air travel for the benefit of world
travellers.
Although the airline recently took delivery of a new
generation Airbus and is in the process of receiving a second one, it cannot
fly the aircraft because of registration issues.
The plane has been
in the hangar at the Harare International Airport since its arrival from
France.
Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive Innocent Mavhunga refused to
speak on the matter.
“I cannot comment on that matter,” he
said.
Shingai Taruvinga, Air Zimbabwe’s public relations manager had also
not responded to questions sent to her by last night.
An official at
Air Zimbabwe said one of the Boeing 737 planes which has been on C-Check
will be out of the hangar today ready to fly.
Nompumelelo Moyo Bulawayo, July
06, 2012- Zimbabwe Diamond mining companies have so far not yet expressed
interest in exhibiting at the annual Mine Entra 2012 scheduled to run from
July 25 to 27 at Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds in
Bulawayo.
In an interview with Radio Voice of the People, ZITF general
manager, Daniel Chigaru, said: “We have no diamond mining company that has
enquired or is exhibiting to date, may be in the next three weeks that we
are left with, they will come and we are still working with THE Ministry of
Mines and Mining Development in partnership with Chamber of Mines Zimbabwe
on who is going to officially open Mine Entra on the 26th of this
month.”
The show is set to provide a platform for networking, exchange of
ideas and deal making and to date the exhibition looks likely to surpass the
1997 edition, where the company recorded the highest ever number of
exhibitors and amount of space taken.
Diamond revenues in Zimbabwe
remain unclear with Finance Minister Tendai Biti, claiming that the four
mines were not declaring everything.
Controversy in the mining of diamond
in the country was heightened with the recent announcement that mining
licenses will be issued to uniformed forces, raising fears that revenues may
be used to enrich top officials in the Zanu (PF) party.
This year’s
Mine Entra is kicking off under the theme entitled “Real Local Treasure,
Strike Global Returns”.
To date over 6, 500 square metres of exhibition
space, a 33 percent increase from last year at the same time, has so far
been taken up. A total of 5,798 square metres was sold at Mine Entra in
2011.
“In total, 200 direct exhibitors have confirmed their participation
so far against last year’s closing total of 2009. Of this, 10 are foreign
exhibitors, mainly from South Africa, occupying 100 square metres,” said
Chigaru.
He said that a healthy mix of mining, engineering and
transport products and services will be on show including heavy engineering,
conveyors, rubber products, electrics and electronics as well as pumps and
other equipment.
“The Mine Entra 2012 will also showcase services such as
banking, security, insurance, customs clearing, medical and chemical
supplies. Building and construction equipment will also be prominent as well
as protective clothing and other safety products,” said Chigaru.
He
added that Mine Entra 2012 conference and Joint Suppliers and Purchasers
Conference were some of the highlights of the exhibition that have been
organised in conjunction with Chamber of Mines Zimbabwe.
“Both
conferences will add value to Mine Entra participants and give an
opportunity to up-date all stakeholders on the state of the mining industry
in Zimbabwe. We look forward to a fruitful and successful Mine Entra 2012.
Advertisers and sponsors are invited to take advantage of this opportunity
to increase their visibility,” said Chigaru.
Harare, July 06, 2012 -
They traded where the angels feared and they seem to be reaping the
rewards.
While many investors voted against Zimbabwe with their feet in
2008 leaving the country when its economy was on its knees, for them it was
the right time to invest. Now they dream of building the biggest shopping
mall in Africa, outside South Africa, in Harare’s up market Borrowdale
suburb.
West property, Augur Investments and McCormick Property
Development, are dreaming of building a $ 100 million Shopping Mall in
Zimbabwe.
Although the controversial project is facing resistance from
Borrowdale residents and environmentalists, Jason McCormick, Managing
Director of McCormick Property Development, told Radio VOP that, “it's a
juggernaut that cannot be stopped.”
The project is set for a ground
breaking ceremony later this year.
Ken Sharpe of Augur Investments said
the, “project is the largest commercial development ever in
Zimbabwe.”
When complete the project will see the creation of a $100
million shopping centre made up of over 150 retail outlets occupying 68 000
square metres of space and catering for thousands of shoppers every
day.
The mall will be situated along Borrowdale Road, opposite the famous
Borrowdale Race Course. Before it has even taken off the ground the Mall of
Zimbabwe has already attracted significant tenants and some of them are the
big South African retailers.
“The Mall of Zimbabwe will be modeled
along Cape Town’s V and A Waterfront. It will have up market restaurants and
has already attracted tenants such as ShopRite, Pick and Pay, Spar,
Woolworths, Edgars, Truworths, Game and Mr Price,” said
McCormick.
The Mall of Zimbabwe will only open its doors in October 2014.
It will consist of a closed air-conditioned regional mall made up of shops,
restaurants, banks, fast food outlets, and other recreational facilities. It
is estimated that 4000 jobs will be created by the project.
The Mall
of Zimbabwe is being developed on a site acquired by Augur Investments in
terms of a controversial barter trade deal between the Government of
Zimbabwe and Augur Investments which augur is financing the design and
construction of the Harare Main airport highway.
The tri-partite
investment partners say they used their gut feelings to decide to sink their
money into Zimbabwe.
“While everyone was running away from Zimbabwe, we
used our gut feelings to invest, we sought the local knowledge and we felt
it was time to put money into the country,” said McCormick.
He said
they were impressed by what they saw and never looked back on investing in a
country still considered by some investors as a no go area.
They have big
plans too.
“We want to spread our property development to other parts of
the country. In fact we also want to bring the town to the rural areas,”
said McCormick.
Although they have faced resistance and accusations of
cutting corners with their investment, the tri-partite investors remain
unfazed by that talk.
“We have the backing of the President, Prime
Minister and cabinet ministers because they understand what we are trying to
do for Zimbabwe and we obey the laws of the country,” said
McCormick.
In the meantime they are concentrating on putting up more
construction cranes on the skylines of Harare and help keep the resurgent
economy ticking.
SEVERAL Ministers from the two formations of the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) have been placed under investigations over alleged
wealth accumulation in what is perceived to be part of efforts by hardliners
in ZANU-PF to boost President Robert Mugabe’s re-election bid in the
forthcoming polls.
Highly-placed sources revealed this week that
ZANU-PF was desperate to expose real or imagined corrupt dealings by its
governing partners to discredit them in the eyes of the voters in elections
President Mugabe’s party wants held this year.
ZANU-PF spin-doctors
would soon be revealing the names of targeted MDC ministers in the media as
part of a wider smear campaign. The State media recently claimed that
Finance Minister Tendai Biti was under probe, with police spokesperson Wayne
Bvudzijena, denying such an investigation of the MDC-T secretary
general.
Biti is being accused of transferring US$20 million from the
International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights into an FBC Bank account
and then to Interfin Bank, in violation of the law.
On Tuesday, the
Ministry of Finance ran an advertisement admitting Treasury had been
prejudiced of about US$17,4 million by Interfin which failed to release the
money before its placement under a six-month curatorship last month.
Treasury said the development has undermined the performance of the Zimbabwe
Economic Trade Revival Facility jointly funded by the government and the
African Export Import Bank.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as well as
the leader of the rival MDC formation, Welshman Ncube are also among those
targeted by ZANU-PF.
There are attempts to make a case against Ncube, who
is the Minister of Industry and Commerce on grounds that he may have
personally benefitted from the Essar deal. Those in ZANU-PF are alleged to
suspect him after he shot down two Chinese firms they preferred to partner
the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company and settled for the Indian firm without
the involvement of the Mines and Mining Development Ministry headed by Obert
Mpofu of ZANU-PF.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai was a victim of another probe
that centred on allegations that he had “double dipped” into State funds
that were meant for the construction of his residence at a cost of more than
US$1,5 million. While the premier denied the allegations, the case has since
been referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Energy and Power
Development Minister, Elton Mangoma is also said to be among those targeted
following previous court appearances on graft which collapsed.
While
MDC insiders have been quick to dismiss allegations against their ministers
as trumped up charges meant to discredit them ahead of polls, there has been
public concern over the perceived “sudden” opulence displayed by some of the
MDC-T’s young ministers even though sources say it pales in comparison to
the accumulation of their ZANU-PF counterparts.
So far, MDC-T councillors
countrywide have been implicated in corrupt dealings especially in the
allocation of land in their respective municipalities as well as stripping
councils of their assets.
Giving credence to speculation the MDC
ministers are targeted, writing in the State media on Saturday, Nathaniel
Manheru, who iS thought to be privy to the goings-on in ZANU-PF, appeared to
make reference to the probe.
He said a list of offending MDC figures
would be released in due course adding that the “noise” being made about
diamond revenues was meant to camouflage looting by ZANU-PF’s
rivals.
He indicated that the revelations were linked to the coming
polls.
“Today the MDC has failed both the competence test and the
integrity test. It wallows in countless scandals, its officials now
numbering among the richest, especially by way of real estate. I shall have
occasion to trace for the reader this property labyrinth traceable to MDC
ministers who are hardly four years in their portfolios, on a paltry
salary,” wrote Manheru.
“Only then will it become plain that all the
carping about Chiadzwa is but diversionary talk. The list is about ready.
That is the beauty about an election season, is it not? No holds are
barred.”
But police spokesman, Bvudzijena said in a brief telephone
interview that he was not aware of any probe targeting MDC ministers in the
coalition government.
“I am not aware of such a probe,” he
said.
Biti recently blamed the precarious state of government finances on
lack of transparency in accounting for revenues from Chiadzwa diamond
fields.
The minister said only a trickle had been realised, forcing
Treasury to revise downwards its US$4 billion budget.
MDC-T
spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, said his party was well aware of a plot by
ZANU-PF to manufacture allegations against its leaders as a ploy to
discredit and weaken them ahead of polls.
“We know that ZANU-PF is
trying to manufacture stories against our leaders and it’s nothing new. The
fact of the matter is that our deployees in government — our ministers, our
deputy ministers, our Prime Minister, our Deputy Prime Minister — have done
very well to improve the lot of the people of Zimbabwe,” said
Mwonzora.
MDC vice president, Edwin Mushoriwa, said the integrity of
people his party had seconded to government was unquestionable, but claimed
there are some ZANU-PF ministers who were corrupt, without naming
anyone.
Mushoriwa said the origins of some of the wealth the ZANU-PF
ministers have is untraceable, adding that the MDC subscribed to the tenet
of public officials declaring their assets in order to establish a paper
trail where there are signs of obscene accumulation of wealth.
“Some
ZANU-PF ministers are the ones who have been mentioned now and then in
relation to corruption. The integrity of our people in government is
unquestionable. Our councillors have never been found on the wrong side when
it comes to corruption. All our Members of Parliament were never mentioned
in the looting of the Constituency Development Fund,” said Mushoriwa.
-Fingaz
ZANU-PF members
are no longer allowed to entertain any succession talk for as long as their
current leader, President Robert Mugabe is still in office, the party’s
secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa revealed this week.
In an
interview, Mutasa said the party’s central committee, which is ZANU-PF’s
policy-making organ, disbanded the party’s District Coordinating Committees
(DCC) because they were being used by those seeking to succeed President
Mugabe to position themselves thereby destabilising the party.
This
came amid intense infighting in the districts as ZANU-PF heavyweights sought
to thrust their loyalists at the helm of grassroots organs in preparation of
a take over of control of the party upon the incumbent’s
departure.
Mutasa said in light of the scrapping of the DCCs any
party member who would attempt to use other avenues to advance his or her
ambitions for the top office would be punished.
“The position is: as
Africans we cannot succeed a chief who is still there.There should be no
talk of succession, it causes some of us in the leadership to be
embarrassed,” said Mutasa.
“The people in the DCC’s knew that they were
being influenced. They should have realised that that was wrong. If any
other persons follow similar processes, we will take similar
actions.”
The party’s secretary for administration said it was not a
crime to have ambitions but members should keep them in
control.
“Even in Britain, Prince William does not go around saying I
will succeed the queen,” added Mutasa.
Announcing the decision to
disband the party’s DCC‘s last Friday, President Mugabe said the organ had
become a weapon used to divide the party. But observers say the move may
weaken the party as it alienates it from the grassroots. They also pointed
out that the decision was taken with no consultation with the affected
parties, which may fuel disenchantment.
President Mugabe has previously
said if he were to relinquish the leadership of the party at this juncture,
ZANU-PF stands the risk of collapse due to divisions.
President
Mugabe has also said handing the torch on the eve of an election would
result in the party’s new candidate being defeated by Movement for
Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who became the country’s Prime
Minister following the formation of the inclusive government in
2009. Tsvangirai had outpolled the ZANU-PF leader in the first round of
voting during the March 2008 elections, but withdrew from participating in
the presidential run-off three months later, citing politically motivated
violence that claimed the lives of some of his party’s members and
supporters. - FinGaz
ZimPride, a new election awareness and advocacy
group targeting the youth, is urging young people to have their voice heard
and register to vote in the next harmonized election.
John Vincent
Chikwari, director of the group, told SW Radio Africa’s Election Watch
program that a study they conducted recently found that a high percentage of
18-25 year-olds were not registered to vote.
‘Not being on the voter’s
roll is a key reason why young people are unable to vote, with many not even
aware they have to register.
‘We sampled voters’ rolls in Chitungwiza,
Chiredzi and Masvingo and there is some worrying information which shows
young people and those from politically charged areas are least likely to be
registered to vote,’ Chikwari said.
He also urged a number of young
people who have moved away from where they are registered to vote, to change
their voting registration to their current residence.
It is estimated
that out of a population of about 12 million people in Zimbabwe, five
million of them are between the ages 18 and 35.
‘Our study showed us that
there were impressive figures of people in that range not registered at all.
In the past a lack of faith in the political system has marginalized the
youth vote and frustrated youth have often been manipulated to participate
in electoral violence.
‘As ZimPride, we want to change that. We strongly
encourage young people to register and to go out and vote in the next poll.
It is their democratic right and a great opportunity to have their say in
how they shape the future of this country,’ Chikwari added.
He
continued: ‘It’s high time we do away with the perception that young people
are often complacent and apathetic to issues of governance. Bad leaders are
elected by those who never vote.’
Chikwari pointed to numerous times in
the past 18 months when the courage of young people has changed the balance
of power in some countries, adding that ZimPride aims to push Zimbabwean
youth to get their ID cards, and educate them on the importance of
registering and voting.
‘Through media, social websites and our own
website we want to encourage the youth and inform them what their votes can
do for them, because throughout history we have witnessed cases where one
vote has indeed changed the course of history,’ he said.
The period May to June witnessed a number of
political developments with a bearing on Zimbabwe election plans. The
extraordinary summit for SADC the Heads of State and Government was held in
Luanda Angola on the 1st of June 2012. COPAC made an official announcement
that the draft constitution was ready and had been submitted to the
principals. 06.07.1209:36am
by ZESN
In another
incident, police brutality reared its ugly head again as a civilian lost
life at the hands of the police. The period also saw the launch of the
Zimpapers Star FM radio station. ZESN observers have reported on a tense
political environment in most constituencies and the stifling of people’s
fundamental freedoms.
There are reported
cases of political violence in Chikandiwa village, Headman Nyamombe under Chief
Makoni in Makoni South. Suspected ZANU PF supporters attacked and destroyed
Wonder Karupoto’s house on Friday, 29 June 2012. The house was destroyed to
ground level.
Divine Ndhlukula says it was hard
to break into a male-dominated business
Securico, the company that Zimbabwe's Divine Ndhlukula
started in her cottage in the late 1990s with four employees and very little
capital, has become one of her country's largest security firms.
According to her, perhaps the biggest barrier
she had to face when she set it up was her gender.
"Obviously, as a woman, people would not believe
that I could run a security company - particularly with no security background,"
she told the BBC's series African Dream.
However, she held firmly to her purpose and
Securico now employs more than 3,500 people, including nearly 900
women.
"We provide cutting-edge services. We move cash
and valuables for companies and banks; we also provide electronic security
systems - that's the CCTVs, the access control systems, the alarms, the rapid
responses, remote site monitoring and so on," she said.
“The company exemplifies the vital role played by
entrepreneurs in creating economic growth, prosperity, and realising opportunity
in Africa”Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship, 2011
"Our business has grown to
be well capitalised in terms of assets; in terms of balance sheet, our balance
sheet is close to $8m (£5.1m). This year we expect to turn over just over $16m,"
she added.
If things keep on going according to her plans,
she hopes that within five years Securico will have branches in neighbouring
countries and reach an annual turnover of more than $50m.
The company has not only grown physically. It
has also been recognised as one of the continent's leaders in business
excellence and in 2011 it beat 3,300 other firms and won the coveted $100,000
Grand Prize at the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship in Nairobi,
Kenya.
The organisers said that Securico "exemplifies
the vital role played by entrepreneurs in creating economic growth, prosperity,
and realising opportunity in Africa" and pointed out that it is the largest
employer of women in the private sector in Zimbabwe.
Subsequently, Ms Ndhlukula was chosen as one of
Africa's most successful women by US business magazine Forbes.
Enterprising initiatives
Ms Ndhlukula says that even as a student she
dreamed of being an entrepreneur.
"When I was in school I used to tell my friends
that I was not going to work for more than two years but obviously I had to work
for more than two years," she told the BBC's Steve Vickers in Harare.
Divine Ndhlukula
Age: 52
Trained as an accountant
Masters in Business Administration from
Midlands State University, Zimbabwe
Honourary MBA from the Women's University in
Africa
Worked for Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC), the Old Mutual investment group and Intermarket Insurance (now ZB
Insurance)
Started Securico with four employees
Now the firm has more than 4,500 people on its
payroll, including about 900 women
Grand Prize at the Africa Awards for
Entrepreneurship, 2011, Nairobi
Chosen by Forbes as one of Africa's most
successful women
She trained as an
accountant and worked in the 1980s for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC), the Old Mutual investment group and Intermarket Insurance (now ZB
Insurance).
"During the time that I was working for these
employers I was obviously involved in various enterprising initiatives.
Typically, I'd buy clothes from factories here in Harare and sell them to my
colleagues at work, and also give [them] to my colleagues in other places, to
sell on my behalf on commission," Ms Ndhlukula explained.
With the money she saved she bought a truck
which she hired out to a construction company. Later she had to sell it to
prevent her late father's farm from being auctioned.
As she saved the farm, its title was changed
into her name and she ventured into the farming business.
She then took out a loan against her house in
order to grow maize but things did not go as well as she had expected due to a
severe drought and she almost lost her house. So in 1995 she had to go back into
employment.
"I did a marketing diploma and I switched my
career to marketing because that gave me time to be able to run around into
other things as I knew that I definitively wanted to break out on my own at some
stage."
Her dream finally came true in 1998 when she
realised that there was a gap in the security services sector, an area that was
dominated by male entrepreneurs.
According to her, she noticed that the quality
of the services many of the existing companies provided was not up to the
standards of the big corporations and multinationals operating in Zimbabwe. That
is how Securicor was born.
'Passion'
Ms Ndhlukula remembers that she started with
three security operatives and two managers, including herself.
"Of course, I just had to insure that I had
enough money to be able to run and be able to pay people on time because that is
very critical in our type of business. So, I did not really need a lot of
capital," she said.
“Obviously, as a woman, people would not believe that I
could run a security company - particularly with no security
background”
"This is, I think, the
biggest folly of people who aspire to be in business. They think that you have
to have lots and lots and lots of money to be able to start a business. No, it's
not that. It's really the passion."
So she started approaching people who she knew
and trusted - former schoolmates, ex-colleagues, friends and relatives - and
asking them to support her new project.
"Slowly people began to gain confidence as they
saw how serious I was, they saw how ambitious and how passionate and determined
I was. I was so involved in the business.
"They began to notice that 'look, this business
seems to be serious and their service seems to be even much better than those
established companies', so they started referring us," she said.
She believes that, once a gap in the market has
been identified, persistence is the key to success.
"I always tell people: 'If you've got a product
or a service that is required by the market, you can sell it'. It's not about
the sciences. It's about the passion for the idea".
'No bribes'
Probably because of her experience of nearly
losing her home when she ventured into farming, Ms Ndhlukula is not keen to
borrow money.
The company employs around 900
women
"We are very careful when we get money from
banks. We get it when it's really necessary, when we know we are going to swear
to the assets that we've gotten with the loans so that we can easily repay
without having to stifle the business."
Also, in a country where many business people
complain about the levels of bureaucracy and corruption, she is against the idea
of paying bribes.
"Unfortunately, we've not been getting any work
from government but I'm glad that the kind of customers that we targeted in the
first place - the high-end, the multinationals, the blue-chip companies - they
also do their procurement by the book.
"We never give a bribe because the moment you
start giving somebody a bribe today, they expect you to give them a bribe every
other time. And, you know, you cannot do business that way."
So what advice does she have for budding
entrepreneurs around Africa?
“If you're there, you're visible, you're exemplary, you
show that you're also working - then people will buy into your
vision”
"I always say there is no
easy road to anywhere worth going. One's got to apply themselves. One's got to
put in that extra effort. One's got to have the discipline to be able to say:
Look, I've made a bit of money, invest back the money into the business so that
it grows," Ms Ndhlukula said.
"I think that is the folly of many of our
people. You make a bit of money and you think you've arrived. You start spending
the money and the business does not grow".
She also pointed out that when one is starting a
business, one should not delegate too much.
"You delegate but you obviously have got to have
that hands-on approach for a while, and then you develop people that will
eventually take over from you.
"I literally used to work about 16 hours a day.
I still do it occasionally, though we've got about 22 managers - we've got MBAs
and so on - but they still require your input. I'm still the MD [managing
director], I still give that strategic direction. If you're there, you're
visible, you're exemplary, you show that you're also working - then people will
buy into your vision."
African
Dream is broadcast on the BBC
Network Africa programme every Monday morning, and on BBC World News throughout
the day on Fridays
BULAWAYO - Zimbabweans are so divided that they need
President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s coalition
government to stay intact for political stability, says outgoing United
States ambassador to Zimbabwe Charles Ray.
Addressing journalists
during a farewell speech in Bulawayo, Ray said the three-year-old coalition
government will continue to be the solution for the country to move
forward.
He also said Gukurahundi victims should be allowed to talk about
the issue freely while army generals should keep to the barracks instead of
dabbling in politics.
“These divisions keep people apart and have
built as a form of intolerance that makes it difficult for people to reach
out to people they do not know and trust. I think because of the divisions a
coalition government is the solution as it accommodates people with
different views together and will make Zimbabwe move forward,” said Ray, who
is leaving Zimbabwe at the end of a three-year tenure during which he
constantly clashed with Mugabe.
He tore into one of the subjects that
makes Mugabe uncomfortable-the military killing of over 20 000 civilians in
the 1980s as the 88-year-old sought to crush dissent in the opposition
hotbed of Matabeleland and Midlands regions.
“I also think
Gukurahundi victims should be given a platform to talk about this issue
openly and compensation can come after that,” he said.
Several people,
including artists and politicians have been arrested for speaking about
Gukurahundi over the years.
The US envoy said as a former professional
army officer he thought it was dangerous for army generals to get involved
in politics.
Zimbabwe’s top army generals have been coming out in public
supporting Zanu PF and urging other soldiers to support President Robert
Mugabe and the former ruling party.
Recently, Martin Chedondo, the
Zimbabwe Defence Forces Chief of Staff, issued brazen remarks that the army
had a right to interfere in politics and to support Mugabe and Zanu
PF.
He labelled other political parties as agents of
imperialism.
Tsvangirai on the other hand said generals such as Chedondo
did not enjoy support from their rank and file.
He said he would fire
such generals if he assumed the presidency.
Growing up as white and
privileged in Zimbabwe I have only ever known an easy and comfortable life.
I’ve holidayed on every continent, attended the “finest” schools and have
two loving, supportive parents. Yet I constantly feel uncertain and unhappy
about the place I live in. I may sound like the typical spoilt, melodramatic
teenager, but it goes deeper than that.
I’m one of the few white
teenagers in this country who has been exposed to and who has taken notice
of real pain, real injustice and real suffering. My parents, through their
work and friends, have enabled me to go beneath the surface of the easy
life. So, I have gone beyond the tiny bubble that most white teenagers
exist in here in Zimbabwe.
I’ve witnessed the monstrosities that my
government has committed. I see starving children begging for food on the
street and know that they, like thousands of others, have lost everything to
the tyrannical hatred of a power grabbing group of people, cheating their
way through elections and burning down whatever stood in their way,
including the homes and lives of children.
What I hate most about my
home is the hatred and disunity between people, particularly the segregation
between whites, blacks, coloureds, Indians and the rest. I find the fact
that people hate one another just because of the colour of the other’s skin
absolutely disgusting and incredibly tragic. When it comes down to it, we’ve
all suffered in one way or another under Mugabe’s regime. Whether you’re a
white farmer, an Indian company owner, a black shopkeeper or a coloured
teacher, we’ve all been affected to a lesser or greater degree.
Zanu
PF’s tactic to divide and conquer has succeeded. Racism is everywhere, it’s
not just the older generation of black Zimbabweans who still feel bitter
about British colonisation, nor is it just the white farmers who have lost
their land and not only the company owners whose once thriving businesses
are now collapsed, or have been taken over by the current “leaders”; racism
resides in the youth too.
I attend a girls only school and if you were to
come to my school at break time you wouldn’t see groups of every ethnicity
enjoying the sunshine together. No, you’d see carefully crafted circles of
white girls alone, black girls alone, coloured girls alone and Indian girls
alone, colour coordinated with their friends perfectly.
When I got
there I didn’t understand at all, my best friends in junior school were
Indian, black, white, Christian, Jewish and Muslim, and the colour of their
skin didn’t mean a thing to me. It didn’t occur to me that high school would
be any different. But I soon learned it was. In my first year I asked a
friend in Form 2 why Thembelihle couldn’t sit with us and she explained that
white girls sit with white girls, and black girls sit with black girls,
that’s just the way things are. And no matter how hard we tried to stay
friends, we were forced into conforming. .
Even today, when I refuse to
laugh at the racist “I’m just kidding” jokes I hear, and openly disapprove
of them, I’m the one who’s labelled ridiculous. It’s ridiculous that they
don’t really understand the evil they are spreading, they echo their
parents’ hatred with no thought to the pain that comes from their words.
They say the things they do because they hear it from others, true sheep
following the crowd. The utter ignorance of people and the blind hatred they
promote infuriates me more and more each day.
So, to everyone out there:
before you judge a person because of the colour of their skin or what their
ancestors did, think about the absurdity of these prejudices and realise how
crazy it is to dislike someone due to their DNA. Rather get to know others
first and educate yourself and the people around you on the need for unity
in a nation, especially one like our own, which has continually struggled
under a divisive dictatorship.
A Zimbabwean teenager who feels
privileged to know the truth.
This entry was posted by Teenzim on Friday,
July 6th, 2012 at 9:29 am
