Arrest of corrupt officials imminent: Tsvangirai

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 10:51

BY PATRICE MAKOVA

PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said the arrest of Cabinet
Ministers and other MPs implicated in the looting of the Constituency
Development Fund (CDF) is now imminent, vowing that big wigs will not be
spared in the drive to root out rampant corruption in the country.

Addressing hundreds of people attending the handover of CDF projects in Glen
View North Constituency, Tsvangirai said he was aware of ministers who
abused the CDF and steps were now being taken to arrest them as a matter of
urgency.

He said Zimbabweans should not be fooled by Attorney General, Johannes
Tomana, who recently ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission of Zimbabwe
(ACCZ) to stop arresting MP’s who abused the funds.

“Corruption is corruption and those who stole money (CDFs) will be arrested
even if they are government ministers,” said Tsvangirai. “No one will stop
the Anti-Corruption Commission from arresting corrupt ministers and MPs
because as a Government we have adopted a zero tolerance on corruption.”
Corruption is not only limited to the CDF as several influential people,
including Zanu PF cabinet ministers have been linked to the looting of
diamonds, gold, farming inputs, land and even shares in private companies.

Sources said three senior Zanu PF ministers and two from MDC-T allegedly
abused their CDF and are a target of arrest by the ACCZ soon.
Mugabe normally approves the arrest of his ministers, but it could not be
established yesterday whether he had finally given the ACCZ permission to do
so.

Efforts to get a comment from ACCZ chairman, Denford Chirindo, were
fruitless yesterday. But Tsvangirai yesterday insisted the ACCZ, for long
perceived to be a toothless body targeting the small fish only, has now been
empowered to arrest all those involved in corruption regardless of their
political status.

He said the arrest of MPs and Ministers would continue until all the 210
constituencies in the country have accounted for the funds they received
from treasury to develop their constituencies.

Tsvangirai said it was shocking that some MPs used the funds to marry more
wives, while others squandered the money on luxuries and beer drinking
binges.

Others never utilised the funds after all. So far, four MPs, three from
MDC-T and one from Zanu PF, have been arrested after they were accused of
looting the US$8 million CDF which saw each of the 210 MP’s in the country
getting US$50 000 to develop their areas.

But Attorney General, Johannes Tomana has however, tried to stop the arrests
until June this year claiming that the Commission and Ministry of
Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs were handling the issue in a
“clumsy” manner. He ordered them to do a thorough audit of all the
constituencies and present a report to him by mid-June.

The ACCZ and the ministry have rebuffed Tomana, but the AG’s office has
responded by dropping charges against the MPs arrested so far.
Analysts are of the view that by withdrawing the charges, Tomana wanted to
prove that he was more powerful than the ACCZ which can only investigate and
arrest suspects, but cannot prosecute as such powers are vested in the
Attorney General’s office.

GOVT TO ALLOCATE MORE FUNDS TO MPS: PM

Tsvangirai said despite the looting of the CDF, government was planning to
allocate more funds to MPs to enable them to implement more developmental
projects in their constituencies.

He said MP’s were better placed to know projects which people in their areas
wanted. “There is no going back on CDF. Money allocated to the fund will be
increased soon because we want MP’s to invest in community development
projects which benefit the ordinary people,” said the Prime Minister.

Among the CDF projects Glen View North MP Fani Munengami (MDC-T) implemented
was the computerisation of schools in the area, installation of electricity
at Glen View 3 School and the drilling of boreholes and rehabilitation of
social infrastructure in the constituency.

‘Ghost workers gobble US$50m’

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:01

BY Jennifer Dube

THE government could have been defrauded of about US$50 million by Zanu PF
youth militia irregularly employed as youth officers since the dollarisation
of the economy three years ago, in a scandal which lawyers said must be
investigated.

The lawyers said if there was political will to investigate the matter, some
senior government officials, including ministers, could lose their jobs or
get incarcerated for their part in the scandal.

Public Service minister, Lucia Matibenga, told the House of Assembly
recently that some 5 662 youth officers, who were illegally getting a
government salary and allowances since 2008, had been scrapped off the civil
service payroll as of last week.

Calculations based on an estimated civil service average salary and
allowances of US$150 for February 2009 to December 2011 shows that each
youth received about US$5 250 from government coffers, giving an aggregate
figure of US$29 725 500.

The figure will reach US$50 million if calculations are based on the fact
that the militias who are in Grade B1s were drawing allowances and had their
salary increased from US$160 to US$253 in July 2011 and US$296 in January
2012.

Analysts said the numbers of those irregularly employed could be more, given
that the Comptroller and Auditor-General previously reported that 10 000
ward officers were irregularly employed by the Ministry of Youth
Development, Indigenisation and Empowerments led by Saviour Kasukuwere.

Auditors from Ernest and Young of India in 2010 said there were 70 000 ghost
workers on the government payroll, a claim which was disputed by the Public
Service Commission (PSC).

Their report said an estimated 6 000 youth officers were recruited on May 28
2008 and are among those who were absent from their purported work stations
when Ernest and Young conducted its audit.

The firm said the officers did not possess five Ordinary Levels, which is
the requirement for grade B1 in which they were classified.
Lawyers interviewed last week said the tax payers were the ones who were
prejudiced and corrective measures should be adopted to compensate for the
loss.

Renowned human rights lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, said if the youths were
illegally paid, efforts must be made to recover the money.
“If they were wrongly being paid, steps should be taken to recover that
money,” Muchadehama said. “Under normal circumstances, what was done is
equivalent to serious fraud and the police would demand explanations.”

Labour lawyer, Rodgers Matsikidze, concurred saying that the scandal had
serious repercussions on motivation. “This is naturally de-motivating to the
genuine employees,” Matsikidze said. “We may even end up having working
people being retrenched because of a bloated workforce yet some are not
genuine workers.”

The lawyers suggested an independent civil service audit as government-led
efforts may be clouded by differing interests of political parties in the
shaky coalition government.

Matibenga yesterday said government will only take action after the
completion of a government payroll and skills audit.
Kasukuwere yesterday said he was attending a funeral and could only comment
later. Efforts to get him to comment later in day were fruitless.

Chitungwiza group fights youth delinquency

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:24

BY GUMISAI NYONI AND LESLEY WURAYAYI
PEEVED by youth hooliganism and high crime rate in Chitungwiza, five
residents of Chitungwiza have devised a way to fight misdemeanour in the
former dormitory town.
Their strategy is to keep youths busy to keep them away from anti-social
activities.

The five, who grew up in the crime-ridden sprawling town about 25 kilometres
from Harare, recently launched Chitungwiza Community Development Network
(CCDN), a vehicle with which they aim to fight increasing delinquent
behaviour among youths.

CCDN director Eddington Shayanowako said they intend to assist youths in the
town to start income generating projects or promote existing ones in an
effort to drive the youths away from rampant crime.

“We aim to promote entrepreneurship among the youths in Chitungwiza, rural
Seke and Mashonaland East since there are high levels of unemployment in
Zimbabwe,” said Shayanowako.

“Our organisation will provide a network facility for the youths and help
them come up with feasible business plans.”
The youth empowerment venture, which is being bankrolled by charity
organisations, was officially launched a fortnight ago at a ceremony
punctuated by road-show campaigns to popularise CCDN activities.

Most youths in Chitungwiza, a town with an estimated two million people, are
unemployed and are set to benefit through self-initiated projects such as
carpentry, building, welding, poultry and theatre.

Shayanowako said the project, with a membership of 850 established and
aspiring entrepreneurs, would benefit the disabled, HIV and Aids patients
and other disadvantaged members of the society.

“This will go a long way in contributing towards the enjoyment of economic,
social and cultural rights by families, households and the broader
Chitungwiza community,” said the 34-year-old director, who has also
established a website for the organisation.

It also publishes a Chitungwiza community bulletin where youths share ideas
about ways of improving their projects and the town as a whole. Some youths
were upbeat about the project.

Festus Chihwayi (23) sees the project as a window of opportunity and hopes
it would help improve his business network base. “As a carpenter, who has no
proper working space and storage, it would be a great opportunity for me to
establish a proper warehouse and be an employer in the community,” said
Chihwayi.

Another youth, Tapiwa Machimbidzwe who qualified as a brick-layer at the
Harare Polytechnic in 1995, said he struggled to get formal employment after
completing his studies prompting him to start his own business venture.

“But my project continues to be hampered by lack of capital to buy modern
equipment,” said Machimbidzwe, who hopes CCDN would help him network and
expand his business operations.

Cone Textiles (Pvt) Ltd, which was a major employer in Chitungwiza, closed
shop during the economic meltdown period, forcing many people out of work.
The new companies that had been started following the dollarisation in 2009
have only managed to employ a few youths from the town.

This has forced many youths to resort to housebreaking, muggings, murder,
general hooliganism and other anti-social behaviour like excessive beer
drinking and prostitution for survival.

Sceptics suspect CCDN could be campaign tool

Other youth entrepreneurs were sceptical asking if it was not a political
project designed to coincide with the pending election scheduled for this
year or 2013.
Politicians usually come up with cosmetic projects, mainly targeting the
youths, just before elections to buy support but forget about the ventures
once the polls are over.

But Shayanowako dismissed the notion saying CCDN, established in August 2010
and is registered with the Zimbabwe Youth Council, was apolitical. Very few
youths have benefited from the government’s empowerment drive despite the
hype being given to the programme.

Those that have benefited are relatives, sons or daughters of highly
influential Zanu PF politicians and the party’s youth militia. It is no
surprise that the small-scale industry has failed to blossom and establish
itself as a potential source of revenue and creation of formal employment in
the country, where unemployment tops 85%.

Massive fuel scam unearthed in Mutare

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:18

BY OUR STAFF
A scam involving the theft of large quantities of fuel has been unearthed in
Mutare where a syndicate of corrupt oil companies and customs officials,
clearing agents and unregistered service stations are siphoning thousands of
litres from oil tankers coming from Beira in Mozambique.

On Thursday night, several drivers from different oil companies and buyers
stations were caught while siphoning fuel at the Zimra controlled Road Motor
Services (RMS) depot in Mutare where all fuel tankers coming from Mozambique
park overnight.

Sources revealed over 2 000 litres of fuel was recovered while on its way to
an unregistered service station owned by a Zanu PF politician. One of the
fuel buyers caught in the act, who identified himself as Machiya, said on
average they would siphon 800 litres from one tanker. Close to 100 fuel
tankers park every night at RMS.

Sources told The Standard the illegal activities were taking place right
under the nose of customs officials who control the area. He said due to the
fuel scam, oil companies could be losing millions of dollars every month.

“Complains have been made but nothing has been done to address the situation
because the syndicate involves influential politicians who own most of these
backyard garages which are selling fuel at a cheap price,” said a source.

The biggest fuel importer in the country, Sakunda Energy confirmed that
siphoning of fuel was threatening the survival of the industry as
established companies were finding it difficult to compete with the
unregistered service stations which were offering cheaper prices.

Spokesperson for the company, Sarah Manyengawana said such illegal
activities caused price distortions on the market especially in centres such
as Mutare where most of that stolen fuel ended up being sold $0,12c cheaper
than normal retail prices.

She said motorists who buy such fuel also risk contamination of their
vehicles “As Sakunda, we will continue to be alert and try to curb such
activities so that our operations are not affected. Most of our fuel comes
through the pipeline,” said Manyengawana

She said some of the affected tankers would be ferrying fuel to countries
such as Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“As for Sakunda, we mostly use the pipeline to import our fuel, but we also
use tankers as we have been contracted by other countries to supply fuel,”
said Manyengawana.

Efforts to get a comment from Manicaland province police spokesperson
Inspector Leonard Chabata were fruitless as he was said to be writing
examinations.

Zuma not coming to Zimbabwe soon – advisor

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:17

SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma is waiting for a meeting of the
principals before he can resume his facilitation to the Zimbabwe crisis, his
international adviser said.
Lindiwe Zulu revealed yesterday Zuma would not be visiting Zimbabwe any time
soon as has been reported in the media.

“He will be going to Zimbabwe when his diary allows,” she said. “But that
would be after summits that he is attending in India and South Korea, which
will be coming up in the next few weeks.”

She said the principals, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara, still had to thrash out the
outstanding issues.
Zuma has been expected in Zimbabwe as there were fears that his mediation
efforts were going off track.

— BY OUR STAFF.

Tollgate fees victory for chiefs

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:15

BY OUR STAFF
GOVERNMENT has exempted chiefs from paying tollgate fees on the country’s
major roads. The move is a victory by chiefs who demanded to be exempted
from paying the fees at their annual conference that was held last month.

The exemption is carried in a Statutory Instrument 39 of 2012 gazetted on
Friday. According to the Toll Roads (Regional Trunks Road Network)
(Amendment) Regulations, 2012 (No.5), the country’s 208 chiefs would enjoy
the status accorded to senior government officials and diplomats.

However, only one car for each chief has been exempted and the registration
numbers were published in the Statutory Instrument.  Fortune Charumbira,
president of Chiefs Council, told The Standard yesterday the exemption was
long overdue as it had been on the cards for more than two years but lacked
on its implementation.

“Status of chiefs is not questionable. They are the owners of the country,”
Charumbira said. “Why should they pay when diplomats are not paying?”
Charumbira said it was embarrassing for chiefs to be asked to pay tollgate
fees in their areas of jurisdiction while government vehicles driven by
junior officers were exempted.

At a meeting of chiefs last month, some chiefs presented their wish-lists
that included the issuance to them of guns, bodyguards and diplomatic
passports. They also demanded a share in the Community Development Funds
that were given to MPs.

Charumbira said there was never a resolution on these concerns although he
admitted that his counterparts had raised them. He said chiefs wanted a
greater say in community trusts, inputs distribution and were unhappy in the
way the Community Development Funds (CDFs) were being managed if the recent
arrests of legislators accused of embezzling the money is anything to go by.

Traditional chiefs have been accused of dabbling in politics thereby
diverting from their mandate. During the 2008 elections, some chiefs and
traditional leaders forced their subjects to vote for Mugabe.

The exemption will eat into the coffers of the Zimbabwe National Road
Administration (Zinara) mandated to administer the country’s roads. Zinara
gets its revenue from tollgate fees, fuel levy, vehicle licences, transit
fees, abnormal load fees and overload fees.

Tollgate fees rake in US$17 million annually and the revenue is deployed to
patch the country’s major roads.

Mujuru inquest magistrate runs over mechanic

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:14

BY OUR STAFF
WALTER Chikwanha, the magistrate who presided over the inquest into the
death of retired army General Solomon Mujuru, is being investigated by the
police over the death of a man in a car accident recently.

Police said the deceased, who was a mechanic, was fixing a broken down bus
along the Harare-Masvingo road when Chikwanha allegedly ran over him.
Chikwanha last week confirmed he was involved in an accident in Chivhu in
which one person died on the spot.

“I confirm that I was involved in an accident and the police are dealing
with the matter,” said Chikwanha, who however would not be drawn into giving
more details.
Police spokesperson senior assistant commissioner, Wayne Bvudzijena, also
confirmed the fatal accident which happened on the 155-kilometre peg along
the Harare-Masvingo road.

He said police were still investigating circumstances under which the
mechanic was killed. Chikwanha became a household name when presiding over
the death inquest of Mujuru, a decorated soldier, who died in an inferno at
his Beatrice Farm, about 60 kilometres south of Harare.

Last week, a representative of the Mujuru family told The Zimbabwe
Independent  that they were not happy with the outcome of the inquest,
saying its findings were flawed.

The family said the outcome of the inquest and a number of testimonies given
by the witnesses were not adding up, raising their suspicions. Mujuru’s
death raised suspicion among his family and many Zimbabweans, who suspected
that he could have been killed by political rivals.

Thirty-nine witnesses testified in the 13-day inquest after which Chikwanha
ruled out foul play, much to the dissatisfaction of the Mujuru family which
has since demanded an exhumation of the late general’s remains, buried at
the National Heroes Acre.

Maluleke eats humble pie

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:13

BY TATENDA CHITAGU
UNDERFIRE Masvingo resident minister Titus Maluleke, who recently banned
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from operating in the province, has
made a desperate plea to government to increase food aid to thousands of
people facing starvation in the drought-stricken province.

Maluleke caused a national outcry last month after banning at least 29 NGOs
in Masvingo accusing them of failing to register their operations with his
office.
Last week, Maluleke appealed to President Robert Mugabe to increase food aid
under the inclusive government’s grain loan scheme in Masvingo saying many
families were facing starvation.

His appeal to Mugabe, whose Zanu PF party is known for using food to buy
votes, comes barely a month after he banned humanitarian organisations which
were complementing government efforts to feed starving people in Masvingo.

“The government’s grain loan scheme is very much welcome for Masvingo.
Currently, 50 000 households are benefiting, but the facility should be
increased to cover more households,” Maluleke said at the World Water Day
commemorations held at the Great Zimbabwe Hotel where Mugabe was
officiating. “We should institute temporary measures to resuscitate people
from food shortages.”

He said more resources, apart from rehabilitating and maintaining
small-scale irrigation schemes, were needed to improve the province’s food
security system.
“The province is prone to droughts and water shortages, yet our people rely
on rain-fed agriculture, which has proved to be unreliable,” said Maluleke.
“We therefore appeal for more interventions in the rehabilitation and
maintenance of dams.”

Maluleke defied warnings by the umbrella group of the organisations, the
National Association of NGOs (Nango) that the ban would greatly affect the
grassroots people who benefited from the charitable organisations.

“The impact of this is that the flow of aid to vulnerable beneficiaries will
be cut as the NGOs try to comply or pull out,” said Sylvester Chin’anga,
Nango regional chairperson.

Labour and Social Welfare  minister Paurina Mpariwa last week said Maluleke
had no powers to ban NGOs operating in his province describing his move as
“reckless” and a political blunder for Zanu PF.

Mpariwa said since 2009, her ministry had never issued out a warning
statement to NGOs because government desperately needed assistance.
She said it was unfortunate that Maluleke’s statement came at a time when
there was a food crisis not only in Masvingo but in Manicaland, Matabeleland
North and South where crops are a total write-off.

Mpariwa said donations from NGOs had significantly improved people’s
livelihoods in the country. The government is facing serious financial
constraints and cannot cater for the needs of the populace in various areas
such as health, food security, water and sanitation among others.

It is estimated that more than 1,4 million people are receiving food aid
from charitable organisations countrywide.

Gwisai: Rebel without cause or workers’ champion?

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:19

BY NQABA MATSHAZI
AS dark grey clouds gathered on a humid and overcast Wednesday, the
superstitious and those that believe in fate might have feared the worst for
activist, Munyaradzi Gwisai and five others who faced up to 10 years
imprisonment.

In a country where people are sceptical of the judiciary, they had reason to
be afraid and as the rains loomed, it had a foreboding effect ahead of
passing of the sentence.
Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini was due to make his ruling at about 2:15pm,
but a delay of about 10 minutes only heightened the tension.

The heat and a nauseating smell in the courtroom did not help matters. Added
to that, Jarabini, in a soft spoken tone, hardly audible to most in the
court, took his time delivering the sentence, raising tensions even further.

In the end, the six got nothing but a slap on the wrist, as the magistrate
commuted their sentence to community service and a fine. While in court,
Gwisai’s wife, Shantha Bloemen, took to social networks, particularly
Twitter, where she drummed up support for her husband and the five other
convicted activists.

For the past 12 months the trial has gripped the nation, as they were
initially charged with treason and faced the hangman’s noose. “We are having
mixed feelings about this. At least there is no need to endure the pains of
going to jail,” Gwisai said, referring to himself in the plural.

While the law lecturer’s stance on a number of issues has often polarised
public opinion, Gwisai received immense solidarity from political parties
and the civic society when his trial began until the end.

“We are encouraged by the solidarity that we received from the students and
various civic society organisations,” he said. “It is inspiring.” Gwisai
said this was a sign of  a growing consciousness on the  need for
Zimbabweans to stand up and face up to the regime.

He said his struggle was not just about replacing President Robert Mugabe
with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, but he sought a “deeper change”. “We
call for a deeper change, as we are fighting the global system of capitalism
and we are not after short-term change,” he said.

The ISO leader said he was not after assuming leadership of the country, but
rather was furthering his socialist agenda and wanted to see the removal of
all forms of dictatorship. And true to form, Gwisai took a swipe at the MDC,
this time for not accepting the indigenisation agenda and had no kind words
for Zanu PF either.

“MDC is wrong in refusing to support this, it is being outflanked by Zanu
PF. However, this is a tool for the Zanu PF campaign, just like the land
reform programme,” he said.

ISO leader not a radical: Makumbe

Gwisai has been a somewhat  maverick person throughout his political career,
having been expelled from the then united MDC after clashing with the
leadership.
He has in the past clashed publicly with Tsvangirai, as he often took a
radical socialist stance and accused the MDC of being hijacked by “elitist
forces” that had ganged up with “the rich” and “intellectuals”.

He was elected MP for Highfield in 2000 representing the united MDC.
However, his political career must have reached a nadir in the by-election
that followed his expulsion from the party, as he garnered a measly 73
votes, earning less votes than Zanu PF’s Joseph Chinotimba, who got five
times the tally and Pearson Mungofa who won the seat with just more than 8
000 ballots.

Gwisai’s stock fell and he retreated into his lecturing duties and work at
the ISO. from there, he often took pot shots at both Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
He advocated for street protests to oust long-time leader, Mugabe, and he
felt the MDC missed a chance to oust him in the 2000 and 2002 elections.

The law lecturer’s frustrations have led many to ask whether he was rebel
without a cause or frustrated genius, who was a victim of Zimbabwe’s
polarised political environment.

University of Zimbabwe lecturer, John Makumbe, who described the conviction
as ridiculous, said Gwisai was far from being a rebel without a cause, but
was an independent thinker, who was not afraid of standing out from a crowd.

“He is an independent thinker, who will not just go along with everyone,”
Makumbe said. “His cause is for the worker and I do not find that to be
radical.”
Makumbe described his colleague as intelligent, exciting, invigorating and a
motivator.

Political analyst, Dumisani Nkomo of Habakkuk Trust, said Gwisai had
exhibited a lot of courage but the polarised environment in Zimbabwe did not
allow for alternative voices.

“People outside the two or three main political parties are generally
ignored. People like Gwisai and Mthwakazi are not given space, even if what
they say is relevant,” he said.

UZ inspired Gwisai into socialism

The International Socialist Organisation (ISO) leader, was born Enock
Munyaradzi Chikweche in Gweru in 1968, studied for his law degree at the
University of Zimbabwe (UZ) between 1988 and 1991, where he says the
socialist ideals in him became stronger.

“I got seriously involved in organised revolutionary socialist politics when
I entered UZ under the influence and mentorship of lecturers who were mainly
steeped in Maoist-Stalinist politics,” Gwisai said in his profile, adding
that his mentors were Kempton Makamure, Shadreck Ghutto and Shepherd Nzombe.

During this period, Gwisai became general secretary of the Students
Representative Council, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister,
Arthur Mutambara.
From there, he studied for a Master’s degree in law at the Columbia
University in New York in 1992 and 1993.

Time to revive agricultural sector

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

Revelations by the World Food Programme (WFP) that “the food situation in
Zimbabwe has deteriorated more drastically than expected,” are worrying.

This dire situation was further confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture and
Mechanisation Joseph Made who recently announced that 500 000 hectares of
the maize planted during the 2011/12 planting season have been written off.

With more than one million people facing starvation in Zimbabwe, a country
that used to be the breadbasket for the Sadc region, it is surely time for
some serious interventions.

Since the country’s food security status took a dive following the
fast-track land reform programme, there have been many attempts to revive
the agricultural sector.

Although there have been success stories here and there, the situation has
been mostly sombre and many Zimbabweans continue to go hungry. Binga, Kariba
and Mudzi have been observed to be worse off with over 30% of the people
being food insecure.

Made blamed the food insecurity situation to poor rains. This, however, is
just but a tip of the iceberg as the problem is way bigger than that.

The disaster in agriculture is owing to the fact that many programmes have
failed to look at the source of the problem holistically with the aim of
establishing how the country can achieve long-term sustainability and
achieve food security for every Zimbabwean while the sector once again
contributes significantly to the GDP.

This, I believe, is very possible if, like Zambia and Kenya have
successfully done, Zimbabwe follows through the Comprehensive Africa
Agriculture Development Plan (CAADP), a framework that offers a better
direction at the moment.

CAADP, a “continental-wide movement of social transformation for African
agriculture and food security”, envisions the restoration of agricultural
growth and food security in Africa. A number of developmental partners are
supporting the implementation of the CAADP agenda through the Multi-Donor
Trust Fund and other initiatives. For instance, Africa Lead, a capacity
building project of the US’ Feed the Future initiative, has held two
training sessions in Zimbabwe so far to scale up on food security in support
of the CAADP agenda.

Under the CAADP principles, the initiative should be country-led, that is,
the responsible ministry in each participating country, after
multi-stakeholder engagement, is expected to come up with an evidence-based
agricultural investment plan in line with the CAADP framework.

If the CAADP agenda is planned and implemented well in Zimbabwe, I believe
it would be a matter of time before agriculture, a panacea to our food
shortage problems, is revived.

The key however lies in channelling energies towards strengthening the four
pillars that have been established through the CAADP process to be the basis
for agricultural success: extending the area under sustainable land and
water management and reliable water control systems; and implementing
agriculture research, technology dissemination and adoption, among the
pillars.

The CAADP framework points to the need to link environmental factors to
agricultural productivity as one key angle.
Among the environmental factors paid due cognisance is the need for farmers
to practise sustainable land and water management and operate in a manner
that does not translate to land degradation because when that happens, crop
yields cannot be expected to increase.

There have been numerous reports of the “new farmers”, through detrimental
farming practices, tiring the soils and clearing the land of trees,
resulting in severe soil erosion and the resultant low productivity.
Agro-forestry and taking up conservation farming have been identified to be
among the viable solutions.

Climate change has also been identified as a factor to seriously consider as
the new agricultural framework is being drafted, considering that the
effects are expected to be felt more acutely in the coming years. As such,
agricultural programmes would be expected to take this into account and have
adaptation mechanisms put in place so that agriculture may flourish, even in
the face of erratic rainfall patterns, floods, extreme hot weather
conditions, and all other calamities that come with climate change.

By Chipo Masara

Gwisai case: Another example of Zanu PF’s desperate tactics

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:35

Suppression of people’s liberties has largely been a major weapon through
which dictatorial regimes maintain their grip on power across the world.
However, it is a pity that most dictatorial tendencies yield short-term
gains that benefit uncouth leaders and their political allies while
derailing the basic welfare of the majority.

The arrest of the Zimbabwean lawmaker, Munyaradzi Gwisai and his
International Socialist Organisation  ( ISO) colleagues, is a  clear
testimony to Zanu PF’s desperation and lack of sound policy consistency
which has, resultantly, swept away its popularity, leaving it with little or
no option, except to adopt dirty tactics to silence dissent.

Such methods, although meant to clip the wings of opposition political
movements, are likely to be detrimental by shrinking Zanu PF’s support base.
Rational voters can clearly see that this is not just a political ploy to
muzzle alternative political voices, but also a virtual stampede by the
party to seek relevance in a country where the masses are groaning under the
yoke of political oppression.

Without acknowledging the historical imperatives that led to struggle for
the independence of Zimbabwe, Zanu PF is behaving in the same way as the
country’s former colonial master by thwarting efforts geared towards
bringing about political change in the country.

It forgets that the majority was faithful to its political ideologies, but
when the political glitter began to fade they abandoned void promises in
search of better alternatives. This search for an alternative is a
democratic right, not a privilege. Fooled by the so-called socialist
ideology that was preached in the early 80s, the masses realised it was more
mythical than realistic.

Important to note in understanding  this political resolve is that, with all
the military prowess the Rhodesian army had, it seemed unimaginable that the
guerrilla fighters could wage a meaningful insurgency to force Ian Smith to
the Lancaster House negotiating table in 1979. But it was possible because
of the support of the masses who contributed immensely to effect “regime
change”, which today  is viewed as a dirty phrase by Zanu PF.

Ideally, if the electorate demands fresh leadership through the ballot, Zanu
PF should accede, relinquish power and hand over the baton to the rightful
winner. This current circus whereby politicians that lose elections still
believe they are popular, must be thrown into dustbins of history. Let
people choose what they want without fear. A rational leader must surely
feel guilty to rule without  the consent of the ruled.

Realising that it was fast-losing its grip on the political landscape, Zanu
PF, like other dictatorial regimes in Africa, believes arrests of opposition
groups is the best way to contain revolt. Zanu PF should realise that revolt
is not only confined to violent uprisings; it can take the form of passive
resistance. This was the case in 2008 when President Robert Mugabe lost the
election to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The year 2008 indicated that the former ruling party was on its deathbed
awaiting burial. Torturing opposition supporters only builds voter apathy,
and may even cause resentment towards the party that is responsible.

If watching videos that showed uprisings in north Africa was a crime, then
it means the majority of Zimbabweans committed crimes. In some public
places, some people openly celebrated the downfall of the dictator, while
during  informal debates, toppling of dictators was hailed as progressive.

It could be Gwisai or any other person prosecuted for political dissent,
Zanu PF must remember that suppression of the masses is the worst enemy for
a party seeking relevance in a political environment where it has lost its
glamour.

BY GUMISAI NYONI

Transparency can help curb diamond looting

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:33

Companies mining diamonds frequently boast they have put in place watertight
security measures that prevent the smuggling of diamonds from Chiadzwa.

In the past few months, they have organised tours for selected government
officials, journalists and recently members of the civil society to showcase
high-tech security systems that have been installed at the mines.

Unfortunately, their security systems are only enough to catch small-time
illegal diamond miners and not those in the underworld who work in cahoots
with corrupt officials to smuggle huge diamond volumes.

Take for example the case of Shmuel Kainan Klein, an Israeli pilot who was
allegedly caught trying to smuggle 1 300 diamond pieces two weeks ago.

Had it not been for the 58-year-old’s suspicious behaviour — being shaky and
uneasy at the airport screening gates — it was possible he could have
succeeded in taking away US$2m worth of diamonds.

The question that begs an answer is: Where did the Israeli get such a
diamond haul if diamond extraction, keeping and monitoring systems were
leak-proof?

The pilot’s appearance in court comes just a few weeks after a crack unit
nabbed Israeli and Russian nationals at a house in Follyjon Crescent in Glen
Lorne suburb linked to dealings in diamond and other precious minerals.

What is emerging from these arrests is that security controls at Chiadzwa
are merely superficial, and serve to hoodwink those who are concerned about
meeting the requirements of the Kimberly Process.

While it might no longer be possible for small-tine miners to extract
diamonds from Chiadzwa, for the diamond barons the game has not changed.

All they need are a few right connections: either one or two corrupt
politicians or officials of mining companies who can facilitate the diamond
deals.

The main handicap in stopping this haemorrhage is obviously lack of
political will to bring transparency in the mining and sale of diamonds,
which is a preserve of Zanu PF politicians and a few connected people.

Without the much needed transparency in the sector, Chiadzwa will remain a
looting ground for well-connected diamond barons for a long time to come.

Quote of the week

"Above all we don’t want to be treated like a pariah state. We need the
international community to ensure that the will of the people is respected.”
PM Morgan Tsvangirai in an interview in the UK last week.

New approach needed to empowerment

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

Sunday, 25 March 2012 11:30

BY  TAKURA ZHANGAZHA

On March 1 and 2 this year, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment
Promotion held an investment workshop in Gauteng Province, South Africa.

The conference was held under the theme “Realising Zimbabwe’s Investment
Potential” and was primed to attract the South African and the broader
international business community to invest in our country. It turns out that
the most contentious issue in the aftermath of the conference was that of
the government’s policy of indigenisation.

This being particularly evidenced by the public spat generated when the
Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Saviour
Kasukuwere referred to statements made by Prime Minister Tsvangirai at the
same conference as being characteristic of a “loose cannon”. It is probably
not only in Zimbabwe where one minister attacks a senior member of cabinet
with such brazen vitriol, but that is probably a full indication of how
fractured the inclusive government remains.

The bigger issue however is not related to what can only be viewed as a
public display of insubordination by Kasukuwere to the office of the Prime
Minister. Instead it is to query the motivation of the inclusive government,
via the relevant ministry to host an investment conference without being
clear within its own cabinet on the short, medium and long term effects of
indigenisation of the economy.

This is because courting the South African and in the same process, the
broader international business community to invest in Zimbabwe is obviously
a matter that merits a common and collectively responsible investment
approach from any serious government.

There are three quick probable answers as to why the government went ahead
with hosting this conference regardless of evident policy disagreements. The
first being that the ministry responsible probably wanted to be seen to be
doing the right thing by way of the government work programme. Secondly,
there is obviously an intention by the ministry which is run by an MDC-T
minister to demonstrate its commitment to what has come to be viewed as the
“best practice” courting of private-public sector partnerships and Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI).

The third reason why cabinet as a collective and with at least four
ministers in attendance agreed to host this conference is that Zanu PF
probably wanted to prove a particular political point to both South African
business as well as its reluctant bedfellows in the inclusive government.

This being that regardless of the investment conference’s or international
capital’s concerns, it was not going to change its globally controversial
indigenisation plans. This was a point made even more poignant by Minister
Kasukuwere’s very public insistence that mining giant, Zimplats, concede to
ceding shares to the government the same week the investment conference was
due to be held.

All these probable and somewhat political reasons are however only
symptomatic of a larger problem that faces the “matrix” (to use our Finance
minister’s terminology) of the state, foreign direct investment and the
national economy. It is functionally an inorganic “matrix” thus far into the
tenure of the inclusive government. This is primarily because of its heavy
emphasis on the extractive nature of FDI in Zimbabwe without social
investment conditionality on those international conglomerates that are
being courted.

And this, if one takes the examples of the diamond mining industry, has been
done with what can reasonably be presumed to be collusion between state
elites and international mining concerns. The outcome of these not so clear
deals and mining concessions, has been negligible in relation to progressive
societal or public infrastructure impact.

To compound matters further, the inclusive government seems over-obssessed
with public-private partnerships without clearly delineating the expected
broader national development impact of the same. This may be because some
ministers are somewhat over keen on demonstrating their ability to grasp
World Bank or IMF concepts even where the same said concepts or strategic
economic interventions are inapplicable to our national context or where
they have proven to be a failure elsewhere (a key example is that of
bio-fuel agriculture in Chisumbanje, which has been discredited as
disempowering to peasant farmers and damaging to the environment in parts of
Latin America).

The inclusive government, particularly the ministries that are responsible
for trade, mining, promoting investment and finance, need to learn to drive
a much more transparent and publicly accountable FDI bargain. Indeed while
the national economy has suffered over the last 10 or so years from the
flight of investment, it remains necessary that we do not negotiate on a
platform of complete desperation for any sort of investment. Be it from the
East or the West.

A firmer FDI negotiation platform would be strongly assisted if the
government sets out social responsibility frameworks for potential and
current international companies that are in Zimbabwe. This would include
making FDI acceptable where it is linked to the development of public
infrastructure.

- kubatana.net