No Zim poll without reforms - SA

http://www.iol.co.za

March 5 2012 at 01:31pm

Zimbabwe's heavyweight neighbour South Africa on Monday dismissed a push by
President Robert Mugabe for new polls without long-delayed reforms required
by the country's unity deal.

Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said Pretoria expects the
power-sharing pact, known as the global political agreement (GPA), to be
fully in place with a new constitution approved by referendum before new
elections.

“The GPA envisages that an election in Zimbabwe will only be held following
the finalisation of the constitution-making process,” Nkoana-Mashabane said
in a reply to a parliamentary question, acknowledging delays.

A committee “is drafting a new constitution, after which a referendum and
then elections should be held. Our government therefore expect that there
would be no deviation from the provisions of the GPA,” she added.

Mugabe has repeatedly called for Zimbabwe to go to the polls this year, even
if the new charter isn't in place. Reforms to media and the electoral laws
are required under the uneasy power-sharing arrangement with Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai.

“We just must have elections. They just must take place with or without a
new constitution. If others don't want to have an election then they are
free not to participate,” he said last month.

South African President Jacob Zuma is tasked by the regional Southern
African Development Community (SADC) bloc to help Zimbabwe put in place the
deal which Pretoria brokered in 2008.

Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, has already been endorsed as
his party's candidate for a new vote to end the compromise government formed
to stem an economic crisis and political melt-down after blood-stained polls
in 2008.

The country's constitution-drafting commission says a referendum on the
charter could not be held before August, meaning elections under the new
constitution would not likely be until next year. - AFP

Mugabe ally effectively running election body

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
05 March 2012

Zimbabwe will not have a free and fair election until members of the state
security agency (CIO) and former senior soldiers who work for the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (ZEC) have been removed from the secretariat that runs
the body.

In an interview with SW Radio Africa political commentator Pedzisai Ruhanya
said despite the appointment of new commissioners in 2010, their influence
is largely limited to setting policy and it was in fact the secretariat,
still packed with Mugabe cronies, that does the day to day running of
elections.

SW Radio Africa understands Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe who was appointed
to chair ZEC is not well and his deputy, Joyce Kazembe, a key Mugabe ally,
is effectively running the commission. Kazembe has been with ZEC for over 15
years and involved in over 5 disputed elections which Mugabe won.

More recently she was part of the discredited election commission, headed by
retired brigadier general George Chiweshe. That commission withheld
presidential election results for weeks in March 2008, amid reports the
period was used to manipulate figures that denied Tsvangirai an outright
victory against Mugabe.

The current Chief Elections Officer is Lovemore Chipunza Sekeramayi, a
former member of the Presidents Office. The notorious Central Intelligence
Organisation (CIO) falls under the Presidents Office and Ruhanya said
Sekeramayi’s deployment in such a strategic position was deliberate on
Mugabe’s part.

The two directors who work under Sekeramayi, Utoile Silaigwana (Operations)
and Notayi Mutemasango (Administration and Finance), are former soldiers
fiercely loyal to Mugabe. Silaingwana is responsible for polling, training,
election logistics, voter education and public relations for the commission.

Ruhanya said this ZEC secretariat was “responsible for the sham election in
June 2008, marked by bloodshed, enforced disappearances and egregious human
rights violations which were all in violation of the electoral act.” Despite
this the same individuals deemed the one man presidential poll in 2008 free
and fair.

“The personnel of the Zimbabwe Election Commission and the Registrar General’s
office should be subjected to public scrutiny with a view to increasing
public accountability and transparency. These two institutions and the
individuals running them have been part of the crisis the country is faced
with,” Ruhanya said.

During the 2002 presidential election the recently promoted Major General
Douglas Nyikayaramba was the Chief Executive Officer of the commission. He
made sure the body was stuffed with soldiers, state security agents and ZANU
PF militia. His recruits are still there and will ensure Mugabe wins by hook
or crook.

ZANU PF strongman handed top diamond job

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
05 March 2012

A known Robert Mugabe ally and former army chief has been handed a top
position at one of the state owned firms mining at the Chiadzwa diamond
fields, which a key human rights campaigner has called ‘worrying’.

The Marange Resources firm has appointed Tshinga Dube, a former chief
executive of the Zimbabwe Defense Industries (ZDI), as its chairperson.
Dube, a former senior army Colonel is also a top ZANU PF politician and a
member of the party’s supreme decision-making body, the Politburo. Dube was
also a board member of the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC)
for eight years.

Marange Resources is owned by the ZMDC and operates one of four concessions
mining atZimbabwe’s controversial diamond fields. It is also one of the
companies that have been cleared by the international diamond trade
watchdog, the Kimberley Process (KP), to export its stock.

“Given the important role diamonds are going to play in reviving our
economy, I consider this appointment to be an important national
responsibility which I shall try to execute diligently with my colleagues
and my seniors,” Dube is quoted as saying by the Financial Gazette.

Dube’s history in handling diamonds has previously raised international
concerns and he was named in the past in a United Nations report of top army
personnel who were involved in the looting of diamonds in theDRC. Meanwhile,
his son Mthulisi Dube was also arrested in 2007 for the illegal possession
of diamonds and gold. That case never went to trial.

Tiseke Kasambala, a human rights campaigner with Human Rights Watch which
has been instrumental in exposing the extent of rights abuses at Chiadzwa,
told SW Radio Africa on Monday that such an appointment “is not at all
surprising.”

“It’s worrying, but not surprising and we have previously warned that key
ZANU PF officials were being given these top positions. We warned the KP
about this and raised concerns about this involvement, so we aren’t
surprised,” Kasambala said.

The UK based Global Witness this year also raised serious concerns about the
involvement of senior ZANU PF members and military personnel, exposing how
top officials were listed as ‘directors’ in firms at Chiadzwa. These
includes; Martin Rushwaya, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of
Defense, Oliver Chibage and Nonkosi M. Ncube, both police commissioners and
Munyaradzi Machacha, a ZANU PF director of publications. Also listed are
Morris Masunungure, a former army officer and Romeo Daniel Mutsvunguma, a
retired army Colonel in the Zimbabwe Defence Force.

Global Witness warned that this involvement of top ZANU PF and military
officials increased the likelihood that any future campaign of violence
could be funded by the country’s diamond wealth. The group also called
forZimbabwe’s diamond sales to be suspended until there is full transparency
in the local trade, as well as legislation to ensure that no members
ofZimbabwe’s security sector have control over mining companies.

Kasambala on Monday voiced full support for these recommendations, stating
that there is a serious risk that ZANU PF will use the resources to fund a
campaign of violence.”

“We all know how the army has been involved in violence at Chiadzwa,
including the murders of at least 200 people. We all know that former top
army officials are now in charge of the mining companies there. And we all
know how ZANU PF uses state resources to fund violence. This needs to stop,”
Kasambala said.

Dube’s appointment meanwhile comes as Finance Minister Tendai Biti has again
acknowledged that there is a “clear gap” between diamonds being sold and the
amount of money reaching the government. He noted that the ZMDC has
registered only 45 million carats, which is a “minute” amount in relation to
the size of the mining operation. According to Biti, the country needs to
set up a diamond exploration company and a stand-alone diamond agency that
will help market the stones.

Australia removes 82 people from the Zimbabwe sanctions list

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Australia will remove 82 individuals from the autonomous financial and
travel sanctions list for Zimbabwe.
05.03.1201:51pm
by The Zimbabwean Harare

Acting Foreign Minister Craig Emerson said the 82 people to be removed from
the list no longer posed a threat to the restoration of democracy, the rule
of law, or progress under the Zimbabwean Government’s power sharing deal.

“We are working closely with our partners in the United Kingdom, Europe and
the United States to support the combined efforts of Zimbabwe, South Africa
and the Southern African Development Community to build a brighter future
for Zimbabwe,” Dr Emerson said.

“Australia’s autonomous sanctions regime against Zimbabwe remains one of the
world’s toughest. We will continue to uphold this until there is further
progress towards democracy and respect for the rule of law in Zimbabwe.”

Australia will retain travel and financial sanctions on 153 individuals and
four entities. Australia will also continue to prevent the adult children of
listed individuals from studying in Australia and prohibit defence links and
the sale of military equipment to Zimbabwe.

The Australian Government is committed to improving the lives of the people
of Zimbabwe and is the third largest bilateral donor to the global effort to
assist Zimbabwe, focused on humanitarian relief and promoting economic
recovery.

“We want to see Zimbabwe get back on its feet so that its economy can
prosper and its society can be freer, fairer and more democratic,” Dr
Emerson said.

The changes to the sanctions list will take effect as soon as the amended
list is published on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

Media enquiries

• Minister's office: (02) 6277 7500

• DFAT Media Liaison: (02) 6261 1555

Australia criticised for easing Zim sanctions

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
05 March 2012

Australia’s government is facing criticism for deciding to ease its targeted
sanctions still in place against Robert Mugabe and key members of his
regime, with 82 individuals set to be delisted.

According to a media release on Monday, Australia’s Acting Foreign Minister
Craig Emerson has said that the 82 people “no longer posed a threat to the
restoration of democracy, the rule of law, or progress under the Zimbabwean
Government’s power sharing deal.”

“We are working closely with our partners in the United Kingdom, Europe and
the United States to support the combined efforts of Zimbabwe, South Africa
and the Southern African Development Community to build a brighter future
for Zimbabwe,” Emerson said.

He added: “Australia’s autonomous sanctions regime against Zimbabwe remains
one of the world’s toughest. We will continue to uphold this until there is
further progress towards democracy and respect for the rule of law in
Zimbabwe.”

Travel and financial sanctions will remain on 153 individuals and four
entities, while adult children of listed individuals will remain restricted
from studying in Australia. The country will also continue to prohibit
defence links and the sale of military equipment to Zimbabwe.

The Australian’s decision comes after the government there removed 17 people
from the sanctions list last August. It also follows a decision by the
European Union (EU) this year to ease its targeted measures against the
Mugabe regime. The EU last month removed 51 people and 20 companies from its
sanctions list, citing ‘progress’ made by Zimbabwe’s government.

Former Zimbabwean diplomat Clifford Mashiri told SW Radio Africa on Monday
the easing of these measures is premature, and questioned what progress both
the EU and Australia have noted.

“There has been no progress to talk about,” Mashiri said.
He added: “One has to believe that these governments are trying to be
sincere in wanting democratic change and so are easing these measures in
good faith.”

Mashiri called this ‘carrot and stick diplomacy’, which he added “doesn’t
necessarily work and certainly does not work on ZANU PF.”

It is not yet clear who has been removed from the Australian sanctions list,
as the changes have not yet been published. That government said in its
statement that the changes “will take effect as soon as the amended list is
published on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.”

Mugabe Dismisses Devolution of Power

http://www.radiovop.com

Bulawayo, March 05, 2012--Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has dismissed
“devolution of power” saying it will divide people of Zimbabwe and should
not be included in the new constitution.

Speaking in his second interview which was broadcasted in Shona on ZBC
television last night (Sunday night) to celebrate his 88th Mugabe said
Zimbabwe is too small for "devolution of power" and this will also divide
Zimbabweans.

“Zvekuti nyika idimburwe- dimburwe hatizvide, nokuti zvinoita kuti vanhu
vasabatana. Izvo zvinoitwa kunyika dzakakura chete hazviite kuno kunyika
diki seyedu.Takambova nazvo kudhara pachiri nemubatanidzwa we Federation uyo
waisanganisira Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe),Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) ne
Nyasaland (Malawi) kuma1953 kusvika 1960, kwete ikozvino hazvigoni zve
devolution izvi.

“Vamwe varikutotaura kuti Matebeleland idimburwe ive nyika yayo yoga
hazviite,”said Mugabe.

“We don’t  want to divide the country into small pieces because will cause
disunity among our people. Those things are done in big countries not to a
small country like ours. “We once had this, under the Federation which
included Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and
Nyasaland (Malawi),” said Mugabe. Mugabe added: “Some are talking about
separating Matebeleland region to become a country that is impossible we don’t
want that.”

Mugabe also said the service chiefs will not be changed saying he is the
only one, who has power to appoint and dismiss them not Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai or Deputy Prime Arthur Mutambara.

The two formations of the MDC, human rights organisations, civic society
groups, pressure groups and other opposition political parties have called
for the urgent implementation of devolution of power in Zimbabwe to stop the
continued marginalisation of some provinces.

They are saying devolution of power is the only way of uplifting some of the
country’s provinces that have remained marginalised since Independence in
1980.

Some civic groups accuse the central government of robbing resource rich
regions to develop preferred provinces, notably Matabeleland which lags
behind in terms of development.

MDC-T COPAC co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora last week during the memorial
service of the late Bulawayo Senator Gladys Gombami revealed “that
devolution power is included in the new constitution".

Draft constitution to be ready in April

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
5 March 2012

Zimbabwe will have a fully completed draft constitution next month and a
referendum in August or September, co-chairman of COPAC Douglas Mwonzora
said on Monday.

The MDC-T MP for Nyanga North and party spokesman told SW Radio Africa that
a technical team that was revising all chapters of the new constitution have
completed their work in Bulawayo. The new charter has 18 chapters.

‘We have looked closely at what drafters have written and we are happy to
note that the changes that we made are not really fundamental. They are not
that many and therefore the drafters did a very good job. On Friday we are
inviting the drafters to come and complete the revised work, Mwonzora said.

The three principal constitution-drafters are former High Court judge
Justice Moses Chinhengo, Priscilla Madzonga and Brian Crozier. Mwonzora
denied reports that principals to the Global Political Agreement (GPA) had
given them a two-week ultimatum to complete the draft charter.

The state media reported last week that President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai were perturbed by the slow pace of the
constitution-drafting process.

‘We never received anything like that,’ he said amid reports that South
Africa dismissed a push by Mugabe for new polls without long-delayed reforms
required by the country’s unity deal.

Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said Pretoria expects the
power-sharing pact to be fully in place, with a new constitution approved by
referendum, before new elections.

‘The GPA envisages that an election in Zimbabwe will only be held following
the finalisation of the constitution-making process. A committee is drafting
a new constitution, after which a referendum and then elections should be
held. Our government therefore expects that there would be no deviation from
the provisions of the GPA,’ Nkoana-Mashabane said.

One week left of media reform ultimatum

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
05 March 2012

Media and Information Minister Webster Shamu now has just one week to
implement key media reforms, under an ultimatum set by the leaders in the
coalition government.

Two weeks have passed since this agreement was struck, apparently at a
meeting of government principals Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara.

Tsvangirai told a press conference just days after that meeting that Shamu
had been given three weeks to reconstitute the illegal boards of the
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe
and the Mass Media Trust.

These boards form part of a list of key outstanding issues delaying the full
implementation of the Global Political Agreement, but so far there is no
sign that the ultimatum will be met.

Shamu has previously been told to reconstitute the three boards, a move that
is hoped would usher in some freedom in Zimbabwe’s media space. But the ZANU
PF minister has ignored these ‘orders’.

Fugitive Zimbabwe tycoon ‘in Kenya’

http://www.nation.co.ke

By KITSEPILE NYATHI NATION CORRESPONDENT HARARE
Posted  Sunday, March 4  2012 at  22:30

Zimbabwe is seeking the extradition of a wealthy businessman wanted for
fraud charges who is believed to be hiding in Kenya under an assumed
identity.

The country’s Attorney- General has also gone to court to stop the
flamboyant businessman, Mr Frank Buyanga, from selling over 43 properties he
seized from people who failed to pay back loans the government said were
given under an illegal scheme.

Mr Buyanga advanced loans to several prominent people including government
ministers on condition that they agreed to surrender their properties when
they failed to repay the money.

He recently took the Minister for Transport, Mr Nicholas Goche, to the High
Court after he allegedly failed to repay a $75, 000 debt.

But police said the businessman was being investigated for fraud, forgery
and money laundering.

The AG’s office said it had information that Mr Buyanga was living in Kenya
and had no intention of returning to Zimbabwe.

“We have no option but to seek his extradition and are preparing papers to
help do that,” Mr Chris Mutangadura, a chief law officer in the AG’s
officer, told the state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper. He urged the tycoon to
come back to Zimbabwe “if he is not guilty”.

He said the extradition papers would be handed over to Zimbabwe’s Ministry
of Foreign Affairs which would communicate with Kenya’s authorities to
facilitate Mr Buyanga’s arrest.

Police said the businessman operated an illegal scheme. He would undervalue
the properties of borrowers and make them surrender their title deeds in
exchange for the loans, they said.

‘Zanu PF abusing children’

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Everson Mushava, Staff Writer
Monday, 05 March 2012 13:22

HARARE - A juvenile supporter of President Robert Mugabe is not nicknamed
“Senator Samantha” for nothing.

Probably a Grade One pupil, she packs a mean punch. Her hate speech against
the 88-year-old’s political opponents is too powerful to match-even seasoned
grandfatherly Zanu PF campaigners.

“Senator Samantha” took to the stage at a musical gala held in Chipinge
throughout the weekend to celebrate Mugabe’s birthday and all hell broke
loose.

Reciting a poem showering praises on the octogenarian leader while hurling
abuses at Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, she described the former trade
union leader as “weed that needs to be removed” from Zimbabwe’s political
landscape.

The crowd, including a television crew filming live to thousands of viewers,
went wild.

An animated “Senator Samantha” was not done yet.

“Tsvangirai, ndaiona musoro kukura ndikati injere, ndange ndisingazivi kuti
kurwara (Tsvangirai, I used to think that your big head is a reflection of
intelligence, little did I know that it is a sign of sickness),” she said to
roars of approval from a largely pro-Mugabe crowd.

She described Mugabe as a demi-god whose leadership capabilities were being
chocked by Tsvangirai “the weed and coward that fled the liberation war
while Mugabe fought white colonialists”.

Stung by that attack, Tsvangirai’s party is taking the matter up.

Party deputy spokesperson Thabitha Khumalo told the Daily News the MDC would
approach inter-party peace body, Joint Monitoring and Implementation
Committee (Jomic).

Broadcast live on television, the use of the minor to propagate hate speech
violated not only local, regional and international accords on child rights,
but the power-sharing Global Political Agreement (GPA), Khumalo said.

Article 19 of the GPA prohibits media from using their space to transmit
hate speech.

“We condemn the abuse of children, especially teaching them to use hate
language.

“These kids are supposed to be growing up surrounded by peace, love and
aspirations for a decent education. Yet Zanu PF is drilling them to be
masters of hate speech,” said Khumalo.

“We are disgusted by the parents of the children who was abused,” said
Khumalo.

Khumalo said the use of hate speech by state-run media was the main reason
why her party was calling for urgent media reforms.

“Yes it was a party event but it was broadcast live on national television,
so such hate speech should have been avoided,” said Khumalo.

Déjà vu as NGOs come under attack

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Everson Mushava, Staff Writer
Monday, 05 March 2012 13:09

HARARE - The tag of “enemy of the state” is fast returning to
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe as elections
loom.

Typical of Zanu PF’s election strategy, NGOs are being targeted for
harassment in spite of their support to humanitarian and human rights work,
civil society leaders say.

Representatives of civil society organisations say they fear for the worst,
as President Robert Mugabe talks up the possibility of elections this year.

Just last month, Masvingo provincial governor Titus Maluleke banned 29 NGOs
working in a province where many villagers have come to depend on NGOs for
food because of perennial droughts and lack of resources for farmers.

Mugabe followed this up with threats to escalate the war at a birthday bash
in Mutare, where he accused NGOs of using food aid as a weapon to oust his
regime.

These recent events have left aid organisations and civil society groups
feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Ahead of the violent 2005 elections, Mugabe made attempts to enact an NGO
Bill that would have restricted the operations of NGOs. In 2008, ahead of
the disputed presidential election run-off the then Minister of Social
Welfare, Nicholas Goche banned the operations of NGOs.

“We see that the levels of intimidation and harassment are increasing. It
might not just be the humanitarian and the human rights organisations that
are out in the field but even those who are in the cities and are leading
coalitions are also being targeted as we move towards an election,” said
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights executive director, Irene Petras.

Abel Chikomo, director of Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, who was summoned
by the police in 2011 over allegations of operating an unregistered NGO,
referred to the “persecution” as a predictable Zanu PF election strategy.

Chikomo, whose organisation is a coalition of close to 20 human rights,
labour and community groups, dismissed claims by Mugabe and Zanu PF that
NGOs worked along partisan political lines.

“My hope is that the utterances by the President and of course the actions
we are seeing on the ground are not indicative of the fact that Zanu PF
would want to resort to the use of violence again and such dirty tactics so
that they could actually win an election,” said Chikomo.

“We think that this is part of that whole campaign. They accuse us of being
partisan because we say no to violence, we want the respect for human
rights, rule of law, among other things,” he said.

Referring to the ban of NGO activities in Masvingo, Thabani Nyoni, Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition spokesperson said the action was linked to talk of
elections by Zanu PF.

Nyoni claimed it was Zanu PF’s strategy to buy votes through “deliberately”
starving communities and offering food aid only to those that show loyalty
to the party.

“In Zimbabwe, there has always been cases that food is sometimes used for
political campaigning and with this language of electioneering, you get the
feeling that this is part of the process of closing the space and making
sure that there is only one distributor, Zanu PF,” said Nyoni.

McDonald Lewanika, director of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, attributed the
bad blood between Zanu PF and NGOs to a “conspiracy” against the groups.

“If you are a person who is afraid of objectivity, you know that an
objective analysis of the situation as it is prevailing, an objective
education process of the citizens and an objective distribution of resources
that you are failing to supply as a government to ordinary citizens, will
work against those who are failing to provide those particular processes,”
he said.

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Japhet Moyo said Zanu PF
had targeted NGOs because of a perception that the groups were aiding
Tsvangirai and his party.

“The issue is about the elections. Zanu PF needs to mobilise their own
militia by labelling civil society as the enemy of the state. They are
setting up the civil society against the militia. The idea now is to cripple
the civil society ahead of the next elections,” said Moyo.

Some fear the continued persecution of NGOs would result in the suffering of
vulnerable people who rely on NGO intervention for food and social services
in the absence of adequate government support.

Many of the donors come from Western countries considered by Mugabe as
hostile to his party.

Western states say the sanctions are targeted at Mugabe and his ruling
elite, as evidenced by the billions they have poured into Zimbabwe’s
agriculture and social sectors.

Waste management: Council fails to cope

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Everson Mushava, Staff Writer
Monday, 05 March 2012 11:30

HARARE - Harare City Council says waste management is its biggest nightmare
as the city fails to cope with an ever-growing population.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the Environmental Management Agency (Ema)
to mark African Environmental Day in Harare on Friday, city environmental
regulatory planner Clifford Muzofa said litter was difficult to manage
because population growth was no longer compatible with available space.

“As city fathers, we say even those errand children are still ours. But we
implore behavioural change among citizens, otherwise the situation will
become worse,” Muzofa said.

According to figures from the central statistics office, Harare’s population
has swelled to 1.4 million with a projected growth rate of 5.8 percent per
annum, up from an estimated less than one million three years ago.

Of Harare’s 1.4 million people, 1.1 million come from high density suburbs,
a figure too high compared to available space, according to Muzofa.

“It is clear that the population growth is not relative to the space
available,” he said adding that the situation was worse in most high density
suburbs.

Mbare high density suburb has the largest population, with close to 130 000
living in squalid conditions. Other suburbs such as Budiriro, Mufakose and
Glen View also face a similar challenge of over population, said Muzofa.

Overpopulation, Muzofa said, was giving pressure to the city’s old
reticulation system, forcing the city to lose 25 to 30 percent of treated
water to burst pipes.

Muzofa said the situation was, however, set to improve as the local
authority was acquiring adjacent farms in order to expand Harare and ease
congestion, a move that will subsequently make litter management easy.

Muzofa said vending, a result of stagnant economic growth in the past
decade, was the biggest threat to waste management in Harare.

“We will intensify campaigns against litter this year and encourage
responsible behaviour from citizens,” he said, adding that council would
also intensify a crackdown against illegal vending as a way of cleaning the
streets.

Speaking at the same event, Ema board chair Usheunesu Mupepereki challenged
people to take pride in a green environment and shun litter.

“People think Ema and the city fathers should come to sweep their bedrooms,
houses streets and city. You should take pride in a clean environment and
avoid throwing litter everywhere,” Mupepereki pleaded.

Ema director general Mutsa Chasi said all stakeholders should work towards
an economy that is environmentally sustainable.

“People should adopt a green habit, at home and at work. We all need a clean
environment. Let’s take care of our environment in a sustainable way was so
that we leave a heritage for the future generation,” she said, adding that
Africa hopes to fully green its economy by 2050.

High court to decide Tuesday on bail application for MDC activists

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
5 March 2012

The High Court will make a ruling Tuesday on a bail application lodged by
lawyers representing 29 MDC-T members accused of murdering police inspector,
Petros Mutedza.

The group was taken back into custody last week Thursday after being
indicted for trial which starts next week Monday. The MDC-T denies its
activists were involved in the murder of Mutedza, saying the cop was fatally
assaulted by patrons at a Glen View bar who were discussing football.

Whilst in police custody the activists claimed they were tortured in an
attempt to induce confessions from them. One of those back in police cells
is national executive member Last Maengahama and his two brothers Stanford
and Lazarus.

Stanford and Lazarus are part of a group of seven who were granted bail by
the deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba just two weeks ago. The group included
Rebecca Mafikeni, Phenias Nhatarikwa, Yvonne Musarurwa, Stanford Mangwiro
and Glen View Ward 32 councellor, Tungamirai Madzokere. This group spent 9
months in custody and have only tasted freedom for less than a fortnight.

Defence lawyer Charles Kwaramba told SW Radio Africa that they’ve had
discussions with the Attorney-General’s office and he is hopeful the group
will be granted bail, again.

‘The reason why they’re back in custody is that it is a procedural aspect
handled under the criminal procedure and evidence Act that anyone indicted
for murder should be held in custody.

‘But there is a way to avoid that. If we were in a properly functioning
system, the Attorney-General needed just to give his consent to the court
handling the matter to say we agree to the group being readmitted to bail on
the same conditions,’ Kwaramba said.

Obert Gutu, the deputy Minister of Justice and MDC-T spokesman for Harare
province, said it would be unusual for the court to deny them bail.

‘It is left to the discretion of the High court to decide, but they’re
inclined to grant them bail on the basis of how they behaved when they were
out on bail.

‘They never breached their bail conditions, in fact they complied to the
letter and on that basis alone, they stand a very good chance of winning
their freedom,’ explained Gutu.

Indigenisation deprive Zim of $6,3bn

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Taurai Mangudhla, Business Writer
Monday, 05 March 2012 13:02

HARARE - Zimbabwe's financial services sector has missed out on $6,3 billion
worth of lines of credit from international banks due to uncertainty posed
by the country’s indigenisation programme, economist Erich Bloch has said.

The Bulawayo-based analyst, told businessdaily two major foreign banks
withdrew their intent to lend money to local financial institutions last
year when Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere announced he was
targeting banks, in implementing the Indigenisation

Act, after mining and manufacturing sectors.

The Act compels all foreign owned firms to cede at least 51 percent
shareholding to Zimbabweans.

“I can’t tell you the names of the banks because I was told in confidence. I
am sorry I can’t do that, but it is true they wanted to give the country
$6,3 billion lines of credit last year,” he said.

Bloch also said a mining company lost investment to the tune of $6,3 million
from foreign investors in the same period as implementation of the
empowerment laws in the mining sector commenced.

“I can’t expose the miner’s name for the same reasons,” he added.

Miners, Zimbabwe Platinum Mines and Mimosa Platinum Mines have each to date
relinquished 10 percent stakes to locals under the community share ownership
schemes and made a $10 million cash donations to operationalise the
community trusts.

The economist was quoted by the foreign print media saying government’s
failure to raise money for locals’ equity was the major challenge with
indigenisation.

Zimbabwe has struggled to attract funding to setup its Sovereign

Wealth Fund which will be used to acquire equity in foreign companies by the
government.

He said foreign companies and potential investors had taken a wait and see
attitude amid government’s threats to take over foreign businesses.

The negative effects of the Indigenisation Act come at a timer the country,
facing acute liquidity challenges after introduction of a multiple currency
regime in 2009,  is in desperate need for capital to turn around its
economic fortune.

The mining sector remains underutilised and undercapitalised, particularly
the gold sector which is at 40 percent capacity utilisation.

Banks are currently struggling to raise enough capital as required by law.

Three local banks are in a rush to meet the country’s minimum capital
requirement by April and save their operating licences.

The three — Genesis Investment Bank (GIB), Royal Bank (royal) and Zimbabwe
Allied Banking Group (ZABG) $12,5 million minimum capital requirements for
commercial banks and $10 million for merchant banks.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono said the financial
institutions would not be allowed to conduct business affective April if
they fail to officially conclude capitalisation plans, including acquisition
and mergers, by March 31.

“ZABG which had a negative capital of $15,35 million as at  March 1, 2012,
is currently finalising negotiations with two potential investors namely,
Unicapital Finance of Mauritius, Swiss-based company AFG Global and a local
company Trebo & Khays (Private) Limited. The transactions are expected to be
consummated by 28 March 2012,” said Gono last week.

Trebor and Khays is owned by Mines minister Obert Mpofu and his wife
Skhanyiso.

“GIB remains undercapitalised with negative capital of $3,2 million.
Negotiations with SwissCharge of Zambia and a consortium of local investors
for a capital injection of $20 million are currently underway,” added Gono.
GIB has continued to make losses, resulting in the group seeking foreign
investors to recapitalise the unit."

The central bank chief said; “Royal Bank which currently has capital of
$3,42 million is pursuing mergers with two local banking institutions with
combined capital of $34 million. In addition, the bank is also finalising an
agreement with a local pension fund for equity participation of $5 million.

The recapitalisation initiatives are expected to be concluded by March 29,
2012.”

East African undersea cables remain unfixed

http://www.itnewsafrica.com

Monday, March 5th, 2012

It has been three weeks since an underwater cable was cut of the Kenyan
cost, leaving East African companies and businesses frustrated as they wait
for internet and telecommunications to return to normal. Repairs continue,
but governments said it could take close to a month to complete all repairs.

Undersea fiber optic cables repairs slowing down several African nations.
(image: resources2.news.com.au)

The severed cables caused severe slowdown in internet traffic and
intermittent performance of links in East and Southern Africa. Countries
affected include Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda,Tanzania, South
Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Chris Wood, WIOCC chief executive, has called thesituation “very unusual”.

In Zimbabwe, internet users and ISPs served by the country’s fixed line
operator, TelOne, have been experiencing intermittent internet service since
the EASSy cable broke.

TelOne is part of the WIOCC consortium that has ownership in EASSy. Other
internet providers using alterative international cables like SEACOM have
however not been affected.

WIOCC and other cable operators have said that the repairs are “taking place
around the clock” and that they hope “to return customers andusers services
to normal as soon as possible”.

The cable cut has caused bandwidth in many East African cities and towns
dramatically reduced, but Zimbabwe has been hit hardest.

Zimbabwe's police getting rich fast

http://www.theafricareport.com/

Posted on Monday, 05 March 2012 17:04

By The Africa Report

Zimbabwe police chief, Augustine Chihuri has defied a government directive
to scale down on the number of roadblocks on the country's highways.

Zimbabwean Police Chief, Augustine Chihuri/ photo/ Reuters

Zimbabwean Police Chief, Augustine Chihuri/ photo/ Reuters
The number of police roadblocks on the highways has been a major cause for
concern and the cabinet deliberated the issue at a meeting late February.

It was agreed that these be reduced as some police officers were abusing
them and instead demanding bribes from motorists.

Motorists who resist offering bribes risk having their cars impounded and
there are roadblocks at least after every 20 kilometres.

The stretch connecting the capital city, Harare and the second city,
Bulawayo has no less than 13 roadblocks and motorists face the possibility
of having to bribe at each of these.

And Motorists claim that police officers demand payments of anything between
US$5 and US$50 for them to be allowed to proceed.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara led calls for the reduction of
roadblocks and even urged anyone with a complaint to approach his office,
saying the roadblocks were "a place to enrich rogue police elements."

"There is no need for all those roadblocks. We do not want corruption
whereby the police use these as fundraising methods," Mutambara said.

But Chihuri, a fierce Mugabe loyalist, is defiant saying he won't budge on
the issue of roadblocks and instead he argues that motorists complaining of
inconvenience caused by the heavy presence of traffic police on the roads
were misguided.

"Let me state categorically that the reckless and misguided call to remove
the traffic police from the roads is a non-starter," he told a pass out
parade at Morris Depot in Harare.

Police sources claim that each highway traffic patrol unit has a target to
raise US$3000 per week, while police stations have to raise US$1 000 per
week through fines and $1 500 per week for each traffic section unit.

The money is reportedly earmarked to service the force's new fleet of
vehicles.

The police have instead launched a crackdown on rogue cops who demand bribes
after a lifestyle audit failed to weed of corrupt officers, although critics
claim this is just a smokescreen.

Last year, the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa revealed that
Zimbabwe had the most corrupt police force in the region, with the traffic
section being the worst.

Police chiefs launched a lifestyle audit of junior officers who are
incredibly rich despite earning only US$200 a month.

ZESA Billing System Chaotic

http://www.swradioafrica.com

5 March 2012: The HRT is saddened by the hypocrisy of the national power
utility ZESA which has made public pronouncements guaranteeing its customers
improved service delivery yet the situation on the ground regarding billing
leaves a lot to be desired.

In September 2011 ZESA announced a 31% increment in tariffs but residents’
statements reflect a more than 100% increase in charges. ZESA announced
accurate billing for Harare residents on 1 January 2012, this has not
happened to date.

In separate meetings with the HRT, ZESA provided contact details for
officials to be handling residents’ concerns in the Northern, Southern and
Eastern regions but the said officials, Milton Tsenesa, Mrs. Jeche and Mrs
Dumbura have been reshuffled several times leaving referred residents
stranded.

While we appreciate that the country’s power supplies are limited but ZESA
needs to rationalise power fairly. Some suburbs go for extended hours
without power at times going for days. The HRT demands accurate meter
readings which are reflected in the cost of electricity and denounces all
estimated bills. Below is a case on the ground concerning ZESA billing;

There are residents who have prepaid meters removed by ZESA who claim that
they would replace them for accurate readings and they have gone for years
without meters but continue receiving electricity. No statements are sent to
them and inquiries to get account numbers have been futile. Some end up
getting bills that are $2 000 and above with the justification that they
have not been paying for a long time. An electricity meter which is not
working for one year reflected $559.51 Bill Number 192216241.

There are serious irregularities on some ZESA statements and bills. A close
analysis of a certain customer’s receipt numbers and those on the ZESA
statement shows a number of differences which are as follows:

    There is a mismatch on the receipt number of those of the consumer and
those appearing on the ZESA consolidated statement.
    The consumer had a credit balance of US$69.00 on 7 September 2010 but
outstanding balance shot to $173.99 on October 2010 which he is questioning.
The US$173.99 areas was for period 22/03/2010 to 15/10/2010 yet payment were
made in this period as follows:

i.            US$49.20 opening credit balance on 21/03/2010

ii.            US$20 on 13/04/2010

iii.            US$15 on 09/06/2010

iv.            US$15 on 27/09/2010.

    Payments made on 27 October 2010 had a wrong address leaving the client
with the impression that his payments were credited to the wrong account.
    Opening reading statements for December 2010 was similar to that of
March 2011.

December 2010 opening reading……….109861 and closing reading 110483.

March 2010 opening reading…………….109861 and closing reading 110521.

The same reading was charged twice.

    On the October 2011 statement it says “Estimate” and “Actual” at the
bottom. But this is on consumption figure with actual readings. The same
thing was done on the statement of August 2011.
    6.      31/10/2011 due date for October statement, 08/11/2011 due date
for Nov statement, only 8 days apart.
    7.      Account holder 1168868 paid $30 on 9 December 2011 while
statement reflected $21.54 and was credited with $8.46. January 2, 2012 paid
$30 again and received statement on 3 January reflecting a current bill of
$90.25. Meter reading on statement 59720 as at December 2011, customer took
own meter reading on 27 January 2011 and it reflected 59538 which is less
than what ZESA wrote on their own statement.

The HRT is worried and residents continue to be put under immense pressure,
being coerced to pay their bills, based on estimates. There is serious
corruption and inconsistency within ZESA departments. ZESA should urgently
address its billing system.

Ends//

Patrick Chinamasa’s statement to the UN Human Rights Council

Dear Colleagues,

Together with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Chairperson, who is also
ZIMRIGHTS National Director, Mr. Okay Machisa, we are in Geneva for the
19th session of the UN Human Rights Council’s 19th session where
Zimbabwe’s justice minister (Zanu PF) Patrick Chinamasa addressed the High
Level Segment yesterday at 11am.

Chinamasa’s address came immediately after the Human Rights Council (the
Council) held an urgent debate on the escalating grave human rights
violations and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Syrian Arab
Republic. At the end of the debate the Council adopted a resolution (37
votes in favour, 3 against – China, Cuba, and the Russian Federation
voting against, and India, the Philippines and Ecuador abstaining).
Angola, Burkina Faso, Kyrgyzstan, and Uganda did not vote. Burkina Faso,
after the vote, stated that had it been present it would have voted in
favour.) condemning the continued widespread and systematic violations of
human rights and expressing concern at the humanitarian situation. The
resolution calls for the Council to remain seized of the matter and to
take further action, including after the forthcoming interactive dialogue
with the commission of inquiry on the situation of human rights in the
Syrian Arab Republic.

The following are highlights of Chinamasa’s statement:
1. On the situation in Syria – ” In our view, the current situation in
Syria requires first and foremost, the efforts of the Syrian people to
peacefully resolve their differences without any foreign interference.
Secondly, it requires diplomacy, dialogue and international cooperation,
taking full cognisance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Syria.”
2. On Committment to human rights – ” Zimbabwe is and will continue to do
its uttermost in the promotion and protection of human rights for the
benefit of its people. In this regard, Zimbabwe is currently working
towards putting in place a people-driven constitution following extensive
outreaches involving all political parties in the Global Political
Agreement. Efforts to operationalize the Human Rights Commission are
nearing completion.”
3. On Marange Diamonds – “Despite opposition from some quarters, the
clearance by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme allowing my
country to sell its diamonds is just the beginning of a long journey
towards the empowerment of our people who had been denied the right of
benefitting from one of our many God-given resources.”
4. On Invitation to UN Human Rights High Commissioner to visit Zimbabwe -
“Last year, we extended an invitation to the High Commissioner to
undertake a visit in early February 2012. Unfortunately the High
Commissioner was unable to honour our invitation due to other developments
and commitments beyond her control, and ha since suggested other possible
dates. ”
5. On Sanctions – ” …[O]ur honest efforts to promote and protect the
human rights of our people have been and continue to be impeded by the
illegal sanctions imposed on our people by some western countries. These
illegal sanctions are a blatant violation of the human rights of our
people, especially the right to development.”
6. On the International Criminal Court – ” the ICC remains, in our view, a
glorified Kangaroo Court lacking impartiality.”
7. On the rights of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual and Transgender Individuals
(LGBTI) – “In all constitutional outreaches conducted last year by COPAC
throughout Zimbabwe, the people of Zimbabwe vehemently rejected this
LGBTI. It is alien to our culture but some countries persist in foisting
it on us. LGBTI is unacceptable to us….No amount of sugar coating,
rebranding or aid dangling will make this alien value acceptable to the
Zimbabwean people.”

COMMENT: This hardliner views expressed by Chinamasa – who has -
ironically – been removed on the EU sanctions list – are no surprise. He
is giving the standard Zanu PF line. It is noteworthy that he did not say
anything on elections, giving credence to the view that when Mugabe calls
for elections it is largely political grand-standing which must be
rejected. The statement reveals that Zanu PF will follow through the
process of coming up with a new constitution.

best,

Dewa Mavhinga
Regional Information and Advocacy Coordinator
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, South Africa Office

ZANU-PF and China: does Zimbabwe really ‘yearn for the Yuan?’ – By Andrew C. Miller

http://africanarguments.org/

March 5, 2012

Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono’s proposal in November to peg a new
Zimbabwean dollar to the Chinese yuan made a splash of headlines. The Asia
Times, for example, announced “Zimbabwe’s yearn for yuan,” while Al-Jazeera
asked “To Yuan or not to Yuan, that is the question.” But the media
excitement is misplaced for now. Gono and his allies in the Zimbabwe African
National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) cannot institute the peg with the
current government in place. Indeed, Finance Minister Tendai Biti from the
Movement for Democrat Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) made clear that Zimbabwe
would continue using its multi-currency system until the economy stabilized.

Thus, like so much in Zimbabwe today, the future of the country’s monetary
regime hinges on the outcome of the upcoming presidential, legislative, and
local elections. Disputes over the new draft constitution notwithstanding,
the polls will likely go ahead. ZANU-PF is eager to hold them before their
octogenarian leader Robert Mugabe passes. And MDC-T, while insisting on
constitutional reforms prior to the vote, wants out of the coalition
government. Their power sharing agreement sets June 2013 as the elections
deadline.

If ZANU-PF gains a clear victory that puts a partisan at the helm of the
finance ministry, the yuan peg could become a reality. While this outcome is
far from assured, its possibility raises a number of important questions:
what are Gono’s and ZANU-PF’s motivations behind the proposal? Can the peg
meet the expectations that Gono has set? And, are there any viable
alternative monetary regimes?

Looking to China

From ZANU-PF’s perspective, the peg makes perfect sense. Tying Zimbabwe’s
monetary regime to the Chinese would be a logical step forward in its ‘Look
East’ policy. Mugabe began reorienting his country eastward in 2003 as
Western pressure over land seizures and human rights abuses grew.
Pragmatically, he believed Asia—namely, China, Malaysia, North Korea, Iran,
and Indonesia—could compensate for the loss of Western investment. Asia also
fits well with his party’s anti-colonial narrative. “It is very important
for us in Zimbabwe,” he explained in 2005, “to develop the Look East Policy
because that is where people who think like us are, same history of
colonialism as ourselves, [and] people who have started developing their
economies.”

China has become increasingly central to the policy. In the first nine
months of 2011 alone, Sino-Zimbabwean trade increased 62%, totaling $171
million (USD) according to Reuters. China has made investments in a host of
industries including telecommunications, construction, and most importantly
mining. Just last November, Chinese investors agreed to put $700 million
toward developing Zimbabwe’s mining sector. Mugabe also uses the partnership
to play up ZANU-PF’s liberation credentials—its greatest political
advantage. “Let us not forget,” he often reminds Zimbabweans, “that the
material assistance that helped us liberate this country came from China.”
That “material” continues to flow today as his security forces purchase
Chinese arms without strings attached.

Internationally, China uses its influence abroad to protect Mugabe and his
associates from Western pressure on human rights. It was one of the few
countries to stand by Zimbabwe during the 2005 Operation Murambatsvina, in
which the government bulldozed homes of an estimated 700,000 people. China
has even shown a willingness to veto UN Security Council resolutions for
Muagabe. It did so in 2008 for a resolution that threatened to freeze the
assets and prevent the travel of top government officials. This support
remains invaluable for ZANU-PF so it comes as no surprise that the party
would oversell the prospects of closer ties to the Chinese.

Overselling the Yuan

In promoting the yuan, Gono seems to base his arguments more on ZANU-PF
ideology rather than economic reality. He told state media that “the US
dollar is fast ceasing to be the world’s reserve currency and the euro zone
debt crisis has made things even worse…There is no doubt that the Yuan, with
its ascendancy, will be the 21st century’s world reserve currency.”  The
yuan, however, is far from rivaling the dollar in this respect. Today, the
dollar accounts for 60.7% of global reserves followed by the euro, pound
sterling, and Japanese yen. The yuan’s share of reserves is negligible due
to the strict capital controls China places on its currency.

Until China loosens these controls, little international trade can be
denominated in yuan, which precludes its adoption as a reserve currency. The
dollar currently accounts for 85% of trade compared to 0.3% of exchanges
using China’s currency. Thus, a Yuan peg would limit Zimbabwe’s access to
international markets at least in the short- and medium-term. China’s rapid
economic growth portends to the yuan gaining ground, but it will take
decades to become a substantial portion of central bank reserves around the
world.

Alluding to Angolan offers to bail out Portugal, Gono has suggested Zimbabwe
might find itself in a similar situation. “By adopting the Chinese Yuan,” he
exclaimed, “it will not be long [until] we will also be volunteering to bail
out Britain from her debt crisis.” A look at the relevant figures shows the
utter implausibility of Gono’s assertion. According to the CIA World
Factbook, Zimbabwe’s debt burden is 230.8% of its $5.9 billion gross
domestic product. It is difficult to imagine how Zimbabwe would be in a
position to bail out the United Kingdom’s $2.25 trillion economy, which has
a debt ratio of 79.5%. A more likely scenario seems to be that Western
countries will eventually forgive Zimbabwe’s debt if a palpable leadership
takes the government reigns.

Moreover, Zimbabwean state run media often touts the trade relationship with
China, giving the mistaken impression that it’s Zimbabwe’s largest trading
partner. The African Economic Outlook 2011 Report puts China’s share of
Zimbabwean exports at 3.4%, which compares to 14% of exports going to South
Africa. Zimbabwe also has an unsustainable $2 billion trade deficit with
South Africa, which a yuan peg would only augment. The yuan’s undervaluation
is widely recognized so it will continue to face upward pressure to
appreciate. Conversely, the Zuma administration intends to devalue the rand.
The peg thus would exacerbate the trade deficit by making Zimbabwean exports
to its southern neighbor more expensive while South African imports would
become cheaper.

Time to ‘Look South’?

The multi-currency system used in Zimbabwe today has served an important
transitional role. The government adopted the system in January 2009 as
inflation rates, peaking at 79.6 billion percent just a few months prior,
killed the Zimbabwean dollar. A host of foreign currencies—the rand, euro,
pound, U.S. dollar, metical, and kwacha—became recognized legal tender in
Zimbabwe, but the U.S. dollar soon supplanted the others. This
“dollarization” reversed the run-away inflation and helped resurrect the
country’s short-term credit market.

Dollarization, however, is not the optimal long-term solution for Zimbabwe.
Pragmatically, a paucity of U.S. coins in circulation makes it difficult for
retailers to make change. And, from a nationalistic perspective, both
ZANU-PF and MDC-T agree that Zimbabwe should eventually return to its own
dollar. But, given the Reserve Bank’s lack of credibility, simply bringing
back and floating their dollar is not an option. Thus, Zimbabwe has to
incorporate itself into credible, fiscally sound framework.

The Common Monetary Area (CMA) offers just such a framework. The CMA is a
monetary union tying together many of Zimbabwe’s largest trading
partners—South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland. The arrangement
facilitates a one-to-one currency parity between the countries, which would
prevent the Reserve Bank from firing up its printing presses. The
reintroduced Zimbabwean dollar also would be backed by the CMA’s foreign
reserves and gold stocks, which would help restore lost confidence from the
years of hyperinflation.

Joining the CMA would come with substantial economic and fiscal benefits.
Further integrating its economy with the neighborhood, namely South Africa,
would bring down barriers to capital flow, thereby boosting Zimbabwe’s
struggling long-term lending market and making cash transfers from the three
million Zimbabweans living in South Africa more fluid. Additionally, the
Zimbabwean government would gain much-needed revenues from seigniorage,
which roughly speaking is the fiscal gains from printing currency for less
than its actual worth.

The process of joining the CMA, however, would not be simple. The Zimbabwean
government would have to overcome a number of hurdles. Domestically,
Zimbabweans have a fairly negative long-term outlook for South Africa’s
economy so it would have to engage in a robust public relations campaign to
elucidate the arrangement’s benefits. CMA membership might have a relative
advantage over a yuan peg in this respect given that the poor labor
practices and sale of shoddy products (known as “Zhingzhongs”) by Chinese
companies has decreased their popularity among Zimbabweans. The government
would also have to emphasize to CMA’s membership that it would not hurt
their economies given the relatively small size of Zimbabwe’s gross domestic
product. According to a 2010 IMF report, “the welfare of existing CMA
members would fall marginally” if Zimbabwe joined.

Moving forward, ZANU-PF will continue looking east to the yuan, but the peg
is far from a fait accompli. Rather, the upcoming elections will determine
the future of Zimbabwe’s monetary regime—a future that will prove much more
promising if Zimbabwe’s leaders look south.

Andrew C. Miller holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s Walsh
School of Foreign Service. He can be found on Twitter @andrewmiller802

Responsibility in the Zimbabwe opportunity

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

05/03/2012 00:00:00
    by Senator David Coltart

ZIMBABWE is approaching a critical point in her unique although checkered
history. Frost and Sullivan report massive development in our mining sector,
analysts have accounted for a strong return to Zimbabwean tourism, and our
work to innovate education, culture, the arts and sport continues to raise
eyebrows and intrigue around the globe.

Though partnered with cautious optimism, we see before us a tangible and
exciting roadmap for fundamental infrastructural progression.

With this outlook in mind, we and the international community have to now
address that which has flown under the radar for much too long – the
responsibility in newfound opportunity and what must be undertaken to
encourage sustainable development.

We have to pay close attention to specific investments in the nation,
ensuring corporate integration and commercial goals match a commitment to
our own. For the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in
particular, our goals have been to enhance and exhilarate the athlete,
artist and student experience in Zimbabwe, foster pillars of structural
stability and slow the ‘talent drain’, seeping away our nation’s brightest
and best.

We must now, in an era of change, accept the certain realities that in past
have hindered this occurring and increase attention to what can be done.

As fragile and imperfect as the rebuilding process is in Zimbabwe from the
election violence of 2008, and though we still consider ourselves newly out
of an absolute state of crisis, our political strides are the only avenue we
have and the restructuring process from my sector has to be cognoscente of
this. We were once a beacon of African education; indeed it is tragic that
today, we have but $5.00 USD to spend on every child’s education in Zimbabwe
for the entire year and have received in total only $1 million USD of
support from the United States over the last three

Increasing dropout rates, throughout the nation, perpetuate crime and
amplify political strife. The truth is simply that if you invest in
education, invest in health, you invest in human potential and indeed set
the stage for economic capital. If we do so Zimbabwe will boom again.

However, although the Zimbabwean mining sector is expected to grow by 44
percent this year alone, buoyed by an increase in platinum, diamond, coal
and ferrochrome output, western political capital and investment across the
board has been notably low. Our network of partners and sponsors therefore
play a pivotal role, one that requires political and social capital in order
to amplify appropriately.

Our goal is to increase the education budget, to innovate ‘learning as usual’
and revolutionise our schooling system. We are fighting for every child to
receive a quality, contemporary education from qualified teachers
nationwide.

The Government has received support to restore the Basic Education
Assistance Module (BEAM), which assisted some 400,000 underprivileged
children access education last year. In conjunction with UNICEF, we have
provided 22 million textbooks to schoolchildren throughout Zimbabwe,
allowing the ratio of student-to textbook-to reach 1:1, a tremendous
precedent across most of the continent.

Little is mentioned of these achievements abroad and the profound impact
they are having on bringing about peaceful democratic transformation in
Zimbabwe.

Though our Ministry has worked diligently with NGOs that continue to act,
much more can be done in this climate. It is to this point, fair to say that
shifting the international narrative on Zimbabwe is of the utmost
importance.

We want to invite the world to see the changes we have accomplished, address
the challenges we continue to face and help surpass the benchmarks we are
working towards. In that light, we look to showcase a series of social
media-disseminated case studies, interviews with Zimbabwe’s best of tomorrow
and those that carry the flag proudly in their respective sects, such as our
accomplished sports ambassadors.

We look to document a modern Zimbabwe and in doing so, encourage openness,
dialogue, and send a clear message worldwide as to what must be done to
sustainably refill the once-breadbasket of Africa.

Zimbabwe’s growing prospects need effective oversight and indeed promotion
to properly engage the international community.  With an eye on opportunity
through the Education Transition Fund and a calculated investment in the
foundation of Zimbabwe’s future, we can set a groundbreaking precedent and
provide tangible change at an instrumental level, for the long-term.

This article was originally published in the Foreign Policy Journal (United
States)

Bill Watch - Parliamentary Committees Series - 5th March 2012 [Meetings Open to Public 5th to 8th March]