STATE BROADCASTER TO SPEARHEAD ZANU PF PROPAGANDA BLITZ Mon
15 November 2004
HARARE - The state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Holdings (ZBH) is recording new propaganda music and television adverts to
be used to campaign for the ruling ZANU PF party in next year's general
election.
The wholly state-owned ZBH, formerly known as Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation, is the country's only radio and television
broadcasting company.
Sources at the public broadcaster said
Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo, who maintains an iron grip on ZBH, had
recruited several musicians whom he was working with at the ZBH Pockets Hill
studios putting together an album of ZANU PF promotional songs and
jingles to be released by December.
A senior manager at ZBH said:
"Musicians such as Last Chiangwa, aka Tambaoga, Dick Chingaira and PaxAfro
are already working on the album and jingles, which will be ready for
release soon after the ZANU PF congress next month. ZBH has already been
informed and programme reviews are being considered to accommodate the
jingles."
ZBH executive chairman Rino Zhuwarara confirmed the
preparations saying it was normal for the government station to produce
campaign material for the ruling party.
He said: "There are
preparations for the elections and that is normal. Of course election
programmes and advertisements will have to be shown."
Under
Southern African Development Community (SADC) norms and standards for
elections, ZBH must give fair airplay to all political parties but has
virtually maintained a blackout on the main opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) party.
ZBH has on several occasions
refused to flight paid adverts by the MDC saying they were "too
political."
Soon after the SADC standards for elections were agreed
by regional leaders including President Robert Mugabe, Justice Minister
Patrick Chinamasa, declared that the MDC would not be allocated airtime on
national radio and television because it was not loyal to the
country.
During the general election in 2000 and presidential
election in 2002, ZBH ran a propaganda blitz with songs, jingles and poems
praising Mugabe and ZANU PF being broadcast at 30-minute
intervals.
The MDC, which has emerged as the biggest electoral
threat to Mugabe and ZANU PF's 24-year stranglehold on power, has said it
will not participate in the March 2005 ballot unless the government took
steps to create conditions conducive for a free and fair
contest.
The opposition party says such conditions should also
include equal access to the public media by all political parties. -
ZimOnline
MISA appeals to AU over Zimbabwe's tough media laws Mon 15
November 2004
HARARE - The Zambian chapter of the Media Institute
of Southern Africa (MISA-Zambia) has appealed to the African Union to
pressure President Robert Mugabe to repeal his tough media
laws.
In a statement at the weekend, MISA-Zambia head Kellys
Kaunda, said new media regulations approved by Parliament last week imposing
a two-year jail term on Zimbabwean journalists caught freelancing for
foreign media was meant to intimidate a Press already shackled by other
harsh government laws.
Kaunda said: "MISA-Zambia is worried about
the continued clampdown on the media in Zimbabwe. We urge the African Union
(AU) to take a principled stand on Zimbabwe and urge President Mugabe to
live up to the standards of good governance that AU leaders have set for
themselves in the Peer Review Mechanism."
Under the
government's Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act,
journalists can be jailed for up to two years if they carry out work without
being registered with the state's Media and Information Commission.
Zimbabwe's biggest and only independent daily newspaper, the Daily News, was
shut down and its equipment seized by the police last year because it had
not registered with the commission.
Two other newspapers have also
been closed down in the last 12 months for breaching the Act. -
ZimOnline
ZANU PF MPs to fast-track NGO Bill Mon 15 November
2004
HARARE - The ruling ZANU PF party has summoned its Members of
Parliament to an emergency caucus meeting today at which they will be
instructed to ensure the draft non-governmental organisations (NGO) Bill is
"fast-tracked" into law.
The party controls 97 seats in the
150-member House. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
party has 51 seats while a smaller opposition party holds one seat and
another seat is vacant after the death of ZANU PF politician, Eddison
Zvobgo.
ZANU PF can easily pass any law in Parliament although it
cannot amend the Constitution because it does not have the two thirds
majority required to do so.
ZANU PF parliamentary chief whip
Joram Gumbo announced on national radio that all, "ZANU PF members (of
Parliament) are required to attend the emergency caucus on Monday at
2pm."
The proposed NGO law will impose severe restrictions on civic
bodies, banning them from carrying out voter education and prohibiting those
involved in human rights work from receiving foreign funding. -
ZimOnline
Wise, brave leaders needed to remove racial
spectacles November 15, 2004
By Pieter Mulder
When you look at Zimbabwe through racial spectacles, you will see white
farmers selfishly refusing to let go of their land and destabilising the
country as puppets of the West.
Remove the racial spectacles and
you see huge differences between the elections in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Then you see in Zimbabwe a dictator that refuses to let go of his power. You
see a country where only seven of the 55 parliamentary opposition members
have not been imprisoned for trifling matters - and where all opposition
newspapers are closed down. You also realise that white farmers, less than
1% of the population, cannot destabilise the country.
If you
look at HIV/Aids with racial spectacles, it is a disease "developed by the
West" to "exterminate black people", as Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari
Maathi said.
When you remove the racial spectacles, you see the
biggest human crisis since the Black Death in Europe, which will affect each
of us in some way.
President Thabo Mbeki says in parliament
that racism in South Africa must be debated. Can we have a balanced debate
on racism in current times?
l In 1996, the political keywords were
"agreement" and "settlement" between the various groups. At present we only
hear "triumph of one group over the other".
l In 1996,
"compromises" were sought. Now the slogan is "The ANC has the answers and
knows best". If you do not go along, you are unpatriotic and probably
racist.
l In 1996, there was talk of the rainbow, now we only hear
of "black and white".
The result of this? "ANC-triumph" instead
of agreement; "the-ANC-knows-best" instead of compromises; black and white
racism instead of rainbow; polarisation instead of
reconciliation.
Can we have a balanced public debate on race? I am
afraid not. Leaders must first, through their actions and comments, create a
different, preferably reconciliatory climate.
In a
reconciliatory climate both sides can acknowledge mistakes and make
concessions. In a climate of accusations, groups move away from each other
and harden their viewpoints, leading to greater polarisation. In such a
climate each side automatically emphasises the more radical viewpoints.
Mbeki's stance that whites describe all black people as "foul-smelling,
animalistic, savage and rapists" is indeed such a radical viewpoint. I must
then point to Jon Qwelane's column in which all whites are described as
"racist, suppressors, selfish and exploiters". Both statements are
generalisations and therefore wrong without helping South Africa in any
way.
According to Mbeki, the past "racially corrupted our
minds". If that is true then the youth should luckily be free from these
prejudices. Yet when I listen to the ANC Youth League, they propagate
nothing else but revenge of blacks against whites. And I read some newspaper
articles and I worry about the same racist reactions of certain young
whites.
These young people, white and black, were six years old
when former president Nelson Mandela was released. What do they know of the
past? It must be the current political climate that influences
them.
Some leaders' inflammatory comments, along with emotionally
charged TV programmes on the injustices of the past, cultivate these views.
On the side of the whites, sport quotas, politically correct Springbok teams
and affirmative action, together with irresponsible "braaivleis
conversations", cultivate similar radicals.
Is it a crisis?
Only if the problems are ignored and it becomes the view of the majority of
people.
In all communities there are radical opinions. Since the
1960s there have been intense media efforts to combat racism in the US.
Despite this some of the worst racists are found there. But you also find
them in Soweto and Cape Town. Ask me. I have tried to talk to such people in
Washington and Soweto. But it is always a minority viewpoint. One that
should not unnecessarily be given status.
When is a community
in trouble? A community is in trouble when these radical minority viewpoints
become the viewpoint of the majority. At the moment it is luckily not the
case in South Africa. It is most assuredly already the situation in Israel
and Palestine.
How do we prevent this? By leaders setting the
example. By leaders on all sides creating a different climate to the current
one. Because of political realities, Mbeki and the governing party have a
larger role to play than the opposition. Government largely determines the
style and content of the public debate.
The ANC is comfortable
using the DA's confrontational style as an excuse for their own
radicalisation. With a 70% majority, the ANC can afford to choose
sensibility above short-term popularity.
If leaders remove the
racial spectacles, it becomes very easy to have a sensible debate on these
issues. There are wise and courageous leaders on all sides who can do
it.
Equatorial Guinea demands to be told how Britain knew of
coup plot November 15, 2004
Malabo: Equatorial Guinea
demanded an explanation yesterday from the British government after London
revealed it had known of an alleged plot to topple the oil-rich state's
leader more than a month before the scheme was foiled.
Second
Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfube said Equatorial Guinea
wanted to know how Britain had learnt of a plot to topple President Teodoro
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and why it had not informed his
government.
Obiang's country of around half a million is
sub-Saharan Africa's third-largest oil producer. Western governments and
activists say it has one of Africa's worst human rights records, which
Obiang denies.
In a parliamentary answer last week to Britain's
opposition Conservatives, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the government
was first informed of the plot in "late January 2004".
That was
five or six weeks before Zimbabwe seized a US-registered cargo plane
carrying some 64 suspected mercenaries and a cargo of military
gear.
A day later, on March 8, some 15 suspected mercenaries
were arrested in Equatorial Guinea, and authorities said both groups were
part of the plot.
Mangue Obama said his government would seek
more details from London about how it knew of the alleged coup plot, and why
it did not give this information to the security services of Equatorial
Guinea.
Britain has denied being involved in any plot to topple
Obiang despite claims from Zimbabwe that US, British and Spanish spy
agencies played a part.
Until now, Britain has let it be
understood that it learnt of the suspected coup through rumours and media
reports after the plane was seized in Zimbabwe.
London's
Foreign Office yesterday declined to comment on Straw's latest statement due
to pending court cases.
Government opponents say Straw's
revelations raise significant questions about who informed the government
and what it did with the information.
Mark Thatcher, son of
former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was arrested in SA in
August on suspicion of involvement in the suspected plot. In September a
Zimbabwe court jailed former British special services officer Simon Mann for
seven years and 67 suspected mercenaries, all SA citizens, for 12 months on
charges linked to the suspected coup.
The trial of the suspected
mercenaries in Equatorial Guinea is expected to resume in Malabo this week.
- Reuters
MDC advised to continue participating in
elections 15 November, 2004
GABORONE President Festus
Mogae has expressed the hope that Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) would continue participating in the electoral
process.
Speaking during a meeting with MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangarai on Friday, Mogae said political differences should be resolved
through dialogue and compromise.
Present during the meeting was
foreign affairs and international cooperation minister Mompati Merafhe,
presidential affairs and public administration minister Phandu Skelemani and
senior government officials.
MDC Secretary General Professor
Welshman Ncube, who is also an MP and the MDC National Co-ordinator, Isaac
Maposa, accompanied Tsvangarai.
Tsvangarai embarked on what has
been termed a diplomatic initiative accross Africa soon after being declared
of treason charges last month.
Other southern African leaders he
has already met include South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Mauritius' Paul
Berenger.
According to media reports, the MDC leader is on a
mission to lobby southern African leaders to pressurise the Zimbabwean
government into postponing parliamentary elections set for March
2005.
Tsvangarai's is woes are far from over since the state is
appealing against his acquittal. He is facing other charges linked to the
2003 anti-government protests. BOPA
Tsvangirai's "Secret" Trip To Ghana Accra, Nov 15, GHP --
According to the Zim Observer, President John Kufuor met the Zimbabwe
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai in Accra last
week, to update him on the political situation in his country. There has
been no local media report on this meeting.
The opposition party's
delegation flew to Accra from Nigeria, where President Olusegun Obasanjo
accorded them a red-carpet treatment.
Tsvangirai was leading a
delegation, which included MDC vice president, Gibson Sibanda and the
party's national chairman, Isaac Matongo.
The West African diplomatic
offensive continues with a meeting with Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade
and ended in Ouagadougou, with a meeting with President Blaise Campaore of
Burkina Faso.
Prsident Kufuor is viewed as a silent critic of President
Mugabe, while speculation has been rife that relations between Obasanjo and
the Zimbabwean President are lukewarm following Obasanjo's support for the
continuance of Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth and Nigeria's
warm embrace of disgruntled former Zimbabwean white commercial
farmers.
Unconfirmed reports said a government delegation, which wanted
to "counter" the discussions at the Abuja meeting between Obasanjo and the
MDC was denied visas.
"A senior government official who wanted to as
usual, cause some commotion about the meeting was denied a Nigerian visa. He
was told to apologise after the government media under his control falsely
claimed the Nigerian government was funding the opposition," said an
official close to the developments.
Zimbabwe and Nigeria had a
fallout last year as the West Africans refused to support the re-admission
of the southern African nation into the Commonwealth.
Ministers were facing fresh questions
today over the alleged plot to overthrow the president of Equatorial
Guinea.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has revealed the British Government
knew about the alleged plot at least five weeks before a group of
mercenaries was arrested in March for planning it.
Now shadow foreign
secretary Michael Ancram has demanded that Mr Straw give details of exactly
what he knew.
He said: "I am now asking what did they know and where did
they know it from?"
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he
added: "One of the questions I am asking is what did they know and did they
inform the authorities in Equatorial New Guinea?
"Did they make any
provision for the evacuation of British nationals in the event of this type
of activity taking place? I think these are all questions which need to be
answered."
Mr Ancram was speaking after Mr Straw confirmed the Government
had been informed of the alleged coup plot "in late January 2004".
On
March 7 a group of mercenaries, led by Old Etonian and former SAS officer
Simon Mann, was arrested in Zimbabwe and charged with plotting a
coup.
Mr Straw's admission came in a parliamentary answer to a question
tabled by Mr Ancram.
In August Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of former
British Prime Minister Lady Thatcher, was arrested in South Africa after
being accused of helping to finance the coup to remove President
Obiang.
He faces criminal charges that he broke the country's
anti-mercenary laws. He denies any knowledge of, or involvement in, the
plot.
Female teacher mysteriously dies in bizarre
incident
Metro Reporter A FEMALE teacher mysteriously collapsed and
died in a classroom at Hatfield Primary School two weeks ago in a bizarre
incident that has become the talk of the suburb.
Some are saying the
teacher's death could have been a result of an attack by goblins, while
others say it was just a natural death.
Some parents are reported to have
temporarily withdrawn their children from the school fearing that whatever
killed the teacher could strike again.
A senior staff member at the
school said the Grade One teacher had claimed that there were goblins at the
school on October 28.
He said they suspected that the deceased teacher
had suffered a stroke and was not assaulted by goblins as she
claimed.
However, some pupils who witnessed the collapse of the teacher
corroborated the claim that goblins had carried out the deadly
attack.
"I was informed that the teacher had a stroke and we used the
school van to take her to Arcadia Trauma Centre for treatment.
"She
died the following morning," said the senior teacher.
Strange
He
said another female Grade One teacher informed him that students had claimed
seeing a strange animal in the classroom.
"I will not confirm that
goblins were seen at the school because I do not want people to panic
unnecessarily because of superstition.
"There was almost a similar
incident at Chitsere Primary School in Mbare where I was headmaster," he
said.
A special assembly was called soon after the incident to calm down
the pupils.
The results of the post mortem carried out on the
deceased have not been released.
By Roselyne
Sachiti "NHAI imi cant you hear what I am saying. I said there is a burst
sewage pipe along Mushongandebvu Walk here in Mbare. Munoda kuti tigare
tichinhuwirwa here kuno. Makambopindirei basa racho rekukukura tsvina
yevanhu (Hurry up and remove the sewage from our premises. It is you who
chose to apply for the job of clearing human waste."
As he puts down
the receiver the phone rings again and a man shouts out that they should
hurry up and repair four burst sewer pipes in Joburg Lines, also in
Mbare.
He joins his teammates and collects all the necessary equipment to
fight a battle with their stinking and unsightly opponent human
excreta.
Such is a day in the life of a sewerage worker in Harare, the
slowly decaying metropolis dubbed the "Sunshine City" for its unique beauty
in the glory days of the 1980s and the 1990s.
Burst water and sewage
pipes have become common these days as the citys rapidly growing population
exerts pressure on the aging and poorly maintained
infrastructure.
"Repairing burst sewer pipes is just like any other job
that someone wakes up looking forward to doing everyday.
"I wake up
everyday prepared to do the filthiest job one can imagine," says Mr John
Moyo, who has been working for the Harare City Councils Department of Works
for the past 19 years.
Despite the strong stench of sewage water and the
unsightly piles of human waste that they sweep, Mr Moyo says he can eat soon
after repairing the burst sewage pipes.
"I can eat soon after
repairing burst water pipes and have no problems. I used to vomit during my
first days of employment in 1985 but the sewer water is now my office. I
would not have a job if the city did not have any burst pipes," he said
jokingly.
Mr Moyo says although he is in regular contact with the dirty
water, he has never fallen ill.
"The only time I got sick is when I
had ulcers and I do not think the sewage caused them," he said
Just
like other workers, Mr Moyo, has come across challenges during his stint
with council.
Together with his colleague, they attend to more than 40
sewer shocks per day in high density suburbs.
This he said, is
because the pipes are old and the population has tremendously increased from
the time they were laid resulting in them being overstreched and failing to
cope with the volume of sewerage discharge into the main system.
"The
acute shortage of housing has also resulted in the sprouting of many illegal
shacks in Mbare, some of which are built above sewerage pipes.
"This
results in the regular collapse and sagging of pipes which affects the
smooth flow of fluids.
"The illegal shacks make it difficult for us
to repair burst sewage pipes," he said. Vandalism of manhole covers made of
cast iron by residents also resulted in blockages.
He recalls the day
they were called to fix a burst sewage pipe in Mbare.
"It was on a Sunday
and we were called to fix a blocked pipe in Joburg Lines. We worked
tirelessly for two hours but could not find the source of the blockage. We
found a decomposing body of a baby in the pipe after a long
struggle.
"We also cleared the sewer line of litter which consisted
of sand used for scouring. There were also brand new clothes with tags on
them and we wondered where they could have come from," he said.
He
said they later found out that someone had stolen the clothes and had
concealed them in the sewerage pipes to avoid being arrested.
The
major problem they face is the shortage of chemicals they sprinkled after
fixing a burst sewage pipe.
"We try to explain to the residents that the
chemicals are imported from India and that council does not have adequate
stocks all the time.
"I know that only a few people want to be associated
with this job but I thank God for every sewer line I clear," he said.
By Millcent
Tanhira THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has accused the
Chitungwiza Municipality of illegally discharging toxicants into the main
source of water for Harare, Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Norton - the Manyame
River.
Zinwa last week said the Chitungwiza council was failing
to comply with its discharge permit in terms of the new Water Act by
polluting the river, whose dams, Harava, Seke, Chivero and Manyame supply
water to millions of residents in four urban centres and their
environs.
Zinwa assistant public relations officer Mr Nicholas
Mukarakati said according to its discharge permit, the council was supposed
to empty effluent into Imbwa Farm dam and not into Manyame
River.
He said the new Water Act stipulates that everyone with a
business that discharges effluent into water should pay a fee depending on
the quantity of the waste and should also obtain a licence which entitles
them to do so.
"The Chitungwiza municipality has their licence
which permits them to put effluent into Imbwa Farm dam.
"Instead of pumping waste to Imbwa Farm, the municipality has chosen to
pollute Nyatsime River which flows into Manyame River. It is the
responsibility of Zinwa to see to it that this river is not
polluted.
The effluent in the river has seen the growth of the
hyacinth weed that feeds on the waste and hasa terrible effect on aquatic
life and the quality of water. He said the waste that was being pumped into
Nyatsime River was flowing into Manyame River, eventually finding its way
into Lake Chivero and Lake Manyame downstream. This had caused pollution
problems which needed to be checked quickly.
"This pollution
will take a pattern and as long as the effluent is in the river, the
hyacinth will continue to grow.
"If a river is clogged with these
weeds, it makes it impossible for sunshine to penetrate into the water thus
the animals in the water as well as the plants die, this further compromises
the quality of water."
Mr Mukarakati said Chitungwiza municipality
risked being punished if they continued breaching their discharge permit
regulations.
"The weeds which have clogged the Manyame River need
to be removed. There are three methods of doing it.
"These are
the manual method where we have to use shovels to pull out the weeds, the
chemical method which involves spraying to kill the weeds and the biological
method which involves putting small insects into the water to feed on the
weeds. We have to use all methods to make sure the river is clean," said Mr
Mukarakati.
His organisation has embarked on a clean-up campaign to
ensure that all rivers are free from pollution starting in Marondera coming
to Manyame.
"As Zinwa, we have a role to primarily supply bulk raw
water. However, urban authorities have a mandate to supply clean water, but
since they are failing we have chipped in to assist.
"At Lake
Chivero we own 17 percent of the water which we help to treat. The Harare
City Council owns the remaining 83 percent," explained Mr
Mukarakati.
By Morris Mkwate FUEL shortages
continued yesterday as prices of petrol and diesel shot up by 19 and 22
percent respectively amid revelations that the recently formed Special
Purpose Vehicle (SPV) is failing to secure fuel deliveries according to
schedule.
A survey yesterday showed that petrol prices went up from an
average of $3 600 per litre to around $4 300 while diesel rose from an
average price of $3 600 to $4 400 per litre during the past
week.
Some commuter omnibus operators immediately responded to the price
hikes by unilaterally raising fares, a development that caught commuters by
surprise.
The fuel black market that had disappeared resurfaced in Harare
with dealers selling the commodity at prices ranging between $5 000 and $6
000.
According to an agreed arrangement, the SPV tasked to import fuel on
behalf of the entire local fuel industry is supposed to take at least three
days to secure the countrys weekly fuel supplies.
It has, however,
emerged that the SPV is taking longer than expected to process payments,
resulting in delays in the delivery of fuel stocks to
Zimbabwe.
Almost all service stations that had fuel stocks in Harare
had by yesterday raised prices by varying amounts. Fuel companies are now
able to hike or reduce prices without permission from the Government
following the deregulation of the fuel industry last year.
Filling
stations were selling a litre of petrol at prices ranging between $3 900 and
$4 300 while only a few had pegged both petrol and diesel prices at $3
800.
It emerged that those selling the commodity at the highest prices
were receiving stocks from independent suppliers who were supplying the
stocks at inflated prices.
Despite the price hikes, only a few
filling stations received deliveries yesterday with the remainder having
gone for days without supplies.
Sources revealed yesterday that the
latest fuel shortages to sweep across the country were mainly because the
SPV was failing to properly co-ordinate its payment and supply
system.
The sources blamed the price instability on the suppliers who
were frequently changing their selling prices to the SPV.
SPV
chairman Mr Gordon Musariri said he could not comment on the issue and
referred all questions to the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Cde
July Moyo.
Cde Moyo, in turn, said he needed time to "study the issue
carefully" before commenting.
The sources said: "The turnaround time
of the Special Purpose Vehicle is the reason behind the fuel shortages.
Members had agreed on a turnaround time of two to three days during which
supplies would be delivered to the country.
"But the problem comes in as
the processing of the documents involved is taking longer than should be the
case. We believe the SPV system is still having its problems but probably
because it is in its initial stages. It is expected that it will have the
desired effects for which it was formed once it is fine-tuned over
time."
According to the SPVs system of fuel procurement, each fuel
company is supposed to place an order detailing the amount of fuel they
require.
The SPV, then bids for foreign currency on behalf of the
companies at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwes foreign currency auction
floor.
It is understood that the oil industry receives a weekly foreign
currency allocation of US$6 million, translating into US$3 million for each
of the two auction days.
If the bids are successful, each company is
required to submit the equivalent of the foreign currency in the local
currency.
The funds are then released to the suppliers through a
particular commercial bank before stocks are made available.
"This is
another problem area now. The companies might have borrowed the funds at up
to 150 percent interest rates and the fuel is not delivered.
"This really
affects the companies as they will be looking to recoup returns from the
core business of selling the fuel. The situation then opens up the industry
to independent suppliers who then sell the product at high prices," added
the source.
Zimbabwe has for some time been grappling with fuel
shortages, which have continued to affect business operations and the
countrys public transport sector.
The introduction of the SPV, which
mainly comprises representatives from the oil industry, was expected to
improve the situation as the allocation of foreign currency for the oil
industry is centralised.
The initial stages of this system are however,
proving to be difficult as the fuel shortages persist across the
country.
Most service stations in different centres across the country
are believed to have run dry over the past two weeks.
Last week, the
National Oil Company of Zimbabwe had to bail out the private companies
resulting in the few queues that had formed at some filling stations in
Harare moving.