Nov 23, 11:40 AM EST
By ANGUS SHAW
Associated Press
HARARE, Zimbabwe
(AP) -- More than 77 elephants have died in a three-month
heat wave that has
dried up watering holes in western Zimbabwe, wildlife
authorities said
Wednesday
Rangers in the Hwange National Park have counted 18 calves and
21 adolescent
elephants among the dead animals, the state Parks and Wildlife
Authority
said in statement. Elephant carcasses were found mainly in large
areas of
bush surrounding three tourism and conservation camps in Zimbabwe's
biggest
nature preserve.
Since September, Hwange National Park has
seen temperatures soar to above
104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 C), far higher
than annual averages.
"Our information is that animals are dying of
thirst right across the park,"
said Johnny Rodrigues, head of the
independent Zimbabwe Conservation Task
Force.
The Hwange National
Park has no year-round rivers and little natural surface
water, making it
dependent on wells supplying artificial watering holes
known as pans. An
adult elephant needs nearly 50 gallons (200 liters) of
water a day. But some
watering holes have broken down because of scarce
funding, the state
wildlife authority said.
Rodrigues said voluntary animal welfare groups
helped provide pumping
equipment for some of the 60 watering holes in the
preserve. Many now need
replacement pumps and the underfunded state
authority has failed to keep
them maintained or buy spare parts and
gasoline.
He said private conservation groups also installed solar pumps
and windmills
to draw water from the wells.
"There's very little wind
at this time of year and the solar pumps can't
provide the amount of water
required by the number of animals reaching them"
and overwhelming the pans,
he said.
An estimated 30,000 elephants live in the massive preserve,
along with
giraffes, lions and most other game animals.
Independent
conservationists say the death toll of elephants, buffalo, zebra
and
antelope species could be larger in many inaccessible areas of the park.
The
reserve is 9,000 square miles (14,000 square kilometer) and adjacent to
the
western border with neighboring Botswana.
The state authority's statement
said officials estimated that the death of
the 77 elephants represents a
loss of $1.5 million in "compensation value,"
the term used for animals lost
to poaching or unforeseen deaths.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Lance Guma
23
November 2011
On Tuesday SW Radio Africa reported that Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai
had paid US$36,000 lobola to marry his long term
girlfriend, Harare
businesswoman Locadia Karimatsenga Tembo. But we have
since spoken to
several senior MDC-T officials who told us Tsvangirai did
not marry Tembo,
but only paid US$10,000 ‘damages’ for getting her pregnant
out of wedlock.
“This is in line with our culture. Tsvangirai did not
even attend the
ceremony but sent his emissaries there,” the official said.
“What is
happening now is an attempt by the Tembo family to embarrass
Tsvangirai into
marrying her. These people think they can corner him into
marriage,” the
official said.
On Tuesday reports suggested Tsvangirai
and his son Edwin had visited the
Tembo family home in Christon Bank, 20 km
north-west of Harare. Tembo’s
aunt, Felistas Tsine, even described how
Tsvangirai removed his shoes and
sat on the floor after arriving at their
home.
This was however contradicted by Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke
Tamborinyoka
who said: “The PM spent the whole day at his Charter House
office.” On
Wednesday Tamborinyoka reiterated his earlier statement that the
PM did not
marry Tembo, adding: “The only marriage the PM is concerned about
is the
dysfunctional marriage called the transitional
government.”
Tamborinyoka refused to go into the finer details of the
matter, telling SW
Radio Africa: “If at all the Prime Minister is going to
marry, the nation is
going to be told at the appropriate time. What I am
telling you is the Prime
Minister’s position.”
Another MDC-T official
told us it appeared ZANU PF had an interest in
getting Tsvangirai married to
Tembo, because she was the sister to the ZANU
PF MP for Goromonzi West,
Biata Beatrice Nyamupinga. Beatrice’s husband
Felix Nyamupinga is also from
ZANU PF and currently Zimbabwe’s deputy
Ambassador to Australia.
“We
are suspicious of their intentions in lying about Tsvangirai marrying
her,”
the official told us.
SW Radio Africa was told the state media had
coordinated a ‘sting operation’
by getting all the editors together in a
meeting and planning how the story
would be covered. This was the reason the
stories were similar and the
details of the ceremony “were ‘sexed’ up to
create a public relations
nightmare for Tsvangirai.”
We also have
information that the Prime Minister is angry with the Tembo
family and feels
they tried to ‘stitch him up’ with their daughter, using
the media. The
Herald newspaper for example gave prominence to an interview
with Tembo’s
sister Beatrice, commenting on the ‘marriage’.
“My sister is a humble and
hardworking person and we have confidence in her
as a family that she can
withstand all the pressure that comes with her new
status. As a family, we
do not mix politics and family matters. From our
party (ZANU PF) we have not
heard anything bad about the marriage. In a
family, we can choose to go to
three different churches but that does not
mean that we no longer belong to
the same family,” Nyamupinga claimed.
Political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya
said the behaviour of the state media was
instrumental in understanding what
was at stake. “If Tsvangirai had married
an individual who is solid, they
would have lampooned and attacked him. To
show that there is something very
sinister about his arrangement, they are
celebrating it, they are giving it
good coverage, which is very dubious,” he
said.
Ruhanya said the key
figure in the whole matter was co-Home Affairs Minister
Theresa Makone, the
MDC-T Women’s Assembly Chairperson. “This woman (Tembo)
is a friend if not
relative of Theresa Makone and the MDC and anyone else
who does not see the
hand of Theresa Makone is not being honest.”
Ruhanya said Makone was
working behind the scenes and had put Tsvangirai in
this situation.
“Tsvangirai does not go out looking for girlfriends, but he
has personal
friends who play matchmakers and at the heart of this free
dating service is
personal interest, namely controlling Tsvangirai. Makone
should move out of
the private activities of the Prime Minister and focus on
her job as a
public servant. This woman is a source of instability in the
MDC-T,” Ruhanya
said.
He said the onus was also on Tsvangirai to assess the type of
people who
surround him and give him advice.
Ruhanya said so far the
MDC-T has demonstrated, “that it is not able to deal
with the devil it
knows. By the time they realise this, things could be out
of hand. It could
derail democratic transition.”
SW Radio Africa made calls to Makone the
whole day to get her comment on the
allegations, but she did not answer.
It’s likely she was in meetings the
whole day.
Earlier this year it
was reported that Tsvangirai had got a 23 year old
Bulawayo woman pregnant.
Loreta Nyathi, the daughter of radio legend Inglam
Nyathi, is reported to
have a son with Tsvangirai called Ethan. The PM is
said to have bought a
house for the family and committed himself to looking
after the child.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona
Sibanda
23 November 2011
The country’s top military general,
Constantine Chiwenga, has reportedly
gagged the Zimbabwe Standard to stop
the paper from revealing any further
details involving his volatile
relationship with his estranged wife,
Jocelyn.
In a candid interview
with the weekly paper two weeks ago Jocelyn broke 10
years of silence to
tell her story of their turbulent marriage. Her powerful
account detailed
how the general would beat her up and then send her to
Malaysia for medical
treatment.
Chiwenga eventually walked out on her and recently married
Mary Mubaiwa, a
28-year-old former model and daughter of Dynamos Football
Club Chairman,
Kenny Mubaiwa.
Last week Chiwenga instructed his
lawyers Scanlen and Holderness to issue an
injunction against the Standard
to prevent further details of the interview
with Jocelyn from being
published.
The Standard’s Patience Nyangove had interviewed Jocelyn at
her offices in
Willowvale, Harare. It is believed the paper intended to run
a series of
explosives articles following the interview. But the injunction
has put a
stop to that.
Meanwhile, Standard editor Nevanji Madanhire
and reporter Nqaba Matshazi
presented themselves to the Harare central
police station on Tuesday for
questioning. Their lawyer Linda Cook told SW
Radio Africa the scribes were
questioned, charged with criminal defamation
and released.
Police had been looking for the journalists over a story
Matshazi wrote last
month. In that article, Matshazi alleged that Home
Affairs co-Minister Kembo
Mohadi was muscling out resettled farmers in
Beitbridge, to create room for
his son and nephew. Cook said after police
recorded warned and cautioned
statements from the two journalists, they then
charged them with criminal
defamation over the story.
The two were
arrested two weeks ago over another story, written by Matshazi.
In the
article he claimed a new health insurance firm, Green Card Medical
Society
owned by the powerful Munyaradzi Kereke, was on the brink of
collapse. They
were charged with theft, unlawful entry and criminal
defamation.
http://www.radiovop.com/
Harare,
November 23, 2011 – THE saga at ALPHA Media Holdings, the publishers
of the
weekly Standard newspaper, has taken a new twist with prominent
businessman
Manyaradzi Kereke, accusing journalists from the stable of
demanding
financial bribes from him.
The damning accusation comes hard on the heels
of the suspension of Newsday
political editor Kelvin Jakachira over
allegations of corruption involving
Kereke.
Kereke, an advisor to the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon
Gono, last week filed
criminal and theft charges against Standard editor
Nevanji Madanhire and
reporter Nqaba Matshazi after
the paper published a story alleging that the
banker-turned farmer’s medical
aid society was facing imminent
collapse.
However on November 16, 2011 Madanhire and Matshazi were
granted US$100
bail each by Harare Magistrate Sandra Mupindu on charges of
criminal
defamation.
They are being charged with criminal defamation
and theft of documents.The
charges arise from the publication of a story by
the weekly on Kereke’s
medical aid company, GreenCard, allegedly
facing
collapse.
They were remanded to 20 December 2011 when their
trial is expected to
commence.
But Kereke has distributed several
public letters alleging that he was a
victim of extortion from the
journalists from the stable. He has however
denied bribing Jakachira with a
Toyota Corrolla as alleged by
his employer.
In his letters in
possession of Radio VOP, Kereke does not mention the
names of the two
Standard journalists but warned that he would be ready to
expose them when
asked by the proprietors of the newspaper.
A day after Madanhire and
Matshazi appeared in court and were granted bail
Kereke wrote 18 November
2001 to Raphael Khumalo, the chief executive
officer of Alpha Media
Holdings, requesting that they meet
to discuss rampant corruption within his
newspaper stable.
The letter is copied to the Voluntary Media Council of
Zimbabwe, the
Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists
and the Media
Institute of Southern Africa (Zimbabwe).
Kereke said in
his letter he was disturbed that Khumalo has rebuffed his
several requests
for meetings to discuss bribery at his stable.
“I write to once again
kindly request to meet with you at your earliest
convenience so that I
highlight to you the grievances in have on the
following two cases: The
continued silence by your office to
give me feedback on the formal complaint
I raised about a journalist at The
Standard who explicitly extorted money
from me.
As you are aware Sir, I highlighted this to you, as well as the
Editor and
Deputy Editor of The Standard about the abuse I suffered. I had
hoped we
would have closure on this matter in a much more diplomatic
way
Sir; and I wanted to get the opportunity to bring to your attention that
another journalist under Mr. Nevanji Madanhire illegally entered my
residential house whilst I was at work after
misrepresenting to my
security and domestic maids that he was my relative,”
reads part of Kereke’s
letter.
He claims the unnamed journalist went as far as “my bedroom
ostensibly
looking for news”. “The sad thing is that this journalist too
later demanded
payment from me and I have evidence and witnesses to
that
effect. “
Meanwhile, in another letter to Khumalo copied to
stakeholders in the media
fraternity in Zimbabwe, Kereke has denied he
bought a car for suspended
Newsday political editor Kelvin Jakachira.
Jakachira was
suspended by Alpha Media Holdings on Saturday for alleged
corruption. Kereke
said this was a “flat lie.”
He said Jakachira
bought the vehicle from his medical company through an
open tender for US$4
900.
Meanwhile Madanhire and Matshazi were on Tuesday slammed with
another charge
of criminal defamation over a story that alleged that co –
Home Affairs
Minister Kembo Mohadi was trying to force new farmers
off
their land and allocate it to his son and nephew.
Police recorded
warned and cautioned statements from the two journalists on
Tuesday before
charging them.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
23
November 2011
The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) has blamed the chaotic
land grab campaign
for the current food shortages in the country, saying
destructive land
policies have “shattered” Zimbabwe’s
agriculture.
The United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) has this week
warned that
more than one million people in Zimbabwe will be unable to meet
their food
needs in the coming ‘lean’ months. A statement from the group
said failed
harvests and dry weather are partly responsible for the hunger
threat.
“Most of the vulnerable households are located in the southern
and western
regions which are very susceptible to dry spells,” said WFP
Country Director
Felix Bamezon. “Agricultural production in these regions
was once again poor
this season.”
Charles Taffs, the CFU President,
told SW Radio Africa on Monday that these
predictions are “not surprising,”
explaining that Zimbabwe has had food
security issues ever since Robert
Mugabe launched the land grab campaign in
2000.
“Zimbabwe has been
food deficient for 11 years. But it’s got nothing to do
with weather
patterns. This is to all do with land policies and agricultural
policies,”
Taffs said.
He added: “As long as there is no security of tenure and
security of land we
are going to be food deficient.”
The
Meteorological Services Department has also backed up Taffs’ statement
that
the weather is not to blame, by dismissing reports that Zimbabwe is
facing a
drought. The Department’s Tich Zinyemba is quoted by Newsday as
saying that
there is “no evidence” to suggest a drought is on the cards.
Taffs
meanwhile recalled how back in 1992, during the worst drought in
Zimbabwe’s
recent history, the country had no fears of food insecurity. He
said that in
a country with weather patterns like Zimbabwe, “there was
always a strategic
reserve in case of a drought.” He added that it was only
because of the ZANU
PF land policies that everything has changed.
“We have all the
ingredients for a successful agricultural sector. But the
land policies are
holding the entire country to ransom,” Taffs said.
The food situation has
also been worsened by the politicisation of food.
Listeners in Bikita West
have explained how MDC-T members are losing out on
receiving food packages,
to the point that people are having no choice but
to join ZANU
PF.
Bikitia West is an MDC-T constituency, after ZANU PF candidate Elias
Musakwa
lost the position to the MDC-T’s Shoko Heya in 2008. But SW Radio
Africa
listeners have said that Musakwa regularly tours the area with a
truckload
of fertiliser and maize, but will not hand it over unless a ZANU
PF card is
produced. It is not known where he is getting these supplies
from.
On Wednesday a woman from Bikita West said she had to buy a party
card and
join ZANU PF, to ensure her family can get grain. She also admitted
going to
party meetings where food is often handed out, so that she can take
it back
home.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai Karimakwenda
23
November, 2011
A meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday between
negotiators to Zimbabwe’s
Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the
facilitation team representing
President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, has
been rescheduled for next Monday.
The facilitation team, headed by
Lindiwe Zulu, was due in Harare today
(Wednesday) for this crucial meeting,
but the negotiators were reportedly
not ready, after failing to meet on
Monday to iron out remaining issues.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti, who is
a negotiator for the MDC-T, was
reportedly busy on Monday preparing the 2012
National Budget, which is to be
presented on Thursday.
The political
parties remain deadlocked over the remaining issues blocking
full
implementation of the GPA. Even the issues that were agreed on, have
not
been implemented.
Political commentator and activist Sanderson Makombe
blasted both the GPA
negotiators and chief mediator Zuma, saying they showed
no sense of purpose
and urgency towards the process and have achieved little
in the three years
since the GPA was signed.
“To leave the parties
alone when they know they have such ideological
differences was doomed to
fail from the beginning. I put the blame squarely
on the SADC facilitator
himself. He did not push it to the limit to make
sure reforms were completed
within the prescribed time,” Makombe explained.
The activist said
Zimbabwe’s political parties are so polarized that they
need a strong
mediator “cajoling them on a daily basis in order to bridge
the
gap”.
Zimbabwe’s principle leaders, who were signatories to the GPA, are
expected
to meet with chief the negotiator, President Zuma, once his
facilitation
team delivers a final report on issues yet to be resolved. “At
the current
pace, that may take another three years,” a frustrated Makombe
said.
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Own Corespondent Wednesday 23 November
2011
HARARE – The Development Bank of China will provide US$30
million to fund
small and medium-scale enterprises in Zimbabwe as Beijing
looks to
strengthen ties with the resource rich African country.
The
loan facility to be availed through the Infrastructure Development Bank
of
Zimbabwe will be given in tranches with the first US$10 million-tranche
set
aside for capital expenditure. The second tranche of US$20 million will
go
towards working capital.
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Xin Shunkang said
the facility priced at 10
percent interest per annum was "only the
beginning, bigger things will come
in the near future."
Beijing has
emerged as one of Zimbabwe’s most important political allies and
trading
partners since 2000 when President Robert Mugabe adopted his ‘Look
East’
policy
The policy is premised on the need to find new trading partners
and markets
after traditional investors from Western nations turned against
Harare in
protest over Mugabe’s human rights abuses, repression against
political
opponents and his violent land reform programme.
The “Look
East” policy specifically targets investors from Muslim and Asian
nations
and in exchange Zimbabwe has promised minerals – including diamonds
and gold
– and prime land to the investors, resulting in Harare penning
several
investment and cooperation agreements mainly with China, Russia and
Iran.
While Harare has sought to deepen ties with its Eastern allies,
Beijing has
been on a drive to strengthen relations with African countries
that hold
vast mineral deposits and other raw materials the Asian giant
needs for its
manufacturing sector.
The facility advanced to Zimbabwe
is part of a US$1 billion financial
support package for African SMEs
launched by Beijing at the Fourth
Ministerial Conference on China-Africa
Co-operation in 2009. -- ZimOnline
http://www.radiovop.com/
Harare, November 23, 2011- A Zimbabwean education
quality body has suspended
some degrees and diplomas offered by the Zimbabwe
Open University saying
they are below standard.
Zimbabwe Council
for Higher Education (ZIMCHE), a body that looks at the
quality of degrees
and diplomas offered by the country’s institutions of
higher learning
yesterday suspended two degrees and three diploma programmes
offered by ZOU
with immediate effect, plunging educational plans of many
people undertaking
the degrees involved into disarray.
The announcement was made in a
public notice titled Suspension of
degrees/diplomas of the Zimbabwe Open
University (ZOU).
The notice was placed in Tuesday
newspapers.
“In terms of Section 17 of the Zimbabwe Council for
Higher Education Act
(Chapter 25:27) read in conjuction with Sections 8 and
9 of the Manpower
Planning and Develeopment Act, Chapter 28:02, ZIMCHE
wishes to inform all
stakeholders in higher education that the following
degrees/diplomas offered
by the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) have been
suspended with immediate
effect,” read part of the statement.
The
programme listed include Master of Science (MSC) in Counselling,
Bachelor of
Science (BSC) in Counselling, Diploma in education graduate
certificate,
Diploma in Education primary and Diploma in Early Childhood
Development.
“These programmes will remain suspended until
corrective measures are
effected and ZIMCHE issues an announcement lifting
the suspensions. The
process of monitoring degree offering institutions and
degree programmes is
an ongoing exercise and the public will be informed
from time to time”, read
the statement.
http://www.radiovop.com/
Harare,
November 23, 2011—President Robert Mugabe launches the Unki
Tongogara
Community Share Ownership Trust in Shurugwi Wednesday (today) as
the
government plunges headlong with the empowerment programme, critics say
the
move is meant to curry favour with the electorate ahead of possible
elections next year.
In the trust, Unki will transfer 10% ownership
to the community in the first
step towards complying with the Indigenisation
and Empowerment Act which
says that 51% of all foreign owned companies
operating in
Zimbabwe should be in the hands of locals.
Unki mines
platinum along the Great Dyke and is owned by AngloAmerican.
The
launch of the trust follows a similar initiative by platinum miner
Zimplats
when it offered 10% to the Mhondoro—Ngezi community.
Youth Development,
Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister confirmed
Wednesday
function.
“We will be proceeding to Shurugwi, Midlands in the morning
to launch Unki
Tongogara Community Share Trust scheme. President Mugabe will
officiate as
we achieve another milestone in the empowerment
drive,”
Kasukuwere said.
“We are happy that we have received
maximum cooperation from the Anglo team
and the entire leadership of the
Midlands and Shurugwi chiefs in
particular.”
Since government
gazetted the regulations governing the empowerment
legislation last year,
there has been concern that the programme will scare
away investment needed
to rebuild the economy.
This concern has fallen on deaf
ears.
Kasukuwere recently said that the empowerment programme would
be underpinned
by three areas: setting up the community share ownership
trust, employee
trusts and the sovereign wealth fund.
Old Mutual
and Meikles Limited have already set up employee trusts while
other trusts
and community share ownership trusts are on the way.
http://www.diamonds.net/
RapNet extends ban on
Marange diamonds, will expel and name members
violating policy.
Nov 22,
2011 8:08 AM By Rapaport
RAPAPORT... PRESS RELEASE, November 22, 2011,
New York: The Rapaport Group
strongly opposes the recent decision of the
Kimberley Process (KP) to allow
for the immediate exports from the mining
operations Mbada Diamonds and
Marange Resources in the Marange region of
Zimbabwe.
We hereby publicly warn members of the diamond trade that the
KP does not
certify against human rights abuses and KP certification does
not ensure
that diamonds are not involved in human rights abuses.
Furthermore:
1. There are persistent reports of human rights violations
related to
Marange diamonds.
2. In spite of KP certification these
diamonds are under U.S., EU and U.K.
government sanctions and are illegal
for trade by U.S., EU and U.K. citizens
and entities owned by
them.
3. The funds generated from the sale of these diamonds are not
properly
accounted for. It is likely that they will be used to fund human
rights
violations in Zimbabwe.
The Rapaport Group calls on all
ethical members of the diamond trade to
cease and desist from the trading of
Marange diamonds. In the event that
firms insist on buying and producing
them we demand that these Marange
diamonds be separated from non-Marange
diamonds so that they are not sold to
U.S., EU or U.K. entities. We firmly
believe that the mixing of Marange
diamonds with non-Marange diamonds and
their subsequent sale to U.S., EU or
U.K. entities without disclosure is
unethical and illegal. We demand that
firms selling Marange diamonds do so
with full disclosure, similar to the
disclosure requirements for treated
diamonds.
RapNet - Rapaport Diamond Trading Network continues to ban the
trading of
any diamonds sourced from Marange, Zimbabwe even if such diamonds
have KP
certification. Members found to have knowingly offered Marange
diamonds for
sale on RapNet will be expelled and their names will be
publicly
communicated. RapNet will be publishing new trading rules and
ethical
guidelines in the near future.
The Rapaport Group warns the
diamond trade that continued sourcing and
legitimization of diamonds
involved in human rights abuses threatens the
integrity and reputation of
all diamonds. Diamond trade organizations
particularly those promoting
responsible trade and those serving in the
U.S., EU and U.K. trade should
immediately issue clear guidelines banning
all their members from trading
Marange diamonds. We believe it is unethical
for trade organizations to
refrain from clearly banning the trade in illegal
Marange diamonds under the
guise of supporting the KP.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Godfrey Mtimba
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
14:28
MASVINGO - The government is still haunted by the memories of
chaotic scenes
that rocked the first constitutional all-stakeholders
conference last year,
threatening to derail the drafting of a new
constitution for the country
even before it had started.
The Minister
of Constitutional Affairs, Eric Matinenga told a constitutional
update
meeting in Masvingo on Monday that he remains worried by the on and
off
violence that has characterised the process saying he cannot rule out
the
disruption of the second all stakeholders conference if the violent
scenes
currently rocking the country are not dealt with decisively.
“I cannot
say the meeting will be free of violence. At the first meeting I
was there
when it was disrupted and they even poured water on me as others
exhibited
their Kongonya dancing skills on top of the tables."
“But we do not wish
the same to happen again as our principals have been
preaching peace, I hope
their pleas will be heard,” said Matinenga while
addressing Masvingo
residents to update them on the constitution-making
exercise.
He had
been asked if the government can guarantee the safety of the
delegates to
the second all-stakeholders conference and avoid a repeat of
violent scenes
that were witnessed during the first all stakeholders meeting
at a Harare
hotel.
“It’s pretty difficult to say there will be zero tolerance to
violence on
this important stage because it has become a culture of our
people to fight
if one disagrees with the other over a political
issue.”
Matinenga said the actual drafting of the constitution will start
next week
saying his ministry will try by all means possible to ensure that
there is
no violence at the all stakeholders meeting.
“We will try to
have a peaceful and non-violent second stakeholders meeting
after completing
drafting the document,” said Matinenga.
He added that the drafting of the
constitution is likely to stretch until
the end of February next year
putting paid to President Robert Mugabe and
his Zanu PF party’s clamour for
early polls.
“The drafting stage needs patience as it is a very
complicated process,”
said Matinenga.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
FARMERS in Insiza North in Matabeleland
South province, among them Zapu
members and supporters, on Sunday 20
November, 2011 resisted attempts by
Zanu-PF to extort donations from them to
fund its so-called national
conference to be held in Bulawayo next
month.
23.11.1110:24am
by ZAPU
Zanu-PF Insiza district official
Aggripa Ndlukula, in the company of an
accomplice only identified as Moyo,
gate-crashed an Insiza/Shangani Farmers
Association meeting at Shangani
Farmers Hall and told farmers to donate
towards the Zanu-PF conference,
threatening that those who did not would
lose the land.
Zimbabwe
Commercial Farmers Union Matabeleland South provincial chairman, Mr
Ernesrt
Ndlovu, who is a local farmer, told Ndlukula and Moyo that the land
was for
all the people of Zimbabwe regardless of political affiliation, and
their
threats were therefore misplaced. The vice chairman of the
Insiza/Shangani
farmers association, Mr Nehemiah Nyathi also told the two
gentlemen that
“things have changed” and farmers would not allow political
parties to hold
them at ransom anymore.
Realizing that their threats were backfiring,
Ndlukula and Moyo backtracked,
saying only those who were willing should
donate.
Zapu has cross checked with several of our members and supporters
who
attended the meeting to verify these details.
For the record,
Zapu led and won the fight for the restoration of land
rights to the
majority of the people. Our party is totally against the
partisan allocation
of land, and using land allocation to hold people
hostage, as is being done
by Zanu-PF. The land belongs to all the people of
Zimbabwe, regardless of
their political affiliation, race, tribe or other
creed. Zapu warns those
victimizing others like is being done in Insiza
North that they may soon
find themselves in a weaker political position.
Would they wish to be
treated the same manner they are treating others now?
Zapu, the founder
and authentic liberation movement of Zimbabwe, is ready
and willing to fight
for the people’s right to land, like we did during the
liberation struggle.
We urge the people of Zimbabwe to resist threats and
coercion, like the
Insiza/Shangani farmers did on Sunday. We also call on
Zanu-PF to live by
their leader President Mugabe’s words calling for an end
to violence and
intimidation. - ZAPU
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Plans to rig the next elections in Zimbabwe are
said to be underway, with
accusations that Zanu (PF) is secretly removing
known MDC-T supporters from
the voters’ roll.
23.11.1107:36am
by SW
Radio Africa
Sources who refused to be named for fear of
victimisation, have claimed that
chiefs in the rural areas are being coerced
into supplying the names of
known opposition supporters.
The lists
being drawn up from this exercise are being forwarded to the
Registrar
General’s office, who is in turn removing the MDC-T supporters
from the
voters’ roll. The Registrar General’s office is still run by
Tobaiwa Mudede,
a card carrying member of Zanu (PF) who has, in the past,
presided over many
disputed elections.
Wasting his time
MDC-T National Executive
member Charlton Hwende said the strategy to remove
their members from the
voters’ roll would not work because they were already
demanding a new roll.
He said they would not participate in any election
that did not use a
‘credible’ voters’ roll and that Mudede was wasting his
time if he was
removing anyone.
“As a party our position is very clear. If the issues
that we have
identified that enable us to go into a free and fair election
are not
solved, we are not going to participate. I think that the President
(Tsvangirai) has made that very clear on numerous occasions.” Hwende also
confirmed that several of their members in Kariba had been removed from the
voters roll, for no apparent reason.
Commenting on growing incidents
of violence, Hwende said Zanu (PF) abandoned
political violence in the run
up to the March 2008 election and, because of
that, they lost the election
to the MDC-T. After that defeat he said Mugabe’s
party went back to their
‘tried and tested’ method to win back the
presidency via “the violent and
discredited June 2008 presidential run-off
sham.”
Hwende said because
of that precedent it was unlikely the country could hold
free and fair
elections.
Appeal to the East
Meanwhile, the Sunday Times
newspaper in South Africa is reporting that
Mugabe is appealing to China and
Russia for protection should a future
disputed election in the country be
taken to the United Nations (UN)
Security Council for
intervention.
The paper said that Mugabe had made the appeal for support
from China and
Russia while on an official visit to Beijing. Mugabe’s fears
are said to be
drawn from reports that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is
lobbying the UN
and has also visited several African countries currently
sitting in the UN
body.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
MDC-T youths here have been barred from army
recruitment by a known partisan
war veteran and Zanu (PF)
bootlicker.
22.11.1105:42pm
by Brenna Matendere Munyati
The
youths, who wanted to qualify for admission to the Zimbabwe National
Army as
junior soldiers, were fished out from the process. One of the
affected
youths told The Zimbabwean that a war veteran identified as Maxwell
Chitera,
moved around the queue where youths were waiting to take part in a
10km
marathon race which the army would use to select trainees.
“Chitera
pointed at several youths from the queue and told us that no MDC
members
would be allowed to be become soldiers. He added that they should
first
convert to Zanu (PF), the party with liberation credentials, if they
were
serious about pursuing their dreams of getting into ZNA,” said the
youth.
Another youth added: “We are indeed MDC-T supporters, but we
never imagined
it could cost us an opportunity of becoming civil
servants.”
Jameson Tsuro, the MDC-T Midlands South Information and
Publicity chief,
told The Zimbabwean that the development was unacceptable
as it violated the
constitutional rights of bona fide
Zimbabweans.
“It’s a problem when Zanu (PF) monopolises state
institutions like the army.
It makes me mad. The youths were eligible for
that recruitment because they
are citizens of Zimbabwe,” Tsuro
said.
It is not the first time that MDC-T youths have been blocked from
ZNA
enrolment by Zanu (PF) activists. Recently, Fidelis Danger, the Zanu
(PF)
youth District Chairman for Chirimumanzu, also screened MDC-T youths
from
the recruitment process in the area.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
23 November, 2011
The High Court in Harare has been
strongly criticized for failing in its
duties, after postponing the bail
hearing for MDC-T Youth Assembly President
Solomon Madzore, for a fourth
time on Wednesday.
Justice Maria Zimba Dube ruled that the hearing be
postponed to next
Wednesday in order to give her and the State time to
review new evidence
that was presented by the defence
lawyers.
Madzore was arrested in October and is facing murder charges in
the ongoing
case of police officer Petros Mutedza, who was killed during a
brawl in Glen
View back in May. A total of 28 MDC-T members were arrested
and most have
since been bailed, except 7 who were denied bail as flight
risks.
The High Court has delayed Madzore’s bail hearing four times this
month,
honoring the State’s requests. Lawyer Alex Muchadehama criticized
this and
explained that bail applications are urgent “by their very nature”
since
they involve a person’s fate.
“The rules say the registrar of
the High Court is supposed to set down the
matter within 48 hours, which
means immediately thereafter the court must
determine the issue of bail,”
Muchadehama explained. He added that the State
loses nothing when a hearing
is postponed because the accused remains in
custody, which is what they
want.
The police have insisted officer Mutedza was killed by MDC-T
members who
held a meeting at a Glen View pub in May. But the party insists
their
supporters are not guilty and there is documented evidence that many
were
not even at the pub when Mutedza was killed. They say the arrests are
part
of a ZANU PF plot to destroy their structures.
The other six
MDC-T activists still in remand prison include Councillor
Tungamirai
Madzokere of Ward 32 Glen View, Rebecca Mafikeni, brothers
Lazarus and
Stanford Maengahama, Phineas Nhatarikwa and Stanford Mangwiro.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Chengetai Zvauya, Senior Writer
Wednesday, 23
November 2011 14:20
HARARE - The Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo
will make a ruling tomorrow
on whether Zanu PF MP for Goromonzi North Paddy
Zhanda has a case to answer
over allegations of bribery being levelled
against him by Reserve Bank
Governor Gideon Gono.
Acting chairman of
the Parliamentary committee on Finance and Budget and MDC
MP for Kambuzuma
Willas Madzimure yesterday told Parliament that Moyo would
deliver his
ruling on the matter tomorrow.
Zhanda who is the chairperson of the
committee has been suspended from
chairing the committee on issues to do
with the RBZ until he is cleared of
the allegations levelled by
Gono.
“The Speaker has to decide whether Zhanda has a case to answer, if
he feels
there is a case to answer, he will set up a privileges committee to
investigate his conduct,” said Madzimure.
The Finance and Budget
committee last week received a letter of complaint
from Gono over the
allegations.
Gono is claiming that Zhanda sent some emissaries to him
asking for a
bribe after he had appeared before the committee in August to
stop the probe
into the activities of the RBZ.
In his letter, Gono
alleged that Zhanda was chasing a personal agenda.
http://www.swradioafrica.com/
By Tichaona
Sibanda
23 November 2011
Justine Chiota, the South African based
founding member of the Zimbabwe
Peoples’ Party, shot himself dead on Monday
following a dispute with his
wife.
Police in Johannesburg told the
media that Chiota, a lawyer by profession,
shot and seriously injured his
wife before turning the gun on himself. His
wife Emily is reportedly
fighting for her life at the Sunninghill Hospital
in northern
Johannesburg.
Reports say Emily had moved out of the house three days
earlier, alleging
domestic violence by the husband. She had gone back to the
house,
accompanied by a police officer for protection, to collect her
possessions.
But in a fit of rage on realizing his wife was leaving him,
Chiota fired
shots at his wife and the police officer. His wife was hit in
the upper
body, while a bullet grazed the policeman’s
uniform.
Justine Chiota made headlines in 2007, when it emerged that he
was driving a
VIP presidential car in South Africa and in 2008 he was one of
the
presidential candidates in the harmonized elections in Zimbabwe.
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
Reuters 9 hours 8 minutes
ago
HARARE - Retail group OK Zimbabwe reported a 1,167 percent jump
in
first-half earnings, spurred by growing demand as the country's economy
continued to recover from a decade-long slump.
OK Zimbabwe's basic
earnings per share was 0.38 cents in the six months to
end-September,
compared to 0.03 cents in the same period last year,
financial results
released by the company on Wednesday showed.
After-tax profit was $3.9
million in the first half of the year, up from
$322,000 registered during
the same period of 2010. Revenue grew 61 percent
to $185.6 million from $115
million previously.
Zimbabwe's retail sector is one of the fastest
growing in an economy that is
recovering under a coalition government formed
two years ago by President
Robert Mugabe and his rival Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai.
The economy is expected to grow for the third successive year
this year,
expanding by 9.3 percent, while inflation has come down to
single-digits
from a peak of 500 billion percent in December 2008,
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
TN Bank in Zimbabwe is planning to introduce cattle
banking, a new
innovative product meant to empower rural farmers and
alleviate poverty,
Hazvinei Kapfunde, Group Chief Treasury Officer said
recently.
23.11.1107:39am
by Wallace Mawire
Farmers will no longer
have to keep tabs on their cattle, thanks to a new
initiative to be
established by TN Bank. Farmers will no longer have to keep
tabs on their
cattle, thanks to a new initiative to be established by TN
Bank.
Kapfunde said that the proposed new product would be initiated
in the first
quarter of 2012 and it would enable farmers to keep track of
their cattle.
The animals would be kept at the bank a certificate would be
issued which
can be used by the farmer if he or she needs collateral. The
bank will just
transfer the certificate to the new recipient upon agreement
with the
farmer, instead of having to move the cows from one place to
another.
"When the farmer's cattle are in our custody, we will have all
the
responsibility of taking care of them, including all the veterinary
needs
like dosing etc. We will keep them in a safe place," Kapfunde
said.
The idea was discussed at a retail banking Africa conference in
South Africa
and was endorsed by various partners.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
United Nations agency Unicef will next year stop
supplying water chemicals
to Zimbabwe's cash-strapped local authorities, it
has been established.
23.11.1106:34am
by Chief Reporter
Unicef
has, since 2009, played a priceless role in supporting the provision
of
clean portable water in urban local authorities, through the procurement
of
water treatment chemicals. The UN agency intervened after a cholera
outbreak
claimed over 4 000 lives.
The support facility was extended at the height
of a deadly mix of
hyperinflation and a devastating cholera outbreak, when
local authorities
had completely lost the capacity to supply clean water to
residents.
Unicef's decision to stop buying the chemicals has caused
consternation in
local authorities, who have been struggling to balance
their books even with
the Unicef intervention.
Unicef chief, Peter
Salama, said their intervention had only been a stop-gap
and was meant to
run for two years to mitigate the cholera outbreak.
Local Minister
Ignatius Chombo said the government was grateful for Unicef’s
help and hoped
the local authorities would cope without its assistance.
"I wish to
emphasise that as a ministry, we are convinced that local
authorities have
been given ample time to prepare for the takeover and
therefore should not
be found wanting come 2012,” he said.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
From where I sit now, it is very unlikely that Zimbabwe
could manage to hold
its next elections in 2012, as is being demanded by the
former liberation
party and its leader, Robert
Mugabe.
22.11.1101:14pm
by John Makumbe
The snail’s pace
adopted by the three political parties in the inclusive
government in
relation to resolving outstanding issues will ensure that no
concrete
agreements will be reached in time to hold of elections next year.
Besides,
it is not true that the totality of Zanu (PF) would like to have
elections
held in 2012. The truth is that Mugabe and the securocrats are the
only ones
that hold such a desire.
The majority of the politicians in the former
ruling party, particularly
those in councils and in the legislature, would
like the nation to hold its
next plebiscite in 2013, that is five years
after the fraudulent 2008
harmonised elections.
Meetings between the
MDC principals and their Zanu (PF) counterpart have
lost their potency to
resolve controversial issues. One such meeting is
scheduled to be held some
time this week, but it is likely to result in
little change to the status
quo. It is very likely that the political
parties will maintain their
positions with regard to most of the outstanding
issues, regardless of
Zuma’s pending visit to the country. Indeed, Zuma
seems to have lost his
earlier enthusiasm to facilitate a speedy resolution
of the crisis in
Zimbabwe. We would have thought that having successfully
defused the
notorious Malema grenade, Zuma would now devote his time to
resolving the
Zimbabwe crisis. Alas! The man has so much on his plate that
Zimbabwe may be
way down the line of his priorities.
Meanwhile, the political playing
field is still very much uneven in favour
of Zanu (PF) and at the expense of
all other players. The state-controlled
media is still hostile to the MDC
and other smaller parties. The electronic
media is still restricted to the
partisan and useless ZBC while the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ)
is dragging its feet in licensing
independent players. The MDC-T has vowed
not to participate in national
elections before the airwaves are effectively
freed to allow other players
to participate. Although all efforts are being
made to conclude the drafting
of the foundation law for this nation, there
is no guarantee that the draft
constitution will be accepted by the
electorate of this country. It is
likely to be over-loaded with nasty
clauses that are preferred by Mugabe and
Zanu (PF).
All these factors
point to the possibility of a GPA2 which may result in a
GNU2 from some time
in 2012 to the holding of elections in 2013. This means
that the nation will
remain at the standstill where it is now, until those
elections are held.
This is something that Mugabe and his handlers, the
securocrats, would not
like to see, given the ailing aged man’s health.
Whichever way you look at
it, the nation must brace itself for a long, drawn
out struggle on the
political front.
Although the national economy is slowly creeping
upwards, there is still a
lot that needs to be changed in order to energise
it and allow it to move
faster along the
path of recovery. Some of
the nasty pieces of legislation that Mugabe and
his underlings are
promoting, such as the damaging Indigenisation and
Empowerment Act, are not
helping the case. Foreign direct investment is
still wary of Zimbabwe as a
safe and viable destination. The likelihood of
holding elections in 2012 is,
almost daily becoming remote and far-fetched.
http://www.bulawayo24.com/
by Dr Vincent
Gwarazimba
2011 November 23 17:06:32
ADAMAWA - Zimbabwe's agriculture
is currently facing serious challenges of
productivity. In recent years,
productivity has declined drastically and the
country is unable to feed
itself. The reasons for the collapse of
productivity are varied and both
agricultural experts and politicians blame
the failure of the sector on
politics. While politics has indeed played a
significant in the demise of
the sector, there are other contributing
factors.
The unplanned and
chaotic land reform is sometimes blamed for food shortages
but that may not
be the case because maize being the staple crop, 80% of the
crop had always
been produced by small holder rural farmers. Displaced white
commercial
farmers were critical to the sector for export crops such as
tobacco and
horticulture and indeed quality beef for the export market.
Therefore the
current challenges must be blamed on first, government policy
on the sector.
Several policy frameworks on agriculture have been announced
over a period
of 10 years but these have had little impact because they were
politically
motivated, emotionally enacted as justification of a runaway
land reform
process. The policy frameworks lacked content and specifics on
investment
and role of parastatals in driving home the need to maintain or
increase
productivity of the sector.
The policy frameworks also lacked technical
support, processes and systems
to support implementation. The frameworks
lacked alternatives and options
in the light of climate change and
subsequent change in weather patterns.The
sector also faces challenges of
technical expertise.
Agricultural experts have left the country due to
lack of motivation and
lack of acknowledgement for their contribution.
Indeed Zimbabwe at one time
had the best organized extension and research
services in Africa, but
underfunding and political interference caused
collapse of these services.
There is unfortunate belief that free inputs can
help resuscitate the
sector. That is wrong thinking. Free inputs will not
sustain the sector.
Malawi is an example where input subsidy was too
expensive for the
government and relied heavily on donor support. When
donors pulled the plug,
the sector is now on course to
collapse.
Sustainable Solution to Resuscitation of the
Sector
There is indeed no silver bullet to resuscitation of the sector
but the
country needs to address the sector as follows;
Policy-
Government policy on the sector must correct, organized and specific
on
delivery of services and support of systems. The role of government in
the
sector, providing a sustainable and suitable environment for investment
in
the sector should be clearly defined. Zimbabwe must not only look at and
rely on foreign direct investment in the sector but creating an environment
that creates, develops and support local investors. Even villagers can be
investors if the policies promote and support their interests.
The
problem is government has not invested in gathering information on:
a)
the driving forces behind small holder farming
b) the interests of the small
holder
c) the motivation of the small holder farmer
d) expectations of
this farmer
e) internal and external constraints on the small holder
farmer
f) infrastructural challenges facing the farmer and indeed
g)
understanding the national, regional and international commodity markets
relative to the capacity of rural communities to produce quality
commodities.
Information on these will enable government to formulate
a policy framework
supportive of small holder farming and budget for
investment in these
farmers.
Capacity building of rural farming
communities. Much of the say is about
free inputs from the Grain Marketing
Board. That is not capacity building.
It is not sustainable. Solution is on
empowerment in the sector. Provide
farmers with investment tools in the form
of transferable Certificate of
Ownership (COOs) on land to enable farmers to
access finance.
99 year lease agreements are not a silver bullet in this
case but a villager
in Chibi depositing an ownership certificate with an
agricultural finance
bank and get money for inputs, land preparation and
even labor depending on
the size of the land. This will create value for
land and make the farmer
understand and appreciate protection of the land as
own for future
generations. Land must be converted into an asset for rural
communities. It
must be tradable, exchangeable and protectable and viewed as
source of
investment.
Enabling technical support for the small holder
farmer will go a long way to
sustain productivity. Until late 1999s when the
Department of Agricultural
Extension (Agritex) was dismembered by misguided
policies, technical support
was effective, enabling farmer training programs
and motivating farmers into
competitive mode of agricultural production.
Indeed then the farmers were
receptive to training and desired to be part of
growing population of
successful small holder farmers.
While the
government was at hand to proffer support, small holder farmers
were equally
enthusiastic to make food production successful. Now the new
and young
farmers on the land are untrained and technically unqualified to
undertake
and manage agricultural operations and more so they live on get
rich quick
mentality through deals which sometimes don’t succeed and farmer
ends up
selling inputs to make up. Hence it is time government invests
heavily in
training of young farmers and providing resources to Agritex to
provide
technical support on a daily basis. New farmers must be kept
conscious of
their responsibilities to the nation as long as they occupy
productive
land.
Farmer responsibility to the nation. Much of the current farmer
mentality is
self-enrichment at the expense of the nation. Farming is indeed
a business
and must be viewed so but must be undertaken with responsibility
to provide
nation with sustainable food security. If a farm is suitable for
and had
history of maize production, why then change to capital intensive
tobacco
which often fails due to lack of finance. Government must promote
sense of
responsibility to the nation and farmers must be encouraged to take
farming
as serious business within the context of serving the
nation.
Lack of adequate and suitable infrastructure is one of the major
constraints
in resuscitating Zimbabwe agriculture. Taking cognizance of
small holder
farmers as key stakeholders in the business of food production
and supply,
most of the farming areas are inaccessible due to lack of or
dilapidated
infrastructure. Thus roads no longer exist because of years of
neglect. To
make an immediate difference on farming, roads must be rebuilt
or improved
to increase farmer access to inputs and markets. Domboshava and
Mutoko are
able to supply Harare with much needed vegetable because of
better roads and
services.
Supporting and training of technical
staff. Research and Agritex staff
require support to motivate and drive them
into supporting farmers. There
are many ways of doing this. It is not about
salaries but providing support
in the form of vehicle loans payable over a
period of time. Previously
Agritex officers used to get brand new single cab
trucks to enable to access
areas remote. Motor bikes will also make a
difference.
Thus budget to the Ministry of Agriculture must be inclusive
of such
vehicles on an annual basis. The technical neglect of the
agriculture has
also led to decline in quality of human resources. This
requires government
to recapitalize institutions like Chibero, Gwebi, Mlezu,
Esighodini and
others and increase capacity and quality.
Agricultural
and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and Cold Storage Company
(CSC). Much
has been said about these organizations failing to fulfill their
national
responsibilities of augmenting food supplies. These two
organisations are
endowed with land resources but have over the years
declined into money
wasting monoliths due to neglect by government and
mismanagement by
incompetent staff.
While there are calls for their privatization that
probably is not the
solution but take on board a public/private sector
arrangement or contract
management and let the private sector run the
institutions for and on behalf
of government. With government providing a
limited guarantee of loans
acquired from banks and/or with involvement of
banks in driving the nation
towards a definite goal, CSC and ARDA could make
an impact on food security
of the nation.
Financial institutions are
currently risk averse when it comes to supporting
farmers, especially small
holder farmers. This is happening across Africa
and this has resulted in
Africa being food insecure. Indeed the banks have
lost confidence in
agriculture as a business but it is government policy
that creates and
motivates desire for investment in the sector.
Perhaps one way of doing
this is to have a policy backed by legal framework
that works towards
cooperation between government and banks in providing
financial support to
small holder farmers with tacit support and involvement
of Agritex. Then
Agritex must play a leading role through an Agritex-linked
agricultural
development limited government/private sector company
government and
banks.
Commodity pricing is also a major factor in food production.
Previously,
honest pre-season commodity price announcement promoted maize
production.
While this has happened in the last few years, however,
government did not
have money to pay for the produce. There is need to
develop an honest
culture of does business with farmers and government must
take
responsibilities having retained the ownership of the Grain Marketing
Board.
To make a difference government and private sector must come into
position
on making the GMB, an institution responsible for food security but
answerable to both government and private investors. There is money in food
and the private sector has the desire to access the many food storage
facilities in the countries in partnership with
government.
Agricultural Investment Commission. To oversee and promote
investment in the
sector. The commission to support and work with small
holder farmers,
working with and in support of Agritex, financial
institutions towards
creating commodity market dynamics based on internal
and external forces.
Leading markets reviews and guiding policy
formulation, working with
agricultural establishments for effective and
productive use of resources
towards a sustainable market structure and food
security. A commission based
on both government and private sector fostering
partnership in developing
the
sector.
----------------------------
DR Vincent Gwarazimba, Senior
Agricultural Consultant, Adamawa Agricultural
Development and Investment
Limited (AADIL), Adamawa State Government,
NIGERIA. Email vincent.gwarazimba@gmail.com
Phone +2348093143032.
Ambassador Ray's Speech at the
Chakona-Muunganirwa Irrigation Scheme, Bindura
District,
November 23, 2011
Good morning, and thank you for such a
warm welcome. I am especially
grateful to the District Administrator, John
Chihobo, for joining us today
and making this visit possible. I would also
like to thank Paul Chimedza
and his colleagues from Africare for making all
of the arrangements. Most
of all, I wish to thank our hosts here at the
Chakona-Muunganirwa Irrigation
Scheme. It is generous of you to neglect
your potatoes and other crops this
morning to show me around.
In the
United States tomorrow is our national Thanksgiving holiday.
Farmers in
America have just finished their harvest, so this is the right
time for
Americans to reflect on the natural bounty and blessings we enjoy.
Where
we are standing today is also a good place to give thanks. For
instance, I
heard that Mrs. Mutandadzi has already harvested over
one-and-a-half tons of
potatoes from her plot. This will allow her to buy
the inputs she needs for
an even better harvest next year. And I am told
that Mrs. Muzama from
Imbwanhema has done well enough with her rabbits to
buy a cow and inputs and
pay for her child to do O-Levels.
So let us give thanks. With good
weather, hard work, and some help from
Africare, over 5,000 families in
Bindura and Guruve districts have become
more productive and increased their
incomes. That means over 20,000 people
in this area are better off, and
thousands of children are able to stay in
school.
Some people would
look at this success and call it development. I
prefer to call it
empowerment.
"Empowerment" sometimes gets a bad rap, but it is a good
word for the
expanding possibilities that we all should be thankful for. A
farmer who
becomes more productive and a student who gets good exam results
have more
power over their own futures than they did before. A farmer with
a surplus
has the power to choose: he can either invest his surplus or
consume it. A
student who earns good exam results has the power to choose
from many
possible futures.
This morning I have met many farmers who
empowered themselves through
higher productivity. Their investments of much
labor and a little capital
allowed them to get the most out of the land.
Access to markets allowed
them to transform their surplus into whatever else
they need and want.
Everyone remembers how bad it was here in 2007 and 2008
when there was
nothing to sell or buy. The market disappeared, and everyone
suffered. In
Bindura and Guruve districts today, Zimbabweans are bringing
markets back to
life. And markets empower people.
The main reason
markets empower people is that they don’t care who you
are or where you came
from. All that matters is what you can do. I think
Zimbabwe's leaders
understood that when they called for land reform at the
dawn of Zimbabwe’s
independence. It is a simple idea that we all
understand: give people land
and the skills to make it productive and you
give them a chance to succeed.
The old distinction between communal farmers
and commercial farmers is no
longer valid. Any farmer who sells into the
market is a commercial farmer.
Farming is a way of life for many
Zimbabweans. But it is also a business
that empowers people when the
government allows markets to work.
Many of
the Zimbabweans I have met think that my government is unhappy with
President Mugabe and ZANU-PF because of land reform. Let me take a moment
to set the record straight.
Long before Zimbabwe had A1 or A2
farmers, the U.S. government
recognized that land reform was necessary in
Zimbabwe. Access to land for
more people was clearly needed for Zimbabwe to
achieve the human dignity
people fought for. Yes, the U.S. strongly opposes
the violence and
displacement through which land reform was achieved and
which ended or
disrupted far too many lives. But let me be clear that we do
not oppose the
general aim of land reform, which is to economically empower
people by
helping them to build better lives through jobs, income
generation,
self-reliance, dignity, and opportunity.
The United
States – and I personally, for that matter – believe that
land reform is
still necessary in Zimbabwe. Far too much of Zimbabwe's
farmland lies
fallow. Far too many Zimbabweans –black, white, and in
between – lack
opportunities to make the most of their talents, ideas, and
ambitions. I
believe that Zimbabwe can achieve far more with its fertile
land and
talented people, and there are many ways to expand production and
achieve a
more equitable distribution of its benefits.
The United States urges
Zimbabweans and their government to look
positively to the future.
Politically motivated dispossession and
retaliation create conflict, not
empowerment. At some point, a society must
shift from focusing on revenge
for sins of the past to instead centering its
efforts on building a better
future for all of its people.
While I cannot advise you on how to
tackle this problem, I can and
do listen to Zimbabweans who think
constructively about it. What I hear
from them is encouraging. I find that
they agree more often than they
disagree. One thing they agree on is that
the administration of land should
be more transparent and more flexible.
With transparency there will also be
fairness. With flexibility comes
greater efficiency and more production.
The market does not care who
tills the land; but the market does care
about the rule of law and respect
for property rights. People who can make
good use of land should get a fair
chance to make it as productive as
possible without undercutting the
production of others.
Another group that I listen to a lot is American
business leaders. They
see the opportunities that come with Zimbabwe's
economic recovery. But they
worry about the security of their investments.
The violence of how land
reform was carried out in the past is the main
reason for this concern. As
Zimbabwe moves into its future, perhaps its
greatest challenge is to show
its own citizens and foreign investors alike
that their claims to property
are safe. Whether you are a farmer with a
leasehold, a business holding the
title to a warehouse, or an investor with
shares in a company, you will not
be able to prosper unless everyone knows
that your claim to that property is
secure and cannot be taken from you
without due process.
To create this sense of security that Zimbabwean and
foreign investors
require, it is vital that the rules be both clear and
consistently applied.
The American investors I speak to all have the same
message for me:
uncertainty around property rights is a deal-breaker.
Neither American businesses nor the American government oppose
empowerment
or more equitable distribution of national wealth. Let me
repeat that:
Neither American businesses nor the American government oppose
empowerment
or more equitable distribution of national wealth. But as
Zimbabwe pursues
these objectives, I hope you will remember that true
empowerment does not
come at your neighbor's expense.
As we give thanks today in this place,
we should look around and notice
how thousands of families have empowered
themselves by building something
new. In a few weeks' time, you will see in
these fields the green shoots of
your next harvest. I hope that harvest
will remind you of my country's
partnership with Zimbabwe. It is a
partnership that I hope will help
Zimbabweans renew and build their country
together.
