Associated Press
(AP) -
9 hours ago
HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe state radio says President Robert
Mugabe arrived
home Sunday from the United Nations General Assembly in New
York.
Mugabe canceled an onward trip to Ecuador where he was to receive
an
honorary doctorate in law from a discredited Christian university that
has
broken away from the mainstream Anglican Church in South
America.
The Anglican Diocese of Harare, in a pastoral notice Sunday,
urged its
congregation to "distance themselves from any activities" of the
Ecuadorean
university led by Walter Roberto Crespo.
The diocese
described Crespo as a "rebel" of the church who spent three
years in jail in
Ecuador for running guns to the Revolutionary Armed Forces
(FARC) of
neighboring Columbia.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
Written by Vusimuzi Bhebhe
Sunday,
26 September 2010 05:54
HARARE - The United Arab Emirates is emerging as
one of the main conduits
for illicit diamonds smuggled from Zimbabwe amid
reports that more gems from
the controversial Marange fields have been
confiscated by Belgian
authorities while being exported from Dubai.
A
shipment of rough diamonds sent from Dubai was held up in Antwerp,
Belgium,
on September 6 by the Diamond Office of the Antwerp World Diamond
Centre
(AWDC) on suspicion that the diamonds originated from the
controversial
Zimbabwean fields.
Although the diamonds were presented with official Dubai
KimberleyProcess
(KP) export certificates, the European Community's economic
authorities have
seemingly adopted a broader approach regarding the
interpretation of the
European economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.
As a
result, the EC authorities believe that the government of Zimbabwe or
blacklisted individuals were smuggling the diamonds via the UAE to
circumvent European Union sanctions.
President Robert Mugabe and about
200 officials from his Zanu (PF) party are
barred from travelling to or
trading with the EU as part of targeted
sanctions imposed by the bloc in
2002 in retaliation to allegations of
election rigging and human rights
abuses by the veteran Zimbabwean leader.
This is the second time the UAE has
been fingered in the smuggling of
diamonds from the Marange area where the
army has been accused of murdering
alluvial diggers and using forced labour
to illegally extract the stones.
The Brussels-based Kimberley Process (KP)
Working Group on Monitoring (WGM)
revealed in May that there had been
"multiple shipments of rough diamonds
moved from Zimbabwe to the UAE during
the period December 2009 through April
2010".
Dubai is one of the UAE
states and has lately become a popular destination
among well-to-do
Zimbabweans.
This could explain the sudden emergence of the Gulf state as a
conduit for
smuggled Zimbabwean diamonds.
Zimbabwe cannot sell the
Marange diamonds until KP monitor Abbey Chikane
certifies them for release
on the international diamond market.
The KP has so far allowed only two sales
of Marange diamonds as part of an
agreement hammered at a meeting in
July.
The first auction was held in August while the last one took place a
fortnight ago.
Marange is one of the world's most controversial diamond
fields with human
rights groups accusing soldiers sent by the government to
secure the field
from illegal miners of gross human rights abuses.
The KP
monitors the diamond trade worldwide in order to prevent the sale of
conflict diamonds to sponsor rogue regimes or rebel armies.
http://www.cricket365.com/
Sunday 26-September-2010 17:56
Ed
Rainsford's late hitting condemned Ireland to a last-ball defeat in the
first one-day international against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports
Ground.
Zimbabwe tailender Rainsford hit nine from three balls, including
a six from
the final delivery with the scores tied, to snatch a two-wicket
win in the
first of the three-match series.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Gary
Wilson had earlier revived Ireland's innings with
69 after they had lost
their first four wickets for 22 runs.
Wilson got support from Andrew
White (47) in an 85-run stand for the fifth
wicket but the visitors were
bowled out for 200 as their failure to bat out
the overs proved
crucial.
Zimbabwe's chase was initially paced by Tatenda Taibu's 62 but a
steady flow
of wickets left them falling behind the required rate at six for
153 with
seven overs remaining.
Elton Chigumbura supplied some of the
required late hitting with 41 from 32
balls, but when he fell at the end of
the penultimate over to Rainsford
strode to the crease with his side needing
a further six runs.
Rainsford, who earlier took four for 23, ensured his
match-winning display
was complete as he drew his side level before
thrashing the final delivery
over the ropes.
http://news.radiovop.com/
26/09/2010 12:20:00
Harare, September 25, 2010
- Zimbabwe's poor HIV & AIDS patients are losing
out on Anti-retro viral
Therapy services at the country's government and
council hospitals as a
result of massive corruption caused by low
remuneration, a survey carried
out by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
(LHR) has
revealed.
According to the LHR research, the country's four provinces
affected ate
Harare, Masvingo, Bulawayo and Manicaland.
HIV &
AIDS patients are claiming that they were being denied access to ARVs
by
health officials if they failed to pay a bribe and as a result 63% of
them
were denied HIV services after failing to pay the demanded
bribes.
"Bribes for HIV services and enrolment and requests for
informal
payments were identified as the dominant practices.This resulted in
people
defaulting or out- sourcing for drugs or the required service," reads
the
research document entitled 'Corruption burns
universal
Access'
.
The report noted that corruption cases were mainly
perpetrated by
nurses and support staff at the government hospitals and
councils
and clinics with 88% of respondents identifying nurses and
support
staff like nurse aides and administrative staff as the chief
culprits.
No such cases were found at Mission hospitals.
The
reports says the corrupt health officials were motivated by
poor
remuneration and absenteeism by doctors who should supervise the
nurses.
Zimbabwean doctors spend most of their times attending to
their private
clinics rather than government hospitals.
Like other
civil servants, nurses are earning between US$150 to US$230 a
month
depending on one's working experience.
The most affected HIV & AIDS
patients according to the report were the rural
patients who could not raise
even a single dollar to pay for
the bribe.
HIV & AIDS patients
present at the launch of the report called for an
a nation-wide demonstration
against the corrupt behaviour of health
officials.
Zimbabwe LHR
executive Director Irene Petras said her organisation was going
to engage
the government over the matter.
"Its unfortunate that the ministry of
Health has refused to attend
this event fearing embarrassment. They told me
that they were not
going to attend this launch because it was critical to
them. We
did not organise this to criticise anyone but to find ideas
and
recommendations which will help the situation.
"As Zimbabwe
lawyers for Human Rights we are going to once again
knock at the
government's doors and present to them our
recommendations which we think if
implemented, will solve the
situation because we are talking of human life
here," she said.
According to the National AIDS Council Zimbabwe's, HIV
& AIDS
prevalence has decreased from 26% four years ago to 14% to
date.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Fungi
Kwaramba
Saturday, 25 September 2010 13:42
HARARE – The family of an
MDC activist who died from injuries sustained
after Zanu (PF) supporters
attacked him says police have refused to arrest
the murder
suspects.
The family of Crispen Mandizvidza, who was brutally assaulted
by Zanu (PF)
supporters during a constitutional outreach meeting in the
Harare
high-density suburb of Mbare last Sunday, said they had pointed out
the
suspected murderers to the police who have however refused to take
action.
A spokesman for the family, Itai Mashiri, said the police had
instead
harassed mourners gathered at the Mandzvidza home and had also
turned on the
MDC activist’s friends who were present when he was attacked
and also
incurred injuries.
The police are apparently accusing
Mandizvidza’s friends of murdering him,
forcing some of the friends to go
into hiding fearing arrest.
Mashiri said: “We do not why the police are
refusing to arrest the people
(murder suspects). We have seen them walking
scot-free, while people who
were beaten along with him have gone into
hiding. The police are refusing to
even question the (suspected)
murderers.”
MDC-T Harare provincial secretary Taurai Marima said his
party was not
surprised by the police’s behaviour in the Mandizvidza case,
adding that the
police have refused to attended to several other cases in
which MDC have
been attacked.
“We are not surprised by the police
actions. Scores of our supporters have
told us that they were beaten in the
presence of the police. We do not know
what to do. Our members who are the
victims end up being the accused,” said
Mashiri.
Police spokesman Wayne
Bvudzijena was not immediately available for comment
on the
matter.
Tsvangirai’s party and human rights groups have in the past accused
the
police of routinely arresting victims of political violence while
letting
the perpetrators who are members of Zanu (PF) and pro-President
Robert
Mugabe war veterans going scot-free
The global political agreement
(GPA) that gave birth to Zimbabwe’s
power-sharing agreement commits the
coalition government to reform and
restructure the country’s security forces
including the police.
But Mugabe has steadfastly blocked any calls or attempt
to reform or
restructure the security forces that have backed his
three-decade rule.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:53
THE Harare
City Council and businessman Phillip Chiyangwa are close to
clinching an
out-of-court deal regarding a land wrangle which started early
this
year.
A special investigations committee set up by council in March
recommended
that Chiyangwa must be prosecuted for allegedly acquiring
council land
illegally.
But Chiyangwa hit back immediately,
causing the arrest of mayor Muchadeyi
Masunda and members of the council
investigations committee.
This saw Masunda and the councilors
appearing before the courts until last
week when they were remanded to
November 2.
However, The Standard has learnt from authoritative
sources that Chiyangwa
is likely to drop the defamation charges against
Masunda and eight other
councilors following intense manoeuvres behind the
scenes by both sides.
The withdrawal of the case will pave the way
for the finalisation of an
out-of-court settlement, which will see council
giving Chiyangwa proper
documentation for all the land that is due to
him.
"The two parties have decided to bury their differences," a source
said.
"They have agreed that everything that has been happening was
unnecessary
and should come to an end."
Chiyangwa said the way
forward regarding the matter was still under
consideration.
"There have been enough apologies coming from the
City Fathers so much that
my lawyer is meeting me next week to consider the
apologies I have
received," Chiyangwa said.
"You may well be
aware that the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has
become extremely
positive on the matter.
"Some senior leaders have also talked about
healing in the context of Zanu
PF and MDC and suggested that there is need
for people to sit down and
talk."
Although Chiyangwa will not
disclose who made the apologies and who exactly
was talking to him on behalf
of council, sources alleged that Masunda wrote
a letter to Chiyangwa
apologising over the matter, something that was
dismissed by the mayor
outright.
"Chiyangwa made an unsolicited declaration at the recent
Young Men's
Christian Association AGM that he had no quarrel with me and
that the media
was separating us," Masunda said.
"Since then, I
spent most of the time out of the country and I wonder where
I would have
got the time to write any letter to him.
"So, I did not start this
initiative. Chiyangwa raised it and everything
that has happened since then
is subsequent to his statement."
Masunda said it had always been his
position that the committee's report was
incomplete without considering
Chiyangwa's side.
"It has always been my stance that the report is
far from complete until
such a time that Chiyangwa, (Local Government, Urban
and Rural Development
minister Ignatius) Chombo and everyone cited in it has
been given a chance
to respond.
"If they now want those matters
to be concluded, we will clear that."
Masunda however said a new
committee agreed to by both parties will have to
be set up to deal with the
matter and come up with recommendations for a way
forward as the
investigations committee was now an interested party.
"Speaking as
one of the most senior lawyers in this country, it will be
inappropriate for
that same council team to continue," he said.
"Members of that team
are functus officio, meaning their hands are tied
because they have already
expressed their views on those matters so
Chiyangwa and council will have to
agree on a new, professional and
independent team to preside over the matter
and bring it to a logical
conclusion which both parties will have to
respect."
While sources said Chiyangwa was keen to pursue a deal
after EMA rescinded
its earlier decision that it would not allow change of
land use in the city,
Masunda said that was no guarantee that council would
allow him to develop
land which it feels is not fit for
development.
He said EMA was one of the interested parties which can
give views on the
likely environmental impact of land developments while as
the city planners,
council is the final authority.
There have
been complaints that some of the land Chiyangwa wants to develop
was set
aside as public open spaces.
While Chiyangwa said the acrimony
between him and council was political,
Masunda said the city fathers had no
axe to grind with anyone and would like
to see all land developers,
including Chiyangwa, developing their land
without feeling intimidated by
council.
Masunda and Chiyangwa blamed the media for their fallout
saying there was a
tendency to publish "half-baked
truths".
BY JENNIFER DUBE
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:40
THE government
has banned the importation of second-hand vehicles as part of
a raft of new
measures aimed at arresting the carnage on the country's
roads.
According to Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use)
Regulations
published in the government gazette of September 17, the
Ministry of
Transport and Infrastructural Development is also phasing out
left-hand
vehicles.
The regulations that will also hit hard
owners of unroadworthy vehicles and
cripple local car dealers come into
effect on March 1 2011.
Vehicles older than five years will be
affected and the move will push the
price of locally assembled cars beyond
the reach of many.
The statutory instrument says in part: "No person
shall import any vehicle
for registration and use on any road in Zimbabwe if
the year of manufacture
from the country of origin is more than five
years."
"Provided that this shall not apply to any motor vehicle
registered in
Zimbabwe before the 31st of March, 2011."
Used Japanese
cars (pictured) have become popular with Zimbabweans over the
years as they
are cheaper than those assembled locally.
Previous attempts by government
to raise import duty on second hand vehicles
have been met with a lot of
resistance.
Last month, Environment and Natural Resources minister
Francis Nhema caused
a stir when he proposed the ban on the importation of
used vehicles in order
to "save lives and protect the
environment."
Nhema said the majority of the cars had been banned on
the roads in their
countries of origin and were being dumped on
Zimbabwe.
Tough regulations on emissions force Japanese car owners to
replace old
vehicles with newer models.
The new regulations in
Zimbabwe go further to say: "No person shall drive on
a road any motor
vehicle registered in terms of the Vehicle Registration
and Licensing Act
(Chapter 13:14) for the first time in Zimbabwe on or
after the 31st of
March, 2011, if the steering wheel of the vehicle is on
the left hand
side."
However, left-hand drives are not very popular in Zimbabwe.
Partson Mbiriri,
the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and
Infrastructural
Development last month said government was considering
banning the left-hand
driven vehicles because they contributed to the high
carnage on the country's
roads.
"Government is considering
banning all left-hand-driven vehicles because it
has become clear that they
are one of the major causes of accidents on the
roads," Mbiriri said at the
launch of the Global Road Safety week.
Government has also gone
further to ban the use of tints on windows and
tightened regulations
governing the carrying of passengers.
For example owners of light
vehicles other than public service vehicles will
not be allowed to carry
more than five passengers "unless a seating width of
at least 380 mm and 300
mm is allowed for the driver and every passenger
respectively, measured
along the rear of such a seat level."
BY KHOLWANI
NYATHI
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010
10:40
MDC-M and the revived Zapu are engaged in behind-the-scenes talks
in the
hope of coming up with a coalition leading up to elections, which are
likely
to be held next year, a high-level source revealed last week.
On
the other hand the source ruled out unity with the faction led by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as being virtually a “non-starter”.
“There are
people from both sides who are pushing for talks, although there
is nothing
substantive at the moment,” the source said.
Tsvangirai has already held out
at an olive branch to the formation led by
his deputy, Arthur Mutambara, but
that was rebuffed by Welshman Ncube, the
secretary-general.
Ncube has
labelled Tsvangirai’s overture insincere, saying he should go
beyond just
uttering public statements, without offering much in terms of
action.
“The current position is that attempts have been made towards the
signing of
a reunification pact but Tsvangirai’s MDC rejected that,” he said
recently.
“As far as we are concerned, this is where we are.”
The source,
a senior official in Mutambara’s camp, said they felt hard done
by MDC-T and
prospects of reunification were close to nil.
This contradicts statements
made by MDC-M secretary for legal affairs David
Coltart, who said he
regretted the split and hoped that talks on reunifying
the two formations
would commence.
“There is a chance that we might work with Zapu, but anything
else is highly
unlikely,” the source added.
Zapu spokesperson, Methuseli
Moyo said there was sentiment within the two
parties to come up with a
working arrangement but there was nothing
official.
“There is sentiment
from both sides to come up with a working arrangement,
but there is nothing
formal and the issue has not been discussed at
leadership level,” he
said.
Moyo said the issue was that no one had initiated talks between the two
parties, but it was a proposition that they were willing to look
at.
MDC-M spokesman, Edwin Mushoriwa, however denied that there was anything
of
that sort, saying he was not aware of any talks.
“Actually this is the
first time I am hearing about this,” he said. “It is
something that has
certainly not been discussed.”
His deputy, Nhlanhla Dube also concurred
saying there were no discussions at
any level.
Despite the denials
reports of the two parties merging have refused to die
down.
Earlier this
year it was reported that the two parties were on the verge of
forming a
coalition, but this did not materialise.
BY NQABA MATSHAZI
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010
10:38
BULAWAYO - Deputy Labour and Social Welfare minister Andrew Langa's
aide was
among people who were rounded up at a fast food court last Sunday
where
another armed Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative was
shot by
detectives.
Trymore Khosa (26) who was Home Affairs co-minister
Kembo Mohadi's bodyguard
was fatally shot after he ignored police orders to
lie down so that they
could recover a gun in his possession.
The
detectives reportedly believed Khosa could have had links with armed
robbers
who raided Cape to Cairo pub and restaurant the previous night
because he
ignored their orders. Lawrence Chatikobo, the officer commanding
police's
Serious Fraud Squad in Bulawayo was killed in the shootout with the
suspected robbers.
It has since emerged from reliable sources that
Langa's body guard, Michael
Musere was among people who were playing
eight-ball pool with Khosa when the
detectives stormed the place.
The
detectives ordered everyone to lie down but Khosa refused to comply
leading
to the shooting.
Musere reportedly complied and survived the
shooting.
Langa last week confirmed the incident.
"They were together at
Chicken Inn playing pool. They were close friends and
had known each other
since childhood.
"The shooting of Mohadi's aide was unfortunate," Langa said,
noting that
Musere was lucky to be alive.
Sources say CIO operatives in
the city were now pushing for the arrest of
the detectives who shot their
colleague.
The Standard was given the names of the detective who allegedly
shot Khosa
but these could not be independently verified. Bulawayo acting
police
spokesperson, Bhekimpilo Ndlovu refused to comment on police
investigations
into the shooting incident.
But sources say the incident
has angered the intelligence community and
there could more clashes in
future.
On Monday, police boss Augustine Chihuri said he was so angry at
Chatikobo's
murder so much that he was praying that the criminals' lives
would be cut
short.
"I even appeal to God and my prayer is: 'Lord, may
you shorten the lives of
these criminals'."
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:34
AN
enterprising Borrowdale man allegedly made an illegal electricity
connection
to his house, which ensures that he is not affected by the
Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) load-shedding.
But neighbours of the man
identified as Mr Beaton are not amused and are now
threatening legal
action.
On Tuesday they met Zesa management who reportedly told them that the
connection had been made on "humanitarian grounds" because Beaton deals in
fish.
The connection was made directly to the main power line along
Borrowdale
Road and residents say they fear it could lead to
accidents.
"Look he has been connected onto that power line for some time now
and we
are wondering what's so special about him such that he can connect
his own
electricity at will," said a disgruntled resident who requested
anonymity.
"The whole neighbourhood including TM Supermarkets at the complex
is
subjected to regular load-shedding by Zesa. They also sell
fish."
Beaton refused to talk to The Standard when he was approached for a
comment.
Fullard Gwasira, the Zesa spokesman denied claims by residents that
the
connections had been approved by the utility.
"There are no sacred
cows in terms of illegal connections. Whether you live
in Mabvuku,
Belvedere, Borrowdale or any place whatsoever, so we are going
to look into
the matter as soon as possible," Gwasira said.
BY OUR STAFF
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:31
THERE
is rampant corruption at government hospitals and city council
clinics, with
HIV and Aids patients having to bribe staff at the
institutions in an effort
to get life prolonging anti-retroviral drugs, a
new report by the Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says.
The report titled "Corruption
burns universal access" was launched on Friday
and details the abuse
patients who need ARVs are subjected to.
It noted that there were no reports
of corruption at mission-run hospitals.
The study was conducted in Harare,
Bulawayo, Manicaland and Masvingo with 1
024 respondents.
The research
states that most people demanding bribes were nurses and
support and
administration staff, who asked for money in return for favours.
"Bribes for
services, enrolment and requests for informal payments were
identified as
the dominant practices of this corruption," reads the report.
Health workers,
according to the research, claimed that low salaries had
driven them into
corrupt activities as coping strategies.
The report went further to allege
that the health workers were creating
false shortages in order to force
patients to go and buy, in most cases, at
their pharmacies.
They were
further accused of creating a black market for ARVs much to the
detriment of
patients, who were supposed to access them from hospitals and
clinics.
"Drug stock outs have also become common place because drugs are
diverted to
the black market through covert fraud and dispensing to ghost
patients," the
report reads.
The research noted that the absence of a
functioning code of conduct for
health workers allowed for staff to have
enormous latitude to police
themselves and this meant that accountability
was lax.
Officials from the health ministry are reported to have declined an
invite
to attend the launch, arguing they could not attend a function where
they
would be subjected to ridicule and scorn.
About 200 000 people
receive ARVs at public hospitals but activists say the
majority of people in
need of urgent treatment have no access.
BY NQABA
MATSHAZI
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:25
PRIME
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says there is no contradiction in the
government's controversial indigenisation policy and the desperate search
for foreign investors.
The indigenisation regulations that compelled
foreign owned firms to cede
51% of their shareholding to locals in the five
years had to be revised
after spirited opposition from MDC-T.
But
Tsvangirai on Friday told the annual Institute of Chartered Secretaries
and
Administrators in Zimbabwe (ICSAZ) conference in Victoria Falls that
opposition to the empowerment policy was fuelled by ignorance.
"The call
for foreign direct investment is not in conflict with citizenship
empowerment," he said.
There was a citizenship empowerment law in
Botswana. In India, 29% was the
maximum for foreign investment, he
said.
"Nobody is going to be asked to part with any share without negotiating
for
the value of the share," he said.
Nathaniel Manheru, a Herald
columnist believed to be President Robert Mugabe's
spokesman George Charamba
has in the past chided Tsvangirai for saying share
transfers would be based
on the willing buyer willing seller principle.
In the original regulations
gazetted in March, foreigners were supposed to
"cede" a controlling
shareholding to locals within five years.
However, the word "cede" was
removed as it was seen as ordering foreigners
to give locals shareholding
for free.
The MDC-T leader said it was crucial to attract foreign direct
investment to
assist in unlocking the country's wealth and eliminating the
"liquidity
crunch".
Tsvangirai said poor governance structures prevented
foreign direct
investment.
Such investment could only come if all sectors
- government, corporates and
civil society - played their part in ensuring
the country was conducive to
investment.
"As you may be aware, the
international competitive index ranks Zimbabwe as
number 135 out of 139
countries and this seriously affects our capacity to
attract foreign direct
investment and other forms of investment that is
much-needed in this
economy," he said.
This year's ICSAZ conference was held under the theme
"Growth with
Integrity".
BY OUR STAFF
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010
10:24
AT Fati Secondary School in Zhombe area in the Midlands province, a
laboratory meant for students doing science subjects has been turned into
staff quarters for teachers.
Students are forced to take up commercial
subjects even though they may have
an interest in science subjects because
there is no electricity for a proper
laboratory.
"My dream is to become a
doctor one day," says Concilia Ntemba, a Form III
pupil.
"That's why I
want to do science subjects.
"The only science subject we do at our school is
Integrated Science, we don't
do Chemistry, Physics and all the other
subjects that can lead us to the
professions that we want in future."
On
Wednesday Ntemba was among 300 children from various parts of the country
who gathered in Harare for a two-day children's summit on the ongoing
constitution-making process.
The summit was organised by the Constitution
Parliamentary Committee (Copac)
and the United Nations Children's Fund
(Unicef) to give children a chance to
contribute in the process to review
the country's supreme law.
The summit was organised following a realisation
that youths had been left
out in the outreach meetings that have been held
across the country since
June.
The children from across the country rose
to the occasion.
"I want government to ensure resources are equally
distributed between rural
and urban schools," said Ntemba boldly.
Rugare
Neuso, a Form III pupil at Chomuya High School is also counting on
the new
constitution to ensure that government improves the quality of
education in
rural schools.
Batsirai Rushwaya (12) said he wanted government to ensure
free primary
education for all.
"Children shouldn't be sent back home for
non-payment of fees because they
have a right to education; it's not fair,"
Rushwaya said.
Fifteen-year-old Tendai Madzivanyika said the new constitution
should ensure
that there is peace and stability in the country while Dean
Machingambi (12)
said he wants the rights of disabled children to be
enshrined in the supreme
law.
After the summit the children handed over
their views to Copac on the
various issues they hoped would be included in
the constitution.
Copac co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora assured the children
that their views
would be respected.
"We are determined as Copac to make
this process as consultative as possible
and allowing the participation of
children through this consultative
outreach meeting is one of our ways of
ensuring this," Mwonzora said.
Unicef country representative Peter Salama
praised Copac for making an
effort to hear the children's
views.
BY BERTHA SHOKO
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:21
DESPERATE
villagers in Chief Chirau's area in Makonde district have written
to police
commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri asking him to intervene
after cattle
rustlers believed to work in cahoots with rogue officers and
politicians
stole 47 head of cattle.
The villagers from wards 11 and 12 say they are now
living in fear of the
cattle rustlers after suspects they had arrested on
August 28 were allegedly
released by police under unclear
circumstances.
A suspect identified as Lawrence Ushewokunze had his gun
seized by police on
September 4 but he was not arrested, the villagers
complained in the letter
seen by The Standard.
According to the letter,
about 47 cattle have been stolen since July last
year and only 10 have been
recovered.
"After having waited for police to react (to the theft reports) we
discovered that no assistance was forthcoming because the police had
developed cold feet," reads part of the letter.
The villagers reportedly
approached Makonde police where they met a senior
officer who could not
assist them.
"We lost patience and we decided to team up and make our own
investigations," reads the letter.
"The subsequent investigations
revealed that there was a syndicate
involved."
The villagers say they
discovered that the syndicates were most active in
areas such as Mainga
plots, Chipfuvamiti, Chiuyu, Kabanga and Mukohwe
Valley.
"Right now there
are some people stalking me.
"On at least four occasions I have been
confronted by people from Mukohwe
Valley claiming to be hunting me down but
somehow I managed to conceal my
identity," said a man who said he was sent
by villagers to deliver the
letter to Chihuri.
"I am even afraid to name
the senior police officer involved for fear of
victimisation but one thing
that we are sure of is the fact that they are
protecting these known
criminals because they are all benefiting."
However, a policeman only
identified as Constable Murombedzi who is handling
the case said the alleged
rustlers identified by the villagers were on the
wanted list.
"We suspect
that the syndicates are linked and are reaching out as far as
Chegutu and
Chinhoyi," Murombedzi said.
But Murombedzi could not confirm claims by
villagers that the syndicates
were working with police officers and
politicians who protected them.
Chihuri was not reachable for
comment.
BY KUDZAI CHIMHANGWA
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:19
A
campaign has been launched to protest against apostolic sect churches' age
old practice of marrying off young girls to elderly men.
The
sects are notorious for oppressing women and girls under the guise of
religion. Lately, they have frustrated government's efforts to vaccinate all
children against measles.
According to the Girl Child Network (GCN), a
civic organisation whose
mission is to shelter, educate and empower female
victims, an estimated 8
000 girls have been forced into early marriages or
were held as sex slaves
since 2008.
Betty Makoni the GCN founder,
recently launched a massive appeal on behalf
of one of the members of the
Johane Marange church in rural Murewa.
It is reported that a girl aged 13 was
recently rescued from a man, aged 50
who has five other wives.
Her
12-year-old sister will also be given to a 57-year-old man who has more
than
six wives.
In an interview this week, Makoni confirmed that she has initiated
a protest
against the church's practices.
"The number of appeals coming
to my attention has significantly increased
and I join the world in
demanding that all underage girls and even some
women be set free.
"I
know that this has devastated the lives of girls in Zimbabwe and the
government must set up a commission of enquiry," she said
"Child rape is
a serious crime globally and men found forcing girls to marry
them should be
jailed.
"But the task ahead is huge as it is almost every man in the church
who
married an underage girl."
A man from the Johane Marange church who
spoke on condition that he is not
named for fear of being excommunicated
said it will take a lot of advocacy
for the church to change this
practice.
"Our church believes in polygamy and even the President (Robert
Mugabe) in
one of his addresses to the apostolic church said there is
nothing wrong
with polygamy.
"It is common practice for young girls to be
married off to older men.
"In church we sit in an orderly manner, the men sit
on their own followed by
the women then young girls and boys.
"This often
makes it easy for the men to pick out from the group the girl
they want to
marry," he said.
"A girl can be married as early as eight years old but the
husband is only
allowed to have sex with her when she reaches 12 years
old.
"The reason why it is rampant is that most of these men hide behind
prophecies.
"They usually abuse their position as prophets to hand-pick
girls for the
elderly men in the church who already have other
wives."
These churches are often criticised for their numerous unorthodox
practices
such as teenage marriages, polygamy and refusal to have their
children
immunised or taken to hospital for any treatment. Sect members
maintain
that their religion forbids the use of modern medicine and health
science,
preferring a strong faith in the healing powers of Jesus Christ
instead.
Over the years their children have been withdrawn from formal
education,
which again is taboo according to their religion.
One of the
Johane Marange activists has reportedly threatened the exiled
Makoni with
unspecified action following the launch of the campaign.
"I am out of this
debate but I promise you we will fire back," said the
activist in a message
posted on Betty Makoni facebook page.
This is not the first time Makoni has
been threatened by alleged
perpetrators of child sexual abuse.
In
September 2007, a senior police officer in the Law and Order section who
is
also a senior member of the Johane Marange church allegedly organised the
arrest of Makoni.
This was after she had rescued a 10-year-old girl who
had been given to a
40-year-old man in Bocha in Manicaland province.
The
church has over the years been tainted by shocking sexual abuse cases
when
it is supposed to be an institution that upholds moral values.
The Roman
Catholic Church has also been smeared by cases of sexual abuses
perpetrated
by priests.
In his four-day state visit to the United Kingdom last week, Pope
Benedict
XVI, made a public apology on sex scandals in his church and set
general
policy guidelines on protection of children within the
church.
BY LESLEY MOYO
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010
10:18
THERE is a popular adage that says when you point one finger at
someone,
three of your fingers point back at you and Zimbabwe's police may
be better
placed to take this counsel.
While the police have
virtually put Bulawayo in an unprecedented security
lockdown, in their hunt
for a quartet of suspected armed robbers who killed
a senior cop, they might
as well start with an investigation of the police
force itself.
Recently
there has been an increase in the number of violent crimes
involving police
officers and soldiers and also an increase in the number of
service firearms
that go missing at police stations.
Observers have argued that the skill and
precision of some of the armed
robbers may well suggest that a good
proportion of these crimes could have
been committed by trained marksmen and
the fingers point back at police
officers and soldiers.
Police
commissioner-general, Augustine Chihuri last week said the police
would
ensure a "short life for armed robbers" but he should also have taken
a
moment to introspect on the conduct of his force, long fingered in violent
crimes.
"Let me warn people who harbour criminals that the long arm of
the law will
catch up to them," Chihuri told mourners at a service for
Lawrence
Chatikobo, a police officer killed in a pub bloodbath in
Bulawayo.
While criminals should heed the police boss's warnings, a number of
them
seem to be resident in police and soldiers' offices, camps and
barracks.
Not to be outdone, army commander, Constantine Chiwenga weighed in
with
threats of his own, saying the army and the police would work together
to
thwart the growing menace of armed robbers.
"Consequently, may I
reiterate . Chihuri's strong warning to criminals that
as the vanguards of
peace and security we are not going to give them any
breeding and breathing
space," Chiwenga said on Thursday.
"It is apparent that by killing Chief
Superintendent Chatikobo, these
criminals have explicitly declared war
against security forces hence we are
going to collectively give them more
than they have bargained for."
But like his counterpart, Chiwenga did not
acknowledge or give a hint that
the problem might be closer to home.
Only
a fortnight ago, three police officers were arrested, while another
shot
himself as the proverbial net closed in on him at Chikurubi Support
Unit
camp.
Before committing suicide, the police officer is reported to have
exchanged
gunfire with his colleagues, who had come to arrest him.
The
four officers were part of a six-man gang that allegedly killed a
security
guard in a botched armed robbery at a farm in Chishawasha in July.
The police
officers are suspected to have been responsible for a number of
other
violent crimes and police were investigating possibilities that they
could
have been using service firearms in the commission of the crimes.
While
Chihuri's threats should send a chill to those harbouring criminals,
such a
case may inadvertently point back at him, as some criminals live
right under
his nose, in camps that he is responsible for.
Two former police officers,
part of a gang of six, were last week arrested
in Mutare in connection with
a number of crimes committed all over the
country.
Recently, Mashonaland
West police officers revealed that they had launched a
manhunt for a gang of
12 suspected armed robbers reportedly led by Blessed
Scotch and Day Manjola,
a serving soldier and a retired air force man
respectively.
The gang is
wanted in connection with a spate of armed robberies in Chegutu
and Kadoma
where they reportedly stole more than a thousand dollars and a
number of
cars in one day.
An ex-police officer was arrested in January in connection
with an armed
robbery at a Stanbic bank in Chegutu.
The former cop was
now employed in the security department of the Reserve
Bank of
Zimbabwe.
Recently Nkulumane Police Station in Bulawayo was raided and
firearms were
stolen.
A suspect in the matter is reported to have
committed suicide and the full
details of the missing firearms may never be
known, though others have
pointed out that the case had all the markings of
an inside job.
Nine cops were brought in for questioning regarding the case,
though all
were released without charge, with police spokesperson, Wayne
Bvudzijena
claiming that this was a routine exercise.
Echoes of this case
resonated when two armed robbers were earlier this year
sentenced to 32
years in prison.
The duo told a Harare magistrate that they wore army
fatigues during their
raids which they got from police officers.
One of
the country's most wanted armed criminals, Musa Taji Abdul, while not
a
police officer, is reported to have grown up and was schooled at
Chikurubi.
In some cases where the police are not involved in armed
robberies, they are
sometimes guilty of abetting and aiding the criminals,
with equipment and
providing a safe haven for their escape.
An analyst,
who spoke on condition of anonymity, said security officials
could be
engaging in crimes in an effort to supplement their meagre
salaries.
"It
is no secret that these guys are poorly remunerated and as a result they
resort to crime, thinking it's their only way out," he said.
Bvudzijena
said the force was in the process of coming up with a raft of
measures to
combat violent crimes, particularly those involving the police
and the
army.
"We are in the process of introducing some new operations but at the
moment
that is privileged information," he said.
Bvudzijena said in the
meantime they would deal with the criminal elements
in the force adding they
had introduced random searches in an effort to stop
armed robberies.
The
death of Chatikobo, who was the officer commanding police Serious Fraud
Section in Bulawayo came six months after the death of another senior
detective Joseph Maximus in almost similar circumstances.
Chatikobo was
shot when he tried to challenge suspected armed robbers who
were raiding
Cape to Cairo pub and restaurant in the city centre.
A fellow detective
Pedzisai Shoko is battling for his life after he was shot
during the robbery
along four workers from the pub.
Maximus' death led to a lot of speculation
that it was an inside job and
that some of the detectives could have tried
to cover up for the incident
that followed the robbery of ZB Bank's
Juliasdale branch of more than US$116
000 in March.
One of the suspected
armed robbers John Teremayi (alias John Cena) was also
shot dead in unclear
circumstances.
When Bvudzijena was asked about the possibility that there was
a cover-up on
Teremayi's death and that Maximus' death could have been an
inside job, he
said it was just speculation and advised people to wait for
the case to be
brought before the courts.
BY NQABA MATSHAZI
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 25 September 2010 17:09
HEALTH
and human rights activists are worried that a shortage in Manicaland
of
tuberculosis vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Gerin (BCG) given to babies soon
after birth could seriously compromise the health of new born babies.
Standardhealth understands that the shortages started three weeks
ago.
As a result, new born babies in need of the inoculation are
being discharged
without getting the vaccine.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights
Association (ZimRights) says it made
investigations after it got wind that
there were shortages of the BCG
vaccine and discovered that most health
centres in the province were
affected.
Zimrights says the
shortages have also seen the army chipping with its own
resources, which
were however not enough.
"It is surprising to note that such health hazards
can go for weeks without
attention and that health officials do not see the
importance of children's
rights to health," ZimRights said in a
statement.
"This disregard can be attributed to the lack of
socio-economic rights in
the constitution."
"As the nation goes
out for constitution public consultations, ZimRights
calls for people to
speak out and make sure they make submissions to the
effect that right to
health be included in the constitution as a legal
right."
Contacted for comment head of epidemiological and disease
control, Portia
Manangazira said she was also not aware of a vaccine
shortage but would
investigate.
However, Manangazira said she was
aware that most health institutions in the
province often experienced power
cuts making it difficult to store vaccines
in one place for a long
time.
"I think it's important to establish at what level the shortage
of BCG is,"
she said.
"If it's at a district level then it's probably
because those mothers failed
to have their children vaccinated at a time
when there was a power cut and
vaccines had been moved to a hospital that
has cold chain facility to keep
the vaccines from going
bad."
Manangazira called on the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority
(Zesa) to
spare health institutions from power cuts so that health service
delivery
was not affected.
"We are in constant negotiations with
Zesa on this and we strongly urge them
not to load-shed health institutions.
However, if this is not possible it
would be a good idea to invest in a cold
chain system around the country,"
she said.
BY OUR STAFF
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 25 September 2010
16:57
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti is upbeat about the performance of the
economy
but is at the same time concerned that without "fiscal
marksmanship",
treasury would not be able to meet the nation's ever-growing
needs.
Addressing a Government Work Programme (GWP) review and 2010
pre-budget
ministerial workshop on Thursday, Biti said the second half of
the year has
performed well prompting the ministry to revise growth
projections upwards.
"There has been a serious rebound in the second
half of the year such that
our growth projection to December 2010 would be
8,1%.
"This is underpinned by a serious rebound in agriculture, where we had
said
growth will be 18,8%, we think that agriculture will grow by 34,1%
largely
as a result of a strong performance in tobacco where 120 million kgs
have
been delivered, manufacturing 4,2%; mining 44% and tourism 6,5%," Biti
said.
Initially Biti had revised downwards the growth projections to
5,4% in the
midterm review in July from the 7,7% he had earlier
projected.
The International Monetary Fund has projected that Zimbabwe would
record a
real GDP growth of 2,2% this year and zero growth next
year.
Biti said inflation - once the country's number one enemy - is
under check
as month-on-month inflation between June to August was -0,1%
meaning that
the country was on course for an inflation target of 4% in
December.
But the minister warned that treasury was constrained and
the concept of
cash budgeting would continue. "We have to eat that which we
have killed, we
have to live within our means and in achieving fiscal
discipline given what
others call a shortage economy, that is, a situation
where there is high
demand, huge expectations and low fiscal space it means
that the art of
crafting a budget requires serious fiscal marksmanship,"
Biti said.
He said focus would be put on utilities and infrastructure
but it was
difficult for treasury to meet the country's competing needs
adding that the
economy had survived up to this stage by the grace of
God.
"We are trying to work on an Irrigation Master Plan and the
total cost of
that plan is US$7 billion against a budget of US$1,9
billion.
"Our debt situation is US$7 billion, the total budget from our
revenue is
US$1,9 billion.
"Just to attend to short term
electricity requirements that will require
Zimbabwe to generate electricity
at 50% requires US$400 million," he said.
Biti's growth projections came at a
time government has admitted that it has
achieved 60% of what it undertook
to accomplish in the GWP, according to
Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai.
"It looks like we've achieved - or are on track to
achieve - only 60% of
what we undertook to do in the GWP.
"I
don't want to pre-empt the reports and discussions on why that is, but I
do
want to say that I find this a little disappointing," Tsvangirai said.
The
GWP outlines the priorities, objectives and targets which government has
committed itself to deliver, within the limitations of time and resource
constraints.
Zimbabwe requires capital to kick-start the economy
which suffered a decade
of decline when the political environment went
downhill.
According to the three year Macro-economic Policy and Budget
Framework,
Zimbabwe requires US$29, 8 billion to finance requirements in the
three
years up to 2012.
Of the amount US$9,3 billion is required
this year, US$10,4 billion next
year and US$10 billion in
2012.
BY NDAMU SANDU
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 25 September 2010
16:57
BULAWAYO - Finance minister Tendai Biti has hit out at policy
inconsistencies and failure to resolve outstanding issues by the inclusive
government, saying this is scaring away much-needed investment.
Biti said
policy inconsistencies and failure to resolve outstanding issues
of the
power sharing deal signed by the country's political parties in 2008
affected the country's global competitivenes.
"Investors do not
know what is happening in the country," Biti said.
"They do not know
if it is safe to put their money or not because this
government is not
standing on one position regarding policies.
"Investors are not putting their
money as a result of this confusion."
The minister said this during
his address at a 2011 national budget
consultation meeting held at
Bulawayo's Amphitheatre that was attended by
various
stakeholders.
"The issue of outstanding issues is also scaring away
investment.
" You can't run government with outstanding issues. And now there
is talk of
elections.it is not clear if they will be held next year or
not.
"There is confusion and investors cannot put their money where there is
confusion," he added.
Biti, who said the country is failing to
attract investment because it was
not a competitive state, also ruled out
the coming of the Zimbabwe dollar
which was dumped at the height of record
breaking inflation last year.
The inclusive government has failed to
attract much needed capital to turn
around the country's economy weighed
down by a decade of recession.
The government has managed to rein in runaway
inflation but the turnaround
of various sectors of the economy has been
painfully slow due to lack of
working capital.
Statements by Biti
follow recent surveys ranking Zimbabwe as one of the
least competitive
countries for doing business.
According to the Global Competitiveness Report
for 2010-2011 by the World
Economic Forum (WEF) released recently, Zimbabwe
is ranked 136 out of 139
countries in terms of business
competitiveness.
Zimbabwe's ranking was attributed to a fall in
services such as
infrastructure, macro-economic stability, health and
primary education,
higher education and training, goods market efficiency,
labour market
efficiency, financial market sophistication, technological
readiness, market
size, business sophistication and
innovation.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Saturday, 25 September 2010
16:57
FARMTEC Spares & Implements, one of the companies that led the
seizure of
Reserve Bank assets over a US$2,1 million debt has links to Zanu
PF chefs,
according to investigations by The Standard.
Farmtec supplied
the RBZ with tractors in 2008 at the height of the bank's
farm mechanisation
programme.
Some of the equipment is still lying idle at the National Railways
of
Zimbabwe yard in Bulawayo with Zanu PF officials still struggling to find
a
distribution formula.
The Standard can now reveal that one of
the directors of the company was the
late Zanu PF political commissar,
Elliot Manyika, lending weight to claims
that politicians used their muscle
to win lucrative contracts to supply
equipment to the RBZ.
The
mechanisation programme was one of the quasi-fiscal activities
undertaken by
the central bank which was blamed for the hyperinflation that
brought the
economy to its knees.
However, the central bank contends that its
interventions were necessary to
deal with an extraordinary situation brought
about by sanctions.
Correspondence in possession of this paper shows that the
late Manyika - who
died in a road accident in 2008 - was one of the
directors of Farmtec.
In a February 12 2009 letter to RBZ governor Gideon
Gono, Farmtec wrote:
"Further to several meetings held between your office
and our late director
CDE ET Manyika, where we entered into a supply
agreement for a total of one
hundred and fifty (150) tractors and our
subsequent delivery of the first
lot of sixty (60) tractors, we would like
to highlight to your office that
since the 8th of December 2008, the bank is
still to pay for these
tractors."
The letter was signed by one
of the directors, Madeline Manyika and
operations manager, Maud
Nyabadza.
Madeline was the late politician's wife.
The
letter said that the non-payment "is now seriously affecting our
relationship and business with our foreign suppliers in India and hence the
urgent settlement of the payment for the first sixty (60) tractors amounting
to US$2 100 011,00 (two million one hundred thousand and eleven dollars)
will be greatly appreciated".
"As agreed with Cde ET Manyika, the
balance of ninety (90) tractors can only
be delivered after the first sixty
(60) are paid for," Farmtec said.
Farmtec was previously located at Number
7/18 Merlin Close in Waterfalls but
has now relocated to 1553 Soutter Road,
New Ardbennie area.
It trades as both Farmtec and Elimobil
Enterprises.
Searches at the companies' registry over the past four
months yielded
nothing.This paper was told that the file, number 1169/2006
was in their
records but unavailable.
Farmtec is one of the
several companies that obtained a writ of execution
from the High Court and
the move led to the auctioning of RBZ assets for a
song across the
country.
The seizure of the assets was only stopped by a presidential
decree
following recommendations by Finance Minister Tendai Biti that
government
had to protect the assets of the apex bank.
Efforts to
get comment from Madeline were fruitless as she was said to be
out of the
office last week.
The office first declined knowledge of Madeline'
association before
mellowing up, saying she was not in the office and could
be reachable on her
mobile phone.
However, the number was
unreachable.
Nyabadza referred all questions to the company's lawyer,
David Kanokanga of
Kanokanga & Associates who was unavailable for
comment.
Manyika's son, Ronald said he was not aware that Farmtec is
owned by the
family.
BY NDAMU SANDU
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:14
The prices
being charged by the only two suppliers of the fiscalised tax
registers,
printers and signature devices are fraudulent to say the least.
Printers
that they land in Zimbabwe for US$449 including VAT are being
resold for
US$1 280 including installation charges and training. That's a
fraudulent
285% minimum mark up. They can even make better margins if they
bring more
than 10 printers per consignment. If it's true that these
printers do not
pay VAT when they come into the country then these companies
are even making
more, an obscene $328% mark up and even more if they bring
more than 10
printers per consignment. On the contrary other computer
companies selling
non-fiscalised printers and computer hardware can only be
able to charge
between 5% and 10% because of competition. In fact some
printers and
computers are now cheaper in Zimbabwe than in South Africa
because of
competition amongst Zimbabwean computer retailers. So why can't
ALL the
computer retailers wanting to sell these gadgets be allowed to do
so, so
that we the consumers can enjoy the reduced prices due to
competition
amongst the retailers. Why and how have these two companies been
"licensed
to defraud" Zimbabweans?
While minister Biti is quick to tell us that the use
of fiscalised tax
registers is becoming a "global trend", he seems keen to
selectively forget
mentioning that it is also a "global trend" that where
they have been
introduced, including in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia,
businesses did not
pay anything. So why are the struggling Zimbabwean
businesses paying for a
purely Zimra/state project?
But where are the
representatives of businesses? Why are they watching while
Biti and company
are "ganging up" to plunder the little that the struggling
Zimbabwe
businesses have managed to salvage? Do the business representatives
want to
challenge this fraud after October 1 so that they will be told they
are
approaching the courts with dirty hands.
Does Biti know that businesses are
struggling to survive? Can Zimbabwean
businesses afford this callously
imposed huge unbudgeted for and
unprofitable expense? Does he know that most
small businesses which have to
buy Electronic Signature Devices (ESDs) for
US$2 730 because they issue out
business-to-business invoices hardly make
that kind of money in gross
monthly profits. Of course they turn US$240 000
per year but if they mark up
their goods at 10% as is the case with most
retailers that only translates
to US$2 000/month in gross profits. Surely
it's insensitive to force a
company making a gross profit of US$2 000/month
to make an unbudgeted for
expenditure of US$2 700. A company making US$2 000
will barely break even
when they factor in the company's monthly running
costs like rentals, rates,
electricity, salaries etc. What it therefore
means is that the US$2 730 will
come from the small companies' meagre
working capital resources and surely
this is being heartless. This is a
system that has the potential of causing
a few indigenous companies to fold
operations. But minister Biti does not
seem to care, he even wants those who
have no money to comply or be arrested
and jailed. This is stinking of
heartlessness and unilateralism. What
message is the minister sending out
about what to expect from an all MDC
government, when and if the MDC comes
to power?
I hear if the tax registers stop working for any reason, the
affected
business has to suspend trading until the device is repaired or
replaced.
Just imagine how many times businesses shall have to close because
the tax
gadget has failed to work due to our usual six-to-twelve hour and
sometimes
days and weeks of no electricity. Does Biti know why people do
businesses? I
think to him people do businesses to pay taxes not to make
money. Most of
these machines are going to find Zimbabwean electricity
"hostile". They will
be zapped by power surges and not many businesses will
be able to afford
standby devices. As already stated above, this money to
buy these ESDs and
fiscalised printers will be eating into the small
businesses' meagre working
capital resources. I know businesses that have
only about US$10 000 working
capital which turn more than
US$240 000 per
year. If they have to buy two ESD devices including a standby
one this is
going to gobble more than 53% of their working capital and there
is a strong
possibility they might fold. Unfortunately EVERY business in
fact needs two
ESDs so that they can continue to trade when their ESD is out
for repairs or
when they are waiting for a replacement ESD. The local
suppliers of the
machines say the delivery period of the machines is three
weeks to six
weeks. This means a business that only has one device may have
to close
their business for up to one and half months waiting for a
replacement
device. Will such a business survive?
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010 10:12
AT
least one person was reported to have died and a lot of others were
injured
during the madness that accompanied the constitution outreach
meetings in
Harare, Chitungwiza and Bulawayo last weekend.
The violence brings two
crucial issues to the fore. First, Zimbabwe is still
too polarised to hold a
violence-free election any time soon. Second, Zanu
PF appears to have a
sinister grand plan whose foundation lies in its
ability to employ
violence.
President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai have
been
outspoken in calling for elections next year. They seem to have ignored
calls from various sections of our community which have argued that
elections next year could never be free and fair because the process of
national healing has not been implemented. Events in the past fortnight seem
to vindicate these voices.
The constitution-making process was never
going to be a quiet exercise
because, naturally, different people see things
differently. This in itself
is healthy because it ensures divergent views
are aired and considered. But
in Zimbabwe the culture of violence has been
so entrenched that people can
no longer agree to disagree without a
fight.
Until this culture is destroyed the country can never experience free
debate, let alone free elections. The organ on national healing,
reconciliation and integration seems to have failed to even take off. The
ministers who have been entrusted with leading this organ seem to have
absolutely no idea as to what to do.
Zanu PF as a party seems
uninterested in national healing. War veterans,
particularly the warlike
Jabulani Sibanda, have been roaming in some parts
of the country
intimidating people so they do not voice their views on the
constitution.
The situation has not been helped by utterances from senior
members of the
party such as Didymus Mutasa who was recently quoted saying
Tsvangirai would
never rule the country even if he won the elections next
year.
The
involvement of the military and the selective application of the law by
the
police are all-too-familiar strategies the party has used in the past to
force their way. These reared their ugly head again in the past fortnight.
All this came as a reminder that the proposed elections would not be any
different from those of June 2008.
But what is Zanu PF's grand plan in
disrupting the constitution-making
process? It seems to defy logic that a
party which is a signatory to the
global political agreement and which
agreed to the roadmap that would lead
to free and fair elections is becoming
itself the major roadblock to this
process.
Two theorems have been put
forward to explain this. One is that Zanu PF
would like to force through the
Kariba draft which they see as protecting
their interests. But even this
draft would have to go through a referendum,
and because it is not
people-driven the majority will vote against it.
The other is that even
though Mugabe is calling for elections, not all in
his party agree with him
that the time is ripe for polls. These, who happen
to have the support of
the military and the police, are the ones bent on
disrupting the
constitution-making process so that there would not be an
election next
year. Or if there are indeed elections, they would be held in
an atmosphere
where voting can be manipulated as happened in March and,
especially, in
June 2008.
With opinion polls indicating that Zanu PF will be in for a
drubbing in any
election soon, its cadres are protecting its turf in the
only way they know
how.
With the Southern African Development Community
watching from the sidelines,
Zimbabwe is in for the long haul as far as
change is concerned.
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010
10:09
After being chased from their churches in Harare and its suburbs
members of
Bishop Chad Gandiya's Anglican congregation came up with a
brilliant idea.
They decided they could build other churches while the
disputed ones were
still being fought over in the courts.
One
congregation in Chitungwiza had just completed building a church in Unit
M
when two weeks ago police with "orders from above" pounced. They ordered
the
congregants to leave the church and Bishop Nolbert Kunonga possessed it.
Now
he has given one of his followers the right to the property.
The police have
been known to side with Kunonga in the whole Anglican saga
but it defies
logic that they would help him take possession of a church
which is outside
the disputed ones.
There is an interesting contradiction in Kunonga's
character. He claims his
beef with the mainstream Anglican Church is about
its support of
homosexuality.
He has ready support in this from President
Robert Mugabe.
But let's take a look at Kunonga as a heterosexual male.
According to him it
is right to bar people from worshipping their God. He is
prepared to have
woman and children battered by thugs for the simple reason
that they have
congregated in a church that they built and have been praying
at all their
lives. It is right according to him to bar pilgrims from all
over the world
to pray at one of the most revered Anglican shrines in the
world - the
Bernard Mizeki memorial.
Homosexuality is a subject that is
not talked about openly in Zimbabwe; I
don't understand it myself. But I
have not heard of a single homosexual who
has barred people from praying to
their God.
It turns out that Kunonga is not the only rogue bishop in the
world. He has
now got support from an Ecuadorian bishop who has turned
against the
mainstream church. His name is Bishop Walter Roberto Crespo. He
was in
Zimbabwe recently and voiced his support for Kunonga and also
launching a
broadside at those in the Anglican Church who support gay
rights.
He said: "We, the church in Ecuador, we support Archbishop Kunonga
and we
reject those in the United States and England who support
homosexuality. The
church in Zimbabwe has taken a prophetic stance and we
are supporting its
leadership."
Crespo was also effusive in his support
of Mugabe. He brought the glad
tidings that the people of Ecuador had
bestored a honorary doctorate in
civil law on the president.
He said
President Mugabe was awarded the doctorate degree because he is
revered in
Ecuador.
"He was given the award because of his experience and especially
because of
his leadership worldwide," he said. "Far beyond the expectations
of
Zimbabwe, he is a leader for all the nations. We are grateful to him and
we
love him so much."
It has turned out that Crespo is a fake bishop who
is best known for dealing
in arms. Whether the degree is also fake we are
still to establish.
In 2001 Crespo was arrested on allegations of arms
smuggling with two former
army colonels after police intercepted a shipment
of rockets and
anti-personnel mines on the Ecuadorian border with Colombia.
It was his
second arrest in four years.
According to a BBC report Crespo
wears ecclesiastical robes and has
established a following in Ecuador over
several years, even though the
Anglican Church says he has nothing to do
with their organisation.
In trying to ship the consignment of arms to rebel
guerrillas fighting the
Colombian government Crespo used the Zimbabwe
government's name to cover up
the covert supply of arms. Reports from
Ecuador, Colombia and Miami said
that the weapons, worth US$240 000, had
been transferred in 2000 from
Ecuador to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) - the main
rebel group in Colombia. Documents showed that
the armaments, originally
belonging to the Ecuadorean Air Force, had been
sold - fictitiously - to
Zimbabwe Defence Industries, but had in fact been
transferred to FARC. Some
of the weapons were reportedly to be used in an
assassination attempt on the
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, and have been
used in other more recent
attacks in Colombia. FARC, and other guerrilla
groups, have been fighting
the Colombian government for decades, in a murky
war inextricably bound up
with the drugs trade.
It is these rebels that
Crespo supplies with arms.
The obvious similarity between Kunonga and Crespo
is that they both behave
like alpha males in a troop of gorillas. In social
animals the alpha is the
individual in the community with the highest rank.
The alpha animals are
given preference to be the first to eat and the first
to mate; among some
species they are the only animals in the pack allowed to
mate. Other animals
in the community are usually killed or ousted if they
violate this rule. For
eat and mate read congregate and pray.
Kunonga's
and Crespo's propensity for violence reinforces this primeval
desire to
control. Kunonga for some strange reason has the support of our
national
police while Crespo has a whole guerrilla outfit behind him! Is
Kunonga
really fighting the Anglicans over homosexuality or is he just
fulfilling a
primitive urge to dominate?
He is a disgrace to all heterosexual males who
love to live peacefully with
their neighbours who may have divergent sets of
beliefs.
NEVANJI MADANHIRE
http://www.thestandard.co.zw/
Sunday, 26 September 2010
10:07
Zimbabwe is undoubtedly the richest nation on earth with respect to
untapped
natural resources per person. With only 13 million people and over
40
exploitable minerals, vast gold deposits, the world's second largest
platinum reserves and the capacity to be the world's top diamond producer,
the nation will soon become the jewel of Africa.
Zimbabwe's
Chamber of Mines expects gold output to rise to 50 tonnes within
four years
from 3,5 tonnes last year, while platinum output could reach one
million
ounces a year within 15 years from the current 170 000 ounces a
year.
Zimbabwe is also expected to account for 25% of the world's diamond
production within only three years.
The Indigenisation and Economic
Empowerment Act will help rather than hinder
the mining industry and ensure
that 13 million Zimbabweans benefit from the
nation's abundant natural
resources.
In order to illustrate how the Act will serve as a catalyst for
the mining
industry, a popular misconception has to be rebuffed.
Government's nuanced
approach to individual mines as well as the importance
of indigenous diamond
beneficiation, must also be understood.
It is a
misconception to say potential foreign investors in the mining
industry will
be deterred by the 51% local ownership requirement.
For a start, there are
many extremely successful and wealthy investors that
own far less than 50%
of the corporations they invest in. For instance
Warren Buffet, who is
widely regarded as one of the most successful
investors, with a net wealth
in excess of US$50 billion dollars, does not
own more than 50% of any
corporation with a threshold over $500 000.
Secondly, foreign investors in
the mining industry are steadily streaming
into Zimbabwe for four main
reasons: first, they appreciate that the return
on capital in their own
nation is not adequate; second, the potential return
on capital in a nation
whose mining industry is predicted to barrel along at
30% per annum is
simply irresistible; third, they seek to reduce the cost of
production by
combining their capital with Zimbabwe's low cost labour; and
finally, they
seek to use Zimbabwe's abundant natural resources near their
origin. The
Indigenisation Act will not change any of this.
In fact in spite of the
Indigenisation Act, Imara, the pan-African
investment group, has reported
steady increases in FDI in the mining sector
as old mines recapitalise and
new mining projects begin. RioTinto has
announced that it has begun work on
a US$300 million expansion programme for
its Murowa diamond mine. There has
also been mention of Zimplats committing
a further $500 million for a
platinum smelter on top of its stage-two
expansion of $445
million.
Zimbabwe's booming mining industry is too profitable to
resist.
The Indigenisation Act will prohibit high levels of foreign
shareholding in
mining companies. This is desirable because these levels
result in excessive
profits and dividends being repatriated by foreign
investors and worsens the
nation's Balance of Payments position. In fact,
ever since Zimbabwe was
under the bondage of colonial misrule it has failed
to prosper from its
natural resources - human and mineral - while the
companies that mine or
otherwise employ those resources
have.
Indigenisation and Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere said that
last
year mines had export receipts of over US$1 billion but only US$44
million
accrued to the state in taxes and royalties. Opting to raise levels
of
corporate tax and mining royalties would merely stifle production.
Instead
government should ensure that the nation benefits from mining
production by
making sure that those that produce, employ, pay taxes and are
beneficiaries
of government spending are Zimbabweans.
Garikai Chengu
is a researcher at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and
Sciences. email:
chengu@fas.harvard.edu This e-mail
address is being
protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to
view it .
Vigil supporters were interested to see that Morgan Tsvangirai has at
last admitted the violent truth about the constitutional outrage programme, now
nearly a year behind schedule, gobbling donor money and going nowhere.
We at the Vigil are not surprised by Mr Tsvangirai’s comments.
Nothing he says surprises us any more. His inconsistency can be relied upon just
as can the consistency of Mugabe; Tsvangirai can be trusted to vacillate just as
Mugabe can be sure to use violence to cling to power.
We human rights activists, basking in the autumn sunshine outside
Zimbabwe House, are caught between a sponge and a hard place. Ever since the
formation of the ‘unity’ government the Vigil’s task has been particularly
difficult simply because there has been no real ‘opposition’ party in Zimbabwe.
‘Why are you cluttering up the
It’s been a challenge to answer this so we were relieved when the
famous Zimbabwean helicopter inventor Daniel Chingoma announced the formation of
the Zimbabwe Integrated Revolutionary Party (ZIRP) especially for intellectuals
like us.
Mr Chingoma certainly has a revolutionary approach to political
campaigning: ‘Since the ZBC TV and Radio only allow Zanu-PF to advertise I will
do so in toilets. Everyone goes to the toilet and so I have decided to put up my
posters in the toilets for both men and women’.
The Vigil now understands the reason why Professor Mutambara has not
been seen for the past month – preventing any progress in the GPA negotiations:
he has been putting up intellectual posters in lavatories.
At the Vigil we have huge reinforced plastic portable male urinals
delivered by lorries when we pack up on Saturday evenings. We would be only too
happy to display Mr Chingoma’s posters on them.
As well as multi-brained Mutambara, another well-known ‘intellectual’
seems to have been attracted by the revolutionary
The Vigil is beguiled by the prospect of Branson leading his Virgins
to save
Other points
·
During the week the Vigil sent the following message to the South
American so-called Anglican cleric who invited Mugabe to
·
The Vigil
is marking its 8th anniversary on Saturday 9th October.
Please come and join us. More information to follow.
·
Congratulations to long-term
supporters Agnes Zengeya on the birth of her baby last
week.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/.
For the latest ZimVigil TV programme check the link at the top of the home page
of our website. For earlier ZimVigil TV
programmes check: http://www.zbnnews.com/home/firingline.
FOR THE RECORD: 141 signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
·
The Restoration of Human Rights in
Zimbabwe (ROHR) is
the Vigil’s partner organisation based in
·
ROHR
·
·
ROHR
·
ROHR
·
ROHR
·
Vigil Facebook
page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts.
·
Vigil Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/zimbabwevigil.
·
‘Through the Darkness’, Judith
Todd’s acclaimed account of the rise of Mugabe.
To
receive a copy by post in the UK please email confirmation of your order and
postal address to ngwenyasr@yahoo.co.uk
and
send a cheque for £10 payable to “Budiriro Trust” to Emily Chadburn, 15 Burners
Close, Burgess Hill, West Sussex R5 0QA. All proceeds go to the Budiriro Trust
which provides
bursaries to needy A Level students in
·
Workshops aiming to engage African
men on HIV testing and other sexual health issues. Organised by the Terrence Higgins
Trust (www.tht.org.uk). Please contact
the co-ordinator
Vigil
Co-ordinators
The Vigil,
outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429
BILL WATCH
38/2010
[25th September 2010]
The House of Assembly has adjourned until 5th October, the Senate
until 12th October
2011
Budget Preparations
At a press
briefing on 31st August Finance Minister Tendai Biti announced that there would
be early stakeholder consultative processes ahead the 2011 Budget. The Budget
must be tabled in the House of Assembly during December or at the very latest by
the end of January 2011 to comply with the Constitution and the Public Finance
Management Act. The Minister promised a transparent and consultative approach
to the making of the Budget, with participation by stakeholders and ordinary
citizens. [Minister’s full statement available on request.]
[Also on Ministry of Finance website www.zimtreasury.org].
Ministries
were told to consult their stakeholders and submit their Budget proposals to the
Ministry of Finance by 1st October. Organisations and individuals are also
welcome to submit representations via the Ministry’s website – www.zimtreasury.org. As Parliamentary
committees would also be consulted, the Minister also encouraged citizens to
give input to their elected representatives to enable them to pass on the views
of their constituents.
Parliamentary Update – Legislative Agenda
When the House of Assembly resumes on 5th October, its agenda will
include:
Bill Already under Consideration by Parliament: Mr Gonese’s Private Member’s POSA Amendment Bill will
continue its Second Reading during which the principles of the Bill will be
debated. [Electronic version available.]
Bills awaiting presentation in Parliament [Summaries of the first two Bills in Bill Watch 22 of 8th June] [Electronic versions available]
These Bills are ready for their First Reading, after which they will
be referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee [PLC] for it to consider
whether they are consistent with the Constitution. Only after the PLC has
reported to the House can the Bills be taken further.
·
Zimbabwe National Security Council Amendment Bill
·
Criminal Law Amendment (Protection of Power, Communication and Water
Infrastructure) Bill
·
Energy Regulatory Authority Bill
·
Attorney-General’s Office Bill. This Bill was gazetted on 10th September. Its object is to
constitute the Attorney-General’s Office as a service outside the Public
Service; and to establish a Board to administer the Office. The Board will fix
conditions of service for members of the Office – apart from the
Attorney-General and the Deputy Attorneys-General, whose conditions are fixed
under the Constitution. [An earlier version of this Bill was gazetted in
April 2005 and introduced into the House of Assembly, but lapsed at the end of
the 2005/2006 Parliamentary session.]
Three other Government Bills are being printed [see Legislation Update below]. Once printed, they will be
gazetted; they cannot be presented until at least 14 days after gazetting.
Note: The Electoral Amendment Bill and the Zimbabwe Human
Rights Commission Bill have not yet been sent to the Government Printer for
printing.
Other Parliamentary News
Speaker’s Election Challenged in Supreme Court: On Tuesday 21st September the Supreme Court heard Jonathan Moyo
MP’s appeal against Justice Patel’s January ruling upholding the validity of Mr
Lovemore Moyo’s election as Speaker of the House of Assembly in 2008. The
question for decision is whether or not the election was conducted by secret
ballot as required by Parliamentary Standing Orders. The evidence led in the
High Court revealed that several members of the House, having marked their
ballot papers in the privacy of the booth provided, displayed the marked papers
to colleagues before depositing them in the ballot box. The court said it would
give its decision at a later date. [Electronic version of Justice Patel’s judgment available.]
Parliamentary Legal Committee: The PLC has met during the present lengthy recess to consider the
constitutionality of statutory instruments and has dealt with all statutory
instruments gazetted up to the end of July. It will meet again next week to
consider statutory instruments gazetted during August. There have been no Bills
for the PLC to consider during the recess.
USAid Donates $500 000 Equipment to Parliament: On 22nd September in a ceremony at Parliament the Prime Minister
formally accepted delivery of new audio and digital equipment donated to
Parliament by USAid. The equipment will enhance Parliament’s ability to make
official proceedings in both Houses and in six committee rooms accessible to the
media and public, not just by means of Hansard and Parliament’s website but also
by live broadcasts.
Legislation Update
Finance and Appropriation Acts Gazetted at Last
These were gazetted on Friday 17th September and came into force the
day they were gazetted.
·
The Finance Act (Act No. 3/2010) gives effect to Finance Minister Biti’s mid-term taxation changes.
As some of the taxation changes are stated to be with effect from 1st August,
this Act should have been gazetted and brought into operation on or before 1st
August – an Act has no legal force until gazetted. The Act was passed by
Parliament on 16th July, so gazetting by 1st August was feasible. The delay in
gazetting has caused some confusion in the business community. [Electronic version available.]
· The Appropriation (2010) Amendment Act (Act No.
2/2010) gives effect to the amended Estimates of Expenditure for 2010.
[Electronic version available.]
Dates of Commencement for two Acts of 2001:
Two Acts of 2001 were brought into force by statutory instruments on 10th September. The Acts
are:
·
Intellectual Property Tribunal Act ([No. 5/2001) [brought into force by SI 152] This Act creates the
Intellectual Property Tribunal, which will deal with appeals and applications
under the Patents Act, Trademarks Act, Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act
etc. It takes over from the old Patents Tribunal, which was abolished in 2001.
It will be presided over by “Presidents”, appointed by the President in
consultation with the Judicial Service Commission; they must be qualified for
appointment as High Court judges.
·
Trade Marks Amendment Act (No. 10/2001) [brought into force by SI 153] This Act strengthens
the statutory civil remedies for infringement of registered trade marks,
provides for the protection of “familiar” foreign trade marks and gives the 1993
Banjul Protocol on Marks the force of law in Zimbabwe [meaning that trade marks
registered by the African Regional Industrial Property Organisation – ARIPO – in
Harare will have the same effect as trade marks registered by Zimbabwe’s
Registrar of Trade Marks]. It also empowers customs authorities to block the
importation of goods bearing counterfeit trademarks if so requested by the
holder of the genuine registered trademark.
New Bills being printed for presentation to
Parliament [copies not yet available]:
·
Deposit Protection Corporation Bill: In his speech opening Parliament in mid-July the President said
this Bill would
transform the existing Deposit Protection Scheme, set up under
the Banking Act, into an independent statutory entity. The object is to provide
compensation for depositors if banking institutions fail.
·
General Laws Amendment Bill: The proper purpose of General Laws Amendment Bills is to make
minor updating amendments to Acts of Parliament, but they are sometimes used to
make important changes.
·
Small Enterprises Development Corporation Amendment
Bill
Statutory Instruments:
Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use)
Regulations [SI 154/2010], gazetted on 17th September. These regulations will
come into operation on 1st December 2010, replacing regulations of 1972 last
updated in 1988. They lay down in great detail the minimum requirements with
which motor vehicles must comply. New provisions of general interest to the
ordinary motorist include:
·
two reflective breakdown triangles will have to be carried in every motor vehicle and placed in front
of and behind the vehicle whenever it is stationary on a road;
·
a serviceable fire extinguisher will have to be carried in
every motor vehicle.
[A question: Will suppliers of triangles and fire extinguishers
complying with the specifications stipulated in the regulations have the
capacity to supply, before 1st December, the needs of the many thousands of
vehicle owners not previously obliged by law to carry such items?]
General Notices:
GN 245/2010 of 3rd September notified the appointment of members of
the board of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority [ZIMRA] for a 3-year term of office
starting on 27th August.
Veritas
makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.