© OPPOSITION leader Nelson Chamisa said yesterday that South Africa and the rest of Sadc now fully appreciated the scale of Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis — necessitating urgent intervention, the Daily News reports.

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This comes after Chamisa visited South Africa this week where he updated the country’s former president Thabo Mbeki and senior government officials in Pretoria about the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, and how this is increasingly threatening regional stability.

“I am back from South Africa where I met many key political stakeholders. I am glad that there is now an appreciation of the grave problems that we have in Zimbabwe across the region.

“They also appreciate the urgency that is needed to find solutions on Zimbabwe … and there is now a shared view on the continent that there is a big crisis in Zimbabwe, which is a good starting point.

“On our part ... we are going to embark on several initiatives to ensure that we resolve the crises in Zimbabwe,” Chamisa told the Daily News yesterday.

He revealed that he had told the South African leadership that the situation in Zimbabwe was threatening to degenerate into complete chaos unless there was immediate intervention.

This comes as the European Union (EU), the United States of America (USA) and the church in Zimbabwe — among others — have implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to engage Chamisa in direct talks to help foster progress and development in the country.

“The situation in the country is unsustainable because it is those in government who are making it ungovernable where in other countries it is those who are outside government who foment conflict.

“When you deny people their freedoms, when you actively foment anarchy and chaos, you become an enemy of the people.
“President Mbeki told me that there is shared concern and shared anxiety in the region and on the continent (about Zim) … and he should be coming back here anytime soon,” Chamisa added.

This comes as hardliners within both Zanu PF and the MDC are said to be working hard to scupper Mbeki’s Zim mission — including stopping the retired statesman from returning to the country to continue with his valiant efforts to get Mnangagwa and Chamisa to end their political bickering.

Mbeki — who helped to broker the stability-inducing 2008 government of national unity between opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and ex-president Robert Mugabe, who are both late — was in the country last December to try and nudge Mnangagwa and Chamisa to hold talks.

Earlier this week, Chamisa’s aides had confirmed to the Daily News that the MDC boss was in Johannesburg to meet Mbeki and senior SA government officials — in a bid to unlock the country’s political logjam which had worsened the dire economic plight of ordinary Zimbabweans.

“We were expecting that Mbeki would come back, but it seems that this is taking long. So, a decision was made at the highest level that the president (Chamisa) travels to South Africa and appraise the political leadership there of the country’s situation,” one of the aides said.

This view was later buttressed by Chamisa himself during an interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), in which he said he was in that country to remind Pretoria on the urgency of Zimbabwe’s dire political and economic situation.

“I have not met with President Mnangagwa since when we were in Parliament … I think it is now almost two years which is quite sad because people compete in an election and are supposed to have a conversation post-election to find a way forward for the nation.

“This is one sad part for me that you just go into an election … meet through the ballot, beyond the ballot you are not able to converse or communicate.

“In Africa, wherever there is a negotiation … there has to be a negotiator because that is our nature as a people,” Chamisa said.
“For us to be able to deal with the acrimony … disharmony and disagreement between us and … Mnangagwa, there is need to have a credible negotiator.

“We think that the avenue and platform created by President Mbeki will go a long way to creating this conversation.

“It is now more urgent than ever before because the situation in the country has really taken a nosedive. Things are going down south in many ways,” Chamisa told the SA public broadcaster further.

He also said he would use his visit to South Africa to implore President Cyril Ramaphosa to take decisive action on the Zimbabwean crisis, which he warned could engulf the whole region.

“We now have fresh evidence after the Constitutional Court determination of the dispute between us and … Mnangagwa, particularly in the Zec (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) report that was tabled in Parliament, wherein the commission is indicating that they flouted the law and the procedures of elections in announcing the elections of 2018.

“That evidence has to be at the doorstep of Sadc, the African Union (AU) and of course … President Ramaphosa to show and validate the fact that indeed elections in Zimbabwe were rigged and stolen.

“We will not be able to have a credible 2023 election until we … resolve the … disputed election so that we prevent future disputes,” Chamisa said.

“We don’t want to have a recycling of the same old problems. This is a vicious cycle that has to be curbed so that we will have credible elections,” he said further.

This comes as Zimbabwe is in the grip of a huge economic crisis which has stirred anger and restlessness among long-suffering ordinary people.

Previously, both Mnangagwa and Chamisa have said that they are interested in dialogue, although nothing concrete has developed despite those encouraging statements.
On his part, Mnangagwa has remained resolute in his demands that any talks with Chamisa should be held under the platform of the political actors’ dialogue (Polad) — where he regularly holds meetings with leaders of fringe opposition parties, who a large cross-section of Zimbabweans has dismissed as tokens, particularly as the youthful MDC boss is not part of this structure.

Chamisa himself has repeatedly ruled out joining Polad — demanding instead direct dialogue with Mnangagwa.

In 2009, Mugabe was forced into forming a government of national unity (GNU) with Tsvangirai after the hotly-disputed 2008 polls.

Tsvangirai was widely believed to have beaten Mugabe hands down in those polls.

However, the results of the elections were withheld for six long weeks by stunned authorities — amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud, which were later confirmed by former bigwigs of the ruling Zanu PF.

In the ensuing sham presidential run-off, which authorities claimed was needed to determine the winner, Zanu PF apparatchiks engaged in an orgy of violence in which hundreds of Tsvangirai’s supporters were killed — forcing the former prime minister in the inclusive government to withdraw from the discredited race altogether.

In the meantime, to add to the country’s woes, Zimbabwe is experiencing acute shortages of the staple maize-meal, amid massive hunger which has affected more than 8,5 million people.

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© MASVINGO City Council has resolved to take the debt collector route following the failure by ratepayers to clear $48 million in outstanding water bills.

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The local authority is owed $48 562 298,13 in outstanding water bills as at September 2019 with institutional debtors owing $27 525 313.39.

Acting town clerk Edward Mukaratirwa said defaulting residents and institutions have been served with letters of demand on a number of occasions but chose to ignore them, hence the decision to take the legal route.

“Council is in the process of identifying a debt collector to help the local authority recover the money and there won’t be any sacred cows in the exercise,” Mukaratirwa said.

We are going to implement this anytime from now as we are currently identifying a debt collector for the job.”

He added that council has a lot of financial commitments to fulfil but is found wanting because of its failure to collect revenue.
“Some residents have not paid their dues since 2015 and this is incapacitating council in its efforts to improve service delivery,” Mukaratirwa said.

However, the stance by council has been met with contempt by residents who accused the local authority of being unreasonable and selective.

Masvingo United Ratepayers and Residents Alliance (Murra) spokesperson Godfrey Mutimba said they condemn the move to unleash debt collectors on struggling residents who owe the council paltry amounts of time at a time government departments, especially the Zimbabwe National Army and police owe councils about $20 million.

“Council should unleash debt collectors on 4 Brigade army camp and Zimuto police camp first before they come to us. We prefer dignified payment arrangements, not the debt collectors’ way.”

This comes at a time when Masvingo is grappling with water shortages and is seeking borrowing powers from the central government to undertake its water augmentation exercise and fund a solar plant that will power the Bushmead water works to ease acute water shortages in the city.

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© ZIMBABWE’S delay in compensating former white farmers displaced by the land reform in 2000 has left most of them destitute.  

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The farmers are now living in extreme hardship while others have since died without being paid any compensation.
Of the 737 farmers who registered for compensation, most are now above retirement age.

“Many of them are pretty old and well into their 70s and 80s and have not been working and are not able to work.
“They are in a desperate state. They have been expecting government to honour its pledge,” Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) director Ben Gilpin said.

Last year the government agreed to pay an interim relief of $55 000 to each farmer who lost land, but several of them are yet to be paid while those that did received peanuts.

“We started getting the interim relief in June last year and around 100 are still waiting for payment since May and when the payments did happen, the money was devalued to around US$2 000. We need a separate deal from the usual small budgetary allocations accessed by few people who end up getting 25 percent of the value.

“We have a dialogue going on with the ministry (of Agriculture) on the valuation of improvements on farms. We know there are the stipulations of the Constitution but we are hoping that farmers will also be paid for the raw land because most farmers have deeds showing that they purchased the land.

“We need to find a solution to that. However, we are in support of government to find a way to assist raise funds needed for the compensation,” Gilpin said.

A working group comprising government officials and representatives of the former farm owners, has been working towards providing a Consensus-Based Compensation Framework for evaluating obligations to the former farmers.

Although the two parties are still negotiating over payments, the CFU has put the compensation figure at US$10 billion while government’s figure is US$3 billion.

The government however maintains it will only pay compensation for infrastructure and improvements on farms and not for the land, and has been in communication with former colonial master Britain and international financiers to raise the money for farmers.

“Government has allocated $380 million for disbursements as part of the interim compensation. More than 700 former farm owners have consented to the interim payment scheme with over 500 farmers having been paid to date,” said Clive Mphambela, the chief director-communications and advocacy in the Finance ministry.

Since 2009, the Zimbabwean government says it has paid US$64,4 million to 93 white former commercial farmers for the improvements they made on their farms.

In 2016, then Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said the government had paid US$42,7 million to 43 farmers.
In 2018 alone, US$12 million was paid to 29 farmers while $53 million was committed by government in 2019.

Government has also directed that all remaining white commercial farmers be issued with 99-year leases, a marked policy shift from the previous five-year leases.

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© HARARE City water department has warned residents to brace for worse water problems because the local authority continues to struggle to secure adequate treatment chemicals as it owes its suppliers a whopping US$74 million.

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Speaking during a policy dialogue on water delivery in the capital, city water engineer Charles Chinyaya said the effects of climate change were among a host of challenges in water delivery, with dams running dry faster than normal, but the issue of water chemicals was critical.

He added that inadequate supplies of water treatment chemicals due to lack of funds was a major blow to the city’s water provision system, and if left unresolved, there would be a disaster in the near future.

“Our catchment is on our watershed, meaning water that is pumped back to the city from the dam has already flowed through the city and collected pollutants and silt along the way.

“This makes our chemical bill huge,” Chinyaya said.
“But then the production of water is just like business — one needs revenue to continue in business. What is happening right now is that the very few people who are getting water are not paying council and this results to us making losses and being unable to buy purifying chemicals.

“As it is, we owe suppliers US$74 million and this makes it difficult on their part to supply us with more chemicals before we clear the debt.”

Chinyaya added that due to lack of the purifying chemicals coupled with water shortages, council is able to produce 200 mega-litres per day against demand of 1 200 mega-litres.
The city is importing treatment chemicals at a cost of US$3 million every month while its water account is in huge deficit.

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© ZANU PF youths are expected to take to the streets tomorrow in protest over business “cartels” sabotaging the economy.

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The ruling party’s deputy youth league secretary, Lewis Matutu, told the Daily News on Sunday that some corrupt Zimbabweans fronting business cartels are benefiting from the suffering of the majority.

“We are having an all-youth stakeholders’ meeting on Monday (tomorrow); this is about the young generation. We want to stop individuals who are sabotaging this economy.

“The issue is not about Zanu PF but it’s about us the young people of Zimbabwe. The meeting is going to be held at a neutral venue in Harare,” said Matutu.

He said the business cartels were duping the country’s leadership by pretending to support government initiatives.

“As young people, we are not going to watch as they destroy our future. It’s enough and it must end now. The last and final message from here is that we are taking action to defend our future.

“I might be poor but I am very powerful in thought and spirit because I believe in the wishes and aspirations of the Zimbabwean people,” added Matutu.
Zanu PF youth league political commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu said they were ready to fight economic saboteurs.

“Cartels must go and they will go. A few individuals can’t manipulate the whole of Zimbabwe. We have suffered enough but not anymore.

“We will pay the price either for fighting the blood-sucking cartels or for smiling at them while they suffocate us. I choose to fight,” Tsenengamu said.

This comes after recent revelations that a Zanu PF commission of inquiry set up by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in August last year to investigate party bigwigs accused of corruption by the youth league, has not met at all to deal with the matter.

Mnangagwa directed all provinces to nominate central committee members to the 10-member commission following a decision by the Zanu PF youth league to name and shame people accused of corruption in the country.

Zanu PF politburo member Tshinga Dube, who is one of the members of the commission of inquiry, told our sister paper the Daily News last week that the group had not met since its appointment.

“We never sat as a committee, it’s true. When the president appointed us, we were happy to take up the task but we needed some leadership. We didn’t know who was to lead this group. We are waiting to hear from the president.

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© ZANU PF is struggling to establish cells and branches in Harare province amid reports the exercise is being delayed by fears of infiltration by elements sympathetic to the G40 faction, the Daily News on Sunday can reveal.

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This comes as the ruling party provincial executive was dissolved by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in February last year to curb factionalism, which the Zanu PF leadership blames for its failure to win urban constituencies.

Harare Provincial minister Oliver Chidawu, who was tasked with restructuring the party, said he could not comment as he was out of office, while Zone 2 district coordinating committee (DCC) chairman Godfrey Gomwe said the delay was a result of a multiplicity of factors.

“Over the years, cells normally take a very long time to set up primarily because they are established by volunteers who go door-to-door writing names of members.

“The volunteers are few, so it is not easy especially given that there are no resources allocated for them to do the exercise yet you realise that out of our 29 districts, we have so far completed 22, meaning seven are outstanding.

“The issue of the G40, yes, they will probably want to take advantage and we have to be vigilant, as some of them have gone underground,” Gomwe said.

According to the initial timelines, the cell restructuring began in March last year under the supervisor of the then acting Harare chairperson Patrick Chinamasa and was supposed to  have been concluded by end of April the same year.

Insiders told the Daily News on Sunday that the major reason the restructuring is taking longer than envisaged is the fact that remnants for the decimated G40 still have control over Zanu PF structures, especially in Harare South and they are allegedly sabotaging the exercise.

“It is probably Zone 2 that has made meaningful progress in terms of the cells because everywhere else, including here, it is chaos. Each time we go door-to-door to register members, they realise when they verify that the majority have links to the G40 in one way or the other and we are almost always forced to start again,” said a Zone 4 official.

Gomwe said the process is going to be further delayed by procedural issues which dictate that after the cells are completed, the lists must be forwarded to national political commissar Victor Matemadanda for approval.

Interestingly, the DCCs were set up late last year despite the gaps that still exist regarding the lower structures that, apart from the cells also include wards and branches.

“That question as to how the DCCs came about without lower structures does not arise because the circular we received required that all card-carrying members from the dissolved wards, cells and branches were allowed to vote,” Gomwe explained.

Before Chinamasa and Chidawu, Mnangagwa initially appointed his deputies Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi to oversee the restructuring of Harare and Bulawayo as part of “an elaborate effort to breathe life in jurisdictions that have been dominated by opposition political formations in the past two decades”.

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© BISHOPS from the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Churches Council yesterday called on main opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to accept the July 2018 election results and let the country move forward.

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This comes as the defiant opposition leader has continuously questioned President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy, maintaining that the election was rigged by the ruling Zanu PF.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Churches Council National Prayer Conference at the National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday, Bishop Rodreck Makusha of Deeper Life Ministries claimed the opposition leader’s refusal to assent to the election results was now stopping the country from moving forward.

“Kana wadyiwa chibvumawo nyika ienderere mberi hatizive mangwana kana uri mupenyu uchatongawo (Please accept defeat, perhaps tomorrow you will win, if you are still alive),” mocked Makusha.

Family of God Church (Fog) Apostle Andrew Wutawunashe also waded into the matter, expressing solidarity with the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) — which Chamisa has refused to be part of, saying any meaningful dialogue should be between the main opposition and Zanu PF.

“If we continue politicking we will not progress. Let’s fully focus on vision 2030 and not on futile politicking disputes which feed no one,” Wutawunashe said.

This comes as other church groupings such as the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) have been calling for dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa.  

Meanwhile, Mnangagwa promised the indigenous churches free land after they complained that they were left out in the land distribution.

“Mapa chichemo chekuti pakauya varungu vakarwisa madzitateguru edu, vakabva vapa makereke avakuya navo nzvimbo dzekuti vavake makereke avo.

“Saka mukukumbirawo kuti monodawo kuwana mukana wakadero kupiwawo pachena  pekuti muvake makereke. (I have heard your grievance that when white people invaded Zimbabwe, they gave churches with foreign roots land and you as indigenous churches also want to be given land as well.)

“Let me assure you that the responsible authorities will look into the matter with the urgency it deserves. I will instruct that all government entities and authorities should be able to allocate you land wherever you want to build your churches. We will give you free State land.

“Equally we have established institutions to deal with issues relating to women and people with disabilities, among others,” he said.

In attendance were bishops and representatives from indigenous churches across the country, notable among them from Prophetic Healing and Deliverance ministries (PHD), United Family International Church (UFIC), Zion Christian Church, Family of God, Mugodi and El Shaddai Ministries.

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© AMID growing calls for dialogue between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, it has emerged that hardliners within both Zanu PF and the MDC are escalating their efforts to derail the much-needed mooted talks between the two men, the Daily News On Sunday can reveal.

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This comes as former South African President Thabo Mbeki — who was in the country late last year to mediate between Mnangagwa and Chamisa — is said to be becoming increasingly frustrated, as he waits for a signal from Harare to return to Zimbabwe to resume his efforts.

It also comes despite both Mnangagwa and Chamisa having previously and separately made encouraging statements about their much-needed tête-à-tête — but ultimately not making good on this, to help extricate the country from its worsening economic rot.

Well-placed sources in Zanu PF and the MDC told the Daily News On Sunday yesterday that hardliners on both sides of the political divide were opposed to the talks “for selfish, personal interests”.

“President Mbeki is up against it as senior officials around both ED (Mnangagwa) and Wamba (Chamisa) are not enthusiastic about the idea. You see, the unfortunate reality is that the chaos that is consuming the country benefits some political elites, who stand to lose a lot on both sides if sanity prevails,” a Zanu PF bigwig said.

“It would be wrong of me to pretend that all the problems are on the Zanu PF side on this matter. The fact of the matter is that we also have wolves in sheep’s skin on our side (MDC).

“Some of our comrades are very sly and talk with forked tongues. They are doing their damnedest to frustrate the president (Chamisa) on these talks, while pretending to be his biggest cheerleaders.

“Remember too that just as is the case with Zanu PF, a few of our own people are benefiting from the current madness and also want to patent the struggle for them only,” an MDC office-bearer chipped in.

Analysts who spoke to the Daily News On Sunday concurred with this view, adding that politicians in both parties were “protecting their turf”.

“There are indeed hardliners and soft-liners in the two parties. The hardliners in Zanu PF view Chamisa as someone who cannot be trusted.

“The MDC … has also taken a hardline stance by rejecting the win by Mnangagwa, and as long as that view holds … there will likely not be any dialogue.
“But the hardliners’ position is unrealistic and I don’t see the two parties engaging unless this is resolved,” University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred Masunungure said.

“Post the November 2017 coup, there was no coalition government even though all parties had united in removing (the late former president Robert) Mugabe from power.
“But that is what happens in a patronage system ... people will protect their turf.

“If you bring the MDC into government, some Zanu PF bigwigs will lose their positions ... which undermines efforts between the party and the MDC for engagement,” Masunungure added.
Another political analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, also blamed both Zanu PF and the MDC for stalling the mooted direct talks.

“Chamisa and those around him may fear that they may lose legitimacy … by being co-opted into government, and that the MDC will lose its opposition space to new parties that may emerge.

“This could be one of the driving factors for Chamisa’s team to talk ‘talks’, but sometimes behave differently.
“For Mnangagwa and his team, their fears could be around Chamisa currying favour with the military once he is in, say, a unity government, or the fear that some elements in Zanu PF will say Mnangagwa atengesa (he has sold out),” Saungweme said.
Namibia-based scholar Admire Mare said Zanu PF and the MDC were suffering from “a crisis of expectations”.

“Remember that these parties are coming from very extreme positions, and so climbing down to the negotiation table will take time and a bit of gentle chiding on the part of the mediator. Both parties agree they hold the keys to the resolution of the political and economic impasse in the country, but there are hardliners behind the scenes who are exerting pressure,” Mare said.

As if to further confirm the hardline positions among hawks in both parties, Zanu PF secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that no political dialogue should happen outside the Polad platform.

Mangwana, whose views are shared by many of the old guard in the ruling party, also said Chamisa was wasting his time seeking the intervention of outsiders in the affairs of the country.

“Our president has told him (Chamisa) point blank that he is free to join Polad to discuss any problems that we have as a country.
“So, we don’t see any reason why he has to travel to South Africa or Sadc countries. We do not have a crisis in Zimbabwe. We have economic challenges that we are resolving. We were given five years (through the 2018 elections) and we are in those five years where we are resolving our challenges because there is no country that has no challenges,” Mangwana said.

Mnangagwa has been at loggerheads with Chamisa since the hotly-disputed July 2018 elections, which the youthful opposition leader alleged were rigged in favour of the Zanu PF leader.
But Mnangagwa’s victory was later upheld by the Constitutional Court which ruled that Chamisa had failed to provide evidence that he had won the polls.

Since then, Mnangagwa — who was initially feted like a king when he replaced Mugabe in 2017 following a popular military coup — has found himself and his government facing criticism over their stewardship of the country.

Although both Mnangagwa and Chamisa have previously said that they are interested in dialogue, nothing concrete has happened despite those encouraging statements.

On his part, Mnangagwa has remained resolute in his demands that any talks with Chamisa should be held under the platform of the political actors’ dialogue — where he regularly holds meetings with leaders of fringe opposition parties, who a large cross-section of Zimbabweans has dismissed as tokens, particularly as the youthful MDC boss is not part of this structure.

Chamisa himself has repeatedly ruled out joining Polad — demanding instead direct dialogue with Mnangagwa.

Last week Chamisa flew to South Africa for a meeting with Mbeki in a bid to revive hopes for the mooted dialogue with Mnangagwa.
Chamisa said he was in that country to remind its leadership on the urgency of Zimbabwe’s political and economic situation.

“For us to be able to deal with the acrimony … disharmony and disagreement between us and … Mnangagwa, there is need to have a credible negotiator.

“We think that the avenue and platform created by Mbeki will go a long way to creating this conversation. It is now more urgent than ever before because the situation in the country has really taken a nosedive. Things are going south in many ways,” Chamisa told the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

At the same time, Chamisa is under pressure from hardliners within the MDC who want him to take a more radical approach against Mnangagwa to force the Zanu PF leader to act on the worsening rot.

Insiders told the Daily News on Sunday that the hardliners in the MDC wanted rolling mass demonstrations as a matter of urgency to force Mnangagwa to the negotiating table.

Chamisa is said to have agreed to these demands should the planned national dialogue fail to take place by May this year.

“There is no way we can go against the principal, but it is clear that Zanu PF will not negotiate itself out of power. There is no way the talks will make Mnangagwa agree to electoral reforms. Our radical leaders like Job Sikhala are already facing treason trial because they voiced the concerns of the people. The point is we cannot go on until 2023 in this situation,” a top MDC official told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday.

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© WHILE women’s organisations have sprouted all over the country advocating for the emancipation and rights of females, only a few spare a thought for the forgotten women behind bars.

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Getting arrested and briefly detained at Harare’s police cells back in 2007 after a demonstration to push for the availability of anti-retroviral therapy was a wake-up call for Beauty Rita Nyampinga, a human rights defender.

Her experience in the police cells for just a few days made her think long and hard about the horrific conditions of incarcerated women, and she decided to do something about it.

In 2012, she founded the Female Prisoners Support Trust (Femprist) where she is the director — spearheading rehabilitation programmes for female prisoners and ex-convicts.
Nyampinga is a human rights defender, passionate about social and economic justice.

“The journey has not been easy because everyone wanted to know why I would want to advocate for the rights of offenders who committed heinous crimes,” Nyampinga told the Daily News on Sunday.

“But to me it was and is about rehabilitation of women back into society and utilising any chance given to them to be better people in life. Everyone deserves a second chance.

“I have worked with women across the board, in the community, church and civil society but in most cases, we tend to speak and protect women we see every day but not much about the women behind bars.”

The human rights activist and defender sat on many different boards including the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (Wcoz) where they were all fighting for the rights of women but there was little or no talk of incarcerated women.

She, however, recognised the gap that was being filled by churches, mainstream organisations, well-wishers in assisting women behind bars, saying they have done a lot of commendable work but more still needs to be done.

“Usually most women get locked up for not-so-serious crimes with just a small number of women being habitual criminals, meaning that just a few are serving long jail terms for murder and other serious offences, and those coming out need to be rehabilitated back into society,” Nyampinga said.

“The biggest challenge is post incarceration where it is difficult to accept ex-inmates. There is a lot of stigma and discrimination experienced by women during and after incarceration.

“Femprist has assisted over 300 women (ex-convicts). We tap into skills they already know or have acquired whilst in prison and we support them based on their strength and expertise.

“There is a lot that they learn as part of their rehabilitation but at times they fail to take off after incarceration and that is where our organisation comes in.”

Nyampinga said her organisation has supported women in market gardening, bead making, and hairdressing, adding that they have a revolving fund to start up projects of their choice, run by them.

“The role of our organisation is to advocate for the successful reintegration of women into society through livelihood projects because most of the women lose everything during and after incarceration hence the need to economically empower them,” she said.

“The starting point project offers a platform where we promote victim offender dialogue so that we build peaceful communities and it also helps to reduce recidivism.

“As the director of Femprist, I have managed to highlight the plight of women in difficult circumstances and made the organisation known and appreciated by different stakeholders, and together as a team we have re-united families.”

She added that as a leader, it is always a challenge to execute programmes without any institutional support as the expectations from the beneficiaries are always too high.

“Strategic partnerships have made it possible for us to work freely and rise above the occasion,” she said.

“I have had good and rough patches in my leadership journey and have made so many sacrifices as well.”
Nyampinga added that in her advocacy work she is proud that the Constitution of Zimbabwe abolished the death sentence for all incarcerated women.

“I however continue to advocate for an open prison for female offenders with petty crimes and women with minor children as this allows them to interact freely with their families,” she said.

“Femprist has always advocated for an open prison for women because they are care givers and the more they stay away from the family the more the family disintegrates. Thus the need to come up with more reintegration models, which cater for different categories of offences.”

The female prisoners’ heroine said the female prison population is small, constituting five percent or less of the total population but that does not take away the fact that women need an open prison.  

She added that there is no reason as to why the prison had not been built since the first proposal to build one in 1996. However, government has since set up a female open prison in Marondera.
“In 2000, Connemara was built and the same should have happened for women but it took a decade to happen,” Nyampinga said.

“This goes to show that women’s issues are taken lightly, hence the delay in starting the project and lack of commitment and resources.”

She, however, expressed hope that the  Marondera female open prison will be a success.
Nyampinga added that female prisoners do give birth in prison.

“They are arrested when pregnant and because they cannot go on maternity leave during incarceration they end up delivering babies in prison,” she said.
“This cannot be classified as an injustice to the child but it is an injustice if the child is separated from the mother.”

The human rights defender who wears many professional hats in her everyday interaction with different people and communities, got an international recognition for her outstanding work with women and children.

“My greatest highlight was winning several awards in recognition of the work I did as an individual and as an organisation,” she said, glowing with joy.
“The ability to highlight the plight of women and children in places of detention at the United Nations during the Commission on the Status of Women in 2019 was my greatest achievement at international level.

“I am glad the United Nations secretary- general acknowledged my contribution and am hoping that more work and advocacy needs to be done because the plight of women during and after incarceration is the same globally.”

Nyampinga also narrated how the battered women syndrome, which is the reason most women are behind bars is real, and how in most cases society has failed to interrogate some of these cases.

“Continuous abuse by an intimate partner leads to violence against the perpetrator in retaliation. My advice to women is that report any abuse and do not wait for the worst to happen to you,” she warned.

“The police are the first port of call followed by other processes. You need protection and the Domestic Violence Act has all the provisions and it is unfortunate that so many people do not want to refer to it.

“This is why there are continuous awareness campaigns on ending violence, because domestic violence ends up in a scenario where it is either you are killed or you kill.”

She further said there are so many organisations that offer psychosocial support and others that offer shelter for survivors of gender-based violence, adding that it is not wise and healthy to stay in an abusive relationship because it ends badly for most people.

Nyampinga was conferred with an honorary doctorate of humane letters in recognition of the work she does in communities with vulnerable groups, women and children.

She is an alumni of integrity Action, an international NGO working with citizens in communities and helps them to monitor vital projects and services they find.

Born in a small mining town of Kadoma in a family of five, Nyampinga was the only girl among boys and has risen to claim her space in society while being a revered gender activist.
“I was born in a small mining and farming town of Kadoma. My childhood was ghetto-centric,” she said.

“Born in a family of five and I being the only girl, I found it very exciting and full of opportunities because I learnt a lot from my brothers who never treated me as an only girl but as an equal.
“I am also privileged to have mastered so many languages because most of our neighbours came from Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.”

The human rights defender said her upbringing prepared her for the world she lives in today, where there are so many opportunities for both men and women.

“Growing up with my brothers taught me to be independent and explore further than what is expected of me by society,” she said.

“When I entered the world of professionalism, I was not afraid of any challenges l met at workplaces, especially sexual harassment.

“I became an advocate for gender at the work place and became unpopular, but that never stopped me.”
Nyampinga described herself as a mother, grandmother, sister and every title that a woman carries.

She added that in her journey, she has acquired so much knowledge through interactions and rubbing shoulders with people from all walks of life and believe in continuous education.
She is pursuing a degree in Social Work and a diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy and International Relations.

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© We are trying to avoid a situation where varsity students drop out and go to the streets and start selling drugs or get involved in dangerous deals to make a living. That has been our argument; we want education to be affordable as this will impact the economy.  

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Following hikes in tuition and residence fees at tertiary institutions in the country, university students have threatened to protest against the increase, which has been viewed as unsustainable.

Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (Zicosu) president Wilbert Muzaruwetu, pictured, who is also vice president of the Students’ Representative Committee, explains the issues affecting students in an interview with the Daily News on Sunday. Excerpts:

Q. Fees for tertiary institutions have gone up, accommodation costs have shot through the roof, what is your position on the issue as a students’ representative body?
A. Inflation in the country is affecting everything and everyone.
There are levels that are within the parameters of our control and those that leave room for little negotiation.

We are still appealing to the responsible authorities, we have engaged in countless negotiations for fees.

We worked with different quotations for food prices, and the amount of money that was needed is above what we expected.
Food is a priority, it is necessary, and it must be of nutritional value.

We have various stakeholders that chipped in to assist and it is the least that we could do, even though we are still engaging to help the cause of the students.

Q. What measures is Zicosu prepared to take if the government remains adamant on addressing this and other issues affecting students?
A. We are currently taking measures which are within the law. Measures are already being taken.
As Zicosu we are not just sitting and watching and had it not been for the horizontal dialogue with the government, prospects of hoping to even think of tertiary education were reduced and it was going to affect the education culture that has been consistently cultivated among Zimbabweans.

We are trying to avoid a situation where varsity students drop  out and go to the streets and start selling drugs or get involved in dangerous deals to make a living.
That has been our argument; we want education to be affordable as this will impact the economy.

We are in the process of requesting 10 hectares from the UZ farm that has over 203 hectares.
Students will now produce food to reduce the cost of commodities that are sourced from outside.

Q. There are students who have dropped from university or are now deferring because they cannot meet the fees requirements, what would you suggest should be done to assist them to attain their education goals?
A. So far we are trying to get the statistics on students who are deferring; we have not received letters so far.
I am appealing to the students to contact us before the universities open, so that we can actually write letters to the responsible authorities and the government.

We reached a deal that students must not be punished, they must not suffer due to the economic situation, which is being addressed at a difficult time, and as I have stated, we have reached a deal with government that no one must drop out ... unless the government does not honour our agreement, which is highly unlikely.

Q. Some students have said that they are going to protest, what is your view on this kind of action?

A. It is their democratic right but let us not forget that everything has been pegged according to the black market rates. I think we should protest against those who are involved in such dealings as this has affected our education.

If the universities controlled the economic situation I would say exercise those rights against them.

If the government is the one involved in black market dealings, I would still say those rights should be exercised against them.
The question is protesting against who, what time and where. I am also a student and I ask myself the same question.

Q. Are you satisfied with what government is doing to support tertiary education?
A. As human beings, as rational beings and as complicated beings we are never satisfied, even the government is not satisfied, there are circumstances which make us push for a certain measure.
We are a work in progress, I cannot lie that we are satisfied; if we were satisfied we would not engage the government.

Q.Accommodation shortages are affecting most students, what would you suggest as the solution to this?
A. It is astonishing that we are building beautiful research centres at the same time the students who are the researchers live under squalid conditions, they travel long distances, and their security is compromised.
So the first task is to research on how to build suitable accommodation for students.

We cannot research theories that are not in reality with our practical lives. Institutions must build new student residences, the polytechnics have done that and we are lagging behind. We are asking the government to chip in to improve infrastructure as these are state universities.

Q. How best would you describe the opening of the first semester amid all these problems?
A. Problems are there, but at the University of Zimbabwe we are taught to be positive and be the solutions.
We have brilliant students, internationally recognised.
Zupco is there to ease the transport woes, student loans are being availed, and as Zicosu we are there.
We will be conducting social functions, sports, recreational activities, to raise funds and assist more students.

Q. You have been for long accused of being aligned to Zanu PF, is this true?
A. Everyone is innocent unless proven guilty with evidence that is beyond any reasonable doubt. We have also been accused of being monkeys; these are just mere preposterous accusations.
We are aligned to the nation, and the government that has national interests.
We are aligned to the Constitution, and we are aligned to the rule of law.

Everyone is involved. If we received directives from Zanu PF or MDC there was no need to call it Zicosu or Zinasu.
We receive directives from students.

Q. What plans does the new crop of Zicosu have to improve conditions in tertiary institutions?
A. The main plan is to deliver and improve our conditions, to be competitive institutions, and to ensure there is a smooth enjoyable learning process that creates room for innovation and hybrid students.

This semester we hope to fix the food problems to ensure that there are no students dropping out.
We continue to inform students about loans, availability of Internet and monitor technological developments at the institutions, and hold HIV and Aids campaigns among other things.

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© ZIMBABWE is facing myriad challenges, with the economy unstable and volatile, both hallmarks of excessive government interference and mismanagement.

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The overall business environment is opaque and vulnerable to government intervention. Amid this crisis, our reporters Blessings Mashaya and Pauline Hurungudo speak to deputy Finance minister Clemence Chiduwa. Excerpts of the interview:

Q: Your few months in office, what have you achieved and your challenges?  
A: Am roughly two months in office. As a ministry, we work as a team and success and failure can’t really be ascribed to individuals. My minister … Mthuli Ncube and secretary George Guvamatanga are very supportive and have given me full orientation and am already on the ground ensuring we realise the economic development that we all want. The major challenge we are facing as a country is lack of fiscal space to be able to implement government programmes.

Q: With the current macro-economic environment, do you see prices coming down in 2020 and why? Inflation is ravaging the $2 and $5 notes and the 25 and 50 cent coins have been rejected by the informal sector. When can we expect to see the new $10 and $20 notes? When are we likely to see stability, if any?
A: The possibility of prices coming down in 2020 is very high on account of recent trends in inflation dynamics, where month-on-month inflation has been trending downwards from 38,75 percent in October, 17,46 percent in November and 16,55 percent in December 2019. The high inflationary environment of 2019 was mainly due to adjustments in relative prices, in line with exchange rate movements, following measures taken on currency reforms.

These adjustments will be minimal in 2020 as most prices have already adjusted, with the latest adjustment being on electricity, education and other utilities. Moreover, government is committed to continue implementing policies that contain money supply growth under the Monetary Targeting Framework. This is anticipated to result in lower inflation in 2020.

Whilst the inflationary environment has somewhat eroded the value of our currency, it is important to note that Zimbabwe’s currency denominations are very low compared to peer countries in the region.

Country          Highest Denomination

South Africa     200 rand

Zambia            100 kwacha

Mauritius         1 000 rupees

Kenya              1 000 shillings

Tanzania          10 000 shillings

Mozambique     1 000 meticais

Zimbabwe         5 dollars

This has prompted the government to consider injecting higher denominations. The $10 and $20 and $50 are coming soon as most of the logistics have been put in place.

Q: What about the increase in wages? It is clear salaries are not enough to meet the needs of a worker? For example a worker has to pay rentals in US dollars e.g a two bed-room cottage US$80 to US$200, depending on location. A small food hamper (single packets of tea bags, rice, sugar and salt, bottle of cooking oil, among other few basics) cost $900. School fees for a primary student are $310. This needs to be done on a salary of $2 500 after the cola (cost of living adjustment) which is below the Poverty Datum Line pronounced by Zimstat.
A: Government notes the need to modestly remunerate its employees. It is also noted that disposable incomes for the workers have been eroded over time.
You should note that review of remuneration of workers and funding of any other goods and services is subject to resource availability. This is important as government is pursuing fiscal discipline critical to contain fiscal deficits, the major source of instability through fuelling inflation.

During the month of January 2019, government paid cushioning allowances to civil servants to the tune of ZWL$300 million. This is meant to alleviate the plight of workers while negotiations are underway. However, the government’s offer is in line with the recently approved budget for 2020, which was guided by the projected performance of the economy.

The negotiations are ongoing under the platform which government and employees representatives meet to negotiate for various issues affecting the employees. This platform is called the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) and the Bipartite Negotiating Platform.

Negotiations between the government and Apex Employee Councils are still ongoing. So the cushioning allowance allows our loyal and hardworking citizens to at least have something while negotiations are taking place.

Q: The ministry went for a retreat to discuss implementation of the budget and the country’s economic woes. What are some of the changes or transitions we should expect?
A: The ministry of Finance and Economic Development took time to take stock of the implementation of the TSP (October 2018-December 2020). In particular, analysing what was unearthed during the TSP Mid-Term Review done in early December 2019 and see how the findings can be useful going forward during the implementation of the last mile of the programme.

In line with the TSP review, the ministry discussed the processes and timelines for the drafting of the 2021-2025 TSP successor plan. The successor five-year plan will be Integrated Results Based Management (IRBM) compliant.

Furthermore, the workshop discussed the possible 2020 National Budget risks and taking corrective measures to mitigate the risks as well as coming up with an implementation matrix for the 2020 National Budget, which is a consolidation of all the actions that need to be done and clearly outline responsibilities and timelines.

The workshop resolved that policies and priorities set out in the 2020 National Budget will suffice, which include entrenching fiscal consolidation during the last mile of the TSP as well as focusing on measures that will ensure growth across all sectors of the economy as we move from austerity to growth and increased productivity and in line with the 2020 National Budget incentives.

Government will prioritise improved power generation as well as ensure availability of resources for power imports are in place. In addition, measures to ensure food availability will be put in place, given the threat of drought as well as prioritise drought mitigation measures in the 2020 Budget, including prioritising irrigation development. Given the dams that we have, it is critical that we prioritise irrigation and weather proofing our agriculture.

Notably, the Treasury will be more conscious to implementing cash budgeting in order to abate the unsustainable fiscal deficit in the wake of limited financing capacity of the domestic economy.

This is very essential in view of the identified risks.
The workshop also noted that there would be need to expedite the formulation of the successor plan (National Development Strategy) to enable it to guide the 2021 National Budget.

Q: The country is plagued by the three-tier pricing system which is making lives unbearable for the transacting public as cash barons sell cash for large premiums. What is government’s position, seeing it is aware of this although not much has been done to clamp down on the cash barons?
A: Government through the Central Bank is injecting cash into the market through banks. The target is to have a cash to broad money ratio of between 10 percent and 15 percent, as in most countries in the region. Currently our cash to broad money ratio is about 4 percent. The injection of the cash has been staggered to dampen the unintended inflationary effect of injecting cash into the system at once. Given, the high levels of negative expectations in some circles, huge injections may trigger price increases and exchange rate depreciation as they will be misconstrued as increase in money supply.

The method being used to inject cash into the system involves banks buying cash from the central bank using their RTGS balances, in this way, there will be no increase in money supply due to cash injections as it will be a matter of transforming one form of RBZ liabilities (RTGS) into another (cash in circulation) at par value. Currently, we have roughly $1,1 billion notes and coins in circulation.

The government is aware of the acts of the unscrupulous business people who are in the business of charging multiple prices, this is against the law and we encourage the law enforcement agents to use the available statutes to bring to book such business people.

Q: The country is re-dollarising despite the ban of US dollars. Communities near our borders, like South Africa, have already dumped the currency. Mining towns like Zvishavane are also discarding the currency. Mbare Musika in Harare is also functioning under a US dollar regime. Some shops in the formal sector are also embracing the US dollar to cushion themselves. Is government aware of this, and do you have a plan?
A: Yes, the Government is aware that some sections of the public are transacting in US dollars, but that alone does not mean that it is a rejection of the local currency. There are factors that the government is aware of, just to mention a few: Proximity of some areas to South Africa and having the majority of Zimbabweans in these areas working in South Africa means that these areas receive remittances from South Africa, which they use in local transactions.

I am sure this is also related to the current shortages of notes for transaction purposes, which as government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, we will address by availing more cash and bigger denominations for the convenience of the transacting public.

At the heart of the ongoing currency reforms there is need to put in place measures to ensure that people in the country prefer the local currency for transactions and use the scarce foreign exchange for foreign payments. The acceptance of the local currency hinges on exchange rate stability.

Thus, government through the central bank, will institute measures that are geared towards exchange rate stability.

Measures include tightening monetary policy and continuing to allow free flow of foreign exchange into the country. Authorities are committed to implementing remedial measures so as to contain inflation, thus maintaining the value of the local dollar to increase its acceptability as a medium of exchange and store of value.

Q: What is the government doing to curb parallel market activities?
A: The way forward for Zimbabwe is for all of us  to know that there is no quick fix to our problems except production. What is needed is competitive production and exportation. The government would want to have a full private sector-led economy in which the players are responsible and disciplined. This entails government and economic players working together for the benefit of our country.

Regarding parallel market activities. Take note that the movement of funds is happening through mobile money platforms mainly EcoCash, ZipIT and RTGS. Through these platforms, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is able to see who is doing what.

Banks should apply the know-your-customer rule so that we don’t sanitise proceeds of money laundering and illegal currency trading. Stern measures are being taken against institutions and individuals involved in these activities. This will involve freezing of accounts, asset forfeiture, and cancellation of licences, among other remedies. So as long as banking platforms are being used and abused for currency manipulation and illegal activities, we are in a position to bring the culprits to book.

This is the time to defend our currency and it’s everyone’s responsibility to bring back the much needed confidence in our systems for the country to move forward. A stable currency allows all of us to plan. Exchange rate indexation in local pricing of goods has resulted in businesses pricing themselves out of business. Customers have reached a stage where they only buy basics and it’s high time our businesses review their pricing models. Businesses grow based on volumes and small margins.

Q: In December, the Finance ministry and RBZ assisted fuel suppliers with letters of credit (LCs) but we are still seeing fuel shortages. What is really the problem and will Zimbabweans ever outlive the fuel queues?
A: LCs for fuel suppliers have helped in improving fuel availability in the country, but LCs as a payment method is not the panacea to the fuel or any other shortages in the country. It remains imperative that the country addresses the supply side in the economy to ensure that there is enough domestic production to meet requirements and export excess to generate foreign exchange.

Therefore, in a nutshell, our problem is that of low production against high demand for goods and services in the country. In essence, LCs guarantee fuel payments on the basis of future foreign exchange inflows into the country, therefore it is important that we produce more exportable products and minimise unnecessary imports.

My response to the question whether Zimbabweans will ever outlive fuel queues is that, with enough foreign exchange inflows coupled with prudent use of the same, yes it is possible to outlive the fuel queues.

Q: The roller meal subsidies do not seem to be working and people have not been able to access maize meal. What are the real issues? Does government have the capacity to put in subsidies since they had not been budgeted for initially?
A: With effect from December 1, 2019, government modified the subsidy model away from grain to roller meal. This was necessitated by the need to eliminate leakages and inefficiencies that were associated with the grain subsidy, resulting in targeted vulnerable groups failing to enjoy the intended benefits.

The rollout was initially targeted at roller meal. Rollout commenced in December with selling price to millers of maize being reviewed to ZWL$4 000 per metric tonne (mt).

Consequently millers and bakers immediately raised the retail price of 10kg roller meal from ZWL$50 to ZWL$102, which was beyond the reach of many consumers, especially vulnerable groups.

In response to this development, government introduced the subsidy on roller meal at a subsidised price of ZWL$50 per 10kg bag with the subsidy payable to millers set at ZWL$52,87 per 10kg bag. The subsidy is targeted on monthly requirements of 40 000mt of maize to produce 32 000mt of maize roller meal.

To kick-start the subsidy programme, government paid upfront the subsidy component to 12 GMB licensed millers to immediately supply 38 400mt of roller meal to avert shortages of mealie meal during the festive season. Selection of the 12 grain millers was based on:

l Capacity of the miller;
l Regional balance to ensure wide coverage and
l Availability of the grain resource at Grain Marketing Board (GMB) depots.

However, millers were constrained by shortages of maize from GMB, hence could not supply the targeted quantities. This resulted in a scramble for limited available quantities of subsidised roller meal.

With regards to shortages of roller meal on the market, indications are that some consumers are buying in bulk for resale at higher prices, there is shortage of maize in country at GMB depots, logistical challenges in distributing the subsidised roller meal and corruption.

In response, government is implementing the following measures to eliminate leakages and improve availability of roller on the markets:  

To ensure transparency and competitive participation of all GMB licensed millers, government, through the ministry of Industry and Commerce, came up with an operational framework of the programme which is already underway.

The new framework entails ministry of Industry and Commerce registered millers being paid the subsidy after verified production of roller meal instead of advance payment.

A team comprising key stakeholders including ministries of Industry and Commerce and Finance and Economic Development will undertake the verification process, for payment of the subsidy.

To augment depleting stocks of local maize, government embarked on importation of maize.
In addition government removed the licensing, duties and permits requirements for importation of maize, wheat, flour and maize meal by the private sector.

Q: Industry and the population at large seem to be losing confidence in your ministry. What assurance do you have that people will at least be able to live above the PDL?
A: The Poverty Datum Line stands over ZWL$3 000. Government is engaging its employees to improve their incomes in line with the poverty datum line, however, within the capacity of envelope to so as not to destabilise the economy further.

Government awarded a cushioning allowance in January 2020 ranging from ZWL$400-ZWL$800. In addition to the allowance, the cost of living adjustments negotiations between the government and employee representatives have been concluded.

These two efforts are expected to leave the lowest paid worker receiving a reasonable salary.

However, it is important to note that government is seized with other pressing commitments which include ensuring food security and social protection in the wake of imminent drought in 2020. In that regard, government will continue reviewing the salaries of its employees as and when the resources are available as well as increasing non-monetary allowances for the workers to improve their overall welfare. Hardships are expected given this transitory phase and as a government we are trying to live within our means while reviewing the conditions of service on a regular basis in line with the available resources.

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© A NEW report has revealed shocking drops in Zimbabwe’s power output, pointing to a far worse economic crisis ahead.

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The report by analysts at Econometer Global Capital showed electricity generation almost becoming grounded across

Zimbabwe’s power plants, with Kariba’s 1 050-megawatt (MW) hydro facility likely to be the hardest hit due to a prolonged drought that has entered its second straight season.

Hwange Thermal Power Station, the country’s second largest, is likely to feel the effects of torrential rains and flash floods that hit northern Zimbabwe two weeks ago, swamping coal shafts and affecting production.

“Zimbabwe has a daily peak demand of 1 800MW but according to the Zimbabwe Power Company, generation is slightly over 300MW from its five power stations,” Econometer warned.

“The Kariba Power Plant, which has over the years been the biggest and most reliable source of electricity for Zimbabwe, has capacity to generate 1 050 MW but is now generating an average of less than 400MW. Hwange, the second largest source of power, is currently generating 147MW of its 920MW capacity. Other power stations —  Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare — which have capacities of 90MW, 120MW and 25MW, respectively are currently unproductive,” said the report.
It warned government to intervene quickly.

Econometer said it was not healthy for companies to turn to alternative power like diesel-powered generators that are expensive.

In addition, shortages of fuel in Zimbabwe due to foreign currency shortages were abetting the industrial crisis.
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has said government will pursue a proactive strategy in helping State power producer Zesa.
Under the plan, government will inject fresh capital into Zesa in the first quarter of this year.

“However, Ncube did not disclose the magnitude of the funds to be disbursed to warrant Zesa raising the red flag on whether the government is really committed to solving the matter and if they really have capacity to do so,” said Econometer.
“

Zesa, which is choking under the weight of huge foreign debts, has been failing to maintain most of its ageing thermal power stations. This at a time the country’s main source of power, the Kariba Hydro Power Station, is operating at under a third of its installed capacity due to a severe drought, coupled with obsolete infrastructure.

“The manufacturing sector is relying on this most popular alternative — generators, which  are expensive to run with diesel prices having shot up two weeks ago to $19,55, yet still limited in supply. Most companies have minimised their operating hours, which has curtailed their production capacity,” the report noted.
The government licensed over 30 independent power producers and the only challenge is country risk.

They are not able to attract any financing for these projects, stalling progress on getting proposed projects off the ground as heavy capital outlays are required.

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© VARIOUS policy implementations and reversals by government in the past year have had an impact on the trajectory of the Zimbabwe dollar more than any other development, according to economist John Robertson.

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Government has been blaming retailers for pushing up inflationary pressures by hiking prices after the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar last year.

Robertson said as a result of the policy changes, a black-market exchange rate has continued to rise, leading to sharp rises in annual inflation in the final quarter of 2019.

“The reconstituted Zimbabwe dollar’s value began falling more steeply in June, when government tried to force those with US dollars to convert these into Zimbabwe dollars by banning the acceptance of foreign currency by retailers,” Robertson said in an analysis of inflation trends this week.

“The depreciation rate accelerated in October, when the removal of subsidies increased the prices of bread, maize meal and electricity. A subsidy was then put back into the retail price of maize meal, so the index rose slightly less steeply in the final two months of the year. After increasing by 38,7 percent in October, average prices increased by 17,5 percent in November and 16,6 percent in December,” he said.

His analysis came after the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries said last week the implied annual inflation rate surged from 481 percent in November 2019 to an implied rate of 521 percent in December 2019.

Inflation figures being announced by various organisations in Zimbabwe are only implied after the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency suspended publication of year-on-year inflation data for technical reasons when the economy moved from a multi-currency to a mono-currency regime.

Robertson said the effective use of the US dollar was steadily undermined by more money printing and government’s belief that the billions it was creating in financial instruments could hold a stable value against the US$.

“If Zimbabwe had not remained dependent on food imports and if investment conditions had not been made increasingly unattractive by impositions of unacceptable regulations and controls, the country might have been able to generate the resources needed to sustain a local currency that was worthy of respect. Instead, growing imbalances between demand and supply of foreign currency gave rise to black market exchange rates that could be profitably exploited by those who could claim rights to privileges. The black market exchange rates account for most of the inflation seen in consumer prices,” he noted.

“Measures needed to eliminate the foreign currency black market are now said to be about to start taking effect. If that assurance is not honoured, the trajectory will feed vigorously into the uncertainties already impacting on prospects in 2020,” he said.

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© FAMILY of God Church (Fog) founder Andrew Wutawunashe, pictured, has accused foreign-owned churches of fuelling sanctions through false representation of the state of affairs in the country.

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Speaking at the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (ZICC) National Prayer Conference at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Saturday, the clergyman said: “Our indigenous churches, unlike foreign founded churches who enjoy the support of the colonial governments and foreign institutional benefactors, seek to serve the people under a crippling disadvantage, not only lack of land and material resources, but also of an unjust illogical muscling voice in national affairs.

“False and unrepresentative perceptions of Zimbabwe are often given to the international community and sometimes meniscal religious organisations through the cloud of being foreign headquartered,” he said.

Zimbabwe is under sanctions from the United States of America (USA) and Western countries which target specific individuals and companies.

This comes as the USA has warned that it is mulling adding more people to the sanctions list due to Zimbabwe’s reputation of human rights violations and undemocratic processes, which remain a cause for concern for Washington.
Wutawunashe said he was baffled that unlike indigenous groups, the foreign-owned churches were not joining the country in denouncing Western sanctions.

“A case in point.... is the deafening silence on the part of some religious organisations concerning the unspeakable harm which Western sanctions are wreaking on the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.

“As the church, we continue to implore Western governments that on the basis of Christian compassion these heartless sanctions should be removed,” the clergyman added.

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© A BULAWAYO magistrate chided an abusive husband who beat up his wife on New Year’s Eve over suspected infidelity.

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Jethro Bajila of Sunninghill suburb slapped, punched and choked his wife Sharon after he saw messages which he suspected were from a boyfriend.

Sharon reported the assault to the police and Bajila was charged with physical abuse. 

When Bajila appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela for routine remand, Sharon tendered an affidavit withdrawing the charges.

In her affidavit, Sharon said her husband had apologised and she had forgiven him.

However, Jamela would have none of it and asked Bajila to plead to the charges and he admitted committing the offence.
In mitigation, Bajila apologised, saying he acted out of anger since his wife kept deleting her messages. 

Jamela expressed concern over the prevalence of domestic violence cases.

“Do you feel good that you beat your wife? Others were setting off fire crackers on New Year’s Eve and you were busy assaulting your wife? Did beating her solve the problem?” Jamela queried.

“The problem is that we deal with so many withdrawals. Domestic violence cases are on the increase. Not a day goes by without dealing with a domestic violence case...Next thing she won’t be here to withdraw because she will be dead.”

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© THREE Marondera police officers and two neighbourhood watch members who strangled a commuter omnibus driver to death in 2014 escaped jail by a whisker after they were fined for the offence.

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Richard Buzuzu, 28, Liberty Magodo, 29, Tinevimbo Muzezewa, 29, Tafadzwa Turipa, 25, and Rambo Bhunu, 38 were convicted of culpable homicide before Harare regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya on Friday.

They were sentenced to three months imprisonment, wholly suspended on condition of good behaviour and that Buzuzu, Magodo and Muzezwa pay a $300 fine each, while Turipa and Bhunu paid $250.

Mujaya considered that Buzuzu, Magodo and Muzezwa were police officers and their moral blameworthiness was very high because they used excessive force in the circumstances.
He also noted that they had been on remand for six years and had served their punishment.

When the incident occurred, Buzuzu, Magodo and Muzezewa were stationed at Chivhu, Featherstone and Beatrice respectively, while Turipa and Bhunu were members of the neighbourhood watch committee.

Prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu proved that on November 1, 2014, Buzuzu, Magodo and Muzezewa were manning a road block at the 20km peg on the Marondera-Mrewa Road in Marondera.
Turipa and Bhunu were sitting at a nearby Bemba bus stop waiting for a relative who was coming from Marondera.

Around 4pm, the now deceased Mugove Manonge approached the road block driving a commuter omnibus with 14 passengers aboard.

Buzuzu signalled Manonge to pull off the road before inspecting the vehicle and advised him to pay a $10 fine for driving without a licence.

An altercation ensued after Manonge said he did not have the money and the three police officers were overpowered by Manonge as he resisted arrest.

Turipa and Bhunu intervened, and Buzuzu grabbed Manonge’s throat while others grabbed his legs, waist and hands.
Manonge was eventually handcuffed and fell before becoming unconscious.

He was rushed to Marondera Provincial Hospital where he died.
A post-mortem concluded that Manonge died from strangulation.

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© FORMER Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora’s wife of three years, Mercy Hanyani, has dragged the politician to the High Court seeking a share of the property they acquired during their marriage.

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Through her lawyers Gutsa and Chimhoga Attorneys, Hanyani told the court that she had been customarily married to the former minister since May 2016.

Hanyani, a secondary school teacher who was based in Mutare when she met Dokora, later relocated to Harare where the two began to stay as “husband and wife” and have a three-year-old child together.

The customary union came to an end in September last year when Dokora gave her a divorce token.
 She said during the subsistence of the union, the two lived a modern and affluent lifestyle in Borrowdale, Harare, where she had a motor vehicle for her own exclusive use.
In her papers, Hanyani demanded to be allocated a Ford Everest car or a Mercedes Benz E300 and a Kawasaki motorbike as well as household goods, including a bed, tables, stoves and sofas.

She proposed that Dokora be given a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Navara, Toyota Prado, Land Rover Discovery, Massey Ferguson tractor and a Kawasaki motorbike and other household goods, including a fridge and blankets.

“In addition, when the defendant (Dokora) contracted the customary union with the plaintiff (Hanyani), he already had a farm allocated to him under the land reform programme, situated in Bindura. There, the parties grew contract maize, raised cattle, goats and chickens for sale. They also had a commercial stand in Rushinga, run as a general dealer and bottle store.

“Despite customary law being generally applicable to the parties herein by virtue of the nature of their union, regard being heard to the mode of life of the parties … which point a relative closeness of the parties to general law rather than customary law, general law ought to apply herein,” she said.

Hanyani said she made direct and indirect contributions to the acquisition of the properties.
“Her contributions towards meeting the domestic needs of the union, made it possible for the defendant to use his own income in making major property acquisitions for the union. She gave comfort and society to the defendant as his ‘wife’ that enabled him to devote his energies to his work, his political career and managing the union’s farming and other business interests, for the benefit of the family,” she said.She said she was supportive of Dokora’s political career and would accompany him on State and political functions, where he got most of his financial and proprietary benefits the family enjoyed.

Hanyani said Dokora forced her out without anything except the minor child’s clothes and personal effects.

“It is just and equitable, considering the lifestyle that plaintiff was accustomed to living as the ‘wife’ of a government minister, farmer and businessperson, her contributions direct and indirect to the acquisitions of the assets and the very young age of the minor child born of the union which plaintiff has to raise in the high standard of life he had been accustomed to,” she said.

She further said they had intended to build a family home at number 172 Carrick Creagh in Borrowdale, Harare, adding that she and her child stand to lose this benefit after Dokora decided to end the marriage.

Dokora has not yet responded to the application in the case pending before the High Court.

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© MARONDERA Municipality has stepped up its efforts to reduce a 17 000 housing backlog by partnering with FBC Bank to construct high rise flats for to 500 families within the next two years.

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The local authority released 10 023 square metres of land worth about $1,4 million after allocating 14 000 housing stands in Hunyani Timberlands area.

Speaking to the Daily News, director of housing Justine Chivavaya confirmed the deal, adding the local authority expects construction to start by the end of the year.

“We are looking forward to implementing this project to ease the housing backlog in this town and we are encouraging people to come forward and add their names to the housing list for them to be considered for this development,” Chivavaya said. “By end of this year, the construction of the flats should have commenced.”

This is not the first time that FBC Bank has partnered with local authorities in building homes.

In 2018, the bank partnered with the Bulawayo City Council for the development of 513 stands in Luveve.

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