Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting and Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has described the boycott of President Emmerson Mnangagwa speech by opposition supporters as an exercise of futility.

Charamba said that the boycott failed and highlighted that parliament can work well without opposition members of parliament and senators.

“The boycott backfired spectacularly. If anything, it underlines that MDC parliamentary presence does not matter numerically because Zanu PF filled the empty space and what is more is we read clear differences within their ranks, which will shape their politics as we move into the future.

“With or without them, the issue is the President has tabled matters for debate and their non-attendance does not excuse them from dealing with matters he has put before Parliament. It’s an act in futility.”

OPPOSITION MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday gave his three deputies — Elias Mudzuri, Morgen Komichi and Welshman Ncube — specific roles to play as he moves to strengthen the party following its electoral defeat in the July 30 polls.

Chamisa’s spokesperson, Nkululeko Sibanda, told NewsDay that Mudzuri, Komichi and Ncube were tasked to lead local government; policy and international relations and administration and finance, respectively.

Chamisa recently elevated Komichi from being chairperson to VP while also integrating Ncube into the mainstream MDC-T.

“VP Mudzuri is in charge of local government, Komichi in charge of party policy and international relations and Ncube is in charge of administration and finance,” Sibanda said.

“VP Ncube will be in charge of all departments that help the institution in terms of administration. He has vast experience on this one and at one point he was the secretary-general of the party. VP Mudzuri has a lot of experience in his portfolio and he is an engineer.”

Sibanda expressed confidence that the appointments would yield the desired results and exhibit more organisational strength.

“Those appointed in different portfolios in Zanu PF are ancient brains and are fossils in terms of thinking. You can appoint as many of them as possible, but we cannot be bothered by fossils. Those that we have appointed are modern, futuristic and academics.

“One of them is a professor and they are appointed into different portfolios that go with their experiences. All what Zanu PF has is experience in failure and they cannot match our team. Their brains are ancient. When we are looking at them, we are looking at fossils.”

Sibanda was referring to Zanu PF’s recent redeployments of former Cabinet ministers, among them Obert Mpofu, Simon Khaya Moyo and Patrick Chinamasa to take up full-time jobs at the Zanu PF headquarters.

Newsday

GOVERNMENT has established five new tollgates on major highways with effect from today as part of efforts to generate more revenue for roads infrastructure development.

In an e-mailed response to questions from The Chronicle, Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) Public Relations Officer, Mr Augustine Moyo, said:

“The Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) wishes to advice the motoring public that with effect from tomorrow (today), five new tollgates will be operationalised in terms of the Toll Road Act of 2015.

“These are located at Colleen Bawn along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, Lothian (37 km before Masvingo) along Mutare-Masvingo Road, 17.5 km from Chivhu along the Chivhu-Nyazura Road, Triangle along Ngundu-Tanganda Road and Mufudzi along the Harare-Bindura-Mt Darwin Road”.

The five are part of 10 new tollgates approved by Government in 2015.

The five outstanding tollgates will be erected at Honeyspruit along the Harare-Masvingo Road, outside Karoi along the Harare-Chirundu Highway, at Dewure along the Mutare-Masvingo Road, in Mwenezi on the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road and in Kazungula along the Victoria Falls-Kazungula Road.

Zinara said tolling fees remain unchanged.

Light vehicle motorists pay $2 while minibuses and buses pay $3 and $4 respectively. Drivers of haulage trucks are required to pay $10 to pass through tollgates.

Zimbabwe already has 26 tollgates along major highways, situated between 15 to 20km from major cities and towns.

Government introduced tollgates in 2009 and has to date collected about $360 million from them.

In another development, Zinara has offered motorists a 100 percent discount on all penalties for outstanding licence fees, valid until September 31 this year.

“The motoring public are advised to visit any Zinara office countrywide and take advantage of this promotion to regularise their vehicle licences before the end of the promotion,” Mr Moyo said.

He said the discount is aimed at achieving compliance with regards to vehicle licensing.

“A number of vehicles are unlicensed and it is illegal to drive an uninsured and unlicensed vehicle on Zimbabwe’s roads. All vehicles that are off the road for whatsoever reason must be exempted by Zinara,” Mr Moyo said.

State Media

Jane Mlambo| THE officer who revealed the existence of a government passport blacklist could be at risk after Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede made clear he is keen to uncover the identity of what he described as a “worm” that must be “eradicated”.

Veteran journalist Violet Gonda was recently stunned to discover that she was on the secret list of Zimbabweans banned from getting passports .

After completing the formalities and paying the required fees, an officer at the Registrar General’s department told her that the system had red-flagged her name because she was on a ‘Stop List’.

Gonda promptly challenged the decision at the High Court through the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

On Monday Mudede summoned Gonda and her attorney to his Harare offices and indicated he would issue the passport within days.

‘Worm must be eradicated’

He however, demanded the name of the officer who revealed the existence of the ‘Stop List’, NewZimbabwe.com heard.

Accompanied by six senior aides including the department lawyer, Mudede reportedly described the officer as a “worm” that must be “eradicated”.

“The worm I’m talking about … is not a different worm,” said Mudede.

“I’m talking about a particular individual who might be mischievous … who will tell people what we don’t practice here.”

Gonda and human rights attorney Denford Halimani refused to reveal identity of the officer.

CHICKEN Inn FC striker Obidiah Tarumbwa has been sentenced to eight months in prison for failing to pay maintenance arrears of about $6 000 for the upkeep of his two minor children.

He started serving his sentence on Monday at Bulawayo Prison.

Bulawayo magistrate Ms Rachel Mukanga slapped Tarumbwa with a custodial sentence after the striker persistently defaulted on paying maintenance for the children he had with ex-wife Patience Tarumbwa.

He has, however, applied to the High Court for the sentence to be set aside and is begging the court for an extension to pay his arrears.

The matter has been set for ruling on Friday.

The court heard Tarumbwa once applied for a downward variation, saying he was maintaining a child he had with another woman, but it was not granted.

Prosecuting, Mr Mehluli Ndlovu said last month, Tarumbwa was due in court for a hearing on his long running case but instead he appeared as an 81st minute substitute in Chicken Inn’s 3-2 win over Highlanders in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields Stadium.

The veteran striker has been in and out of court for failure to pay maintenance. In 2016, he was sentenced to five months imprisonment, which was wholly suspended on condition that he cleared his arrears. In February this year, Tarumbwa only contributed $200 towards his arrears.

Tarumbwa was sentenced to 12 months in prison for defaulting on more than $6 000 towards his children in June this year.

The magistrate told Tarumbwa that the court had seen that he had the means to pay maintenance, so he had to comply.

He had pleaded guilty to failure to pay maintenance when he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.

Tarumbwa once told the court that he could not afford to pay $316 monthly maintenance as he has another child with another woman whom he was taking care of. “Your Worship, $316 is too much for me to pay. I know they are my children and I have to look after them but it’s hard for me to raise the money especially now that I only get paid after playing a game and we win,” he said. “I tried negotiating at the maintenance court but they didn’t understand because people think soccer players have money yet we don’t”.

In April 2016 media exposed the Chicken Inn striker for failing to take care of his child with a Kenyan woman who revealed that she was giving up the their child to an orphanage due his failure to take care of his offspring.

Staff Reporter|President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to hold a rally in cholera stricken area in Glenview despite the police having issued a ban in public gatherings last week in the wake of the spread of the disease.

To date, cholera has claimed 32 lives while more than 3000 people have been affected by the waterborne disease.

Last week, an MDC Alliance rally which was scheduled for Gwanzura Stadii8had to be canceled while the University of Zimbabwe graduation had to b noe shelved indefinitely.

The show promoters in the country have had to cancel their shows the latest being the highly anticipated return of South African Hip Hop artists, Casper Nyovest and Prince Kaybee whose shows were canceled until the outbreak has been contained.

FOOD insecure households in Zimbabwe now stand at nearly 600 000, triggering fears that the number will continue to swell in light of projections that the country will experience acute drought this year and in 2019.

The development is occurring at a time the country is battling to meet its fertiliser needs due to limited foreign currency required to import key raw materials to manufacture the commodity.

Zimbabwe is also grappling with waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea.

Last year, about 40% of families, mostly in rural areas, were in dire need of food.

According to minutes of last month’s third-quarter National Food and Nutrition Security Committee (NFNSC) meeting, the southern African country faces severe hunger, with nearly 29 000 metric tonnes of grain required to feed millions of people, particularly in rural areas.

Climatologists have forecast the El Niño weather phenomenon, which is usually associated with acute drought spells, will ravage eastern and southern African nations including Zimbabwe this year and in 2019.

“The Social Services department in their update informed the NFNSC that the number of food insecure households now stands at 579 865 requiring 28 993.25 metric tonnes of grain per month,” read excerpts of the August 28 meeting’s minutes.

“To date 6 866.36 MT (metric tonnes) of grain was delivered to vulnerable households during the week ending 22 August 2018 and this brings the cumulative total to 191,507.65 metric tonnes.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) projects that Zimbabwe, with a population of 15,6 million, will battle to feed 1,1 million of its people “at the peak of the lean season, as poor rains and erratic weather patterns have a negative impact on crop harvests and livelihood prospects.”

According to the United Nations (UN) agency, an estimated 63% of Zimbabwe’s people live below the poverty datum line.

Last year, the Zimbabwe was ranked 108 out of 109 countries on the Global Hunger Index.

Zimbabwe is also battling to meet its fertiliser needs due to limited foreign currency shortages.

Local fertiliser manufacturing companies require US$135 million in nostro funding to import raw materials to manufacture 600 000 tonnes of the commodity required this forthcoming summer cropping season, amid revelations that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is availing only 30% of needed funds.

Sable Chemical Industries, one of the major fertiliser manufacturers in Zimbabwe, has since indicated that it will only be able to satisfy 38% of national demand.

Several other companies are also reeling under viability challenges, casting fears that the success of Zimbabwe’s summer cropping season will be derailed by a fertiliser shortage.

Independent

Disciplining a peeping Tom backfired for a machete-wielding Glendale man after he was arrested for assault.

Cleopas Chimuriwo (27) was fined $100 by Concession resident magistrate, Ruth Moyo yesterday and faces 30 days imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine by the end of the month.

Prosecutor Gossy Mudambu told the court that on September 15 this year, Chimuriwo met Andrew Erismos at Tsungubvi bar in Glendale. Chimuriwo accused Erismos of shooting a pornographic video of him and his girlfriend and posting it on social media.

Chimuriwo who was carrying a machete, struck Erismos four times on the right leg before running away.

Erismos reported the matter to the police, leading to Chimuriwo’s arrest, but a medical report was not produced in court.

In mitigation, Chimuriwo said he was angered by the complainant’s behaviour as he had invaded his privacy with his girlfriend.

“Your worship, l am kindly asking for your mercy. l acted in that manner out of rage. The complainant took a video whilst l was having afternoon sex with my girlfriend and he posted it on social media and it went viral,” he said.

“I am a family man. If l go to jail my family will suffer, so please give me another chance by sparing me a jail term.”

FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube will next month unveil a transitional economic stabilisation programme that will address fiscal and monetary reforms as well as an arrears clearance programme.

Zimbabwe is saddled with fiscal pressures as the public sector spending is chewing above 90% of the country’s revenue, leaving little for social and infrastructure development.

Ncube yesterday met outgoing British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Catriona Laing, and outlined how the United Kingdom would assist in arrears clearance.

“I also did share with Ambassador Laing that we are working on a transitional economic stabilisation programme that is likely to be operationalised in line with vision 2030,” Ncube said.

“In terms of that vision, we have to undertake certain reforms in terms of fiscal consolidation, (and) arrears clearance. The UK has been a big partner in terms of arrears clearance, supporting us all the way on how to think about it and convening important international meetings here and there, supporting the arrears clearance.”

Zimbabwe is burdened by a debt overhang of over $18 billion accrued from both public and private sector borrowing, resulting in the country sinking deeper into a fiscal quagmire since 2013.

Domestic debt has risen to $10 billion, while external debt stands at $8,5 billion.

Government has been issuing quasi-currency instruments in the form of Treasury Bills currently standing at about $2 billion to fund its domestic requirements.

“The direction on currency reforms is linked with the direction of fiscal reforms,” Ncube said.

“What we are considering is a package. In a sense, the fiscal side is an albatross to the monetary side. So if we are going to have monetary reforms, we are going to have fiscal reforms.

“That is reducing the budget deficit (and) getting it down to a single digit as quickly as we can and adopt a budgeting approach that always take a medium term approach. We must be clear on where we want to go in three years’ time.”

Ncube said he would have to further discuss the issue of arrears at the annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings in Bali Nusa Dua, Indonesia, taking place between October 12 and 14.

“We don’t have timelines yet, but it’s about options, then steps once the options have been chosen. So there are various options, so we are looking at those options and see what’s workable. But we are on top of this,” he said.

Laing said the spring meetings would be a good opportunity to set out a clear vision on how the country seeks to clear its arrears.

“The IMF and World Bank meetings in Bali will be a very good opportunity to set out the vision on a fiscal and monetary side with the creditors and to see what the timelines will be on clearing the arrears,” she said.

“We recognise that you need support and we are here to provide that support to try and encourage the process on being back to the IMF programme perhaps on an interim staff-monitored programme as soon as possible.

“So we have to start a serious dialogue with the IMF which will unlock what you really need from the international community, that is lines of credit.”

Newsday

It’s said there is a proposition for Harare that will see commuters travel via Cable Car from Harare Show Grounds to 4th Street for just 50c. Project requires no govt funding.

State Media – President Emmerson Mnangagwa is today expected to swear-in the seven-member commission set up to probe the post-election violence that occurred in Harare on August 1 that led to the deaths of six people.

The team is chaired by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe.

Other members of the commission from outside the country are international law expert Mr Rodney Dixon QC from the United Kingdom, former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku from Nigeria and former Chief of Defence Forces of the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces General (Retired) Davis Mwamunyange.

University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturers Professors Charity Manyeruke and Lovemore Madhuku and former president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) Mrs Vimbai Nyemba complete the commission.

President Mnangagwa indicated this on Tuesday while delivering his inaugural State of the Nation Address and officially opening the First Session of the Ninth Parliament to a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate.

“The isolated, regrettable and unacceptable incident of violence, which occurred on the 1st August 2018 should not deter us from the bold course of peace we have begun,” he said.

“I have announced a seven-member Commission of Inquiry, consisting of eminent persons, whom I will be swearing-in tomorrow, Wednesday 19 September 2018. I am confident that their ultimate report and recommendations will help put closure and finality to the matter.”

State Media

The Zimbabwe Cross Border Traders Association has called on Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube to investigate the source of bond notes and other currencies that have flooded the black market in border towns.

In an interview yesterday, the organisation’s president Dr Killer Zivhu said the liquidity crisis in the country had hit hard on cross border traders and ordinary Zimbabweans.

He said it boggles the mind that border towns were flooded with millions of bond notes and other currencies, which were not circulating in the formal system.

Dr Zivhu said the Finance minister and officials at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) should implement urgent reforms to deal with the economic situation.

“We are concerned with the situation where ordinary Zimbabweans countrywide are affected by the liquidity crisis and the fact that there is no money in the banking system yet the black market in border towns is well supplied,” said Dr Zivhu. “It is common cause that money changers have been in existence for a very long time and these need to be incorporated into the fiscus.

“Government should encourage these people to form consortiums and open bureau de changes.

“Under such a set-up it (Government) can be able to regulate exchange rates, rather than the current scenario where those with dip pockets are determining the rates willy-nilly.

“We are willing to work with central Government and the Minister of Finance in addressing the cash crisis,” he said.

Dr Zivhu said most economic activities were cross border-related and that these have been strongly affected by the cash shortages.

He said in some cases children of cross-border traders were dropping out of school as a result of the financial strain.

Dr Zivhu said it was important for Government to review the duty regime and introduce incentives to entice people to pay tax.

“There should be an incentive for people to pay duty at affordable rates especially for those importing the products we don’t manufacture,” he said.

“Indications are that smuggling activities are rampant across our border as people try to avoid paying excess duty or they cannot acquire the requisite permits to import basics due to red tape.”

State Media

THE value of unclaimed pension benefits has risen to $30 million with about 48 000 pensionable claims on the books of insurance companies lying unclaimed, the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC) has said.

The continued rise in the figure has jolted the insurance regulatory board to take corrective measures and is now planning to publicise the names of policy holders whose benefits have not been claimed with the hope of reaching out to the beneficiaries.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of this year’s commemorations of the World Pensions Awareness Day on Saturday in Mutare IPEC Public Relations Officer Mr Lloyd Gumbo said it was disheartening that would-be beneficiaries could be living in poverty while their monies lay idle.

He said the majority of the people who have not claimed their money were those that used to work in the clothing and mining industries and these include standalone funds, self-administered funds and insured funds.

IPEC said the failure to claim could be attributed to lack of knowledge on the part of pension scheme members or could be a result of poor record-keeping by the pension funds, which makes it difficult for the pension funds to trace the members.

“As IPEC we have requested a list of all pension fund beneficiaries who have not been claiming their money and we have since been given some of the names, but they are still compiling,” said Mr Gumbo.

“So what we intend to do is to make it easy for those beneficiaries to be able to access or know that they have not claimed. We intend to publicise the names of all the people who have not claimed their money which is now almost 48 000 people which amounts to about $30million.

“Our interest is to make sure that people enjoy their benefits so we want them to know they have benefits which are lying idle which they can come and claim,” he said.

Mr Gumbo said in other jurisdictions like South Africa, policy holders can have access to their benefits by entering their particulars through the regulator’s website and view what is due to them and IPEC is working to develop the same concept locally.

In cases where the pension beneficiary has passed on, their spouses can also claim the same benefits or if there is no spouse children under the age of 18 years can also claim.

“We are also working on a system that will make it possible for someone to check on our website, they just log in their particulars like National ID which will take them directly (to view) their benefits.

“(In the event of a beneficiary passing on) a (surviving) spouse is the first priority when it comes to claiming pension benefits, the children can also claim the money as long as they have not turned 18 years old,” said Mr Gumbo.

Unclaimed pension benefits, Mr Gumbo said, were kept in a “Guardian Fund” awaiting for an eventual claim from the policy holder or any authorised person.

In the event that they remain unclaimed for five years in the guardian fund, the funds are then forfeited to the state for use in national development projects.

State Media

Jane Mlambo| A 28-YEAR-OLD Mazowe traffic cop was arraigned before Concession resident magistrate Ruth Moyo yesterday for duping a motorbike rider of his $5 at a police roadblock for ridding without a driver’s licence.

Public prosecutor Gossy Mudambu alleged that on 15 September 2018 Onesimas Nyakurwa was deployed along the 40 kilometre peg Harare-Bindura highway on road block duties together with eight other police officers and one member of the Zimbabwe National Army.

The complainant Kudakwashe Rwambiwa (44) a farm worker at Mupamhanga farm in Bindura was riding a motor bike when he was stopped at a roadblock by one of the policeman and Nyakurwa approached him asking for a driver’s licence which he failed to produce.

Nyakurwa then explained to Rwambiwa that he was under arrest and a $40 spot fine was required for his offence.

The complaint told the accused that he did not have such money and had only $10 which he intended to use on fuel.

The accused asked the complainant to produce the money and he produced $10 inform of $1,00 bond coins.

The accused then took $5-00 in the same denominations and told the complainant to use the other $5-00 to buy fuel and the accused persoperson went away towards Mazowe Police station while the complaint proceeded to Mazowe service station.

The matter came to light when Rwambiwa advised his employer who filed a police report and an identification parade was conducted resulting in the arrest of the cop. The matter continues on 28 September 2018.

-Byo24

Jane Mlambo| According to Zimbabwe’s new president, conditions are not yet right for foreign currencies to be replaced by the Zimbabwean dollar.

Zimbabwe’s new president on Tuesday ruled out an early return of the Zimbabwean dollar, toning down remarks by his finance minister that backed reintroducing the currency.

In an inaugural address in parliament marked by an opposition walkout, President Emmerson Mnangagwa pledged a raft of economic measures, including currency reforms and better forex availability.

But, he said, conditions had to be right before foreign currencies were replaced once more by the Zimbabwean dollar.

“My government shall continue with the use of the multicurrency system up until the current negative economic fundamentals have been addressed to give credence to the introduction of the local currency,” Mnangagwa said.

In 2009, wracked by hyper-inflation, Zimbabwe dumped the local dollar and adopted the US greenback and other foreign currencies, including the South African rand.
But the economy remains deep in the mire, crippled by policies adopted under Mnangagwa’s predecessor, Robert Mugabe.

On September 10, new Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said he backed a return of the Zimbabwe dollar, “the sovereign currency,” to help economic revival.

But, he said, this had to be done in conjunction with “fiscal policy”.

Lawmakers from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) boycotted Mnangagwa’s inaugural state-of-the-nation address.

“MDC members of parliament have just defied the illegitimate president and ZANU-PF leader ED Mnangagwa by walking out during his uninspiring reading of a speech,” Sibanda tweeted.

Mnangagwa was declared winner after Zimbabwe’s top court threw out the MDC’s bid to overturn the results of the July 30 presidential elections.

-AFP

Jane Mlambo| Government has set up an inter-ministerial committee to come up with a lasting solution to the cholera outbreak in Harare and other parts of the country.

The committee is chaired by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo.

Other members of the committee are ministers Obadiah Moyo (Health and Child Care), Mthuli Ncube (Finance and Economic Development), Joram Gumbo (Energy and Power Development), Prisca Mupfumira (Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry), Perrance Shiri (Lands, Agriculture, Land, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement) and Monica Mutsvangwa (Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services).

Minister Mutsvangwa announced the committee during her first Cabinet briefing to the media at Munhumutapa Government Offices yesterday.

The briefing is in line with the new policy introduced by President Mnangagwa that in the Second Republic the citizenry should be kept abreast of key Cabinet decisions to promote transparency and accountability.

As such, after every weekly Cabinet meeting, Minister Mutsvangwa will brief the media on key decisions made.

The briefings are attended by the implementing ministers and the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet.

“Cabinet also established an inter-ministerial committee, which will spearhead short- and long-term measures to address cholera outbreaks in the country,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

“This committee comprises ministers of the following ministries: Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and he will be chair, Health and Child Care; Finance and Economic Development; Energy and Power Development; Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry; Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement; and Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.

“As part of the long-term preventive measures, Cabinet directed that all municipal authorities should procure and install the critical infrastructure surveillance systems detecting all the pipes, which are breaking down. It has also been seen that a central authority be established to coordinate the designing and construction of water and sewer infrastructure in our metropolitan provinces where several local authorities co-exist with central Government playing a pivotal role.

“Finally, in order to facilitate close supervision and monitoring of progress in addressing the current cholera outbreak, Cabinet directed that the inter-ministerial committee, which I have just talked about, will be providing regular briefs to the Presidency on the programme.”

Minister Mutsvangwa said Government was determined to ensure that the outbreak of cholera was dealt with once and for all.

“I want to assure you that this is the last time ever this mediaeval disease will stalk this beautiful country of Zimbabwe and the Sunshine City,” she said.

“Following receipt of a report of the current cholera outbreak epidemic and measures being implemented to stamp out this outbreak, Cabinet greatly appreciated the overwhelming response to Government calls for assistance by the private corporate sector. Social partners also did come in, individuals including Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.”

-State media

Jane Mlambo| President Mnangagwa has reassured the nation that the United States dollar will remain the bedrock of Government plans for accelerated reforms to address the multiplicity of challenges besetting the economy, chief among them cash and foreign currency shortages, as his administration moves to stabilise the economy.

Officially opening the First Session of the Ninth Parliament of Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday, following his election victory on July 30 this year, President Mnangagwa said the Government will double current efforts towards stabilising the volatile macro-economic environment.

This, the President said, will be done through measures to enhance foreign currency availability, improve liquidity, enhance Zimbabwe’s investment attractiveness, instituting currency reforms, reducing National Budget deficit and ensuring gradual growth of all sectors of the economy.

The ultimate goal, President Mnangagwa said, was to restore macro-economic order, create jobs, end corruption, improve social service delivery, provide requisite modern and efficient infrastructure, clean water, sanitation, good education, health care and sustainable environmental practices.

-State media

Newly appointed Finance and Economic Development minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has changed his song on the abolishment of bond notes urging the business community to accept notes as they are still a legal tender saying the currency will only change after broader economic reforms have been put in place.

Exchange rates on Zimbabwe’s parallel market have skyrocketed to an average 100% for real time gross settlement (RTGS) transfers on the back of Professor Ncube’s remarks that bond notes will be phased out.

Addressing the media in the capital today, Ncube said government is working towards fiscal and monetary reforms with the aim of reducing budget deficit to a single digit.

“The direction on currency reforms really was also with linked with the direction of fiscal reforms, what we are considering is a package where we are looking both on the fiscal and monetary reforms since they work together.

“What l mean is that we should reduce budget deficit to a single digit as quickly as we can and also adopting a budget approach whereby we must be clear on where we want to be in years time in terms of fiscal balances,” he said.

He added that they are working on controlling expenditure and broadening the tax base.

“We also want to control expenditure and making sure that on the revenue side we broaden the tax base.

“That should be clear getting fiscal balances into some equilibrium and simultaneously deal with the monetary section such that monetary sector reforms become formalized and then currency issues are then dealt with within that.

“So its a package that we are working on rather than something as narrow as whats being said in the street and that is the formulation of a strong currency that we are looking for,” added Ncube.

Speaking during the State of the National Address (SONA) and the official opening of the first session of the Ninth Parliament today, President Mnangagwa also said the multi-currency system will continue until economic fundamentals are met adding that the government has negotiated various facilities to meet foreign currency requirements for businesses and that some of them will be disbursed starting this week.

An Air Zimbabwe plane aborted take-off from OR Tambo International Airport – apparently because of a battery problem and under-fueling.

Time stood still for dozens of passengers on the Boeing 767-200 aircraft on September 14 after the plane sped down a runway and just before lift-off the captain applied the brakes.

Among the passengers on flight UM462 to Harare was former Minister of State for Masvingo Province Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, who was returning home from graduating with a PhD from the University of KwaZulu Natal.

The flight was due to take-off at 1855hrs, landing in Harare at 2040hrs.

Bhasikiti told ZimLive that passengers immediately knew there was a problem when the captain fired up the engines.

“We boarded at about 1830hrs. When they started the engines, there was a very strange sound, the kind of sound that you get when you start the engine of a ramshackle car and it is failing,” Bashikiti said.

“It was so bad people were looking at each other laughing. Someone remarked that we should get down and push the plane.”

The former Mwenezi East MP said the pilot proceeded with take-off procedures and soon, the plane had left its bay and lined-up on the runway.

“He did about 400 or 500 meters at full throttle, and then suddenly the captain applied the brakes and brought the plane to a crawl. By now we were all terrified. He pulled off from the runway and we all desperately wanted to know what was going on.

“The captain’s voice came on the intercom to tell us that we couldn’t take-off because our aircraft needed to be attended to by engineers. He said there could be a problem with our battery or fuel.

“I couldn’t believe that they wanted to get us in the air with a faulty plane with deficient fuel.”

Bhasikiti said the aircraft was parked in a temporary bay and refuelled. Engineers attended to the other problems.

The plane was finally cleared for take-off at 2029hrs and landed in Harare without incident at 2214hrs.

Bhasikiti said he was a “hopeless optimist” for Zimbabwe’s future which is why he still flies Air Zimbabwe despite safety concerns, but he is still furious they came close to a disaster.

“Why should someone experiment with our lives? Planes must be able to show technical readings when they are still on the ground, including fuel levels. There was the give-away noise when the engines were started and surely that can’t be the normal sound of the plane’s engines, somebody should have intervened earlier,” he said.

Air Zimbabwe had a largely unblemished flight history, but warned that the crisis at the airline which is down to two aircrafts “makes it possible for the unexpected to happen.”

Air Zimbabwe had not responded to our written enquiries.

— ZimLive

Staff Correspondent|The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC, which alleged electoral fraud in the July 30 general election, said yesterday it would consult its rank-and-file membership over a decision to contest in the upcoming Mutoko North by-elections, the latest twist in a long-running election dispute.

This comes after Mutoko North MP Mabel Chinomona was elected as President of the Senate after beating MDC Alliance Senator Morgen Komichi.

After being elected as president of the Senate, Chinomona immediately and automatically ceased to be a member of the National Assembly.

There must, therefore, be an early by-election for her former constituency of Mutoko North.

The opposition party’s spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, told the Daily News they will first go to the people before deciding to participate in the by-election.

No date has been announced for the by-elections yet but they are expected soon.

Mafume accused the Zimbabwe Election Commission (Zec) of rigging the July 30 vote, and said they would first need to consult whether to enter the race or not.

“There is something fundamentally wrong with Zec, especially the way Zec runs the elections. We would like to take stock before we commit ourselves to the next elections.

There is need for dialogue among all stakeholders to make sure that Zec is reformed, otherwise we would only be guided by the party on the way forward,” Mafume told the Daily News.

Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said they are going to participate in the by-election. He said they would await the proclamation of the poll dates by the president.

Presently, there are two vacancies in the National Assembly, one being the proportional representation seat in Matabeleland North that fell vacant following the death of Thokozile Mathuthu on August 13.

This seat will be filled by a qualified woman nominated by the ruling party in terms of section 39 of the Electoral Act.

The ruling Zanu PF has expelled Talent Kadzima who stood as an independent candidate in the Nyanga South National Assembly elections.

Kadzima, defied the party and stood as an independent candidate after she lost the primaries to Supa Mandiwanzira, the former Information Communications Technology and Cyber Security minister.

Mandiwanzira won the Nyanga South seat.

The decision to expel Kadzima was made at a Zanu PF provincial executive council meeting held in Mutare at the weekend.

The motion to have Kadzima expelled was raised by Chido Sanyatwe, the Nyanga North member of the National Assembly.

Sanyatwe declined to comment, referring the Daily News to Zanu PF provincial chairperson Mike Madiro, who in turn referred all inquiries to the provincial secretary for administration, Kenneth Saruchera.

Saruchera’s mobile number was not reachable.

Zanu PF central committee member Moses Gutu said Kadzima’s decision to stand as an independent had far reaching implications to the party’s performance during the July 30 harmonised elections.

“She contributed so much especially on the difference in terms of the voting figures between the local MP Supa Mandiwanzira and President Emmerson Mnangagwa because of her hate speech,” Gutu said.

“She heavily de-campaigned President Mnangagwa by saying she had been sent to come and deal with Supa something which didn’t go well with Nyanga South locals. This is why some of the people ended up failing to vote for the President.”

Mnangagwa got 10 298 votes in Nyanga South while Mandiwanzira got 12 322 votes.

Gutu said despite the discrepancy, the Nyanga South legislator did his best to campaign for the President and the Zanu PF candidates for council.

Gutu said Kadzima no longer has a place in Zanu PF.

“Our party constitution is very clear that once one decides to go by the wayside, he or she would have expelled themselves,” Gutu said.

“Our worry is that after Talent was issued with her prohibition order, she continued on the ground disturbing the people.”

In Nyanga North, Mnangagwa also trailed the Zanu PF National Assembly candidate, Sanyatwe, but with a lesser margin than in Nyanga South.

“The reason why the margin was higher in Nyanga South is because of the activity by Talent Kadzima. She cost us the presidential vote,” said Gutu.

Kadzima is daughter to Gender Commissioner Paul Kadzima, a former Zanu PF MP for Nyanga South and central committee member.

DailyNews

Jane Mlambo| Leader of the opposition MDC Alliance, Nelson Chamisa has continued to rally his supporters promising change which he tweeted is coming soon.

Chamisa who said he was coming from rural areas where he had gone to consult opinion leaders including chiefs, church leaders and citizens on the next steps to take had this to say;

https://twitter.com/nelsonchamisa/status/1042065683943706624

Jane Mlambo|A Bulawayo magistrate on Monday freed commuter omnibus driver David Ndlovu who had been arrested for insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Ndlovu was arrested on earlier this year for calling the Zanu PF leader a dog.
However, passing ruling on Monday, magistrate Gladmore Mushowe said prosecutors had failed prove their allegations.

The State alleging that the offence occurred when Ndlovu, of Sauurcetown in Bulawayo, met one Sibekezile Jele at Puma Service Station situated at corner Lobengula Street and 6th Avenue in the city.

Jele, a nurse aid at a local nursing home, approached a paraffin vendor only identified in court as Banda intending to buy the fuel.

When Jele complained that the paraffin was too expensive, Ndlovu allegedly interjected and said in isiNdebele “Wena hantsho wavota wathi ED pfee, sizibona ukuthi inja leyo izalenzani” (You voted for ED, we will see what that dog of yours is going to do for you).

However, magistrate Mushowe said the State failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused.

“The state failed to bring witnesses to corroborate what the complainant told the court,” he said.

“It is clear that there was no commotion or peace disturbances after the accused allegedly uttered those words.”

Ndlovu’s lawyer, Dixon Abraham from the Christian Legal Society, welcomed the ruling.
“I had always known that the State had no case,” he said.

“The State should not waste the court’s time by bringing petty squabbles before the courts.

“There are serious offences which are being committed every day which need urgent address and not these minor cases.”
-Newzimbabwe.com

Jane Mlambo|Britain will support Zimbabwe to get on to an interim IMF staff programme to help the country quickly clear its foreign arrears, Britain’s ambassador in Harare said on Tuesday.

Clearing the $1.8 billion in arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank is seen as a major step for Zimbabwe to start accessing foreign credit, especially for the private sector as well as foreign direct investment.

Ambassador Catriona Laing said an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme would help Britain’s former colony expedite the clearance of its arrears. “We are here to give that support to try and encourage a process back to an IMF programme, perhaps through an interim staff monitoring programme as soon as possible,” Laing told reporters.

She said this would enable Zimbabwe “to start a serious dialogue” around the clearance of the arrears.

Zimbabwe’s finance minister Mthuli Ncube said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was still deciding whether to follow the Highly Indebted Poor Country route or a commercial deal to clear the arrears.

Only then would it come up with a timeline to pay the arrears, he said, adding that he would launch an economic stabilisation programme next month. Zimbabwe, which is trying to shake off its international pariah tag, started defaulting on its foreign debt in 1999.

The West put sanctions on the country in 2002 as punishment against former President Robert Mugabe’s government.

Laing said along with economic measures such as reducing the country’s fiscal deficit, Britain also wanted Harare to carry out political reforms, including aligning the country’s laws to a 2013 constitution.

“We will be tracking both pathways, the economic pathway and political pathway. We want Zimbabwe to succeed,” Laing said.
-Online media

Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has insisted that July 30 Polls were peaceful, free and fair, remarks that will not go down well with the opposition MDC Alliance which has dismissed the outcome of the Presidential elections as a cooked result.

Addressing the ninth session of parliament today, Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans heeded his calls for peaceful political contestation saying his government has begun entrenching constitutionalism and democratic practices and values.

”As per my promise, the recently held harmonised elections whose outcome constituted this parliament were peaceful, free, fair and democratic,” said Mnangagwa.

MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa is on record saying Mnangagwa rigged elections.

Chamisa who challenged the Presidential election results at the Constitutional Court where he sought to expose irregularities that proved why the elections were not credible.

The case was dismissed but Chamisa insists that the court did not give him a chance to submit subpoenas that had hardcore evidence to prove his case.

Jane Mlambo| The Harare City Council has named officials who attempted to swindle funds meant for cholera outbreak intervention with Mayor, Councillor Hebert Gomba saying disciplinary action has already been effected on the trio.

The officials are Philimon Rwafa who is the Procurement and stores officer, Smart Mhuka, Tawanda Marange and Tafadzwa Reza.

Speaking to 263Chat today, Harare Mayor Hebert Gomba said disciplinary action has already been effected to the officials saying suspension from work starting yesterday was the first step as part of the disciplinary process.

“We are continuously looking at the matter and the release of names is an indication on how we intend to take up the matter.

“The people involved have been suspended and they will be taken for disciplinary at the industrial relations offices of the council,” said Gomba.

The matter came to light yesterday following business mogul founder of Econet Wireless, Strive Masiyiwa expressing displeasure in the manner in which cholera fund was being handled.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Masiyiwa revealed that following the pledge to pump millions into cholera fight, some officials hiked prices of material intended for cholera fight in a bid to defraud Econet.

“One of the saddest things that happened last week when Econet announced that it had set aside $10 million to help support to buy medicines and materials was the number of suppliers and even officials in one of the municipalities who tried to defraud our company by offering things at highly inflated prices,” reads part of the post.

Jane Mlambo| MDC President, Nelson Chamisa has said his party will work to turn the 28 local authorities they lead into zones of excellence abhorring corruption which he said calls for strong leadership.

In his latest Twitter post, Chamisa said he has instructed his Mayors and Councillors to work hard towards service delivery.

DECISIVELY DEALING WITH CORRUPTION.. Reports of corruption in government, both local and national call for strong leadership. In the 28 cities & towns we lead, we’ve instructed all Mayors & Councillors to turn those local authorities into zones of excellence service delivery.

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) September 18, 2018

Just yesterday, Econet Wireless founder, Strive Masiyiwa complained of local authority employees who inflated prices of goods to be procured using his company’s $10 million donation towards fighting cholera.

The employees who have since been suspended by City of Harare Town Clerk, Engineer Hosiah Chisango were reported to have inflated the price of gloves from three dollars to $65, something that did not go well with Masiyiwa who threatened to name the officials once dust settles.

Staff Reporter|Highly reliable ZimEye.com sources have made claims that former Cabinet Minister Savior Kasukuwere has been arrested in Harare.

This comes as ZimEye was earlier this morning contacted by Kasukuwere as he dismissed the reports from Tuesday morning.

Kasukuwere was said to be set to appear at the Rotten Row Magistrates Court facing charges of some illegal land deals done while he was still in government.

It is also revealed that he was also questioned in connection with the Bulawayo bombing of July 23 where President Emmerson Mnangagwa missed assassination by a whisker.

Kasukuwere earlier today revealed to ZimEye.com that he was not aware of any arrests nor court appearances set for him after early morning reports from court roll indicated that he was due for court today.

This article is still developing and details will be updated as they become available.

Dear President ED Mnangagwa,

Ref: Demand for Immediate Restoration of Matabeleland State

Your Excellency, I am writing to you in my capacity as the leader of the Matabeleland Liberation Organisation (MLO), an organization whose ultimate objective is to achieve full political independence for the peoples of Matabeleland whose country is currently under Zimbabwe’s inherited colonial occupation since 1893.

Mr President, right from the outset I wish to categorically state that although I am averse to acts of injustice and inhumanity being perpetrated against innocent people in Zimbabwe by military elements loyal to you, I don’t wish to get myself entangled in your present domestic feuds with your Zimbabwean compatriots as that has nothing to do with the liberation of my country, Matabeleland. Even as I congratulate you and your party on your electoral victory in the just concluded harmonised elections in Zimbabwe whose aftermath was characteristised by bloodshed which is synonimous with Zimbabwean political traditions, I wish to state that the Matabeleland Nation we wish to reconstruct will be radically different from the chaos and disorder which define Zimbabwe including the means and methods you adopted to replace your mentor and predecessor, Mr Robert Mugabe.

First and foremost, Your Excellency, I write this letter to alert you to the existence of fundamental demands we made to your predecessor, Mr Robert Mugabe, regarding the urgent need for him as President of Zimbabwe by then, to facilitate a dialogue process that would eventually culminate with Matabeleland gaining her independence from Zimbabwe. The restoration of Matabeleland’s sovereignty is an extremely urgent matter we had hoped your predecessor would expeditiously act upon during his incumbency but unfortunately he was retired before he could find time to resolve it. As the new President of your country it is our hope that you will find time to study our demands as articulated in our correspondences with your predecessor and accordingly act upon them without further delay. As you would know, the people of Matabeleland have never willingly placed themselves under Rhodesia and its successor colonial construct called Zimbabwe and as such we demand to revert to our country’s pre-colonial status of self governance as was the case in 1893. Details of this demand are found in the correspondences made with your predecessor, Mr Robert Mugabe which should be in your office..

Your Excellency, kindly note that the Notice for the Restoration of Matebeleland Sovereignty was served to your predecessor on the 7th December, 2015. I am sure you will agree with MLO that it’s been quite a long time since then and our people are becoming more and more agitated by the passage of each day. As MLO we still commit ourselves to meeting the Zimbabwe colonial government to peacefully resolve this urgent matter to the satisfaction of all concerned through peaceful means.

Your Excellency, the second demand made to the Government of Zimbabwe through your predecessor but now under your leadership, was that Matabeleland be paid a compensation sum of US$100 billion for the multiple level damages suffered under successive Zimbabwe administrations since 18 April, 1980 and the rapacious exploitation of her resources to benefit Zimbabwe and its people at the exclusion of Matabeles. The US$100 billion compensation covers the Matabeleland Genocide committed between 1980 and 1988 by the Zanu PF led government in which you played a leading role, the loss of property, the needless subjection of Matabele people to economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West for Zimbabwe’s political indiscretions, the marginalisation of our citizens and their loss of dignity which has caused them to be displaced, dehumanized, traumatised and dispersed across the globe as economic refugees.

Your Excellency, we are delighted to note that as someone who participated in Zimbabwe’s struggle for national independence against the white colonial regimes, you fully understand the value of cooperation on matters like these in order to avoid unnecessary suffering. We also note that as someone who rose to power through unothordox means when your predecessor could not open sufficient political space for you and your faction within the ruling Zanu PF, you will fully understand the consequences of trying to delay the inevitable.

Mr President, we are also delighted to note that as a leader of the military government in Zimbabwe, you have committed yourself to restorative justice to the demands of white farmers who lost their farms under the previous regime. We therefore believe that as a genuine reformist siezed with rectifying the aftermath of the chaotic Land Reform Programme that savagely affected white people, you are the best disposed man to resolve a more serious African grievance through the peaceful methods that you have publicly laid claim to as your trademark. Your recent interventions in Mr Tendayi Biti’s fugitive dilemma in Zambia and commitment to resolving major national questions of the day peacefully gives us hope that you will also handle the Matabeleland Question with the utmost probity and empathy it deserves.

Mr President, Zimbabwe as a confirmed failed state should not be allowed to go down with Matabeleland which has not benefited anything from the frightful acts of corruption and plunder of the national fiscus. Zimbabwe is a country in which the distribution of power, resources and opportunities is skewed against Matabeles which is intolerable to the Matebeles and can no longer afford to carry on under the circumstances. This is a country in which Matabeles cannot produce a genuine national leader on democratic terms because the antagonistic non-Matabele population uses its majority status not only to undermine Matabele leadership but also to invade Matabele political space and subjugate them to Shona tribal supremacy.

The logical path left to resolve this impasse is a painless, costless and bloodless one which will allow Matebeleland to regain her independence and full sovereignty whilst retaining Zimbabwe as a preferred and natural major trading partner and neighbour. In this arrangement Zimbabwe has nothing to fear or lose as full diplomatic relations, free movement of people and trade between the two neighbouring countries will be maintained.

Mr President, we hope that you will not allow these demands to take any other direction but dialogue guided by wisedom, genuine and sincere cooperation through peaceful means.

Mr President, as you will appreciate it based on your own personal experiences last November when you had to briefly flee the country before retuning home to overturn the tables against your predecessor with military help, Zimbabwe is a very undemocratic country to live in and Matabeles do not wish to be holed up in it any longer. Over 3 million of our people live in abject poverty in what is supposed to be their home whilst a further 3 million lives in exile due to the operation of an ongoing bloodless genocide, marginalisation and state sponsored psychological and physical abuse. They now need to come back home, a home which Zimbabwe cannot and will never provide and guarantee.

Mr President, I don’t need to remind you of how the Government of Zimbabwe you served as a Security Minister under Predident Robert Mugabe arrested and detained George Mkhwanazi and I at Khami Maximum Prison in 2002 and charged us with subversion for condemning the ongoing ethnic cleansing programme against Matebeles as articulated in the Zanupf Anti-Matabele Grand Plan of 1979 and reviewed in 2010, a charge that is still hanging over our heads.

I also don’t have to remind you of how in 2011/12 the Government you served under as a Minister of Justice once again arrested and detained John Gazi, Charles Thomas Gumpo and myself at Khami Maximum Prison and charged us with treason, a charge that is still hanging over my head. Since 1893 upto date we are conscious and aware of selective justice system that is applied on us and note that our grievaces and Demands can not be resolved by the judicial system buy buy the political dialogue.

After relentless persecution of my person and family ,I was eventually hounded out of the country for my beliefs and convitctions , which are shared by the majority Matebeles in their diversity and can not be exchanged for anything but the Restoration of Matebeleland Independence and Sovereignity.

Looking forward to an urgent peaceful resolution of the Matabeleland Demand

Izenzo kungemazwi

Yours sincerely

(President of Matabeleland Liberation Organisation)

By Staff Correspondent|POLICE say the ban on public gatherings announced last week applies to churches as well.

In an interview, Police deputy spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged churches to approach local health workers and police before any gatherings so as to arrest the spread of cholera.

“Police has since banned any gathering in Harare and this also applies to churches and we are urging church leaders to approach local health workers and police for any gathering.”

Ass-Comm Nyathi said they will be on the lookout for gatherings where there are no adequate ablution facilities.

“Police will descend heavily on churches who gather at places where there are no toilets and we discourage more gatherings at places where a number of toilets cannot contain the number of people gathered,” he said referring further questions on musical show gatherings to City of Harare.

Britain will support Zimbabwe to get on to an interim IMF staff programme to help the country quickly clear its foreign arrears, Britain’s ambassador in Harare said on Tuesday.

Clearing the $1.8 billion in arrears to the World Bank and African Development Bank is seen as a major step for Zimbabwe to start accessing foreign credit, especially for the private sector as well as foreign direct investment.

Ambassador Catriona Laing said an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme would help Britain’s former colony expedite the clearance of its arrears.

“We are here to give that support to try and encourage a process back to an IMF programme, perhaps through an interim staff monitoring programme as soon as possible,” Laing told reporters.

She said this would enable Zimbabwe “to start a serious dialogue” around the clearance of the arrears.

Zimbabwe’s finance minister Mthuli Ncube said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was still deciding whether to follow the Highly Indebted Poor Country route or a commercial deal to clear the arrears.

Only then would it come up with a timeline to pay the arrears, he said, adding that he would launch an economic stabilisation programme next month.

Zimbabwe, which is trying to shake off its international pariah tag, started defaulting on its foreign debt in 1999. The West put sanctions on the country in 2002 as punishment against former President Robert Mugabe’s government, which was accused of vote fraud and rights abuses.

Mugabe, whose near four-decade rule ended after a coup last November, has maintained he was punished for seizing white-owned commercial farms to resettle blacks.

Laing said along with economic measures such as reducing the country’s fiscal deficit, Britain also wanted Harare to carry out political reforms, including aligning the country’s laws to a 2013 constitution.

“We will be tracking both pathways, the economic pathway and political pathway. We want Zimbabwe to succeed,” Laing said.

Reuters

Zimbabwe has the second most expensive mobile data in sub-Saharan Africa after Equatorial Guinea at $25 for one gigabyte, a technology report released last week has shown.

Despite the spread of mobile phones and Internet connectivity across Africa, the high cost of data remains a major block to digital innovation, noted the report, which is based on a survey of 37 African nations and prepared by pan African bank, Ecobank.

With revenue from voice calls continuing to drop, data has become the major driver of earnings for telcoms in the country. But the cost of data has become an emotive issue in the region, notably in Zimbabwe and South Africa where it sparked off the #DataMustFall.

Equatorial Guinea, whose average mobile data cost for 1GB was $35,47, was ranked the most expensive country out of the 37 African nations surveyed.

Zimbabwe’s data tariffs are among the highest in the region, while neighbouring countries like South Africa and Zambia charge $10 and $13 respectively.

In India, it costs less than a dollar.

The continental average is $7,04/GB.

The report titled The high cost of mobile data in Sub-Saharan Africa, was prepared based on the average cost of downloading 1GB of data with the number of mobile network operators operating in a particular country.

“Ironically, the cost of data in South Africa is significantly lower than for its neighbours.

Over the border in Zimbabwe, 1GB of mobile data costs $25, while in Swaziland it is $21.86…,” the report read.

“In countries like Zimbabwe, the DRC and Liberia, where mobile data is upwards of 13% of monthly GNI per capita, accessing the Internet regularly is unaffordable for most consumers, perpetuating digital exclusion.

The impact is felt not just by consumers, who do not have access to the services and information that can be provided digitally, but also by SMEs (which make up over 90% of businesses in Africa).”

According to the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Zimbabwe’s GNI per capita as at the end of 2017 was $1 079,60.

Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe and Swaziland were the only sub-Saharan countries to average mobile data charges over $20 for a GB of data.

As of July 1, the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe reduced local out of bundle mobile data and internet charges after a cost modelling exercise for telecommunication network services to five cents per megabyte from the 12,5 cents.

These costs translate to about $50 per 1GB of data as the set regulatory amount for out of bundle mobile data.

Previously, Zimbabwe was ranked the fourth most expensive country in Africa concerning mobile data as at September 30, 2016 in a report prepared by a South African ICT firm Research ICT Africa.

In the report, Zimbabwe had an average charge of $30 per 1GB of mobile data at a time when the regulated prices were 12,5 cents per megabyte (MB).

In the Research ICT Africa report, the national average cost for one gigabyte of monthly data in South Sudan was $90,86, Mauritania $33,60 and Swaziland $32,33, followed by Zimbabwe.

While the average of $25 is an improvement from the $30 stated by Research ICT Africa due to Potraz reducing costs, Zimbabwe still rose to the second most expensive country in Africa due to its high mobile infrastructure costs and fees.

NewsDay

Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushowe has freed a Kombi driver who had been arrested for calling President Emmerson Mnangagwa a dog.

David Ndlovu was freed on Monday after the magistrate ruled that the state had failed prove its allegations against the accused.

The court claimed that Ndlovu, of Sauurcetown in Bulawayo, met one Sibekezile Jele at Puma Service Station situated at corner Lobengula Street and 6th Avenue in the city.

Jele, a nurse aid at a local nursing home, approached a paraffin vendor only identified in court as Banda intending to buy the fuel.

When Jele complained that the paraffin was too expensive, Ndlovu allegedly interjected and said in isiNdebele “Wena hantsho wavota wathi ED pfee, sizabona ukuthi inja leyo izalenzani” (You voted for ED, we will see what that dog of yours is going to do for you).

“The state failed to bring witnesses to corroborate what the complainant told the court,” he said.

“It is clear that there was no commotion or peace disturbances after the accused allegedly uttered those words.”

Ndlovu’s lawyer, Dixon Abraham from the Christian Legal Society, welcomed the ruling.

“I had always known that the State had no case,” he said.

“The State should not waste the court’s time by bringing petty squabbles before the courts.

“There are serious offences which are being committed every day which need urgent address and not these minor cases.”

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NATIONAL Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) board chair, Larry Mavhima, has resigned as the parastatal’s chairman following his recent swearing in as Senator for Shurugwi-Zvishavane and appointment as Minister of State for Midlands province.

He became board chair in March 2016, replacing Engineer Alvord Mabhena who was relieved of his duties in November 2015. Minister Mavima said in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe, he had voluntarily resigned upon being sworn in as a Senator.

“I have voluntarily resigned as board chair of the National Railways of Zimbabwe. The law actually prohibits any members in the executive to hold directorship in State-owned companies so I have since resigned upon being sworn in as a Senator for Shurugwi-Zvishavane,” he said in an interview.

“I have actually handed over my responsibilities at NRZ to my deputy chairman Brigadier General William Dube until a new chairman is appointed by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development (Biggie Matiza).”

During his tenure at the helm of NRZ, Minister Mavima said the board and management did a lot of work to turnaround the strategic entity, which is about to reach financial closure for the $400 million recapitalisation deal. Last year, NRZ and the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG)/Transnet entered into a $400 million deal to fund the parastatal’s rehabilitation project, which involves renewal of plant, equipment, rolling stock, track signalling and telecommunications infrastructure as well as information technology systems.

“We have done a lot of work in respect of recapitalisation of NRZ of which he (Brig Gen Dube) was part of. I would urge him to continue with the process that we started, which has yielded significant results for NRZ and to see that financial closure is achieved as soon as possible in as far as recapitalisation is concerned,” said Minister Mavima.

The strategic entity, which requires about $1,9 billion in the long-term to fully recapitalise its operations, took delivery of railway equipment in February on lease terms under an interim arrangement with DIDG/Transnet while it awaits financial closure to the $400 million recapitalisation project.

Leased equipment under the interim solution comprises locomotives, wagons and passenger coaches. The equipment is meant to boost the NRZ’s capacity to move freight which had dropped drastically as result of obsolete equipment.

During its glory days in the 1990s, NRZ was moving 18 million tonnes of freight annually but the figure nose-dived to 3,1 million tonnes in 2017. In the first quarter of the year, the parastatal surpassed its revenue target of $18 million for the period by five percent on the back of the trust NRZ’s customers continue to build in the company.

Minister Mavima said his new office would work with various opportunities that exist in the mineral, agricultural, and commercial sectors to position the Midlands as the industrial power hub of Zimbabwe.

Chronicle

Press Statement|On behalf of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair Association (ZIBFA) General Council and Executive Board, we wish to advise that due to health considerations and the subsequent hold placed on all public gatherings, the 2018 Book Fair Indaba and Exhibition has been deferred until further notice.

We shall stand guided by further developments and announcements by the responsible authorities who are monitoring and evaluating the situation.

Should you require further information, please contact the ZIBFA Secretariat

Exchange rates on Zimbabwe’s parallel market have risen sharply in the past week to 100% for real time gross settlement (RTGS) transfers, triggering fears of more price increases.

Zimbabwe’s chaotic currency market means that there are several exchange rates for different forms of money: for the physical United States dollar, the bond note and electronic transactions.

The exchange rate for US dollar to electronic rate reached 100% at the weekend, while that for bond notes was at 85%.

After new Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said he was considering taking the quasi-currency out of circulation, its rate on the market fell to 10% from 25% while there are frantic efforts among traders to dispose of the notes.

New Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube lays out his plan September 9, 2018
Government has been employing quasi-currency instruments such as Treasury Bills to fund its activities, a move that led to growing mismatch between money in circulation and RTGS balances.

Broad money supply increased by 40,8% per annum from $6,4 billion to $9,1 billion by end of June 2018 according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe June report.

Bond notes and coins in circulation increased from $175,7 million to $379,2 million in June 2018.

The growth in the rate of the US dollar has an impact on the prices of the commodities as the majority of businesses source the greenback on the parallel market.

A money changer who doubles as a shop owner last Friday said he was putting a mark-up of 20% on all his clothing products due to the spike of the rate US dollar on the parallel market.

“The net effect is pushing prices northward unless companies are able to get foreign currency from the formal financial system,” Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Denford Mutashu said.

“The parallel market rate is a reflection of confidence levels in the economy or lack of it thereof.

It is indicative of continued growth of electronic money supply and the decline in circulation of the US dollar within formal circulation versus high demand thereof.

The new Finance minister has a herculean task on his hands, but he should start doing something about the fiscal imbalance.”

Labour Development and Research Institute of Zimbabwe boss Prosper Chitambara said the current phenomenon was essentially feeding into the inflation spiral and was caused by uncertainties in respect to currency reforms.

“The increased US dollar premium is as a result of uncertainties.

It is not clear what is going to happen to the RTGS after the minister’s pronouncement.

But there is a direct relationship between the level of goods prices and the growth in premiums obtaining on the black market.

“Lack of confidence has also contributed to the current arbitrage on the market.

“I think, while these parallel market premium surges have been responding to Treasury Bills issuance, as well as general forex demand to import merchandise, there is also a clear case of market metathesiophobia of impending currency reforms as hinted by Finance minister Ncube,” economist Clemence Machadu said.

NewsDay

Jane Mlambo|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has ordered his cabinet ministers to each come up with “five quick and high impact projects” as he looks to make a quick impression after his disputed election in July.

The president chaired his first meeting with the 20-member cabinet on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s opening of the 9th Parliament and State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In a statement released after the meeting ministers, particularly the new ones, should adopt the 100-day cycle of doing business introduced when he first assumed power last November.

“Going forward we should continue to apply the 100 Day Cycles as a way of doing business in government supported by the monitoring of performance outcomes using the Executive Electronic dashboard,” he said.

“Each portfolio Minister should identify a minimum of five quick-win and high impact projects in order that work on them commences in earnest; where appropriate it is permissible to go beyond the five subject to approval by the Cabinet.”

And to encourage transparency, Mnangagwa said; “The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services will issue a press statement (after cabinet) in the presence of the Chief Secretary and implementing Ministers.

“This will help us entrench transparency and a culture of responsiveness, as we seek to transform the quality of life of our people.”

Mnangagwa is under pressure to deliver after first taking over power through last November’s military coup which ended the four-decade rule of his mentor Robert Mugabe.

The subsequent July 30 elections have been disputed by the opposition which accuses the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of manipulating the results in Mnangagwa’s favour.
-newzimbabwe.com

Correspondent|Ishmael Maukazuva, an MDC Alliance councillor has complained against Chikomba District Administrator Michael Mariga who he accuses of forcing him to swear by the Bible during last week’s swearing in ceremony at the council offices.

Maukazuva who is an electrician with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) is a Moslem and had made prior request for the Koran to be provided for him during the swearing in ceremony.

Zanu PF councillors called for his immediate recall when he refused to hold the Bible.

Maukazuva was then ordered by Mariga to take the oath while holding a bible. He gave in but murmured his pledges in disappointment.

Mariga said, “I did not force him to swear by the Bible, he did it willingly,” when asked for a comment.
He later on called The Mirror and changed his statement saying that the acting CEO was handling the swearing in and he was a mere observer before accusing The Mirror of trying to tarnish his image.

Maukazuva who is a councillor for the first time said that he held the Bible because he didn’t want to be at war with the DA. He said that he was however very hurt and felt abused.

The Constitution of Zimbabwe allows for freedom of worship and it is therefore illegal for anyone to force someone to join a religion against his or her wish.
“I am not a Christian. I am a Moslem who is loyal to my religion. I gave in to the demands of the DA just for the sake of the electorate, whom I didn’t want to upset. I will however perform a cleansing ritual on myself after this incident,” said Maukazuva.

Constitutional lawyer Tawanda Kanengoni said ”Forcing the councillor to take the oath in a way which is against his religion was a deprivation of his freedom of worship inshrined in the constitution.”

Section 60 (2) of the Zimbabwean Constitution states that ‘No person may be compelled to take an oath contrary to their religion or belief or to take an oath in a manner that is contrary to their religion or belief’.

Meanwhile, Ward 17 Councillor Israel Dhikinya of Zanu PF was unanimously elected Chikomba RDC chairperson after another nominee, Learnmore Mufamba withdrew from contesting.

Masvingo Mirror

Jane Mlambo| A Harare magistrate yesterday issued a warrant of arrest to businessman Genius Kadungure, popularly known as Ginimbi, who is accused of swindling Zanu PF member of Parliament Dexter Nduna of R1 581 890 in a botched mining deal.

Kadungure, who is jointly charged with Wicknell Chivayo, was supposed to appear for trial before magistrate Morgen Nemadire yesterday but failed to do so, leading to the warrant for arrest being issued.

His lawyer Jonathan Samkange asked the court to issue his client with an administrative warrant of arrest saying his client was out of the country and the State consented to postpone the matter to October 9.

Chivayo, who is represented by Advocate Lewis Uriri instructed by Wilson Manase was also advised to appear on the same date.

Allegations are that Kadungure swindled Nduna’s construction firm, Badon Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, and a Kadoma-based miner only identified as Gatawa of R1 581 890.

Sometime in November 2012, Kadungure and Chivayo allegedly connived with unknown accomplices and created a fictitious company, Transco Civil Engineering, purportedly based in South Africa and opened a company account with Absa bank.

The State alleges the pair created an e-mail account pretending to be legitimate representatives of Marange Resources. It is alleged Kadungure then contacted the complainant and misrepresented himself as Marange Resources chief buyer and said he was looking for mining pumps at competitive prices.

The State alleges Kadungure referred Nduna to his bogus company, Transco Civil Engineering, in South Africa, on the pretext that it was a recommended supplier. On December 4, 2013, Gatawa sent his brother Enock to South Africa to purchase the pumps.

He was ordered to deposit R1 046 890 for the purchase of 10 flight pumps into the Absa account. After the transfer, Enock was told by Transco Civil Engineering that they would send the pumps via DHL after three days.

It is alleged on December 12, Gatawa went to DHL’s airport branch, to collect the pumps and was shocked to receive a parcel with mobile phone chargers.

That is when he realised that he had been duped, the court heard.
-Newsday

Jane Mlambo| Former cabinet minister, Savior Kasukuwere is today expected to appear at the Harare Magistrates Court for yet to be confirmed charges.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Kasukuwere is being charged over a land issue while another source said it is in connection with the Bulawayo bombing incident.

Kasukuwere who previously appeared in court on charges of border jumping is part of a clique of former ruling party members who were fired following a military coup that displaced Mr Robert Mugabe.

More details to follow….

THE police blitz on vendors in major towns has spread to Masvingo, with soldiers and the police clearing the city at the weekend as government responds to the outbreak of cholera that has claimed 30 lives so far and left thousands infected.

Riot police and the soldiers took the vendors by surprise on Sunday in Masvingo town and Zaka and forced them off the streets.

By yesterday morning, Masvingo city had been cleared of vendors, but some defiantly trooped back as the day progressed.

“We were beaten and told not to return.

Some lost their wares and others got injured in the process,” a vendor from Zaka Growth Point told NewsDay over the phone yesterday.

Another vendor in Masvingo City said they did not resist the order and just ran away for fear of being assaulted.

“They did not give us a warning. They just came and ordered us off the streets.

We did not resist for fear of being beaten because they were armed to the tooth,” she said.

Masvingo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Charity Mazula did not respond when contacted for comment yesterday.

Masvingo has so far recorded one cholera death which health officials traced to Harare.

Government has declared the disaster a state of emergency.

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation director Wadzai Mangoma said: “We are against the move by the government.

It’s illegal! Vending has always been there.

We call upon the government and all its agencies to stop the evictions now and deal with the issue of provision of clean and potable water and collection of garbage.

Vendors are trying to survive in these harsh economic circumstances.”

Newsday

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s appointment of a seven-member commission of inquiry into the post-election violence that led to the killing of seven civilians in Harare by members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) on August 1, 2018 has been challenged.

On August 29, Mnangagwa appointed a commission, led by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, a Briton, a Tanzanian and Nigerian to work with three locals, Lovemore Madhuku, Charity Manyeruke and Vimbai Nyemba.

But one of the victims’ relatives has taken Mnangagwa to court, challenging the appointment which he claims is illegal, unreasonable and irrational.

Alison Charles, whose brother Gavin Dean Charles was shot and killed on the day in question, has, in conjunction with the Counselling Service Unit, petitioned the High Court to declare as unconstitutional the appointment of the commission.

“I respectfully contend that the decision by the first respondent (Mnangagwa) to appoint a commission of inquiry is reviewable on the basis that it is grossly unreasonable on at least two separate grounds and or interlinking bases,” Alison said in his founding affidavit.

“It is submitted that the decision of the first respondent is unlawful in that; it violates the principle of legality and/or it is irrational.”

Charles, through his lawyers, Atherstone and Cook Alison said Mnangagwa’s commission would not deliver as it comprised of biased commissioners such as Manyeruke and Madhuku.

“On August 29, 2018, Mnangagwa ‘purportedly’ acting in terms of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, appointed a seven-member commission of inquiry into what he termed “post-election violence on August 1, 2018,” he said.

“The postulated commission consists of local, regional and international members.

The first respondent has not yet gazetted the commission of inquiry as required of him by the Commissions of Inquiry Act.”

Charles said Mnangagwa appointed the commission before he appointed his Cabinet, making it illegal, according to section 88 (2) and section 105(1) of the Constitution.

He said it was “a notorious fact” that Manyeruke was a staunch Zanu PF supporter and thus it was not rational to appoint her into the commission.

He said Madhuku’s mind was soiled having made pronouncements on the matter.

In the alternative, Charles urged the court to declare the appointment of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission or the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission as the appropriate body to investigate the killings.

“Alternatively, the first respondent’s decision in appointing the following commissioners be and is hereby set aside; (1) Professor Charity Manyeruke (2) Professor Lovemore Madhuku,” he said, adding in the alternative the commission of inquiry’s terms of reference must be replaced.

He added that he was also not happy with the manner the police have so far handled the issue of his brother’s death, accusing the law enforcement agents of refusing to allow the family access to the post-mortem report.

NewsDay

Jane Mlambo| War veterans in Manicaland are up in arms against the Zanu PF provincial leadership, accusing the executive of making party leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa unpopular in the province.
Already daggers have been drawn between the Mike Madiro-led executive and other provincial leaders over the state of the party in the province that culminated in Mnangagwa’s poor showing in the July 30 harmonised elections.

The warring parties have refused to let go of the election results feud, but instead the situation has created a platform for the beginning of new fights in the province.

A letter directed to both Zanu PF national leadership and war veterans leadership from Makoni district points to an impending explosion, less than a year after Zanu PF purportedly renewed itself.

War veterans secretary-general Victor Matemadanda said he was yet to be briefed on the situation.

“They haven’t invited me yet (war veterans from Manicaland) and if they have a plan to invite me, I am still to receive their invitation. I cannot comment on that issue because I have not received anything,” Matemadanda said.

Part of the letter dated September 14 read: “The results of the 2018 harmonised election were to us most embarrassing in the sense that after a resounding meeting addressed by His Excellency the President at Mutare Aerodrome, we were left with a very clear impression that the President was certainly going to be the victor.

“Our shock came when the results placed out President in the second best position, a thoroughly degrading result to Manicaland province. We, as war veterans in Manicaland do not know who (sic) to apologise for that disastrous result.”

“The question then arises as to who then has to be apportioned the blame for that humiliating result.

We believe this arose from the acts of the provincial chairman,” the letter added.
In that same letter, the war veterans chronicled how certain people such as Joseph Mujati, Oliver Mandipaka and Brighton Muchuwo, who vehemently fought the G40 group were being sidelined while those reportedly aligned to that same deposed faction were being accommodated.
-Newsday

THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has petitioned the court seeking to compel former Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi to settle a $327 481 debt incurred at his Ulva Farm.

Through its lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, the power utility issued the summons to the former minister on September 13, 2018 but he did not respond to the litigation.

In its declaration, the power utility said Sekeramayi had refused and or neglected to settle the electricity bill despite numerous requests to do so prompting the firm to approach the court for recourse.

“The defendant (Sekeramayi) is indebted or liable to the plaintiff (ZETDC) as at August 31, 2018 in the sum of $327 481,92 being charges in respect of electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter’s special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two,” the power utility said.

“The defendant has failed, neglected or refused to pay the above amount despite written demand. By reason of the said failure, neglect or refusal to pay the above amount, the defendant is obliged to pay the same with interest thereon at the prescribed rate which is currently 5%.

“Wherefore, the plaintiff herein claims a payment of $327 481,92, interest at the prescribed rate of interest from the date of the issue of summons to date of payment in full both date inclusive and cost of suit on a legal practitioner client scale.”

NewsDay

Jane Mlambo| The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) is currently reviewing all government-funded programmes to identify possible cases of corruption, an official said yesterday.

Munyaradzi Magiga, a systems and processes review manager at the anti-graft body last week told a Transparency International Zimbabwe roundtable discussion on improving transparency and accountability that Zacc was working together with the Finance ministry to look at all government programmes to see how they were administered.

“You will see a lot of public and private sector companies being visited as the commission prepares to combat corruption this year,” Magiga said.

“We are now working closely with the Finance ministry to look at all funded programmes and amounts paid for projects that have stalled since the 1990s so that we investigate them for possible corruption,” he said.

Zacc commissioner in charge of investigations Goodson Nguni told the same forum that more arrests were likely, adding that more than 20 individuals have been arrested for corruption this
month.
-Newsday

Jane Mlambo| The election of an MDC Alliance councillor and an independent as chairman and deputy chair of Chiredzi Town Council has left the ruling Zanu PF party deeply divided.

Zanu PF won resoundingly all four constituencies in Chiredzi but lost the town’s chairmanship to the MDC Alliance despite having four councillors to the opposition party’s three. The town also has one independent councillor, who was elected deputy chairperson.

Ward 1 councillor, Gibson Hwende, pipped Zanu PF’s ward 5 councillor Blessing Mazinyani to the post, garnering five votes against the latter’s three, while Independent ward 3 councillor, Ropafadzo Makumire, beat ward 4 council Liberty Macharaga of Zanu PF by the same margin to land the vice-chair post.

Zanu PF MP for Chiredzi West, Farai Musikavanhu told party supporters in a ruling party’s WhatsApp group that he was going to raise the issue with the district and provincial leadership.

Part of the post read: “I and the district leadership have to meet today to take a position for recommendation to the provincial chairman/Res Minister Hon (Ezra) Chadzamira following the mess at the Chiredzi Town Council on Monday.

“May I, therefore, request that we now leave this topic until we give you feedback. I would, however, like to give you a challenge which is informed by a conclusion that I made: We need to start identifying now suitable candidates that will be groomed in party ideology for them to assume positions of councillors in 2023.

“These comrades must be loyal party cadres who are also adequately educated to effectively administer council business.
Whether we like it or not this is what the electorate did on their own in the elections we held on 30 July 2018.

“The electorate disregarded party boundaries and went to pick the most suitable candidates in their communities.
In future we must never allow this critical selection of suitable candidates to occur without the party being in control.”

Sources close to the matter revealed that the recommendations were to recall two councillors accused of selling out, adding a letter had already been written to the provincial chair.

However, some party members who spoke on condition of anonymity said grooming new leadership while there are still sitting councillors was tantamount to creating parallel structures.

Musikavanhu maintained that there was nothing wrong with grooming young people for future leadership positions.

“Creating parallel structures how…? This is called talent scouting and forward planning; any team that is serious about staying relevant does that.

I don’t know where the definition of parallel structures is coming from… All I am advocating for is the identification of talent to be groomed for future deployment by the party.

“I take my duties very seriously as a loyal Zanu PF member who would like to promote talent identification and grooming in my party to serve our country Zimbabwe to the best of our ability,” he said.

Zanu PF Masvingo provincial spokesperson, Ronald Ndava accused Musikavanhu of making his own personal opinions.

“That is not the party position,” said Ndava.
Provincial commissar, Jevas Masosota said there was nothing wrong with councillors exercising their constitutional rights to vote a chairperson of their choice to lead council business.
-Newsday

Emmerson Mnangagwa is today expected to deliver his first State of the National Address (SONA) and officially open the first session of the Ninth Parliament during which he will set the legislative agenda.

Mnangagwa will this morning address a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate.

Preparations for the event were in place yesterday, while a number of roads around Parliament Building will be closed to motorists during the proceedings.

Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda said everything was in place for today’s event.

“Everything is in place and we are looking forward to the event,” he said.

The legislative agenda is expected to be dominated by laws that enhance the country’s attractiveness to investors and streamline investment laws to smoothen the ease of doing business.

The Ninth Parliament is expected to be seized with amending Chapter 14 of the Constitution to streamline the structure of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils as part of the devolution being advocated by Mnangagwa and his Government.

Mnangagwa has already indicated that Government’s thrust is to consolidate economic reforms that started with the coming in of the new dispensation.

During his inauguration speech, he reiterated that the focus of his administration was on the economy. Parliamentarians have also embraced the policy direction given by the President and pledged to speed up the passage of laws in the august house.

Parliament is dominated by zanu-pf which retained its two-thirds majority in the just-ended harmonised elections.

Before addressing the legislators, the President is expected to inspect a guard of honour mounted by members of the Zimbabwe National Army while there will be a flypast by the Air Force of Zimbabwe as per tradition.

Following the President’s address, the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing will host the traditional luncheon for legislators.

Roads that will be closed today are Nelson Mandela Avenue at Sam Nujoma to Simon Muzenda streets, Third Street at Jason Moyo Avenue, George Silundika Avenue at Third Street, St Mary’s Lane and Nelson Mandela Avenue, Kwame Nkrumah from Sam Nujoma to Simon Muzenda streets and Samora Machel Avenue and and Sam Nujoma Street.

The roads will be closed from 6am to 3pm.

State Media

Government will not allow vending at undesignated areas and sites without toilets and other requisite infrastructure as this is contributing to the spread of diseases such as cholera, which have claimed many lives, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni has said.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of vendors’ organisations at her Kaguvi Offices in Harare yesterday, Minister Nyoni said her ministry will collaborate with other ministries to create conducive areas for trade.

Minister Nyoni’s statement comes as small groups of illegal vendors yesterday continued to engage in running battles with the police as they refused to leave the streets.

“Nobody will be allowed to vend anywhere anymore especially where there is no water and toilets because that is a health hazard. We are hoping that we will work together with the Ministries of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Health and Child Care and other ministries to make sure that you are allowed to do your business in healthy and more conducive areas,” she said.

“We are facing a crisis of cholera and a lot of you have been affected by this. I wanted to consult you so that we map a way forward so that we avoid the old mistakes. When we parted ways a few months ago you were beginning to rise as the informal sector.”

“Let me be very blunt. We are no longer going to have vending anywhere, everywhere. Let us be as organised as we had started to be. So those are the points of my agenda that I would like us to discuss.” She urged vendors to cooperate with Government to prevent and eliminate cholera and any related diseases.

Minister Nyoni said there were some vendors cooking everywhere and selling vegetables outside the designated areas, risking spreading diseases.

“If retail is your gift I would like you to grow from a vendor to a tuck shop, to a small shop and to a supermarket. If you are part of this ministry I would like you to vend with a bigger aim and we will classify you appropriately as vendors with an aim and vendors who just want to make money and go,” she said.

“We will create weekend vending sites like we are doing in Bulawayo for those who want to make quick money and send children to school.”

Zimbabwe Informal Traders chairperson Mr Arthur Muromba blamed Harare City Council for not attending to sewer bursts across the city.

“Council needs to attend to areas like Mbare Musika and inspect fruits, which are being brought to the market. They also need to upgrade the place because it is in a deplorable state. Whenever there is an outbreak vendors are the first to be blamed. We, however, encourage vendors to practice highest standards of hygiene,” he said.

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation executive director Mr Samuel Wadzai said it was not time for blame game, but to find solutions.

“We are ready to play our part. It is more to do with water. It is our responsibility as leaders to tell our vendors to operate in clean areas. We are, however, against any intervention implemented without vendors. We believe the evictions are too early,” he said.

He said informal traders should be able to contribute to the economy.

State Media

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is today expected to deliver his first State of the National Address (SONA) and officially open the first session of the Ninth Parliament during which he will set the legislative agenda.

The President will this morning address a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate.

Preparations for the event were in place yesterday, while a number of roads around Parliament Building will be closed to motorists during the proceedings.

Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda said everything was in place for today’s event.

“Everything is in place and we are looking forward to the event,” he said.

The legislative agenda is expected to be dominated by laws that enhance the country’s attractiveness to investors and streamline investment laws to smoothen the ease of doing business.

The Ninth Parliament is expected to be seized with amending Chapter 14 of the Constitution to streamline the structure of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils as part of the devolution being advocated by President Mnangagwa and his Government.

President Mnangagwa has already indicated that Government’s thrust is to consolidate economic reforms that started with the coming in of the new dispensation.

During his inauguration speech, he reiterated that the focus of his administration was on the economy. Parliamentarians have also embraced the policy direction given by the President and pledged to speed up the passage of laws in the august house.

Parliament is dominated by zanu-pf which retained its two-thirds majority in the just-ended harmonised elections.

Before addressing the legislators, the President is expected to inspect a guard of honour mounted by members of the Zimbabwe National Army while there will be a flypast by the Air Force of Zimbabwe as per tradition.

Following the President’s address, the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing will host the traditional luncheon for legislators.

Roads that will be closed today are Nelson Mandela Avenue at Sam Nujoma to Simon Muzenda streets, Third Street at Jason Moyo Avenue, George Silundika Avenue at Third Street, St Mary’s Lane and Nelson Mandela Avenue, Kwame Nkrumah from Sam Nujoma to Simon Muzenda streets and Samora Machel Avenue and and Sam Nujoma Street.

The roads will be closed from 6am to 3pm.

State Media

ZIMBABWE has secured a US$250 million line of credit from Gemcorp Capital, an international independent investment management firm focused on emerging markets, for the importation of essential commodities.

In a joint statement, the central bank, the Treasury and Gemcorp said the five-year loan facility would enable the importation of essential and intermediate goods to support the economy.

The facility comes at a time when the country is facing serious foreign currency shortages, largely resulting from poor exports and subdued foreign direct investments.

Zimbabwe also saw its foreign currency requirements increasing since the beginning of the year, largely attributed to improved economic performance, but with no corresponding generation of the hard currency.

This is, however, expected in the short term.

In the long term – when productive capacities are fully utilised – the country is expected to export more and the trend will be reversed.

“The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Gemcorp Group are pleased to announce that they have signed a $250 million commercial loan facility.

“This five-year facility will enable the importation of essential and intermediate goods to support the Zimbabwean economy,” reads part of the statement.

Minister of Finance and Economic Development Prof Mthuli Ncube welcomed the development saying “granting of the facility by Gemcorp is a strong signal by foreign investors of their growing confidence in Zimbabwe. I expect more investors to follow suit”.

RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya said the line of credit came at an appropriate time to shore up foreign currency liquidity after the end of the tobacco selling season.

“This, together with other facilities that we have secured, should go a long way to meet the import requirements for essential products and services for the national economy,” he said.

Commenting on the investment, Atanas Bostandjiev, founder and chief executive of Gemcorp Group, said, “with this facility, we are financing and coordinating the delivery of essential goods to help support the Zimbabwean economy. The trade finance gap in Africa remains significant and is an enduring constraint to economic development. The Gemcorp Group remains focused on working with local partners and borrowers across Africa and the rest of the emerging markets to provide creative funding solutions and foster trade and investment in the region”.

The Gemcorp Group comprises a London-based fund manager (Gemcorp Capital LLP) and a physical commodities trader (Gemcorp Commodities Trading). It focuses on emerging markets with a special interest in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe where the group has established itself as a reliable long-term partner for sovereigns and growth focused private companies.

State Media