NewsHawks 22 October 2021

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WHAT’S INSIDE Friday 22 October 2021 BCUorSpINorEaStSe tax CSPaOraRaTims to
shrinks as govt join Zim’s
ZNaEnWuSPF tense as lavishes holidays small elite
factional intrigue on chinese of greats
overshadows
conference Story on Page 24 Story on Page 52

Story on Page 6

Mnangagwa
legitimacy
conundrum
explodes in
court battle

ALSO INSIDE Judges face new credibility test

Page 2 News NewsHawks

Mnangagwa Issue 53, 22 October 2021
legitimacy
conundrum
explodes into
court battle
an order for the regularisation of the election of
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE the leadership of that political party in the inter- Mnangagwa as party leader were “unlawful, in- President Emmerson Mnangagwa
ests of justice despite the passage of time and the valid and are accordingly set aside”. tion, Zanu PF did not elect him as the applica-
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is cor- mootness of the case,” Musengezi says. tion contends.
nered in a high-stakes internal power struggle Further, Musengezi says Mphoko should
manoeuvre over his dubious legitimacy as Zanu “The Supreme Court in the said judgment temporarily take over the Zanu PF leadership Legal experts say Mnangagwa is a product of
PF leader in the aftermath of a devastating High held that it is a matter of public importance as and preside over an extraordinary Zanu PF con- a slew of illegalities and here is why:
Court application by a party member — which regards the governance of political parties gen- gress to be called within 90 days of the granting l First, he came in through a coup, which
reflects factional strife and his faltering grip. erally that the leadership of the political party is of the order to regularise the leadership positions means unconstitutional seizure of power;
constitutionally and lawfully ensconced.” to ensure Mugabe’s successor is installed consti- l Secondly, he did not follow the national
In the explosive lawsuit, party member Sy- tutionally and legally. constitution on how he should have come in;
beth Musengezi is demanding that the court fol- Musengezi said the political stakes were much Mphoko did not act as required;
low the precedent set by the opposition MDC-T higher in the current Zanu PF case than in the As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate l Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu PF leader by
case in the Supreme Court and force Mnangag- MDC-T one. to be the leader of Zanu PF and President of an illegal central committee meeting;
wa to step down. Zimbabwe, the application suggests. l Fourth, he was elected through a disputed
“The stakes in the present matter are much election with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and
This comes as The NewsHawks has received higher and cry out for the corrective interven- He came in through a string of illegalities l Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu PF con-
huge feedback from various political sections, tion of this honourable court as the beneficia- which have not been cured, meaning he is an gress which was due, as he feared defeat amid
including Zanu PF bigwigs and ordinary mem- ry of the chain of events which commenced illegal President of the republic. raging battles of unsettled leadership question.
bers, showing that the court case has set the cat with the unlawful special session of the central
among the pigeons ahead of the party’s annual committee convened on the 19th of November Besides the coup and his 2018 disputed elec- Former vice-president Phelekezela Mphoko
conference at the end of this month. 2017, the 2nd respondent (Mnangagwa), now
occupies the positions of both president and first
The shifts and changes within Zanu PF struc- secretary of the party and President and head of
tures amid a state of flux are also being fuelled by state of the country. His ascension to both those
the political brinkmanship fixated on the party’s positions is tainted by blatant illegalities in vio-
delayed elective congress before the 2023 gener- lation of the constitution of the 1st respondent
al elections. (Zanu PF). He cannot derive any legitimacy at
all from the catalogue of illegalities which were
This is over and above the main contention in committed in furtherance of his ambition to oc-
the application, widely shared in the party, that cupy the two offices of the party and the coun-
Mnangagwa should relinquish the leadership, try.
as he was installed illegally through a kangaroo
Zanu PF central committee meeting on 19 No- “My fear is that once one assumes a position
vember 2017 at party headquarters in Harare. of political power illegally, they are prone to en-
gaging in further illegal conduct to retain and
The meeting was unlawfully convened, con- consolidate that power. If such illegalities as were
stituted and conducted, the High Court appli- committed in propelling the 2nd respondent to
cation by Zanu PF member Musengezi demand- the political positions he currently occupies in
ing Mnangagwa’s removal says. the party and under the country’s constitution
go unchecked, it will become the norm in the
The court challenge against Mnangagwa’s as- party which is contrary to its aims and objectives
cendancy by Musengezi has echoes of the messy as enshrined in the party constitution.”
MDC-T infighting that erupted following the
death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Mnangagwa is locked in a cut-throat battle
February 2018. Mnangagwa’s unconstitutional with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga
and unlawful rise to power is thus now entan- over the party’s unresolved leadership issue fol-
gled in the MDC-T case precedent. lowing the toppling of the late former president
Robert Mugabe.
Courts usually work through precedents.
Precedent refers to a court judgment that is con- The infighting between Mnangagwa and Chi-
sidered as authority for deciding subsequent cas- wenga — just like Mugabe and Mnangagwa be-
es involving identical or similar facts, or similar fore that — is manifesting itself through differ-
legal issues. The similarities between the Zanu ent events in the party and government, as well
PF and the MDC-T cases are close. as business and civil society.

Musengezi is alive to that reality in his appli- Musengezi, a Zanu PF member of good
cation. standing for 20 years, says Mnangagwa was un-
constitutionally and unlawfully elected by the
“I am fortified in my quest for a remedy to central committee meeting of 19 November
my grievance against the respondents (Zanu PF, 2017 — five days after the military coup that
Mnangagwa, Obert Mpofu, Zanu PF secretary ousted Mugabe.
for administration, Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu PF
secretary for finance and acting national com- As a result, Musengezi is seeking a declaratur
missar, Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-pres- against Mnangagwa that the special session of
ident, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary for the central committee after the coup at party
administration) by a recent judgment of the headquarters in Harare from 10am to 4pm was
Supreme Court of Zimbabwe handed down ultra vires the Zanu PF constitution, unlawful
on the 31st of March 2020 in the matter of the and thus null and void ab initio.
Movement for Democratic Change & Others
v Mashavira & Others Sc 56/20, wherein the He also wants the court to rule that all the
Supreme Court of Zimbabwe made a corrective resolutions of the central committee meeting
intervention in the internal affairs of the Move- passed during its unlawful gathering to install
ment for Democratic Change party and made

NewsHawks News Page 3

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Rerun Zanu PF bigwigs question
OWEN GAGARE Mnangagwa’s legitimacy

ZIMBABWEAN President Emmerson Mnan- l How, where and when did he get his mandate?
gagwa, struggling to consolidate and maintain
power at the volatile helm amid renewed internal fate. and illegalities,” another senior party official said. Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga
Zanu PF infighting and disintegration of the co- In the interregnum, there were serious illegal- “But the real problem now is that he is leading Strategic players within the police and intelli-
alition which drove his ascendancy, is tenuously gence community, Central Intelligence Organisa-
hanging onto his faltering position by his finger- ities in Mnangagwa’s rise to power. Without any without a constitutional mandate since he avoid- tion mainly, are harbouring resentments over how
nails despite an aura of invincibility, top party of- sense of irony, Mnangagwa had on 15 December ed the 2019 congress.” they were treated during the coup. There were se-
ficials say. during the extraordinary congress spoken about rious purges in top police, intelligence and army
himself ascending by following the constitution Zanu PF last held a regular elective congress in echelons after Mnangagwa took over.
An investigation by The NewsHawks shows and legal processes when he had grabbed power 2014, where Mnangagwa ascended to the posi- Meanwhile, Mnangagwa and those close to
Mnangagwa’s biggest problem is that he is leading through a coup, convened the central committee tion of Vice-President at the expense of Joice Mu- him — his family, relatives and cronies — have
a divided party, which has an unresolved leader- improperly as the president and his deputies, in- juru, with Mphoko who was replacing the late evidently become cash-rich through self-aggran-
ship issue, without a mandate from congress, the cluding himself, were not there, and suspended John Nkomo. disement deals and primitive accumulation.
supreme decision-making body of the party. members had unlawfully attended the meeting “They are not only making money, but flaunt-
chaired by then party secretary for finance Obert The next congress was due in 2019. Mnan- ing it with reckless abandon in a sea of poverty,” a
“Legally, Mnangagwa has no mandate from Mpofu, who had no legal mandate to do so. gagwa avoided it, delaying it to 2022. However, Mnangagwa ally said.
congress to currently lead Zanu PF,” a senior par- Mugabe had in October 2017 called an extraor- “They are naïve. That is political suicidal.”
ty official said. Mnangagwa later rewarded Mpofu with the dinary congress for December that year, where he Mnangagwa’s Midlands and Masvingo power
position of secretary for administration, but re- had planned to install his then Defence minister bases are in turmoil due to growing internal strife.
“He basically avoided the 2019 congress, when moved him as Home Affairs minister in a bit- Sydney Sekeramayi as his successor. Provincial heavyweights are at war with each oth-
it was constitutionally due, and postponed it to ter-sweet deal. In terms of section 38 of the Zanu er over positions and influence. In the Midlands,
2022. Currently he is running on empty: the PF constitution, the central committee meeting Contrary to the claims by Mnangagwa and his two factions within a faction have emerged and
mandate he got from the 2017 extraordinary which “appointed” Mnangagwa party leader was faction, as well as their supporters, Mugabe did are slugging it out over who should be the next
congress expired. It was for the interregnum only. not properly convened and constituted. not want to be succeeded by his wife Grace, al- chairperson.
Subsequently, there was no other extraordinary though she showed a growing appetite for power Incumbent Daniel Mckenzie Ncube is battling
congress to allow him and all those in the struc- Central committee sessions are presided over at the height on the succession battles. it out with State Security minister Owen “Mud-
tures elected in the last regular congress in 2014 by the president and first secretary of the party or, ha” Ncube, in a wrangle that has sucked in the
to continue. It was an arbitrary postponement, in his absence, one of the two vice-presidents and In what effectively became his political water- President’s closest allies now divided on either
hence illegal arrangement. So his mandate is il- second secretaries, or the national chairperson. loo, Mugabe had in May 2017 came up with the side. There is also wrangling among Mnangagwa’s
legitimate in terms of the Zanu PF constitution.” Mexico Declaration — which catalysed his suc- allies over Kwekwe Central.
At the time, Mugabe was not able to convene cession war — to facilitate his retirement and let Last October, Zanu PF primary polls to choose
Mnangagwa was installed Zanu PF leader by the meeting as he was under military siege ma- Sekeramayi take over. a Kwekwe Central parliamentary candidate for
the party’s central committee on 19 November rooned at his Blue Roof home in Borrowdale, a by-election turned bloody following intense
2017 at the height of the military coup and con- Harare; Mnangagwa was in self-imposed exile in The deal was reached while he was visiting clashes between rival groups at Kwekwe district
firmed through an extraordinary congress on 15 South Africa after he was dismissed as vice-pres- Mexico with senior ministers and party officials. offices.
December 2017, where he gave a lengthy address, ident on 6 November 2017; and Phelekezela Zanu PF officials say besides the legitimacy issue, Police had to fire warning shots after being
saying he had been “appointed” into the position Mphoko was out of the country. Mnangagwa is facing a brewing internal revolt, called to contain the situation which had spiralled
after the late former president Robert Mugabe with his close allies now either facing pressure to out of control as factions bludgeoned each other
was toppled. There was no chairperson as the position was quit, battling removal or restless. over the voters’ roll.
vacant. Party officials now complain that Mnan- The primary election pitted Energy Ncube —
The Zanu PF constitution does not give pow- gagwa came in through a series of illegalities — The sources say Chiwenga is “really fed up”. Se- Mudha Ncube’s nephew — against Zanu PF’s
er to the central committee to remove an elected from the coup, through blocking Mphoko from nior officials at party headquarters, mostly former 2018 losing candidate Kandross Mugabe.
leader. briefly acting as president after Mugabe was re- ministers, are angry.
moved, the central committee meeting right up
If the position becomes vacant for whatever to the extraordinary congress. The war veterans are also grumbling. In the
reason, an extraordinary congress is held to fill dungeons of the deep state, the rankand-file with-
it in. In his long-winded extraordinary congress “His presidency is a product of power seizure in the military which carried him to the top is
speech — which had 3 167 words — Mnangag- disgruntled; they have not shared the spoils of the
wa said: “Comrades, today I address you as a new- power seizure.
ly draped President and First Secretary of Zanu
PF, subject of course, to the ratification, by this
august gathering of the resolution of the Extraor-
dinary Session of the Central Committee held
on 19th November 2017, which appointed me
to the helm of our Party. I feel the full weight of
this new role which is made lighter by the wealth
of experience and systems synthesised into clear
rules, procedures and traditions we have built to-
gether as a Party over the years.”

This was in the aftermath of a dramatic series
of game-changing events which culminated in
Mugabe’s ouster and Mnangagwa’s ascendancy.
Following fierce clashes in the party spearheaded
by Grace Mugabe, the late authoritarian Zanu PF
leader escalated the fight and dismissed Mnangag-
wa as vice-president on 6 November 2017.

Mnangagwa staged a great escape in the follow-
ing 48 hours fearing arrest, detention and mur-
der by his mentor’s goons — that he directed for
decades — ending up in Pretoria, South Africa,
at local businessman Justice Maphosa’s home,
via Beira, Mozambique. Seething with rage, on 8
November Mnangagwa issued a statement warn-
ing he would be back in a fortnight to take over,
which he did.

On 12 November, retired military command-
er General Constantino Chiwenga, fighting in
Mnangagwa’s corner, returned from China with
his adrenaline shooting up ready for combat. The
following day, 13 November, he threw down the
gauntlet at Mugabe.

On 14 November, the army moved in. By the
following morning, 15 November, it had taken
over. Sadc-brokered negotiations followed on 16
November, but immediately stalled.

Resultantly, demonstrations were organised to
force Mugabe’s hand on 18 November. The cen-
tral committee met to remove him a day after. On
that day, 19 November, Mugabe addressed the
nation, saying he was going nowhere.

The party then gave him an ultimatum to re-
sign on 20 November, which he rejected. And
then on 21 November Parliament moved to im-
peach him, forcing him to resign, to wild scenes
of jubilation. The next day Mnangagwa returned
from South Africa. Two days later, 24 November,
he was inaugurated as president, sealing Mugabe’s

Page 4 News NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Zanu PF is riddled with factionalism, as party bigwigs fight for positions.

The fight claimed the scalp of former Zanu PF Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri is an unhappy figurehead at the party as chairperson and Defence minister. open deadly confrontation, as it did at White City
national commissar and deputy defence minister Stadium in Bulawayo on 23 June 2018, just over
Victor Matemadanda who was backing Mugabe. using an intelligence report presented by Love- reneging over their coup gentleman’s agreement a month before the first post-2017 coup general
more Matuke, party security head. that the President would serve one term and give elections.
Matemadanda, who had replaced retired Lieu- him a chance in 2023; Mohadi is upset he has
tenant-General Engelbert Rugeje as commissar, Factional clashes at the time led to the suspen- been removed over sex scandals when “everyone Mnangagwa, who escaped the attack which was
was removed and dispatched to Mozambique as sion of youth leaders Pupurai Togarepi and Lew- is doing it, in fact, others are worse” and Oppah an internal job by the skin of his teeth, went on
ambassador to defuse tensions in the region and is Matutu, while Godfrey Tsenengamu, who has Muchinguri-Kashiri is an unhappy figurehead at to win the disputed presidential election by a wa-
address complaints by Chiwenga’s faction that he now formed a new party called Front for Econom- the party as chairperson and Defence minister. fer-thin margin.
had failed. ic Emancipation in Zimbabwe, was expelled.
War veterans are also restless over welfare issues. He won the July 30 election with 50.8% of
Mnangagwa’s powerful allies in the Midlands, Zanu PF Politburo members Cleveria Chizema Civil servants, especially teachers, have been fight- the vote, enough to meet the 50% plus one vote
including July Moyo and Mudha Ncube, and and the late Tendai Savanhu, Chiwenga’s allies, ing confrontationally for better pay and benefits. threshold needed to avoid a runoff against main
elsewhere were swept aside in district coordinating were expelled for allegedly plotting the 31 July opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa
committee (DCC) elections that left him weaker. 2020 stayaway protest with the opposition. Sourc- The explosive leadership battle and resultant who garnered 44.3% of the ballots.
Chiwenga has gained ground of late. es say Chiwenga is disgruntled over Mnangagwa’s political brinkmanship frequently explodes into
Chamisa challenged the result in court, but the
DCCs had been unconstitutionally dissolved Constitutional Court led by Chief Justice Luke
by the central committee in 2012. However, as Malaba declared Mnangagwa the winner on 24
amendments to the Zanu PF constitution by the August 2018. Not only that, Malaba had prior
central committee are “subject to ratification by to that ruled in court that Mugabe had resigned
congress”. voluntarily, thus Mnangagwa had gotten power
legitimately.
DCCs should have continued to exist de jure
until such ratification. The DCCs formed part of The then Judge President George Chiweshe
the congress and should thus not have been ex- had also claimed the coup was constitutional.
cluded from the congress prior to ratification of Judges are always an important player whenever
their disbandment. there is a coup. Mnangagwa has since extended
Malaba’s tenure by five years — changing the re-
Similarly, DCCs should not have been restored tirement age from 70 to 75 years — through con-
without ratification by congress. Independent troversial constitutional amendments that analysts
Norton MP Temba Mliswa has publicly said that say undermine judicial independence, rule of law
Mnangagwa’s close allies, Moyo, Mudha Ncube and democracy.
and others, lost in the DCC polls and no longer
have political capital to offer the President to en- “On the surface it appears Mnangagwa is con-
sure his and their survival in 2023. solidating power; after all he seems to have put
Chiwenga into checkmate, Mohadi is down and
Mliswa is a Mnangagwa supporter. In Masvin- now on his side at the party headquarters, re-
go, Provincial Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira is moved top army commanders who put him at
under fire over corruption charges which have tak- the helm, liquidated the coup coalition, purged
en a factional dimension as the Chiwenga camp police, intelligence and army bosses to coupproof
now wants him out. War veterans are leading the his regime and through political contingency key
charge. retired military figures, Perrance Shiri and Sibusi-
so Moyo, king-makers of sorts, have died,” a top
Chiwenga has previously been in Masvingo, Zanu PF official told News.
where he challenged Chadzamira’s leadership and
associated decisions, especially on land distribu- “However, in reality there is no consolidation
tion, which The NewsHawks covered relentlessly. to talk about. Mnangagwa is now surrounded by
political upstarts and fortune-hunters. Most im-
Zanu PF officials say Chiwenga has been inter- portantly and inevitably, he has lost control of the
vening in Masvingo and nationally through his party. The evidence is there for all to see. Just look
key ally, Rugeje. at what is happening in Midlands and Masvingo.
His strongholds are in turmoil and all he can do is
Since the watershed politburo meeting on 29 watch helplessly.”
July 2020, where Rugeje challenged Mnangagwa
amid attempts by the President’s allies to round Recently, an extraordinary Zanu PF politburo
on Chiwenga through sudden verbal attacks, re- meeting suspended provincial elections amid in-
lations in the Zanu PF presidium have continued tensifying infighting, claiming it wanted to pave
to deteriorate. way for structures to prepare for the annual con-
ference set to be held from 25-30 October.
Mnangagwa even brought CIO director-gener-
al Isaac Moyo into the politburo to make an indi-
rect case against Chiwenga by attacking his allies

NewsHawks News Page 5

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Judges face new credibility test
. . . implicit bargain under scrutiny
OWEN GAGARE
“If the party process is flawed, subverted or hi-
THE Zimbabwean judiciary faces a new credibili- jacked by vested political interests and other forc-
ty test as it comes under fresh scrutiny following a es, then the constitutional foundation and good
High Court application by Zanu PF member Sy- governance of the republic is imperiled. That
beth Musengezi challenging President Emmerson erodes the constitutional framework and demo-
Mnangagwa’s legitimacy as leader of the ruling cratic fabric of the state.
party, hence head of state.
“So the courts and judges have an important re-
Musengezi, a Zanu PF member of good stand- sponsibility and duty to protect the constitution,
ing for 20 years, says Mnangagwa was not con- the democratic order and constitutionalism of the
stitutionally and lawfully elected by the party’s state against internal party processes which might
central committee meeting of 19 November 2017 be compromised, manipulated and subverted to
— five days after the military coup that ousted serve narrow political factional or clique interests
former president Robert Mugabe. at the expense of the national or common good,
the public interest.”
He says the meeting which installed him par-
ty leader was not legally convened, constituted Another analyst added: “The Musengezi appli-
and conducted. As a result, Musengezi is seeking cation is very important. The process of nominat-
a declaratur against Mnangagwa that the special ing or electing a successor to a head of state must
session of the central committee after the coup at not be afflicted with such a string of illegalities or
party headquarters in Harare from 10am to 4pm glaring violations of the constitution and demo-
was ultra vires the party constitution, unlawful cratic process as highlighted in this momentous
and thus null and void ab initio. court application.”

He also wants the court to rule that all the res- tutionally and legally nominate a candidate to Chief Justice Luke Malaba Implicit bargain
olutions of the central committee meeting passed takeover from the incumbent removed on any of “As a result of that, this means the party process There is a rich history of case law within the Com-
during its unlawful gathering to install Mnangag- the stated grounds in the constitution,” an analyst should be democratic, credible, free and fair, and monwealth, where there have been legal challeng-
wa as party leader were “unlawful, invalid and are said. verifiable to meet the national democratic election es to the unconstitutional overthrow of elected
accordingly set aside”. demands and benchmarks. The rationale is that if governments.
“This elevates the constitutional burden to a party is to nominate someone to lead a nation
Further, Musengezi says former vice-president choose who will be a successor for the remainder through an internal process without being sub- These cases and incisive commentary on them
Phelekezela Mphoko should temporarily take of the outgoing leader’s term to a party internal jected to national elections, its process has got to are set out in an interesting book by Professor
over the Zanu PF leadership and preside over an mechanism instead of state electoral processes. be constitutional, legal and transparent. John Hatchard and Dr Tunde Ogowewo titled
extraordinary Zanu PF congress to be called with- Tackling Unconstitutional Overthrow of Democ-
in 90 days of the granting of the order to regula- Zanu PF member Sybeth Musengezi racies: Emerging Trends in the Commonwealth.
rise the leadership positions to ensure Mugabe’s Hatchard and Ogowewo develop a new theoreti-
successor is installed constitutionally and legally. cal construct — “the implicit bargain theory” —
to explain the existing jurisprudence on coups.
As things stand, Mnangagwa has no mandate
to be the leader of Zanu PF and President of Zim- Their study critically examines the evolution of
babwe, the application suggests. judicial decisions on the subject. In doing so, it
also evaluates jurisprudential theories underpin-
He came in through a string of illegalities ning these judgements.
which have not been cured, meaning he is an ille-
gal President of the republic. The position of the Commonwealth, especial-
ly given its strong stance against unconstitutional
Besides the coup and his 2018 disputed elec- overthrow of governments, is clearly articulated.
tion, Zanu PF did not elect him as the application Ironically, the Commonwealth’s Harare Decla-
contends. Legal experts say Mnangagwa is a prod- ration of 1991 and the subsequent Millbrook
uct of a slew of illegalities and here is why: Commonwealth Action Programme on the Ha-
l First, he came in through a coup, which means rare Declaration (1995), cite coups as particularly
unconstitutional seizure of power; grave violations of their principles. Zimbabwe is
l Secondly, he did not follow the national con- currently fighting to go back to the Common-
stitution on how he should have come in; former wealth after pulling out over a decade ago.
last acting vice-president Phelekezela Mphoko
did not act as required; After the 2017 Zimbabwean coup, judges were
l Thirdly, he was installed as Zanu PF leader by on the frontline of events and debate. Hatchard
an illegal or simply kangaroo central committee and Ogowewo explain why.
meeting;
l Fourth, he was elected through a disputed elec- “To understand the nature of the existing juris-
tion with a wafer-thin margin in 2018; and prudence on coups it is important to understand
l Fifth, he did not hold the 2019 Zanu PF con- what in fact produced it,” Hatchard and Ogowe-
gress which was due as he feared defeat amid rag- wo write.
ing battles over an unsettled leadership question.
“For this, a new theoretical construct — “the
These issues form a compelling backdrop to the implicit bargain theory” — is introduced to tell
case that judges, already damaged by Chief Jus- the story.
tice Luke Malaba’s tenure extension saga, have to
grapple with on how Mnangagwa came to power. “Judges are important players when there is a
coup. The immediate effect of a coup is to elim-
Constitutional judges recently violated one of inate two branches of government — the execu-
the key rules of natural justice — that no one can tive and the legislature. The judiciary is left intact.
be a judge in their own cause — to rescue Malaba
whose tenure extension had been blocked by the “The judiciary is left intact for two reasons.
High Court. First, because judicial affirmation of the regime
of usurpers confers legitimacy on the usurpers.
Judges are also yet to hear challenges to two Second, because even usurpers need to govern in
constitutional amendments designed to keep a system characterised by law and order, and an
Malaba in office, while helping Mnangagwa in his existing judicial system — even if tweaked — is
power consolidation and retention agenda. indispensable.”

In the Musengezi challenge against Mnangag- Already, top judges have made their implicit
wa’s leadership legitimacy, judges would have to bargain.
navigate a political and legal minefield: maintain
their implicit bargain to keep their positions — The then High Court Judge President George
posts and trappings of office — and serve the ends Chiweshe on 26 November 2017 ruled that the
of justice to retain their credibility at the same military’s actions “in intervening to stop the take-
time. over” of Mugabe’s constitutional functions “by
those around him are constitutionally and law-
Legal analysts say the Musengezi case is criti- ful”.
cal in terms of the way the national constitution
frames and deals with how to replace a head state, Malaba also issued a judgment, saying Mugabe
out through death, incapacitation or removal by had resigned voluntarily, in a bid to give constitu-
different means. tional and political legitimacy to the coup.

The ruling party of the day is vested, under Now the new High Court application chal-
Schedule Six of transitional mechanisms valid lenging Mnangagwa’s legitimacy will further test
from 2013 to 2023, with powers to nominate a the credibility of judges that is already badly dam-
successor through its own constitution and party aged due to the coup legitimation process and the
structures. Malaba tenure saga.

“The 2013 state constitution imposes a con-
stitutional mandate and duty to the ruling party
of the day to use its internal processes to consti-

Page 6 News NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

NYASHA CHINGONO Zanu PF tense as factional intrigue
overshadows upcoming conference
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa will pre-
side over a potentially heated Zanu PF conference Zanu PF officials say Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has been intervening in Masvingo and nationally through his key ally, former political commissar
in Bindura next week amid bruising infighting in Engelbert Rugeje (below).
the Midlands and Masvingo, with the party leader
expected to crack the whip on warring elements Chiwenga has previously been in the province, “We will discuss the state of the party. The jos- lutions of that special Zanu PF central committee
or contest the 2023 elections with a divided, fac- where he challenged Chadzamira’s leadership and tling for positions is normal because it is compe- meeting passed during the unlawful gathering on
tion-ridden political outfit. associated decisions, especially on land distribu- tition. It is allowed, but what we do not want is 19 November 2017 to install Mnangagwa party
tion, which The NewsHawks has covered exten- violence,” Bimha told The NewsHawks. leader are “unlawful, invalid and are accordingly
This comes as Mnangagwa openly condemned sively. set aside”.
intra-party violence in the provinces during a po- Mnangagwa was forced to postpone provincial
litburo meeting held on Wednesday this week at Zanu PF officials say Chiwenga has been in- polls last month indefinitely after fights for posi- Further, Musengezi says former vice-president
party headquarters. tervening in Masvingo and nationally through tions turned nasty. Phelekezela Mphoko should take over and preside
his key ally, former political commissar Engelbert over an extraordinary Zanu PF congress to regula-
“Those who wantonly violate and desecrate Rugeje. Although Zanu PF has perennially been Horse-trading has forced delays in some prov- rise top leadership positions within three months
our party constitution, peaceful culture and val- plagued by grand factionalism, the current wave inces, including Harare and Manicaland, where of the court order to ensure the late Robert Mug-
ues must be dealt with decisively without fear or of squabbles, especially among Mnangagwa’s allies protests against provincial chairperson Mike abe’s successor is installed legally.
favour,” Mnangagwa warned. in the Midlands, has turned nasty. Madiro ended badly, with some party youths led
by Danmore Mambondiyani bashed by the pro- Mnangagwa’s legitimacy has been under scru-
Factional fights among Mnangagwa’s loyalists While Mnangagwa had somewhat consolidat- vincial leader’s backers. In Harare, a fight between tiny since taking over from Mugabe in a military
Owen Mudha Ncube and incumbent Midlands ed power within the top brass through purges of Godwin Gomwe and Godwills Masimirembwa coup and the fresh bid, coupled with other relent-
chairperson Daniel Mckenzie Ncube have turned chief security officers involved in the 2017 coup ended in court. less bids by party bigwigs to subject the party’s
violent, as they jostle for leadership posts in the and subsequent replacement with his loyalists, dif- first secretary to an elective congress, further puts
province. This was the first time Mnangagwa ad- ferent dynamics are playing out at the grassroots. Mnangagwa will also preside over the annual pressure on his troubled leadership.
dressed intra-party violence in his political citadel, conference, amid a fresh bid to challenge his legit-
although he did not single out the two, who claim Constant horse-trading led to the postpone- imacy when Zanu PF member Sybeth Musengezi On top of the raging intra-party fights, Mnan-
to be his loyalists. ment of provincial elections following chaotic on Wednesday filed a High Court application gagwa is also under pressure to solve Zimbabwe’s
scenes fanned by factional intrigue, triggering seeking nullification of the 19 November 2017 unrelenting economic woes.
He warned warring elements, saying violence frustration at grassroots level. party central committee meeting which promot-
was alien to the party ethos. ed him to power. Ahead of the party conference, the Zimdollar
Mnangagwa’s weak control mechanisms have has dramatically lost ground to the US dollar,
“The party has no room for divisive elements come under scrutiny as infighting in Masvingo Musengezi is seeking a declaratur against with the government cracking the whip on for-
who want positions at the expense of party disci- and the Midlands spirals out of control, with ana- Mnangagwa that the special session of the Zanu eign currency dealers, who have been labelled
pline, unity, love, harmony and development. It is lysts saying the President needs to rein in the war- PF central committee on 19 November 2017 “economic saboteurs”.
alien for our party to fight for posts,” Mnangagwa ring factions if his bid for 2023 is to be successful. after the military coup at party headquarters in
told the party’s highest decision making body. Harare from 10am to 4pm was ultra vires the con- Bimha said the economy will also be top of the
Zanu PF’s acting spokesperson Mike Bimha stitution, unlawful and null and void. agenda, as the ruling party seeks to find solutions
Heavy infighting has raged on for months, confirmed that intra-party violence will be at the to runaway inflation stoking fears of the 2008 hy-
with both factions declaring their undying loyal- top of the agenda at the Bindura conference. He also wants the court to rule that all the reso- perinflationary era.
ty to the party leader. Mnangagwa had until now
remained tight-lipped with regards to the vicious
infighting in the provinces.

Party insiders say Mnangagwa told the com-
missariat led by acting political commissar Patrick
Chinamasa to rein in indiscipline within the par-
ty.

“Chinamasa was told to intervene in the prov-
inces because the infighting is getting out of hand.
Mnangagwa spoke strongly against warring fac-
tions and warned them of expulsion if it got out
of hand. He is very worried that his political base
is cracking,” an insider told The NewsHawks.

“He also ordered party organs in charge of the
provincial polls to desist from factionalism. He
believes the sabotage is deliberate and wants those
elements fished out,” the insider added.

Factional tussles turned violent in the Midlands
last week after senior officials exchanged blows in
public, a matter which was reported to the police.

The party’s restructuring exercise from grass-
roots level has been marred by intimidation and
violence as a faction aligned to Mudha Ncube
and Mackenzie Ncube battle it out for Midlands
leadership. According to party officials, Mack-
enzie Ncube has the backing of minister in the
President’s Office Joram Gumbo, while Mudha
Ncube’s allies include prominent figures like Lo-
cal Government minister July Moyo.

A scramble for the Midlands provincial chair-
person’s position has led to mud-slinging, open
confrontation and smear campaigns on social me-
dia, sparking concern in Mnangagwa’s backyard.

Analysts say Mnangagwa’s failure to maintain
a grip on structures and among his lieutenants
could be detrimental to his rule ahead of 2023.
This could also embolden his political rival,
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, in the
provinces.

An investigation by The NewsHawks shows
Mnangagwa’s biggest problem is that he is leading
a divided party, which has an unresolved lead-
ership issue, without a mandate from congress,
Zanu PF’s supreme decision-making body.

During the politburo meeting, Mnangagwa
urged party organs to finalise the district elections,
which have been marred by violence.

Analysts say growing infighting in the provinc-
es is testimony to weak leadership which has failed
to stem the internal strife.

Mnangagwa is under growing pressure to deal
with internal strife and present the party as a uni-
fied force in its quest to further entrench power
beyond 2023.

He is also under pressure from party bigwigs
who recently questioned his mandate, while his
political bases, namely the Midlands and Masv-
ingo, are on fire, rocked by intense inter-factional
fights.

Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Ezra
Chadzamira is under fire over corruption charges,
which have taken a factional dimension, as the
Chiwenga camp now wants him out. War veter-
ans are leading the charge.

NewsHawks News Page 7

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

STEPHEN CHADENGA Mudha Ncube plays hidden
card in tussle for Midlands
THE Zanu PF Midlands provincial elections pit-
ting State Security minister Owen Mudha Ncu- State Security minister Owen Mudha Ncube Midlands Province chairperson Daniel Mckenzie Ncube
be and incumbent Daniel McKenzie Ncube has
taken a new dimension, amid reports the former in the pending party provincial elections, indica- in the Midlands province,” the source added. ty members loyal to the State Security minister
has chickened out to pave way for his ally, The tions on the ground show a grand plan to oust Both protagonists however declare undying would redirect their support towards the group’s
NewsHawks can report. him from his post. preferred candidate.
loyalty to Mnangagwa although events on the
Initially, Mudha Ncube had shown interest in “The Owen Ncube team are leaving no stone ground point to a vicious fight which may inflict The Midlands Zanu PF provincial elections
challenging the current provincial chairperson unturned as they move to consolidate their grip political scars on both camps. have been nasty, with members embarking on a
Mackenzie Ncube as the battle for the control of on the Midlands province,” a party insider said. campaign to soil each other’s images as they fight
the Midlands intensifies. Sources within Zanu PF told The NewsHawks for influential posts.
“Remember, Ncube is being backed by Moyo that Mudha Ncube had intended to contest for
But in a sudden turn of events, Mudha Ncube (July) (Local government minister) and they are the provincial chairmanship, but had since decid- Efforts to contact Mudha Ncube were fruitless,
has given a nod to former youth league leader Ed- fighting tooth and nail to make sure Mackenzie’s ed to field his trusted ally Chakanyuka. with a source close to him saying he had adopted
ison Chakanyuka to contest Mackenzie Ncube. backers, including Joram Gumbo, are weakened a “watch-and-see” approach.
They said the plan was to ensure that par-
Mudha Ncube’s supporters have since redirect-
ed their campaign in support of Chakanyuka.

Key Mudha Ncube campaigner Philemon Sa-
falan last week notified party members to support
Chakanyuka, saying he was now the “key candi-
date for Midlands provincial chairperson post”.

“Cde Ncube has utilised all intelligence to
pave the ground for Cde Chakanyuka and let us
all support Cde Chiherenge Chakanyuka as he is
now our provincial chairman candidate,” Safa-
lan notified party members of a WhatsApp group
dubbed “Endorsement of Mudha”.

Following his announcement there has been a
spirited campaign for Chakanyuka, with one par-
ty member declaring that “Owen Mudha Ncube
and Chakanyuka were one and the same thing”.

The ruling party cadres sympathetic to Mudha
Ncube have also said Zvishavane Runde legislator
Cuthbert Mpame should deputise Chakanyuka.

The bruising fight between the State Security
boss and Mackenzie Ncube has been intensifying
in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s backyard
as the protagonists battle for the control of the
province.

Contacted for comment on whether he was
interested in the provincial chairperson’s post,
Chakanyuka would neither confirm or deny his
interests. “Please be patient (we) will talk (over the
issue),” Chakanyuka told The NewsHawks.

But further probes by this publication showed
Chakanyuka had already designed campaign ma-
terial for dissemination via the socoal media group
created by party members for Mudha Ncube, an
indication that he has been given the greenlight to
contest for the post.

Although Mackenzie Ncube has since taken a
swipe at his adversaries for adopting “dirty tactics”

NYASHA CHINGONO Zanu PF official arrested over
copper-laden trailers hijacking
A SENIOR Zanu PF Filabusi district official
has been arrested over the hijacking of two Zanu PF chairperson for Filabusi, Arthur Nhliziyo, is detained at Bulawayo Central Police Station. documents say the assailants stopped the truck
Zambian copper trucks in the Dete area in Ma- and pulled off the road. Noticing that the truck
tabeleland North province, which were later disappeared behind him. A Honda Fit then and robbed the truck driver. Three other men had pulled off, Simbisai stopped to offer assis-
discovered parked at his plot in Matabeleland parked close to him. Two people, now the ac- remained the car. The robbers then got into the tance to his colleague, unaware that the truck
South region in a daring case of robbery, a po- cused, disembarked from the car; one with a truck and drove away. had been hijacked.
lice document says. firearm which he aggressively pointed at him
After driving for a few kilometres, the police The unknown assailants immediately grabbed
The document reveals that Arthur Nhliziyo, him, tied him up with shoelaces, blindfolded
a Zanu PF chairman for Filabusi, is detained at him and bundled him to the back of the truck
Bulawayo Central Police Station, following his before they took control of both trucks.
arrest over the theft of two trucks with 30 tonnes
of copper and copper concentrate, whose value Along the way, the accused persons stopped
was not disclosed. the trucks and bundled both complainants into
the Honda Fit.
“Nhliziyo is currently in police detention.
He was arrested after two hijacked trucks were The two were dumped at Uravhi business
found on his plot; one of them had its cargo centre in Mashava inside one of the trucks.
still in there, but the other no longer had the
copper,” it says. “The copper trucks had been “The accused persons had stolen both trail-
hijacked in Dete. An investigation led to their ers with 30 tonnes copper, 30 tonnes copper
discovery and recovery in Filabusi.” concentrate, a bag containing various clothes,
two gas stoves and two cell-phones. The total
According to the police document, two Zam- value stolen is yet to be ascertained. A report
bian nationals Talent Maoko (28) and Kelvin was then made at ZRP Mashava,” the police
Simbisai (34), were hijacked by five unknown document says, adding that the tracking system
assailants on the Victoria Falls highway from on the trucks had been tampered with to avoid
Zambia . detection.

On 18 October, a case was received in Bul- Acting on information, on 20 October CID
awayo after it was opened in Lupane Criminal Homicide officers from Bulawayo proceeded to
Investigation Department (CID). The com- Filabusi and raided Nhliziyo’s plot where they
plainants were Maoko and Simbisai. found two trailers parked in a bush with their
numbers removed, leading to his arrest.
“What happened was that on 13 October, I
was driving a truck registration number AKB “The load on one of the trailers was still
2616, pulling a trailer registration number intact, while the other trailer had all its load
9422T, while Simbisai was driving a truck regis- stolen. The recovered trailers and the copper
tration number BAD 7419, towing a trailer reg- concentrate were taken to CID Homicide Bula-
istration number BAD 8313T,” the document wayo for further management,” police say.
says.

“All trucks belonging to Galo Trans 9 Logis-
tics based in Lusaka, Zambia, were driving in a
convoy with 30 tonnes of copper each. When
the trucks reached the Fatima area, Maoko
pulled off after realising the other trucks had

Page 8 News NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Zec blames Parly for electoral reforms delay

BRIDGET MANANAVIRE National Assembly hosts pre-budget seminar

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) THE Parliament of Zimbabwe is scheduled to “Parliament of Zimbabwe through the Port- protocols, with parliamentarians subjected to tests
says the delay in electoral reforms is as a result host a pre-budget seminar today in Victoria Falls, folio Committee on Budget Finance and Eco- before the seminar, Chokuda said.
of Parliament dragging its feet in aligning the Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda has said. nomic Development and Expanded Sustainable
Electoral Act to the 2013 constitution. Development on Budget Finance and Economic “All members of the Parliament staff, members
Parliamentarians will engage with the executive Development and Expanded Sustainable Devel- of the media, will be screened for the virus prior
Zec spokesperson Joyce Kazembe told The ahead of the country’s annual budget from 22-26 opment Goals (SDGS) went around the country to the event. Valid Covid-19 free certificates will
NewsHawks that the commission had done its October. The seminar will run under the theme to get the citizens opinion on what they expect in be produced for one to access the venue. I encour-
part by suggesting the sections that need to be Reinforcing Sustainability and Resilience. this budget for the year 2022. The constitution age citizens to be alive to the fact that Covid-19 is
changed and it is now up to Parliament to deal compels Parliament to participate and contribute real and we are not yet you of the woods. We urge
with the policy changes. Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda will to this budget consultation,” Chokuda said. every eligible member of the society to get vacci-
address the gathering where the parliamentarians nated for the country to achieve herd immunity,”
The main opposition Nelson Chamisa-led will present findings of the budget consultation The seminar will be held under strict Covid-19 Chokuda said. — STAFF WRITER
MDC Alliance and civil groups have been process around the country.
pushing for the electoral reforms, which they
believe will pave way for free, fair and credible
elections in Zimbabwe.

This comes as the Electoral Bill is missing
from the legislative agenda of the fourth ses-
sion of the ninth Parliament opened by Presi-
dent Emmerson Mnangagwa last week.

Kazembe said Zec submitted a paper to Par-
liament just after the constitution came into
force in 2013.

“Soon after the new constitution, which is
not new anymore as we are getting to 10 years
now, we constituted a group of what we would
call the bright legal brains to look at the old
constitution and the new constitution and
pick out the areas that were not aligned to the
new constitution. We did that for three days
while they were in a secluded place,” Kazembe
said.

“They looked at that, they wrote a paper,
we submitted that because every Zimbabwean
has a right to go Parliament for the alignment
of the constitution, we submitted that to Par-
liament. However, it is also important for the
media to highlight those areas that need align-
ment. We did what we could do, we submitted
a list of the areas that needed to be aligned to
the new constitution; today, some of them we
are still awaiting.

“I will give you an example, the subsection
that governs media monitoring was passed in
2008, that is what we are still using, although
we submitted a long time ago that it needed

DUMISANI NYONI Zupco pays NRZ ZW$14m monthly

THE Zimbabwe United Passenger Company Zupco says it pays ZW$24 000 to NRZ per coach per day.
(Zupco), which partnered the National Rail-
ways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) in providing an ur- tation of infrastructure and procurement of new Thereafter, definitive agreements will be entered and not new infrastructure. It focuses on capac-
ban commuter transport service, is paying the locomotives and wagons, among others. into. Other recap engagements on locomo- itation and recapitalisation of NRZ in terms of
rail parastatal ZW$14 million (about US$150 tives and wagon supply are being pursued,” the equipment, its tracks, locomotives and wagons.
538 using the official rate) a month for the ar- “Having toured the NRZ system, parties are memo reads in part. This phase will also involve the scoping mission.
rangement, The NewsHawks has established. at the information exchange stage and the inves-
tor is anticipated to submit a proposal for con- According to the government, the first phase The second phase will entail extensive negoti-
According to an internal memo addressed sideration and approval by NRZ and cabinet. of the deal is focusing on existing infrastructure ations that will lead to financial closure.
to NRZ employees, Zupco says it pays
ZW$24 000 per coach per day, translating to
about ZW$14 million per month.

“NRZ and Zupco have partnered in provid-
ing urban commuter transport service in Harare
and are expected to commence the service in
Bulawayo soon,” the memo, dated 14 October
2021, reads in part.

“The partnership entails Zupco providing
fuel, personal protective equipment and on-
board staff whilst NRZ provides commuter
trains and crews and in return paid ZW$24 000
per coach per day translating to about ZW$14
million per month,” it said.

The rail parastatal requires at least 40 more
locomotives, 300 new and modern coaches and
300 wagons, for it to be able to meet some of the
service requirements.

Currently, the NRZ has about 40 locomo-
tives, but some of them are not functional, while
others have outlived their lifespan of 25 years.

At its peak in the 1990s, the rail entity moved
14.4 million tonnes against an installed capaci-
ty of 18 million tonnes annually. Currently, it
moves about three million tonnes annually.

The rail entity has engaged in a restructuring
exercise and is trimming the number of its exec-
utives from six to three, a process that will leave
the parastatal with a general manager, chief op-
erations officer and chief finance officer. About
2 000 employees will lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, the memo revealed that the gov-
ernment has given a nod for NRZ to engage
Turkish company Yapi Merkez in the rehabili-

NewsHawks News Page 9

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

TOP executives at Zimbabwe’s power utility Zesa Zim huge coal reserves might
Holdings Limited and policymakers are deeply soon be redundant in 38 yrs
worried about the future of coal-fired electricity
projects in the country following China’s recent Zesa executive chairperson Sydney Gata
move to stop funding that are outside its bor- (wearing maroon shirt in the middle) with
ders to flatten its carbon emissions curve to limit
global warming and climate change. editors at Hwange Power Station.

Zesa chairperson Sydney Gata told journalists told journalists. They have typically a high capacity and high load energy resources, whereby PV (photovotaic) solar
visiting Hwange Power Station earlier this week But there is always an opportunity in every factor consumption pattern not easily satisfied by and wind turbines will be operated during day-
that China’s decision has instantaneously affected intermittent renewable energy sources. time, with hydro power deployed to smoothen
two major projects in Zimbabwe. The visit was crisis. out the intermittency and at night as illustrated
organised by the Zimbabwe National Editors One positive sign from Xi’s UN speech was “Accordingly, to migrate from a fossil powered below:
Forum and the Zesa corporate communications to a green energy economy, we must accelerate
department’s stakeholder relations unit. that “China will step up support for other devel- the adoption of renewable energy technologies. “It seems imperative that, both for the coun-
oping countries in developing green and low-car- Resources like solar and wind have a premium of try and region, we should urgently transition
“It must be noted that the economies of coun- bon energy”. cost adaptation as they require storage, which is to a green economy. The model of migration
tries such as Botswana, South Africa and Zimba- still too costly. To retain our goals in a sustainable which is anchored on collaborative regional de-
bwe were constructed on fossil fuel as the prima- Gata and his Zesa executives are already think- manner and based on an economy that is green, velopment of the massive hydro resources on
ry energy source,” Gata said. ing about how to adjust and embrace alternative we propose to transition from coal to hydro pow- the Zambezi-Kafue basin, and the setting up of
sources of energy — transition to the green en- er that is complemented by renewable energy, in CARE (Central Africa Renewable Energy) as the
“The economy of Zimbabwe has been tout- ergy economy. particular wind and solar.” operating entity, will ensure that the other more
ed as the fastest growing economy in Africa by desirable sources of renewable energy such as so-
the IMF and the World Bank. This growth was In a presentation on China’s move and the Gata said a regional power strategy should be lar and wind can develop faster, as they will be
based on a fossil fuel economy. Hence decisions options available for Zimbabwe, Gata said going pursued to improve electricity availability and supported by massive hydro storage as a natural
to cut funding on fossil fuel energy will leave a green is the alternative. access in Sadc. battery.
profound gap in the economic and social stabili-
ty of the Sadc countries. Their targets for United “As a nation and region, Zimbabwe and Sadc “Development of the massive hydro potential “We therefore offer to transition from a fossil
Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals are committed to conform with the goals of on the Kafue and Zambezi basins, and operation fuel to a green economy so that we can run our
(SDGs) will be missed, as all the SDGs are pred- COP26, to meet their commitments under the of the power plants on a collaborative, conjunc- farming, industry, mining and also transition
icated on electricity supply which is available, Framework Convention on Climate Change. All tive basis is the most viable strategy for the Sadc from petrol and diesel traction to electric cars
accessible and affordable.” the countries in the sub-region have a national region. The resources will be operated on the and railway locomotives to cut greenhouse gas
strategy to deliver an upper middle-income econ- catchment rule, as opposed to the current reser- emissions. We call for support from the global
Chinese President Xi Jinping recently said at omy by 2030, which presumes universal access to voir rule model,” he said. players to realise green energy economies for our
the UN General Assembly that China — the electricity. This aspiration can now only be based collaborating states, and support of the global
world’s largest public financier — “will not build on energy systems which are not only available, “Conjunctive dispatch guarantees that more economies to fund this initiative through export
new coal-fired power projects abroad”. accessible and affordable, but also green,” he said. energy is harvested from the same resources than of their technologies.” — STAFF WRITER
if operated as single reservoirs. The reservoirs also
Chinese banks have already swung into action. “The economies of Zimbabwe, Zambia and serve as a large storage battery intermittent solar
Three days after Xi’s speech, the Bank of China South Africa are predicated on high intensity of
announced it would no longer provide financing electricity use in mining, smelting and irrigation.
for new coal-mining and power projects outside
the country from the last quarter of this year.

Xi’s statement is expected to affect at least 54
gigawatts — which involve Zimbabwe’s projects
— of proposed China-backed coal plants that
are not yet under construction. Shelving these
would save CO₂ emissions equivalent to three
months of global emissions.

Before China’s move, Zimbabwe was embark-
ing on a spree of coal-fired power enterprises to
generate about eight gigawatts, much of it to be
built and financed by Chinese companies.

Last year in July President Emmerson Mnan-
gagwa toured eight companies building new coal
mines, coking coal plants and power generation
plants in Hwange, a coal-rich district in Mata-
beleland North province.

During the tour, local firm Western Areas an-
nounced plans to build two 300MW coal plants,
while Zimbabwe Gas and Coal said it would
build a 750MW plant.

Chinese companies were also undertaking
coal projects.

For instance, Zimbabwe Zhongxin Electrical
Energy, a joint venture with the Zimbabwe De-
fence Forces, was building a 50MW power plant
with plans to expand that to 430MW. Dinson
Colliery, the coal-mining subsidiary of steelmak-
er Tsingshan Holding Group, was working on a
US$300 million coking plant. Jinan Corpora-
tion was planning a 600MW plant.

Other major coal projects were in the pipeline,
especially the US$3 billion 2 800MW thermal
power plant in Gokwe that RioZim Energy was
building with engineering and financial support
from China Gezhouba Group Company, and
PER Lusulu Power’s proposed 2 100MW power
plant in the north-western district of Binga.

Now the situation has dramatically changed.
The biggest headache for Zimbabwe is that it
has vast coal reserves which may eventually be-
come redundant.
Data shows Zimbabwe holds 553 million
tonnes (mmst) of proven coal reserves, ranking
38th in the world.
It has proven reserves equivalent to 163.3
times its annual consumption. The country con-
sumes 3 388 555 tonnes of coal per year, ranking
53rd in the world for consumption, accounting
for about 0.3% of the world’s total consumption
of 1 139 471 430 tons. Zimbabwe consumes 241
516 cubic feet of coal per capita every year or 662
cubic feet per capita per day.
This means it has about 163 years of coal left
(at current consumption levels and excluding
unproven reserves).
Yet Zesa engineers say coal might be redun-
dant in 38 years. This means 125 years of con-
sumption might go to waste at the current rate
of usage. “There is a small window within which
we must use our huge coal reserves, or they be-
come redundant like asbestos,” a Zesa engineer

Page 10 News NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Country risk throttles energy projects

LIZWE SEBATHA

A NUMBER of planned electricity generation Zesa executive chairperson Sydney Gata (left) takes Zimbabwe’s media editors, including The News Hawks Managing Editor Dumisani Muleya (right), on a tour of
projects, including by independent power pro- Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion project on Monday. — Pictures: Aaron Ufumeli
ducers (IPP), are failing to take off due to country
and currency risks, policy mis-steps and lack of Work in progress at Hwange Thermal Power Station
bankable feasibility studies, Zimbabwe Electrici-
ty Supply Authority (Zesa) executive chairperson
Sydney Gata has said.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority
(Zera) has in the past five years licensed more
than 100 small IPP projects with a capacity to
produce around 1 300 megawatts (MW), but
most of them remain non-operational.

One such project is the US$183 million
Gwanda Solar Project awarded to controversial
businessman Wicknell Chivayo.

The Gwanda project has been the subject of
court battles after Intratrek Zimbabwe failed to
deliver within the agreed timelines. The contract
was signed in 2015.

In September 2020, Zesa abandoned its Mu-
tare Peaking Power Station project, which was
supposed to be completed in 2022. Zesa said it
abandoned the project, which was envisaged to
contribute as much as 120 megawatts to the na-
tional grid, because using diesel to generate elec-
tricity was costly.

The 100MW Dema Emergency Power Plant,
powered by diesel and built in 2016 by Sakunda
Holdings, has also been abandoned.

According to Gata, the failure of several oth-
er power generation projects to take off is not
surprising mainly because they were either not
bankable or were undertaken without due dili-
gence and feasibility studies.

“We have a number of projects that have been
reported in the media, but they have not pro-
ceeded because I believe as a nation, we still have
to learn a lot about what is called country risk,”
Gata told editors during a visit to the Hwange
Thermal Power Station expansion project on
Monday.

“Quite a number of these (projects) were white
elephants at birth. They were born deformed. If
we are developing a project such as in Hwange
here, there are phases that are mandatory to be
followed and to be appreciated for their impor-
tance in the project development programme.”

China’s SinoHydro Corporation is undertak-
ing the expansion project. The firm began work-
ing on Hwange’s units 7 and 8 in 2019.

China’s Export-Import Bank is providing a
loan for the project, 80% of it at concessionary
rates and 20% at commercial rates. On comple-
tion the project will add 600MW to the national
grid.

“Here is a list of projects that went ahead
without bankable feasibility studies: Batoka Hy-
dro; Mutare Peaking, which has been cancelled;
Gwanda Solar, which is in difficulties; Dema,
which has been cancelled; then we also have proj-
ect start-ups without policy support,” Gata said.

“We have over 100 IPP projects that have
been licensed that are paralysed because policy
does not carry them. In the normal progression
of what I call the development phase, before the
joint development agreements, you are syndi-
cating the equity and bringing investors in the
process.

“In the projects that I listed, what killed them,
those that were killed, is lack of market due dil-
igence. We have a list of projects that the banks,
all these big banks, are not coming to the party
because they say how can we lend to ZETDC
which is selling electricity at a loss? When you
come to currency risk, the lender will say ‘how
can I lend in US dollars if you are collecting
RTGS to repay the loan?’.”

Zimbabwe has a deficit of over 1 000MW of
electricity due to reduced power generation, as
well as antiquated equipment at Hwange Pow-
er Station. Ongoing maintenance works at the
Kariba Hydropower plant are not helping mat-
ters, resulting in limited generation electricity.

This has forced the power utility to introduce
intensive load-shedding schedules lasting several
hours a day. The government targets to ease the
electricity outages by 2023, if ongoing projects
undertaken by various Chinese companies to in-
crease output are undertaken and completed.

NewsHawks News Page 11

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Zim’s heavy reliance on coal risky

Hwange Thermal Power Station undergoes expansion as China announc-
es to end investment in thermal power plants.

LIZWE SEBATHA

ZIMBABWE has no capacity to migrate from Zesa executive chairperson Sydney Gata said Zimbabwe expects to sign a contract with the Chinese government on a deal set to rehabilitate old units at Hwange
coal-fired power stations to alternative renewable Thermal Power Station.
energy sources, spelling doom for the country fol-
lowing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s announce- On completion, the project will add 600 mega- in a system when they come with storage. Storage units at Hwange power station.
ment to end investment in thermal power plants. watts (MW) to the national grid. like green hydrogen, lithium batteries, but those “We have a big project for plant extension to
are expensive.”
Chinese companies are involved in several coal- Gata added: “At the same time, we are being which the Exim bank has committed US$310
fired projects across the country as President Em- told that we have to switch over to renewables, United Nations secretary-general Antonio Gu- million. That project is about to start and, in the
merson Mnangagwa’s government seeks to end they are eligible, and they are tomorrow’s world. terres has often called for a stop to the financing month of November, we expect to sign the con-
rolling power outages, sometimes lasting several In many parts of Europe they are already in to- of coal-burning power plants in global speeches tracts to start pulling unit by unit, repairing and
hours. day’s world. There are two issues about renewables he has made on climate change. mordernise it,” Gata said.
that make it an immediate Plan B for us. Most of
China has been under pressure to put an end the technology is imported. However, coal remains a mainstay for pow- “We call it a re-powering project and this is to
to its coal financing projects abroad. In a recent er generation in Zimbabwe and several African confirm that it is fully funded by the Chinese gov-
United Nations (UN) general assembly address, “We don’t yet have a local industry that fabri- countries. Research shows that China is the big- ernment. This will give us a renewed 850 mega-
Xi said, “China will step up support for other cates this technology for it to be affordable. There gest producer of coal and the largest financier of watts guaranteed to operate like that for the next
developing countries in developing green and is also a limit to which you can deploy renewables, coal-fired power plants abroad. 25 years.”
low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal- particularly PV (photovoltaic) solar and wind en-
fired power projects abroad.” ergy. On top of that, if you look at renewables On Monday, the Zesa boss said they were ex- The country generates an average of 1 200
that are the most popular, they are more secure pecting to sign a contract with the Chinese gov- megawatts daily against peak demand of 2 200
In June, the Industrial and Commercial Bank ernment on a deal which is set to rehabilitate old MW and relies on imports to offset the shortfall.
of China (ICBC) announced plans to stop fund-
ing the US$3 billion 2 800-megawatt Sengwa
coal project.

This was the second time in as many months
that ICBC was announcing its withdrawal of
coal-funding plans.

A permit to build a coal-fired plant in Lamu,
Kenya, was cancelled by the government last year.
The ICBC is China’s biggest backer of coal-pow-
ered plants in other countries.

However, as pressure from environmentalists to
stop coal-fired projects mounts across the world,
for Zimbabwe this spells doom as the country has
no capacity to migrate to greener energy sources,
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) ex-
ecutive chairperson Sydney Gata said on Monday.

“I have always been aware that there is a date
in the future that the world will ban coal as a
form of energy. I am pained, like all of us, by the
knowledge that in Zimbabwe we are sitting on 26
billion tonnes of coal reserves, which is 834 years
equivalent consumption at the rate of consump-
tion, and all of a sudden we have to park that be-
cause it is now condemned as one of the major
polluters that is changing our climate,” Gata told
editors during a tour of Hwange’s coal-fired pow-
er station expansion project.

The Chinese SinoHydro Corporation is under-
taking the expansion project. The firm kickstart-
ed the construction of Hwange Thermal Power
Station units 7 and 8 in 2019, taking over from
China Machinery and Engineering Company
(CMEC) that had initially been awarded the ten-
der.

China’s Export-Import Bank is providing a
loan for the project, 80% of it at concessionary
rates and 20% at commercial rates.

Page 12 NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

NewsHawks News Page 13

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Zim’s new gaze into the abyss

NYASHA CHINGONO MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa says attacks on his convoy was a clearly coordinated plot.

ZIMBABWE’S main opposition MDC
Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa says the
country will plunge into a “zone of turbu-
lence and conflict” if those behind the re-
cent reckless acts of violence with impunity,
including an attempt to assassinate him this
week, are not arraigned and stopped in their
tracks.

In an interview with The NewsHawks last
night following what he says was a clear as-
sassination bid against him in Mutare, Cha-
misa said something needs to be urgently to
clear the spectre of violence before it spirals
into strife.

“If we don’t urgently tame this rising tide
of anarchy, vigilantism and violence, then
we will soon enter into a zone of conflict
lawlessness, chaos and impunity,” he said.

Chamisa said events that happened in
Masvingo and Mutare recently showed him
beyond reasonable doubt that there was a
sinister political agenda behind the disrup-
tions of his civic engagement activities.

“That was a clear attempt on my life,”
Chamisa.

“It was an attack obviously coordinated
from the top. Their aim was to destroy or
kill, terminate life. People can say whatever
they want and come up with theories about
chisels and bullets, but the truth is that this
was a plot to kill, coordinated from the top.
That’s why there has been loud silence on
the issue from authorities, no condemnation
and no arrests. How does that happen when
the perpetrators are known and are mostly
on video shouting and advertising their ille-
gal activities? Why haven’t they been arrest-
ed?”

Chamisa said while people were free to
debate whether the object that hit his car
was a bullet or not, it is very clear to him
what it was.

“It was not a stone-throwing exercise, it
was an attack by a trained person, a pro-
fessional marksman; possibly a snipper.
We were attacked by stones in Masvingo,
so we know the difference between bullets
and stones. They wanted to shoot where my
head was or thought it was. The plot was to
kill, but thank God we survived,” he said.

The MDC Alliance leader, sounding still
anxious, narrated what happened leading to
the incident. He described a dramatic high-
speed chase between his convoy and the as-
sailants.

“We were involved in a high-speed-speed
chase with those thugs for about 40 min-
utes. We didn’t want to report the incident
to the police because they do nothing each
time we have done so. We have reported so
many cases as MDC, but they have done
nothing about that. I was beaten uncon-
scious (in 2007) at the airport, but nothing
has been done about it.”

Chamisa was brutally attacked by un-
known assailants widely thought to be state
security agents and left lying in a pool of
blood at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Inter-
national Airport in 2007 on his way to Brus-
sels, Belgium. That was before the violent
and murderous June 2008 presidential elec-
tion run-off following an unusually peaceful
general election in March that year.

“That was also an attempt on my life, but
nothing has been done since then,” he said.

“I don’t know why we are treated like this;
we are not enemies of the state or enemies of
Zanu PF, we are the main opposition, we are
just political competitors offering an alterna-
tive. It’s like we are in a state of war. We are
not like Dhlakama (the late Mozambican
Renamo rebel leader). We don’t have a pri-
vate army, police or gangs to fight anyone.
We want democratic, free and fair elections.

“But look are what is happening, instead
of police arresting the perpetrators of vio-
lence and intimidation, they are busy hunt-
ing down the victims. Where in the world
have you heard that?”

Page 14 News NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

US embassy dispels Zim sugarcane cutters
sanctions ‘myth’ to bitter over low wages
UN envoy Douhan
MORRIS BISHI issues of workers in the sugar industry.
United Nations special rapporteur on human rights Alena Douhan He said collective bargaining meet-
OVER 2 000 sugarcane cutters in Tri-
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE angle and Hippo Valley Estates have ings were last held in 2019, leaving
gone on strike, demanding an increase workers at the mercy of employers who
THE United States embassy in Harare this week met with in their wages. are now taking advantage of the situa-
United Nations special rapporteur on human rights Alena tion.
Douhan despite the American government’s reservations The strike, which began last week, has
about the mandate of rapporteurs on unilateral coercive significantly affected the sugar industry “The ZISMIWU intra power strug-
measures. as milling of cane has been reduced by gles negatively affected the functioning
half, with reports that the two mills at of the National Employment Council
During the meeting, US embassy chargé d’affaires Hippo Valley and Triangle are now re- activities, like the collective bargaining,
Thomas Hastings shared the American policy with Dou- lying on cane deliveries from outgrower worsening the already pathetic condi-
han and the friendship between the Zimbabwean people farmers. tions of workers in the sugar milling
and America. sector, leaving employees at the mercy
The development has forced Tongaat of the employer who would drop some
Douhan is in the country at the invitation of the Zim- Hulett and the main workers’ union in crumbs as and when he felt too exposed
babwean government on a 10-day mission from 18 Oc- the sugar industry to convene an emer- to continue drawing super profits from
tober to assess the negative impact of sanctions on the gency meeting to discuss the welfare of slave-like labour. Since mid-2019, there
enjoyment of human rights. the grieving workers. have been no wage negotiations in the
industry, the only other time wages
According to the embassy, Hastings underscored the The collective bargaining meetings, were reviewed was in 2020 when the
“enduring friendship with the Zimbabwean people, dis- which were last held in 2019 due to government intervened and imposed
pelled some myths about sanctions”, and shared America’s factional fights within the Zimbabwe an RTGS$2 500 minimum wage across
efforts to deepen UZ-Zimbabwe trade ties. Sugar Milling Industry Workers’ Union all sectors. This is the gazetted statutory
(ZISMIWU), kicked off on Tuesday minimum wage in the industry.”
During a 15 October Press briefing, US State Depart- this week.
ment spokesperson Ned Price said the economic ills in “Grade A1 covers mainly manual la-
Zimbabwe were as a result of abuse of power by Zimba- Efforts to get a comment from Ton- bour like cane cutting, weeding etc. The
bwe’s leaders and not sanctions. gaat Hulett Zimbabwe acting corporate task is heavy and requires much energy
affairs and communications executive yet this necessary energy cannot be re-
“… sanctions target human rights abusers and those Ushe Chinhuru were fruitless, as he was produced. The only option then for the
who undermine democratic processes or facilitate corrup- not answering calls to his mobile phone. workers is to withdraw labour. Thus, in
tion. I want to be very clear that these sanctions do not the last few weeks workers were on a
target the Zimbabwean people. Zimbabwe’s economic However, a senior executive at Tri- show of displeasure, they were incapac-
ills, we know, are caused by leaders, those leaders abusing angle told The NewsHawks that sugar itated to complete their daily allocated
power, not US sanctions. Our sanctions target only 83 milling is currently reduced due to the tasks.
individuals and 37 entities. We review our sanctions list ongoing strike by cutters.
regularly to acknowledge developments in Zimbabwe,” “Their incapacitation affected other
Price said. “The strike started last week, but chains of production. The cane haulage
things worsened at the weekend when and cane tractors were indirectly forced
“US sanctions do make it more difficult for targeted our haulage trucks were grounded into action and there were no loads to
individuals and entities to access funds through the global in Area Three of Hippo Valley due to load. The employer responded by im-
financial infrastructure. Sanctions do not target Zimba- shortage of sugarcane. The cutters are proving the bonuses for cane cutters
bwe’s banking sector, but rather ensure that sanctioned in- demanding better renumeration than which is calculated on the quantity or
dividuals and entities cannot use the US financial system what they are getting. They are now tonnage one would have harvested. It is
to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. To be very blunt, blaming reporting for duty, but are not finish- a carrot by the employer to make them
US sanctions for Zimbabwe’s problems detracts from the ing their daily tasks, waiting for the complete their given tasks. This attitude
core issues of better governance that are required in Zim- outcome of the meeting between their is not only unfair but akso parasitic,”
babwe and, to that end, Zimbabwe must make reforms union and the employers,” the executive Mutero said.
consistent with its constitution, with its international ob- said.
ligations, and with its other commitments.” Samson Chauke, a cane cutter em-
ZISMIWU secretary-general Faster ployed by Tongaat Hulett, told The
The US government has previously rejected the prem- Gono told The NewsHawks that he was NewsHawks that outgrower sugarcane
ise of mandate for special rapporteur on unilateral coer- in a meeting aimed at ending the strike. farmers are now paying better than the
cive measures (UCMs). He promised to provide the details after sugar giant.
the meeting.
He said the company is paying them
“I am currently in a collective bar- a basic wage of ZW$4 500 per month,
gaining meeting meant to end the on- plus cost of living allowances and bo-
going strike. I will come back to you nuses, resulting in workers of their
with all the details at the end of the day,” grade taking home ZW$15 000.
Gono said.
Chauke added that outgrower farm-
Sugar Production and Milling Indus- ers are now paying US$10 for a five-
try Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (SP- tonne stack of cane and experienced
MWUZ) general secretary Adonia Mut- cutters can cut two stacks per day.
ero said power struggles within the main
union are negatively impacting welfare

US embassy chargé d’affaires Thomas Hastings
In a statement by the Delegation of the United States of
America to the 36th session of the Human Rights Coun-
cil in Geneva in 2017, the US stated that it “categorically
rejects the entire premise that underlies the mandate of
the Special Rapporteur on UCMs”.
“The imposition of targeted sanctions does not violate
human rights. In fact, targeted sanctions can be a pow-
erful tool to promote human rights and hold accountable
those who violate or abuse human rights,” the delegation’s
statement read.

NewsHawks News Page 15

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

BRIDGET MANANAVIRE Chin’ono victimised for exposing
corruption: Human rights report
THE American Bar Association Centre for Hu-
man Rights has accused Zimbabwean authorities rights defenders and activists subjected to simi- Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono lice, prosecution, legislature, and judiciary, must
of suppressing freedom of expression by arresting lar intimidation, harassment and suppression of of other HRDs (human rights defenders) and ac- respect freedom of expression, association, assem-
vocal critics such as Hopewell Chin’ono, in order their freedom of expression through abuse of the tivists, has had a chilling effect on Zimbabweans’ bly, and the right to participate in public affairs in
to intimidate and silence those involved in public criminal justice system. right to exercise their constitutional rights and the country,” the report reads.
affairs advocacy. to engage with their government on matters of
“This report raises concern that the persecution concern. In view of this analysis, the government “Ensure that Mr. Chin’ono is not threatened
In an October 2021 report titled: The Per- and prosecutions of Mr. Chin’ono, as well as that of Zimbabwe and all its arms, including the po- for exercising his right to freedom of expression,
secution and Prosecutions of Hopewell Chin’ono: especially for commenting on issues of corrup-
Suppression of Freedom of Expression and Fair Tri- tion in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Republic Po-
al Rights in Zimbabwe, the human rights centre lice must independently and thoroughly investi-
said there appears to be a concerted effort by the gate the allegations of threats issued against Mr.
authorities to intimidate and harass Chin’ono in Chin’ono for reporting on matters of corruption.”
retaliation for his public advocacy.
The report further calls for appropriate systems
It called for the immediate and uncondition- and structures to ensure the independence of the
al scrapping of all the criminal charges against judiciary to be put in place to guarantee, among
Chin’ono. The journalist and documentary other things, the right to bail in deserving cases,
filmmaker is facing three separate criminal pro- especially at the lower courts, and expeditious res-
ceedings. He was first arrested on 20 July 2020 olution of politically motivated cases.
on allegations of incitement to public violence,
days before a scheduled 31 July anti-corruption As part of its recommendations, the association
protest planned by opposition politician Jacob said the state and non-state actors must refrain
Ngarivhume. from the harassment and intimidation of individ-
uals and institutions for exercising their rights, as
The association said Chin’ono’s arrests and well as refrain from arresting and charging jour-
charges all appear to be politically motivated and nalists and others simply for the peaceful expres-
in violation of his rights to freedom of expression, sion of their opinions online and offline.
association, assembly and to participate in public
affairs. “Ensure that the legislature repeals or revises all
legislation, including false information laws, such
“In addition, the numerous due process viola- as section 31(a)(iii) of the Criminal Law (Codifi-
tions in his case — including the failure of the cation and Reform) Act, which are inconsistent
police to inform him of the reasons for his first with regional and international standards and un-
arrest, to promptly inform him of the charges justifiably restrict freedom of expression. In addi-
against him, and to ensure his right to legal rep- tion, the executive must respect and promote pro-
resentation of his choice immediately after arrest gressive decisions of the courts that are in tandem
and during his first case; and the repeated initial with regional and international standards, such as
denials of bail pending trial resulting in a collec- the (Constantine) Chimakure case.
tive 84 days in prison, often in a maximum secu-
rity prison despite his status as an accused person “Put in place freedom of expression policies
— all point to a deliberate misuse of the criminal and promotional campaigns to make it clear that
justice system to harass Mr. Chin’ono under a the authorities are committed to respecting and
veneer of legality,” the report by the association protecting the right of all to express their opin-
reads. ions, especially given the extent and gravity of the
violations of the right to freedom of expression in
Before his initial arrest, Chin’ono was outspo- recent times,” the report reads.
ken about corruption involving government of-
ficials and politically connected individual. He
was one of the journalists who covered the issues
around the corrupt procurement of Covid-19 es-
sentials.

The association said there are also other human

South Africans blame Zim firm for Beitbridge congestion

SOUTH Africa says a Zimbabwean private com- Chaos rocked Beitbridge recently as haulage trucks took up to five days to be cleared. continue to monitor implementation of the inter-
pany contracted for the US$300 million upgrade ventions and take further measures necessary to
project of Beitbridge Border Post was responsible ance that interventions agreed to are already be- continue to strengthen its work to ensure that its resolving the crisis.
for the recent congestion and chaos at the busy ing implemented and will progressively have the systems are efficient and effective. The committee
point of entry — the gateway into the region be- envisioned positive impact on the congestion,” has on numerous occasions visited Beitbridge to South African Home Affairs minister Aaron
tween the two neighbouring countries — which Chabane said. inspect challenges and will not hesitate to visit the Motsoaledi also blamed Zimborders for the crisis.
blocked business for days at huge cost. border post again if there is a logical need to do
“Despite this, it must be placed on record that so.” The border crossing, a critical point for the
New bottlenecks and chaos rocked Beitbridge the cause of the current congestion is primarily movement of cargo between South Africa and
as haulage trucks took up to five days to be cleared due to the concessionaire (Zimborders) on the Chabane said the committee can only call on Zimbawe, as well as their southern African neigh-
after Zimborders, a private company contracted to Zimbabwean side introducing user toll fees pay- the South African government to heighten pres- bours across the region, is a critical point of entry
upgrade the border on a build-operate-transfer ar- able in cash. Following fruitful interactions be- sure on their Zimbabwean counterparts to find a which serves scores of commercial cargo vehicles
rangement, is levying US$201 per vehicle passing tween the two countries, a card payment method workable solution to the congestion. daily.
through the just-completed commercial terminal will now be implemented.
without an efficient electronic payment system. The committee intervened following its visit Congestion has been common in Beitbridge in
“In line with this, the committee appreciates earlier in the year, demanding that talks between recent months, especially in December last year
The company also introduced user toll fees pay- that its oversight mandate does not extend beyond the two countries be intensified to ensure smooth and January this year where hundreds of people
able in cash. This, coupled with system failures, the South African side of the border and it will movement of people and goods. It said it would were stranded for days until emergency interven-
created the logjams. tions had to be made.

This come as the new US$260 million Ka- Despite interventions, further disruptions to
zungula Bridge between Botswana and Zambia the supply chain are likely unless a lasting solution
opened in May is growing in traffic volumes, is found.
providing Beitbridge serious competition. The
project seeks to facilitate trade activities and the Zimborders spokesperson François Die-
global competitiveness of Zambia and Botswana, drechsen blamed Covid-19 lockdowns and cur-
improve the regional connectivity of the North- fews for the congestion. The Road Freight Associ-
South corridor and contribute to improved re- ation of South Africa said it was concerned about
gional integration. the situation at Beitbridge, which was triggered by
an electronic system problem on the Zimbabwean
The new Beitbridge commercial section was side.
opened last week, but instead of smoothening
the flow of traffic and goods across the border, Association spokesperson Gavin Kelly was
it brought worse congestion in the processing of quoted by South African media as saying: “There
transporters, particularly commercial cargo vehi- seems to be a lot of finger pointing at the moment,
cles carrying goods into the region. what we do know is that about two weeks ago the
Zimbabweans activated a new system, there was a
Yesterday, the South African portfolio commit- new bridge that came into operation and a couple
tee on home affairs chairperson Mosa Chabane of new processes to get through and it seems de-
said while they welcome assurances given by rel- spite the best efforts trying to deal with this mat-
evant departments to resolve the issue, they were ter, something has gone pear shaped.
clear that the problem is on the Zimbabwean side.
“What we have been told is that there are prob-
“It is always a concern when there is congestion lems on the Zimbabwean side in terms of process-
at our ports of entry, especially Beitbridge because ing through and this is now causing a backlog, but
of its strategic economic role to South Africa and the Zimbabweans are saying the trucks are arriv-
the continent at large. But we welcome the assur- ing at the border post with the wrong paperwork.”

— STAFF WRITER

Page 16 News NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

NHAU MANGIRAZI Karoi Town Council

KAROI Town Council has been forced to search New twist to Karoi Town
for a legal team to deal with suspended secretary secretary suspension saga
Wellington Mutikani’s case, following the “recus-
al” of a law firm that has been representing the nor deny the recusal, saying the matter was not for funds be accessed through means that can be eas- the agreement between the complainant and Mer-
local authority for several years, The NewsHawks public consumption. ily accounted for using knowledge systems shared cy Z Mujuruki yet the rules prohibited the sale of
has established. by all stakeholders, not these accounting practices underdeveloped stands.
‘‘I am sorry I cannot comment on the issue as that are exclusive and prone to abuse by the elite.
Mutikani is under fire for buying materials we don’t discuss our issues with our clients through We are going to take a keen interest in legal pro- ‘‘The complainant (Karoi Town Council) there-
worth several thousands of US dollars, which he the media. We’re not allowed in our profession to ceedings and it is our hope that the law will take fore firmly believes that a public officer, the ac-
used in allegedly diverting a Zimbabwe National discuss such matters with journalists,’’ Mangwana its course in the best of interests of Karoi residents cused engaged in conduct that is contrary to or
Water Authority (Zinwa) main pipe built on top said in a telephone interview this week. and ratepayers. At ZNOART, we fight corrup- inconsistent with the duty as contemplated by
of his Champion Lodge. tion, abuse of office, fraud, and misappropriation Section 174 (1) (a) of Criminal Law Codification
Zimbabwe National Organisations of Associ- of public funds by council officials. ZNOART is and Reform Act, Chapter 9.23. It is on the basis of
Sources revealed that Mangwana and Associ- ations and Residents Trusts (ZNOART)’s Mash- looking for best service delivery to all urban resi- the above facts that we are instructed to lodge this
ates, a law firm that represented council for several onaland West provincial chairperson Liberty dents across the country and any form of miscon- complainant as there is reasonable belief of com-
years, threw in the towel at the eleventh hour, say- Chitiya said Karoi residents have closely followed duct is outrightly condemned.” mission of the criminal offence,’’ the letter reads.
ing it could not continue profering legal advice to the Champion Lodge saga since last year’s outcry
council on the matter. when the town went dry for three days. Interestingly, Mangwana and Associates has It concludes by requesting that the local author-
represented council as it battled to nail housing ity ensure the law takes its course.
Council chairperson Abel Matsika suspended ‘‘ZNOART is not surprised over Mutikani’s director Sibongile Mujuruki over her abuse of
Mutikani with immediate effect on full benefits suspension after alleged abuse of council funds in office charges involving the double allocation of ‘‘We kindly request your good office to inves-
on 8 October after a council meeting in which his water diversion without full council approval. stands and missing leases. The law firm has been tigate the matter and arrest the accused at your
Mutikani pledged to repay the money he had ad- Accountability and transparency by public offi- pushing for Mujuruki’s prosecution on non-dis- earliest convenience. We further request that you
vanced himself. cials in the use of public funds are welcome and closure charges after she allegedly sold two stands keep us updated on progress in the matter as we
one of the objectives of our umbrella residents on behalf of her sister and daughter. have been instructed as watching brief.”
On 11 October, a special full council endorsed organisation is nevertheless partly satisfied with
Mutikani’s suspension. the suspension, but at the same time listening to Mangwana and Associates lawyers wrote a let- This emerged after Mujuruki was suspended
residents’ voices, as the whole issue is merely a sus- ter on 12 July 2021 to the Zimbabwe Republic for three months starting from 12 August till 15
Council approached Mangwana and Associates pension with full council benefits. Police officer-in-charge Karoi referenced Com- December.
for legal counsel on the matter, as Matsika had plaint against Sibongile H.A. Mujuruki-Director
indicated that full charges against Mutikani’s sus- “If it is true that Mutikani pledged to pay back of Housing, Karoi Town Council. Mujuruki is also accused of leading a shambolic
pension would ensue. ZW$50 000 monthly, a sign which residents took housing department where property documents,
for being guilty of abusing funds for personal ‘‘We are under instructions to lodge a criminal including lease agreements, have gone missing,
However, efforts to have the lawyers lay charges property, it is worrisome, as the matter becomes complainant against Sibongile H.A. Mujuruki as with some documents suspected to have been de-
against Mutikani hit a brick wall after senior purely legal,’’ he said in a written statement. we do hereby of the following. The accused person stroyed.
partner Paul Mangwana called for “recusal” after is employed by Karoi town council as Director of
council sought legal advice on how to lay charges Chitiya added that residents face the double Housing and one of her responsibilities includes On the other hand, Mutikani faces non-dis-
against the senior officer, leaving the local author- jeopardy of being deprived of service delivery allocation of stands to those eligible and ensuring closure charges after he ‘‘advanced himself a loan’’
ity in sixes and sevens. funds whilst simultaneously being forced to pay that allocation, transfer, and disposal of stands is without council approval. The money was pre-
the legal fees as council attorneys press charges, done in a transparent manner and in a procedur- sumably for the purchase of materials to divert
A source revealed that the council was forced thus further prejudicing residents. ally correct manner. a Zinwa main water pipe which he is accused of
to look for an alternative plan as they are racing building his lodge on top of.
against time. ‘‘In this microcosmic case, ratepayers face the ‘‘In 2014 and in the course and scope of her
predicament of being between hard rock and deep duties, the accused signed an agreement of sale Mutikani is co-director of Champion Lodge,
‘‘We have been forced to move away from end towards recovering the alleged amounts whilst on behalf of her sister Mercy Mujuruki who was with his wife Keresia Kanyurira.
Mangwana and Associates on this matter. Profes- pursuing legal channels using another chunk of selling an underdeveloped stand known as Stand
sionally, the council has to go through the Pro- their rates. The saga is thus a call to policymakers 8254, Chiedza which was leased from the com- A fact-finding committee appointed by council
curement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe towards aligning ratepayers’ needs with constitu- plainant. resolution in October last year presented its find-
(Praz) to get a lawyer to represent the council. We tional labour laws. There is a need for strengthen- ings two weeks ago. It was then that all the hell
are procuring the services of a lawyer through pro- ing of corporate governance laws without under- ‘‘The accused person did not disclose this trans- broke loose for Mutikani.
curement procedures that we need to meet a 14- mining service delivery, which is playing second action to her Principal despite it being clear that
day deadline before we lay out the official charges fiddle to council officials’ protection by labour she had a personal interest in the matter,’’ part of ‘‘After the tabling of findings to the full coun-
to him. This will pave way for further investigation laws.” the letter in our possession reads. cil, Mutikani went on to request to pay back
into the matter,’’ a source speaking on condition of ZW$50 000. So why pay back if you were autho-
anonymity said. Chitiya emphasised that the organisation is It further added that by signing the agreement rised? We wonder what really prompted him to
calling for accountability for public funds. of sale, the accused aided her sister in arranging pay back the money if everything was above board
Matsika was diplomatic on the matter, saying as he wants the world to know that it’s unjust for
everything will be decided through council reso- ‘‘ZNOART thus urgently demands that public his suspension?’’ a councillor, speaking on condi-
lutions. tion of anonymity, asked.

‘‘For now, we cannot say much as the council
will be doing everything above board. The charges
against him (Mutikani) will come through any-
time soon, but he remains suspended with full
benefits,’’ Matsika said.

Lawyer Paul Mangwana would neither confirm

NewsHawks News Page 17

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Govt handpicks Chitungwiza deputy mayor

AYESHA CHIDEMBO Chitungwiza deputy mayor Councillor Kiven Mutimbanyoka council had failed to vote for a deputy mayor,
after a vacancy notice was given on 18 August.
LOCAL Government minister July Moyo has we have no reason to disagree with the results people and for the people and it’s what we all
come under fire for unilaterally appointing coming from a legitimate exercise. This is wish for,” Matiringe said. “The reason given by the minister is, as
a deputy mayor, Councillor Kiven Mutim- called democracy: rule of the people, by the councillors we failed to elect a deputy mayor
banyoka, in Chitungwiza, without notifying Moyo appointed the deputy mayor after the for too long.
councillors in the dormitory town, bringing
to light Zanu PF’s ploy to take over MDC Al- “However, that assertion has its own lim-
liance-run local authorities. itations in that if the minister felt that we had
taken too long to elect a deputy mayor, he
This comes as councillors have dragged should have directed council to hold the elec-
Moyo before the courts to nullify the deputy tions,’’ Matiringe told THe NewsHawks.
mayor’s appointment.
“Minister July Moyo did not give us an op-
Fourteen MDC Alliance councillors have portunity to elect our own deputy mayor. We
also written to Moyo demanding that the should have been accorded the chance after
minister set aside the appointment and call he had received communication of a vacancy
for an election. from the acting town clerk on the 18th of Au-
gust 2021,” Matiringe added.
“We wish to place it on record, as we have
done before, that we don’t recognise the ap- According to the Urban Councils Act, upon
pointment of Councillor Kiven Mutimban- the production of the certificate of vacancy,
yoka as the substantive deputy mayor. We are elections are supposed to be held within 30
still waiting for his response to our petition. days.
We persist that the appointment is illegal and
any attempt to swear him in is unlawful. The law further stipulates that once the va-
cancy has not been filled within 30 days and
“We shall therefore not sanitise or legitimise by way of a resolution, then the minister may
these illegal acts by attending the intended proceed to appoint.
meeting, which, in our view, is a legal nullity.
In any event, the purported meeting has not However, the minister is limited to ap-
been called in terms of any recognised law. It pointing a mayor in an acting capacity, not a
is therefore a legal nullity,” the petition dated substantive one.
15 October reads.
“Now, in our case, the minister appoint-
Further reads the letter: “Should you persist ed a substantive deputy mayor, in complete
with the said meeting and swearing in, you violation of the dictates of the Act. Section
can do so at your own peril. The unilateral ap- 104[3] of the Urban Councils Act clearly
pointment of the deputy mayor has triggered states boundaries within which the minister
fears that Zanu PF is continuing to mutilate may exercise his powers. In this case, there is
MDC Alliance-led councils after successful- abundant evidence of gross abuse of power
ly suspending Harare mayor Jacob Mafume, and office,” he added.
while the Bulawayo council is also riddled
with fissures, amid growing government inter- After the certificate of vacancy was present-
ference. ed on 18 August, minister Moyo did not waste
time and appointed the deputy mayor, barely
“Councillor Kiven Mutimbanyoka was re- a week later.
cently appointed to the position of deputy
mayor, in contravention of council regula- “The certificate of vacancy was presented to
tions, which stipulate that a deputy mayor is the minister on 18 August 2021 and, barely a
elected into office through a vote, with coun- week later, on 23 August 2021, the minister
cillors saying they would not acknowledge his appointed his own deputy mayor. We are say-
appointment.” ing 30 days, not seven days, according to the
Act,” Matingire added.
“Councillor Mutimbanyoka was illegally
appointed to the position of deputy mayor by Councillors are calling for Moyo to imme-
minister July Moyo. In this case, he was not diately nullify Mutimbanyoka’s appointment
voted for, but illegally appointed,’’ Councillor and pave the way for a fresh vote.
Peter Matiringe of ward 10 in Chitungwiza
said. “We would support Mutimbanyoka in his
position if the process was followed and if he
Councillors say the unprocedural appoint- had won in elections; we are democratic outfit.
ment of Mutimbanyoka raised questions as In my personal view, I feel the appointment of
to why minister Moyo did not allow the full councillor Mutimbanyoka to the position of
council, which is dominated by the MDC Al- deputy mayor is more of a political gesture.
liance, to vote. Zanu has only four councillors and common
sense would have suggested everything be
“We are now 20 councillors, instead of the done according to a reasonable person’s ex-
establishment of 25. The minister must allow pectations. We have challenged the process
us to carry out our process of electing our and have written to the minister telling him
preferred deputy mayor. The process must be that we do not agree with him and very soon
democratic and transparent. He must be sub- he will be dragged into some court process-
jected to an ordinary process and, if he wins, es, where he should defend and justify what
we are calling the abuse of office,” councillor
Matiringe said.

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Page 18 News NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)’s We’re really independent,
independence has come into question after Zec tells sceptical citizens
the leak of an internal memorandum which
seemed to suggest that the commission re- Zec spokesperson Commissioner Joyce Kazembe (front)
ceives instructions from the ruling Zanu PF
on how to treat opposition parties. The com- cess on notifying Zec of the existence of a certain the people have the opportunity to correct their to engage, as a matter of fact, any players in the
mission has also been criticised over the way it party? names, to transfer if they relocated and to have electoral process or anybody for that matter. But
runs the electoral process. The NewsHawks’ se- new registers that are coming and this is preced- owing to the Covid-19 restrictions the commis-
nior reporter Bridget Mananavire (BM) spoke JK: In some countries, Tanzania, and South ed by the Registrar-General who will be issuing sion decided to hold engagements with political
to Zec spokesperson Commissioner Joyce Ka- Africa for example, they register all political par- identity documentation also in a mobile exercise. parties in batches of less than 40 per meeting.
zembe (JK) on these and other pressing issues ties, but in Zimbabwe we do not register political Anyone who is aggrieved by the commission’s
around Zec’s operations and its constitutional parties. Any body of people that has a required BM: There are several voter registrations cam- conduct can approach Zec offices for resolution
responsibilities. minimun of 10 people and 10 supporters can paigns that are taking place, has there been an of disputes in line with the spirit of multiparty
come to Zec and say we are a political party Chi- increase in registered voters? liaison committee functions.
BM: You pronounced the wrong winner for muti and we are coming to inform you that we
Chegutu West constituency in the 2018 election. are a political party and we say thank you very JK: We have tried to tell people through many However, disputes which are pending be-
What caused this and how can Zimbabweans much for coming and we write the name down, avenues that we can access, that they can go to fore the courts can only be logically resolved by
trust your credibility? but that is not registering. That is why we have the offices, but there will come a time when we the courts. Where the courts have pronounced
174 political parties. So those intending to con- really go out. themselves, it stands to reason that Zec is bound
JK: In terms of section 66 of the Electoral Act test simply notify the commission of their exis- by such court decisions until they are set aside
the declaration of results made by the constitu- tence in the form of a letter. However, it should BM: On 9 March 2021, the opposition MDC by the courts. We will, we are engaging them,
ency election officer who is otherwise the provin- be noted that political parties are not compelled Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa wrote to Zec re- in provinces where you do not have many polit-
cial elections officer, or the chief elections officer to notify Zec of their existence. Aspiring candi- questing an all-stakeholders’ meeting to discuss ical parties in the areas they have actually been
are final. Unless the declaration is set aside by dates individually can turn up on nomination electoral reforms. When are you going to re- engaged, in Bulawayo, Masvingo, Gweru, all of
the electoral court on petition or the proceedings court day and file their nomination court papers, spond to that letter? them were there. But in Harare, where there are
relating to the election are declared void under without prior notice of their existence in any po- about 174 political parties and there is no way
section 50 (1) following the death of a candidate litical party. JK: We have started engaging stakeholders, we are going to include all those and other stake-
or as a result of a recount of votes under section but on that specific date you are mentioning this holders, faith-based organisations, civil society
67 (a), another candidate is declared under that BM: Since the commencement of the voter was not an appropriate time, the environment organisations, the schools and all those.
section to be duly elected. In the case of Che- registration exercise this year, how many people was not conducive to do this. The commission
gutu West being referred to, the commission have been registered so far and what is the aver- does not engage individual stakeholders, but BM: Section 235 of the constitution stipulates
genuinely and publicly regreted the incident age age group of the new voters? takes a collective approach to engagements in that Zec be independent. However, a recent-
and, because of the cited provision above, it was the spirit of transparency, inclusivity and impar- ly leaked internal memo written by an official,
not possible for the commission to reverse the JK: We never stopped registering. Yes, there tiality. The question of electoral reforms is the re- TM Sunduza, addressed to acting chief elections
declaration there and then. The swap of results was lockdown, but the 73 offices were open and sponsibility of Parliament. The concerned party officer Jane Chigidji revealed that the electoral
was based on a genuine computation error at the people went there as long as they were observing should submit its proposal to Parliament as well, body is excluding Chamisa’s MDC Alliance from
collation centre by ascribing the number of the the Covid-19 regulations. At one time we had to some of them are still there. We did our bit, but its crucial provincial stakeholder indabas at the
winner to the wrong person. close them when the cases were very high, but the pressure should be on those responsible for behest of “the powers-that-be.” Surely, this dents
we opened them some weeks ago, The 73, that the law. Zec’s credibility?
The commission even advised the candidate is the 10 provincial offices and the 63 district of-
concerned on what course of action to take. So fices, so anybody can go there, the only thing is BM: Talking of the Chamisa-led MDC Alli- JK: Who is the powers-that-be? There is insin-
in terms of credibility, it’s up to Zimbabweans that they are far in-between and people live far ance, Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition party says uation that the powers that be might be political
to judge according to what they consider as the from them, but we will soon be going out when you have deliberately excluded it from ongoing figures, and that is why you say it dents Zec’s
standard margin of error, one electoral result out the time is due for us to do a mobile voter reg- stakeholder meetings. What is your comment on credibility. We are not influenced by anybody.
of the 210, and because of that we are consid- istration blitz. So we will be going to the people this? We are a completely independent body and,
ered not credible. I don’t know, you be the judge with hundreds of machinery to make sure that as you pointed out, this was an internal memo
of that. The person went to court, eventually JK: The commission does not exclude any
when he was able to go with the evidence that he stakeholder from these engagements, that is part
had been told to bring. of our mandate to engage the stakeholders and

BM: In terms of internal Zec processes, what
action was taken against the staff member who
committed the Chegutu West result error?

JK: The investigation by the commission into
the matter pointed to a genuine human error
and we told affected person to take the steps that
are defined in the law. He started doing that but
for some reason he was out of time. So against
the staff member, it is an error, it’s a human error
and you are forgiven. We forgave the person but
we told him to be careful next time.

BM: The Electoral Act has still not been
aligned with the Constitution. When will this
happen, considering that the 2023 general elec-
tion is nearing?

JK: Soon after the new constitution, which
is not new anymore, we are getting to 10 years
now, we constituted a group of what we would
call the bright legal brains to look at the old con-
stitution and the new constitution and pick out
the areas that were not aligned to the new con-
stitution. We did that for three days while they
were in a secluded place.

They looked at that, they wrote a paper, we
submitted that because every Zimbabwean has a
right to go to Parliament for the alignment of the
constitution, we submitted that to Parliament.
However, it is also important for the media to
highlight those areas that need alignment. We
did what we could do, we submitted a list of the
areas that needed to be aligned to the new con-
stitution.

Today, some of them we are still awaiting. I
will give you an example, the sub-section that
governs media monitoring was passed in 2008,
that we are still using, although we submitted a
long time ago that it needed to be changed. This
is the preserve of Parliament. We do not make
the law, we apply the law. We have raised those
concerns several times and this is where we are.

BM: Have you received any feedback from
Parliament on why it is taking long?

JK: It’s difficult to actually put pressure on
them, but we have raised these issues at every op-
portunity, but the issues still remain unattended
to. We have lobbied Parliament; we have talked
to the portfolio committee in Parliament that is
responsible for this, at very opportunity we have,
but we are yet to get the answers that we want.

BM: What regulatory powers does Zec have
over political party names and what is the pro-

NewsHawks News Page 19

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Zec denies shutting out MDC Alliance, saying it freely engages with all stakeholders and claims Parliament (below) does its business at snail’s pace.

and the content thereof is subject to different should be able to distinguish government opera- what he says was the blatant rigging of the 2018 tion 160 (k) of the Electoral Act to ensure the
interpretation depending on what one believes. tions from political activities. general election in favour of Zanu PF and Zec’s public broadcaster affords equal access to all
A junior officer seeking clarification from his su- complicit. How credible is Zec in the face of such political players during an election, that is after
periors, who are ourselves, wrote the memo. The BM: Why has Zec made it so cumbersome for evidence of electoral fraud? proclamation. Any aggrieved political player has
commissioners, the CEO and the entire execu- political parties to access the voters’ roll, as there a right to seek recourse with Zec through Statu-
tive are the powers that be he is refereeing to. The is no transparency regarding the de duplication JK: We have not seen the book. The commis- tory Instrument 33 of 2008 . . . this comes into
commission is an independent statutory body process and the computer logs? sion cannot comment on a book that it has not effect after the proclamation.
created in terms of section 238 of the constitu- had sight of. We have not had the opportunity to
tion. Section 235 of the constitution and section JK: Cumbersome is a very relative thing de- be presented with the book so that we can read But you have got to know, really there has
10a of the Electoral Act guarantee the indepen- pending on where you are, but we operate follow- it also and be at the same knowledge level. What been talk about unfair coverage and so on. What
dence from interference by private organisations, ing the law and the dictates of the law in terms the commission can comment on is that its pro- people might not understand is that even during
the state and any other organisation and body of handling this. The voters’ roll is a pubic docu- cesses are transparent from the opening of the the election period a government that is ruling
organ, including political parties. ment that can be accessed by anyone who wishes. polling stations, right up to the counting and an- will be organising government programmes and
Section 21 (23) of the Electoral Act states that nouncement of results. This is done in the pres- talking to people. So they will be covered because
BM: How independent from political manip- the commission shall, within a reasonable period ence of candidates or their election agents. The they are a government. But everybody is given
ulation is Zec? Instead of being accountable to of time, provide any person who requests it and commission itself relies on observer reports more an opportunity to actually come free of charge
Parliament, Zec is accountable to the minister of who pays the prescribed fee with the copy of any than post-election opinions. to the ZBC, they are given time which they may
Justice; the commission cannot decide the fate of voters’ roll, either printed or in electronic format. use to address issues or address the nation, there
the Chief Elections Officer without authorisa- The de-duplication exercise is done by a comput- BM: Despite legal stipulations and a court are stated periods which everyone is given. Some
tion from the minister, and the commission must er, even if the public is interested in coming to judgement upholding the requirement for the do not take it, after which then there is a period
seek permission from the ministers of Justice and witness the exercise, they will not see anything public media to ensure fair and equitable cover- when political parties buy airtime at ZBC. Then
Finance in deciding the conditions of service of because it is done internally. Anyone can inspect age of all political parties during election season, if others do not do so , we cannot refuse the op-
Zec personnel. Is Zec beholden to political fig- the voters’ roll and at wards. public media continues favouring Zanu PF. Why portunity to those that are prepared to pay for
ureheads? is Zec failing to enforce the rules? airtime.
BM: Former minister Professor Jonathan
JK: Let me tell you categorically that Zec is not Moyo has written a book, Excelgate, revealing JK: Zec monitors the media in terms of sec-
accountable to the minister of Justice, not at all
or to the President or to the minister of Finance.
These are structures within the state. We submit
our papers through the minister of Justice, Le-
gal and Parliamentary Affairs, for him to forward
them to Parliament and table them to Parliament
for their consideration. He is just a conduit.

The chief elections officer is appointed by the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the com-
mission itself has the power to engage, appoint
and disappoint the chief elections officer, and
once we have made that decision then we com-
mit that information to the powers that be, be it
the ministry of Finance that gives us the mon-
ey and the minister of Justice, who will transfer
that information that there is a new CEO, so and
so, who has been appointed by the commission.
They have no power in deciding who is the chief
elections officer. And section 9 (1) says for the
better exercise of his functions the commission
shall appoint a chief executive who shall be called
the chief elections officer and section 9 (7) says
the commission shall employ such persons in ad-
dition to the chief elections officer . . . for the
function of the commission.

Appointment of commissioners is done in
terms of section 237 of the constitution it is the
parliamentary committee on Standing Rules and
Orders which advertises whenever there is a va-
cancy, like there are two vacancies now. It then
conducts interviews of prospective candidates
and shortlists an appropriate number of nomi-
nees, 12 normally, for appointment by the Pres-
ident.

Please note that Zec is funded by Treasury, one

Page 20 Feature NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

MY name is Tevin Tewo and I am 25 years old. I How I salvaged my life from drug
am a freelance digital artist. This is a story about addiction: Difficult, but possible
my experience in abusing drugs as a teenage stu-
dent. However, I managed to quit and recover Tevin Tewo was addicted to drugs such as marijuana and codeine.
and I am now leading a clean life.
Something which started as an experiment had cess took me three full years. them.
Plumtree School (2009-2014) destroyed my life. During the rehabilitation, I never associated I owe my success in defeating drugs to Jesus
I started smoking marijuana (also known as
weed or mbanje) in Form Three. It all began as an Rehabilitation (2019-2021) with anyone besides farmworkers and church Christ. I am grateful that I had attained a Christ-
experiment, I had a very strong Christian back- One day I got an opportunity to go to church members. This allowed me to discover who I truly like character. The core purpose of rehabilitation
ground, but that did not stop me from pursuing and later managed to avoid toxic friends who was. Drugs had given me a false identity, conse- was so that I would attain the willpower which
these ridiculous desires. I wanted to know what it would pressure me into bad habits. The church quently this had brought into my life the wrong would lead me to better decision making.
felt like to be high. enabled me to become a better person. Bishop people who had nothing useful to offer. Rehabil-
One of my friends, who was South African, Noah Pashapa came as a blessing into my life, he itation to me was a success in that I become busy There is nothing as perfect as a Christ-like
was highly supportive of this idea. He would offered me an opportunity to undeego rehabilita- around the workplace, which presented a chance character in fighting the craving for drugs or even
smuggle weed through the border and come with tion at a farm he owned. The rehabilitation pro- to discover my talents. Drugs had deceived me, fighting the influence of toxic characters. It is safe
it to school. My curiosity and enthusiasm were it was now visible that I was better off without to say that prayer and fasting gave me the strength
heightened when he told me how it felt when one in defeating drugs.
is under the influence of drugs.
The experiment was a success as I managed to
achieve my desire of getting high at the age of 15.
By the time I was doing my Ordinary Level, I was
no longer an amateur boy just experimenting,
but an expert smoker; I had developed the skill of
smuggling drugs into the schoolyard.
The business started booming when we re-
ceived orders from almost everyone in my stream.
This was an advantage to us since it enabled us not
to pay for drugs using our own money. This in-
tensified the drug habit to the extent that I started
smoking cigarettes just to take the edge off. I at-
tained popularity through drug dealing. One day
the unexpected happened, I was caught smoking
a cigarette and was told never to set foot in the
schoolyard again.
My father gave me a second chance by enroll-
ing me into Churchill boarding school in Harare.
Churchill School (2014-2016)
That is when the habit got worse since I was
now in the capital. I consumed drugs like codeine
and I was now an alcoholic. I would attend les-
sons high on weed and I did everything else at
school under the influence of drugs.
Most students were on drugs and day scholars
were the ones who would peddle drugs at school;
it was so easy to give students access to illicit sub-
stances. History repeated itself when I got caught,
again, by a teacher, this time with alcohol and
weed in my satchel.
He immediately took me to the school head’s
office and I wrote my examinations on condition
that I was to leave school soon after the last exam.
My father was stressed even more now. I man-
aged to pass my Advanced Level and got anoth-
er chance of going to university and pursue my
dream in digital arts.
I went to Chinhoyi University of Technology
(CUT) with a huge smile on my face.
CUT (2016-2018)
I met one of my former classmates. On our
first day, we went binge drinking and eventually
settled into the groove of more toxic substances.
Things got different when my studies at univer-
sity required more focus and attention than the
previous ones.
Instead, I started skipping lectures. At some
point the craving for beer would lead me into
stealing liquor from the shops since my father was
no longer supporting me with pocket money. I
returned to my old habit of selling drugs and I
even offered to write other people’s assignments
in exchange for money or drugs. This affected my
performance at college since I started neglecting
my assignments.
Before dropping out of university, I had secured
a place for work-related learning. Drugs started
playing a role even in the workplace. I took the
drugs daily and I was now a chain smoker. One
day due to poor judgment, I got into a fight with
one of my workmates and we both got fired.
Since I had lost my job and failed courses at
school, my father was left in a dilemma and did
not knowing what to do with me. That is when I
started shoplifting heavily to get money. I would
confidently walk into a store and come out with a
bottle or two of alcohol.
Through this behaviour, I made friends, teach-
ing them the shoplifting skills. Sometimes we
would get caught, but they would decide to let us
go. The habit ceased when one of the shopkeep-
ers decided to take the matter to the authorities.
By this time I was now 21 years of age and my
father chased me out of his home because I had
become a huge problem to him. I was homeless
and depressed, so I became even more addicted
to the drugs.

NewsHawks News Page 21

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Special Covid-19
PANDEMIC coverage

KUMBIRAI MACHINGURA Vaccination must be based
on consent, not force: Zhou
THE Zimbabwean government should create
an all-encompassing participatory negotiation The Artuz president said extending the dead- PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou
platform involving all civil servants’ represen- lines without conducting consultations and en-
tatives and the state to reach consensus on the gagement will not bring the intended results.
issue of mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, a The government should educate workers on the
union leader says. importance of vaccination. The government
must scrap the deadline and stop threatening
This comes after the government promulgat- workers so that the uptake of the vaccine might
ed Statutory Instrument 234 of 2021, which increase.
stipulates that every civil servant be fully vacci-
nated by 15 October 2021 and that failure to “By implementing mandatory vaccination
comply shall lead to job loss or discontinuation the government is violating the right to free-
of salary. However, the deadline lapsed last Fri- dom of choice of its citizens. The barring of
day and has since been extended to 31 Decem- teachers might have a negative effect on the
ber, according to media reports. education sector since there is already a long-
standing shortage of employees. The govern-
The statutory instrument gives the govern- ment should consider workers from remote
ment latitude to extend the vaccination man- areas who do not have access to vaccination
date deadline to no further than 31 December centres,” Masaraure said.
2021.
He said Artuz supports vaccination, but is
Progressive Teachers’ Union leader Takava- against the subjection of employees to manda-
fira Zhou says although they are aware of the tory vaccination without being given full infor-
importance of getting vaccinated, the quandary mation concerning the safety and importance
arises from the government’s failure to engage of vaccination.
civil servants’ representatives when implement-
ing the law. “As workers’ representative, we have carried
out wide consultation with our members and
“There was never an engagement between they are saying only if they could receive full
government and civil servants’ representatives, information with regards to the safety of get-
particularly teachers’ unions. The order is, ting vaccination”
therefore, a unilateral declaration,” Zhou said.
According to the latest human rights report,
Zhou said public servants should not be sub- countries setting population percentage targets
jected to vaccination without their full consent. without clear protections for people’s rights
open up the possibility of forced vaccination.
“We are encouraging teachers to be vaccinat- The report also indicated that developed coun-
ed, but by no means should such encourage- tries like China are making use of force and co-
ment be misconstrued for mandatory vaccina- ercion to drive up their vaccination rates. The
tion, but voluntary vaccination.” government of Zimbabwe aims at vaccinating
10 million of the country’s population, repre-
Zhou said the government’s directive to bar senting 60%. So far, the government has man-
every unvaccinated civil servant from reporting aged to attained the global goal of vaccinating
for duty is impractical. 10% of the country’s population.

“It is impractical for them to stop going to Zimbabwe plans to vaccinate 10 million of the country’s population.
work based on generic communication that has
no specific names. In terms of standard oper-
ating procedures, unvaccinated teachers must
continue to report for work until they receive
a communique specifically in their names in-
forming them to stop coming for work. Verbal
instructions from school heads are invalid.”

Initially, many people were sceptical about
getting vaccinated due to various reasons such
as religion, health condition and inadequate in-
formation pertaining to the safety of vaccines.
Zhou said the government should approach
each case on an individual basis.

“There is need for school heads to com-
pile lists of all unvaccinated teachers at their
respective schools, and indicate reasons for
non-vaccination and send to districts for on-
ward conveyance to provinces, head office and
PSC (Public Service Commission) and wait for
formal instructions from these respectable of-
fices. Verbal instructions are legally void in the
public service and we hope there will be writ-
ten communiqué to teachers in the respective
schools taking cognisant of reasons proffered
for non-vaccination,” he said.

The PTUZ says it hopes the issue of non-vac-
cination will not be used to settle old scores in
schools. Every case must be determined on its
merits and administrators, education officials,
and the PSC must navigate the predicament
professionally.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of
Zimbabwe (Artuz) president Obert Masaraure
admitted that the government has not done
anything to engage civil servants’ representa-
tives in the implementation of policies to do
with mandatory vaccination.

“The government is used to command tac-
tics, they have forgotten that workers and their
representatives are major stakeholders in all
these government policies. Consultations and
engagement must be prioritised first before
any attempt to implement a policy,” Masaraure
said.

Page 22 Editorial & Opinion NewsHawks

CARTOON Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Ominous signs
ahead of 2023
A WEEK is a long time in politics. This old dictum is holding
true on Zimbabwe’s ever-fluid political landscape where the for- Mnangagwa product of illegalities
tunes of parties and leaders can change in the blink of an eye.
ONE thing that pleases some of us as jour- conference at the end of this month. Sc 56/20, wherein the Supreme Court of
We were reminded of the semiotician Umberto Eco, whose ob- nalists who covered the 2017 military coup The shifts and changes within Zanu PF Zimbabwe made a corrective intervention
servation has stood the test of time: “Any fact becomes important that ousted the late former president Rob- in the internal affairs of the Movement for
when it’s connected to another.” ert Mugabe and led to the ascendancy of structures amid a state of flux are also being Democratic Change party and made an
President Emmerson Mnangagwa from a fuelled by the political brinkmanship fixat- order for the regularisation of the election
And so we must, indeed, dot the “i“s and cross the “t“s. More sceptical and iffy perspective is that — like ed on the party’s delayed elective congress of the leadership of that political party in
importantly, it is crucial to connect the dots, see the bigger pic- many other citizens — we saw through the next before the 2023 general elections. the interests of justice despite the passage of
ture and appreciate nuance. snake-oil agenda of the power usurpers and time and the mootness of the case,” Musen-
their fake new dispensation. This is over and above the main conten- gezi says.
The violent attacks on the convoy of main opposition MDC tion in the application that Mnangagwa
Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa have escalated — this time in Mnangagwa’s cacophony of support, was installed illegally through a Kangaroo “The Supreme Court in the said judg-
Manicaland. If last week’s Zanu PF-sponsored thuggery in Mas- including from vast swathes of the media Zanu PF central committee meeting on 19 ment held that it is a matter of public im-
vingo province rudely reminded the world of the suffocating au- circles, was deafening, but not convincing. November 2017. portance as regards the governance of po-
tocracy which continues choking Zimbabwe, this week’s assassi- There was a lot of noise and dust raised in litical parties generally that the leadership
nation attempt has sparked utter indignation. support of Mnangagwa, but less or no sub- The meeting was unlawfully convened, of the political party is constitutionally and
stance. More heat than light. The designers constituted and conducted, the High lawfully ensconced.”
Everywhere Chamisa’s entourage goes, it is being violently and backers of his power matrix did not Court application by Zanu PF member Sy-
accosted by hired hoodlums who blockade roads, pelt cars with have a meaningful alternative and even beth Musengezi says. Musengezi said the political stakes were
stones and disturb the peace. Police are not taking action against narrative. much higher.
this naked lawlessness, confirming the self-evident fact that they The court challenge against Mnangag-
are serving the interests of Zanu PF, rather than upholding the Theirs was a convenient anti-Mugabe “The stakes in the present matter are
constitution. Many citizens are convinced that the clearly parti- agenda, even though they were his enforc- Hawk Eye much higher and cry out for the corrective
san and compromised police will persist in conveniently turning a ers for the longest. intervention of this honourable court as
blind eye to the criminal acts of unruly party thugs, rogue spooks Dumisani the beneficiary of the chain of events which
and agent provocateurs, as the 2023 general election beckons. At the risk of physical harm during Muleya commenced with the unlawful special ses-
those heady political days and losing our sion of the central committee convened on
The orgy of violence is straight out of Zanu PF’s playbook. jobs because of captured bosses, we sol- wa’s ascendancy by Musengezi has echoes the 19th of November 2017, the 2nd re-
In the 1980s, Zapu leader Joshua Nkomo was the sworn en- diered on. of the messy MDC-T infighting that erupt- spondent (Mnangagwa), now occupies the
emy. Father Zimbabwe and his team were relentlessly insulted, ed following the death of founding leader positions of both President and First Secre-
ambushed and falsely incriminated. Emmerson Mnangagwa, This has become necessary to reflect on Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018. tary of the party and president and head of
now President, was a leading cat’s paw those days, hounding perceptively Mnangagwa’s new dispensa- state of the country. His ascension to both
Nkomo with all manner of ridiculous accusations. The same po- tion is fast unravelling. Courts usually work through precedents. those positions is tainted by blatant illegal-
litical overlords and proponents of the dastardly one-party state Musengezi is alive to that fact and reality ities in violation of the constitution of the
project, who led the onslaught on the opposition in the 1980s Some of the issues we raised repeatedly in his application. 1st respondent (Zanu PF). He cannot de-
— culminating in the Gukurahundi genocide, whose victims are then are now finding expression and reso- “I am fortified in my quest for a rem- rive any legitimacy at all from the catalogue
still crying out for justice — have today sought to hijack the en- nance in Zanu PF itself. edy to my grievance against the respon- of illegalities which were committed in fur-
during memory of Nkomo and other selfless liberators. They now dents (Zanu PF, Mnangagwa, Obert Mpo- therance of his ambition to occupy the two
self-servingly hail him as a monumental hero, as if riding on the Now we have come full circle. fu, Zanu PF secretary for administration, offices of the party and the country.
misguided assumption that Zimbabweans have remarkably short Mnangagwa is locked in a cut-throat Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu PF secretary for
memories. The political opportunism is breathtaking. battle with Vice-President Constantino finance and acting national commissar, “My fear is that once one assumes a po-
The Zanu PF cabal meted out similar treatment to Morgan Chiwenga over the party’s unresolved lead- Phelekezela Mphoko, former vice-presi- sition of political power illegally, they are
Tsvangirai. He defeated them hands down in 2008, but they ership issue following the toppling of the dent, and Ignatius Chombo, ex-secretary prone to engaging in further illegal con-
clung on to power, slaughtering hundreds of unarmed opposi- late former president Robert Mugabe. for administration) by a recent judgment duct to retain and consolidate that power.
tion supporters in a bloody coup, whose ramifications are yet to Mnangagwa is cornered in a high-stakes of the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe hand- If such illegalities as were committed in
be fully unpacked. internal power struggle manoeuvre over his ed down on the 31st of March 2020 in the propelling the 2nd respondent to the po-
Mnangagwa and Zanu PF are incapable of genuine reform. dubious legitimacy as Zanu PF leader in matter of the Movement for Democratic litical positions he currently occupies in the
This week, while he officiated unmolested at the commissioning the aftermath of a devastating High Court Change & Others v Mashavira & Others party and under the country’s constitution
of the Padenga Holdings-owned Eureka Gold Mine, criminals application by a party member — which goes unchecked, it will become the norm in
operating in the name of his party were making attempts on Cha- reflects internal strife and his faltering grip the party which is contrary to its aims and
misa’s life. — demanding that the court follow the objectives as enshrined in the party consti-
The authorities are playing a very dangerous game which could precedent set by the opposition MDC-T tution.”
plunge the country into grief. case in the Supreme Court and force him
Criminalising dissent by sponsoring mayhem has legal, polit- to step down ahead of the party’s annual
ical and ethical consequences which must never be taken lightly.
Freedom of expression and the right to dissent are guaranteed
by the constitution.
Political participation is not a crime. There is a real danger that
when freedoms of association and assembly are crushed under the
jackboot of authoritarian rule, citizens may begin exploring other
methods of mobilising against repression. From there it becomes
a slippery slope because — as history has shown — the down-
trodden will do anything for survival.
As they push back against fear and official delusion, Zimba-
bweans know that what has destroyed this country is not an op-
posing political view, but the corruption-induced poverty directly
caused by the bankrupt actions of predatory elites and their cro-
nies.
Legitimate political power, after all, is derived from the con-
sent of the governed.

Reaffirming the fundamental impor- The NewsHawks is published on different EDITORIAL STAFF: Marketing Officer: Voluntary Media
tance of freedom of expression and me- content platforms by the NewsHawks Digital Managing Editor: Dumisani Muleya Charmaine Phiri Council of Zimbabwe
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stitution; our mission is to hold power Beverly Court, 6th floor News Editor: Owen Gagare
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Email: [email protected] 24Hr Complaints Line: 0772 125 659

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NewsHawks New Perspectives Page 23

Issue 53, 22 October 2021 Motor vehicle repairs, now
the major economic driver
FROM the ZimStat numbers, Zimbabwe’s GDP in 2020 was
ZW$1.1 trillion (about US$12.7 billion), with 19% of it com-
ing from wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and
motorcycles. The manufacturing sector was the second largest
contributor at 18% followed by mining (11%), highlighting the
structural change in the economy. 

GDP by industry: 1999 vs 2020

When the economy melts, the unimaginable happens. Wholesale and
retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles emerge as the ma-
jor economic activity and driver of growth, latest ZimStat gross domes-
tic product (GDP) statistics show.

Structure of the economy in 1999

In 1999, for instance, the agricultural sector was the largest Structure of the economy in 2020
driver of economic activity, with 19% of economic activity com-
ing out of it. However, its contribution has dwindled to the cur-
rent 8% as the structure of the economy takes a new shape. The
contribution of the manufacturing sector remains unchanged at
18%. The tourism sector, which contributed 19% of economic
activity in 1999, fell to just 1% in 2020. The tourism sector has
been the worst affected by the Covid-19-induced travel restric-
tions  in an economy that was already marred by political and
social unrest. The mining sector’s contribution shows a signifi-
cant jump from 2% in 1999 to 11% in 2020 as a result of both
increased production and favourable prices. However, of interest
is a new sector that has emerged as the number one economic
driver, wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and
motorcycles. 

Econometrics
HawksView

Tinashe Kaduwo

According to ZimStat, wholesale and retail trade; repair of on used-motor vehicles rather than brand new cars. A poor pub- repair industry is expected to continue to grow as income levels
motor vehicles and motorcycles is a ZW$223 billion (US$2.6 lic transport system, worsened by a government ban on privately are expected to remain low, implying limited spending on brand
billion) industry. But what is the “repair of motor vehicles and owned commuter minibuses as a means of public transport has new cars. An anticipated rise in car usage and continued impor-
motorcycles” industry? Who are the major players? What are the resulted in individuals sourcing smaller vehicles such as Honda tation of second-hand cars are expected to support demand for
global trends? Is it sustainable as an economic driver? Fit, Toyota Wish, to bridge the gap. However, most of these vehi- industry services. Going forward, as the economy recovers, the
cles are aged, demanding frequent repairs and servicing. anticipated increase in household disposable income is expected
Zimbabwe’s motor industry is generally dominated by sec- to support demand for discretionary services. This implies that
ond-hand cars which indeed demand more in terms of repair and This is exacerbated by Zimbabwe’s poor road conditions and, the motor vehicle maintenance and repair industry is likely to
maintenance spending. Each and every year since dollarisation, to some extent, poor fuel quality. Who would have imagined remain a dominant sector in terms of contribution to economic
motor vehicles were among the top five most imported goods, that the motor repair industry (Kaguvi Street activity in Harare) activity into the foreseeable future.
with the country spending on average US$365 million annually would be the major economic driver? A combination of Zimba-
on motor vehicle imports. This has resulted in the repair of mo- bwe’s economic meltdown, harsh policies and increasing poverty *About the writer: Kaduwo is a researcher and economist.
tor vehicles becoming a big industry as the majority of these ve- levels has resulted in individuals spending more on motor vehicle He writes in his personal capacity. Contact kaduwot@gmail.
hicles are second-hand, sourced mostly from Japan. Companies repairs.  com: Whatsapp +263773376128
in the industry maintain and repair motor vehicles. They carry
out general mechanical and electrical repairs as well as mainte- Over the next five years, the motor vehicle maintenance and
nance and servicing. The industry is highly fragmented and, as
a result, there is no major player in this industry with a market
share greater than 5%.  Demand for the industry’s services is de-
termined by mainly the number and age of vehicles on the road,
fuel prices, road conditions and wider economic conditions. 

Indeed, there has been an increase in the number of vehicles
on the road since 2009 when the economy dollarised. Initial-
ly (2009 to 2014), motor vehicles were seen as a source of in-
vestment with many individuals venturing into the business of
buying and selling used cars. This has since changed as many
individuals are now viewing motor vehicles as a basic need. How-
ever, low levels of income, with most individuals earning below
the poverty line, implies that the majority will continue to rely

Business

MATTERSNewsHawks

MARKETS CURRENCIES LAST CHANGE %CHANGE COMMODITIES LAST CHANGE %CHANGE
EUR/USD 1.168 +0.001 +0.05 -1.402
USD/JPY 109.75 +0.03 +0.03 *OIL 62.61 -0.89 +0.123
GBP/USD 1.362 -0.002 -0.154 -0.39
USD/CAD 1.29 +0.007 +0.55 *GOLD 1,785.3 +2.2 +0.44
AUD/USD 0.713 -0.001 -0.098 +1.14
*SILVER 23.14 -0.09

*PLATINUM 975.5 +4.3

*COPPER 4.087 +0.046

MARY MUNDEYA Corporate tax shrinks as govt
lavishes favours on Chinese
TREASURY witnessed a 4% decline in corpo-
rate tax for the 2020 budget revenue head con- Huawei Technologies was exempted from paying income tax dating back to 2009. panies as this was not in the spirit of tax justice,
tributions, a move attributed to uncollected tax constitutionalism and progressive taxation in
due to tax holidays and incentives to corporates, the poor people. It’s a really sad predicament be- involved in any social investment. the country.
most of which are Chinese mining companies cause if you look at all these mining enterprises “Conglomerates are the masters of corrup-
that are being allowed to mine for up to five being set up by the Chinese, they are not paying It said due to such practices, global inequality
years without paying tax, civil society organisa- tax whilst the poor old lady in the rural areas is tion, because they have the resources and tech- has increased by 11% in recent years. The Unit-
tions report. paying more tax than the Chinese.” nical knowhow to create transfer pricing mech- ed Nations Development Programme indicates
anisms and connive with our local ministers to that the richest 10% have up to 40% of global
This is contained in a Citizen’s Guide to the Manyanya further bemoaned the behaviour siphon our resources and not even be involved income whereas the poorest 10% earn only be-
2021 National Budget and the Zimbabwe Co- of trans-national corporations in poor and de- in any corporate social responsibility such as re- tween 2% and 7%.
alition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd). veloping countries, labelling them as masters of pairing roads,” he said.
corruption who connive with local ministers to “For there to be equality, we argue that there
In 2019, corporate tax contributed 13% to extract wealth, while evading tax and not being Zimcodd said the government should stop is a need for just and equitable distribution of
the budget whereas in 2020 it declined to 9%. granting tax incentives to multi-national com- the tax burden through the introduction of a
wealth tax to ensure that the richest pay a fairer
In its quest to attract local and foreign direct share of the resources required to ensure sus-
investment, the government of Zimbabwe is of- tainable and inclusive growth,” the civil society
fering various tax incentives to investors, locat- group says.
ing their business in special economic zones, a
move that citizens described as regressive during “There is an urgent need for the government
the 2022 National Budget consultations. of Zimbabwe and other African governments
to stop giving out harmful tax incentives to
Businesses in the special economic zones are multi-national companies.”
exempt from duty on goods and equipment
that are consumed in establishing the business Zimcodd said Zimbabwe is facing very lim-
for the first five years and have a 15% tax rate ited fiscal space, while the impact of Covid-19
thereafter. plus unsustainable debt has crippled the coun-
try’s capacity to mobilise resources to provide
On 27 January this year, the government social safety nets to the vulnerable.
through Statutiry Instrument 26 of 2021
granted Great Dyke investment (GDI), a plat- As much as tax exemptions act as sweeteners
inum-mining company, a five-year tax exemp- to allow investors to pump in more capital while
tion commencing from the date of receipt of cushioning them from huge tax burdens, there
income from mining operations and sales of are questions as to whether citizens will really
mining inputs. benefit from such.

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Since the new dispensation came into pow-
Technologies was also exempted from paying er in 2017, Zimbabweans have been grappling
income tax dating back to 2009. with different taxes that Finance minister Mthu-
li Ncube introduced under his “austerity for
Expressing sheer frustration with the way the prosperity” mantra such as the 2% tax on elec-
government is offering countless tax exemptions tronic transactions, as well as the heavy burden
to companies while burdening citizens with of inheriting the toxic debt arising from failed
countless taxes, Simukai Rural Residents Trust’s government programmes such as the scandalous
representative Masimba Manyanya said it is a farm mechanisation scheme which offloaded
worrying development. US$1.3 billion onto the shoulders of taxpayers.
There is also the crisis of failed state-owned en-
“As a nation we have been told that the coun- terprises, such as Air Zimbabwe.
try is open for business and industrialising, but
now the contradictory message is that we are
having a decline in corporate taxes. If Zimba-
bwe is having more cooperate entities being es-
tablished in the country, then those companies
must be paying taxes. A progressive government
will not depend of getting revenue from the val-
ue-added tax, which is largely contributed by

Limited access to capital hampers infrastructural development

RONALD MUCHENJE of audited financial statements and price distor- parties due to structural, technical, and skill lim- negotiation of urban infrastructure financing
tions in the wider economy. itations with lack of institutional knowledge, in- contracts. In October 2018, total deposits were
LIMITED access to capital for infrastructure de- adequate budgeting and accounting capacity and about US$10 billion while foreign notes in circu-
velopment is a major constraint to land develop- “This is a reflection of both human skills and resources prevalent. lation were only at US$70.4 million with balanc-
ers, with mortgage lending dominated by Central systems capacity challenges within the local au- es available in nostro accounts being US$305.5
African Building Society (CABS), followed by thorities. Urban authorities lack the upfront Lack of long-range targets or infrastructure million. The ratio of foreign currency to total de-
CBZ Bank, research by a local university shows. capital to fund their investment priorities. They planning, Zinyama added, have often resulted posits was only about 4%. The foreign exchange
also lack borrowing capacity due to low credit- in lack of signals to market participants about in- auction system marginally managed to reduce the
In a paper titled Alternatives for Financing Ur- worthiness, that is, limited revenue sources and vestment needs and intent. exchange risk. Fear that investors would be stuck
ban Infrastructure in Zimbabwe: Focusing on Wa- restricted revenue-raising powers, insufficient or with RTGS dollars and be unable to convert
ter, Sanitation, Housing and Road Infrastructure, inaccessible collateral and so on. Difficulty of He added that investors perceive a significant them into foreign currency is a risk that does not
presented to a recent debt conference organised changing investment patterns due to institution- risk of losing their investment due to a variety of promote infrastructure financing,” he said.
by social justice organisations Afrodad and Zim- al, governance, and contractual/financial features risk Asset performance uncertainties as political
codd, University of Zimbabwe lecturer Tawanda present in the market portfolio or resource allo- risk, foreign-exchange risk and limited addition- Zinyama said authorities needed to ensure that
Zinyama said urban housing development was cation mandates within funds or investment or- al capital sources for pooling, sharing risks being the quality of the investment, its feasibility rela-
being hindered by the existing incongruity be- ganisations that prohibit infrastructure finance,” some of the key issues. tive to local economic circumstances and its ap-
tween supply and demand of investment in ur- he said. propriateness for the locality’s needs and possibil-
ban infrastructure due to institutional and gover- “Currency and exchange rate risks are also a ities take precedence over all other considerations
nance failures, mismanagement, non-production Zinyama added that urban authorities could major cause of concern. Investors cannot repa- when borrowing.
not initiate projects or act as bankable counter- triate their proceeds and to predict the exchange
rate currency risk is a key consideration in the

NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 25

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

NDS 1 can’t create adequate jobs: ILO

A RECENT survey by the International Labour ILO report suggests that to be able to reduce the unemployment rate, Zimbabwe should create at least 200 000 jobs per year.
Organisation (ILO) has established that Zimba-
bwe’s economic blueprint, National Develop- tion of sectoral and regional policies, as to how to to offer incentives to key economic sectors with the nation, the job creation rate would decline
ment Strategy 1 (NDS 1), has no capacity to cre- ensure that the reforms in the agricultural sector the potential to boost employment growth in the slowly, from 2.6% per year today to 1.8 % per
ate the envisaged number of jobs and should be and the initiatives to promote value chains de- form of tax exemptions, grants, access to loans year.
fine-tuned if concrete labour market outcomes velopment and the growth of small and medium at preferential rates, or subsidised training, men-
are to be realised. enterprises can accelerate the creation of formal toring, technical assistance and access to inputs, “The findings of the LMDA indicated that
employment and improve the quality of existing among other key issues. increasing living standards and promoting eco-
NDS 1 aims to ensure macro-economic stabil- informal jobs. nomic and social development in Zimbabwe
ity, promote private investment and create jobs, “Thus, in practice, Zimbabwe could be allo- would first require improving employment op-
although current targets might fall short of what Observes the LDMA: “There is a need to come cating a substantial share of public resources to portunities.
is needed to increase employment rates. up with more specific policies and reform pro- programmes that might not have the expected
grammes to operationalise the various propos- results,” the survey said. “Economies grow when more people work
According to the blueprint, the goal is to en- als around labour policies, which are necessary and when each job in the economy becomes
sure that the economy can grow at least at 5% to improve the quality of jobs and help connect The report bemoans the fact that at a time, more productive. At the same time, households
per year, driving the gross domestic product per workers to better employment opportunities.” Zimbabwe needs to create 184 000 jobs per year escape poverty when labour income, the main
capita to US$3 205 by 2025 on the strength of in the next decade, in order to cut down the un- source of income for most households, increas-
the expansion of the agriculture, manufacturing, The report suggests that the government needs employment levels and informality bedeviling es,” the report added. — STAFF WRITER.
mining, utilities and tourism sectors.

The government expects that the economy
could create around 150 000 formal positions
per year.

But the ILO’s Labour Market Diagnostic Anal-
ysis (LMDA) report established that the current
blueprint, which has already missed its growth
projection for this year, cannot meet the set tar-
gets.

“Indeed, the NDS 1 treats jobs as a cross-sec-
toral theme, but in practice, there are no explicit
links between the proposed initiatives and labour
market outcomes.

“One of the key questions over the short term
is about how to manage the trade-offs between
the need to have a balanced government budget
and the need to stimulate the economy to ac-
celerate the recovery and increase employment
rates,” the report said.

The survey suggests that to be able to reduce
the unemployment rate, the economy should be
creating around 200 000 jobs per year, which
would require growth rates above 7.5%.

The LDMA observes that there are also several
questions regarding the design and implementa-

DUMISANI NYONI Innscor bullish on the back of expansion drive

DIVERSIFIED industrial conglomerate Innscor Innscor’s bakery division saw a 36% uptick in sales.
Africa Limited’s revenue is seen increasing by
78% in the coming financial year to ZW$100.43 IH said critical focus remains on balancing The group posted revenue of ZW$56.48 bil- The flour milling division recorded volume
billion, on the back of an expansion drive and volume objectives with appropriate return levels, lion during the year under review, representing growth of 43% over the comparative year, sup-
improved stability, research firm Inter Horizon careful overhead cost containment and optimal a 406% increase from ZW$11.15 billion in the ported by strong consumer demand, especially
Securities (IH) has said. cashflow generation. comparative year. within the pre-pack category.

In its analysis of Innscor’s financials for the “Overall for FY21 (full-year 2021), we antici- Revenue growth, according to Addington The group’s bakery division saw a 36% uptick
year ended June 30, 2021, IH said it forecast that pate moderate growth in earnings as inflationary Chinake, the group’s chairperson, was achieved in sales, which the group accredits to smooth
revenue will increase by 78% in the financial year distortions on the income statement subside. Key on the back of volume growth across all business- supply of raw materials with a stable cost.
ending 30 June 2022 to ZW$100.43 billion, up lines to watch out for as the group undertakes es as the introduction of new products, increased
from ZW$56.49 billion recorded in the last fi- aggressive capital expenditure include interest re- capacity utilisation in existing and new catego- The Colcom division delivered 34% growth in
nancial year. payments on sourced loans, a figure which grew ries, access to a growing informal market and a sales while production increased by 54%, Irvine’s
471% year-on-year,” it said. market sensitive pricing strategy all aligned to egg volumes came in 8% higher, while stockfeed,
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, provide a pleasing result. chicken, and day-old chicks saw 33%, 21%, and
and amortisation (EBITDA) is expected to grow “Management has been on record stating 29% upticks respectively in the half year.
by 46% to ZW$16.57 billion over the same pe- that progress is being made with local financial In terms of individual business review, leading
riod. institution partners to avail appropriately priced the volumes growth was the group’s grocery divi- The maize milling business was the only seg-
borrowings and the group has strong operational sion which saw a 74% surge in sales, benefiting ment that lagged after recording a 32% dip in
Performance for the group to last financial cashflows to fund investing activities.” from competitive pricing for rice and salt. volumes, which the group says is a result of in-
year was underpinned by improved stability in tense competition from imported maize.
the operating environment, allowing for com-
prehensive pricing models and consolidation of
market share.

For the coming financial year, the group has
signed off on US$70 million worth of short-term
investment initiatives covering ongoing business
optimisation and expansion within existing busi-
ness units, to be staggered over the coming finan-
cial year.

The group expects to build a new flour-mill-
ing plant in Bulawayo, set to be commissioned
in 2022.

“All things held equal, we are of the view that
sales volumes for Innscor will continue firming
despite short-term instability in the maize meal
segments under National Foods,” IH said in its
analysis.

“In tandem with reports of increased national
capacity utilisation in the third quarter, we ex-
pect volumes in other light and manufacturing
services units to continue on a defined recovery
path at least through to the first half of 2022.”

“Downside risk, however, remains in the form
of recurring power supply issues on the national
grid. Margins for Innscor, which have been hov-
ering above historical averages, are expected to
remain under downward pressure on maintained
cost corrections,” the researchers said.

Page 26 Companies & Markets NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Ncube’s plan to
launch offshore
financial centre
myopic: Experts

FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube’s latest plan exchange rate speak volumes of the warped na- could be some value in laying down a foun- Finance minister Mthuli Ncube
to launch an offshore financial services centre ture of the economy. There is a general lack dation for the future. But for now it’s difficult environment issues, the analyst said there is no
in Victoria Falls (OFSC) has been described as of confidence in the investment environment to see it drawing any significant foreign capital immediate solution to this.
“too ambitious” and “myopic” by investment locally and internationally and I do not see for- without changing investor perceptions of Zim-
analysts, amid calls for the Treasury boss to fo- eign direct investment being attracted. babwe’s long-term economic outlook,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a quick fix. Investors
cus on elementary issues currently affecting the need to trust the environment and I think
economy. “The closure of the Zimbabwe Stock Ex- Quizzed on what urgently needs to be done there will need to be a prolonged period of
change sometime last year and the banishment for trust to be regained within the economic competent and consistent economic manage-
Speaking to delegates attending the Victoria of Old Mutual speak volumes of the command
Falls Commodities Exchange workshop this nature of the economy. Investors need the as- ment,” Menon added. — STAFF WRITER.
week, Ncube revealed the plan to launch an surance of policy consistency and the opera-
OFSC, saying the government is working flat tion and dictates of market forces for their in-
out to attract investment. vestment decisions. More still needs to be done
on this front,” he said.
“As you might be aware, the government of
Zimbabwe is exploring the setting up of an off- In investment terms, an OFSC is a jurisdic-
shore financial services centre in Victoria Falls, tion that makes available financial services to
of which the envisaged commodities exchange non-residents with the purpose of circumvent-
will be a key component. ing aspects of the non-resident’s home coun-
try or jurisdiction. These financial centres are
“The OFSC will help develop and deepen generally used as locations for asset holding
the financial service sector, through provision companies to achieve tax avoidance. Too often,
of opportunities for global investment. We can they are used illegally for tax evasion.
all agree that investment is essential in driving
economic growth and creating an attractive in- Associated advantages are that company as-
vestment climate is one step towards achieving sets such as intellectual property are parked in
that,” he said. these foreign entities. This can protect these
assets from liability and allow the allocation of
The Treasury chief said that in reality, an at- certain revenues to the assets rather than allo-
tempt to create an investment environment in cation to the country of use or sale — where
which international capital can flow freely re- taxes may be higher, as well as allowing hold-
quires both the supporting legislation and the ers of such assets at death to pass ownership
underlying products, of which the commodi- to heirs or third parties without going through
ties exchange is part of the infrastructure that their home country probate system.
provides the investment products.
But Yona Menon, an analyst at Ethos Cap-
Economist Tawanda Purazeni described the ital Partners, also expressed doubt that such
initiatives as far-fetched, saying they are likely benefits will easily flow into Zimbabwe, argu-
to be dogged by the prevailing bottlenecks in ing the move is premature.
the economic environment.
“It seems a bit premature. This sort of ini-
“The government’s quest to open another tiative needs to be supported by a predictable
financial hub in Victoria Falls is a far-fetched economic and policy environment. There
concept. Arbitrages currently prevailing in the

Oppenheimers set up shop in Singapore after selling De Beers

THE family office for Nicky Oppenheimer and surge across Asia. Google co-founder Sergey Brin Nicky Oppenheimer
his son Jonathan has set up an outpost in Singa- and vacuum-cleaner billionaire James Dyson
pore to boost its Asia exposure and partner with have both set up investment firms to manage
the region’s wealthy. their wealth in the city-state, known for its high
standard of living, political stability and pletho-
Edoardo Collevecchio, the former chief of ra of tax treaties. The number of family offices in
staff for Oppenheimer Generations, is moving Singapore increased fivefold between 2017 and
from London to build and lead its team in Sin- 2019, according to government data.
gapore, while Yi Ling Ong joins from Temasek
as head of investment for the Asia unit, the “We look forward to deepening relationships
company said in a statement. with like-minded partners,” Jonathan Oppen-
heimer, 51, the family office’s executive chair-
The investment firm, which represents a man, said in the statement.
branch of the dynasty that founded mining gi-
ant Anglo American and turned De Beers into The Oppenheimers trace their fortune to the
the world’s largest diamond producer, said it 1917 formation of Anglo American in South
hopes a presence in the city-state will help drive Africa. The firm later took control of De Beers,
investments between Asia and its home market where Nicky Oppenheimer, 76, was chairman
of Africa. from 1998 to 2012.

“Over the next 20 or 30 years, the synergies Oppenheimer Generations, which was cre-
between Africa and Asia are going to be substan- ated after Anglo American bought the family’s
tial,” Collevecchio, 33, said in an interview. “We 40% stake in the diamond firm, now has more
want to be here at the start of that journey.” than two dozen employees in South Africa, the
UK and Jersey, according to LinkedIn data. Its
The Oppenheimer family has a combined other investments include Tana Africa Capital, a
net worth of $8.2 billion, largely through the private equity joint venture set up a decade ago
2012 sale of their stake in De Beers for about $5 with Temasek to invest in African companies.
billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires
Index. “This is an incredibly exciting challenge,”
Collevecchio said about Asia.
The Oppenheimers join a growing number
of billionaires turning to Singapore as fortunes “We see so much potential.” — Bloomberg

NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 27

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Creditors can’t attach
RBZ assets — Court

Reserve Bank
of Zimbabwe

ALL assets belonging to the Reserve Bank of by the government under the RBZ Debt As-
Zimbabwe (RBZ) cannot be attached by any sumption Act No.2 of 2015 are not executable
creditors in terms of the State Liabilities Act, a and any writs issued pursuant thereon are invalid
court has ruled. and therefore unenforceable at law.

This emerged following a judgment this week “It is hereby declared that the assets of the Re-
by High Court Justice Webster Chinamora in a serve Bank of Zimbabwe are subject to the pro-
case between the RBZ, Holbud Limited and the visions of the State Liabilities Act (Chapter 8:14)
Sheriff. and therefore cannot be attached in execution,”
Chinamora ruled.
The judgment means all legacy debts assumed

Page 28 Community Service NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

LOCAL real estate firm West Prop- West Property takes on mitment on the environment and as-
erty Company has joined the global challenge on clean cities sociated goals,” she said.
campaign aimed at creating a clean
and sustainable environment by cause like promoting and ensuring a flagship developments – Pokugara. ference in our environment and Volunteers, community groups
launching an annual clean-up aware- clean environment. Borrowdale West “Today, each one of us had an community. Every small act is a step and friends of West Property also
ness campaign covering all major cit- also houses one of West Property’s towards realisation of our global com- joined the staff in the clean-up exer-
ies in Zimbabwe. opportunity to make a positive dif- cise.

Officially launched in Harare on West Property’s clean-up campaign
15 October, the campaign will also aligns with Zimbabwe’s national
see West Property, established in goals, consistent with clean cities vi-
2007 to develop property within the sion launched by President Emmer-
greater Harare area, actively partic- son Mnangagwa in December 2018
ipating at this year’s National Tree under the theme:
Planting Day on 4 December.
Zero Tolerance to Litter:My Envi-
The company started its clean-up ronment, My Pride.
activities at the Parirenyatwa Group
of Hospitals area and its surroundings Besides, the environmental aware-
before taking it to the Borrowdale ness and clean-up campaign are in
West environs in the capital. line with the United Nations Sus-
tainable Development Goals (SDGs),
Tatiana Ellis, West Property chief particularly SDG 14 and SDG 15.
operations officer, recently told the
event, attended by representatives SDG 14 speaks to life below water
of the Environmental Management and challenges citizens to avoid use of
Agency and the City of Harare, that plastics, and to dispose non-degrad-
it was important to keep the city and able matter correctly to keep the wa-
surroundings clean. ter bodies clean. It is estimated that
over three billion people depend on
“Besides being located close to the marine and coastal biodiversity for
West Property offices, we have made their livelihoods.
it our shared commitment to ensure
that the Parirenyatwa Hospital area is SDG 15 covers life on land and en-
kept clean at all times, befitting of a courages citizens to plant a tree and
health institution,” she said. help protect the environment. 

West Property chief marketing According to the UN, the SDGs
officer Marilyn Mosha said it was are a call for action by all countries
worthwhile to invest time in a worthy – poor, rich and middle-income – to
promote prosperity while protecting
the planet. – STAFF WRITER.

NewsHawks Stock Taking Page 29

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Price Sheet

Thursday, 21 October 2021 A MEMBER OF FINSEC & THE ZIMBABWE STOCK EXCHANGE

Company Sector Bloomberg Previous Last VWAP (cents) Total Total Price Price YTD Market
Traded Traded Change Change (%) Cap
AFDIS Consumer Goods Ticker Price (cents) Traded Volume Value ($) (cents) ($m)
African Sun Consumer Services (%)
ART Price 26,100
Ariston Industrials 600
Axia Consumer Services AFDIS: ZH 11000.00 11000.00 11000.00 2,871,000 - - 358.33 13,144.40
BNC ASUN: ZH 1016.67 1000.00 1000.00 179,600 6,000 -16.67 -1.64 488.24 14,239.31
BAT Consumer Goods ARTD: ZH 930.15 1030.00 1020.05 295,000 89.90 9.67 113.71
CAFCA Basic Materials 1,832,005 12.53 3.47 178.67 4,457.39
Cassava ARISTON: ZH 360.89 365.25 373.42 9,900 1,101,591 -283.89 -6.31 360.34 6,077.02
CBZ Consumer Goods AXIA: ZH 4500.56 4450.00 4216.67 57,900 33.62 6.33 48.60 23,282.36
CFI Industrials BIND: ZH 531.06 570.00 564.68 9,000 417,450 45848.89 20.00 400.18 7,186.87
Dairibord 229250.00 275100.00 275098.89 326,952 89.10 56,762.58
Delta Technology BAT: ZH 17000.00 17000.00 - 24,758,900 - - 671.88 1,484.97
Econet Banking CAFCA: ZH 4525.26 - 5017.25 122,700 491.99 10.87 11.16 129,975.74
Edgars 9251.59 5010.00 9500.00 - 248.41 2.69 5712.04 49,652.84
FBC Industrials CSZL: ZH 4112.02 9500.00 4112.02 1,000 6,156,160.00 297.32 4,360.42
Fidelity Consumer Goods CBZ: ZH 5200.00 5204.83 - - - 682.83 18,633.34
First Capital Consumer Goods CFI:ZH 15861.57 - 17810.11 95,000 4.83 0.09 851.78 232,275.11
FML Telecommunications 8076.09 5200.00 8994.36 20,700 - 1948.54 12.28 278.78 233,005.81
FMP Consumer Services DZL: ZH 457.09 18000.00 454.54 225,100 918.27 11.37 101.97 2,746.55
GBH DLTA: ZH 3009.10 9000.00 3032.31 1,077,400 -2.55 -0.56 319.51 20,375.60
Getbucks Banking ECO: ZH 738.69 450.00 800.00 22,600 40,090,560 23.21 0.77 254.84
Hippo Financial Services 389.37 3050.00 390.32 8,700 61.31 8.30 138.10 871.39
Innscor EDGR: ZH 2478.07 800.00 2500.00 165,200 2,032,725 0.95 0.24 279.63 8,430.19
Lafarge Banking FBC: ZH 1200.00 390.00 1230.00 59,300 39,545 21.93 0.88 941.67 17,253.58
Mash Financial Services FIDL: ZH 250.00 2500.00 250.00 1,057,300 30.00 2.50 6420.64 15,229.33
Masimba FCA: ZH 811.67 1230.00 815.08 41,200 5,009,380 251.11 1,341.47
Medtech Real Estate 27418.81 250.00 31600.00 1,000 474,400 - - 453.44 9,480.35
Meikles Industrials FMHL: ZH 18999.83 815.00 20493.37 48,500 3.41 0.42 1070.14 60,994.50
Nampak FMP: ZH 11233.33 32500.00 11233.33 1,200 4,126,834 4181.19 15.25 334.76 116,786.89
NatFoods Financial Services GBH: ZH 402.85 20000.00 404.33 1,000 1,030,000 1493.54 7.86 379.17 8,986.66
NTS Consumer Goods 5500.00 5366.67 233,300 159.87 7,516.79
NMBZ GBFS: ZH - 12,300 - - 748.41 12,968.76
OK Zim Industrials HIPO: ZH 20.56 400.00 20.53 - 121,250 1.48 0.37 487.95
Proplastics Industrials 16351.48 5300.00 18669.00 3,000 -133.33 -2.42 2728.63 624.06
RTG Real Estate INN: ZH 1260.45 20.00 1342.00 9,781 -0.03 -0.15 3010.20 47,166.50
RioZim Industrials LACZ: ZH 170000.74 19600.00 170000.74 300 316,000 2317.52 14.17 248.71 10,140.80
SeedCo Healthcare MASH: ZH 1350.00 666,800 47,811,030 81.55 6.47 227.87 116,280.69
Simbisa Industrials MSHL: ZH 853.75 853.75 306.51
Star Africa Industrials MMDZ: ZH 1400.00 - 1395.00 1,000 - - - 194.78 2,167.44
Truworths Consumer Goods MEIK: ZH 2834.99 - 2950.83 2,000 12,130 - - 164.01 5,638.20
TSL Industrials NPKZ: ZH 3490.00 1395.00 3500.00 16,100 -5.00 -0.36 520.12 37,944.26
Turnall 566.00 2950.00 565.24 - 136,877 115.84 4.09 773.70 8,817.75
Unifreight Banking NTFD: ZH 3947.43 3500.00 3947.43 - 186,690 10.00 0.29 487.33 14,105.54
Willdale Consumer Services NTS: ZH 12218.47 566.00 14262.75 400 26,840 -0.76 -0.13 773.53 4,817.03
ZB NMB: ZH 10500.94 - 10500.00 515,100 - - 300.00 35,257.90
Zeco Industrials 160.63 14000.00 158.58 2,100 - 2044.28 16.73 545.16 59,029.40
Zimpapers Consumer Services OKZ: ZH 10500.00 2,100 - -0.94 -0.01 18717.20 7,477.18
Zimplow PROL: ZH 159.00 - 5,580 -2.05 -1.28 1084.63
ZHL Basic Materials 10,200 15,199,740 -0.42 -0.16 245.02 989.70
TOTAL Consumer Goods RTG: ZH 400 73,500 0.62 0.01 500.00 24,640.07
Consumer Goods RIOZ: ZH 249,100 11,870 - - 178.39
Consumer Goods SEED: ZH 7,800 - 3.12 0.09 324.56 2,958.24
Consumer Services 34,800 1,454,800 0.32 0.08 27.57 3,726.60
Consumer Goods SIM: ZH - 42,000 - - 6,740.05
SACL: ZH 200 395,256 - - 14,506.77
Industrials 31,700 20,100 2.82 1.04
Industrials TRUW: ZH 258.11 260.00 257.69 - 2,401,200 -359.51 -14.48 0.56
Industrials TSL: ZH 6899.38 6900.00 6900.00 - - 6.87 1.75 1,571.44
600.00 600.00 2,200 7,000 7,314.75
Banking TURN: ZH 3496.88 - 3500.00 37,000 120,169 7,271.60
Industrials UNIF: ZH 378.76 3500.00 379.08 28,300 - 1,496,706.71
Consumer Services WILD: ZH 8280.56 380.00 8280.56 4,181,400 -
Industrials ZBFH: ZH 6,002
Financial Services ZECO: ZH 0.12 - 0.12 785,435
270.00 - 272.82 113,182
ZIMP: ZH 2482.31 272.00 2122.80 160,730,733
ZIMPLOW: ZH 393.06 2000.00 399.93
400.00
ZHL: ZH

ETFs OMTT.zw 400.08 411.00 405.92 188,873 766,680.51 5.84 1.46 305.03 324.74
Old Mutual ZSE Top 10 ETF

FINSEC Financial Services OMZIL 7100.00 7100.00 -- - 167.92 5,893.83
Old Mutual Zimbabwe

VFEX (US cents) Consumer Goods PHL:VX 22.00 22.00 22.00 121,652 26,763.44 - - -38.89 US$m
Consumer Goods SCIL:VX 28.09 - 28.09 - - - 119.15
Padenga - 56.06 107.15
SeedCo International

Index Close Change (%) Open YTD % Top 5 Risers Price Change % YTD %
ZSE All Share 12,312.57 +6.88 11,519.56 +368.27 BAT 275098.89c +45848.89c +20.00 +400.18
Top 10 7,827.02 +9.28 +373.07 SeedCo +16.73 +520.12
Top 15 8,670.44 +8.92 7,162.15 +345.08 Hippo 14262.75c +2044.28c +15.25 +251.11
Small Cap -4.61 7,960.48 +2642.46 Meikles 31600.00c +4181.19c +14.17 +748.41
Medium Cap 325,699.73 +1.51 341,442.97 +317.62 Delta 18669.00c +2317.52c +12.28 +682.83
23,237.68 22,891.56 17810.11c +1948.54c

Top 5 Fallers Price Change % YTD %
Zimplow 2122.80c -359.51c -14.48 +324.56
Axia 4216.67c -283.89c -6.31 +360.34
Masimba 5366.67c -133.33c -2.42 +379.17
African Sun 1000.00c -16.67c -1.64 +488.24
Star Africa -2.05c -1.28 +487.33
158.58c

SALES & TRADING: Davide Muchengi: [email protected] | Lungani Nyamazana: [email protected] | Tatenda Jasi: [email protected]

RESEARCH: Batanai Matsika: [email protected] | Precious Chagwedera: [email protected] | Tafara Mtutu: [email protected]

Tel: (+263) 08677008101-2 | Email: [email protected] | Address: 1st Floor, Block D, Smatsatsa Office Park, Borrowdale, Harare

MORGAN & COMPANY has issued this document for distribution to its clients. It may not be reproduced or further distributed in whole or in part for any purpose. This document is not and should not be construed as
an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe to any investment. MORGAN & COMPANY has based this document on information obtained from sources it believes to be reliable but which it

has not independently verified; MORGAN & COMPANY makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to the accuracy or completeness of its content.

Page 30 News Analysis NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Decisive action
needed on
currency
nightmare

NYASHA CHINGONO rency were not in place. Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube.
Two years after the Zimdollar
GOVERNMENT should return store market confidence.  This has however failed to con- happen for the exchange rate
to a multi-currency regime to re- came back into circulation, Zim- “This is an issue we all need to trol the runaway inflation. for buying and selling,” Robert-
store public confidence in a mar- babwe has reached a déjà vu mo- son said, adding that Zimbabwe
ket rocked by instability which ment with the economy teetering be honest about. When we used Fiscal and monetary author- should brace for more inflation. 
has plunged the Zimbabwe dollar on the brink triggered by unre- a multi-currency system, we were ities, led by the central bank’s
into a death spiral reminiscent lenting currency problems where stable and had a performing bud- Financial Intelligence Unit, and “We might get back to the in-
of the ruinous 2008 era, analysts businesses now accessing foreign get,” Binha said.  capital market regulators, are cur- flation of two years ago. We are in
have said.  currency on the parallel market, rently tightening forex trading danger unless they bring it under
driving the black market rate as Binha said he had argued regulations by adopting a tight control,” Robertson said. 
Government is currently in six- the government’s delusionary for- against politics-led economics, monetary policy in a bid to weed
es and sevens trying to douse the eign currency auction scheme fal- saying there was a need for ratio- out what they variously describe Robertson however said the
raging fire on the parallel market, ters. nal policies.  as “saboteurs” and “fraudsters” spectre of 2008 hyperinflationary
with the Zimdollar losing ground who are purportedly destroying mayhem was unlikely since the
to the US dollar alarmingly. Even Hanke argues that the Zimdol- “Why should we not go back to the economy. RBZ is not printing money. 
a “crackdown” on illegal foreign lar has depreciated 93% since its stability?” Binha said. 
currency dealers and the so-called introduction.  Analysts say the government is Commentators say while the
unscrupulous businesspeople has He also urged the government panicking and forex dealers are government continues groping
failed to rein in the market.  The Zimdollar continues losing to come up with policies to regain only a scapegoat for grand policy in the dark for scapegoats, it will
ground against the US dollar, with policies.  failure. eventually be confronted with a
According to economics profes- the official exchange rate weak- choice as to whether to decom-
sor Stephen Hanke, the Zimdol- ening from US$1:ZW$88.55 to “We should regain confidence Zimbabwe’s biggest industry mission or keep the Zimdollar. 
lar is in a death spiral and headed US$1:ZW$90.07 this week. in the transacting public and need body, the Confederation of Zim-
for a tragic end, two years after to get people believing in the babwe Industries (CZI), which Keeping the Zimdollar would
it was re-introduced into circu- On the parallel market, the rate monetary policies,” he said.  has also been a major target of the have negative ramifications as
lation, stoking fears of the 2008 ranges between US$1:ZW$175 crackdown, urged the government rent-seeking elements will contin-
hyperinflationary period when the and US$1:ZW$200. “The Zimdollar has no compo- to introspect on its “failed” poli- ue to capitalise on speculation. 
government was forced to decom- nent that speaks to those micro-el- cies. 
mission the local currency.  While the authorities say ille- ements,” Binha added, saying the This would plunge the market
gal forex trading is sabotaging the foreign currency auction system “When policies fail we should further into chaos while re-dol-
From 2009 to 2019, Zimbabwe economy and will trigger infla- had failed to restore confidence.  not arrest people, we should cor- larising without enough reserves
enjoyed a semblance of market tion, Zimbabweans who are still rect the policies for efficacy,” the would also affect the economy
stability with the authorities say- haunted by the 2008 hyperinfla- Political leaders, particularly CZI said. as it would create massive cash
ing the economy was poised for tionary era, already fear the worst, Vice-President Constantino Chi- shortages. 
growth.  while economists say the govern- wenga, have been on the offensive, Economist John Robertson said
ment should re-dollarise.  using the Zimbabwe dollar, which the monetary authorities should Whatever the government de-
The US dollar dominated the is fast depreciating in relation to restore a respectable currency.  cides, the authorities should work
market until 2016 when bond Former Finance minister Ten- base currencies in the market, as to restore confidence, stabilise the
notes were introduced. Prior to dai Biti predicted that the par- a pretext. “We need to have a respectable money market and desist from
that, bond coins had been intro- allel market rate could reach local currency. The same should command economics.
duced in 2014 purportedly to fa- US$1:ZW$400 by December.  Chiwenga has warned of harsh
cilitate change in transactions. measures against traders.
“The thing is right now, if we hit
Since the re-introduction of the 400 by December then it is a no-
Zimbabwe dollar in 2019, the Re- go area. If you hit 400, it means
serve Bank of Zimbabwe has re- that your month-on-month infla-
vised the monetary policy frame- tion will exceed 80% and that is
work several times in an attempt hyperinflation. So we are heading
to address the high inflation rate there slowly and surely. I would
and manage limited currency re- urge anyone sitting on RTGS to
serves, often in a haphazard and dispose of them as a matter of
unpredictable manner. urgency,” Biti added, saying the
government should admit curren-
However, President Mnangag- cy failure.
wa’s government re-introduced
the Zimdollar against the advice Economist Oswell Binha said
of economists, who argued that the government should face the
the fundamentals for a local cur- truth and admit that the local cur-
rency had failed, and re-introduce
a basket of stable currencies to re-

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NewsHawks The Big Debate Page 31

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Death knell for sanctions?: Reflections
on the UN rapporteur’s visit to Zim

CHIEDZA MLINGWA billion in development assistance to
Zimbabwe, and since the promulga-
The United Nations Special Rap- United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Alena Douhan. tion of Zidera in 2001, the US has
porteur on the negative impact of maintained support to the tune of
unilateral coercive measures on the sources), subtly launching his 2023 invidious position is due to sanctions. incarceration processes often charac- US$298 846 260. 
enjoyment of fundamental human campaign on 7 October while deliv- What now falls to be determined is terised by the denial of bail. This has
rights and freedoms, Alena Douhan, ering his State of the Nation Address.  whether the conduct of the Zimba- been seen through the arrests of Allan After the enactment of Zidera, the
is currently on a 10-day visit to Zim- bwean government towards its citi- Moyo, Takudzwa Ngadziore and Ma- EU imposed its own set of sanctions
babwe at the invitation of the govern- On the opposite spectrum, civil so- zens has been one of general goodwill komborero Haruzivishe to cite a few. in 2002 after a breakdown in consul-
ment which has been reeling from the ciety organisations, human rights de- and respect for their basic human Recent incidents of intra-party polit- tations under the “Cotonou Agree-
effects of sanctions for two decades fenders and opposition political par- rights in general.  ical violence that have been reported ment”. In terms of the agreement, the
now.  ties have repeatedly maintained that in Masvingo province are also cause EU instituted a political dialogue in
sanctions are not the source of the Specific reference is made to the 1 for concern. The narrowing of dem- 2001 over breaches of human rights
What this visit seeks to ascertain, country’s ailments and cite, instead, August 2018 post-election massacre ocratic space through restriction of and the land appropriations in Zim-
through engagement and dialogue the severe lack of genuine political wherein six people were killed and political participation of certain op- babwe. In terms of Article 9, it was a
with relevant stakeholders, is whether will on the part of the government to more than 60 brutally assaulted fol- position figures violates civil and po- requirement to respect  human rights,
and to what extent the imposition, as implement reforms that are reflective lowing the deployment of the army litical rights expressed in Zimbabwe’s democratic principles, and the rule of
well as the continued application of of a commitment to respect, protect to deal with protests. The conduct of 2013 constitution which include the law. The Zimbabwean government
sanctions in the country encroaches and promote human rights, democra- the Zimbabwean government in this right to protest peacefully as well as failed to take any substantive mea-
upon the basic human rights of Zim- cy, good governance and the rule of instance, in giving the Zimbabwe Na- the right to campaign freely. Again, it sures for reform. Article 96(2)(c) of
babwe’s citizenry in general as well as law. A plausible question can thus be tional Army (ZNA) carte blanche to is difficult to pinpoint how this lam- the Cotonou Agreement was then
whether the adoption and implemen- raised as to whether the renouncing of interfere in civilian affairs, violated entable state of affairs is attributable activated under which the European
tation of such measures is violative of sanctions is a political ploy surrepti- citizens’ rights to life; to freedom and to the adoption of sanctions in the bloc could impose appropriate mea-
international human rights instru- tiously designed to detract attention security of the person, and to bodily country.  sures against Zimbabwe. This includ-
ments and standards in particular. In from the shortcomings of the Zimba- and psychological integrity; which ed a travel ban on persons who engage
essence: are sanctions the bane and bwean government.  includes the right to be free from all In assessing the implementation in serious violations of human rights
root cause of the country’s woes?  forms of violence either from public of these restrictive measures, it can and of the freedom of opinion, of
In reverting to the two-stage analy- or private sources, as well as freedom be found that the US imposition of association and of peaceful assembly
This requires a two-pronged assess- sis mentioned earlier, it is worth men- of assembly and association. One legislative sanctions through the Zim- in Zimbabwe, and a freezing of their
ment: firstly, as to whether these mea- tioning that Zimbabwe is among a would be hard pressed to establish babwe Democracy and Economy funds, other financial assets, or eco-
sures (unilateral or not) are indeed number of nations with poor human a direct or causal nexus between the Recovery Act (Zidera), which is uni- nomic resources.
affecting the human rights of Zim- rights, democracy and corruption re- conduct of the ZNA in this instance lateral in nature, restricts the granting
babweans. This assessment requires cords that have consistently lobbied and the adoption of unilateral restric- of debt relief or multilateral financing Significantly, the EU and its mem-
a critical examination of the specific against the imposition of unilateral tive measures in Zimbabwe.  to Zimbabwe until the government ber states have provided significant
human rights violations being experi- coercive measures. Attention is here- makes specific electoral and economic humanitarian and development as-
enced by Zimbabweans, and the cause by drawn to Venezuela, which has Further, reference is made to the reforms. These include restoration of sistance to Zimbabwe, amounting to
of such violations.  faced increasing authoritarianism abduction of opposition figures such the rule of law, free and fair elections approximately US$1.7 billion since
since 2013 under President Nicolas as the MDC Alliance trio of Joanah and a sustained commitment to re- 2002. Again, and like the US, it ap-
Secondly, in the assessment of re- Maduro. Yet, in August 2021 this Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecil- forming Zimbabwe’s economy. What pears that the restrictive conditions
strictive measures (adopted by the US, year, Maduro engaged in a dialogue ia Chimbiri who were abducted on 13 is clear from the conditions prescribed imposed on Zimbabwe and Zimba-
the UK and the EU)  what falls to be process with opposition figures to call May 2020 near Warren Park, Harare under Zidera is that the US seeks to bwean entities and individuals have
determined, pursuant to the mandate for the lifting of US sanctions which and were later found dumped in Bin- do nothing more than support the been matched by continued support
of the Special Rapporteur, is wheth- he described as “an economic siege” dura on 15 May 2020 with injuries citizens of Zimbabwe in restoring to the people of Zimbabwe.
er these countries, in adopting and on his country. Similarly, Zimbabwe, covering their bodies. human rights, good governance and
implementing these measures, have on objective assessment, is reckoned legitimate elections.  The scale of the assistance suggests
sought to subordinate Zimbabwe in to be one of the most undemocratic, The Zimbabwe Human Rights that those applying the measures have
the exercise of its sovereign rights and corrupt and fragile states in the world. NGO Forum has also noted an escala- It is also important to note that the neither sought to trammel Zimba-
to secure from it advantages of any According to the Fragile States Index tion in instances of organised violence US did not cut off assistance to Zim- bwe’s sovereignty nor take advantage
kind. (FSI), Zimbabwe is ranked the 10th and torture which have manifested babwe but did cease direct budgetary of Zimbabwe. 
most fragile country out of 178 na- in the silencing of perceived voices support to the government. Since
The position of the Zimbabwean tions, and it is not apparent that this of political dissent through arbitrary 1980, the US has provided US$3.2 Thus, it can be argued with some
government is that far from the po- arrests as well as protracted pretrial conviction that the response of vari-
sition that sanctions are being ring- ous governments and international
fenced and targeted at a few individu- bodies to take measures against the
als,  the tight grip of the declared and Zimbabwe government, governmen-
undeclared sanctions is, instead, being tal institutions and officials and others
felt throughout the economy.  might well be unilateral, but they are
not without justification. It is not evi-
It cites the debilitating effect on dent that they are coercive or infringe
the country’s economy, the high un- the human rights of Zimbabweans. 
employment rate, failure to expand
infrastructure, high incidence of pov- Furthermore, all the measures are
erty, HIV and Aids, and low life ex- based on conditions that will be re-
pectancy as some of the examples of moved if the Zimbabwean govern-
the negative effects of sanctions. The ment would simply ensure the rule
government ultimately concludes that of law, respect for human rights and
the sanctions are out of date and ir- good governance: these are the con-
relevant to the situation that prevails ditions expected of every member
in Zimbabwe in view of  the new dis- state of the United Nations.  With-
pensation thrust on engagement and out expressly calling for the removal
re-engagement and accordingly calls of the restrictive measures, it can be
for their immediate removal in order contended that unilateral restrictive
to allow the country to move forward.  measures should instead be subject-
ed to robust monitoring mechanisms
This position finds support in a 24 to continue to ascertain whether the
March 2017 United Nations Human reasons for the imposition of the mea-
Rights Council resolution which em- sures are justified and that the mea-
phasises the long-term adverse effects sures are targeted, necessary and pro-
of unilateral coercive measures. It portionate, and do not violate human
highlights, in particular, the ensuing  rights. In the meantime, Douhan’s
socio-economic problems and hu- visit continues. The outcome of her
manitarian concerns that proceed to fact-finding mission remains to be
arise in the targeted states. seen, in particular whether this truly
will be the last Zimbabweans will hear
It is worth noting, however, that of sanctions. 
the special rapporteur’s visit could
not have arrived at a more political- *About the writer: Chiedza
ly charged time in Zimbabwe as the Mlingwa is a researcher at the Zim-
country gears for the 2023 presiden- babwe Human Rights NGO Forum
tial election. The ruling Zanu PF is who has a strong passion for consti-
already in full campaign swing, with tutionalism, human rights research
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and advocacy.
(whose party has the advantage of
enjoying close proximity to state re-

Page 32 The Big Debate NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Corruption and state capture, not sanctions,
are the cause of Zim’s economic meltdown
The conflation of the state, politics and business is a triangular marriage that has continued to
push the monetary, fiscal and economic burdens on to ordinary citizens who are muzzled and
disempowered from holding accountable those in the vortex of corruption and abuse of power.

JANET ZHOU

THE United Nations Special Rap- Zimbabweans participate in an anti-sanctions protest in Harare on 25 October 2019. The Zimbabwean government organised countrywide anti-sanctions marches to
porteur on the negative impact of protest economic sanctions imposed by the EU and the US. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Aaron Ufumeli)
unilateral coercive measures on the
enjoyment of human rights, Ms Robert Mugabe era, calling them The American Embassy indicat- a stick to some extent to deter out- reports and articles pointing to how
Alena Douhan, is undertaking an illegal and showcasing their impact ed that it has supported Zimbabwe right closing of civic space. business, government and the state
official visit to Zimbabwe from 18 on the slow pace of economic re- through aid to the tune of close to were conniving toward primitive
to 28 October 2021 following an covery and failure to get new credit US$4 billion since 1980, the UK While all these discussions have accumulation by siphoning public
invitation from the government of lines from international financial government in 2020-2021 gave gone on since 2001, creating differ- funds through “tenderpreneurship”
Zimbabwe. The UN Special Rap- institutions.  over US$176 million to support ent narratives and positions at the and turning strategic public entities
porteur’s office is established in the Covid response and rule of law national, regional and global levels, into private hands. 
terms of the Human Rights Council Besides appealing to the regional among other pressing issues. The in 2017 the incoming president
resolution  34/13  on human rights and continental bloc for solidarity EU boasts of being one of the big- made an elegant inaugural speech One report shows how local Zim-
and unilateral coercive measures. and to the UN, several local initia- gest donors in Zimbabwe, having that was balanced and pointed to babweans in high places are bene-
tives to mobilise citizens have been poured in €287-million for the pe- the ideals of a prosperous, dignified fiting from different sectors of the
The invitation of the Special ongoing. At the US Embassy, there riod 2014-2020, targeting various and just society. The speech gave a economy and operating in tax ha-
Rapporteur comes because Zim- has been an anti-sanction group projects to uplift the livelihoods of balanced view of our political co- vens to stash their loot away from
babwe was put under sanctions camping for over a year now calling many Zimbabweans. nundrum and hope to a signifi- the fragile economy. Another report
by the  Zimbabwe Democracy and for the removal of the “illegal sanc- Civil society: Agree to disagree cant segment of society: some were shows how a few elites are making
Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) of tions”. Civil society organisations, aca- sceptical, but generally that speech a fortune while the economic and
2001 by the US and the  European demia and prominent civic leaders earned him significant public good- huge debt burdens are carried and
Union Restrictive Measures, first in- On 25 October 2019, the Gov- have agreed to disagree on the legal- will in different circles. borne by the 49% of the Zimba-
troduced in 2002. ernment of Zimbabwe mobilised ity and the impact of sanctions.  bwean population living in extreme
citizens for a nationwide anti-sanc- The dissonant statements and poverty.
The Zidera and the EU restrictive tions march, alleged to have gob- On one hand, some sections of actions that followed since 2018
measures have received mixed opin- bled up close to US$4 million of civil society have been unapologetic took Zimbabwe back to the aptly The Zimbabwe Auditor-Gener-
ions and views in equal measure unbudgeted public funds. in castigating the sanctions — call- described old dispensation by Pres- al’s reports have exposed misuse of
related to their legality and their ing them illegal, claiming that they ident Emmerson Mnangagwa in public funds and maladministration
impacts on the economy and the The international community in have perpetuated repression as the 2018. Instead of a new policy dis- that has cost the national fiscus a
general populace in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe, particularly the US Em- government cites sanctions as an ex- pensation to recover the economy fortune.
bassy and the EU Resident Repre- cuse for not delivering. and to serve the people, the blame
According to the UN Resolu- sentative have continuously argued game started while those perpet- The findings point to irregular-
tion  34/13,  “unilateral coercive that Zidera has had no effect on On the other hand, civics oper- uating corruption and arbitrage ities in corporate governance of
measures and legislation are con- Zimbabwe, as Zimbabwe disquali- ating in Zimbabwe are more scepti- continued to consolidate their eco- government institutions, criminal
trary to international law, interna- fied itself from any debt relief pack- cal about the sanctions being com- nomic power, with patrimonialism abuse of power by public officials
tional humanitarian law, the Char- age due to accumulation of arrears pletely lifted. This is driven by the flourishing unfettered. and procurement irregularities —
ter and the norms and principles to the international financial insti- continuous shrinking civic space for among other acts — that border
governing peaceful relations among tutions, starting back in 1999. both social and political activists In February, Daily Maverick pub- on the theft of public funds. Only
States, and highlights that on long- and human rights defenders. This lished a scintillating report on how 16% of the audited public institu-
term, these measures may result in Representatives of the interna- group argues that sanctions act as cartels have captured the state in tions in 2019 have unqualified au-
social problems and raise humani- tional community argue that trade Zimbabwe.  dit opinions; the rest had material
tarian concerns in the States target- relations have continued despite the or significant findings calling for
ed.” sanctions. This was followed by many other
The Southern African
Development Community (Sadc)
called for the removal of sanctions
at the Sadc Heads of State and Gov-
ernment Summit in 2019 in Dar
es Salaam. The Sadc Heads of State
and Government  noted  that “the
adverse impact on the economy of
Zimbabwe and the region at large,
of prolonged economic sanctions
imposed on Zimbabwe” and set
aside a day to denounce the sanc-
tions at the regional level.

The African Union also weighed
in and pronounced its  solidarity
with Zimbabwe  on the call for the
removal of the sanctions, citing,
“the negative impact of the per-
sistent economic sanctions on the
economy and people of Zimbabwe”.

In 2020, the then AU chairperson
Cyril Ramaphosa took the matter
to the 75th UN General Assembly
on behalf of the AU citing the need
“To ensure that no country is left
behind, we reiterate our position
as the African Union that econom-
ic sanctions against Zimbabwe and
Sudan should be lifted to allow their
governments to respond adequately
to the pandemic.”

The Zimbabwe government has
endlessly raised concerns about the
legality of the sanctions since the

NewsHawks The Big Debate Page 33

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

fundamental reforms in the way
the government operates. The Au-
ditor-General has made 356 recom-
mendations related to these matters
and only 92 have been fully imple-
mented.

The most affected sectors have
been mining, agriculture, infra-
structure development and energy. 

Zimbabwe boasts resources of 40
precious minerals but has lost signif-
icant potential through illicit finan-
cial flows and harmful tax incentives
to some corporates. The Minister of
Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe,
established that Zimbabwe is  los-
ing US$100 million each month
through gold smuggling. Annually,
this figure adds up to US$1.2 bil-
lion, a figure roughly equal to Zim-
babwe’s total gold export earnings.

Zimbabwe is said to have lost
about US$1.5 billion through gold
smuggling in 2020, due to the lack
of a policy framework that can pro-
mote small scale mining and incen-
tivise it to contribute directly to the
gold earnings.

In 2016, the then president of
Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mug-
abe, hinted that about US$15 bil-
lion was lost in diamond mining
in Marange in the Eastern part of
Zimbabwe.

Corruption and plundering of ment as the system pillages even the fective prioritisation and plugging demics already highlighted must be independence, land reform and in-
public resources very core of institutions. the rampant leakages that currently equally treated as they have exacer- digenisation laws to Zimbabwe
The plundering is facilitated by the prevail. bated the protracted crisis and con- among the achievements they high-
lack of legal and policy frameworks At parliamentary level, there has tributed to weak social protection light. While these struggles were no-
that can enhance contract trans- been complacency and lack of will- The government fails to fulfil its and public service delivery, causing ble, they gave political leaders great
parency and community benefit power to utilise the oversight pow- mandate, leaving the general pop- humanitarian and human rights cri- entitlement and created patronage
schemes that are not based on be- er and role that institutions must ulace and especially children in the ses in Zimbabwe. politics, owing nothing to the citi-
nevolence. In agriculture, through check on the executive arm of gov- rural areas to suffer dire consequenc- zens. They stagnated without setting
the Command Agriculture schemes, ernment. Parliament has been fur- es as the state fails to safeguard their Zimbabwe must entrench a new a post-liberation narrative where
the Public Accounts Committee es- ther weakened by the cynical recall right to education and healthcare, policy dispensation that respects women, the young, communities
tablished that the agriculture input of genuinely elected MPs from the as enshrined in the constitution. the constitution and fosters trans- and other marginalised groups be-
scheme of US$3 billion was filled Chamisa faction. For instance, the government is parency, accountability and serving come key decision-makers with the
with irregularities and prejudiced building a US$269.5 million state- the people of Zimbabwe. There are central government ensuring those
Zimbabweans of huge public funds. Other accountability institutions of-the-art hospital for the rich, yet political and economic reforms that decisions are implemented.
The energy sector has been marred such as the Zimbabwe Anti-Cor- public hospitals are crippled by Zimbabwe must embrace, based on
by white elephant projects and ruption Commission (Zacc) have acute shortages of medical drugs, the 2013 Constitution.  Zimbabweans must know that to
highly inflated projects costing mil- lacked capacity to play their key role equipment and health professionals. move forward there is a need for in-
lions of dollars. of arresting suspects and having cas- The Sadc and AU as counterparts trospection on what being a nation
es convicted, and corruptly gained A Zimcodd study established that and the UN as a multilateral insti- means, what independence means
Reports of gross, grand corrup- public funds or resources recovered. Zimbabwe’s extensive political cor- tution have roles to assist Zimba- for all of us. The re-imagining of
tion and mismanagement of public The state presents weak prosecution ruption is the major driver of fiscal bwe rise again by ensuring that a the state and the role of leadership
resources have continued to pour in cases that mostly end in acquittals. deficits and the exponential growth framework of national envisioning, and citizens is important to include
from public sector institutions, such of public debt beyond the legal internal dialogue and consultations in the matrix. Where leadership has
as the Zimbabwe National Road The twin epidemics of maladmin- threshold of 70%. on rebuilding the nation is done in been inept in its discharge of duty
Administration (Zinara), Nation- istration and impunity have caused a way that builds trust and confi- and mandate given by the citizens,
al Social Security Authority (Nssa) more untold suffering for the ma- The conflation of the state, pol- dence.  those same citizens must be able to
and Zimbabwe Electricity Supply jority of Zimbabweans who depend itics and business is a triangular approach independent institutions
Authority (Zesa). While scandals on public services due to lack of marriage that has continued to push For example, the UN could play for the redress or recall of such lead-
are reported with some arrests, the employment, with over 64% etch- the monetary, fiscal and econom- a critical role in opening discus- ership. 
masses reel in energy poverty, travel ing out a living in non-productive ic burdens to the ordinary citizens sions on possibilities of discussing
on unsafe roads and pensioners re- informal employment. who are muzzled and disempow- a debt relief package for Zimba- More importantly, where leaders
ceive paltry earnings. ered to hold those in the vortex of bwe and how that can be insulated fail to deliver on their obligations to
Instead of harnessing domestic corruption and abuse of power ac- from abuse while directly benefiting citizens, they must be held account-
Abuse of public offices by senior resources to improve the lives of countable. Zimbabweans. The Special Draw- able through robust systems and in-
government officials continues un- many Zimbabweans and mitigate ing Rights (SDR) monitoring and dependent institutions. 
abated as the economy remains the impacts of both the exogenous Impunity is an embedded culture accountability framework can be a
volatile, uncertain, complex and and endogenous shocks, the govern- and no one is willing to be held ac- starting point. Our current crisis is primarily in-
ambiguous. This is exacerbated by ment allows only a few to enjoy the countable for economic and finan- ternally authored and driven, rath-
the Covid-19 pandemic, which has national wealth. cial crimes being committed. Zimbabwe got an allocation er than being the result of external
caused serious negative social and amounting to US$961 million from factors. We have an opportunity to
economic impacts in Zimbabwe What this has created is a crisis Without diving into the debate the IMF through the SDR facility write a new script for governance
and globally. in and of the state resulting in a of whether the Zidera or the EU to respond to Covid-19. This SDR and not keep replaying an old hor-
lack of identity, capacity and cap- restrictive measures must stay or be can set a good example in comple- ror movie where the many are inse-
The endemic corruption and ture by a few businessmen — more removed (which is a conversation menting the required reforms rather cure and suffer structural violence
abuse of public resources point out like an  undemocratic predatory we Zimbabweans must have and than substituting the reforms. daily, while a few sit in the comfort
clearly that Zimbabwe has a deeper state where the rule of law does not give each other guarantees of a so- of well-manicured gardens of plenty
statecraft and internal crisis other apply. The state and government fail cial contract as we move forward), The Special Rapporteur will have watered by others’ tears. 
than having external sanctions to to implement an economic model the UN Special Rapporteur will to be thorough to assess the ac-
deal with. built on respect for human rights have to grapple with the reality of countability systems in place and We are the people who must fix
in their indivisible nature, account- the other set of sanctions imposed be able to assist Zimbabwe in cre- it. None but ourselves.
There is a clear pattern of a deep ability and equity standards. by a few Zimbabweans on other ating a conducive environment for
state that is controlling the eco- Zimbabweans through maladminis- its people, business and future gen- *About the writer: Janet Zhou is
nomic and public affairs in Zimba- Social spending by Zimbabwe tration and impunity.   erations.  the executive director of the Zim-
bwe. Unfortunately, that creates a on a five-year trend shows minus- babwe Coalition on Debt and De-
vacuum of ideology, principle and cule resource allocation to social If the sanctions she is coming to For the past two decades, leader- velopment (Zimcodd), a socio-eco-
accountability as the agenda of the services, far below the  4.5% Social Zimbabwe to assess are found to ship has mainly apportioned blame nomic justice movement. 
deep state is always cynical. Clear Policy for Africa (2008) benchmark. have had adverse impacts on ordi- on external forces while they toot
corruption cases slip through the This could easily be addressed by ef- nary Zimbabweans, the twin epi- their horns as messiahs who brought
cracks at various levels of govern-

Page 34 The Big Debate NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Minerals in African countries can boost
development – if predators are kept at bay

GREG MILLS/MARIE-NOELLE NWOKOLO Africa could be, in mining, the continent of tomorrow. But it always will be just that if governments go about
managing mining companies in a predatory fashion. Instead of engaging the sector as a long-term developmen-
WITH nearly one-third of the world’s tal partner, many African governments take a short-term, predatory approach, playing to populist rhetoric.
known mineral reserves, and with so-
ciety poised at the point of an energy The Anglo American Platinum Ltd. Waterval smelter site in Rustenburg, South Africa. Photo: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images
transition, Africa should be the site of a
21st-century bonanza.   duced more copper than Chile. Today overwhelmingly dependent on the ex- changes in the past 20 years, slicing and job in mining, three to five indirect jobs
Chile produces more than five million tractive sector live on less than US$1.90 dicing business margins, destabilising are created. Similarly, for every US$1
The continental treasure chest is as tonnes; Zambia has battled its way over a day. The World Bank has found that in revenue calculations and reducing in- generated by mining, US$3 is gener-
well-stocked as it is diverse, with 40% the intervening 50 years to about 700 these sub-Saharan African countries, an vestor confidence. ated elsewhere in the local economy.
of known gold reserves, 23% of titani- 000 tonnes. Whereas Chile, where increase of 1% growth in consumption Likewise, each million spent on corpo-
um, 80% of phosphates, 90% of chro- three-quarters of its copper is exported causes a reduction in poverty by 0.69%. Capital is, after all, a coward; it does rate social investment positively affects
mite and 80% of platinum, a quarter of as relatively unrefined concentrate, has In other settings, this can be as high as not take unnecessary risk and only stays 20 000 lives. And then there is a ripple
all manganese, more than 60% of gem increased its wealth per capita near- 2%. The difference is down, in part, to where it is well treated. Trust needs to be effect of mining, in terms of local PAYE
diamond reserves, more than half of the ly ninefold, Zambia has managed a the source of Africa’s growth – primarily re-established in the government-busi- and spend on goods or services.
world’s cobalt, and oil and natural gas threefold increase. Put differently, Chil- the extractives (mining, oil, gas) sector, ness relationship, and the outcomes of
stores making up 12% and 8% of the eans are, on average today, nine times rather than more job-intensive agricul- the existing vicious cycle around min- Without such a “win-win” partner-
world’s reserves. wealthier than Zambians. ture, manufacturing or tourism. And ing recognised, broken and replaced ship, only one conclusion is possible:
given its captured physical situation, it with a virtuous one that operates with a steady contraction and shrinking of
This stock explains the dependen- The message is clear: policy stability is little surprise that the mining sector is common interests for the good of all Africa’s mining industry even as it ex-
cy of a number of African countries and governance matters in allowing the a tempting personal piggy bank for elite involved, including and especially the pands elsewhere, with the losers being
on the commodity sector. In 2015, mining companies to get on with what gouging at the expense of the public – a general population. governments, mining corporations,
for example, mining constituted more they are good at – mining.  “win-lose” scenario. present and future workers and sur-
than 70% of African exports, 28% of Of course, mining companies have rounding communities.
the continent’s combined gross do- Clamours for increased local bene- As Africa’s population doubles over to play their own part: recognising gov-
mestic product, and about 42% of all ficiation are not unexpected, given the the next generation to 2.5 billion, the ernment’s myriad pressures, collaborat- It is not hard to imagine how to do
government revenues. Dependency on need to create jobs for Africa’s burgeon- continent has to learn to better manage ing in trying to procure as much locally it more positively: avoiding arbitrary
commodities has risen in key producers ing population. Still, these demands all possible sources of growth. Con- as possible in building local services and government intervention and policy
during this century. In Botswana, the have to be reconciled with the avail- stricting growth is not an option for the industry, and thinking long-term with flip-flopping, which goes some way
contribution of mining to total exports ability of cheap electricity, domestic 472 million Africans, representing 67% regard to social investments in educa- to producing consensus around a pre-
has increased by more than 10% to and cost-competitive manufacturing of the world’s poorest people, who live tion, healthcare and the environment.  dictable and competitive policy and tax
91.5%. In the Democratic Republic of opportunities, visa policies that attract under the global poverty benchmark. regime, thus encouraging a long-term
Congo this dependency increased from and allow the needed expertise, and Securing revenue streams and get- investor view, increased employment
72.4% to 91.1%, in Burkina Faso from policy stability. It is also not the respon- The opportunity, then, for the min- ting more value from mining in Africa and higher growth.
8.2% to 76.6%, and in Guinea from sibility of the mining companies, but ing sector to be a developmental part- will require moving from a series of ad
76.3% to 82.6%. rather the state, to create a conducive ner is hardly one to ignore. Yet, these hoc actions, influenced by short-term This way, the extractive sector can be
environment to attract the industrial companies are seen routinely as a vul- political interest, to a more cohesive, a source of inclusive growth.
More is promised by the rise of dig- sector that can feed off their products. nerable fixed investment and thus prey inclusive, and strategic approach. Key
ital and green economies and their de- to be extorted before the resource runs here is, first, changing the narrative, --Daily Maverick.
mand for rare earth minerals, coltan and There is no gainsaying the difficult out. This explains why Zambian min- from one simply around a fiscal take to *About the writer: Dr Greg Mills,
copper, among other commodities. The spot in which governments find them- ing companies, for instance, have been overall developmental impact. For ex- the author of the recently released Ex-
African Development Bank estimates selves. More than half the populations subject to more than 20 tax regime ample, employment does not end with pensive Poverty, and Marie-Noelle
that by 2040 Africa’s natural resources of those African countries that are the jobs in the mines. For every direct Nwokolo are with the Johannes-
and extractive industry will contribute burg-based Brenthurst Foundation.
more than  US$30 billion  annually to
government revenues. Africa could be,
in mining, the continent of tomorrow.
But it always will be just that if gov-
ernments go about managing mining
companies in a predatory fashion.

Instead of engaging the sector as
a long-term developmental partner,
many African governments take a
short-term, predatory approach, play-
ing to populist rhetoric in their desper-
ation for revenue and private resources
in targeting the industry with high-tax
regimes, among other “redistributive”
mechanisms. As a result, mining com-
panies that – if properly engaged –
could become long-term developmen-
tal partners, are often subjected to
substantial meddling, corruption and
serial rent-seeking. And yet, communi-
ties around mines are primarily reliant
on mining firms, a responsibility usu-
ally surrendered without a care by the
state.

With this usually comes attendant
calls for increased value addition and
beneficiation. While these are not
wrong in and of themselves, these calls
are usually misguided, vague or incom-
plete. They usually fail to consider the
extent to which mineral ore is already
beneficiated. For example, Kansanshi,
the largest copper mine in Zambia, is
estimated to use 340 000 litres of die-
sel each day to mine 82 000 tonnes of
ore feed (and 290 000 tonnes of waste),
from which just 560 tonnes of copper
are extracted. The mine produces about
200 000 tonnes of copper (and more
than 120 000 ounces of gold) annual-
ly – all of which go through extensive
processing that includes crushing, elec-
trowinning – the process of extracting
the copper from the ore – and smelting
before transport.

In 1972, the year that Lusaka na-
tionalised its mines, Zambia pro-

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 35

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Uneasy calm in Eswatini after trust breaks
down between King Mswati and his subjects

BHEKI MAKHUBU The Swazi people are yet to realise the full might of the king’s retributive hand
following the recent protests — and there are already signs of things to come.
THE problem with Eswatini,
which flared up in mayhem at ed to contest the position were pro-democracy activists.   mind-boggling. King Mswati III.
the end of June, is that the peo- disqualified because they had He, however, now stands ac- Zulu joins three members of
ple no longer feel as one with failed a second vetting process. Jeffrey Tshabalala told his mis-
their king, around whom their cused of supporting the insur- parliament facing similar charges tress, in a conversation record-
identity and being have, tra- Members of Parliament re- rection.  under the Terrorism Act, one of ed at a hotel room and which
ditionally, always revolved. By fused to continue with the elec- whom remains on the run. Zulu, was subsequently released to the
all accounts, neither does King tions until it was explained to The charge sheet reads: “In on the other hand, has been re- public in August, that it was the
Mswati III think much of his them which other vetting process that upon or about 27 June leased on bail while two MPs monarch who commanded them
people. That symbiosis, cultivat- had been conducted after the 2021, and at or near Matsapha continue to languish in jail after to shoot to kill.
ed over many centuries between three had already been cleared by area in the Manzini region, the their bail applications were de-
Emaswati and their king, seems the police, which is the only le- said accused person, who is a law nied.  It is from Zulu that we can ex-
to have disintegrated.  gally recognised department that enforcement officer and was on pect the unmitigated truth when
does security vetting. duty, did on the said date unlaw- It is not clear when Zulu, who he lays down his defence, should
On 6 September, the country’s fully commit a terrorist act by is left with two years before re- he go on trial. 
Independence Day commemora- Clearly, candidates whose loy- throwing a CS canister grenade tirement, will go on trial. What
tion, the king launched the  Re- alty to Eswatini’s politics is sus- in the OK Foods supermarket, is most interesting about his Palace insiders say the king
construction Fund  to compen- pect are being denied a chance which burnt the OK Foods su- case, however, is that if it should has become increasingly isolated
sate businesses and individuals to serve a system that encourag- permarket.” ever be heard, it will be the per- and trusts no one. The betrayal
who were affected by deadly pro- es individual merit regardless of fect opportunity for Emaswati to by the chief of the army would
tests in the country at the end of political affiliation. The damage caused by the get insight into who issued the have fuelled this state of affairs.
June. On that occasion, Mswati tear gas grenade, which sparked instructions for the security forc- Indications that he feels alone
said he had done his own re- Most startling, however, was a fire, is said by the prosecution es to use deadly force on citizens in a country that he has ruled
search on what democracy really the arrest at the beginning of this to have cost R8 million (US$551 during the riots.  for 35 years were demonstrated
was, and found that “nowhere month of the second-in-com- 000).  when he acknowledged only the
does it say people must start fires mand of the Operational Sup- Zulu, as second-in-command Queen Mother, his own moth-
and burn people”. port Services Unit, the police Zulu, in his bail application, of the paramilitary unit, will er, when he opened his address
paramilitary wing, on charges claimed that he threw the can- most certainly shed light on this to the nation on 16 July. It was
He said he had engaged with under the Suppression of Terror- ister to disperse the crowd that question, because he is among a clear indication that he is also
world leaders several times on ism Act for events that occurred was looting the supermarket. the top security personnel who estranged from the vast royal
the question of democracy and during the week-long protest ac- The incident was captured on would have direct knowledge family, which includes his sib-
in every instance he had been tion.  the store’s video footage. of who issued the order to kill lings fathered by King Sobhuza
told that it was when a leader en- Emaswati during the uprising.  II — among whom, in truth, he
joyed the support of the people. Vusi Enock Zulu’s police divi- While it may be strange that is just one of many.
sion was assisted by the army to a trained officer would throw a Mswati has denied ever issu-
“If the majority of people quell the unrest in June with the tear gas canister inside a room ing any instruction to have his *About the writer: Bheki
support you, there is no need to use of deadly force that claimed knowing it was only for out- people killed, despite the fact Makhubu is the editor and
burn fires or people.” more than 50 lives, according to side use, to arrest and charge that disgraced army commander publisher of Eswatini’s The Na-
him with an act of terrorism is tion newspaper.
Palace insiders and diplomats
who have met Mswati since the
rioting and looting say he does
not feel any pressure to resolve
the issues that caused the coun-
try to flare up. Instead, he has
delegated the responsibility to
stabilise the country to the new
prime minister, Cleopas Dlami-
ni, whom he appointed on 16
July during his address to the na-
tion after the uprising. 

Even though tensions have
subsided since the riots, there
is an uneasy calm in the king-
dom. Nobody knows which
direction the king will take the
country. Judging from his words
on 16 July and on 6 September,
though, it does not seem any-
thing will change. 

Earlier, Mswati had summed
up the protest action as the work
of deranged individuals high on
dagga who had caused unneces-
sary chaos.

He has said there will be
no national discussion on the
country’s political future until
Covid-19 has dissipated and sci-
entists declare that it is safe to
hold mass meetings. 

What is certain is that Emas-
wati are yet to realise the full
might of his retributive hand
following the protests. There are
already signs of things to come.
For instance, when the House of
Assembly tried to hold a by-elec-
tion on 3 September to fill a va-
cancy left by a senator who had
succumbed to Covid-19, three
of the nine candidates nominat-

Page 36 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

HAL BRANDS/ The new Cold War: America,
JOHN LEWIS GADDIS China and echoes of history
his aims. Perhaps he sees the prevail-
IS the world entering a new cold war? ing concept of world order itself as at
Our answer is yes and no. Yes if we odds with a mandate from Heaven,
mean a protracted international rival- Marx, or Mao.
ry, for cold wars in this sense are as
old as history itself. Some became hot, Or it could be that Xi envisions a
some didn’t: no law guarantees either world order with authoritarianism at
outcome. No if we mean  the  Cold its core and with China at its center.
War, which we capitalise because it Technology, he may expect, will make
originated and popularised the term. human consciousness as transparent
That struggle took place at a particu- as satellites made the earth’s surface
lar time (from 1945–47 to 1989–91), during the Cold War. China, he may
among particular adversaries (the assume, will never alienate its foreign
United States, the Soviet Union, friends. Expectations within China,
and their respective allies), and over he may suppose, will never find rea-
particular issues (post–World War sons not to rise. And Xi, as he ages,
II power balances, ideological clash- will gain in the wisdom, energy, and
es, arms races). None of those issues attentiveness to detail that only he, as
looms as large now, and where par- supreme leader, can trust himself to
allels do exist — growing bipolarity, provide.
intensifying polemics, sharpening
distinctions between autocracies and But if Xi really believes all of this,
democracies — the context is quite then he’s already losing sight of the
different. gaps between promises and perfor-
mance that have long been Catch-
It is no longer debatable that the 22s for authoritarian regimes. For if,
United States and China, tacit allies like Gorbachev’s predecessors did,
during the last half of the last Cold you ignore such fissures, they’ll only
War, are entering their own new cold worsen. But if, like Gorbachev him-
war: Chinese President Xi Jinping has self, you acknowledge them, you’ll
declared it, and a rare bipartisan con- undermine the claim to infallibility
sensus in the United States has accept- on which legitimacy in an autocracy
ed the challenge. What, then, might must rest. That is why graceful exits
previous contests — the one and only by authoritarians have been so rare.
Cold War and the many earlier cold
wars — suggest about this one? ed with a transcontinental railroad. sians ever attempted combined such consumer capitalism without at the The roots of resilience
That allowed them to develop the ambition with such specificity: China same time allowing democracy. They Democracy in America has its own
The future is, of course, less know- military-industrial means with which seeks hybrid hegemony on an unprec- thereby flipped what they saw as So- gaps between promises and perfor-
able than the past, but it’s not in all to rescue Europeans in World War edented scale. Which brings us to our viet President Mikhail Gorbachev’s mance, so much so that it seems at
respects unknowable. Time will con- I, World War II, and the Cold War first unknown: What might that im- greatest error: permitting democra- times to suffer from Brezhnev-like pa-
tinue to pass, the law of gravity will from the attempted continental con- ply for Eurasia and the world beyond? cy without ensuring prosperity. This ralysis. The United States differs from
still apply, and none of us will out- solidations they confronted. XI’S world order latest “rectification of names” — the China, though, in that distrust of au-
live our physiological term limits. There is a remarkable record, over ancient Chinese procedure of con- thority is constitutionally mandated.
Are similarly reliable knowns shaping Why, though, from so safe a perch, the past three centuries, of offshore forming names to shifting realities The separation of powers secures a
the emerging cold war? If so, what did the Americans undertake such balancers thwarting aspirants to on- — seemed until recently to have center of gravity to which the nation
unknowns lurk within them? Thu- daunting commitments? Perhaps shore domination: first Great Brit- succeeded. The Chinese leader Deng can return after whatever bursts of ac-
cydides had such predictabilities and they looked in the mirror and feared ain against France in the eighteenth Xiaoping’s post-Mao pro-market re- tivity crises may have demanded.
surprises in mind when he cautioned, what they saw: their own example of a and early nineteenth centuries, then forms solidified support for the re-
24 centuries ago, that the future country dominating a continent and an Anglo-American coalition against gime and made China a model for The result is what evolutionary
would resemble the past but not in all its oceanic approaches. The trigger Germany twice during the first half much of the rest of the world. Xi, on biologists call “punctuated equilibri-
respects reflect it — even as he also ar- warning was Russia’s completion of of the twentieth century, followed by taking power, was widely expected to um”: a resilience rooted in rapid re-
gued that the greatest single war of his its trans-Siberian railroad in 1904, a a US-led coalition against the Soviet continue along that path. covery from unforeseen circumstanc-
time revealed timeless truths about all slapdash project soon overtaken by Union in the second half. It is too es. China has it the other way around.
wars to come. war and revolution — but not before easy to claim that maritime states The study of history is the best Respect for authority permeates its
eliciting the British geopolitician Hal- project power without generating compass we have in navigating the culture, but stability is punctuated by
Our purpose here, then, is to show ford Mackinder’s portentous warning resistance, for if that were the case, future. protracted upheavals when authority
how the greatest unfought war of our that “heartland” control of Eurasian colonialism would still thrive. But the fails.
time — the Soviet-American Cold “rimlands” could empower new and relationship between geography and But he hasn’t. Instead, Xi is cutting
War — as well as other prior strug- globally ambitious forms of hybrid governance is clear enough to be our off access to the outside world, de- Recovery, in the absence of gravi-
gles, might expand experience and hegemony. President Woodrow Wil- second known. fying international legal norms, and ty, can require decades. Autocracies
enhance resilience in a Sino-American son had that prospect in mind when encouraging “Wolf Warrior” diplo- often win sprints, but smart investors
rivalry whose future, hot or cold, re- he declared war on imperial Germa- Continents — North America macy, none of which seems calculated put their marathon money on de-
mains unclear. That history provides ny in 1917, and President Franklin excepted — tend to nurture author- to win or retain allies. At home, he mocracies. Our third known, then,
a framework within which to survive Roosevelt took the argument one step itarians: where geography fails to fix is enforcing orthodoxy, whitewashing is sharply different roots of resilience.
uncertainty, and possibly even thrive further in 1940–41, insisting — cor- boundaries, harsh hands claim the history, and oppressing minorities in
within it, whatever the rest of the rectly, historians have now confirmed right and duty to do so, whether as ways defunct Russian and Chinese The pattern emerges clearly from
twenty-first century throws our way. — that Adolf Hitler’s ultimate target protection from external dangers or emperors might have applauded. the two costliest civil wars of the
was the United States itself. So when to preserve internal order. Liberty, in Most significant, he has sought to se- nineteenth century. The Taiping Re-
The benefits of boundaries the American diplomat George Ken- these situations, is decreed from the cure these reversals by abolishing his bellion of 1850–64 took some 20
Our first known is geography, which nan, in 1947, called for “containing” top down, not evolved from the bot- own term limits. million Chinese lives, about five per-
continental drift will in time alter, an emboldened World War II ally, the tom up. But that holds such regimes cent of the population. The American
but not in our time. China will re- Soviet Union, he had long legacies on responsible for what happens. They Hence our second unknown: Why Civil War of 1861–65 killed 750 000
main chiefly a land power, beset by which to draw. cannot, as democracies regularly do, is Xi undoing the reforms, while combatants, 2.5 percent of a much
an ancient dilemma. If, in search of spread the blame. Autocracies that fall abandoning the diplomatic subtlety, less crowded country. And yet by the
strategic depth, it tries to expand its Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) short — such as the Soviet Union — that allowed China’s rise in the first testimony of its current leaders, Chi-
perimeters, it is likely to overstretch evokes similar concerns. The “belt” is risk hollowing themselves out from place? Perhaps he fears the risks of his na after the Taiping Rebellion under-
its capabilities and provoke resistance to be a network of rail and road cor- within. own retirement, even though these went decades of turmoil from which
from anxious neighbors. If, to regain ridors across Eurasia. The “road” will mount with each rival he imprisons it emerged only with Mao’s proclama-
solvency, it contracts its perimeters, be sea routes in the Indo-Pacific and, China’s post–Cold War leaders, or purges. Perhaps he has realized that tion of the People’s Republic in 1949.
it risks inviting in enemies. Even be- if global warming permits, also in the having compulsively studied the So- innovation requires but may also in- The United States, by that same ac-
hind great walls, uneasy lie the heads Arctic, sustained by bases and ports viet example, sought to avoid repeat- spire spontaneity within his country. count, recovered quickly enough to
of those whose boundaries remain in states made friendly by the BRI’s ing it by transforming Marxism into Perhaps he worries that increasingly join the European predators victim-
unfixed. “benefits.” Nothing Germans or Rus- hostile international rivals will not izing China at the end of the nine-
allow him unlimited time to achieve teenth century and has continued do-
The United States, in contrast, ing so ever since. Leave aside issues of
benefits from boundaries that geog- accuracy in this view of history. Our
raphy has determined. That’s why the point is that Xi’s growing reliance on
United Kingdom, after 1815, chose this narrative and the nationalism it
not to contest its offspring’s primacy stokes implies an inflammability in
in North America: sustaining armies Chinese culture that is currently use-
across 3 000 miles of ocean would
have been too costly even for the
world’s greatest naval power. Geog-
raphy gave the Americans hybrid
hegemony: control of a continent
and unimpeded access to two vast
oceans, which they quickly connect-

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 37

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

ful to the regime—but that might not
be easily extinguished.

Autocracies often win sprints, but
smart investors put their marathon
money on democracies.

Hence our third unknown: Can Xi
turn internal outrage on and off, as
Mao did repeatedly during his years
in power? Or is Xi locking himself
into the same dependence on external
hostility without which Joseph Stalin,
as Kennan put it in 1946, did not
know how to rule? Because nothing
could reassure such a regime, Kennan
insisted, only cumulative frustrations
would convince Stalin or, more likely,
his successors that it was in their best
interests to alter their system’s worst
aspects. That strategy depended, how-
ever, on neither side setting deadlines:
Kennan carefully pointed out that it
would never have worked with Hitler,
who had a fixed timetable, dictated
by his own mortality, for achieving
his aims.

Mao, craftily, gave his regime 100
years to recover Taiwan. Xi has ruled
out passing that problem from gen-
eration to generation, although he
has not yet set a date for resolving
it. Nonetheless, his increasingly ag-
gressive rhetoric adds to the risk that
the Taiwan issue could cause a Si-
no-American cold war to become hot,
for the United States has deliberately
left its own Taiwan policy unclear. All
of which eerily evokes how Europe
went to war in 1914: an ambiguity of
great-power commitments combined
with the absence of an escalation off
switch.

Another long peace? with his “heads bashed bloody” rhet- wan without risking a U.S. nuclear creased anxieties in that region: wit- sible but that endanger them both.
Except that we have, in the Cold oric, seems to celebrate bellicosity: he response. China’s growing cyber- and ness Australia’s unexpected alignment U.S. President Ronald Reagan had
War, an intervening known to draw may not know what its costs can be. antisatellite capabilities may also en- with the Americans and the British this in mind when he surprised Gor-
on: how that conflict transformed it- courage him, for they bring back pos- on nuclear submarines, as well as In- bachev at their first meeting, in 1985,
self into a “long peace.” The first half A second way in which historians sibilities of surprise attacks that the dia’s expanded cooperation with In- with the claim that a Martian inva-
of the twentieth century offered no have explained the “long peace” is Cold War’s reconnaissance revolution do-Pacific allies. Central Asians may sion would force the United States
support for the idea that great-power that nuclear weapons suppressed op- seemed, for decades, to have dimin- not indefinitely ignore repressions of and the Soviet Union to settle their
rivalries could be resolved peacefully. timism about how wars might end. ished. Tibetans and Uyghurs. Debt traps, differences overnight: Were nuclear
“A future war with Soviet Russia,” There’s no way to know for sure what environmental degradation, and weapons not at least as dangerous?
the American diplomat Joseph Grew deterrence in the Cold War deterred: What would Xi do with Taiwan if onerous repayment terms are souring Martians have not yet arrived, but we
predicted in 1945, “is as certain as that’s a history that did not happen. he captured it? recipients on the BRI’s benefits. And do face two new existential threats:
anything in the world can be certain.” But this in itself suggests a balanced Russia, the original source of ear- the accelerating rate of climate change
What allowed the Cold War super- lack of resolve, for whatever Soviet But then what? What would Xi do ly-twentieth-century concerns about and the almost overnight outbreak, in
powers to escape that prospect, and Premier Nikita Khrushchev and US with Taiwan if he captured it? The the “heartland,” could now find itself 2020, of a global pandemic.
how relevant are those circumstances President John F. Kennedy may have island is not Hong Kong, an easily surrounded by Chinese “rimlands”
today. said publicly, neither wanted to die controlled city. Nor is it Crimea, with in Asia, eastern and southeastern Eu- Neither is unprecedented. Cli-
for Berlin. Instead, they accepted a a largely acquiescent population. Nor rope, and even the Arctic. mates have always fluctuated, which
One answer is that history itself walled city inside a partitioned coun- are other big islands in the region is why it used to be possible to walk
during those years became prophecy. try in the middle of a divided con- — Japan, the Philippines, Indone- All of which raises the possibility from Siberia to Alaska. Thucydides
Given what most leaders had expe- tinent. No grand design could have sia, Australia, and New Zealand — that American unipolarity may end described the plague that struck Ath-
rienced in a second world war, few produced such an oddity, and yet it teetering dominoes. Nor would the not with a precarious Sino-American ens in 430 BC. What is new is the
anywhere were eager to risk a third. It held up until the Cold War evolved United States, with its unmatched bipolarity but with a multipolarity extent to which globalisation has ac-
helped also that those in Washington its own peaceful, if equally unexpect- power-projection capabilities, be that restrains Beijing by making as- celerated these phenomena, raising
and Moscow, if for different reasons, ed, end. likely to “sit idly by,” as the Chinese sertiveness self-defeating. Metternich the question of whether geopolitical
saw time as an ally: the Americans might put it: “ambiguity” means and Bismarck would have approved. rivals can collaboratively address the
because the strategy of containment None of this could have happened keeping options open, not ruling out So would a crafty American Cold deep histories that are increasingly al-
relied on time to thwart Soviet am- without nuclear capabilities, for only any response at all. Warrior who, following their exam- tering their own.
bitions, Stalin because he expected they could put lives on the line simul- ple, hoped to deploy a similar strate-
time to produce fratricidal capitalist taneously in Washington and Mos- One such response might be to gy. “I think it will be a safer world and International systems are anarchic
wars that would ensure proletarian cow. exploit the overstretch that comes a better world,” President Richard and no component within them is
revolutionary triumphs. Once Sta- from China’s forcefully expanding its Nixon told Time magazine in 1972, fully in control.
lin’s successors realised the extent of So what about Washington and perimeters, the self-created problem “if we have a strong, healthy United
his miscalculations, it was too late to Beijing? Even with recent enhance- that once plagued Moscow. Suppress- States, Europe, Soviet Union, China, The Soviet-American Cold War
reverse their effects. The Soviet Union ments, the Chinese deploy less than ing the “Prague Spring” was simple Japan, each balancing the other.” showed that cooperation to avoid
spent the rest of the Cold War failing ten percent of the number of nuclear enough for the Soviet Union in 1968, Varueties of surprise catastrophe need not be explicit: no
to catch up. weapons the United States and Russia until military morale plummeted Our final known is the inescapabili- treaty specified that nuclear weapons,
retain, and that number is only 15% when the Czechs made it clear to their ty of surprises. International systems after 1945, would not again be used
But what if determinations to of what the two superpowers had at occupiers that they didn’t feel “liber- are anarchic, theorists tell us, in that in war. Instead, existential dangers
avoid the next war fade with the the height of the Cold War. Does ated.” The Brezhnev Doctrine — the no component within them is fully produced tacit cooperation where
memories of the last one? That is how this matter? We doubt it, given what commitment to act similarly wher- in control. Strategy may reduce un- negotiated formalities almost surely
some historians have explained World Khrushchev achieved in 1962: despite ever else “socialism” might be at risk certainty but will never eliminate it: would have failed. Climate change
War I: a century had passed without a nine-to-one disadvantage in nuclear — alarmed more than it reassured the humans are fallible, and artificial in- may present similar opportunities in
a European great war. Does it matter weapons, he deterred the post–Bay of leaders of other such states, notably telligences will surely be also. There the Sino-American cold war, even if
that three-quarters of a century now Pigs invasion of Cuba that Kennedy Mao, who secretly began planning are, though, patterns of competition Covid-19 has so far spurred only Chi-
separate American and Chinese lead- had been planning. The United States his 1971 “opening” to Washington. across time and space. It may be pos- nese abrasiveness. The point should
ers from the great wars of their pre- has lived ever since with its own ad- By the time the Soviet Union invoked sible to derive from these — especial- be to keep landing sites for Martian
decessors? Americans have had some jacent anomaly: a communist island the doctrine again, in Afghanistan in ly from the Soviet-American Cold equivalents open — not to welcome
combat experience in the “limited” in the middle of its self-proclaimed 1979, it had few allies left anywhere War — categories of surprises likely existential problems but to explore
and “low-intensity” conflicts in which Caribbean sea of influence. and none on whose reliability it could to occur in the Sino-American cold whether collaborative outcomes can
they have been involved — with de- count. war. result from them.
cidedly mixed results — but the Chi- It’s even less plausible today that
nese, except for their brief invasion the United States would use nuclear Xi’s threats to Taiwan could have Existential surprises are shifts in Intentional surprises originate in
of Vietnam in 1979, have not fought weapons to defend Taiwan, for that a similar effect in states surrounding the arenas within which great powers efforts by single competitors to star-
any significant wars for more than island is more important to Beijing China, which may in turn look for compete, for which neither is respon- tle, confuse, or dismay their adversar-
half a century. That may be why Xi, than Cuba or Berlin ever was to Mos- their own “openings” to Washing- ies. Surprise attacks, as on Pearl Har-
cow. Yet that implausibility could lead ton. Extravagant Chinese claims in bor, fit this category, and intelligence
Xi to believe that he can invade Tai- the South China Sea have already in- failures can never be ruled out. The

Page 38 Reframing Issues NewsHawks
Cold War’s greatest surprises,
however, arose from reversals has long complained about stan, whose reported contacts for volatility: history is full of World War II satellite states. Issue 53, 22 October 2021
of polarity, of which Mao was US “containment” of Russia. with U.S. officials triggered a instances in which local actors Kennan didn’t welcome what
a master. When he leaned east, Chinese “containment,” from self-defeating Soviet invasion embroiled larger powers. finally happened in 1990–91: against a rival bent on sup-
in 1949–50, he blindsided the the Kremlin’s perspective, may in 1979. the implosion of the Soviet pressing it: to use the resis-
Truman administration and ultimately become the greater Finally, there are system- Union itself was too great a tance to uniformity embedded
opened the way for the Korean danger. None of this, though, was ic surprises. The Cold War disruption in the balance of within distinctive histories,
War and a communist offen- unprecedented: Thucydides ended in a way no one at the power even for him. But he cultures, and faiths as a barrier
sive in Asia. When he leaned One other form of inten- showed Corinth and Corcyra time had expected: with the did understand how stresses against the homogenising am-
west, in 1970–71, he made tional surprise comes from doing something similar to the sudden collapse of a super- within societies can themselves bitions of would-be hegemons.
the United States an ally while supposed subordinates who Spartans and the Athenians 24 power and its accompanying greatly surprise.
rendering the Soviet Union turn out not to be. Neither centuries earlier. ideology. Two visionaries who A third asset, although it
vulnerable on two fronts, a dis- Washington nor Moscow had foreseen such a possibil- No one can predict when did not always seem so at
advantage from which it never wanted the offshore island cri- The potential for tails wag- ity, however, were that doc- some new geopolitical earth- the time, was the American
recovered. ses of 1954–55 and 1958: Chi- ging dogs in the Sino-Ameri- trine’s mid-nineteenth-century quake might occur: geolog- election cycle. Quadrennial
ang Kai-shek, in Taipei, and can cold war is already evident: founders, Karl Marx and Frie- ical earthquakes are difficult stress tests for containment
That is why an American Mao, in Beijing, made them rising tensions in the Taiwan drich Engels. Capitalism, they enough to anticipate. Geolo- unnerved its architects, up-
“opening” to Moscow might happen. The communist lead- Strait have resulted as much were sure, would eventually gists do know, however, where set sympathetic pundits, and
someday turn it against Bei- er Walter Ulbricht’s warnings from changes in Taiwanese destroy itself by creating too to expect them: that is why alarmed overseas allies, but
jing. The original Sino-Soviet of an imminent East German politics in recent years as from great a gap between the means California gets earthquake they were at least safeguards
split took two decades to de- collapse forced Khrushchev deliberate decisions in Wash- of production and the benefits warnings but Connecticut against ossification. No long-
velop, with the Eisenhower ad- to provoke the Berlin crises ington or Beijing. And while it distributed. Kennan, a cen- does not. term strategy can succeed if it
ministration seeking to speed of 1958–59 and 1961. Small- China is trying, through the tury later, turned Marx and allows aspirations to outrun its
the process by driving Mao er powers pursuing their own BRI, to create a system that Engels upside down. Does the very brittleness of capabilities or capabilities to
into a mutually repulsive rela- agendas derailed Soviet-Amer- maximizes its power, it may authoritarian regimes — their corrupt its aspirations. How,
tionship with Khrushchev. Xi’s ican détente in the 1970s: end up building, through its The gap between productive strange belief in the immor- though, do strategists develop
BRI may be accomplishing Egypt by attacking Israel in relationships with insecure and means and distributed benefits tality of top-down command the self-awareness — and the
this on its own with Russian 1973; Cuba by intervening unstable regimes, just the sort would instead, he insisted in structures — leave them sim- self-confidence — to acknowl-
President Vladimir Putin, who in Africa in 1975–77; and of inverse dependency that 1946–47, bring about the col- ilarly vulnerable? Or does the edge that their strategies are
Hafizullah Amin in Afghani- vexed the Cold War super- lapse of communism within entrenched recalcitrance of not working? Elections are, for
powers. That can be a formula the Soviet Union and its post– democracies — their resistance sure, blunt instruments. They
to being commanded — pose are better, though, than having
even greater dangers to them? no means of reconsideration
Only time will tell, probably apart from the demise of aged
sooner than we expect. autocrats, the timing of whose
Strategy and uncertainty departure from this world is
This aggregation of knowns, not given to their followers to
unknowns, and surprises leaves know.
us with the historical equiva-
lent of a three-body problem: There are thus, in the Unit-
given the coexistence of pre- ed States, no exclusively for-
dictability and its opposite, we eign affairs. Because Ameri-
will know the outcome only cans proclaim their ideals so
when we have seen it. Strat- explicitly, they illustrate depar-
egy, however, does not have tures from them all the more
that luxury. Its success requires vividly. Domestic failures such
living with uncertainties, of as economic inequality, racial
which the future will not be segregation, sexual discrimi-
in short supply. The strategy nation, environmental degra-
of containment, although im- dation, and top-level extracon-
perfect in its accomplishments stitutional excesses all go on
and at times tragic in its fail- display for the world to see.
ures, did successfully manage
its own contradictions while As Kennan pointed out in
buying the time necessary for the most quoted article ever
those within the Soviet system published in these pages, “Ex-
to become obvious, even, in hibitions of indecision, disuni-
the end, to its own leaders. ty and internal disintegration
within this country” can “have
It did this chiefly by com- an exhilarating effect” on ex-
bining simplicity of concep- ternal enemies. To defend its
tion with flexibility in appli- external interests, then, “the
cation, for even the clearest of United States need only mea-
destinations may not always, sure up to its own best tradi-
or even often, reveal the paths tions and prove itself worthy
by which to reach them. of preservation as a great na-
tion.” Easily said, not easily
It may be necessary, for ex- done, and therein lies the ulti-
ample, to cooperate with Stalin mate test for the United States
to defeat Hitler, or with Tito in its contest with China: the
to resist Stalin, or with Mao patient management of inter-
to confound Brezhnev: not all nal threats to our democra-
evils are equally so at all times. cy, as well as tolerance of the
Nor are arms buildups always moral and geopolitical contra-
bad or negotiations always dictions through which global
good: Eisenhower, Kennedy, diversity can most feasibly be
Nixon, and Reagan employed defended. The study of history
both to begin transformations is the best compass we have in
of the adversaries confront- navigating this future — even
ing them. Kennan distrusted if it turns out to be not what
such elasticities in the pursuit we’d expected and not in most
of containment, but it was respects what we’ve experi-
precisely this maneuverability enced before.
that ensured the strategy’s safe
arrival at its intended destina- —Foreign Affairs.
tion. A second way in which
containment succeeded was *About the writers: Hal
by treating spontaneity as a brands is Henry A. Kissing-
strength. The North Atlantic er Distinguished Professor of
Treaty Organisation was as global affairs at Johns Hop-
much a European as an Amer- kins University in the US,
ican creation, in striking con- and a senior fellow at the
trast to its Moscow-dominated American Enterprise Insti-
rival, the Warsaw Pact. Nor, tute. He is the author of The
outside of Europe, did the Twilight Struggle: What the
United States insist on ideo- Cold War Teaches Us About
logical uniformity among its Great-Power Rivalry Today.
friends.
John Lewis Gaddis is Rob-
The objective instead was ert A. Lovett Professor of
to make diversity a weapon military and naval history
at Yale University in the US,
and the author of On Grand
Strategy.

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 39

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

What Covid-19  travel bans have done
to conservation tourism in Africa
ALEXANDER RICHARD BRACZKOWSKI/
DUAN BIGGS

IT has been over 20 months since the
World Health Organisation announced
Covid-19 as a global health emergency
and pandemic. It is estimated that the
resulting reductions in travel in 2020
alone wiped  US$4.5 trillion  from the
global tourism economy and cost mil-
lions of jobs.

In Africa, half of all the people work-
ing in tourism lost their jobs. A recent
United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development report estimates a
further  US$1.7-US$2.4 trillion  could
be lost from the global tourism sector
by the end of 2021. In Africa these loss-
es are projected at US$170-253 billion.

Tourism is an important source of
funding for managing protected ar-
eas and provides jobs for people living
near national parks and wildlife. When
travel to protected and conserved areas
such as national parks and communi-
ty conservancies is cancelled en masse,
jobs and conservation management are
placed at risk.

We studied several peer-reviewed
studies and economic reports published
over the last 12 months to examine the
effects the pandemic has had on tour-
ism to conservation areas in Africa, and
to look for any signs of recovery.

Counting the costs Veterinarians treat a wounded elephant in Ishasha, Uganda. Tourism is the main source of revenue for such activities in many of Africa’s national parks. Photo: Alex Braczkowski
Overwhelmingly, the majority of Af-
rica’s protected areas (both private and decline while the global average was ran Africa and North Africa are no bet- Many countries are encouraging res- Congo.
public) took a massive blow from the 49.5%), Africans working in the tour- ter in 2021, and budgets for protected idents to travel locally and visit national Importantly, African tourism recov-
collapse in tourism. In South Africa, ism sector suffered disproportionate job areas continue to be cut, stretching an parks. The Uganda Wildlife Authority,
lockdowns caused a 96% drop in tour- losses, falling 29.3% (representing 7.2 already severely depleted park ranger for example, cut entrance fees to  na- ery will depend on the progress made
ist visits to national parks under SAN- million jobs) compared to the  global force, there are some glimmers of hope. tional parks by 50%. Botswana cut en- with vaccination rates, not only of in-
Parks management. This equated to average of 21.5%. In Botswana, the June, July and August saw significant- trance fees by up to 70%. ternational tourists but of the citizens of
about 90% of tourism revenue, high- 2020 lockdowns led to about 99% of ly better occupancy in north, southern African countries.
lighting the fragility and risk of a sector the country’s tourism workforce being and sub-Saharan African hotels. More- There has also been an uptick in the
that is reliant on a single primary in- temporarily or permanently laid off. over, a recently assembled expert panel use of contactless methods for tourism. Currently African countries suf-
come stream. This also caused anxiety from the United Nations World Tour- Virtual safaris were an almost immedi- fer from the highest rates of  vaccine
about health and job security  among These cases of job loss are particu- ism Organisation expected travel levels ate response to the global pandemic in inequality  anywhere in the world.
park staff. larly notable because most African na- to Africa to get back to pre-pandemic some wildlife reserves in South Africa. Addressing this inequity is not only a
tions have not had the same economic levels by 2023 or 2024. global ethical issue but will allow for a
In Uganda, national parks typically safety nets and relief packages as those Finally, innovative ways of financing relaxing of travel restrictions linked to
generate 88% of their revenue from in wealthier parts of the world, such as A number of strategies have been conservation land and the communities the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Without
tourist entrance fees. A collapse in tour- western Europe or Australia. tried by different stakeholders to supporting wildlife conservation are on it, global herd immunity remains out of
ism visitation between July and De- strengthen protected areas and related the horizon. For instance, the  World reach and so does the recovery in tour-
cember 2020 erased roughly  US$1.4 The lack of economic safety nets is livelihoods in response to the pandem- Bank pledged US$45 million towards a ism that Africa so desperately needs.
million  from the Uganda Wildlife most felt by people working in Afri- ic. These include: domestic tourism; wildlife bond for the endangered black
Authority’s annual budget. This  ham- ca’s informal tourism economy (such as contactless and virtual tourism; and rhino. Its aim is to sell a bond to in- —The Conversation.
pered core management activities such porters in Uganda’s gorilla trekking in- novel conservation financing such as vestors that will yield investments di-
as anti-poaching and there is evidence dustry, or mokoro polers in Botswana’s direct payments for wildlife conserva- rectly tied to the population increases *About the writers: Alexander
that poaching doubled in the county’s Okavango Delta) who tend to make tion. of the species in South Africa. Mech- Richard Braczkowski is a scientist
two largest parks between February and just a few US dollars per day. anisms like this could supplement ex- at Resilient Conservation Group
May of 2020. Looking ahead Banks can help safari operators by isting conservation land carbon offset- at Griffith University in Australia.
Although tourist arrivals for sub-Saha- reducing rates, waiving penalties and ting schemes like those found in Kenya Duan Biggs is a senior research fellow
Private wildlife industries were not rescheduling loan repayments. and in the Democratic Republic of in social-ecological systems and resil-
spared either. In South Africa between ience at Griffith University.
March and May of 2020 alone, can-
celled hunting trips, live sales of animals
and the sale of meat products resulted
in losses totalling US$406 million.

While the contributions of travel
and tourism to GDP in African states
dropped in line with the global 2020
average (Africa experienced a 49.2%

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Page 40 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Violence against women in Kenya: data
provides a glimpse into grim situation

KENYAN world record holder Agnes
Tirop was  found stabbed  to death at
her home in the western town of Iten
last week. She was 25. In September,
she won the women-only 10 kilome-
tre road-race in Germany, setting a
new world record of 30 minutes and
one second. During her career, Tirop
had success as both a junior--winning
the bronze in the 5 000 metres at the
World Championships in 2012 and
2014--and as a senior winning at
the World Cross-Country Champion-
ships in 2015. In August, she finished
fourth in the 5 000m final at the To-
kyo Olympics and in 2017 and 2019
she won the 10 000m bronze at the
World Athletics Championships.

The fact that the police arrested her
husband, Ibrahim Rotich, in connec-
tion with the death has brought the
subject of domestic violence to the fore
in Kenya. Yohannes Dibaba Wado (A),
a research scientist at the African Pop-
ulation and Health Research Centre in
Nairobi answers questions (Q) to share
his insights into how widespread it is
and what must be done to address it.

Q: Is domestic violence wide-
spread in Kenya?

A: Domestic violence, also called Kenyan athlete Agnes Tirop was recently killed.
intimate partner violence, is a global
public health problem. The World including Kenya, committed to end creased harm due to the failure of ation of Women Lawyers in Kenya. The enforcement and implemen-
Health Organisation (WHO)  es- all forms of gender-based violence authorities to ensure that they have Q: How must domestic violence tation of laws and policies related to
timates  that almost one third of by 2030. access to fast protection services, gender-based violence must be im-
women experience some form of timely medical treatment and finan- in Kenya be addressed? proved. This includes training of the
physical and or sexual violence from Kenya has policies and strategies to cial assistance. A: Addressing domestic violence police, and those who provide medi-
an intimate partner in their lifetime. prevent and respond to gender-based cal and legal support for survivors of
According to the WHO, as many as violence. It launched the  National What’s encouraging is that the requires a coordinated and multi-sec- physical and sexual violence.
38% of all murders of women are Policy on Prevention and Response government of Kenya has renewed toral approach that involves all sec-
committed by intimate partners. to Gender-based Violence  in 2014. its commitment to ending gen- tions of the society. More advocacy and capacity
The Kenyan constitution has provi- der-based violence. building is required for law enforce-
In Kenya, according to the  most sions for the protection of all indi- There are various prevention and ment agencies as well as institutions
recent national data  (which was viduals from any form of violence. In June 2021, Kenya  adopted  a response programmes that have that implement the national policy
published in 2014), overall, Kenya also ratified the convention gender-based violence indicator in been piloted and found to be suc- on gender-based violence.
about  41%  of women reported on the  Elimination of All Forms of the government’s performance mon- cessful,  including by  the WHO,
having experienced physical or sex- Discrimination against Women. itoring framework. This will ensure UN Women and civil society or- Men, boys and community lead-
ual violence from their husbands that the enforcement and imple- ganisations. Examples of these in- ers must be sensitised on the rights
or partners in their lifetime. About Efforts to prevent and respond to mentation of gender-based violence terventions include psycho-social of women through community
two-fifths of those women reported cases of domestic violence against laws and policies are tracked. With support for survivors of violence; mobilisation activities by the com-
physical injuries from the violence. women in Kenya have been there for this commitment, the government economic and social empowerment munity health volunteers, women
some years but the progress has been has also allocated additional resourc- programmes; cash transfers; work- groups and civil society organisa-
There’s a lack of up-to-date na- too slow. Part of this is due to weak es to prevention and response. ing with couples to improve com- tions. Women and girls must also be
tional data on the prevalence of do- institutional capacities. munication and relationship skills; educated on their right to be free of
mestic violence in Kenya. But time- Gender-based  violence recov- and community mobilisation inter- violence and shown where, and how,
bound data shows how often the Victims of violence also  don’t ery centres  are being established in ventions to change unequal gender to seek services if it does happen.
violence could be happening. report  what’s happening to them. all major hospitals in the country. norms among others. The govern-
Less than half of women sought as- Moreover,  gender desks in police ment must adapt these and scale These steps are all needed, and all
The 2014 Kenya Demographic sistance from any source to stop the stations have been established along- them up so that they can be used important. Something has to shift
and Health Survey  indicated  that violence they experienced. There side civil society organisations, such across the country. in order to protect women and girls
about one in four women report- are various reasons why this hap- as the such as the Coalition on Vio- from this violence.
ed physical or sexual violence from pens.  One is  that survivors face in- lence against Women and the Feder-
a partner in the 12 months before —The Conversation/BBC.
the survey. This means it could be
more prevalent and widespread than
thought. The survey also showed
that, due to societal and cultural
norms, a considerable proportion
(42%) of women and men in Ken-
ya still believed that wife beating was
acceptable under some conditions.
Such social and cultural norms have
to be demystified through education
and community mobilisation pro-
grammes to change unequal gender
norms.

Q: What is being done to ad-
dress it, and is it enough?

A: Under the sustainable devel-
opment goals (SDGs) all countries,

NewsHawks Africa News Page 41

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Oppenheimers
set up shop in
Singapore after
selling De Beers
for US$5bn

THE family office for South African help drive investments between Asia ment firms to manage their wealth in son, said in the statement. Singapore.
billionaire Nicky Oppenheimer and and its home market of Africa. the city-state, known for its high stan- The Oppenheimers trace their for- dozen employees in South Africa, the
his son Jonathan has set up an outpost dard of living, political stability and UK and Jersey, according to LinkedIn
in Singapore to boost its Asia exposure “Over the next 20 or 30 years, the plethora of tax treaties. The number tune to the 1917 formation of Anglo data. Its other  investments  include
and partner with the region’s wealthy. synergies between Africa and Asia are of family offices in Singapore increased American in South Africa. The firm Tana Africa Capital, a private equity
going to be substantial,” Collevecchio fivefold between 2017 and 2019, ac- later took control of De Beers, where joint venture set up a decade ago with
Edoardo Collevecchio, the former (33) said in an interview. “We want to cording to government data. Nicky Oppenheimer (76) was chair- Temasek to invest in African compa-
chief of staff for Oppenheimer Gen- be here at the start of that journey.” person from 1998 to 2012. nies.
erations, is moving from London to “We look forward to deepening
build and lead its team in Singapore, The Oppenheimer family has a relationships with like-minded part- Oppenheimer Generations, which “This is an incredibly exciting chal-
while Yi Ling Ong joins from Temasek combined net worth of US$8.2 bil- ners,” Jonathan Oppenheimer (51), was created after Anglo American lenge,” Collevecchio said about Asia.
as head of investment for the Asia unit, lion, largely through the 2012 sale of the family office’s executive chairper- bought the family’s 40% stake in the “We see so much potential.”
the company said in a statement. their stake in De Beers for about US$5 diamond firm, now has more than two
billion, according to the Bloomberg —My Broadband.
The investment firm, which rep- Billionaires Index. The Oppenheimers
resents a branch of the dynasty that join a growing number of billionaires
founded mining giant Anglo Amer- turning to Singapore as fortunes surge
ican and turned De Beers into the across Asia. Google co-founder Sergey
world’s largest diamond producer, said Brin and vacuum-cleaner billionaire
it hopes a presence in the city-state will James Dyson have both set up invest-

THE University of Pretoria’s (UP) University of Pretoria’s Law the quality of our academic pro-
Law programme has been ranked programme ranks best in Africa gramme was not sacrificed. I wish
the best in Africa, according to the to also offer my heartfelt thanks
Times Higher Education’s World academic programming going, de- The University of Pretoria Faculty of Law building. to all our staff members, who
University Rankings by Subject spite the challenges posed by the have continued to produce qual-
2022 (THE WUR by Subject). pandemic,” he said. “This result is to migrate to remote emergen- ity work despite the challenges we
an affirmation that while we had cy online teaching and learning, faced,” he said.
The ranking tallied more than
1 600 universities across 99 coun- UP’s business and economics,
tries and territories, making it the computer science, and agriculture
largest and most diverse university and forestry subjects were ranked
ranking to date. second in South Africa. UP’s
life sciences, biological scienc-
UP’s Law programme was es, sports sciences, electrical and
ranked first in South Africa and electronic engineering, and me-
Africa and 60th in the world. The chanical and aerospace engineer-
institution’s Veterinary Science ing programmes all ranked third
programme also ranked first in in South Africa.
South Africa and the continent,
with this being the fifth consecu- Professor Elsabe Schoeman,
tive year that UP’s programme has dean of UP’s Faculty of Law, said
held this position. the faculty’s programme being
ranked number one in Africa and
The rankings are based on 13 in the top 100 globally was proof
performance indicators that mea- of the quality and commitment of
sure an institution’s performance staff and students.
across four areas: teaching, re-
search, knowledge transfer and Schoeman said: “UP Law’s con-
international outlook. tinuous THE ranking as the top
law programme in Africa and in
UP’s Law programme’s perfor- the top 100 globally bears proof
mance was an improvement from of the excellent quality and com-
being ranked in the 101–125 mitment of staff, students and
band in the 2021 rankings, and alumni, and despite the huge im-
90th in 2020. pact of Covid since March 2020
to date.
UP Vice-Chancellor and Prin-
cipal Professor Tawana Kupe said And, true to its vision and mis-
this ranking was an acknowledge- sion, the Faculty of Law at the
ment of the work that goes into University of Pretoria continu-
making academic programmes a ously strives to improve its inter-
success. national recognition as a leader
through relevant legal research,
“The past 20 months have been education, academic cross-polli-
challenging for us all, and espe- nation and collaboration.”
cially for those of us in higher
education, as we had to come up —IOL.
with innovative ways to keep the

Page 42 Africa News NewsHawks
CAMEROON’S five-year conflict
could be taking a significant new turn Issue 53, 22 October 2021
with reports that its English-speaking
separatist groups are getting help Why separatists in Cameroon
from an armed group in neighbour- and Nigeria have integrated
ing Nigeria.

After two attacks by Anglophone
militants which cost the lives of 15
Cameroonian soldiers last month,
the army issued a statement declaring
that “the separatists have used heavy
weapons for the first time, in viola-
tion of international humanitarian
law”.

It went on to add that “the rise in
power of these terrorist groups... is
largely due to their co-operation with
other terrorist entities operating out-
side the country”.

Contacted by the BBC, Cameroo-
nian defence forces spokesperson Col
Cyrille Atonfack Nguemo did not
specify which foreign groups were
allegedly working with the Anglo-
phone separatists, who say they face
discrimination in the country domi-
nated by French-speakers.

It is therefore unclear whether the
military believes it is one or several
armed groups, and also where they
are located.

But the separatist Ambazonia De-
fense Forces (ADF) has confirmed an
alliance with the Indigenous People
of Biafra (Ipob), an ethnic Igbo group
waging a sometimes violent campaign
for autonomy in south-eastern Nige-
ria, some of which lies just 150 kilo-
metres from the border with Camer-
oon’s English-speaking regions.

A video posted on the ADF Face-
book page earlier this year shows Cho
Ayaba, the leader of the Ambazo-
nia Governing Council - one of the
two main English-speaking separat-
ist groups, and Ipob leader Nnamdi
Kanu announcing a “strategic and
military” alliance.

Both separatist leaders explained
that the two groups would “work to
secure their common border and en-
sure an open exchange of arms, intel-
ligence and personnel”.

How big a deal is this? on the defence and security forces, How easy is it to cross the border? Julius Sisiku Tabe and eight others full-blown separatist conflict, with
Analysts are divided. “For the mo- says the ICG’s Arrey. Even before the latest unrest in the were arrested in the Nigerian capital, some groups declaring the indepen-
ment, the contribution of this alli- two countries, the border areas were Abuja, in 2017. dence of what they call Ambazonia
ance on the ground in the Anglo- “Other weapons come from Nige- poorly controlled on both sides. the following year.
phone zone is not yet clear,” says Elvis ria,” he adds. They were sent back to Cameroon
Arrey, senior analyst for Cameroon at It is partly made up of the Niger where they were given life sentences Amid reports of atrocities on both
the research group International Cri- According to Tayo, even “before Delta, a huge forested area full of for terrorism and other crimes, which sides, the conflict has caused thou-
sis Group (ICG). the crisis in the Anglophone regions, creeks and inlets and multiple clan- they are challenging. sands of deaths and forced hundreds
the Niger Delta area was an import- destine ports, which borders both What is the fighting about? of thousands to flee their homes -
However, Raoul Sumo Tayo, a ant hub for arms trafficking in the English-speaking Cameroon and the Both Nigeria’s Igbo community and many have crossed over into Nigeria.
historian and security analyst in the sub-region”. Igbo heartland, where most Ipob at- English-speaking Cameroonians have Why does Cameroon have both En-
region, says it should not be down- tacks are concentrated. long complained of discrimination by glish- and French-speakers?
played, as it offers both groups rear Weapons bound for the Anglo- their respective governments.
bases where they can retreat, beyond phone region of Cameroon have of- There are ethnic and cultural ties • On 1 January 1960, the
the reach of their respective countries’ ten been seized by the Nigerian au- between some groups found on either The Igbos declared the indepen- French colony of Cameroun
armed forces. This is especially signif- thorities. side of the border, which could fur- dence of Biafra from Nigeria in 1967, gained independence and be-
icant in Cameroon, where he said the ther smooth links. sparking a war that ended in 1970 came Cameroon.
“army was practically absent [from Over the past three years, scores of What are the Cameroonian author- following the death of an estimated
the areas hit by conflict] before the in- people have been arrested on charges ities doing? one million people. • On 1 October 1960, Nigeria
surgency and therefore has extremely of trafficking arms to Cameroon. The government in Yaoundé seems to gained independence from
limited knowledge of the area”. be concerned about the situation and Although the federal army won, the UK.
Tayo believes that some weapons has announced a strategic change in Nnamdi Kanu’s Ipob is the latest
The two countries have previously are likely to come from “countries its military intervention in the area, group to take up the Igbo cause. He • The UK also controlled the
discussed giving each other’s security with a large Anglophone diaspo- without giving details. was arrested in June and is currently former German colony of
forces the right to cross the border, ra”. Some Cameroonians from En- in detention on charges of treason, Cameroon. At independence,
especially when chasing members of glish-speaking regions have been At the end of August, the two which he denies. its citizens were given a choice
the Boko Haram Islamist militant charged in the US with alleged arms countries agreed to step up security of joining either Nigeria or
group further north, but a deal was trafficking, although none has yet along their 2 000km-long border, Scores of people have been killed Cameroon.
never reached. been convicted. which is threatened by the separatists, in unrest over the past year.
Where do the heavy weapons come as well as by Boko Haram. • Southern Cameroonians opt-
from? While Ipob has this year been ac- In Cameroon, protests by En- ed to unite with Cameroon,
The Cameroon authorities have not cused of ransacking police stations The two countries also co-operated glish-speaking lawyers and teachers in while Northern Cameroon
gone into much detail about what and stealing weapons, which could when Cameroonian separatist leader 2016 over laws they saw as favouring joined Nigeria.
kind of weapons they say are being potentially be smuggled across the the French language escalated into a
used, beyond briefly referring to an- border. —BBC.
ti-tank missiles and rocket launchers.

Some actually come from attacks

NewsHawks World News Page 43

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Stop being polite – Powell was a killer

BELEN FERNANDEZ

COLIN Powell  has died, and the that, in addition to being an ob- trated attacks on an entire society was subsequently revealed to be Colin Powell.
hagiographic obituaries are upon scene underestimate, appears only in modern warfare”, comprising tamales wrapped in banana leaves.
us. after the obviously more important targeted as well as indiscriminate President Donald Trump as being
“thousands of American deaths” in bombing of civilians. Anyway, it was all apparently in someone who “lies about things,
The New York Times hails him as Iraq. a day’s work of “intellectual hones- and he gets away with it because
a “pathbreaker”: the United States’ In both cases, Jensen empha- ty” and “grounding in reality”. people will not hold him account-
first Black national security adviser, So much for Powell’s prediction sised, the bombing constituted able”.
Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, and that his 2003 UN speech would “war crimes under the Geneva Over the course of his de-
secretary of state. “earn a prominent paragraph in Conventions”. cades-long service on behalf of But if the current hagiographic
my obituary” – or that backing the the US empire, Powell was also outpouring is any indication, ac-
The rest of the US mainstream Iraq war was a “blot” on his record. In 1989, too, Powell presided indirectly linked to such noble US countability in US politics would
media have taken a similar line, over all manner of  bomb-based endeavours as the infamous My be nothing short of miraculous.
erupting in characteristic Ameri- Unbeknownst to Powell, per- devastation  in the Central Amer- Lai massacre in Vietnam and the
can self-adulation at the idea that haps, the Iraq lies were not the only ican nation of Panama, where an Iran-Contra scandal. —Al Jazeera.
a once-discriminated-against Black “blot” on his record, at least objec- untold number of mainly impov-
man was able to make it so far in tively speaking. erished Panamanian civilians were In her Powell obituary for Jaco- *About the writer: Belen Fer-
life. slaughtered by the US military as it bin magazine – titled “Colin Powell, nandez is the author of Check-
As chairman of the Joint Chiefs carried out “Operation Just Cause” Politely Anguished War Criminal, point Zipolite: Quarantine in a
CNN proudly quotes Powell’s of Staff under George HW Bush, against longtime US ally and CIA Dead at 84” – Liza Featherstone re- Small Place (OR Books, 2021),
words at his 2001 Senate confir- Powell oversaw Operation Desert asset Manuel Noriega. calls that the man was “so popular” Exile: Rejecting America and
mation hearing for secretary of Storm in 1991 – or what former that people in both US political Finding the World (OR Books,
state, which he claimed “shows to University of Texas journalism pro- This operation, which served as parties had “begged him to run for 2019), Martyrs Never Die: Trav-
the world that: Follow our model, fessor Robert Jensen has referred to a test run for the Gulf War, was president for decades”. els through South Lebanon (War-
and over a period of time from our as the “massacre we call the Gulf – surprise, surprise – predicated scapes, 2016), and The Imperial
beginning, if you believe in the val- War”. on a fabricated and sensational But even in his lesser posts, he Messenger: Thomas Friedman at
ues that espouse [sic], you can see narrative, which only got better still did a swell job of rallying and Work (Verso, 2011). She is a con-
things as miraculous as me sitting Writing in the Los Angeles when the US army triumphantly maintaining bipartisan support for tributing editor at Jacobin Maga-
before you to receive your approv- Times in May of 2000 – nearly announced that it had discovered a imperial killing – and putting as zine, and has written for the New
al”. three years before the blot to beat stash of cocaine in a house Noriega “polite” a face as possible on it. York Times, the London Review
all blots – Jensen observed that was known to visit. of Books blog, Current Affairs,
After all, there is pretty much the massacre in question had thus Speaking on CNN’s State of the and Middle East Eye, among nu-
nothing as miraculously post-racial far been “one of the most concen- Never mind that the “cocaine” Union programme last year, inci- merous other publications.
as a guy who was born in Harlem – dentally, Powell criticised then-US
and who as a youthful US army of-
ficer was prohibited from entering
certain restaurants and motels in
the country he was serving – going
on to orchestrate the obliteration
of countless brown people abroad,
not to mention folks of other co-
lours.

MSNBC took the hagiography
a step further by showcasing an
assessment from Richard Haass,
president of the US Council on
Foreign Relations, according to
which Powell was “one of the most
intellectually honest people I ever
met”.

It is anyone’s guess, of course,
how the term “honest” might ap-
ply to the person whose 76-minute
lie  in front of the United Nations
Security Council in 2003 direct-
ly set the stage for the George W
Bush administration’s pulverisation
of Iraq – which did not prevent
MSNBC from titling its posthu-
mous Powell segment: “Richard
Haass: Colin Powell was grounded
in reality”.

If Powell’s reality included
non-existent Iraqi weapons of mass
destruction and other threats, what
does “reality” even mean in the
end?

At the moment, at least, it means
that the US political-media estab-
lishment is tripping over itself to
eulogise at length a single human
who died after helping to cause
the deaths of literally hundreds of
thousands of human beings across
the globe – who have themselves
not been deemed worthy of more
than a scant mention in any main-
stream Powell tribute.

The Washington Post, for exam-
ple, manages to squeeze in a refer-
ence to “more than 100 000 Iraqi
deaths” on account of the “US-led
war and occupation” – a figure

Porsche just got angrier Being a Fashion Model

&Life Style

Page 44 STYLE TRAVEL BOOKS ARTS MOTORING Issue 53, 22 October 2021

JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA Jonah Chivasa
and Rachel J.
JONAH Chivasa is on cloud nine right
now. ‘Favoured’ Chivasa’s
double delight
The gifted gospel singer and song-
writer has recently scored success in “She also manages my music career The couple already has a bun in the a “workaholic, focused and empow- ing video while Jonah is enjoying the
his life on two fronts: career-wise and as you noticed she came up with the oven and Jonah says he always appreci- ered woman”. He said: “While she is success of Fevha which has 75 000
romantically! video concept for Fevha and she even ates being a father. a no-nonsense person, she is also un- streams on YouTube and still counting.
directed it. The good thing is we have derstanding and her humility is all the
A week after the release of his latest the same vision of where we want to “When I met Rachel, she had two more adorable. What strikes me most is On Fevha, pronounced as Favour,
video, Fevha, Johah put his bachelor go, and I tell you we want to be billion- daughters Scarlet (13) and Najah (one- that she is one person who can sit with Jonah experimented with Afro beat
days behind him and paid lobola for aires. Our model is similar to Jay Z and and-a-half years) and we’re expecting the president and in the next hour she and the result has been a resounding
his lovely beau, fellow artiste Rachel J. Beyonce, they empower themselves as Eden soon. Being a father is more than is talking to the street children and still success.
individuals as well as a couple. We do enough and I could do it a 1 000 times. give them their respect. But we are both
Life has never been better for the everything together and 90% of our It leaves me with no time for playing driven.” The track follows on the success of
youthful singer. What can be better time is business.” games,” he said. his previous hit – Ndozvinoita Nyasha
than marrying a gorgeous friend- Rachel J is working on her upcom- – which got anthemic status on the air-
turned-soulmate at a time when you Jonah also described Rachel J as waves as well as online.
are enjoying rave reviews in your music
career! And he did it in style. In pop-
ping the question, Johah shed tears
whilst Rachel J answered positively to
his proposal.

“It was intentional to drop the video
first. No woman has ever made me cry
but with Rachel I shed tears when she
said yes,” he explained.

“We’ve always been friends. We met
when I approached Rachel for business
mentorship programme. At the time,
we were in a brother-and-sister type of
relationship. More often than not, we
would advise each other on love and
relationships. But then we realised the
chemistry was high and we started no-
ticing we had so much in common. So
it got personal and, in March 2020, a
day before the lockdown, we were on
set shooting a music video for Hallelu-
jah and I decided to shoot the shot.”

The couple had been dating for a
year-and-a-half when the romance be-
gan.

“Rachel is the most loving woman
I’ve ever met. Just a week when we start-
ed dating, she took care of my mother
who has a health condition that needed
attention. She took my mother to her
house and made sure she was well. You
see, love isn’t difficult or hard. It’s a de-
cision and for us it’s been working and
we are in this for the rest of our lives. 

“We are happy to inspire other
people to find love. We’re not show-
ing off but life is worth living if you
have someone who truly loves you. It
shouldn’t be like ‘oh he’s got money or
she’s got money’. No. When I met my
wife, many thought I should have gone
for a gospel musician and not a secular
musician. Some thought I was going
to ‘convert’ Rachel, but to my surprise
she prays more than I do. Everyday she
wakes up at 3am to pray and I can’t.
Matter of fact, she lifted me up spir-
itually and this is why it is important
for people not to judge the book by the
cover.”

Life and music, Johah said, are giv-
ing him a great deal of satisfaction at
the moment.

“I am happy my career, my health
and the way I look is better, it is only
the beginning; what if it’s for a lifetime?
All I have to do is to love my wife be-
cause whatever I am or do glorifies her.
When I excel either in business or mu-
sic she is glorified,” he said.

The two are clearly deeply in love,
and inseparable.

“I manage her music career and we
do business together. While some peo-
ple have headaches in relationships, our
major headache is how to earn more
money and grow business,” he said.

NewsHawks Life & Style Page 45

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA Singer Jah Prayzah and the curse of
two rich tycoons’ 50th birthdays
POLITICS in Zimbabwe has, time
and again, proved a tricky play- hero Jah Prayzah prophetically sang a faction of Zanu-PF that fought out, for merely associating with their The NewsHawks that a deposit has
ground for many a musician.  about.  against Mugabe loyalists, but were enemies.  already been paid.
vanquished by the army-aligned ri-
One needs to tread carefully: it is In sheer euphoria, some of Mnan- val group led by Mnangagwa, which Guvamatanga is not really a poli- “Oh well, we were told that our
either your legion of fans dump you gagwa’s loyalists labelled Jah Prayzah swept to power in the November tician; as permanent-secretary, he is gig was postponed to a later date
for aligning yourself with a loathed a prophet.  2019 coup.  more of a civil servant.  but, even then, the deposit had been
political side, or the politicians paid,” he said.
themselves screw you over when they He was rewarded handsomely At Molai’s birthday bash set in an But he is a top-ranking bureaucrat
are done using you.  thereafter, performing at state-fund- exclusive resort location, the rich ty- who works for the Zanu PF govern- Mushapaidze explained when
ed concerts for hefty paychecks.  coon hosted friends and family -- the ment.  pressed further to comment about
Jah Prayzah, Zimbabwe’s hugely who is who of society. the new date: “There is nothing
popular contemporary singer, would Four years later, the same poli- For Jah Prayzah, the Guvamatan- amiss during this time of the year
not have imagined that four years ticians, in a classic case of vindic- Jah Prayzah delivered a masterful ga incident has not been the only one when bookings are either cancelled
on, the same political regime that tiveness, are hellbent on hitting Jah performance as the invited guests, since his appearance at the Molai gig.  or postponed. It is the norm, espe-
feted him like a “prophet”, would be Prayzah hard where it hurts most for clad all in white, danced to his me- cially when there are more shows
baying for his downfall, sabotaging a lot of people, in the pocket.  lodious tunes, sipping fine wine and It is said bookings are either can- coming.”
the very basis of his career and liveli- sampling expensive dishes.  celled or postponed.
hood -- shows.  His crime? Well, it is hardly a However, Guvamatanga gave a
crime if you are a professional artiste, Jah Prayzah is an artiste, a gifted The 34-year-old star found him- different reason for the postpone-
Sometime in 2017, Jah Prayzah’s but not in Zimbabwe from the lenses musician. Adam Molai is not a poli- self the subject of hostile political ment, saying it was due to “manage-
newly-released album carried a hit of these governing politicians!  tician, well, despite his known links intervention when he was abruptly ment issue.”
track, Kutonga Kwaro. to the Mugabes and other politicians.  dropped from a top billing which
Some weeks back, Jah Prayzah featured South Africans Makhadzi Zimbabweans reacted with an-
Later on that year, when the now committed the “crime” when he ac- Nobody would have advised Jah and Mafikizolo as well as Zimbabwe- ger over Guvamatanga’s lavish
late former president Robert Mug- cepted to perform in South Africa Prayzah against accepting the lu- an jazz maestro Louis Mhlanga. 50th birthday party and his remarks
abe was desposed by his erstwhile during the lavish 50th birthday of crative offer of performing at a rich that he would pay guitarist Mhlan-
alies in a coup, Jah Prayzah’s hit be- Adam Molai, a wealthy Zimbabwean man’s private gig. But things do not According to reports, Guvamatan- ga five times the agreed performance
came the unofficial theme song of businessman. work like that in Zanu PF’s world.  ga had hired the Tsviriyo hitmaker as fee.
that military action, a coup anthem the headline act, but was forced to
that Zimbabweans sang along in the Molai is related to the late Mug- Last week, Jah Prayzah found drop him. And that was instructive. Guvamatanga, who was caught on
street marches against Mugabe, in abe by marriage. He is the husband himself dropped, like a hot potato, video at his birthday party expressing
fervent celebration of the longtime of Sandra Mugabe, daughter of the from the bill at Finance ministry While Guvamatanga had already happiness over the musician’s perfor-
ruler’s removal from power.  deceased president’s older broth- permanent secretary George Guva- paid a deposit for Jah Prayzah’s ap- mance, allegedly promised to wire
er Albert Mugabe, who tragically matanga’s 50th birthday bash. pearance, he was told by his “bosses” an undisclosed amount of money to
The song hails the coming of a drowned in a swimming pool in the to remove his from the cast as he was Mhlanga.
hero, a new leader, praising how well early 1980s. The reason, of course, being that now associated with G40.
this leader was going to rule over his coup leaders now view him as a sell-
people.  Now, Molai is heavily linked to Keen Mushapaidze, Jah Prayzah’s
publicist and manager, confirmed to
Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was
Mugabe’s right-hand man for half
a century but turned foe, who re-
placed the late ruler, was seen as that

Page 46 Life & Style NewsHawks

GUMISAI NYONI Issue 53, 22 October 2021

DRIVEN by the need to help Artiste determined to thwart
curb the prevailing rampant abuse drug abuse through music
of illicit drugs in Zimbabwe’s
high-density suburbs, gospel ar- with several youths in St Mary’s, With 14 singles already to his Gospel artiste Venone Mugoni. fans, whom he says have acknowl-
tiste Venone Mugoni embarked encouraging them to strive to name, including “Invincible” and edged that taking drugs is ruining
on an ambitious project aimed at make a difference.”  “Ngoro Yeminana”– a remix of a Joyful Praise song – the youthful their dreams. 
redressing the social ills bedevil- artiste says he is impressed by the
ling young people’s lives. reception he is getting from his Born and bred in Chitungwiza,
Mugoni envisions a society that
Based in Chitungwiza’s St is free from drugs, adding this
Mary’s suburb, one of the hotspots can be achieved if the disgrun-
of drug abuse, Mugoni says his tled youths are motivated by their
recently established Youth for peers to explore opportunities
Music Initiative (YMI), is an at- with great potential to transform
tempt to absorb youths into gos- their worldview. 
pel music, with a broader vision
of rehabilitating those addicted to “After the ‘I Need You’ album,
drugs, while also nurturing vari- I am expecting to launch collab-
ous talents that can improve their orative singles with those who
welfare.  would have participated in YMI.
And beyond music, I hope to
To attain this feat, Mugoni, embark on drama and film proj-
widely known in music circles ects geared towards thwarting the
as Extra Teezy, said through the drug scourge in Zimbabwe. This
YMI, he is next week on Friday is a community-based endeavour;
launching his maiden album that is why I believe it will man-
comprising five gospel songs. age to capture the attention of
Titled “I Need You”, the album the majority, including our elders
seeks to inculcate hope among in St Mary’s, who will be willing
young Zimbabweans who may be to assist with ideas that can make
feeling abandoned as a result of our dreams come true.”
the economic hardships they are
experiencing, especially the un- Mugoni said he is inspired by
employed.  fellow musicians such as Mudi-
wa Hood, his music’s producer
“I realised that most youths and “Pfugama Unamate” hit-
think indulging drugs will help maker Tinashe Mutandwa, Gary
them ease problems they encoun- Mapanzure, Kuda Mutsvene,
ter in life. But for them to be among others, adding that these
rehabilitated, they need to be en- strive for quality production that
gaged through projects that win appeals to the international audi-
their consent. Music is one of the ence.  
powerful tools that can be used
to encourage them to desist from “My Territory”, “Vimbai
taking illicit drugs. Gospel music Naye”, “I Need You”, “Vanon-
does not promote promiscuity, dida” and ‘“Munyaradzi” are the
hence I chose to preach to them songs on the upcoming album.
the word of God for them to re-
think and refocus in their lives.
YMI is in its initial stages, but
so far, I have managed to partner

There is a future.

ZIMBABWE
CHILDREN’S CANCER RELIEF

EARLY
DETECTION

IS THE BEST PROTECTION!

STAY IF YOU SUSPECT EYE CANCER
ALERT! VISIT YOUR CLINIC TODAY

NewsHawks State of the culture Page 47

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

The limitations of cheap propaganda

Addy
Kudita

STRICTLY speaking, information
asymmetry is a condition or state
in which a business party possesses
more information than the other
party they are dealing with. One
party’s access to more relevant and
up-to-date information can result
in business imbalances and even
exploitation or manipulation. Rul-
ers in politics utilise the same strat-
egy to keep their subjects out of the
loop on a need-to-know basis. They
probably believe that bringing the
“masses into their confidence”
weakens their power somehow.  It
is mind boggling. But it may well
be that wherever there are corrupt
deals which are not in the public
interest; the powers that be believe
it is the only course of action to
keep the nation in the dark about
so-called mega deals. 

Lopsided
This asymmetry fosters skewed
power dynamics in business trans-
actions where, for example, sell-
ers may possess more information
than buyers. This scenario is un-
healthy and obviously mandates
that buyers beware or go to great
lengths to at least secure some sort
of knowledge about target purchas-
es or transactions. This is normally
referred to as due diligence. For
example, a buyer of a second-hand
car must at least enlist a qualified
mechanic to review or test the ve-
hicle before making the final pur-
chase so as to bridge the informa-
tion asymmetry.

Monopolies of knowledge The burden bearers country they can only access either as well dynamise the sector. Ne- owned enterprises such as ZBC and
Thus it is that despite the constitu- Every day we see these monopolies BTV or SABC. tOne and Econet are monopolies its subsidiaries such as Power FM,
tion guaranteeing that citizens can playing out in our everyday lives Power tripping in effect. They are struggling to ser- National FM, Radio Zimbabwe,
and should be able to access infor- at various levels. There is a reason It is a power thing with Zanu...The vice the burgeoning customer base. Classic 263, Khulumani FM etc.
mation, bureaucrats in government why most households in Zimba- party is fixated with power for its They need competition. What is It is just a damned environment.
give me and my colleagues a torrid bwe are tuned out of Zimbabwe own sake really and that is what the reason the government has not Some will say, well, try the Internet
time in failing to respond to ques- Television (ZTV). The state-con- grates.  The narrative they wish to opened the sector to new players? blah blah. What of the cost of data?
tions about government contracts trolled network ZTV or even the control is the narrative of revolu- National security concerns? What In my view, the tariff increases are
and so-called bilateral deals. Such Johnny-come-lately Zimpapers tionaries who brought freedom to exactly is the reason we are saddled allowed because the masses will not
a practice is antithetical to demo- Television (ZTN) are essentially one the masses. This is now debatable with these two only?  rebel as usual. The elites have their
cratic progress. The fourth estate is and the same thing: state mouth- to the extent to which political dis- The moral hazard cushions against most of these in-
not the enemy of the state. It is a pieces. This is some 41 years down sent is not tolerated and even delib- According to economists, moral creases so they may not resist the
necessary buffer to the tide of cor- the line! The people who bear the erately suppressed. Does the party hazard happens when “an entity increases.
ruption and the excesses of power. burden of the mediocre program- have a monopoly of ideas? Clearly has an incentive to increase its ex- Parting shot
It is the light shining in a dark place ming in my view generally have not. Executive decisions are made posure to risk because it does not The solution for the challenge
albeit an imperfect and flickering opted for the free-to-air channels without consultation, with adverse bear the full costs of that risk.” This caused by information asymmetry
one at times.  So whenever there offered through MultiChoice de- effects. There would be no need for concept is probably why some deci- is to read widely and to be alert.
is a report of a harassed journal- coders bringing South African rule-by-decree if they only made sions have been made by the state. Do not leave it to chance. If you
ist, one understands that whoever cultural content into millions of it a cultural norm to caucus with The people who bear the brunt of are on social media, follow knowl-
orders such harassment is blind to homes in Zimbabwe. stakeholders and devise solutions the decisions are the masses and, in edgeable persons and consult wide-
the fact that the lamp they attempt to push the country forward. this reckoning, the creative sector ly because someone up there does
to snuff out is the lamp they need Some opt for the paid pack- Telecommunications pays a hefty price. not want you to know when their
to see clearly tomorrow. Canadian ages via DStv and that is, again, Mobile telecommunications pro- fingers is dipping into the cookie
economics and communications a relief and a tragedy in the long viders have to hike their tariffs os- Thus, the very fact that as a coun- jar or when they are trying to take
theorist Harold Innis propounded run. Enculturation is taking place tensibly because of the galloping try we have very few media and your rights away through some un-
the idea of monopolies of knowl- full throttle and perhaps even at a operating costs. I say, well, that telecommunications players means constitutional decree. Question ev-
edge and control of key commu- very subliminal level. South Africa is to be expected in a hyper-infla- that creatives have a small fishing erything and take nothing as given,
nication technologies by rulers. I is winning the culture war. Still, tionary environment. Now one pond for revenue. Ideally, the more because the record will show that
suspect this thinking may be the Zimbabweans are expected to pay solution could be to open up the players in the sectors mentioned, someone up there is disingenuous
one that animates the Zimbabwean licences for a service they do not re- sector to new players, even foreign the greater the chance of exposure and not acting in our best national
government’s reluctance to give li- ally want or even barely use. What investors. Their new money might to a wider market. For now, musi- interest despite the high-sounding
cences to truly independent players is so hard about allowing new play- cians, for example, have to rely on rhetoric.
to participate in the broadcasting ers to come on board? ZTV’s signal royalties paid out by mainly state-
and telecommunications sector. is so poor that in some areas in the

Page 48 Life & Style NewsHawks

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Title: Hands off her Hijab. Title: I AM MOTHER Title: I am mother
Poet: Ivainashe Nyamutsamba Poet: Blackthorn Poet: Ivainashe Nyamutsamba

Majestic grace I am told doekies Take a minute,
Blessed with sure pace Mean you are cultured and have manners Pluck a leaf from the moment
Blessed in her own lane Having a satin cloth on your head So much has been lost
She is no race An elusive luxury I wish I had At a massive cost
All you can see is her face. I rock that dish towel indifferently Yet you seem to be lost
She means no threat, My only concern pushing sales diligently Look at your heart rust,
You decide to treat her As a threat. What with my absent husband Your conscience is hard as toast,
Hands off her Hijab, Corrupted, cold, crum- Visible presence only at dinner time Yet you boast and bang your chest
bling souls, They salivate to inflict pain. All he knows is how to eat me As if you are a silverback Gorilla Crowning
They try to dampen With impeccable ability to underwhelm yourselves as the most intelligent Species
Her spirits like rain Thrusts he deep inside killing me on my face.
They are merry in her pain With dagger like words How fickle is your heart
All for their own gain, All is not in vain, In her Piercing like a thousand Samurai swords Sunken in the sand like a worm
pain. Now a zombified soul with hollow eyes Your delusions of grandeur
She draws closer to Him. So, what is your Gazing blankly into the horizon awaiting Shall be the death of you,
gain? Hope’s messenger who has no package for All you do is take.
She did not ask for your sympathy me So much is taken,
She has clarity Like the soccer team I never walk alone And little is given,
Without asking for your authority. My travel partners injustice and misfortune Need I remind you that,
Hands off her Hijab. Overworked like the donkey I am mother
In your impunity Though I have had more beatings to endure I always show you signs,
We understand your biased clarity Still, I give a beautiful smile You do not listen
Come ask questions If you wish Life source like the goodies I sell. As the globe heats like a boiling pot
Lo, you may gain clarity, We say, Need I remind you
Hands off her Hijab. Title: World of Dance That you need me
Poet: Andile Sayi I do not need you.
Title: WOMANHOOD The mighty dinosaurs
Poet: Agrippa “Chiteretere” Tivarere Dance is for a toddler They came and went
Who believes they are dancing All you do is imagine
That effervescent fountain of wisdom, But only bouncing back and forth. What their lives were like
Readily available to counsel, Counselling the Dance is for a kid Now I ask you
deranged, Counselling the dispirited, Who wishes to be part of Silento’s dance video Is this what you want to be?
Counselling the vulnerable, That is woman- But honestly they aren’t that great. Again, I remind you,
hood. That tenacious light, Always lifting the Dance is for a teen, I am mother
downtrodden, Igniting self-belief, Who finds self-expression through movement You need me
And courage to face life’s challenges, Because they fear being misunderstood. I do not need you
Head-on! That’s womanhood. Dance is for the same teen Lest you forget
That timeless heritage, For human compas- Who believes talent can be a career I am mother…
sion, Let my lips utter the beauty, But parents think otherwise.
The beauty about the beautiful, Dance is for moms in Zumba classes, Title: Autumn leaves
Let my mouth proudly utter the truth, Who want their shape back after giving birth, Poet: Poetic Soul
The truth only uttered about the truthful, But really, there is little progress.
Yes! Faith about the faithful, Dance is for dads in suits, The season you left, autumn came right
That’s womanhood. Comfortable like one on a Who make hilarious victory dances after; It was hard, i wanted to fight to make
mattress, That fortified fortress, For the per- Only after a promotion. you stay; But on those occasions i looked
secuted, Under whose wisdom and timeless Dance is for African dancers at the trees; They taught me how to let go
counsel, The vulnerable attain their hope, Who are so passionate about their art As the thick blanket of leaves fell and
Slowly, they affirm their bona fides! But lack opportunities to live their dreams. exposed its nakedness
That’s womanhood. To turn passion to career that only a few can. Even then it stood beautifully
The women of this world is indeed beautiful, Welcome to a world of dance, I know even after letting you go these
Yes! Let every women shout! A world where you can dance out loud scars will stand beautifully
I am beautiful! ‘Cause anybody can dance. So I took the whole season off
To shed every leaf of you, until the last
one falls. And dare I find beauty... even in
autumn.

NewsHawks People & Places Page 49

Issue 53, 22 October 2021

Revelers enjoy lunch and live music at a new Carling Meats joint in Braeside Harare. The venue is suited for family braai, jumping castle and games.

Property
NewsHawks

Issue 52, 15 October 2021 PROPERTY INTERIORS ARCHITECTURE GARDENING Page 50

The home of prime property: [email protected]

THe case for green
buildings in Zim

CLIMATE change has imposed the need to re- Green buildings have been presented as the key to addressing or slowing down the effects of climate change.
view construction practices to reshape the planet’s
disconcerting future. criteria. The US Environmental Protection Agen- of sustainable resources to minimise the building’s l Minimise greenhouse gas emissions, thereby
cy (EPA) defines green building practice as “the energy and resource consumption (Kerswill, B. slowing down global warming.
Global studies have shown that the real estate practice of creating structures and using process- 2017).
sector has one of the largest carbon footprints. es that are environmentally responsible and re- There are several other benefits to green build-
According to the United Nations (UN) Envi- source-efficient throughout a building’s lifecycle, Advantages ings besides the environmental benefits. These
ronmental Programme, real estate contributes to from design to construction, operation, mainte- The main environmental advantages of green include social and economic benefits.
30% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions, nance, renovation and deconstruction”. buildings are that they:
and traditional buildings cumulatively consume l Reduce water and energy consumption; Disadvantages
around 40% of the world’s energy. These statistics By their nature, green buildings address neg- l Encourage the use of eco-friendly and plant re- Disadvantages include high initial construction
show the monumental role that real estate stake- ative social and environmental impacts through newable building materials; costs, technological constraints, unavailability of
holders, owners and investors have to play in the structural design and by encompassing plans that l Enhance the natural environment with green green construction materials, lack of investors,
climate change discussion. address the way in which the building is managed roofs, trees and vegetation; and the dependence on weather conditions for
and operated (Green Building Council of South l Decrease landfill waste, decrease air pollution; energy supplies. Despite the drawbacks, it is ap-
This article examines the increasingly popular Africa, 2017). This is done through a combina- and parent that green buildings play a major role in
concept of green buildings as a means of achiev- tion of innovative design, technology and the use the reduction of greenhouse gases. — LEXOLOGY
ing environmentally sustainable construction
practices in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe — like much of Africa — is con-
strained by an inability to fully implement sus-
tainable building practices, adopt environmen-
tally friendly technologies and put appropriate
measures in place to respond to climate change
requirements.

This is largely attributed to a lack of institution-
al and financial resources. Considering these con-
straints, this article explores the various methods
of improving the sustainability of existing build-
ings that were not originally designed with sus-
tainable environmental considerations in mind,
mainly through sustainable retrofitting.

What are green buildings?
Green buildings have been presented as the key
to addressing or slowing down the effects of cli-
mate change through their energy efficiency and
promotion of sustainable building and consump-
tion practices.
To attain green building status, a building must
meet a standard set of environmentally friendly