Price
US$1
WHAT’S INSIDE Friday 4 December 2020 BUSINESS SPORT
NEWS Rejected DIDG Officials claim
investors seal FIFA sanctions
CIO links US$300 million won’t ‘hurt’
financially deal in SA Zimbabwe
bleed Impala
Car rental Story on Page 13 Story on Page 27
Story on Page 3
CBZ Bank
freezes
Marry
Chiwenga’s
accounts
ALSO INSIDE Corruption rocks Red Cross Econet closes branches
Page 2 News NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
CBZ Bank
freezes
Marry
Chiwenga’s
accounts
...tantamount to death row
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE freeze the accounts as there was no Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s ex-wife Mary Chiwenga (nee) Mubayiwa
order from the court. She said the
CBZ Bank has arbitrarily frozen bank had only frozen the accounts they know they do not have any reads. the court can see for itself the extent
Marry Chiwenga’s five company ac- because they were scared oof Chi- legal basis to freeze the accounts. “Failure to allow the applicant of the wounds and how I definitely
counts without legal basis, blocking wenga, a retired army general who Right now she has no independent require immediate and urgent treat-
her from accessing her money which is also former commander of the source of sustenance. There was no access to her passport and conse- ment.”
she desperately needs for sustenance Zimbabwe Defence Forces. order, and no one has brought out a quently have her reporting con-
and to foot urgent medical bills, freeze order because it would have ditions altered directly affects her Marry said she has consulted
following her acrimonious divorce “We are instructed that since been served to her,” Mtetwa said. right to life.” local doctors who have confirmed
with Vice-President Constantino her well-publicised fallout with her there are no lymphoedema special-
Chiwenga last year, The NewsHawks husband, Vice-President Chiwenga, Chiwenga last month unilaterally The National Prosecuting Au- ists in Zimbabwe, as her situation
has established. she has been unable to transact on delivered a truckload of her house- thority is the first respondent, while worsens every day and threatens her
this account (Matfield Investments hold goods and clothes as well as the clerk of the criminal court at life. Her South African surgeon has
This has resulted in her failing to Nostro) and despite many requests cars to Marry’s Highlands offices, Rotten Row is the second respon- confirmed his availability to treat
access healthcare at a time the state for an explanation, no one has been although the divorce settlement is dent. her on an emergency basis.
is also holding onto her passport, forthcoming from yourselves or still pending in court.
denying her an opportunity to seek your superiors at head office,” Mtet- “When I was arrested, I was un- “I am in extreme constant pain,
urgent treatment outside the coun- wa’s letter, dated 12 March 2020 Marry was arrested soon after dergoing treatment for wounds I I now have to carry a gadget which
try. and addressed to the Borrowdale her acrimonious public fallout with suffered in a bomb blast in Bula- drains the liquids from the wounds,
branch manager, reads. Chiwenga and is facing several wayo in 2018 and the treatment was without immediate specialist care,
The move is tantamount to charges including contravening the undertaken by Johan Van Heerden. the wounds are becoming more and
condemning her to a slow motion “Regrettably, this behaviour is Exchange Control Act, fraud, mon- As is clear from the doctor’s letter more septic and it is paramount that
death, or putting her on death row. not limited to your branch as all ey laundering, attempted murder his rooms are in Pretoria, South I receive immediate urgent atten-
her attempts at transacting on all and assault. Africa. After my arrest, I obviously tion to these injuries,” she said.
Marry is battling lymphoede- accounts she previously used with could not travel to South Africa,”
ma, a chronic condition that caus- ease have met a similar fate. The She was arrested on 4 December Marry says in the urgent court ap- The South African surgeon Van
es swelling in the body’s tissues. It only conclusion she has come to 2019. Marry was this week forced plication. Heerden said Marry needed spe-
can affect any part of the body, but is that the decision not to process to attend court in a wheelchair and cialised wound care and lymphat-
usually develops in the arms or legs. transactions is synchronised and has on a drip being driven in an ambu- “After my arrest, I obviously ic drainage therapy to prepare the
It develops when the lymphatic sys- been taken by the bank. We advise lance after magistrate Ngoni Nduna could not travel to South Africa for wounds on her arms for skin graft-
tem does not work properly or dam- that your conduct is unlawful and issued a warrant of arrest as she had medical treatment due to the bail ing.
age due to cancer treatment. should cease forthwith as there has initially failed to appear in court. conditions which included the sur-
been no form of due legal process to Her lawyers had informed the court render of my passports and report- “Skin grafting can only be done
Her critical condition and fragil- bar our client from transacting on she was in hospital and was not fit ing to the police on Friday once if the tissue of the wound beds is
ity was displayed in the public do- the account.” enough to appear before the magis- a fortnight between the hours of healthy and the oedema is under
main this week when she was forced trate, but their plea fell on deaf ears. 06:00hrs and 18:00hrs. Although control. Failure to adequately pre-
to appear in court in a stretcher in In another letter to CBZ chief ex- I had intended seeking a relaxation pare the wound beds will cause the
an ambulance over money launder- ecutive Blessing Mudavanhu, Mtet- The lawyers have also filed an ur- of these conditions to enable me to skin graft to fail and the whole pro-
ing and attempted murder charges wa said Marry had been informed gent application for the release of continue treatment under Dr Van cess restart. This treatment needs to
after a magistrate had issued her her accounts were now being man- her passport and alteration of bail Heerden’s care, this became impos- be administered by a wound care
with a warrant of arrest. aged by the Reserve Bank of Zim- conditions, which included the sur- sible after there were Covid-19 trav- specialist and Mrs Chiwenga will
babwe. render of her travel documents, to el restrictions which made it impos- need to travel to South Africa multi-
Her problems are being worsened allow her to travel to South Africa sible for me to travel. ple times to receive this treatment,”
by the freezing of her bank accounts “Regrettably, no one at the RBZ for medical treatment. the surgeon wrote in a letter that
by CBZ as she is now unable to ac- has owned up to managing the ac- “I nevertheless continued to was presented as an annexure in the
cess money to pay her bills, especial- counts and yet all her attempts to “The applicant is a fitting candi- seek treatment from local doctors court application.
ly the medical ones. access money from the accounts date for the alteration of bail con- but regrettably, the condition of
have hit a brick wall,” Mtetwa wrote ditions as bail should not be used my wounds became worse and my “Mrs Chiwenga will also need
Marry’s lawyers, Mtetwa and on 12 May. as a punishment for crimes that she legs and feet continued to swell to a post-operative wound care, until all
Nyambirai Legal Practitioners, has not yet been convicted of. The point where I have difficulty walk- the wounds have healed. It is esti-
have written several letters to CBZ “Our client has legal and medical presumption of innocence requires ing. The wounds on my arms have mated that the total treatment will
enquiring why the bank froze her costs to settle. She has day-to-day that this court looks favourably at become worse in this respect and I take approximately twelve weeks if
accounts and demanding that the living expenses to pay for. She has the instant motion,” the application am prepared to attend court so that no complications occur.”
financial institution should allow other obligations to settle like ev-
her access. The bank has ignored eryone else. She has not been able
the letters. to conduct her normal financial
transactions because your institu-
The former model is critically ill tion is simply too scared to allow
and desperately needs money for the Vice-President’s wife to access
medication, legal costs, fees for her her funds without the powerful hus-
children before she married Chi- band’s say-so.”
wenga as well as to meet costs for
her day-to-day needs and other ob- Mtetwa told The NewsHawks that
ligations. the CBZ has ignored the letters.
CBZ, according to her lawyer Be- “They ignored the letters because
atrice Mtetwa, had no legal basis to
NewsHawks News Page 3
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
WARNING:
Readers with nervous disposition may
find these graphic photos disturbing
THIS is a collage of graphic photos of Marry Chiwenga (nee Mubaiwa) - taken this morning
at her Glen Lorne home in Harare - who is suffering from lymphoedema; swelling in an arm
or leg caused by a lymphatic system blockage. The condition is caused by a blockage in the
lymphatic system, part of the immune and circulatory systems. Lymphoedema is most com-
monly caused by lymph node removal or damage due to cancer treatment. While Marry is
critically ill, her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa says CBZ Bank has arbitrarily frozen her five compa-
ny accounts, blocking her from accessing her money without legal basis, following her fallout
with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga last year. This has resulted in her failing to access
medical care at a time the state is also holding onto her passport, denying her an opportunity
to seek treatment outside the country.
Page 4 News NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
The cost of blood money...
CIO links
financially
bleed
Impala
OWEN GAGARE/ “In light of the above, I am re- The Ford Ranger – registration number AES 2433 – which was used in the abduction of Thompson Dondo, officially known
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE questing for a meeting with your Tawanda Muchehiwa belongs to Impala Car Rental where Thompson Dondo, pictured as Kanganwirai Dondo.
good office, so that we can clarify above, is the chief executive officer.
IMPALA Car Rental, a transnation- the matter.” Chilten is a CIO entity used by
al business in the region linked to They have links with it at owner- ry, Impala wrote an angry letter the spy agency for administrative,
the Central Intelligence Organisa- Sources said the Impala deep ship levels, at operational levels and through its lawyers demanding a operational and investments pur-
tion (CIO), has taken a huge com- state links scandal runs deeper than at financial levels. Impala is a CIO retraction. It claimed the story was poses. Impala vehemently denied
mercial and financial battering due what has so far been exposed. partner at various levels. That is full of lies, but failed to demonstrate links to the CIO, but failed to
to its unsavoury role in abductions why they are reacting the way they it beyond polemics and thus strug- explain the relationship between
and torture of citizens by state se- “The Impala deep state saga is are doing. You have touched a raw gled to wriggle out on important Synergy Harare Car Rental, Impala
curity agents. Investigations by The multidimensional, wide and deep,” nerve,” another source said. issues. Last night it placed an adver- Carriers (Pvt) Ltd and Chilten Trust
NewsHawks show Impala is linked a security source said. “The Muche- torial in The Herald and other me- as well as whether Thompson Don-
to or is owned by CIO despite its hiwa case has allowed people to “The scandal also involves gov- dia platforms, claiming it “has been do at Impala Carriers and Thomp-
angry denials. scrutinise the company like you ernment officials hiring out their subjected to a sustained and spirited son Kanganwirai Dondo at the car
guys at the Hawks are doing. Who cars and then going to hire them for online media campaign that seeks to hire are one and the same person.
This comes as it emerged the really owns it? Who places cars with use by the government – clear cor- tarnish the image and reputation of Sources said they are, despite having
company has been an accessory to it for hire? Who mostly hires its ruption. That is corruption which the company.” two different national registration
the heinous crime of kidnapping of cars? Do they pay duty all the time Impala must not allow. Let Impa- identity numbers.
citizens and torture by state security when they import cars? How many la release the records of all its cars, The NewsHawks last week report-
agents for sometime, making part of abductions have been done using including who the owners are, and ed that, Impala and a related com- Dondo has a dodgy background.
its proceeds blood money – cash ob- their cars? you will see. They must release their pany Impala Carriers has a shady He reportedly ran away from Brit-
tained at the cost of people’s suffer- records and log books in the public ownership structure in which the ain after failing to turn up in court
ing. Outraged by its role in human Why are they not providing interest, in the interest of account- CIO has majority shareholding over immigration crimes, hence he
rights abuses, its clients outside gov- (Global Positioning System) GPS ability and transparency.” through Chilten Trust represent- ran away and became a fugitive.
ernment circles have been pulling and navigational details of the car ed by the rental’s chief executive
out as Impala pays the price for its that abducted Muchehiwa? The Following The NewsHawks sto- In an interview with The Herald
blood money. car that abducted Itai Dzamara in 2011, Dondo – whose life jour-
leading to his enforced disappear- ney took him from Hokonya, near
Non-governmental organisa- ance; where did it come from and Nharira, in Chikomba to Torwood
tions, civil society, international where is it? It is still there or it was in Kwekwe, Harare and to Middles-
organisations, diplomatic missions destroyed? All these are legitimate brough in England, and then back
and individuals have been with- and fair questions which must be to Harare - explained his controver-
drawing or considering doing so answered.” sial escapades in the UK and how he
amid a raging storm over the abduc- ran into trouble. He was arrested a
tion and brutalisation of Tawanda Impala was ordered by the High number of times while working for
Muchehiwa, a journalism student Court in September to provide GPS some dubious workers recruitment
and nephew to journalist Mduduzi navigational details, which would agency for repeatedly violating im-
Mathuthu,Muchehiwa is now in show where the car – a white Ford migration laws. Dondo arrived in
South Africa for security and health Ranger, number plate AES 2433 – England in 1999, but he was back
reasons. went and when, through satellite in home just after seven years, run-
signals, and where Muchehiwa was ning away – as a fugitive.
In the aftermath of the major taken to and tortured.
fallout, several companies have been
dissociating themselves from Impa- However, Impala avoided com-
la, forcing it to go begging for re-en- pliance with the order by rushing to
gagements. The company is also on open a case at Braeside police sta-
an advertising blitz to gloss over the tion in Harare, knowing fully well
spreading abduction scandal. that law enforcement agents would
almost certainly protect the Ferret
“…It has been a pleasure working squad, involving CIO, military in-
with your organisation. It has how- telligence and police, that abducted
ever come to my understanding that Muchehiwa and not act on the side
you have stopped working with us of justice. Sources said Impala hires
following the social media negative out many of its cars to state insti-
publicity which implicated one of tutions and government depart-
our vehicles,” read a letter to com- ments, especially the CIO who are
panies, dated 1 December, by Im- a partner and trusted client. As a
pala general manager Viola Chirata, result, it has been complicit in ab-
sent to several organisations. ductions, wittingly or unwittingly.
Most of the time, abductions went
“We would like to inform you without much public noise largely
that Impala Car Rental is not in because of lack of solid evidence to
any way involved and neither does pin down the abductors and their
it support any activity that violates agents, hence Impala did not take
human rights. We wish to advise any flak. However, in the Muche-
you that our organisation was a vic- hiwa case state agents were caught
tim in that case. We remain com- pants down and this exposed its
mitted to providing the best service complicity.
possible to our clients at all times.
“CIO is entangled with Impala.
NewsHawks News Page 5
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
DUMISANI NYONI Traumatised, broken Tawanda
Muchehiwa attempts suicide
TAWANDA Muchehiwa, the nephew
to ZimLive editor Mduduzi Mathuthu …moves to South Africa for security, health reasons
who was abducted and brutally assault-
ed by state security agents in July, tried Tawanda Muchehiwa
to commit suicide by hanging himself
last week in South Africa, his lawyer Impala timeline
has revealed.
30 July - Tawanda Muchehiwa is abducted from Tile Muchehiwa’s abduction (Anton Piller order);
This came as the Central Intelligence & Carpet Centre in Belmont, Bulawayo;
Organisation (CIO)-linked Impala 18 September- Ngadziore assaulted and arrested for
Car Rental, whose vehicle was used August 1- Bulawayo High Court gives police 72 hours addressing a Press conference 100 metres away from
for the abduction in Bulawayo, last to bring up Muchehiwa; Impala Car Rental, in Hillside, Harare;
night claimed that Muchehiwa — a
journalism student and activist — had August 1 - A badly brutalised Muchehiwa is dumped 18 September -Journalists also assaulted at the Im-
“fled” the country and his case Anton near his Mahatshula home at 10pm; pala Car Rental press conference;
Piller case against them had collapsed,
a claim Muchehiwa’s lawyer Nqobani 27 August- ZimLive releases CCTV footage of Muche- 24 September- Impala Car Rental lawyer denies
Sithole said is misleading. claims that the company gave false information on
hiwa’s abduction; the person who hired the car used in Muchehiwa’s
An Anton Piller order is a court abduction;
order which requires the defendant 28 August - Impala Car Rental owner confirms the
(Impala) in proceedings to permit the company hired out the Ford Ranger used in the ab- 15 October- Students lock up Impala Car Rental of-
plaintiff (Muchehiwa) representatives fices in Harare’s central business district, arguing the
to enter the defendant’s premises in or- duction of Tawanda Muchehiwa;
der to obtain evidence essential to the company was complicit in Muchehiwa’s abduction;
plaintiff’s case. 9 September- Students stage demonstration at
Impala Car Rental headquarters in Hillside suburb, 16 October - Ngadziore is freed on bail;
Sithole said the application did not Harare; 27 November - The NewsHawks exposes Impala-CIO
collapse, but Impala simply did not links and
comply with it. While the High Court 10 September - Zinasu leader Takudzwa Ngadziore
in Bulawayo granted the order, Impala arrested for leading protests at Impala Car Rental; 1 December - Impala denies any links but fails to
dodged compliance by rushing to open wriggle out.
a case with the police in Braeside in 11 September -Bulawayo High Court orders Impala
Harare to hand over the documents to Car Rental to release information on vehicle used in
them, thus frustrate Muchehiwa’s bid
as law enforcements — who almost squad known as the Ferrets, which The judge accepted that the police since then. We are still waiting for has not been forthcoming with the in-
certainly know the CIO abducted the comprises operatives from CIO, mili- knew who was holding him. Doctors them to complete their investigations formation regarding the identity of the
victim — would not share the papers. tary and police, a day before anti-gov- said Muchehiwa’s kidneys were failing and then we will take it from there. person who hired the vehicle. It has also
Sithole said: “We had made an Anton ernment protests which shut down the when he was taken to hospital. Sithole Whoever is trying to investigate is tak- not been cooperating on releasing GPS
Piller application to ensure Impala pro- economy in major cities and towns said the investigation into Muchehiwa’s ing forever. The delay is unjustifiable.” information showing all the places the
duces certain documents and informa- across Zimbabwe. case was “unjustifiably taking long”. vehicle went during the time of hire. As
tion that would assist our client in his He said police keep on re-assigning the Bulawayo High Court Justice Evan- a result, Muchehiwa sought the court’s
case. After abduction in the company investigation to different teams. gelista Kabasa in September ordered intervention and an order was granted
of his relatives and the now removed Impala and the Harare High Court in his favour to have access to the de-
“We got a judgment in our favour, MDC Alliance Bulawayo provincial “There is nothing much happen- sheriff to give Muchehiwa information tails. However, Impala wriggled out by
but they did not comply. But since women’s leader Tendai Masotsha — ing at the moment concerning that that will assist him in unravelling the handing over the documents to the po-
Tawanda is now in South Africa, they who is suspected of entrapping him case (Muchehiwa’s abduction). There identity of his abductors. Muchehiwa’s lice instead of the court, showing they
made an application for a dismissal — Muchehiwa was driven out of is a new team that came from Gweru abduction was captured on CCTV and are desperately trying to protect CIO
of our case in that regard on an attor- town and tortured for three days. He and took over the investigations. They it later emerged that one of the vehicles and other state security agents who ab-
ney-client scale, which is punitive. We was only released after the High Court came two weeks ago,” Sithole said. used in the abduction belongs to Im- ducted Muchehiwa.
are challenging that. Yet we cannot gave police 72 hours to produce him. pala. However, the car rental company
proceed on other issues since our client “We have never heard from them
is outside the country.”
But Sithole said Muchehiwa had
not run away, contrary to what Impala
claims. He said he had gone to South
Africa for security reasons as the Zim-
babwean state had failed to protect
him. It is the primary responsibility of
any state to protect its citizens. Sithole
said the 22-year-old journalism stu-
dent was traumatised by the abduction
and gruesome torture.
“They brutalised, frustrated him
and they are now celebrating a nulli-
ty. The fact is that Tawanda went to
South Africa for security reasons as
the state here failed to protect him and
was thus, he was feeling unsafe after his
horrific experience. If the state exposed
him to risk, as it did, he had to seek
sanctuary somewhere else. The matter
is not over. We are seeking private pros-
ecution,” he said.
“For now he is in South Africa and
is on and off (health-wise). Last week,
he wanted to commit suicide by hang-
ing, but, luckily, he was rescued by his
relatives who then took him to a cer-
tain institution for counselling.”
Mathuthu last night said Impala
chief executive Thompson Dondo’s
claim Muchehiwa ran away was false.
“That is simply untrue. Tawanda
didn’t run away. He went to South Af-
rica for security and medical reasons,”
he said. “Let’s be clear about this issue.
Let’s not be all over the place. The issue
is Tawanda was abducted by state secu-
rity agents and Impala was an accessory
to that crime. If Impala is on the side
of justice and not the state, let them
cooperate in practice, not just by mak-
ing noise claiming to be doing so when
they are not, and avail the records of
the car that was used to abduct him.
Why are they protecting the abduc-
tors?”
Muchehiwa was abducted on 30
July in Bulawayo by a security hit
Page 6 News NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Corruption storm rocks Red Cross Society
Economic and commercial counsellor of the Chinese Embassy Mr Xiaoming Zou hands over ventilators donated to Zimbabwe Red Cross Society national president Edson Mlambo, while acting Secretary for Health and
Child Care Dr Gibson Mhlanga looks on in Harare in july this year.
OWEN GAGARE of corruption allegations, fled and re-elected after failing to ensure was facing serious charges such all global partners.”
is at large. the establishment of an elections that an internal inquiry should Among other issues, workers
THE Zimbabwe Red Cross Soci- committee in line with Article have been instituted to establish
ety (ZRCS) is at a crossroads after Mlambo was in court on 29.9 of the new constitution ad- the substance or lack thereof in questioned the unprocedural dis-
last weekend’s re-election of its Thursday under case number opted in November 2018. line with the society’s fraud and posal of the society’s commercial
president Edson Mlambo, who is ACC115/20 where he is answer- anti-corruption policy, before stand along Fife Avenue in Ha-
battling corruption charges in the ing to two counts of fraud. He Officials also claimed some seeking election. rare, rampant nepotism in the
Anti-Corruption Court, with dis- allegedly defrauded the society of prospective candidates were fired recruitment of staff, the unproce-
gruntled officials saying the poll a Toyota Prado, registration num- from the organisation or side- Documents seen by The News- dural awarding of tenders, misuse
was conducted unconstitutionally, ber ADM 9991 and a Mitsubishi lined so that they do not partici- Hawks indicate that ZRCS staffers of donor funds and society funds,
documents available show. Canter, registration number ABI pate in polls. Among other func- and volunteers have for some time corruption in the national society
6104, which he transferred to tions, the elections committee has been imploring the board to tackle vehicle disposals and violation of
The election was held at a time his name without authorisation. the mandate to “develop electoral cases of corruption, arguing that the procurement policy, among
donors are tightening their purse Zacc is investigating several other standards for campaigning; draw corruption allegations were caus- other anomalies.
strings as a result of rising corrup- allegations. The governing board up criteria for the positions of ing donor flight.
tion allegations in the organisa- of the society in 2015 and 2018 president and vice-president, to be Mlambo agreed to respond to
tion. gave authority for the disposal of approved by the governing board “Because of lack of accountabil- questions by 8pm on Thursday, but
society vehicles through restric- at least one year before the rele- ity and transparency in donor and a ZRCS spokesperson later said an
The poll was overseen by acting tive tenders where preference was vant election; review against the national society funds manage- appropriate responce would be
secretary-general Elias Hwenga, given to members of the national relevant criteria the applications ment, there is serious donor fa- issued soon. Phiri, allegedly on
who is also appearing in court for governing council. of all candidates for the governing tigue and mistrust dealing directly the run, was unreachable on his
allegedly obstructing or defeating board.” with the national society to the cellphone number. Hwenga was
the course of justice, after he re- Mlambo placed bids for the two detriment of the generality of em- also unreachable. ZRCS is a vol-
portedly fired five subordinates vehicles, but did not pay for them The elections committee also ployees, project beneficiaries and untary organisation whose aim is
who had been interviewed by although the human resources de- monitors and oversees all elections the country at large,” a document to alleviate suffering in vulnerable
the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption partment prepared an agreement and announces the results. written by employers for the at- communities. It is an auxiliary to
Commission (Zacc) in connection of sale between the parties. Phiri is tention of Zacc, council members, government as mandated through
with graft allegations against se- alleged to have instructed Hwen- Officials also said the elections provincial managers, directors and the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society
nior staffers. ga, who was the human resources were not conducted in line with heads of department reads. Act of Parliament No 30 of 1981.
director, to give Mlambo the vehi- Article 55, which states that the
Following the interviews, Zacc cle despite non-payment, contrary elections committee should dis- “The national society cannot Orphans and Vulnerable Chil-
officials arrested Mlambo on 9 to the agreement of sale which tribute nomination forms at least effectively participate in very im- dren, the elderly, the chronically
September. Midlands provincial stated that it would be handed four weeks before the General As- portant interventions of human- ill, the HIV infected and affected,
chairperson Vutete Mazorodze over only after full payment. sembly, Provincial Assembly, Dis- itarian nature across the country the elderly and widowed and the
Hapanyengwi was also arrested, trict Assembly or Branch Assem- due to lack of financial support eg generally disadvantaged members
while then secretary-general Max- Senior ZRCS officials say bly meet. Covid-19 response, there is virtu- of the community make up its
well Phiri, who is facing a number Mlambo was uncostitutionally ally no meaningful funding from beneficiary list.
ZRCS staffers also say Mlambo
NewsHawks News Page 7
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Council land
investigation
opens can
of worms
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE use, leading to loss of value; abus- Queen of Hearts Restaurant in Highlands, Harare, is said to be operating illegally.
ing fuel and failing to implement a
AN investigation into the conduct council resolution to stop Queen of in the minutes. gust report sent to the environmental Queen of Hearts to stop commercial
of Harare City Council director of Hearts restaurant and complex from “Land barons may be working management committee on 30 Sep- activities at the stand, which is cate-
works Isaih Chawatama has opened operating. tember 2020. gorised as a residential zone.
a can of worms on a series of scan- with council employees to take both
dals — illegal sale of land, lack of Queen of Hearts is a top restau- state and council land. Involvement “It took time to spend up to 75% “For your information stand
proper systems of use of road funds rant in Highlands, which offers a of council employees in an illegal of the disbursement, delays in getting 227A Highlands, otherwise known
and failure to implement important variety of cuisines and vast swathes sale of land could tarnish council’s proof of payments and account bank as 1 Hurworth Road Highlands Ha-
municipality resolutions. of sitting area and playgrounds for image,” the report says. statements after payments from the rare is situated within a residential
children. It is one of the best eateries accounts office as there was restricted zone 1A (i) of the operative City of
One of the most scandalous issues in Harare. Another issue raised was that staff due to Covid-19.” Harare combined East Sections 1-4
to emerge from the probe is that council received funds amounting to town planning scheme wherein use
Queen of Hearts, a popular upmar- Chawatama is further accused of $10 million from Zinara on 1 June Zinara requires road authorities to of freight containers is prohibited.
ket Harare restaurant in Highlands, sending unwarranted and confiden- 2020, but the procurement depart- acquit disbursements when expendi- Such use amounts to a contravention
is operating illegally. tial WhatsApp messages on formal ment delayed utilisation, sparking ture has reached 75%. of section 24 of the Regional Town
WhatsApp business platforms meant accusations that the department en- and Country Planning Act (chapter
Chawatama was suspended on to “cause alarm and despondency”. gaged companies not able to supply Chawatama also said bitumen 29:12) revised edition 1996,” a let-
8 September by former town clerk the required goods. products were acquired from South ter to Queen of Hearts from council
Hosiah Chisango. And then Chisan- In his responses captured in min- Africa and delayed reaching Zimba- reads.
go was arrested two days later on al- utes of meetings during investiga- “Repeated follow-ups were made bwe as a result of border delays and
legations of being involved in a Ku- tions into alleged misconduct by the with supply chain to check on the restrictions. “You are, therefore, advised to
wadzana land scam. director of works held at Cleveland procurement progress. The chief cease use of freight containers,
House boardroom on 6 October in engineer roads wrote a letter of com- Queen of Hearts was also caught restaurant and shop.” The property
In a suspension letter to Chawat- Harare, Chawatama exposed how plaint to supply chain on the 21stof up in the investigation as it is al- has 20 freight containers being used
ama, Chisango said there was reason land barons were illegally taking over July 2020 after noting delay in de- legedly operating outside council by- as shops.
to believe that his conduct was inap- state and council land. In some in- liveries.” Chawatama said in a 1 Au- laws and regulations.
propriate and unacceptable. stances, council has been selling land
it does not even own. Council has been writing to
The director of works was ac-
cused of issuing an instruction that According to the minutes, land
surveying of land be undertaken barons are amassing land in Hara-
in Mufakose suburb without first re; sometimes working with council
verifying who owns it, which is un- workers. As a result, council risked
procedural. He was also accused of being sued for grabbing state land
delaying Zimbabwe National Roads without authority, according to an
Administration (Zinara) road funds audit report provided as an annexure
LIZWE SEBATA Acute child malnutrition intensifies
ACUTE malnutrition cases are on
the rise in Zimbabwe as food short- severity of a humanitarian crisis. is a benchmark for public health highest prevalence was in Matabele- holds were within the none or light
ages and broader economic hardships “Global Acute Malnutrition in emergency. Nationally, global acute land North (5.5%) and lowest in hunger category, 15.6% in the mod-
take a devastating toll on children – malnutrition in 2020 was 4.5%, an Mashonaland East (3.1%),” the Zim- erate hunger and only 1.4% were in
the silent victims of bad leadership Manicaland, Matabeleland North increase from 3.6% in 2019. The Vac report says. the severe hunger category. Matabele-
and poor governance. and Masvingo has reached 5% which land South had the highest propor-
ZimVac is a technical advisory tion (2.6%) of households that were
A Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assess- committee comprised of representa- within the severe hunger category
ment (ZimVac) 2020 Rural Assess- tives from government, development and Mashonaland East had the least,
ment report shows that the percent- partners, UN, non-governmental 0.3%,” the report says.
age of children receiving a minimum organisations, technical agencies and
acceptable diet necessary for growth the academia. “All provinces had a decrease in the
and development declined from proportion of households consuming
6.9% recorded in 2019 to 2.1%. A total of 200 households were acceptable diets and an increase in
interviewed per district, bringing the proportion of households con-
Without adequate meal frequency, the total sampled households to 11 suming poor diets. Matabeleland
the majority of children are left vul- 971. The researchers used household North (44%) and Masvingo (38%)
nerable to malnutrition, especially food insecurity prevalence as the key had the highest proportion of house-
stunting with Matabeleland North indicator to determine the sample to holds consuming poor diets.”
cited as having the highest cases of ensure 95% confidence level of sta-
global acute malnutrition (Gam) cas- tistical representativeness at district, According to Unicef, severe acute
es in the country. provincial and national level. malnutrition is a major cause of
death in children under five, and its
The United Nations Children’s According to the report, Mani- prevention and treatment are critical
Fund (Unicef) describes Gam as the caland has also reached the 5% mark, to child survival and development.
presence of both severe acute malnu- followed by the Midlands (4.9%),
trition and moderate acute malnutri- Matabeleland South (4.5%), Mash- Across the globe, an estimated 16
tion identified by severe and moder- onaland West (4.4%) and Mashona- million children under the age of 5
ate wasting respectively. land Central (4.1%). are affected by severe acute malnutri-
tion.
Gam is also used as a measure of “Nationally, 82.9% of the house-
the nutritional status of a population
and basic indicator for assessing the
Page 8 News NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
POLITICAL enmities among the rul- Zanu PF, MDC formations refuse
ing Zanu PF and MDC formations to meet in one room for dialogue
— the MDC Alliance and MDC-T
which are fighting a vicious battle The Zimbabwe Institute, a civil society institution, has been organising various meetings and activities among political parties represented in parliament
for the control of the heart and soul
of the main opposition movement idea is to build confidence and trust meetings and they will continue,” won’t recognise Mnangagwa’s win, fighting the MDC Alliance.
— have prevented facilitators of di- among the parties so that they can the source said. “The parties are sup- so that makes it difficult for them to Despite their hostilities, the parties
alogue on critical issues affecting the engage on important issues affect- posed to meet and talk in one room talk,” the official said.
country from bringing the parties ing the country. Lessening political to enhance confidence, trust and un- acknowledge ZI remains critical to
into one room for engagement. tensions is very important. Meetings derstanding, but that has not been Commenting on the recent Nyan- building consensus around a peace-
have been held in Harare, Bulawayo possible for now. That is why they re- ga engagements, a senior MDC Al- ful democratic transition in Zimba-
The Zimbabwe Institute (ZI), a lo- and Nyanga. cently met separately and on different liance leader said: “We held separate bwe by facilitating the engagement
cal policy think-tank and civil society dates.” meetings because coming together and participation of a wide range of
institution, has been organising var- “Before the 2018 elections, there with Zanu PF and MDC-T in one stakeholders in the process. It also
ious meetings and activities among was a lot of progress, but after that A Zanu PF official said it was dif- room is like holding a meeting with conducts research and develop policy
political parties represented in par- there has been some challenges in ficult to engage the MDC Alliance two Zanu PF formations. MDC-T is solutions in important political, social
liament to deal with key issues and facilitating engagement on key issues since its leader Nelson Chamisa Zanu PF; that is their real constituen- and economic areas such as land and
create common ground for dialogue. affecting the country.” refused to recognise President Em- cy. They don’t have people. So we can’t agrarian reform, economic develop-
merson Mnangagwa’s disputed wa- attend such meetings.” ment and transformation, education
The government-convened Polit- However, efforts to lessen political fer-thin 2018 election victory. and health, constitutional reform and
ical Actors Dialogue has been boy- hostilities and tensions will continue. MDC-T have repeatedly denied good governance. – STAFF WRITER
cotted by the main opposition MDC “Chamisa said he did not and that they are Zanu PF surrogates
Alliance and thus failed to make “We have been holding these
headway in resolving the political
stalemate and governance legitimacy
crisis emanating from disputed elec-
tions.
The ZI has been working to facili-
tate high-level dialogue among polit-
ical parties in the country, and with
their peers in the region and interna-
tionally. Over the years, ZI has pro-
vided strategic leadership, focus and
built consensus through facilitating
engagement between civil and polit-
ical societies.
However, last month ZI failed to
bring Zanu PF and the two MDCC
factions into one room to deal with
conflict resolution and mediation
issues at meetings held at Troutbeck
Resort in Inyanga. Instead of having
one meeting among the parties, the
convener held several meetings with
them separately as political hostilities
and distrust among them ran high.
“ZI, with the help of experts from
South Africa and Switzerland, held
several meetings in Nyanga with
Zanu PF, which was led by Patrick
Chinamasa, MDC Alliance led by
Tendai Biti and MDC-T headed by
Thokozani Khupe,” a source among
the parties said.
“The meetings were on conflict
resolution, mediation and reducing
political tensions in the country. In
real terms, it was a conflict resolution
meeting. But we have been holding
a series of meetings for a long time
dealing with various issues, includ-
ing capacity building, women issues,
youth matters, digital skills, electoral
reform and conflict resolution. The
MOSES NGWERE Gloves off in Zanu PF polls “We are going to be using registers
from the districts which were con-
GLOVES are off in Zanu PF as the months of intense bickering in the sibility of rigging and other forms of be a successful hosting of elections stituted in 2017, updated of course
party holds District Coordinating party. Zanu PF sources revealed this irregularities synonymous with these across the eight provinces. The super- through co-options subsequent to
Committee (DCC) elections coun- week factional fights have worsened elections,” another senior Zanu PF of- vising committees, including com- that in order to entrench internal de-
trywide tomorrow which are seen as over the past week as bigwigs square ficial said. missioners and politburo members, mocracy. Any fears of rigging have
a test of strength between President off through proxies. have already been deployed,” Chi- been allayed. The provinces them-
Emmerson Mnangagwa and his “That decision now appears to be namasa said. selves will of course conduct their
ambitious deputy Constantino Chi- “The situation is volatile all over not the wisest looking at it in retro- own elections, but they will do so
wenga, who are leading the two most the country but there are provinces spect because nasty factional fights “We have got a total of 1 248 poll- under the supervision of assigned
powerful factions in the ruling party. like Mashonaland West, Manicaland are happening out there. Some are ing stations in these eight provinces politburo members. Central com-
Zanu PF is re-introducing the DCCs and Mashonaland East where the being disqualified purely on factional but you will realise that by end of day mittee members have also been asked
eight years after they were disbanded political temperature has really risen basis while others are just being el- tomorrow, we may have more of them to monitor proceedings in other dis-
after being deemed to have been the to boiling point,” a Zanu PF central bowed for personal vendetta. Violent in some provinces because we have tricts than where they come from
seedbed for factionalism. At the time committee member from Mashona- clashes cannot be ruled out,” the offi- looked at some geographical consid- to avoid interference and minimise
the Mnangagwa faction was battling land East province said. The party cial said. erations. In Manicaland, for instance, fraud”
a faction led by former vice -presi- official said what has worsened the we will be adding 27 more satellite
dent Joice Mujuru to succeed the late situation was the politburo’s decision However, Zanu PF acting spokes- polling stations to bring them to 287. “The polling itself will take place
former president Robert Mugabe. to let the provinces conduct their own person Patrick Chinamasa claimed This is being done in full consultation one day on Saturday. Collation of
Tomorrow’s elections, to be held in elections. yesterday the party had employed all with polling commissioners,” he said. results will be done on Sunday and
all provinces except Harare and Bu- mechanisms to prevent rigging and the results will be transmitted to the
lawayo which had their own hotly “That has been the source of all expects the process to be smooth. He added that the party had put in national command centre at the na-
contested and violent DCC elections sorts of problems. There is a real pos- place systems to curb rigging. tional headquarters in Harare for
last year, mark the climax following “We are confident that there will official announcement on Monday,”
Chinamasa said.
NewsHawks News Page 9
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
NYASHA CHINGONO Residents risk death from
drinking graveyard water
DESPITE a steady drizzle, women in
a group take turns to fetch water from Hopley residents take turns to fetch water from a shallow well next to Granville Cemetery, commonly known as Mbudzi
a shallow well next to Granville Cem-
etery, commonly known as Mbudzi, ing water contaminated with fluids sources close to graveyards.” ment where residents live in squalor. erected in June, we thought our wa-
in Hopley, 15 kilometres south of from decomposed bodies. Those who have reservations about Since Hopley was formed, the area ter problems would be over, but we
Harare. continue to suffer. Council has taken
In groundwater management, using water from the graveyard, like has had no sewer system or water sup- long to listen to our pleas, it is like
The dead are sharing their space wells should be at least 200 metres Bernard Masawi (46), have to endure ply. they don’t care at all,” Masawi.
with the living. While wells have from contamination sources. a two-kilometre journey to Waterfalls
dried up in Hopley and surrounding suburb to fetch water from a burst “Water is our daily concern. I must Everjoy Mabhuku (27), another
areas, water sources near the ceme- “Because of the physical distances pipe belonging to a water-supply bring a cart so that my family has resident of Hopley, wakes up at 5am
tery have not run out of the precious of the shallow wells and the grave- company, AdLife, which also sells po- enough water for at least two days,” every morning to hunt for the pre-
liquid, hence the living invading the yards, there is high chance that the table water to residents. Masawi told The NewsHawks during cious liquid. This is her third trip of
space reserved for the dead. water is contaminated by fluids from a visit to Hopley. the day. Her crestfallen face is testi-
decomposed bodies. Past studies that For $10, one can buy 20 litres of mony to her daily struggle in Hopley,
The harmony between the dead have been done also point to the fact water. Some residents, especially “I am more concerned about wom- one of the poorest townships outside
and Hopley residents has left many that the groundwater, more so from women and girls, make three or four en and children, who wake up as early Harare.
dumbfounded. For Hopley residents, shallow wells, is contaminated,” Gu- trips per day to get sufficient supplies, as 4am to fetch water. As you can see,
the question of whether it is taboo to mindoga told The NewsHawks. while other enterprising residents this place has a few houses, there is “My vending business was de-
draw water from a graveyard does not fetch water for resale. Since the Ha- not enough security for them. stroyed by the Covid-19 pandemic,
arise. It is a question of survival and To ascertain contamination, Gu- rare City Council in partnership with so I am doing the business of fetch-
nothing else. mindoga said the authorities should some local NGOs installed water “One day we will wake up to hear ing water for my neighbours. This is
take samples from the unprotected pipes in June, residents have not seen that something bad has happened to my fourth bucket, and I hope I can
“This graveyard is like any other wells for testing, as well as analyse the a drop. This was the first time Hopley them, it’s not safe,” he said with a cur- fetch some more,” Mabhuku told The
place. I even come to fetch water at microbiological and physico-chem- residents saw water pipes since they sory glance. NewsHawks.
midnight,” Berita Takadii (37) said. ical constituents of each sample to were resettled here after Zanu PF’s
derive meaningful inferences on the 2005 Operation Murambatsvina — a Masawi, a street vendor, said coun- She sells a 20 litres of water for $30.
“Water is a perennial problem here contamination of the wells. political ploy to depopulate the urban cil should address perennial water Harare’s water woes have become
and we have no choice but to come areas — created the informal settle- problems in the area to combat wa- a perennial problem, with millions of
here every day, even if it means com- “We discourage authorities and ter-borne diseases like typhoid which residents at risk of contracting diseases
ing in the dead of night,” Takadii said communities from developing water often haunt residents. like typhoid and cholera.
while doing her laundry. While major cities like Bulawayo
“When we saw water pipes being are already grappling with a diarrhoea
Takadii, a mother of three, said outbreak, Harare residents are bracing
while she is often concerned about the for an outbreak as the city authorities
quality of water, desperation leads her maintain stringent water rationing
back to this well daily. where taps remain dry for weeks.
Another resident, Manfred Muipi
“I am concerned that I may be (46), said council has a responsibility
drinking contaminated water, but to provide water for the residents.
there is no other choice. We only have “The water problems are not new
a few reliable water sources here. Peo- here; it is a perennial issue. When gov-
ple walk more than two kilometres to ernment resettled people here in 2005
fetch water daily, it is a real problem. there was no water. Water problems
Government should do something, became more pronounced in 2014
we are suffering,” Takadii told The because the wells that residents had
NewsHawks. dug dried up due to drought,” Muipi
said.
With a bucket of water firmly “Now that there are no sufficient
fixed on her head, Isabel Marere (17) rains, the water table is now very low.
makes haste to reach home as the De- Since then, we have been in a crisis.
cember drizzle threatens to soak her. So, we are in a deep crisis. We are ask-
She has lost count of how many times ing for clean water from government.”
her family has drunk the graveyard
water. This is the only life she knows.
“I fetch water here daily. Some-
times, my family and I complain
of stomach aches, but we have no
choice,” Marere said.
“All we need are decent boreholes,
but in their absence, this is the only
source of water.”
Clad in a worn out T-shirt and
jeans, Munyaradzi Masinjana (41)
monitors residents drawing water
about 14 metres from the graveyard.
He claims to own the shallow well,
which has saved thousands from
thirst in Hopley.
“My well provides water to 500
residents daily, I am helping many
people. I just get a token in the form
of money, cigarettes or clothes, but
I believe I am doing good work for
the community,” Masinjana, who is
known as Rasta in Hopley, said.
“This is the purest water you will
always find around here. None of the
people, who come here have ever felt
ill.”
Norman Saurombe (43), a grave
digger, has often shared his concerns
about the graveyard water, but it has
landed on deaf ears.
“I really fear for the residents be-
cause the rainy season is now upon
us and graves are likely to be washed
away. As you can see, the soil here is
sandy so the decomposed particles
from the bodies may contaminate
the water,” Saurombe said, pointing
at one grave, which has already been
destroyed by recent rains.
A hydrologist and water resources
management lecturer at the Universi-
ty of Zimbabwe, Webster Gumindo-
ga, said the residents could be drink-
Page 10 News NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
High Court upholds prisoner rights
THE High Court has ordered the govern- arrhoea outbreak at the correctional facility. ter at Chikurubi Maximum Prison”. Temporarily, the prison officials are ex-
ment, prison officials, and the Zimbabwe Dodzo also said there had been hepatitis He ordered Ncube to avail the funds to pected to provide water containers, bowsers
Human Rights Commission to ensure water and other means of supplying water.
is provided in prison and prisoners get suit- B and tuberculosis outbreaks. finance the installation of water taps and
able accommodation for prisoners. Justice Musithu directed the respondents, purification facilities so that there can be The judge also ordered the authorities to
potable water at the prison and for the con- ensure that, within two weeks, beans is not
High Court judge Paul Siyabona Musithu Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service struction of additional prison accommoda- always the only alternative source of protein
ruled that the failure by the parties to con- commissioner-general Moses Chihobvu, tion to eliminate overcrowding. to meat. Other issues to be addressed ac-
stantly supply Taurai Dodzo and other Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Agri- cording to the order are the stocking of the
prisoners at Chikurubi Maximum Security culture minister Anxious Masuka, Finance “…Chihobvu, Ziyambi and Masuku shall hospital and pharmacy at the prison with
Prison with water violated section 77 of the minister Mthuli Ncube and the Human take the steps that are necessary for the de- essential medicines and the installation of
Constitution and that the failure to comply Rights Commission to sink additional bore- congestion of Chikurubi Maximum Prison the requisite technology. Justice Musithu
with basic hygiene and dietary standards holes and to “install appropriate facilities, to within carrying capacities of that facility also ordered that Dodzo be moved back to
was unlawful. The ruling came after a court specifically including water taps and water and within populations suited for compli- the prison’s B Hall or A Hall from the D Hall
application by inmate Dodzo following a di- purification facilities that would perma- ance with social distancing rules,” Justice that he had been moved to. – STAFF WRITER
nently ensure the availability of potable wa- Musithu’s order reads.
LIZZY DLODLO Beitbridge border covered. The Zimbabwean govern-
post off to slow start ment declared the Covid-19 crisis
HUMAN and vehicular traffic re- elling and crossing the border. Oth- “All the other processes are ok, complications. Besides the prices a “national disaster” on 27 March,
mains low at Beitbridge, the region’s ers have failed to raise the US$60 but the current set-up is a disadvan- of Covid-19 tests, fears of the pan- a move allowing it to commandeer
busiest port of entry with South Af- for Covid-19 testing locally,” an im- tage for many cross-border traders,” demic itself and cumbersome travel state resources towards fighting the
rica, four days after the border was migration officer said. Moyo told The NewsHawks. processes, people have no money pandemic, to use emergency regula-
opened to the public in the after- to travel as economies, companies tions, and to deploy personnel for
math of the global Covid-19 pan- “However, laboratories are now “Zimbabwe requires certificates and informal sector activities, were the same services.
demic which shut down the world. lowering the prices by 50% so not more than 48 hours and South grounded for the better part of the
that they remain in business. Tight Africa needs certificates not more year. Covid-19 changed social, po- Government began a nationwide
A survey of the border post by screening of travellers is being done than three days. litical and economic spheres, as well lockdown on 30 March, which was
The NewsHawks yesterday showed at all border entrance points.” as people’s interests, activities and slightly eased and extended indef-
that there were only trickles of peo- “Our view as informal traders habits. Immigration officers said the initely on May 16. Although the
ple and cars, including commercial South Africa has a standby mo- is that this certificate timeframe movement and flow of people re- lockdown has ended, there are still
vehicles, crossing to and from Zim- bile testing laboratory to cater for should be uniform in both coun- mained very low at the border, but strict Covid-19 rules and protocols
babwe and South Africa as traffic those who would need further test- tries to avoid confusion and incon- indicated that traffic might pick up applying.
struggles to pick up in what is usu- ing during screening. veniences.” in the next few weeks towards the
ally the busiest port of entry in the festive holidays. Travellers who arrive in Zimba-
region. Susan Moyo, an informal trader Rufaro Gwenhure said the pric- bwe with a negative Covid-19 test
travelling between the two coun- es of Covid-19 tests in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe has 10 1289 con- performed within 48 hours of ar-
Beitbridge is widely regarded as tries, said Zimbabwe and South Af- are likely to affect most low in- firmed coronavirus cases and 277 rival may proceed to their homes
the busiest border town in sub-Sa- rica should synchronise the validity come earners as they make trav- deaths. At least 8 643 victims re- where they must quarantine for 14
haran Africa. Travellers said move- of the Covid-19 certificates to either elling more expensive, over and days.
ment has now changed and as a re- 48 hours or 72 hours. above other processes and attendant
sult now people spend so much time Arriving passengers without a
going through the coronavirus-re- Covid-19 test must either be test-
lated processes since the re-opening ed upon arrival or quarantined in
of the border on Tuesday. a government centre for 14 days.
Diplomats are exempt from the
“Currently there is low human testing requirement, but must still
and vehicular traffic; people have respect the 14-day home quaran-
adopted a cautious attitude to trav- tine. Borders are now open.
NewsHawks Editorial & Opinion Page 11
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020 CARTOON
Debt secrecy is
bad governance
The High Court has passed a landmark ruling which highlights Investigating abductors, finding Impala:
the scandalous manner in which public finances are managed Let’s tell the truth and shame the devil
in this country. goal; its shareholders, be they Thompson What is Impala afraid of?
IN the midst of the raging storm buffeting Dondo’s family or the CIO, or whoever, The issue won’t go away by Impala mere-
Justice Happias Zhou ordered Finance minister Mthuli Ncu- Impala Car Rental, a Zimbabwean com- are not the only people to whom it must be ly ranting and raving, while kicking dust.
be to publish details of all loans and guarantees incurred by the pany with operations in the region, many accountable to. Other stakeholders such as No. A lot of questions — which need an-
government from January 2017 to 1 December 2020. This in- issues bordering on transparency and ac- employees and the public or communities swers — will be asked.
cludes loans from the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim- countability have now arisen. also require their accountability. The Impala saga is multidimensional,
bank) and other international financiers. wide and deep, as one source told us this
It must be stated from the beginning The issue here is clear. Impala buys or week. It allows people to scrutinise the
Harare North Member of the National Assembly Allan that the private sector, just like the public hires cars from people and in turn hires company like we are doing. People will ask
Markham and the Community Water Action Trust filed a law- sector, must be accountable. them out to clients. So it deals with the who really owns it? Who places cars with
suit against the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Afreximbank public at various interfaces in its business it for hire? Who mostly hires its cars? Do
in September 2019. The government has routinely contracted It doesn’t merely exist to make profit and model and operations. they pay duty all the time when they im-
debt without seeking consulting Parliament, in violation of sec- go. The private sector deals with the public port their cars?
tion 300 (3) of the Constitution. and makes money from the public. Thus In this case, journalists started investigat- How many other abductions have been
it has got to be transparent and account- ing who abducted Tawanda Muchehiwa on done using their cars? Why is Impala not
The illegal contracting of public and publicly guaranteed able, although the requirements of so doing 30 July in Bulawayo. That was the issue at willing to provide (Global Positioning Sys-
debt is a clear manifestation of the governance deficit that has might be rather different from the public the beginning. tem) GPS and navigational details of the
contributed to the destruction of the economy. sector thresholds. car that abducted Muchehiwa?
In the process of so doing, they came And people will even go further to ask
There is abundant evidence showing that Zimbabwe’s public In the aftermath of The NewsHawks’ across some CCTV footage showing how about other abductions. The car that ab-
and publicly guaranteed debt is grossly understated. Grey debt current investigation which links Impala the abduction process was carried out by ducted Itai Dzamara in 2015, leading to his
— and some would even argue secret debt, too — is a reality. to the state security agency, Central Intel- state security agents in broad daylight and enforced disappearance; where did it come
For instance, the authorities stubbornly refused to acknowledge ligence Organisation (CIO) in terms of its indeed information started flowing in. from and where is it now? It is still there or
that the financial liabilities arising from the hitherto unresolved ownership and operations, this issue has it was destroyed?
farmer compensation saga would further burden the taxpayer assumed a new agency and become urgent. One of the abduction vehicles - a white All these are legitimate and fair ques-
in future. We did not have to wait long to see that happening. However, private sector companies often Ford Ranger, number plate AES 2433 - was tions which must be answered. They don’t
Effectively, the nation’s debt was grossly understated to the tune want to hide behind the argument that need frothing at the mouth and emitting
of billions of dollars. they are not public entities, hence don’t Hawk Eye hot air without substance
have to bear the same levels of public Impala was ordered by the High Court
It is no longer sustainable for officials to continue pretending scrutiny when it comes to accountability. Dumisani in September to provide GPS navigational
that there is no debt crisis. When you consider that total public Muleya details, which would show where the car
and publicly guaranteed debt is estimated to reach 78.7% of Well, private companies may be pri- — a white Ford Ranger, number plate
gross domestic product by the end of 2020, you begin to see vate limited entities in terms of the law linked to Impala, which later confirmed it AES 2433 — went and when through
how the debt issue poses a clear and present danger to economic and incorporation, but their activities belonged to them. The real owner was also satellite signals, and where Muchehiwa was
stability and national survival. involve the public and thus the need for identified. taken to and tortured. If Impala cooperates
public accountability. Acting in bad faith, on this, most of the questions would be eas-
There are countless examples of shambolic debt manage- but within its rights, Impala last night Inevitably, Muchehiwa and the public ily answered and justice served.
ment, bordering on criminality. The US$200 million farm placed a frothing advertorial in local me- had to demand to know who had hired the Launching a publicity blitz and taking
mechanisation debt which was offloaded by political elites onto dia platforms, claiming that it “has been vehicle during the time of abduction. acres of advertorial space in the media won’t
the shoulders of taxpayers is one of them. subjected to a sustained and spirited online help anything at all to resolve this crisis
media campaign that seeks to tarnish the So Impala was asked to cooperate since a without the truth being told.
The powerful rulers of the land and their cronies freely image and reputation of the company.” crime had been committed. A very serious Stories being written, including that are
walked away with expensive agricultural equipment. Instead of and egregious crime. There was need for linked to or owned by the CIO, are a symp-
paying for this machinery, they placed that burden on the pov- It also repeated its earlier statement Impala to waiver its usual client-company tom of the problem, not the cause.
erty-stricken taxpayer. It stinks to high heaven. which purports to expose lies and rebuff confidentiality protocols to assist unravel Only an incompetent chief executive
the story that its ownership structures are the heinous crime and identify perpetrators and an inept public relations hack wouldn’t
It beggars belief that such brazen officially-sanctioned loot- shadowy and intertwined with CIO enti- for justice to prevail. Impala was supposed see that.
ing can happen in the 21st century, with citizens not lifting a ties, particularly Chilten Trust. to provide that without being pressured. Without wasting time, Impala must re-
finger. Primitive accumulation has its limits and officials who lease its documents, records and log books
abuse power must be brought to justice. The beneficiaries of The NewsHawks replied to those issues But what did it do? relating to the abduction car in the public
that equipment are known and most of them are still alive. Why on Twitter, clarifying issues and pointing It strongly resisted doing so to a point interest; indeed in the interest of account-
on earth would a government preside over such naked looting? out mistakes Impala is making in self-de- of avoiding a High Court order to provide ability, transparency and justice.
fence. Impala has a right to defend itself, that after Muchehiwa’s Anton Piller appli- Let’s tell the truth and shame the devil.
In a constitutional democracy — which Zimbabwe claims to but it can’t avoid public accountability be- cation, while claiming to be cooperating
be — public and publicly guaranteed debt must never be con- yond financial matters. with the victim’s pursuit of justice.
sidered a state secret. In terms of the law, all debt contracted by
the government must be communicated to the National Assem- Accountability in this case entails issues
bly. The willful failure to abide by that stipulation is tantamount and performance in non-financial areas
to criminal conduct. But for political leaders to go a step further including social corporate responsibility
by forcing the long-suffering taxpayer to inherit such toxic debts and sustainability. Financial performance
is adding insult to injury. Treasury and the central bank must and profit can’t be Impala’s only important
never be used as conduits for looting. For a long time, the RBZ
was captured by political elites and used like a personal feeding
trough. Institutional decay, fuelled by politicians, is at the heart
of the governance malaise that has devastated this country.
Faced with political leaders who do not respect the law, cit-
izens must stand up and take an active interest in matters of
economic management. It is vital to also ensure that parliament
plays its oversight role. A rubber-stamping legislature is of no
use to the taxpayers. In addition, we must see civil society and
the media playing a more robust role in holding the leaders ac-
countable.
The Constitution spells out the tenets of good governance:
transparency, accountability, justice and responsiveness. These
important values must guide the conduct of every public offi-
cial.
Reaffirming the fundamental importance The NewsHawks is published on different EDITORIAL STAFF: Marketing Officer: Voluntary Media
of freedom of expression and media free- content platforms by the NewsHawks Digital Managing Editor: Dumisani Muleya Charmaine Phiri Council of Zimbabwe
dom as the cornerstone of democracy and Media which is owned by Centre for Public Assistant Editor: Brezh Malaba Cell: +263 735666122
as a means of upholding human rights Interest Journalism News Editor: Owen Gagare [email protected] The NewsHawks newspaper subscribes to the Code
and liberties in the constitution; our mis- No. 100 Nelson Mandela Avenue Digital Editor: Bernard Mpofu [email protected] of Conduct that promotes truthful, accurate, fair and
sion is to hold power in its various forms Beverly Court, 6th floor Reporters:
and manifestations to account by expos- Harare, Zimbabwe Bridget Mananavire, Nyasha Chingono, Enoch Muchinjo Subscriptions & Distribution: balanced news reporting. If we do not meet these
ing abuse of power and office, betrayals +263 735666122 standards, register your complaint with the Voluntary
of public trust and corruption to ensure Trustees/Directors: Email: [email protected] Media Council of Zimbabwe at No.: 34, Colenbrander
good governance and accountability in Beatrice Mtetwa, Raphael Khumalo, Rd, Milton Park, Harare. Telephone: 024-2778096 or
the public interest. Professor Wallace Chuma, Teldah Mawarire,
Doug Coltart 024-2778006,
24Hr Complaints Line: 0772 125 659
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
WhatsApp: 0772 125 658, Twitter: @vmcz
Website: www.vmcz.co.zw, Facebook: vmcz Zimbabwe
Page 12 Perspectives & Reviews NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Brett Farming Frankenstein monster
Chulu and not-so-smart Smart Farming
THE post-Cabinet briefing of 1 ing it to the Grain Marketing Board of oilseeds (mainly soya bean). These property rights regimes, namely It is also a very big misconception
December on the progress of the at record profit without producing numbers imply a productivity rate of freehold, leasehold and management that one needs synthetic fertilisers to
summer farming season has figures anything. With corruption rife, the 16 tonnes per hectare for maize and rights. We have just demonstrated as do Pfumvudza. Pfumvudza can be
that put into question the production producer price has likely created a 3.2 tonnes per hectare for soya bean. a nation that farmers without titled done entirely with organic nutri-
numbers government planners have honeypot for get-rich-quick schemes. The national budget worked with land and who are relatively less-re- tion — this a point the originators
publicly shared. Serious questions History is likely to repeat itself — we a target of 80 000 tonnes for soya sourced can be highly productive on of Pfumvudza have explicitly made
on efficiency and return on a dollar have been here before. Second, the bean for 2021. Given the data from limited land. — it is tried and tested. The circular
spent in agriculture are brought to producer prices, in their current per- the post-Cabinet briefing this week, version of Pfumvudza would see
the fore, surfacing serious ironies. mutation, are likely to drive perverse we expect the National Enhanced This is not a new phenomenon. In farmers using waste from animals
behaviour — driving farmers to Productivity Programme farmers to the Netherlands, land is an extremely and residue from previous cropping
Let us start with the pre-planting dedicate less cropping for maize and produce soya bean at a rate of 1.86 scarce resource, forcing the national cycles to prepare natural fertilisers
producer prices. The post-Cabinet soya bean. The systemic consequenc- tonnes per hectare. agriculture strategy in that country rich in the three main elements
briefing recorded in principle that es of the guaranteed producer prices to focus on enhancing productivity (nitrogren, phosphorous,potassium),
pre-planting producer prices would for cereals and soya bean need to be The Pfumvudza programme, on small units of land. That strategy micro-elements such as calcium and
be announced, underlining that tra- carefully re-assessed lest they become derisively given the moniker “dhiga has worked; the Netherlands is the trace elements such as boron. It is a
ditional grains would attract a 20% a Frankenstein monster. ufe (death by digging)” by critics, second largest exporter of agricul- well-known fact that banana peels
premium over maize. On Thursday, is expected to outgun the Smart tural products in the world after are a powerful source of potassium in
the producer prices were announced: The post-Cabinet briefing indi- Agriculture Programme in terms of the United States. The Netherlands the making of natural fertilisers. All
$32 000 per tonne for maize, $38 cates that on the National Enhanced productivity: 3.3 times for maize and produces agricultural exports worth those banana peels currently being
000 per tonne for traditional grains Productivity Programme (formerly 1.7 times for soya bean. On a raw between US$70 billion and US$90 thrown away are an untapped source
and $48 000 per tonne for soya bean. Command Agriculture) or Smart hectarage basis, Pfumvudza is pro- billion every year. The Netherlands for natural fertiliser production.
Agriculture Programme, 285 440 ducing on less total hectarage than covers 41 543 square kilometres. Someone might say this approach
For starters, the announcement is hectares had been registered out of a the Smart Agriculture Programme Zimbabwe covers 390 957 square will kill our fertiliser industry. Well,
late — the government encouraged target of 290 000 hectares, represent- but outproducing it (Smart Agricul- kilometres. Zimbabwe is 9.41 times from 2030 onwards, global circular
land preparations for the 2020/2021 ing 98,4% of the target. A total of 11 ture Programme) in total tonnage bigger than the Netherlands yet the agriculture will cause seismic shifts
cropping season before producer 829 farmers were registered for the for both maize and soya bean. This value of agricultural exports from the in the fertiliser industry; we have to
prices were announced. This will National Enhanced Productivity Pro- is the mother of ironies. What then Netherlands is about 2.5 times the prepare for those changes now with
confuse farmers, especially those un- gramme, with 932 of these farmers is smart about the Smart Agriculture entire economy of Zimbabwe. the insights being shared here.
der the Presidential Climate-Proofed having registered 43 067 hectares for Programme if it is out-competed by
Scheme, who have been working soya bean. The 2021 national budget a non-mechanised programme that Clearly, our agricultural challenge Clearly, our A2 and A1 farming
with the three-plot plan. It might put a maize output target of 1.4 uses fewer resources? is less a function of property rights is calibrated for serious inefficiency
result in farmers cannibalising maize million tonnes for the 2020-2021 and politics and more of a crisis of while churning out low productivity
production in favour of the other cropping season. It seems the nation- What enhanced productivity is imagination. Here is the proof: the numbers. The principles of Pfum-
two crops. Strategy is systemic — in- al budget ignored the production there to talk about in the National Command Agriculture Programme vudza developed in this country
troducing a new variable in a system from non-A2 farmers in coming up Enhanced Productivity Programme has been pivoted from direct fiscal were 50 years ahead of their time.
will cause a chain of changes. with the maize output projection. when the well-resourced farmers fa- support to private sector financing, We should be taking the principles
The 1.4 million tonnes work out to voured with mechanisation and vast yet no productivity gains are expect- of Pfumvudza and developing them
Although the idea of guaranteed 4.83 tonnes of maize per hectare. tracts of land are outdone manifold ed — the national data says so. further in line with the evolving
producer prices has been tested by This maize output rate is comparable by “dhiga ufe”? vision of circular agriculture. We
time with the European Union’s to the 5 tonnes per hectare that was We are still struggling with need to recalibrate an institution like
Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) set for the Command Agriculture The architecture of our farming leveraging on the scientific leaps Lupane State University to become a
routinely used, the strategy has programme. This is where things organisation should not have such ushered by the Green Revolution of centre of agricultural research. Even
spawned unintended consequences start to get interesting. glaring structural inconsistencies. the 1950s and 1960s to enhance our better, let us have a private university
of overproduction characterised as If the productivity rates under productivity. The world is moving of agricultural research. All we need is
wine lakes and food mountains. We In sharp contrast, the Pfumvud- Pfumvudza are practical then there on. The next game-changer in global for government to cast a bold vision
may not experience soya bean and za programme is expected to yield is a strong case to set up a serious agriculture is called circular agricul- for agriculture and motivate Zim-
sorghum mountains in Zimbabwe, 1.8 million tonnes of maize from research and development strategy ture. The Dutch have made their babwean citizens to work towards
but we may see the cannibalisation 1.8 million rural households. The to further develop the principles statement of intent to become the it — that is how the Dutch do it. For
of the production of a key crop. Pro- post-Cabinet briefing indicates that of Pfumvudza. This will help us to global leader in circular agriculture that to happen, we need to de-politi-
ducer prices need to be announced 2.14 million households have regis- creatively address our property rights by 2030. Circular agriculture is cise agriculture, re-build the social
before the land preparations are done tered for Pfumvudza. This translates challenge. It turns out we do not hi-tech agriculture that leverages on contract so that there is trust between
and aligned to the overall plan. to 267 500 hectares of land expected need a lot of farmland to be highly nature to reach high productivity. By the citizenry and government.
to produce under 2.14 million productive for major crops. 2050, there will be three billion more
The producer price for maize tonnes of maize and 428 000 tonnes people to feed. As per the analysis of Key people in government seem
is off the charts. That of soybean, Here is an opportunity to divvy leading agricultural economists and to be highly skeptical of Pfumvudza
at the grey market rate, is about up our farmland into a mixture of agricultural scientists, productivity of as shown by the numbers put in the
US$480 per tonne and is at par agriculture based on fertilisers, chem- budget. The agricultural numbers
with the import parity price. At the ical pesticides and commercial feed in the national budget rest on the
official rate, the guaranteed soybean is about to reach its limits. A point assumption of agricultural mediocri-
producer price is US$600 per tonne. will soon be reached where the planet ty no matter how the agriculture pro-
The maize guaranteed producer price will stop giving its yield, more like grammes are couched in razzle-dazzle
is US$400 per tonne at the forex the curse experienced by Cain when nomenclature; the proof is in the
auction rate or US$320 per tonne at God pronounced that the ground substance, not the label.
the unofficial exchange rate. In South would not yield her fruit to him no
Africa, the export parity price for matter how hard he tried. This is The post-Cabinet briefing has giv-
maize is the equivalent of US$150 the rationale for circular agriculture. en us statistics which, when peeled,
per tonne. The world maize price is The underlying principle of circular clearly show that there is a disjunc-
currently US$155 per tonne. The agriculture is farming with nature, ture between the national agricultural
world maize price is projected to rise not against nature. vision and the practical steps on the
to US$160 per tonne. This means ground. I am not an anti-govern-
our guaranteed maize producer price The principles of Pfumvudza ment critic — that is not my style
is between 2.1-2.7 times the import are in line with circular agriculture. — but science is telling us a story
parity price. There is also scope for Pfumvudza portends the future that is more compelling than what is
arbitrage in soybean trade; those con- of global agriculture. The version being touted. I pitch my tent in the
nected to the levers of influence may of Pfumvudza the government is camp of science. I want agriculture
import soya bean and chase a gross spearheading does not capture all to succeed. Truth is a key pillar of the
arbitrate margin of about US$120 that the originators of Pfumvudza success we need.
per tonne of soya bean. had in mind when they crafted it in
the 1980s. Some view Pfumvudza Brett Chulu is a management
Here are two examples of classic as conservation agriculture and with consultant and a classic ground-
arbitrage-making that will likely that mischaracterisation proliferate ed theory researcher who has
upend the intention of ramping up the misconception that Pfumvudza published research in an academic
production in cereals and oilseeds. is about taking a hoe and digging peer reviewed international jour-
The unintended consequences will holes on unprepared land. That is not nal. He can be contacted through
transmit economic perversion in two Pfumvudza. Land can be prepared by email: brettchuluconsultant@
ways. First, it will create arbitrage, tractors and animal-drawn imple- gmail.com
with the connected bringing in maize ments.
and soybean from the region and sell-
Business
MATTERSNewsHawks
MARKETS CURRENCIES LAST CHANGE %CHANGE COMMODITIES LAST CHANGE %CHANGE
EUR/USD 1.181 +0.003 +0.24 -0.46
USD/JPY 105.12 -0.3 -0.285 *OIL 41.26 -0.19 -1.01
GBP/USD 1.311 -0.011 -0.809 -2.31
USD/CHF 0.915 -0.002 -0.262 *RBOB GAS 1.164 -0.012 +0.709
USD/CAD 1.314 +0.008 +0.6 +0.16
*NAT GAS 2.961 -0.07
*GOLD 1,874.8 +13.2
*SILVER 24.305 +0.038
Rejected DIDG
investors seal
US$300m deal
SOME executives of the Dias- tender to recapitalise the mori- cial to the consortium.
pora Infrastructure Develop- bund rail operator in 2017 be- “The appointment of Gri-
ment Group (DIDG) who were fore the deal was overturned by
elbowed out of the US$400 Matiza. naker-LTA is a significant and
million National Railways of quality milestone achieved.
Zimbabwe (NRZ) recapital- Through its lawyers Ather- Though for now they are fo-
isation project have appointed stone & Cook, the consortium cused on the heart and centre of
Bheki Mdlalose of Grinaker is suing Matiza and the NRZ our operations, which is build-
LTA to spearhead a R4.5 billion for US$215 million for damag- ing the technical services cen-
(US$300 million) plant con- es arising from the government’s tre, we are happy as Nyanza to
struction to produce titanium conduct. NRZ is making frantic have them advise on the broader
dioxide and other nano-titani- efforts to get funders to bankroll issues around the main plant.
um products. the project, clandestinely meet- We have no doubt of the qual-
ing financiers as the recapitalisa- ity they will deliver and look
Through Nyanza Light Met- tion programme remains unat- forward to working with them,”
als, a chemical manufacturing tractive investors. Chimhandamba said.
company established in 2011,
which has partnered the Rich- The 100% black-owned con- Grinaker-LTA, which is 100%
ards Bay Industrial Development sortium has set its sights on the black-owned, has over a century
Zone Company, the consortium US$20 billion a year titanium of experience in construction,
members have begun building dioxide pigment market. Tita- mechanical and electrical engi-
an 80 000-tonne-per-annum nium dioxide is a critical com- neering within specialised indus-
plant in Richards Bay, 170 ki- ponent in the manufacture of trial plants.
lometres north of Durban, in products such as paint and in-
South Africa. dustrial coatings. “This project came at a time
when there has been a sharp de-
The Zimbabwean government The new venture will also take cline in construction sector and
terminated the DIDG contract advantage of the export market an increase in unemployment
with NRZ on the grounds that for value-added titanium prod- particularly in Richards Bay.
the consortium had failed to ucts. South Africa is a net im- Our strategy targets areas where
bankroll the project even it had porter of titanium value-added positive societal impact can grow
secured a syndicated loan of products. in tandem with our business,
close to US$1 billion and term in ever more innovative ways,”
sheets. Nyanza’s new partnership also Mdlalose said. – STAFF WRITER
includes construction of a R200
DIDG opposed cabinet’s de- million semi-production plant,
cision, saying the termination with the second being the main
was fraught with irregularities, production plant. The combined
with Transport and Infrastruc- investment amounts to R4.5 bil-
ture Development Minister Joe lion.
Biggie Matiza accused of trying
to smuggle in a preferred bidder “At peak production, the main
via the back door. production plant will produce
over 80 000 tonnes per annum
The consortium had won the of titanium dioxide pigment as
well as other nano-titanium-re-
lated products from titaniferous Technical Services Centre has
slags,” reads the statement issued commenced in December 2020
by Richards Bay’s Industrial De- with G-LTA starting with site
velopment Zone. establishment and equipment
mobilisation, whose scope is of
“The appointment of Gri- a turnkey project,” further reads
naker-LTA (G-LTA) heralds the the statement.
start of the first phase of this
unique and significant project Nyanza Light Metals chief
which will enhance Richards executive, who is also DIDG
Bays’ position as the Titanium executive chairman, Donovan
Capital of the African Con- Chimhandamba, said Grinaker’s
tinent. Construction of the appointment would be benefi-
Page 14 Companies & Markets NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
ECONET Wireless subsidiary, Cas- Econet closes branches Tourist
sava Smartech, has cut down on its facilities
agency and branch network fol- Econet Wireless sister company, Cassava Smartech, scales down target locals
lowing a sharp drop in transactions
carried out under the company’s es, but was observing Covid-19 reg- customers to travel to our shops for $1.9 billion and contributing only NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
cellphone-based money transfer, fi- ulations. service support.” 6.86% to total revenue for the quar-
nancing and microfinance platform ter,” Zimra board vice-chairperson MOST tourism and hospitality play-
and the outbreak of the Covid-19 “In view of the health and safety Last month, the Zimbabwe Rev- Josephine Matambo, said. ers have announced steep cuts in
pandemic, The NewsHawks have es- threat imposed on us by the Covid-19 enue Authority (Zimra) missed its charges for their services during the
tablished. pandemic, we have aligned our busi- third-quarter target on intermediated Cassava Smartech recently said in festive season as the industry turns to
ness operations with WHO (World money transfer tax–the controversial a trading update that its mobile mon- domestic travellers to recover from
The government’s decision to cap Health Organisation) guidelines of 2% charge on electronic transac- ey transfer unit registered an 11% the aftershocks of the Covid-19 pan-
daily and monthly transactional social distancing, mandatory mask- tions–after the Reserve Bank of Zim- transactional value decline in the face demic, which has restricted global
limits in April this year to tame in- ing up and hand-sanitising. We have babwe (RBZ) tightened screws on of a stricter operating environment travel.
formal foreign currency transactions introduced these protocols in all our mobile money platforms in a bid to imposed by the central bank.
not only resulted in the reduction shops and working spaces,” Man- contain a rampant informal foreign With some traditional tourism
of intermediated money transfer tax diveyi said in a written response. currency trading market. The nature of transactions pro- source markets such as Britain rein-
(commonly known as the 2% tax) cessed on the EcoCash platform, troducing lockdowns to slow down
for government, but could have also “To ensure the continued provi- Official statistics obtained from which are high volume and low val- a second wave of the disease, which
resulted in job cuts for thousands sion of essential telecommunication Zimra show revenue performance ue, has seen quantum on the plat- has killed hundreds of thousands
of agents dotted around the coun- and related services, all our shops for the quarter ended 30 September form going down to about 19% of across the globe, experts say domestic
try. Daily limits now stand at $5 remain open countrywide (we have plunged due to the crackdown on the total value on the National Pay- tourism is now expected to carry the
000 (about US$50). Apart from the not closed any shops), with our staff Econet and other mobile money net- ments System, from 30% in 2019. day. Already, thousands of employ-
transactional limits, the government observing and maintaining all the works–costing the tax collector $1.9 ees in the sector have been laid off
also introduced several measures required health protocols within our billion; 32.2% of the revenue head In its trading update for the peri- after months of a Covid-19-induced
such as the suspension of agent- shops as they serve our customers. target. od ended 31 August 2020, Cassava shutdown. Hospitality Association
to-agent transactions; ban of use of said despite the reduced contribution of Zimbabwe Matabeleland North
multiple wallets by individuals effec- “For the convenience and safety During the same period last year, of EcoCash, its performance shows chapter chairperson Anald Musonza
tive 8 September 2020, suspension of our customers, we have developed the 2% tax registered over 400% that, the group’s revenue diversifica- said as operators, they have had to
of some EcoCash user categories and digital self-care platforms that give revenue increase, but after the crack- tion strategy has seen some resilience rework their marketing strategies, in-
functions; suspension of agents with alternative touch points for service down its tax contribution dwindled. spurred by the exponential revenue cluding value chains and the pricing
transactions above $100 000 and support, ensuring our customers can growth in the upcoming Insurtech of products, to make them affordable
new requirements for their re-regis- reach us from anywhere at any time, “The intermediated money trans- and the Vaya Technologies business- to local travellers.
tration. and further reducing the need for fer tax (2%) lost its momentum, es. – STAFF WRITER
missing the target of $5.9 billion by “Tourism post-Covid-19 re-open-
Over-the-top (OTT) services ing requires quite some strategic
have traditionally been a key reve- thinking and re-alignment of the
nue stream for the telecoms firm fol- product to the markets that are avail-
lowing the setting up of EcoCash in able,” Musonza said.
2011, but this changed after the tele-
coms giant unbundled, resulting in “At the moment, we have to be re-
the setting up of Cassava Smartech. alistic that the only market available
to us as an industry is our domestic
An observation by The NewsHawks market and that market has also had
showed that many agents in Harare’s its challenges in terms of income
townships have been shut. streams that have been depressed,
so in line with that we have had to
Following the unbundling, Econet relook at our product offering and
revenues are now increasingly driven packages to enhance the affordability
by voice calls and data usage while and accessibility and service delivery
the group’s unit, Cassava Smartech, chain to our local tourists.”
is running its OTT services like Eco-
Cash. Musonza said even though the
industry pinned its hopes on the fes-
The announcement of a national tive season, the recovery was going
lockdown to contain the respiratory to be slow as most of their interna-
ailment that has claimed more than tional markets were still affected by
200 lives in Zimbabwe and hundreds Covid-19 lockdowns.
of thousands across the globe saw
many companies shutting shop. “We foresee a much longer wait
for us to get international tourists to
The strict regulations and slow- come back to us, so we have to rely
down in business have resulted in on domestic tourists, that is why it
most Econet and Cassava employees is imperative upon all of us as oper-
working from home, instead of their ators in the industry and stakehold-
traditional work stations. ers to ensure that these products are
available for the general population
Contacted for comment, Econet in Zimbabwe and the Sadc region,”
spokesperson Fungai Mandiveyi said he said.
the group had not closed its branch-
“Many of our operators across the
Banks raid clients’ accounts country have offered huge specials,
over 2% money transfer tax some as huge as 60% from the usual
normal rates so that we become at-
LOCAL banks will collect two years’ of Section 36G as read with the sHawks understands other banks IMTT for Zimswitch and mobile tractive to our market and, as a re-
worth of the mandatory 2% inter- Thirtieth Schedule of the Income have also done the same. banking transactions done from sult, we have started to see a bit of
mediated money transfer (IMT) tax Tax Act [Chapter 23:06]. It has your account between 1 November movement in the travelling commu-
from its clients over the next three been in place since 2003 and an The recovery of uncollected 2018 to 1 November 2020,” Stan- nity and we are really anticipating
months, a move that is set to un- amendment was made by Statuto- IMT tax has been earmarked for dard Chartered head of retail bank- that as the festive season approaches
settle its clientele base and worsen ry Instrument 205 of 2018 on 12 Zimswitch and mobile banking fa- ing Lucas Chirume told clients in a we will start seeing the benefits of
their bleak Christmas prospects. October 2018 and effective from 13 cilities. circular. these reduced rates and prices.”
October 2018.
The new directive is expected to “Please be advised that we shall Clients will not be required to Under the strategy, many lodg-
put a further strain on individual The major change is on the rate be recovering uncollected 2% action the deductions which com- es and hotel rooms countrywide
and business clients, most of them of tax and exemptions of certain menced on 27 November. currently cost between US$50 and
already reeling under the effects of transactions from the tax. US$120 per night, down from be-
a Covid-19 global pandemic which “Processing shall be done over a tween US$150 and US$300.
hit hard economies, companies and Banks sent out messages notify- period of three months depending
people. ing clients of the move. Standard on the amount until we have fully The slashing of prices coincides
Chartered Bank, for instance, noti- recovered,” he said. with the re-opening of domestic air-
The IMT tax is collected in terms fied its clients on that. But The New- lines and tourism activities such as
– STAFF WRITER the viewing of the Victoria Falls rain-
forest, high-adrenaline activities and
game drives. – STAFF WRITER
NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 15
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Bulawayo reels under de-industrialisation
DUMISANI NYONI Several efforts have been made to revive industries like Gloweave, CSC, Dunlop, National Blankets, Tregers among others, in Bula- he said.
ONCE the country’s industrial hub, wayo, but with little success. “Secondly, we need Bulawayo
Bulawayo is reeling under the ef-
fects of chronic de-industrialisation vo Stationery, Wetblue and Rubber matter what you do to reduce the lor-made policy specifically focus- City Council to play a role here, its
with over 100 firms — mostly in the Products Manufacturers. price, one cannot match the price of ing on Bulawayo industry only. investment desk must be resourced
manufacturing, textile and clothing these dollar-for-two foreign prod- correctly and also be put on the
sectors — closing down in the last In one of his articles, Vumani ucts. The heavy engineering (com- “Industry in Bulawayo has not open map and also to try and adver-
10 years, leaving thousands of work- Madonko, a researcher, said politi- panies) were mostly serving NRZ, been given due attention for a very tise all the investment opportunities
ers jobless. cal posturing continues to hamper and the region. NRZ is currently long time. I am aware that there as they exist in Bulawayo.
industrial recovery. having challenges and these compa- have been a lot of attempts to try
Several efforts have been made to nies are without business. and shine light on industry in Bu- “You can imagine Bulawayo prov-
revive industries in Bulawayo, but In 2010, for instance, National lawayo, but there has not been, in ince from a government view also
with little success. Foods moved its processing plant “Secondly, we need to appreciate my view, policy that are designed to needs to come up with its website
to the capital Harare, at a time when that most companies in Bulawayo specifically deal with what could be and ensure that Bulawayo indus-
For instance, the government calls for equal development in Bula- are branches of companies in Hara- the problems in Bulawayo,” he said. tries are displayed to the world to
launched the US$40 million Dis- wayo were loudest. re. It is a fact that when companies see what opportunities exist. I think
tressed and Marginalised Areas are faced with operational challeng- “In fact, one could say there have there is a lot that can be done there.”
Fund (Dimaf) in 2011 to revive “The combination of external es, they close branches and consol- not been proper diagnosis of what it
companies. economic realities and political re- idate operations at their headquar- is a problem in Bulawayo industry. He said the policy will also help
sistance and ignorance means that ters in this case Harare. In a number institutions such as the NRZ to take
A total of 48 companies, half of one of the greatest industrial cities in of cases, what appears to be reloca- “You would know that Bulawayo off as a support structure for indus-
them from Bulawayo, received loans the country continues to fade away tion is in fact closing of branches to is regarded as an industrial hub. For tries.
worth US$28 million from the fund. into a ghost town, a shadow of its concentrate at the centre,” he said. that reason, it means that we would
former self,” he said. want to see a specific policy that “So revival of NRZ is also equally
In 2010, the government also Solution and way forward has been designed primarily to deal important,” he said.
launched the US$70 million Zim- Madonko opined that Bulawayo Industrialist Walter Chigwada with industries in Bulawayo given
babwe Economic and Trade Revival was hard hit by political turmoil said there is a need for local compa- its uniqueness. CZI vice-president Joseph Gun-
Facility (Zetref) to help companies from 1982 to 1987 during the Guku- nies to embrace technology so that da said companies in Bulawayo did
recapitalise. rahundi era. He said given the so- they can be competitive. “Uniqueness from the point that not get assistance from the $3 billion
cio-political landscape at the time, He also said there is a need for it has been regarded as an industri- working capital allocated to indus-
But some of the companies that the Zanu PF government perceived companies to have access to cheap al hub and given that there is quite try under the Covid-19 stimulus
benefited from the facilities are still the Matabeleland region (that Bu- funding for retooling. huge infrastructural outlay for the package.
struggling while some, like Nation- lawayo is part of) as a threat to its Industrialists said the interest industries here in Bulawayo. Also,
al Blankets and Marvo, have since power and began a vicious cam- rates should be below 10% with a uniqueness in terms of water which “That $3 billion that was allocated
closed shop. paign of killings and intimidation. tenure of four to six years and not has been problematic in Bulawayo,” for manufacturing, my anticipation
the present 24 to 36 months with a Nyoni said. was that it could be channelled to-
The facilities, according to econ- “This was a way of decimating the moratorium of six to nine months. wards industries that would want
omists, failed to rescue ailing com- only viable opposition to the rul- The country’s largest industrial Due to water shortages, Nyoni that kind of working capital in Bula-
panies due to abuse and stringent ing party, Zanu PF. This campaign grouping, Confederation of Zimba- said several companies, including wayo but it doesn’t seem like anyone
conditions attached to their dis- caused capital and industrial flight. bwe Industries (CZI), believes that food processor Colcom, deserted got that assistance,” he said.
bursement. re-establishing the industrial base Bulawayo.
“Industries moved mainly to the should be premised on protecting “Companies have been saying
For example, the Zetref facility capital city Harare and neighbour- domestic firms from external com- “So Dimaf as designed by gov- they applied but never got it. This is
saw companies being pushed into ing countries,” he said. petition for a defined period. ernment was not necessarily to deal where we feel perhaps some efforts
difficulty by high interest rates, as It says protectionism might help with problems unique to Bulawayo should be done. If we say we are of-
high as 36% to 42%, and full re- Obert Sibanda, a prominent busi- provide the much-needed buffer but to deal with problems right fering a stimulus package for indus-
payment being required in 18 to 24 nessman and former president of from competition and would afford across the country and we all know try and Bulawayo is not included,
months. the Zimbabwe National Chamber local companies time to retool, ac- that Dimaf came but nothing came then what are we talking about?”
of Commerce, opined that the in- quire new technologies and ramp out of it,” he said.
This further pushed companies dustries were being affected by tech- up production. Gunda said forex shortages have
into debt distress. nological factors, the movement of But there are concerns that pro- Nyoni said some mechanisms been addressed through the auction
skilled and unskilled labour to the tectionist measures are against re- such as judicial management sys- system.
The government again came up diaspora as well as working capital. gional trade protocols that are being tems also failed. He said companies
with Statutory Instrument 64 of pushed by Sadc and the African like G&D Shoes, Merlin and Na- “We have seen the auction system
2016, which effectively banned the “Firstly, when Bulawayo was Union, especially after the recent tional Blankets have not favourably coming in handy and we applaud
importation of certain products known as the industrial hub most signing of the African Continental responded to judicial management government for finally accepting the
without prior clearance in a bid to companies were in the clothing and Free Trade Area. rescue schemes. suggestion that we made that let’s
support local industry, that had suf- textile, rubber and footwear sectors Association for Business in Zim- have the forex system establish cor-
fered from the influx of cheap im- as well as heavy engineering to a babwe (Abuz) chief executive officer “We have seen workers losing rect value of Zimbabwean dollar,” he
ports. certain extent. Clothing and textile Victor Nyoni said there was a need jobs, companies closing and the list said.
and rubber and footwear, we do not for government to come with a tai- is endless. There is really need to get
This year, the government an- need a rocket scientist to tell us that down to the basics and say what is “I think those companies in Bul-
nounced the $18 billion Covid-19 they have been destroyed by foreign it that is fundamentally wrong with awayo that needs forex, we can’t be
stimulus package, with a total of products that have flooded the mar- Bulawayo in its uniqueness as well talking much about forex now. It’s
$3 billion of the package going to- ket,” he wrote in some of his articles. as its closeness to markets like South now a question of investment, the
wards the working capital fund for Africa, Botswana ,among others and environment for either local or for-
industry. Companies in Bulawayo, “These khothama boutiques, flea then design a policy that will pri- eign direct investment.
however, say they did not receive markets, have done more harm than marily speak to those uniqueness,”
the money. good to destroy the industry. No “I think this is where funding of
low interest rate loans would be re-
Judicial management was also quired for those who need to invest
tried, with no success. locally but it is prohibiting because
of these interest rates that are so pro-
With all these measures put in hibitive and high so that one would
place, why is industry in Bulawayo think that look if you are going to
still struggling? borrow that money, the repayment
is going to choke you.”
Is it because the government mis-
diagnosed the challenges facing in- Gunda said some banks were
dustry and came up with the wrong charging about 60% interest rates.
solution? Perhaps.
“So, for us to revive Bulawayo in-
Major challenges affecting Bula- dustry we need those interest rates
wayo industry to be low. We also have these chal-
lenges with power and with water.
According to industrialists, com-
panies in Bulawayo and indeed “At least with power there has
elsewhere in the country are facing been some stability in industry.
challenges such as absence of afford-
able long-term capital for retooling, “What is challenging is the issue
mismanagement, influx of cheap of water. We have had meetings with
imported products, ageing equip- Bulawayo City Council and we have
ment, electricity and water short- emphasised that without water what
ages. Some of Bulawayo companies is industry? We can’t operate. We
that have gone under include True can’t have industry without water,”
Value, Label Fashion, Suntosha Lei- he said.
sure Wear, Lancaster, Harren Man-
ufacturing, Ascot, Belmor Fashions, Gunda said if some of these hin-
Cinderella, Textile Mills and Rus- drances could be removed, Bula-
glen Fashions, to name a few. wayo can have foreign direct invest-
ment and stability.
The list of struggling companies
includes the National Railways of Bulawayo is strategically posi-
Zimbabwe (NRZ), Cold Storage tioned for the manufacturing sector
Company, Merlin or Merspin, Mar- output distribution across the Sadc
region and the world at large, hence,
its revival is of paramount impor-
tance.
Page 16 Executive Chat NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Half Zim’s population needs food aid
ZIMBABWE is battling a humani- WFP country representative, Francesca Erdelmann old living and working in Zimbabwe,
tarian crisis, with almost eight million but I am already 18 years old working
people facing severe food shortages. procure their own food basket, either millions of dollars, for one person cause in Zambia and in South Africa, in this region. I was working out of
United Nations (UN) agencies have because of the cash that they receive to receive food assistance, and that is they had a good harvest. Even in areas the South African regional bureau for
been making frantic efforts to pro- through a remittance-based organisa- then the food basket, as well as all the of Mozambique, they also had a good a very long time and so I had quite a
vide food to vulnerable communities tion, or through a swipe card voucher costs to get it to people. harvest. lot of interactions with the WFP team
around the country. With the situ- system. in Zimbabwe, but also with govern-
ation expected to worsen if Zimba- Now, I am just giving you a ball- So, we are working very hard to ment counterparts in Zimbabwe over
bwe does not experience a good rainy The value per person, per month park figure, but I think we spend preposition some maize that we can the years. I do not come completely
season, the World Food Programme is about US$12. Depending on the about 80 (US) cents per person per purchase, for example in Zambia we fresh.
(WFP) is bracing itself to scale up household size, each household will day. So, we now need to calculate, are trying to reposition this in Zim-
the drought response programme, get a card. We are also trying to help again, the total budget, and we need babwe so that it is readily available for I really appreciate a very strong
at the peak of the lean season (Janu- people make sure that their agricul- to see the resources that are already us. That also means that we can buy team that I found here; I very much
ary-March). The WFP’s new country tural activities take off properly, now available. at a time that the prices are still good, appreciate the strong collaboration
representative, Francesca Erdelmann that the agricultural season is starting. so we can maximise the utilisation of with government that I found here.
(FE), had a chat with The NewsHawks So, we are looking also at helping There are several donors, who have our resources. For Covid-19, really So, yes, I mean operations are going
reporter Nyasha Chingono (NC) to communities to protect themselves already provided funding that will last what we have seen the most in terms strong, but, of course, with the chal-
discuss food security issues. Below are from climate risks. We are doing a lot us until the end of the season, that is of the challenge, of course, the border lenges that we are finding Covid-19
excerpts from the interview: of work with communities to under- great because then that means that we crossings. And because the regulations made it more difficult to operate in
NC: Zimbabwe is reeling under stand those risks and helping com- can plan. But, yes, we are expecting to that were introduced by countries, for new communities. It is not as easy for
severe hunger. How many people munities to take out insurance against still have a considerable shortfall to be people movement also had implica- people to come all together to receive
have been affected countrywide and drought, for example. able to scale up. As WFP, we would tions for movements of trucks, for their food altogether, so we had to ask
what interventions has the WFP NC: How much has WFP budgeted like to reach out to slightly over 4 mil- example. the community to come in smaller
come up with? for drought response in Zimbabwe? lion people. groups.
FE: Well, it’s not so much my assess- FE: It is an interesting question and If we now look at what is happen-
ment, we rely a lot on assessments that that is exactly what I was just talking We want to continue this until the ing at the South Africa/Zimbabwe Our own teams cannot travel as
are undertaken by a group of experts. about with my colleague. Right now, end of April and then we want to scale border, there are a lot of trucks that frequently to the field as maybe we
we are re-doing our budgets, so I can- that up to about three-and-a-half mil- take a long time to get here; at the would have done in the past, so we
The Food and Nutrition Council not give you a total figure. That is lion people. In urban areas, we would Zambia and Zimbabwe border as had to make a lot of adjustments.
in Zimbabwe has undertaken a rural partly because that report in Septem- like to reach out to about 550 000 well. When I came here, I found the team
assessment in July and the report that ber about severity and the priorities people. Right now, we are reaching was already very much on top of that,
came out in September indicates that only came out 10 days ago. about 325 000. That is why a lot of So these are things that we had to making my job easy.
from January onwards, through the additional funding is necessary. navigate, but that’s not impossible and NC: What is your assessment of the
lean season, which ends at the end We must rethink what role the NC: Your predecessor, Eddie Rowe, we just need to adjust; adjust our ex- government’s response to droughts
of April, they expect to be some 4.5 WFP can play because we are not the indicated challenges in importing pectations in terms of timing and ad- in the country?
million rural people in need of food only player. Government is a big play- grain because of the Covid-19 pan- just our involvement with the clearing FE: Well, I have not been able to go
assistance. They are currently under- er; the many NGOs and other UN demic, as some imports are coming agents at the borders so that we can on the ground and see so much yet.
taking a similar assessment in urban agencies are also providing support in from South America. How is the assist so that there is easy movement. I have learnt a lot from what I hear
areas and for that we must wait and this environment, so we need to take situation so far and are you able to NC: You have been with WFP Zim- in the media. There have been a lot
see how many people they consider as stock of the new information that we import enough grain on time? babwe for three or four months. of launches on the agricultural input
part of the data collection. But, yes, have, and then we need to establish it FE: Well, we are prioritising import- How is the operation going so far? programmes, for example, which
the expectation is that that would be ourselves. The budgets we are talking ing from the region, so we are trying How have you found your stay in I think is very impressive and very
around three million or plus. So, in about run into several hundreds of to really very hard to source the maize Zimbabwe thus far? timely.
totality we will be talking about more in the region. That is also possible be- FE: Well, I am three, four months
than eight million people that are I have had a lot of conversations
food insecure in Zimbabwe. with our government counterparts
about their commitment to provide
Now, there is another set of ana- maize or cash in urban areas. So, I be-
lytics that looks at different levels of lieve that they are very strongly com-
severity of food insecurity and looks mitted to aiding assistance. We are
at the geographical spread within the all dealing with financial challenges
country. That analysis has indicated as well, so all our abilities to deliver
that around 5.7 million people in on our commitments will rely a lot
urban and rural areas need food assis- on the availability of financing, our
tance, as a top priority. So, these do ability of sourcing the resources that
not include people who are sort of in we needed, the foods and the capacity
the borderline, but the more severe to deliver.
cases, so there is 5.7 million people. NC: Lastly, congratulations to the
Then there is also a group of 1.2 mil- World Food Programme on win-
lion people that are receiving food ning the Nobel Peace Prize. What
assistance already, who without that does it mean for that young girl
food assistance may be among those you are assisting with cereal in Mu-
who are severely food insecure. So, tare, or that single mother who is
if you would add that on top, we are receiving lean-season support in
already coming to 6.9 million. There Mwenezi?
are different numbers, which repre- FE: Well, you know, first of all, it is a
sent different things. As a humanitar- great recognition for the WFP team
ian community, we are really looking for the work that they are doing, it is
at the 5.7 million plus the 1.2 million a huge boost, to give them renewed
that need to continue receiving assis- energy that the world has given this
tance. recognition to the work that we do. It
NC: What is the WFP doing to is, of course, also a great recognition
combat hunger in Zimbabwe as we to all the partnerships that we have.
enter the lean season?
FE: Well, in the short term, we are I think it is a message to say, you
providing food assistance to rural know, you are doing a great job, we
households. Right now, we are at want you to do more of it. But it also
about 1.1 million households. places a big responsibility on us to
keep doing the job, but to do it big-
These are receiving food baskets, ger and better. It also a recognition
which consist of peas or maize-meal, that food security and peace are very
oil and pulses. And for some house- much connected. It is also a call not
holds, also, they include a nutrition- only to the World Food Programme,
ally enhanced product because there but all the partners that we work with,
are small children or pregnant, lac- to really pay attention to hunger, to
tating women in the household. In food security. Hopefully, that will also
urban areas, we provide cash-based translate in us being able to have more
assistance, where people are able to confidence but also more support to
do our job here in Zimbabwe.
NewsHawks Taking Stock Page 17
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Price Sheet
Thursday, 03 December 2020 A MEMBER OF FINSEC & THE ZIMBABWE STOCK EXCHANGE
Company Sector Bloomberg Previous Last VWAP Total Total Price Price YTD Market
Ticker Price Traded (cents) Traded Traded Change Change (%) Cap
(cents) Volume Value ($) (cents) (%) ($m)
Price 2209.81
AFDIS Consumer Goods AFDIS: ZH 2209.81 180.00 - - - - 592.73 2,592.24
African Sun Consumer Services ASUN: ZH 180.00 - 246.00 2,300 4,140.00 - - 620.00 1,551.19
ART ARTD: ZH 225.47 180.00 130.00 20.53 9.11 1792.31 1,074.96
Ariston Industrials ARISTON: ZH 129.26 246.00 502.06 200 492.00 0.74 0.57 586.02 2,115.61
Axia Consumer Services AXIA: ZH 501.69 130.00 340.00 530,200 689,260.00 0.37 0.07 733.99 2,735.70
BNC BIND: ZH 301.84 502.00 23600.00 40,600 203,836.00 38.16 12.64 2001.36 4,249.51
BAT Consumer Goods 23600.00 340.00 7500.00 - - 394.24 4,869.51
CAFCA Basic Materials BAT: ZH 7500.00 378.40 200 680.00 - - 4113.01
Cassava CAFCA: ZH 379.68 - 3370.41 - - -1.28 -0.34 170.29 655.13
CBZ Consumer Goods 3520.00 7500.00 800.08 -149.59 -4.25 4734.90 9,802.74
Dairibord Industrials CSZL: ZH 905.83 376.50 63.75 200 15,000.00 -105.75 -11.67 1771.53 23,162.53
Dawn CBZ: ZH 65.00 3400.00 2015.28 3,387,800 12,819,530.00 -1.25 -1.92 773.29 2,864.29
Delta Technology DZL: ZH 1759.29 800.00 565.15 1,220,090.00 255.99 14.55 491.42 1,566.45
Econet Banking DAWN: ZH 544.70 63.75 98.92 36,200 3,588,365.00 20.45 3.75 278.18 25,885.49
Edgars DLTA: ZH 100.00 2020.00 1350.00 448,500 -1.08 -1.08 371.05 14,640.64
FBC Consumer Goods ECO: ZH 1329.41 590.00 144.00 11,300 7,203.75 20.59 1.55 1968.97
Fidelity Real Estate EDGR: ZH 120.08 100.00 78.65 469,300 9,457,700.00 23.92 19.92 1475.49 323.46
First Capital FBC: ZH 72.00 1350.00 480.00 1,669,900 9,437,504.00 6.65 9.24 780.74 9,071.32
FML Consumer Goods FIDL: ZH 479.25 144.00 218.04 29,600 0.75 0.16 1354.55
FMP Telecommunications FCA: ZH 219.00 80.00 17.00 100,900 29,280.00 -0.96 -0.44 1182.59 156.85
GBH Consumer Services FMHL: ZH 17.00 480.00 12.50 1,362,150.00 - - 608.33 1,696.26
Getbucks FMP: ZH 12.50 218.00 2266.98 3,800 - - 4.17 3,312.69
Hippo Banking GBH: ZH 2266.98 2793.23 167,000 5,472.00 - - 1062.55 2,699.68
Innscor Financial Services GBFS: ZH 2500.00 - 700.00 208,700 131,339.25 293.23 11.73 688.51
Lafarge HIPO: ZH 650.00 - 66.00 1,001,760.00 50.00 7.69 288.89 91.22
Mash Banking INN: ZH 55.00 - 737.03 2,400 11.00 20.00 746.15 145.39
Masimba Financial Services LACZ: ZH 698.59 2900.00 7.90 - 5,233.00 38.44 5.50 3983.27 4,375.74
Medtech MASH: ZH 7.90 700.00 1606.00 - - - - 419.74 15,775.51
Meikles Real Estate MSHL: ZH 1606.00 66.00 125.00 - - - - 532.28 560.00
Nampak Industrials MMDZ: ZH 125.00 838.00 6010.00 - - - 73.61 1,226.99
NatFoods MEIK: ZH 6010.00 7.90 22.90 43,400 - - 567.04 1,781.06
NTS Financial Services NPKZ: ZH 22.90 - 242.15 300 1,212,260.00 - - 965.12 240.14
NMBZ Consumer Goods NTFD: ZH 222.70 - 598.31 2,100.00 19.45 8.73 490.61 4,057.50
OK Zim NTS: ZH 544.53 - 1650.89 5,100 3,366.00 53.78 9.88 983.11 944.56
Padenga Industrials NMB: ZH 1505.23 - 193.00 36,700 145.66 9.68 551.88 4,110.85
Powerspeed Industrials OKZ: ZH 193.00 241.00 580.00 314,800 270,490.00 - - 865.00
Proplastics Real Estate PHL: ZH 580.00 600.00 190.00 24,869.20 - - 607.32 58.14
RTG Industrials PWS: ZH 190.00 1650.00 772.60 - - - 1210.34 978.70
RioZim Healthcare PROL: ZH 772.60 193.00 1800.00 - - - - 229.33 7,459.81
SeedCo Industrials RTG: ZH 1799.85 - 754.19 - - 0.15 0.01 1025.00 8,941.11
Simbisa Industrials RIOZ: ZH 746.63 190.00 29.50 - - 7.56 1.01 500.37 722.28
Star Africa Consumer Goods SEED: ZH 29.53 - 15.04 1,862,900 - -0.03 -0.10 730.99 1,461.23
Truworths Industrials SIM: ZH 17.00 1800.00 600.00 146,100 4,511,077.00 -1.96 -11.53 691.58 4,741.44
TSL SACL: ZH 600.00 755.00 81.00 46,100 874,130.00 - - 692.08 942.80
Turnall Banking TRUW: ZH 81.00 29.50 15.50 500 761,060.00 - - 636.36 4,419.51
Unifreight Consumer Services TSL: ZH 15.50 15.00 24.50 - 965.00 - - 72.22 4,239.94
Willdale TURN: ZH 24.50 - 2399.55 600 - - - 600.00 1,390.95
ZB Consumer Goods UNIF: ZH 2399.55 - 0.02 - 1,140.00 - - 3232.71
Zeco Industrials WILD: ZH 0.02 - 78.00 5,600 - - - 57.76
Zimpapers Industrials ZBFH: ZH 78.00 - 488.00 4,800 100,800.00 - - - 2,142.61
Zimplow ZECO: ZH 488.00 - 282.50 63,900 36,201.00 - - 482.09
ZHL Consumer Services ZIMP: ZH 282.50 - 515,100 18,850.50 - - 706.61 399.36
Basic Materials ZIMPLOW: ZH 78.00 - 77,477.00 1783.33 16.50
TOTAL ZHL: ZH - - -
Consumer Goods 290.00 - - 435.61
Consumer Goods - - 4,203.79
Consumer Goods - -
Consumer Services - - 0.09
Consumer Goods 1,000 - 449.28
- 780.00 1,163.30
Industrials 4,650,000 - 4,331.68
Industrials 14,806,000 13,136,280.00
Industrials 196,891.11
61,010,880.70
Banking
Industrials
Consumer Services
Industrials
Financial Services
VFEX Open (US cents) Close (US cents) Change (%) TD (%) Mkt Cap (US$m) Top 5 Risers Price Change % YTD %
SCIL
18.00 18.00 - -17.81 43.40 Mash 66.00c +11.00c +20.00 +746.15
Fidelity 144.00c +23.92c +19.92 +1475.49
FINSEC Open (cents) Close (cents) Change (%) YTD (%) Mkt Cap ($m) Delta 2015.28c +255.99c +14.55 +491.42
OMZIL BNC 340.00c +38.16c +12.64 +2001.36
3000.00 3000.00 - 150.00 2,490.35 Innscor 2793.23c +293.23c +11.73 +688.51
Index Close Change (%) Open YTD % Top 5 Fallers Price Change % YTD %
ZSE All Share 1,669.61 +3.53 1,612.61 +625.63 Dairibord 800.08c -105.75c -11.67 +1771.53
Top 10 1,060.57 +5.16 1,008.51 +420.76 Truworths 15.04c -1.96c -11.53 +691.58
Top 15 1,251.90 +4.68 1,195.90 +510.00 CBZ 3370.41c -4.25 +4734.90
Small Cap 8,764.79 +2.37 8,561.62 +1275.41 Dawn 63.75c -149.59c -1.92 +773.29
Medium Cap 3,434.15 +0.97 3,401.17 +1106.87 Edgars 98.92c -1.25c -1.08 +371.05
-1.08c
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 18 News Analysis NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Zim economy is not serving the poor
BERNARD MPOFU
FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube
last week announced an ambitious
$421.6 billion budget, which ana-
lysts and economic experts doubt
will extricate many Zimbabweans,
who are currently swimming in a
sea of poverty.
Ncube said while the economy
will contract by -4.1% by year-end,
it will rebound with a growth of
7.4% before stabilising at an annu-
al growth rate of 5% thereafter.
The national budget, which
came after President Emmerson
Mnangagwa launched a new
economic blueprint, the Nation-
al Development Strategy One
(2021-25), will be mainly funded
through a raft of existing and new
taxes. For critics, it is the taxation
of the informal sector, which will
leave many tightening their belts.
To finance the budget, the
government is squeezing every-
one. This includes those of you
running small stalls at places such
as the Gulf Complex in downtown
Harare.
“We are failing to Villagers gather food Jan. 15 at a distribution point near Harare, Zimbabwe. With poverty on the rise and a drought compounding Zimbabwe’s problems,
meet regional bench- people are struggling to make ends meet and the poor are becoming poorer, church workers said. (CNS photo/EPA)
marks in terms of so-
cial spending, health, “The budget does not adequate- portfolio. presumptive taxes on the infor- 2017 to six million during April–
education, water and ly put resources into the key social “The onus is on Ncube to mal sector including a US$30 tax May 2019, but the number of poor
sanitation. We are sectors necessary or sufficient to on their rentals. It also includes people measured by the low-
relying too much on get a debt on poverty,” said econo- strengthen relations with the do- the banning of importation of er-bound poverty line rose from
donor support.” mist Prosper Chitambara. nor community. He has to do that second-hand vehicles when that eight million to 8.9 million during
because no matter how arrogant is what the workers are surviving the same period.
Street hustlers, such as those “We are failing to meet regional we are as a country we have a col- on—your Honda Fits and Runx
selling tech gadgets and mobile benchmarks in terms of social lapsed health sector,” Mugaga said. (small sedans). It shifts money to “Extreme poverty rose from
phones, will now be charged tax spending, health, education, water securocrats and subjects of cor- 30% in 2017 to 38% in April-May
equivalent to US$30 per month and sanitation. We are relying too “We need a micro insurance ruption like your Beitbridge road.” 2019, and general poverty (mea-
per unit. A restaurant or liquor much on donor support and this industry because the economy has sured by the lower bound poverty
centre, which is smarting from is not sustainable.” become small scale. Zimbabwe’s According to Ncube, Zimbabwe line) rose from 43% to 51% during
months of closure due to Covid-19 public health sector is as good as has spent around US$1.3 billion the same period,” the report says.
is now required to pay $$10 000 He said despite this, the bud- collapsed. There is also under-in- importing vehicles over the past
per month in taxes. get is aligned to the country’s surance of health insurance due to five years. Cars older than 10 years “Although extreme poverty
economic blueprint, the National high unemployment. Players are are now off the Open General increased in both urban and rural
Out of this budget, the health Development Strategy (One). now demanding payment of sub- Import Licence, meaning that areas, in relative terms, extreme
sector received a vote of $54.7 scriptions in United States dollars from next year, a special import poverty rose more in urban areas.
billion, which translates to nearly Christopher Mugaga, Zimba- and this has resulted in exchange licence for older cars will be a
13% of the total votes. This allo- bwe National Chamber of Com- losses.” prerequisite. “In absolute terms, rural
cation was second to that of the merce chief executive, said while extreme poverty remained much
Ministry of Primary Education, Treasury had allocated the second With no budgetary support due Zimbabwe Poverty Update higher than urban extreme pover-
which received $55.2 billion. largest vote to the Health minis- to a huge external debt, Treasury (2017-19), a joint report compiled ty. The general poverty rate based
try after the Primary Education has been relying on domestic re- by ZimStat and the World Bank, on the lower bound poverty line
While this appears to be a sources to finance capital projects. shows more people have been remained high. It changed mar-
marked shift from previous years, This, however, has resulted in thrown into deep poverty. ginally for the rural population,
signalling the government’s thrust limited funding for social spend- but in urban areas it rose sharply,
to meet its regional obligations, ing, thereby exposing vulnerable The number of extremely poor from 16% to 24% during the same
economic analysts and experts groups to the harsh economic people rose from 4.5 million in period.”
said the economy needs more to environment.
tick.
Tendai Biti, former Finance
In April 2001, African Union minister under Zimbabwe’s
countries met and pledged to set inclusive government, which was
a target of allocating at least 15% widely credited for stabilising
of their annual budget to improve the economy between 2009 and
the health sector and urged donor 2013, after hyperinflation officially
countries to scale up support. reached 213 million percent in
Years later, a few countries in Afri- June 2008.
ca have reached this target, which
is widely known as the Abuja “This budget is a viciously
Declaration. anti-working people budget. It
fails to restore US dollar salaries.
It’s predicated in Zimbabwean
dollars when the whole country is
a now a US dollar cash economy,”
Biti said.
“The budget imposes massive
NewsHawks Opinion Page 19
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Traditional leaders shouldn’t take
lead role on Gukurahundi burials
Keith
Silika
I LIKE what Zimbabwean lawyer Mugabe and his cabinet including the current President Emmerson Mnangagwa are blamed for orchestrating and failing to stop the Gukurahundi massacre
and University of Kent law lecturer
Alex Magaisa once said after the formation makes apology and due to a myriad of issues which are The constitution draws the line the relevant skills or resources that
reign of Robert Mugabe. He said forgiveness susceptible to abuse or presently being exhibited. The in- on the traditional leaders with are required with regards exhuma-
that it would be difficult for Pres- underutilisation, and thus impo- adequacies of the Act include that regards to the scope and extent of tion, identification, and reburial of
ident Emmerson Mnangagwa to tent in facilitating sustainable rec- it gives too much powers to the their duties. There exists a conflict human remains. This also applies
fail because of the low that Mugabe onciliation. The article emphasises minister in charge, is not victim-fo- between traditional forms of judi- to the spirit mediums the govern-
had sunk during his disastrous rule. the need to transform the cognitive cused and lacks technical detail cial authority and modern forms of ment has previously allowed in the
Many Zimbabweans said the same. and epistemic subjectivities under- with regards dealing with human judicial authority. This contributes identification of human remains
pinning wrongdoing, thus making remains. considerably to the significance of together with the Fallen Heroes
Mnangagwa had a huge oppor- a case for transformative apology traditional leadership institutions Trust.
tunity from the beginning to re- and forgiveness”. The current tenure of the and customary law towards the
solve the Gukurahundi issue even if commission has now expired and realisation of the right to access to The approaches used by the Am-
he is one of the prominent political Mnangagwa’s government has nothing tangible has been achieved justice. ani and Ukuthula trusts is better
players accused of being among the not been tolerant and progressive except a few workshops. Mnangag- within a forensic context. Chiefs
architects. on handling Gukurahundi. Even wa has been playing around with The problem with the current might be useful in the ceremonial
peaceful Gukurahundi commemo- the commission including through set up and nature of politics in reburial of individuals after all the
There are certain low hanging ration, art installations or songs are underfunding and being selective Zimbabwe is that chiefs and tradi- necessary work has been done by
fruits that Mnangagwa could have banned. with whom he deals with. tional leaders are heavily partisan in the technical teams and the NPRC.
quickly picked. These include favour of the Zanu PF government. They can also be useful in regards
issuing an apology for Gukurahun- Instead of genuinely addressing Now the Matabeleland Collec- This in in contrary to the constitu- memorialisation of Gukurahundi
di, acknowledgement of his role in the issue, government is playing tive are out, and the chiefs are in! tion section 281(2): It states that and looking after shrines.
the atrocities, the return of Zipra victims groups against each other, traditional leaders must not be
properties seized by the state or continues politicking, obfuscation The duties and function of chiefs members of any political party or In conclusion, the use of tradi-
even the release of the Dumbutshe- of information, and crippling the in Zimbabwe is administered by in any way participate in partisan tional leaders has not been used
na and Chihambakwe commissions National Peace and Reconciliation the Traditional Leaders Act (2000) politics; act in a partisan manner; elsewhere around the world in re-
of inquiry reports. Commission operational capacity. and the Chiefs and Headmen further the interests of any political gards the reburial of victims unless
Act (1982). In the Constitution party or cause; or violate the funda- there has been a disaster such as
An apology is the starting point. Gukurahundi, which has been of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. mental rights and freedoms of any Cyclone Idai.
Writing for the International described variously by the Zanu PF 20), (2013), section 282, tradi- person.
Journal for Transitional Justice, government as a “closed chapter”, tional leaders have the following The use of chiefs in Zimbabwe
in an article titled The Anatomy of “moment of madness” and “West- functions: to promote and uphold Traditional leaders, who dare is not valid in law, they are mostly
Apology and Forgiveness: Towards ern conspiracy”, is now apparently cultural values of their communi- not follow the Zanu PF propa- partisan, do not have relevant expe-
Transformative Apology and Forgive- going to be handled by local tradi- ties, and in particular to cement ganda line are often ostracised and rience or skills. Lastly that it is not
ness, Joram Tarusarira said while an tional chiefs. extended family relations, to take hounded as what has occurred to what the surviving victims want
apology and forgiveness are import- measures to preserve the cultural Chief Ndiweni. hence recent lawsuits.
ant, the process must interrogate Chief Charumbira said recently traditions, history and heritage of
deeper issues. Matabeleland chiefs will be han- their community’s sacred shrines. With consideration to the legal, Victims who have been consult-
“The central thesis of this article dling the reburial of Gukurahundi political and practical matters, how ed in various Gukurahundi studies
is that while apology and forgive- victims. Gukurahundi democide It is also the duty of traditional then it is possible chiefs are given would like an apology, acknowl-
ness are vital for dealing with a and other killings are a national institutions to facilitate develop- a mandate that is not only beyond edgement of offences committed,
violent past, there is a need to issue, not a regional one, therefore, ment in accordance with an Act of their remit but also challenging to and a restructured independent
critically transform the socio-po- it needs a national victim-driven Parliament to administer land and implement. authority to oversee Gukurahundi,
litical epistemic subjectivities that approach. protect the environment. compensation, and justice.
underpin a wrongdoing,” Tarusarisa The government of Zimbabwe Silika is based in Britain and
says. There was an initial sense of Chiefs are also meant to resolve should put the needs of the victims holds a PhD in forensic archae-
“These include political discours- excitement when Mnangagwa disputes amongst people in their first. Not merely putting out state- ology and genocide from Staf-
es, narratives, ideas and ideologies signed into law the National Peace communities according to gov- ments and shifting policy decisions fordshire University in the United
that justified the wrongdoing in the and Reconciliation (NPR) Act in ernment laws and exercise other away from the NPRC. The current Kingdom.
first place and are thus its bedrock. 2018. This was despite the NPR functions imposed on them by an chiefs, in my view do not possess
“This is against the understand- Bill being previously rejected twice Act of Parliament.
ing that brutality and violence are
sustained by particular epistemolo-
gies, logics and reasonings. Failure
to bring about their transformation
results in not stopping the repeti-
tion of brutality and not realising
sustainable reconciliation, as well as
stifling key aspects of dealing with
the past, such as truth seeking,
truth-telling, justice and account-
ability.
“By drawing on the state-spon-
sored massacres in Matabele-
land and Midlands provinces in
Zimbabwe in the early 1980s – the
Gukurahundi massacres – this
article argues that current calls for,
and implementations of, apologies
and forgiveness are often undertak-
en without considering the need to
transform the epistemic bedrock of
conflict and violence, which engen-
ders apology and forgiveness.
“This lack of focus on trans-
Page 20 Opinion NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Overzealous police officers should
compensate illegal detention victims
FIDELICY NYAMUKONDIWA
IT now appears all arrested persons However, this does not give the being taken to court. A deliberate appear in court to answer charges been detained by the police in
have to pass through the police police a rope to hold a suspect in delay in taking a suspect to court on a specified date and at a speci- the first place. Ideally, the public
cells on their way to court. This custody until the 11th hour. A renders the whole period of deten- fied time. prosecutor must institute service of
emerging practice of unreasonably suspect must be taken to court as tion illegal. summons or alternatively consent
detaining suspects pending court soon as is practically possible. After completing investiga- to bail in cases in which there
appearance is blatantly illegal and While it is indubitable that a tions, a police officer takes the would be no compelling reasons
unconstitutional. Malicious perpe- There is a general misconcep- number of contentious detentions docket to court where the public justifying continued detention.
trators must be held accountable. tion that the 48-hour period starts are politically motivated, it is also prosecutor sets the trial date. The
to count the moment a person is a fact that ignorance of the law on prosecutor thereafter requests the Embarrassingly, some of these
Unless more judgements like locked behind the cells. Detention the part of some police details has clerk of court to issue a summons cases have spilled into the High
the recent Kelvin Choto ruling are does not only mean being lodged also been at play. Police officers which should then be served on Court because senior magistrates
passed, this illegal practice might in the cells. Ordering an arrested must be reminded that detention the accused. Where the offence is a would have denied bail. In non-po-
go on forever. In the Choto judge- person to sit in the charge office or is just but one of the other ways of minor one, a police officer can and litical cases, the denial of bail can
ment, the High Court ordered any police office is a deprivation securing a suspect’s attendance in should issue what is known as a be attributed to gross ignorance of
the Home Affairs ministry and of liberty and therefore part of court. To safeguard the sacrosanct “written notice to appear” or ZRP the law coupled with negligence.
the police to pay ZW$4.3 million detention. Time without number, right to liberty, a police officer Form 265. It calls upon a named In political cases, one is tempted to
(around US$35 833) as damages people arrested for petty offences must first consider the service of suspect to appear in a particular conclude that it is judicial capture.
to the family of a man who was are unnecessarily detained by the summons. A summons is a docu- court on a date and at a specified
shot dead by an overzealous and police for 48 hours or more before ment which calls upon a suspect to time. The written notice to appear It goes without saying that mem-
heavy-handed constable. has an endorsement which gives bers of the ZRP should respect
the suspect an option to pay an the right to liberty by embracing
This opinion article will base its admission of guilt fine before the the use of summons and “written
arguments on the assumption that specified court day. notices to appear”. Suspects must
a person has been legally arrested. only be detained if there are com-
The rarely used Form 265 must pelling reasons justifying detention.
The law requires an arresting be issued in situations where Police and judicial officers who act
officer to formulate reasonable someone who has committed a with malice and culpable ignorance
grounds for suspecting that a minor offence would not be having must be held liable and be ordered
person has committed an offence. the deposit fine on their person. to compensate victims of wrongful
Arresting someone on spurious or A minor road traffic offence calls detention.
unfounded allegations, as is becom- for the issuing of a written notice
ing a trend, is patently illegal. The to appear. It is therefore illegal for Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa is
police ought to investigate to arrest a traffic officer to force a motorist a human rights and animal
and not vice versa. to pay a spot fine. “Pay the fine or rights defender. He is a former
we detain you” has no place in a public prosecutor and a found-
It does not follow that every democratic society. ing member and director of
person properly or legally arrested Fauna and Flora Zimbabwe
must be locked up in the police Worrisome is the fact that most (FaFloZim). Contactable on
cells before they appear in court. A bail applications in the magistrate 0718975244/0785827154 @
suspect must only be detained if, courts are in respect of cases for fidelnyams on Twitter.
and only if, it is necessary in the in- which suspects should never have
terests of justice. The Constitution
stipulates that a suspect has a right
to “be released unconditionally or
on reasonable conditions, pending
a charge or trial, unless there are
compelling reasons justifying their
continued detention.”
The Constitution further guar-
antees the presumption of inno-
cence. This implies that a suspect
must be assumed to be innocent
until proven guilty. For that reason,
suspects should not be whimsically
deprived of their liberty.
Deprivation of liberty is a very
serious infraction of fundamental
rights. Commenting on the sac-
rosanctity of the right to liberty, a
High Court judge once remarked:
“Revolutions have been staged and
wars have been fought in the name
of freedom. This includes Zimba-
bwe’s own long and bitter struggle.”
Suspects should only be de-
tained if there are strong reasons to
believe that they will interfere with
witnesses or tamper with evidence
if they are not locked up. If there
are valid grounds to believe that a
suspect might escape or commit
further offences, the suspect must
be detained. The abovementioned
are arguably the compelling reasons
justifying police detention.
In cases where detention is jus-
tifiable, the law requires a suspect
to be detained for up to 48 hours.
NewsHawks Africa News Page 21
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Ethiopian Jews flown to Israel UN panel
says South
Hundreds of Ethiopian Jews have Falash Mura descend from Jews converted by Christian missionaries in the 19th Century
been airlifted to Israel - the first of Sudan
several thousand waiting to emigrate an-born immigrant brought to Israel der duress - in the late 19th Century. criteria for automatic right to Israeli blocking its
there in a long-running saga. in a clandestine airlift in 1984 - went In recent decades they have identi- citizenship due to uncertainties over missions to
to Ethiopia to oversee Thursday’s fied as Jewish again, living their lives their ancestral lineage according to violence-hit
Most of their community has transfer, dubbed Operation Rock of in accordance with the faith. Jewish law.
lived in transit camps in Ethiopia for Israel. areas
years as questions over their eligibili- However, unlike the Ethiopian The issue dragged on for years,
ty has dogged the process. The community, known as Falash Jewish community - known as the until the government pledged in JUBA - Implementation of South
Mura, are descendants of Jews who Beta Israel - previously evacuated to 2015 to transfer the whole commu- Sudan’s 2018 peace accord has
The immigrants are related to converted to Christianity - many un- Israel, Falash Mura do not fulfil the nity by the end of 2020. —BBC stalled and authorities have blocked
Ethiopian Jews brought to Israel de- humanitarian access to areas where
cades ago in a series of secret oper- conflict has restarted, the U.N. pan-
ations. el of experts said in a report seen by
Reuters on Thursday. They also said
Israel had been accused of delay- there was a lack of transparency in
ing bringing the remaining group in. how the government collected and
spent oil and other revenues.
The issue gained greater urgency
in recent weeks as fighting between The government disputed the
the Ethiopian government and local findings, saying agencies had access
forces in the Tigray region threat- to all areas and it was working to fix
ened to spread south to Gondar the economy. Oil-rich South Sudan
city, where most of the Jews are now erupted into civil war soon after se-
housed. curing independence from Sudan
in 2011, leading to an estimated
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 400,000 deaths and one of the worst
Netanyahu and his political rival, refugee crises on the continent since
Alternate Prime Minister Benny the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Gantz, greeted the 316 new arrivals
at Ben Gurion Airport. A fragile peace accord between
President Salva Kiir and former reb-
“My wife Sarah and I stood there el leader Riek Machar was agreed
with tears in our eyes at the welcom- in 2018 and they formed a govern-
ing,” Mr Netanyahu said in a state- ment of national unity in February,
ment, “when we see the immigrants, setting the stage for potential peace.
our Ethiopian Jewish brothers, leave
the plane... come down and touch But since then implementation
the ground, the land of Israel. has “mostly stalled, as the signa-
tories have failed to adhere to the
“You waited so long to realise the deadlines set in the peace agreement
dream and today it is being realised.” and have backtracked on aspects of
its political, security and economic
Immigration Minister Pnina Ta- provisions,” the panel said.
mano-Shata - herself an Ethiopi-
As fighting has erupted in areas
Namibia to sell 170 elephants across the country, the panel found
to protect its wildlife that South Sudan People’s Defence
Forces and National Security Ser-
170 ELEPHANTS in Namibia will ties. ments are met by both exporting According official estimates, vice “routinely blocked the United
soon be giving-up their homes The ministry says the elephants and importing states for the trade Namibia is home to some 28,000 Nations Mission in South Sudan
amid pressure from drought and to be authorised, elephants. and peace monitors from accessing
territorial conflict with humans. are being sold “due to drought and conflict areas”. The panel also noted
increase in elephant numbers cou- The sparsely-populated Last year the government of- that the government, which relies
The pachyderms on sale would pled with human-elephant con- semi-arid southern African coun- fered for sale around 1,000 ani- heavily on oil for its revenue, has
comprise entire herds in order flict incidences.” try has been criticized of recent mals including 600 buffalo, 150 turned to resource backed loans and
to preserve the important social for shooting elephants to control springboks, 60 giraffes and 28 el- contracts as it struggles to plug a
structure in elephant communi- For export purposes, the buyers overpopulation. ephants. — AfricaNews budget deficit projected to hit $700
must ensure that CITES require- million.
Deng Dau Deng, the deputy
minister of foreign affairs, said the
panel of experts themselves had
been allowed entry into South Su-
dan, which shows “that the govern-
ment of South Sudan is committed
to meet the U.N. resolutions on
South Sudan”.
“South Sudan is cooperative,”
he told Reuters on Thursday. “The
U.N. mission in South Sudan (UN-
MISS) and other agencies have full
access to all the areas.”
He also said, without providing
details, that his government was
working to improve the deficit sit-
uation in the country.
– Reuters
Page 22 World News NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Iran says it will to withdraw its current blank
comply with cheque to Saudi Arabia.
nuclear deal if
Biden lifts all Many critics of the deal say
sanctions some of its key enrichment
restrictions expire as early as
Setting out the parameters for plement without precondi- fall away if the US lifted sanc- Javad Zarif 2025, and new limits are need-
a new relationship with Wash- tions its obligations under the tions, allowing Iran to go back ed. There is also concern that if
ington, Javad Zarif also said JCPoA. It has to show its good to full compliance with the wanting 20 plus 10 years of Iran demands that the US can
Iran would not require the US faith, it has to establish its bona deal. In what could prove to be restrictions, and Iran wanting only come back into the JCPoA
to rejoin the deal, known as the fides, then Iran will go back in a major stumbling block in a none. “We agreed on some- on terms that prevent it from
joint comprehensive plan of full compliance with JCPoA.” Biden-Iran rapprochement, he where in the middle, 10 plus a again unilaterally leaving, the
action (JCPoA), before lifting appeared to rule out a renego- few more. This was the subject US might feel it has lost ne-
its sanctions, but would need He told the audience that tiation of the existing JCPoA, of two years of negotiations. It gotiating leverage over Iran to
some kind of assurance that Iran’s government did not like saying its duration and clauses will never be renegotiated. Pe- update the deal.
once it has rejoined, the Biden the Iranian parliament resolu- had been negotiated. “We will riod.”
administration would not sim- tion passed on Tuesday requir- not renegotiate a deal which However, Zarif said: “The
ply leave the deal again in the ing the country to step up its we negotiated.” He said regarding missiles JCPoA and any international
same way Donald Trump did. uranium enrichment activities and regional dialogue, two agreement is not a revolving
and potentially end the UN He said the US had start- topics on which the US wanted door. It’s not that you can come
He appeared to rule out re- inspection programme by Feb- ed the talks on the 2015 deal to engage, Iran was willing to in, impose restrictions on oth-
negotiating the existing deal, ruary if US sanctions are not hold talks with its neighbours ers, benefit from the privileges
even though the US believes lifted. but it might require the US of membership and sudden-
that with many of its key claus- ly decide to leave and inflict
es due to expire in 2025, new But he said that “like any $150bn [£110bn] of damage on
sunset clauses are required. democracy, when the legisla- the Iranian people.”
tion goes through all its legal
Zarif was speaking at the procedures, and it has almost He added: “We will have to
Roma Med 2020 conference by completed those procedures, it be satisfied that this is not re-
video link as the Biden team becomes law and an obligation peated.”
works on how to approach the on the government”.
Middle East. It is not clear how the US
He said the resolution was could credibly commit to nev-
He said: “The US must im- “not irreversible” and would er leaving the deal.
Biden said this week that if
the US did return to the JCPoA,
Iran knew the US could “snap
back” UN sanctions if the US
felt Iran was non-compliant.
Zarif said Iran was willing to
engage in a dialogue with re-
gional partners including Sau-
di Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates.
He called on Saudi Arabia
to limit its US$67bn annu-
al defence spending to Iran’s
US$10bn, and challenged it
to stop the spread of weapons
across the region. He ques-
tioned whether the UAE and
Saudi Arabia really wanted to
fight Israel’s battle against Iran.
— Guardian
China is greatest threat to freedom: US intelligence chief
WRITING in the Wall St Journal, pressure on US ally Australia, pub- John Ratcliffe vard University’s chemistry depart-
John Ratcliffe said China was grow- lishing a list of ways it wants Can- ment US$50 000 a month until his
ing its power by stealing US secrets berra to change its behaviour, slap- arrest earlier this year.
and then replacing US firms in the ping tariffs on imports of Australian
market. wine and provoking the Australian Ratcliffe also accused Chinese
government over its rights record in intelligence services of introduc-
The Trump administration has Afghanistan. ing vulnerabilities into technology
taken a hard line on China, im- offered by top Chinese tech firms
posing tariffs on Chinese goods The Director of National Intel- such as Huawei and said allies using
and accusing Beijing of intellectual ligence said China had replaced Chinese technology would not have
property theft. China has not yet Russia and counter-terrorism as the US intelligence shared with them.
responded. main focus focus of US intelligence
activities. China was engaged in a He said US intelligence showed
However, it has responded force- form of economic espionage that that China had carried out “human
fully to US moves such as the impo- he described as “rob, replicate and testing” on troops with the aim of
sition of tariffs and efforts to keep replace” - giving the example of developing soldiers with “biologi-
the telecoms giant Huawei out of a Chinese wind turbine firm that cally enhanced capabilities”.
the American market. was found guilty in the US of steal-
ing from a US competitor before And he said China had engaged
Beijing was preparing for con- going on to sell worldwide while in a “massive influence campaign”
frontation with the US and in- the US firm lost shareholder value targeting US members of Con-
tended to dominate the world and fired staff. gress and their staff by encouraging
“economically, militarily and tech- unions at big firms to tell local poli-
nologically”, Ratcliffe warned. US intellectual property worth ticians to take a softer line on China
U$500bn was being stolen every or face losing union members’ votes.
Some of Ratcliffe’s comments year, he said. FBI arrests of Chinese
echo previous interventions by Sec- nationals for stealing research had Beijing was targeting members
retary of State Mike Pompeo and become frequent and China had of Congress with “six times the fre-
FBI chief Christopher Wray. also been paying the head of Har- quency of Russia and 12 times the
frequency of Iran”, Ratcliffe said.
However, they also come at a
time when China has stepped up —BBC
Porsche just got angrier Being a Fashion Model
&Life Style
STYLE TRAVEL BOOKS ARTS MOTORING
Page 23 Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Jah Prayzah stiff-necked with Impala Car Rental
JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA explained: “Jah Prayzah has Jah Prayzah He hinted that a new sin-
never been a brand ambas- gle by Jah Prayzah is due out
ZIMBABWEAN musician sador for Impala. In fact, anytime soon and that they
Jah Prayzah says there is what we did was, we only are happy with the latest vid-
nothing wrong in working produced commercials for eo, Mwana WaMambo.
with other brands, including the company and that was it.
Impala Car Rental, despite “Mwana WaMambo has
the controversies surround- “And we did the jobs as surpassed expectation be-
ing the hospitality travel they came. However, in cause it’s not a new song and
company. terms of business we are yet the response from fans
open to work with every has been overwhelming. We
Impala Car Rental has other brand, despite the understand some people did
been implicated in the ab- controversies which I am not not like the video but again
duction and torture of jour- in a position to talk about. what you cannot take away
nalism student Tawanda What is important in this from any Jah Prayzah’s vid-
Muchehiwa and the assault case is that the controversies eos is the amount of invest-
of journalist Rumbidzai Chi- are on their part, not us.” ment put in,” he said.
zarura. Speaking through his
manager and publicist Keen Jah Prayzah, who com- About “The Best of Both
Mushapaidze, the Eriya mands a huge following, Worlds” gig scheduled for 18
singer threw his weight be- has several endorsements for December alongside Winky
hind Impala Car Rental, say- different companies among D, Mushapaidze said they
ing that in terms of business them Nyaradzo, West Prop- were not fussy about who
he was open to working with erty, Zol, Nash Paints, Jan- opens or closes the concert.
everyone. Jam, a clothing shop which
dresses him at black tie “Well, we understand
“We always have long- events as well as Securico, that some other musicians
term engagements with oth- the company that provides who came before us were so
er brands for as long as we security services at his stu- concerned about who starts
feel that the partnership is dios in Harare. or closes the show. For us, it
beneficial to both parties. is really about time because
However, at times we turn “You see in all these en- it is important, we don’t
down offers because we feel dorsements we prefer long- mind really because when
that a particular brand does term contracts because you you open a concert it gives
not complement our brand,” want to know which brands you time to leave the stage
he said. you represent. And at times and do other things. So it is
we exempt our clients from a question of slot and what-
When pressed further to paying because we value ever slot we get we always
comment on his engagement the long-term contracts,” deliver our best in music,”
with Impala Car Rental, he Mushapaidze said. he said.
Jah Prayzah’s new Mwana WaMambo video trending on #1
JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA not lie. This is certainly not his who feel it’s the same old story previous videos.
best video but is a great video then what matters is how the Jah Prayzah explained about
IN football, coaches hardly all the same, considering the story is told because that’s what
change their formula, especial- number of views. engages the viewers. For in- the video that “it reflects the
ly when they are winning. stance, when we released Ron- struggles of a young man who
Usually good art is the one ika some people did not em- wishes to marry the King’s
And it is the same with mu- that conjures up debate while brace it as a Jah Prayzah song daughter yet he is not from
sic, when a musician sees that bad art is just that — ignored and the response was not that royal blood lines. Love pushes
there is a winning formula they and unnoticed. encouraging and that said a lot him to defy the ODDS and
hardly change; after all, the about the video,” Mushapaidze like they say, True love always
more things change the more Keen Mushapaidze, Jah said. wins.”
they remain the same. Prayzah’s publicist and man-
ager, confirmed that the video While it might be true that This is the sort of storyline
And speaking of music, Jah surpassed the expectations of a winning formula is hard to that you get to see in the video
Prayzah, born Mukudzei Mu- fans. change, the one thing music and Blaqs did well in the por-
kombe, has just dropped his lovers need to understand and trayal of traditional royalty.
latest music video for Mwana “Basically, our target was to appreciate is that Jah Prayzah
WaMambo off his 10th studio make as many videos as possi- has been using the same pro- The costumes by Themba-
album, Hokoyo, and already ble off Hokoyo. And much to ducer, Vusa “Blaqs” Hlatsh- ni Mubochwa and the scenic
its trending on number one on our amusement, the video has wayo, since his formative years. views at Pamuzinda Safari
YouTube. The 33-year-old star, surpassed expectation. Fans, The tag team of Blaqs and Jah Lodge as well as Mukuvisi
arguably Zimbabwe’s most who we value so much, love Prayzah has become a formida- Woodlands sort of tie all the
decorated artiste of his gener- the video and we are humbled ble force in making and script- loose ends together to make it
ation, always lets the numbers by the interaction,” Mushapa- ing videos. a total package.
do the talking. idze said.
According to Blaqs, he is And like in his previous vid-
The Mwana WaMambo However, the debate is that usually guided by the song eos, Jah Prayzah picked a new
video, which premiered on 30 Jah Prayzah is giving fans more and it is from the lyrics that he video vixen, Lucy Tichayana,
November, is trending at num- of the same or, in other words, extracts the script. In this case, who plays “mwana wamambo”
ber one on YouTube with 235 he is repeating the winning the music fans should not blame (King’s daughter).
412 views and counting de- formula for most of his recent it on the video but the song if
spite it being an old song. works. there are similarities with his It might be too early
to judge, but the Mwana
And as they say, numbers do “A video is supposed to tell WaMambo video is as good as
a story and if there are people it gets!
Page 24 People & Places NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Nobody to enjoy splendour of Victoria Falls
NOKUTHABA DLAMINI Covid-19, global lockdown and throughout the year the river “It’s been quite weird although through a unique rainforest with
travel restrictions, this meant has been roaring with few rocks, fun just being here almost alone. 16 viewing points on the Zim-
DESPITE Covid-19 taking a that our numbers drastically fell which are equally beautiful, be- babwean side, from the Devil’s
toll on the country’s prime tour- and we can say we are at a very ing exposed,” says Ndlovu. “The only sounds l can hear Cataract to the Main Falls, the
ist destination Victoria Falls, one low percent because even people are of the birds and small insects, Horseshoe Falls, the Rainbow
of the seven natural wonders of locally are not travelling much “Tourists love this place, and and that feels good,” the domes- Falls and finally the Eastern Cat-
the world, it undoubtedly re- to the site.” narrating its history, flora and tic tourist said. aract in Zambia.
mains the attraction many holi- fauna and its mysteries has been
daymakers are enchanted by. The NewsHawks caught up one of my favourite things to do. “The river is equally beautiful. A stroll beneath the towering
with one of the nature guides Nothing has changed and I just water-berry, fig, ebony and milk-
The Victoria Falls rainforest in Victoria Falls, Irvine Ndlovu, “Being deprived of that has hope Covid-19 will soon be over wood trees, among others, will
reopened to domestic visitors who has been guiding tours for taken a toll on me because for so that people come and witness often give the visitor a glimpse
in July after being shut for 100 more than five years, and he says the past five years, this place had these moments too.” of bushbuck, monkeys, baboons,
days due to a national lockdown the Covid-19 phase has been felt become my second home.” warthog, as well as banded or
in response to the global pan- at the rainforest, despite the al- The Victoria Falls is the slender mongoose and some-
demic. With Covid-19-induced luring scenery. This publication also caught world’s largest waterfall. Border- times even a snake.
difficulties in travelling still per- up with visitors from Harare en- ing Zimbabwe and Zambia, is
sisting, the rainforest has, how- “The flora and fauna of the joying a stroll through the Vic- was formed when the Zambezi There is also a rich variety of
ever, seen only a few visitors, ac- river is magnificent to look at, be toria Falls rainforest. They said River tumbles majestically across birds in the rainforest, includ-
cording to Zimbabwe Parks and it from the smallest insect to the the World Heritage site remains 1.7 kilometres and down 108 ing endemic species such as the
Wildlife Management Authority smoke (misty spray) itself, and majestic despite the absence of metres into the Batoka Gorge. schalow’s turaco, green pigeon,
(ZimParks) officials. visitors. green sandpiper, emerald cuck-
Alongside the falls is a path oo, Senegal coucal, African wag-
“The river is roaring and in- tail and the red-faced mousebird
viting, but there are very few among others, Ndlovu says.
people to share these moments
with it,” ZimParks spokesperson The plants endemic to the
Tinashe Farawo noted. Victoria Falls rainforest include
wild date palms, African glad-
“Our domestic visitors are iolus, the fireball lily, Dr Kirk’s
very low in numbers because of aloe, a type of lip fern and the
the challenges they face, includ- pepper elder, while rare plants
ing Covid-19. include the red milkwood,
lowveld milk-berry, tassel-berry,
“Yearly, according to our cal- river nuxia, small-leaved kiaat
endar, 60% or more of our vis- and river-climbing acacia.
itors there are drawn from the
international market while the The falls are much clearer
other percentage is derived from during the drier months, but
our domestic market, so with they also have to be seen in high
the closure of the site due to water season.
Property
NewsHawks
Page 25 PROPERTY INTERIORS ARCHITECTURE GARDENING Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
The home of prime property: [email protected]
Govt moves to block
abuse of state property
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE tion, a number of civil servants “Such practices deprive other tion of such houses will be re- be charged on a cost recovery
who were allocated such prop- civil servants, particularly those stricted to a period not exceeding basis, with effect from 1 January
GOVERNMENT has given civil erties have either moved to more transferred from other provinc- twenty-four (24) months. Cur- 2021,” Ncube said.
servants who have been renting comfortable places or secured es, of accommodation. In order rent tenants who have exceeded
its pool houses for more than 24 own properties, hence opt to to prevent infinite occupation the 24 months should, thus, be “Government continue to pur-
months, three months’ notice to lease government houses,” Ncube of government pool houses and placed on three months’ notice sue housing development as one
vacate, in a bid to stop the leasing said. sub-letting by tenants, occupa- to vacate the houses.” of the basic human needs for re-
of houses to third parties. ducing poverty and accordingly,
Government’s rentals are overall support to the Ministry
In his 2021 national budget linked to housing allowances of National Housing and Social
statement presented to parlia- payable to civil servants. Amenities during 2021amounts
ment last week, Finance minister to ZW$2.8 billion, to be comple-
Mthuli Ncube said several civil Ncube however admitted that mented by other private sector
servants allocated government government has been failing to initiatives.”
houses had vacated the proper- adequately provide resources for
ties but were leasing them out. maintenance of housing units ad- The minister also announced
This has resulted in civil servants ministered through the Housing the establishment of a civil ser-
who would have been transferred Guarantee and National Housing vice housing fund to ensure that
from one province to another Funds. He allocated ZW$10 bil- civil servants are capacitated to
failing to find accommodation. lion for the overall support for secure their accommodation.
public works, covering institu-
“It has, however, been ob- tional and other housing devel- He allocated ZW$800 million
served that a number of housing opment interventions. towards the fund. Furthermore,
units are being leased to third the Department of National
parties at rentals way above those “Resources to maintain such Housing and Social Ameni-
charged by government. In addi- properties should be generated ties got a budget allocation of
from rentals, hence rentals will ZW$2.8 billion.
Page 26 Sport NewsHawks
Issue 8, 4 Dec 2020
Mission to nurture the ‘West Indies’ of Africa
From page 28 Stephen Mangongo (left) and Amos Maungwa in Kampala, Uganda, this week. holders who bring in a mix of versa-
“Facilities at Harare Sports Club’s tile skills to the project, on and off the
‘B’ section, which is now home to Founding chairman Mangongo this “Firstly, the latent massive crick- aggressively, and most importantly, field.
rugby, were not always properly main- week returned home from Uganda eting potential within the Ugandan they are terrific gun fielders. Because
tained. Realising that the Ugandan where finer details, paving way for the youths just deserves to be tapped. of their flat pitches, they tend to pro- Accompanying Mangongo to
youths needed a good pitch to train launch in the new few months, were Uganda is a minefield ready to be duce natural spinners.” Uganda this week was 42-year-old
on, I l took it upon myself to negotiate discussed between all the partners and tapped for the greater good of pro- Amos Maungwa, a former diminu-
with Sunrise Sports Club in Belvedere the East African country’s national moting African elite cricket. Since This is high praise from a man tive fast bowler for Old Hararians and
to use their pitch. I noticed genuine cricket association. their youth side’s visit here many years who is credited with producing such Takashinga, and personal favourite of
enthusiasm within the Ugandan team ago, I have keenly followed Ugandan internationally acclaimed cricketers yours truly throughout the mid-90s to
that instead of just being a facilitator, I “The brains behind the vision of cricket at Africa Cup tournaments like Tatenda Taibu — the world’s first the mid-2000s.
started coaching them during my free this high-performance centre are cred- and age-groups. The second reason black Test cricket captain outside of
time.” ible people in the cricket world,” ex- why ACA chose Uganda is its locality the West Indies — amongst a host of Hailing from Chitungwiza, Maung-
What was initially supposed to be plained Mangongo. “Therefore, it was with accessibility to other East African Zimbabwe international players. wa was known as a hard-worker and
a training camp ended up with some not difficult to convince the corporate nations like Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda good student of the game. In the mid-
of the young Ugandans playing com- world to come in as partners for this and Burundi. ACA will identify East And Mangongo sees much more in ‘90s, he worked as a schools coach for
petitive club cricket in Zimbabwe at a game-changing project. ICC’s goal is African talent and bring it to Uganda Ugandan cricket in the not too distant the Mashonaland Cricket Association,
decent level over the two weeks they to see cricket spread globally and cer- in order to upskill the cricket talent in future. under the legendary development stal-
were in the country. tainly this project is a vehicle for crick- the whole region.” wart Bill Flower, father of Zimbabwe
“I had just formed Old Winsto- et growth in Uganda and East Africa.” “In five years’ time, Uganda will greats Andy and Grant.
nians (present-day Takashinga Cricket There has rather been a gradual rise have ODI (One-Day International)
Club), and as part of giving quality Although Uganda is the principal in cricket participation in the East Af- status,” declares the 50-year-old for- Quite short for a fast bowler,
training to the Ugandan youth team, focus, other countries in the East Af- rican region, but for Mangongo—and mer Zimbabwe national team coach. Maungwa somehow had the ability
I drafted some of them into my Win- rican region and elsewhere across the many other enthusiasts of the game “I have been to Uganda and I have to generate good pace and bounce
stonians club for matches and tougher continent stand to benefit by having worldwide—Uganda is one of the seen the abundant talent. It’s a case of on most wickets across Zimbabwe
exposure. I remember Michael (Nd- young and gifted players enrolled in most important centrepieces for gen- drilling the boys 24-7 and create the during his first-class cricket career in
iko), who is now part of the Ugan- the ground-breaking academy. uine cricket growth across the globe. training culture with specific moni- the country. Maungwa, never capped
dan senior team coaching staff. He tored programmes, and then the sky by Zimbabwe at international level,
was a good off-spinner then. There “The choice of Uganda as the HPC “Ugandans have the West Indian is the limit.” works with Durban Cricket Academy
was also (Frank) Nsubuga, a very tal- for the Africa Cricket Academy is two- traits,” reckons Mangongo. “They bat in South Africa as a director of youth
ented top-order batsman and Jeremy fold,” says Mangongo. The Africa Cricket Academy is the development.
(Kibukamusoke), a tall seamer with a brainchild of a cross-section of stake-
graceful bowling action. It was on that With the Africa Cricket Academy,
tour that I became good friends with the Gutu-born ex-paceman will be
Justine (Ligyalingi), who was that a board member and fast-bowling
touring Uganda Under-17 side’s team coaching specialist.
manager. Just because of his passion
for cricket, Justine is now the ICC’s Mangongo has full knowledge of
development officer for Africa. what the likes of Maungwa bring to a
“Our friendship then has grown project of this magnitude.
from strength to strength.”
Ligyalingi landed the ICC post two “Amos’s strength was his energy,”
years ago. The Ugandan works with remarks Mangongo. “He could bowl
the world cricket governing body’s 10 overs on the trot without fatigue.
development manager for Africa, re- Amos was underrated maybe simply
nowned sports administrator Patricia because people’s perception was that
Kambarami, sister of the late Zimba- a fast bowler had to be tall and phys-
bwe Cricket (ZC) boss Peter Chingo- ically imposing. Therefore, he was
ka. overlooked, but at club and provincial
The respect between Ligyalingi level he caused mayhem, taking wick-
and Mangongo, built over 27 years, ets regularly. We know exactly what he
has been big a motivational factor for brings to the table at the ACA.”
an exciting new project – the Africa
Cricket Academy – to be based in Martin Ondeko, the youthful CEO
Ugandan capital Kampala. of the Uganda Cricket Association,
hails the expertise brought by these
different professionals.
“With their vast experience in world
cricket, they bring with them abun-
dance of knowledge to share,” says
Ondeko. “They also come with all the
contacts for strategic partnerships.”
I MADE a pretty bold prediction Pitso’s star shines as Nomara with very deep pockets. But you
at the beginning of the year, stating goes back to the basics still need to be a very good strat-
that Norman Mapeza was poised of teams. uary, I opined that the move to batteries and maybe give it anoth- egist to bring it all together and
for coaching success in South Af- What a match made in hell it was South Africa was Mapeza’s first er go at a later stage, South Africa’s achieve success in the punishing
rica after the former Zimbabwe real opportunity to make a name own version of him—Pitso Mosi- terrain of football coaching. Many
captain was put in charge of vola- always destined to be for a touch for himself outside the comfort of mane—has been making waves in have failed to deliver with the same
tile top-flight club Chippa United customer like Mapeza and the home, where in all honesty he has continental football. kind of riches before them.
mid-season. trigger-happy tycoon owner of the nothing to prove anymore in terms
club, Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi. Following a blockbuster move Back in Zimbabwe, Mapeza
Eleven months later, the ex- HawkZone for Mosimane to African has been a towering coaching fig-
Galatasaray player is back home, True to character on both sides, club football power Al ure with the backing of Platinum’s
re-joining the team he had last as soon as Mpengesi started to Enock Ahly in September, the monies, simply the wealthiest club
coached in Zimbabwe before tak- throw his weight around, Mapeza Muchinjo ex-Mamelodi Sundowns in the country. But he has fallen on
ing a leap of faith to a club notori- did not stick around a minute lon- tactician has since won the his first step outside his comfort
ous for sacking coaches on a whim. ger. You just couldn’t make it up. of domestic silverware. Egyptian Premier League zone, Zimbabwe, and it begs the
While Mapeza was being forced title and as well as the Af- question: how well would someone
And most of us seemed to agree Another attempt by Mapeza to rican Champions League. like Mapeza do as a coach with the
that there was truly no shame in stay in South Africa to join Tsha- to come back home, recharge his This is impressive stuff al- same budget, and perhaps the same
how Mapeza left Chippa just four kuma Tsha Madzivandila, a new ready for Mosimane, over kind of patience afforded to peo-
months into his contract in April, club, somehow did not materialise. ple like Mosimane? That will only
given the circumstances of his So the man whose coaching skills and above his prolific coaching be known, maybe, when Mapeza
working conditions there. are well respected at home is now career with Sundowns. Mosimane produces something truly special
back with local side FC Platinum. has been quite lucky to coach clubs in his latest Platinum tenure, as
Results had not particularly his fans believe he can. Or at some
been disastrous for the Zimbabwe- When I last wrote back in Jan- time in the future, in charge of a
an gaffer in Port Elizabeth, and the different club within or outside this
former Warriors skipper is never country.
one to react well to any overbear-
ing manner of running the affairs
Sports Mission to Officials claim
nurture the FIFA sanctions
‘West Indies’ won’t ‘hurt’ Zim
of Africa
Thursday 1 October–2P0a2ge025
Friday 4 December 2020 @NewsHawksLive TheNewsHawks www.thenewshawks.com new
WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS MissionCULTURE SPO
$60 Covid Zim
Community
tariff for to nurtureradio laun
visitors & Prem
regulations
tourists the ‘Westunder review Leag
Story on Page 3 Story on Page 8 Story o
OfficialsCchlamimisa reachIndies’ of
Africa
ENOCK MUCHINJO
Fifa sanocutitontos KhupeA DEVELOPMENT tour to Zim-
babwe by a Uganda Under-17
cricket team back in 1993 created
a special bond that, nearly three
decades later, has given birth to
an idea its founders believe to be
‘huUrnotff’iciZal iprmesident calls for emergencythe turning point for a continent
won’t that has largely remained alien to
cricket. The young Ugandans had
arrived with an eagerness to learn,
to soak up all the knowledge they
could in two weeks, and the will-
ingness to teach was reciprocal on
the part of the people at the then
Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU).
None, perhaps, availed his self-
less service to the East African tour-
ists more than Stephen Mangongo,
then a 23-year-old ex-player from
ENOCK MUCHINJO sports association believes it is on correct prognosis put in place. In been banished for good. Our value Harare’s Glen Norah township,
a noble undertaking to restore or- short, we can afford to be suspend- to the ICC is political: the Asian now working within the ZCU set-
GOVERNMENT is ready to der in Zimbabwean football, so ed. It won’t hurt us like in cricket. bloc needs us. That’s why the ICC up as a grassroots coach.
“step in” and subsidise football in any counterefforts, even by Fifa, In one to two years of suspension chairman and India sided with ZC Zimbabwe had been granted
Zimbabwe in case world govern- would be inconsequential. we can stock-take and clean up (Zimbabwe Cricket). Never mind Test status just a year earlier, but
ing body Fifa suspends the coun- Fifa resolutely opposes any Zifa, call in Fifa to oversee new the millions we get as a grant upon with prospects of ever playing in-
try over intervention in the affairs government interference, or that elections and we are good to go.” which the entirety of cricket in ternational cricket for his country
of the sport by the Sports and of a third party, in the affairs of a The SRC, however, will not be Zimbabwe depends upon because slowly fading, Mangongo turned
Recreation Commission (SRC), member association and such ac- oblivious of the possible harmful of lack of other corporate sponsor- to coaching at a young age.
highly-placed sources have said. tions often forces the hand of the consequence of its intervention in ship.” Lending a helping hand was
The Southern African nation Zurich-based organisation against yet another national sports feder- The insider was adamant that something that had been inculcat-
faces possible sanction by Fifa the errant country. ation. Zimbabwean football would sur- ed into Mangongo earlier in his life
over recent developments in the A Fifa ban will result in the Last year, Zimbabwe was brief- vive the turbulent times if Fifa when in 1989 he became the first
game, which has seen a tussle be- country’s ejection from all levels ly suspended by the International takes a hard line over the SRC’s black recipient of a ZCU schol-
tween the Zimbabwe Football As- of international football as well Cricket Council (ICC) following interference in Zifa. arship, being enrolled at Harare’s
sociation (Zifa) and the country’s as freezing of funding in the form the actions of the SRC, which had “The public needs to know the famed Prince Edward Boys School,
sporting regulatory body — the of grants from the global foot- sensationally fired the entire board pros and cons of suspension,” com- which for over a century has played
SRC — fuel unprecedented ten- ball-governing body. This, howev- and managing director of the mented the insider. “I think that a crucial role in producing many
sion between the two organisa- er, does not seem to faze the pow- country’s cricket association. the pros outweigh the negatives. world-class sports stars for Zimba-
tions. ers-that-be in Zimbabwe. Another source privy to the go- But the public thinks that Fifa bwe and other countries.
Matters came to a head last “Suspension will not change ings-on, however, told this publi- turning off the taps will kill foot- So, when Uganda’s young team
week after the SRC, a govern- anything apart from internation- cation that the two scenarios can- ball. PSL (Premier Soccer League) was placed under his wing 27 years
ment-appointed body, announced al Fifa fixtures and tournaments not be viewed in the same light. and the other lower leagues can ago, Mangongo saw an opportuni-
it had suspended Zifa’s general of which the most relevant is the “With cricket, as you know, we survive without Fifa funds. They ty to help others, while at the same
secretary, Joseph Mamutse, over Africa Cup of Nations,” an impec- could not afford to be expelled as always have. Most of Fifa funding time putting his developing coach-
charges of mismanagement. cable source told The NewsHawks a permanent member of the ICC,” is for development and technical ing skills to test.
Cornered Zifa is fighting the yesterday. ALSO INSsaIiDd tEhe insFidienr.a“nItcweoMuldinhiasvteydwe-ipepslanonuintg$.3A.n2dBiifllgioovnerdnmepenotsciatnors fu“(nTdhes late) ZMiimke'sWlahtielesyt, lwahnod controv
suspension, through Fifa, labelling “The cost (of grants) is probably stroyed Zimcricket because a side pick up the tab, I don’t see the was the ZCU’s schools administra-
the SRC’s move unprocedural and US$1.5 million to US$2 million like Scotland would then have got fuss. And, at the moment, I think tor, delegated me to look after the
unlawful. from Fifa, most of which is mis- Test status or something like that that government, too, is ready to Ugandans,” Mangongo told The
However, the SRC is not back- handled anyway. It’s a tab I know and we, hanging on a thread and step into this breach. Time will NewsHawks this week.
ing down. The country’s supreme government can pick up with the the goodwill of India, would have tell.” To page 27
ALSO INSIDE Pitso’s star shines as Nomara goes to basics Mission to nurture ‘West Indies’ of Africa
The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
NewsHawks 4 December 2020
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search
NewsHawks 4 December 2020
- 1 - 27
Pages: