WEEKLY DIGEST OCTOBER 26, 2022

 The moving story behind the next young-  How cricket players are performing at T20
star Aphiwe from Plumtree. .Page 22 World Cup. .24

US$1 Wednesday October 26-November 1, 2022

ZIM’S EXTERNAL
DEBT IS

UNSUSTAINABLE,
WE SHOULD BE
WORRIED

AFRICA IN BRIEF October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 2

Trial gives Guinea stadium massacre
survivors hope for justice

In its latest report, the UN said that current commitments from governments around the world will in fact in- 4 For more than a dec- claiming himself head of the tran-
crease emissions by 10.6 percent by 2030 ade, Oumou Barry has sitional government and promising
kept her torn, blood- to organise free and fair elections
UN says countries’ climate plans stained dress in a plas- excluding members of the military
‘nowhere near’ 1.5C goal tic bag along with a CT scan of her government.
broken scapula as evidence of her
rape by a Guinean soldier at a sta- By April 2009, he had back-ped-
dium in the capital, Conakry, on alled, hinting that he might run
September 28, 2009. for president. Hundreds took to
“This is the dress I was wear- the streets to peacefully protest,
ing that day,” the 63-year-old re- and the Guinean military entered
tired secretary and grandmother the stadium where protesters had
of 11 told Al Jazeera. “I always have gathered and started firing guns
it with me when I do interviews. at the crowd. She was among hun-
This is proof of what they did to dreds of Guineans who came out
me.” She was among hundreds of to protest against military strong-
Guineans who came out to protest man and coup leader Dadis Cama-
against military strongman and ra’s decision to run for the presi-
coup leader Dadis Camara’s deci- dency.. At least 150 people were
sion to run for the presidency. killed, according to Human Rights
In December 2008, Camara Watch. Reports also show that
seized power hours after the death women were specifically targeted
of President Lansana Conté, pro- by Guinean soldiers.

— Aljazeera

A new report by the United Na- experts said on Wednesday the plans now and implement them
world was still failing to act with in the next eight years.” The UN’s
1 tions has warned that sufficient urgency to curb green- climate experts have said emis-
the climate plans from house gas emissions. “We are still sions, compared with 2010 lev-
governments world- nowhere near the scale and pace els, need to fall by 43 percent by
wide remain insufficient of emission reductions required 2030 in order to meet the Paris
to limit rising temperatures to to put us on track toward a 1.5 deal’s goal.
1.5 degrees Celsius as set out in degrees Celsius world,” Simon
the 2015 Paris Agreement. Stiell, executive secretary of UN But in its latest report, the UN
With the planet already suffer- Climate Change, said in a state- said current commitments from
ing from climate-related storms, ment. “To keep this goal alive, governments will, in fact, in-
heatwaves and floods amid tem- national governments need to crease emissions by 10.6 percent
peratures of 1.2C above pre-in- strengthen their climate action by 2030.
dustrial levels, the UN’s climate
— Aljazeera

Pakistan officials travel to Kenya after journalist killing

Three senior security officials nel Saad Ahmed from the Pakistan arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday and
Army. moved to a state-owned medical
2 from Pakistan are due facility for a post-mortem exam-
to arrive in Nairobi on A statement from Pakistan’s ination following a request from
a fact-finding mission Ministry of Interior says the three the family.
following the brutal kill- officials will assist in the investiga-
ing of a prominent jour- tions. Meanwhile, investigations into
nalist Arshad Sharif on Sunday. the murder have begun in Kenya.
They are Director of Police Athar The team is expected to submit
Waheed, the Intelligence Bureau's a report to the ministry after con- Kenya’s police watchdog is
Omara Shahid Hamid, and Colo- cluding their visit. also investigating the incident.

The body of the slain journalist — BBC

Dormitory fire kills children at

school for the blind in Uganda

3 At least 11 peo- Ethiopia’s warring sides meet
ple, mostly children, for talks in South Africa
have died in a blaze
that tore through a dormitory at Delegates of the Ethiopian gov- geria’s former President Oluseg-
a school for the blind in eastern ernment and rival Tigray forc- un Obasanjo, supported by Ken-
Uganda as pupils were sleeping, 5 es have started peace ya’s former leader Uhuru Kenyat-
officials said. talks in Pretoria, the ta and South Africa’s ex-Vice Pres-
The disaster occurred at about South African gov- ident Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
1am on Tuesday (22:00 GMT ernment has said,
Monday) at the Salama School marking the first formal The conflict began in Novem-
for the Blind in Mukono district’s meeting between the two war- ber 2020 when Ethiopian Prime
Luga village, east of the capital, ring sides after nearly two years of Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops
Kampala. “The cause of the fire bloody conflict. into Tigray after accusing the re-
is currently unknown but so far 11 “The peace talks, which have gion’s ruling Tigray People’s Lib-
deaths as a result of the fire have been convened to find a peace- eration Front (TPLF) of attack-
been confirmed while six are in ful and sustainable solution to the ing federal army camps. Since
critical conditions and admitted devastating conflict in the Tigray then, the conflict has killed thou-
[to hospital],” the Uganda Police region, started today, the 25th of sands, displaced millions and left
Force said on Twitter. October, and will end on the 30th hundreds of thousands on the
Police added that an investi- of October,” Vincent Magwen- brink of famine. The negotiations,
gation had been launched and ya, spokesman for President Cyr- which had been delayed earlier
more details would be released il Ramaphosa, told reporters on this month due to logistical rea-
later. Tuesday. South Africa is ready to sons, have been encouraged by
“Most of the dead are children serve as a host and provide as- the United States. In a statement
at the school and our sympa- sistance to the peace talks, Mag- on Friday, Washington said it was
thies go to the parents,” internal wenya said, adding that the coun- committed to continuing to par-
affairs minister General Kahinda try hoped the talks would lead to ticipate in the efforts to advance
Otafiire told AFP news agency. A forensic expert walks past a burnt dormitory building at the Salaama School lasting peace for the people of peace in the war-torn Tigray re-
He said the school has been for the Blind in Mukono District near Kampala. Ethiopia. gion, and also said it was “deeply
cordoned off as a “crime scene” concerned” over reports of indis-
and promised accountability. if there are any culprits they will be its course,” he added. The talks are being mediated by criminate bombing and killings.
“As government, we shall go apprehended and the law will take an African Union team, led by Ni-
to the root cause of the fire and — Aljazeera — Aljazeera

THE DIGEST VIEW October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 3

TdarneefrmsWaowsaemuenrrdsy Zim govt lacks spineHE Zanu PF government
it? This trend, it appears, is ram- is at long last trying to
pant. get back to the basics
It is even more dumbfounding
Ton its initial promises at
that despite the Health ministry, services. Minimum wage works
and undoubtedly many other min- perfectly in a welfarist state. A state
istries, having received droplets of that has control over housing, health,
what was allocated, Treasury in Au- public transport and education.
Independence in 1980, These four issues are the variables
gust presented its mid-term fiscal in which many people spend their
review which included a supple- reintroducing a minimum wage.
mentary budget. However, questions will continue to income and hence they need to
Treasury requested addition- linger if this is not another campaign be controlled. Councils should
al spending of $929,3 billion on gimmick as the 2023 general have houses that they rent out as
top of the initially approved 2022 elections loom on the horizon. a measure to control the cost of
At 1980, Zimbabwe adopted a accommodation.
budget of $968,3 billion to bring labour policy that set minimum Public health and education should
the total to $1,9 trillion.
It does not take rocket science wages for each sector as a means be of standard that is admirable and
to tell that something is grossly to make sure no worker would be the public get a confidence in the
wrong here. enslaved. This was based on the services they receive.
Alfonce Mbizwo Does this mean that Treasury is country's colonial history, where many Secondly and equally important,
budgeting for resources that are workers were underpaid in relation minimum wages work in relation Paidamoyo Muzulu
Editor non-existent or the money might to their efforts on the basis of their to pricing models of goods and
be there, but is being diverted colour or race. The guiding principle services within a country. The state programmes in the region on health,
VERY interesting revela- elsewhere, resulting in the crisis we was equal pay for equal work and to should have a sway in the pricing of education and even housing and
tions are coming out of now see in the Health ministry and bring decency into working. goods and services, particularly basic social grants.
this year’s pre-budget others? The government, in the most goods and services that are needed
seminar. recent post-Cabinet statement, by the majority. This gives rise to the Subsidies are frowned upon
This should deeply worry us, un- announced that it was ready to question of subsidies. by capital, yet they bring in social
fortunately, for decades this has initiate talks around a minimum wage This takes us to the third linked cohesion and stability. It helps no one
First we heard that been the trend whereby ministries, to have small oasis ofriches in a desert
our soldiers are starving and have government departments and in the country. This comes as salaries point to minimum wages — of poverty. Governments should not
no uniforms and accommoda- parastatals receive less than 10% and wages have had a hard time progressive taxation. Taxation should shy away from implementing wealth
tion. Now we hear from the office of their allocations and Zimbabwe chasing inflation as now there is a be equitable. Please note, I did not redistributive policies. Capital only
of Vice-President Constantino Chi- continues to sink more and more large pool of poor workers — workers say equal. The rich and businesses care about itself and when it does
wenga that the Health ministry, into economic abyss. who can’t meet their basic needs yet should start carrying a fair share of social corporate responsibility it is
And why are the ministries ever they religiously report for duty and the tax burden not hiding behind running away from paying taxes.
which he also heads, did not re- creative accounting to dodge tax Imagine if the government says
ceive the bulk of what it was allo- so quiet about this? Why do they execute their responsibilities. CSR should be only in education
cated in the 2022 national budget. never raise hell each time they are “Cabinet noted the updates on the or have their companies foreign and health funding, how many
Chiwenga tells us that the 2022 short-changed by Treasury, only labour law reform, operationalisation domiciled in tax havens. companies would continue doing
to wait for another pre- of the TNF and the Report of the TNF Implementing the three points I CSR?
annual budget for medicines was Technical Committee. Pertaining to highlighted above needs leadership.
tFlefeml$iiriooovd1va5iennerns$rstib,wsr1,wu8tioalrlcayisnbogtsculdinwyololrriivesneoaa2eb,tlsnne,rru8danafahrcomssloobleeerowenpdidiclnn-l--..ya-ttT$-h5etbbbhiulr$-eid9ndi2gnguie9tirittt,oyh3ioanerbflaelti$ylqolTl9lsuatiir6pooapee8lnenspa,ntt3rsoeodo-dnb$ivniae1tlgodld,i9po-o2tnfo0ribf2tlou2-dtogpewtoftruolshoeotfrirmiynWll?sfgt,uemhoeTnmermrosdeoieninaovlneiesastgy--trr The test for Mnangagwa and
salaries and wages, here are some This leadership mainly resides in the company if the minimum wage
of the recommendations: (a) that a executive. The executive has authority policy is not a campaign gimmick
guide be provided to all bargaining and should use it to implement the then they have to offer the holistic
platforms across all sectors to strive tough decisions. social democratic policies. They have
towards pegging the minimum wage The Collins dictionary defines to start thinking of the supply side of
at US$150 payable either in ZWL an executive as “someone who is things and make sure all the basic
dollar at the prevailing inter-bank employed by a business at a senior needs of the individual can be met
rate,” the Cabinet said. level. Executives decide what the by the proposed wage.
The Cabinet further stated: “b) the business should do, and ensure that
provided funding that reach- proposed guideline for the minimum it is done.” Doing the above entails,
es the minis- government using a strong hand
amounting to $687 mil- tries from Treasury wage will be subject to review at the It further defines authority as, “the against profiteering tendencies
lion and the Zimbabwe by capital. Price mark-ups above
National Family Planning Coun- is hardly traceable given Main TNF meeting in the first quarter right to command and control other 25% of the production cost should
cil procured contraceptives worth the shambolic state of the minis- of 2023; c) Government to consider people”. This draws our attention to be frowned upon. That is the
tries’ financial books. Auditor-Gen- tax cuts on wages and salaries to President Emmerson Mnangagwa big conundrum Mnangagwa
US$1,5 million. increase disposable incomes; and d) administration. In many instances, the and company should deal with,
So, what exactly is happening eral Mildred Chiri has talked herself considering their closeness to capital.
here? hoarse over this, but nothing has fair distribution of incomes should government officials speak like they
When Treasury sits down to for- changed. Things seem to be get- become a policy and planning are outsiders giving suggestion and Any further dithering on the
mulate the national budget, it ting worse, and more catastrophic. imperative." never utter the words; “we decided” policy as the suggested review and
This sounds all hunk-dory. However, or “we will do”. It makes one wonder implementation after first quarter of
looks at available resources and al- It is very embarrassing, to say some analysis is needed particular in whether they understand what the 2023 financial year clearly points to
locates them as best as it can to the least, that our national budg- the unpleasant truth — the minimum
all ministries, government depart- ets have turned out to be mere our context where we have a jelly- executive authority they wield is and wage issue is simply an election
ments and parastatals. In other window dressing. Our budgets are ideological policy — whether we have how they can use it effectively. gimmick to entice the poor working
words, what was allocated to the now best-selling acts of fiction. It is a right or left government or even Things like National Health class.
Health ministry should have been about time we demand more ac- centrist. Zimbabwe's government Services, Unemployment Benefit Paidamoyo Muzulu is a journalist
disbursed as is and so it comes countability and plausible expla- since 2018 has been consistently pro- in the United Kingdom came as a based in Zimbabwe. He writes in
somewhat as a shock that VP Chi- nations as to what exactly is hap- capital, especially with its mantra — result of leadership that was resolute. his personal capacity.
wenga’s ministry received peanuts. pening to the bulk of the budget- Zimbabwe is open for business. It is the same in United States when
Minimum wages do not work in a they finally introduced Obamacare.
This leads us to the question: So, ed funds that never reach their in- vacuum. The state needs and must Closer to home, Botswana and South
what happened to the rest of the tended destinations.
funds that were allocated to the We demand answers from have control over certain public Africa have the best social safety nets
Health ministry, but never reached Treasury.

Weekly Digest is published daily by Alpha Media Holdings EDITOR Tel: 883184-8/887057/58/69/70/71 Building. Bulawayo
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FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 4

Zimbabwe’s
debt crisis:
Here’s how
much we

owe

Z imbabwe is in debt dis- over the past year, and how much blocked funds of US$3.533 billion and an obliga- penalties because of not paying its debts on
tress, and the country is expected over the next few years. tion of US$3.5 billion to compensate white for- time.
has been looking for so- mer farmers for improvements on resettled land.
lutions on how to emerge Here are some of the key take- The country has piled up external debt arrears
from it. aways from the strategy paper on Not only does Zimbabwe owe principal and penalties of US$6.6 billion. This includes
The Ministry of Finance’s Pub- the state of Zimbabwe’s debt crisis. amounts, but the country also has arrears and penalties of US$2.01 billion by December 2021.
lic Debt Management Office has
recently released a medium-term How much do we owe?
debt management strategy that The total Public and Publicly
has the latest data on the extent of Guaranteed (PPG) debt in Decem-
the country’s debt crisis. It lays out ber 2021 was US$17.2 billion. This
how much we owe, who we owe, was made up of external debt of
how much debt we have taken on US$13.4 billion (77.9%) and domes-
tic debt of US$3.8 billion (22.1%).
This total public debt includes

PUBLIC NOTICE : RETAIL
PRICE ADJUSTMENT

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zw.myliquidhome.tech

FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 5

Of the total external debt arrears, US$4.2 bil-
lion (63%) is due to the bilateral creditors,
while US$2.4 billion (37%) is due to the multi-
lateral creditors such as the World Bank and
others.

Who do we owe exactly?
Zimbabwe owes US$5.6 billion to bilateral
creditors – such as individual countries – and
US$2.7 billion to multilateral creditors.
Of the total bilateral external debt, US$3.9
billion is owed to the Paris Club bilateral
creditors – a group of countries – and US$1.8
billion is owed to the non-Paris Club bilater-
al creditors. For debts owed to financial in-
stitutions, US$1.5 billion is owed to the World
Bank, US$711 million to the African Develop-
ment Bank and US$358 million to the Euro-
pean Investment Bank.
The government’s decisions over the years
to take over the central bank’s debt have add-
ed to the debt pile. The country owes US$111
million to creditors under the 2015 RBZ Debt
Assumption Act, while US$4.9 billion is exter-
nal debt on RBZ’s balance sheet.
What’s the latest on Chinese loans?
According to a recent report by Finance
Minister Mthuli Ncube to Parliament, Zimba-
bwe has borrowed US$2.7 billion from Chi-
na since 1980. The outstanding debt to Chi-
na as at August 2022 amounted to US$1.768
billion, he said.
Most of the Chinese loans have been bor-
rowed for infrastructure projects.
On current loans, Zimbabwe borrowed
US$998 million from the China Export-Im-
port Bank for the Hwange 7 & 8 power units.
Last year, the bank released US$24 million for
the project. But the report by the mid-term
Debt Management Office shows that, again,
Zimbabwe is struggling to service some of
the running Chinese loans.
According to the report, China is not releas-
ing as much of the loans as needed because
Zimbabwe is in arrears on loans for the Vic-
toria Falls Airport (US$65.36 million), NetOne
Network Expansion Phase I & II (US$66.65
million) and TelOne National Broadband Ex-
pansion Project (US$8.0 million).
Says Treasury: “Government is currently
working with the Entities in default to ring-
fence resources for the clearance of these
outstanding arrears.”
How much did we get from loans last year?
In total, in 2021, Zimbabwe received
US$35.9 million from the running loan agree-
ments.
Apart from the Hwange power station
loans, Zimbabwe also got US$3.9 million
from the US$28.6 million loan from the In-
dia Exim Bank for the Deka Pumping Station.
This is a project to bring water from the Zam-
bezi to the new Hwange power units.
Zimbabwe also got US$8 million from the
Opec Fund for International Development
(OFID). The money is being used for social
projects as well as to rehabilitate irrigation
schemes around the country.
From 2022 to 2025, Zimbabwe expects
to receive loan disbursements of US$556.4
million. This includes US$293 million for the
Hwange 7 and 8 power plants, US$20 mil-
lion for the Deka Pumping Station, US$71 mil-
lion for the R.G. Mugabe International Airport,
NetOne Network Expansion Phase III (US$43
million) and the Bulawayo Thermal Power
Station (US$82 million).

— newZWire

“THE bulk of local investors’ capital is
denominated in Zimbabwe dollars.
Liquidity may remain thin in the short
to medium term, especially in the
absence of foreign investors. As a
way to address this bottleneck,
restoration of confidence of both
domestic and foreign investors in our
financial markets is of paramount
importance. Despite these challenges
opportunities for potential listings for
securities such as Real Estate
Investment Trusts (REITS), Exchange
Traded Funds, and Depositary
Receipts remains wide and ready.”

COVER October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 6

Zim’s external debt is unsustainable and we should be worried

“BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA time providing unpaid care for their families sia-Ukraine conflict, price instability have all food insecurity.”
Zimbabwe’s debt stock continues to when they should be participating in deci- played their fair share in worsening the situ- In its recent economic report on Zimba-
balloon to unsustainable levels.” sion-making. ation,” Zimcodd said.
The remarks were by Zimbabwe bwe, the World Bank confirmed some of the
Coalition on Debt and Development “High levels of public indebtedness also “Zimstat data reveals that the proportion social consequences of the public debt that
(Zimcodd) at the conclusion of the have repercussions on the citizenry who of Zimbabweans living in poverty has been the government has picked up along the
4th edition of the Annual Multi-Stakeholder are burdened by high levels of unemploy- above 70% as of December 2021 while 43% way, particularly, infrastructure spending.
Debt Conference held from the 12th to the ment, inequality and poverty. 88% of the of the population (5,8 million people) were
14th this month. employed population is informal, inequali- living in extreme poverty. Furthermore, 1,6 “In addition to price instability, unsustain-
ty is worsening and about half of the pop- million urban people are living in poverty, able and sizeable external public and pub-
The conference was held under the ulation is living in extreme poverty. Climate 4,6 million children have severe acute mal- licly guaranteed (PPG) debt, mostly in ar-
theme “Leveraging Public Finance and Debt change, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rus- nutrition and 3,8 million rural people face rears, has deterred investment, further un-
Reforms for Sustainable Economic Growth dermining growth. Since 2000, the GoZ has
and Inclusive Development in Zimbabwe,”
a collaboration of Zimcodd and the African
Forum and Network on Debt and Develop-
ment (AFRODAD).

“Presently, public debt is estimated at
US$17,9 billion which is way above the 60%
of GDP SADC benchmark and the 70%
benchmark in the Public Debt Management
Act of 2015, meaning that the country is in
debt distress. External debt is US$13,2 bil-
lion of which USD6,6 billion (50%) is in ar-
rears,” Zimcodd said.

“In addition to this shocking debt figure, it
is worrisome that since 1980, no debt audit
has been carried out. Effectively, we don’t
know how these resources were spent, to
legitimate or illegitimate ends. At the same
time, external debt limits access to low-
cost, long-term financing for the country
at a time when Zimbabwe is engaged in an
economic recovery effort.”

Typically, the effects of debt on regular
people include a government that is una-
ble to function, which forces it to cut back
on social spending as it will have to divert
funds to pay off debt and arrears.

As such, the government enacts austerity
measures to make those debt repayments
or to seek out external funding, resulting in
the poor delivery of public services leaving
the average citizen and the impoverished.

Research shows that women in rural and
urban regions suffer the most from poor
service delivery since they spend more

ZIMBABWE

INDEPENDENT

Thank you

our partners and delegates for your support at the
inaugural Zimbabwe Annual Investor Forum 2022

COVER October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 7
stopped servicing debt to international fi-
Public Procurement nancial institutions (IFIs) and has started ac-
cumulating arrears on external debt, which
2nd Annual totalled US$6,6 billion at the end of 2021, or
44.5 percent of GDP,” the World Bank said.
2022Conference “Arrears to IFIs have curtailed access to
THEME: SHARING INSIGHTS, BUILDING concessional financing and increased the
RELATIONSHIPS cost of private sector borrowing. Mean-
while, exchange rate restrictions imposed
Dates : 18-20 October 2022 by RBZ have made private sector borrow-
Participants : Policy Makers, Accounting O cers, ing from abroad increasingly difficult and
expensive. To prevent an outflow of capital,
Venue Procurement Directors, Managers and O cers the GoZ blocked external payments to for-
: Rainbow Towers, Harare eign suppliers and investors in 2019, further
limiting foreign direct investment (FDI).”
Guest of Honor : The bank continued: “In 2021, the GoZ
His Excellency Cde. Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa assumed these blocked funds, which to-
talled US$3.5 billion, and committed to
Speakers & Panelists: Regional and International speakers. making the payments on behalf of the pri-
Early Bird ZWL 414,000.00 vate sector, although the payment modal-
Investment : Standard ZWL 560,000.00 ity and timeline remain unclear. As a result,
the maintenance and upgrading of critical
SPONSORSHIP AND ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE public infrastructure was either neglected
or implemented at elevated cost”.
Registration closes 7 October 2022 for early bird and 14 October 2022 for standard The bank said that at present, less than
half of the population were now connected
CONFERENCE ENQUIRIES: to the national electricity grid; roads to con-
nect businesses and people to markets re-
For more information: main unbuilt or in disrepair; and access to
Email: [email protected] drinking water has been constrained.
Tel : +263242790080 / 242772669 / 242752542 / 242753132 “Limited access to affordable exter-
nal credit lines and high exposure to pub-
Mrs E. Kagodo - 0712 899 420 lic debt have also constrained domestic fi-
Mr E. Masvosva - 0719 393 962 nancing to the private sector. A large pub-
Ms. S. Sibanda - 0712 907 328 lic debt burden has crowded out credit to
the private sector, reducing it below levels
Sponsorship and Advertising: Ms A. Mutemachimwe 0712 899 425 required to support robust private invest-
ment and productivity growth,” the World
Bank said.
“This was especially pronounced prior to
the two recessions of 2000–08 and 2019–
20. Since 2020, monetary financing has
been discontinued and credit to the pri-
vate sector has outpaced credit growth to
the public sector, but levels remain too low
to support investment. Nonetheless, overall
investment levels have remained very low.”
AFRODAD made submissions to the In-
ternational Monetary Fund and the World
Bank at their recent meetings in Washing-
ton, calling for a restructuring of how debt is
structured for lower-income countries.
“African countries did not take part in de-
signing the current international financial
architecture which embeds within it Afri-
ca’s historical subjugation. We agree with
the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Ad-
do, the current global financial system is
“skewed significantly against develop-
ing and emerging economies” and in favor
of rich countries,” reads a joint statement
signed by AFRODA and several other Afri-
can rights organizations.
“Major reforms of the governance struc-
ture of the Bretton Woods institutions are
required as a significant step towards rec-
ognizing African countries and their citizens
as rule makers in the re-design of the inter-
national financial and debt architecture.”
The statement was submitted to the
Bretton Woods Institutions together with
a global statement from other global debt
rights groups calling for the complete can-
cellation of debt.
“With interest rates spiking, debt ac-
cumulation is rising to record-breaking
heights. Several countries now deemed to
be on the brink of debt defaults, or at high
risk of being so, are projected to follow Sri
Lanka, Zambia, Lebanon, Zimbabwe and
Suriname. They include Argentina, Pakistan,
Egypt, Kenya, Ghana and Tunisia – most of
which are middle-income countries - show-
ing that all countries need access to debt
cancellation,” reads the global statement.
“Of the new loans to lower and middle-
income countries as of 2020, five times as
much debt came from private lenders as
compared to bilateral lenders. Private lend-
ers were reported to hold US$2.18 trillion or
63% of the long-term external public debts
claimed from them, including US$1.73 tril-
lion in the form of bonds.”
Government has however committed to
meeting its debt obligations.
“While the large public debt burden re-
mains unresolved, the GoZ has made strides
in advancing the re-engagement agen-
da as efforts to clear arrears continue,” the
World Bank said.
“In 2019, the GoZ restarted making pari-
passu payments on debt to international fi-
nancial institutions (IFIs) and, in 2021, also
commenced payments to Paris Club cred-
itors. The GoZ came up with an Arrears
Clearance, Debt Relief and Restructuring
Strategy approved in 2021, which set out a
roadmap for arrears clearance.”

ANALYSIS October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 8

Zim needs
to shift its

mtraatdriex.
Hheorewis

IBY MTHANDAZO NYONI ly safeguard the progress which has been in the global value chains. theme, is only possible if we strengthen our
NCLUSIVE, diversified, connected, was registered so far but it positions the local “An inclusive, diversified and connect- value chains,” she said.
the theme for the 2022 ZimTrade annual manufacturers to participate competitively
exporters’ conference. ed export market, as ZimTrade has put it in Nzenza said there has been significant
The theme, according to organis-
ers, sought to speak to the need for the BUY GROCERIES WORTH ZWL30,000 AND YOU COULD
country to be deliberately inclusive in devel- BE ONE OF OUR 24 X WEEKLY WINNERS TO WALK
oping and promoting trade, and to diversi- AWAY WITH A ZWL90,000 SHOPPING VOUCHER
fy its export basket as it builds the economy
and integrates through connecting with re- PRICES VALID UNTIL 6 NOVEMBER 2022
gional and global markets.
PUREDROP PROBRANDS SHOPPERSCHOICE
For decades, Zimbabwe’s export has been COOKING OIL PREMIUM RICE ROLLER MEAL
dominated by primary commodities, such as 10kg
nickel ores and concentrates, nickel mattes, 8 X 2ℓ 10 X 2kg
gold, tobacco, ferro-chromium, platinum, di- $2 94999
amonds. $22 14000 $15 83000
SAVE
One of the challenges of relying on prima- $2 79999 $1 59999
ry product exports is that the country might $10000
run out of its finite primary products, for ex- each each
ample precious metals could become scarce.
SHOPPERSCHOICE STELLA PROBRANDS IRVINES CROSSE & BLACKWELL
Without diversification, this would leave UHT MILK TEA LEAVES SUGAR BEANS MIXED PORTIONS SALAD CREAM
the economy with a void. 6 X 1ℓ 6X 4 X 250g 12 X 790g
20 X 500g 5kg
To correct the anomaly, the discussion $5 10000 $18 00000 $27 50000
during the conference was centred much on $11 62000 $11 29999
diversification and value-addition. $89999 $86999 $2 55000
$61999 SAVE
Delivering his remarks at the conference, each each each
Foreign Affairs minister Frederick Shava said each $1 70000
the main thrust of the National Trade Policy
was to transform Zimbabwe from an export- QUENCH CHOMPKINS CHIPS PFUKO FIZZI CARBINATED VALUE BURGER
er of raw commodities and semi-processed MANGO SYRUP 12 X 100g TRADITIONAL MAHEU SOFT DRINKS (ASSORTED) + PEPSI/ MIRINDA
products, to an exporter of internationally
competitive high value products. 6 X 2ℓ $13 60000 12 X 500ml 12 X 500ml 330ml

“As we diversify our exports from com- $10 90000 $99999 $4 59900 $2 65900 $79999
modities into high value products, efforts SAVE
will be made to ensure that all the country’s $1 99999 each $39999 $23999
provinces are included and no-one is left be- $15000
hind in this development process,” he said. each each each
CREAM BUNS
He said trade negotiations under the Af- VAT 69 BREAKERS JAMESON 6’s
rican Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) 750ml CANE SPIRIT PET IRISH WHISKY
were progressing well and Zimbabwe has $94999
now submitted her tariff offers under the $14 69500 12 X 750ml 750ml SAVE
trade pact agreement and was now await-
ing the technical verification by the AfCFTA SAVE $21 99500 $23 99999
secretariat.
$1 40000 $1 99999 SAVE
Once verified, the government will prepare
the necessary legislation to start trading un- each $2 70000
der the agreement, he said.
JOHNNIE WALKER ORANGES
“In this regard, exporters should now focus BLACK LABEL 10kg
on diversifying their exports into non-tradi- 750ml
tional African markets. This agreement will $7 79999
connect us with new markets which we have $28 99999
not been traditionally exporting to,” Shava SAVE
said. SAVE
$45000
According to experts, the southern African $5 90000
nation should focus on non-extractive ex-
ports in order to benefit from the AfCTFA, a GOLD BLEND GOLD BLEND AMSTEL LAGER
trade pact with a combined gross domestic NO.9 WHISKY BLACK BOTTLES
product (GDP) of more than US$3,4 trillion. 24 X 330ml
12 X 750ml 12 X 750ml
Experts say Africa’s industrial exports are $21 59999
forecasted to benefit most, given that the $26 19999 $65 99999
AfCFTA provides an opportunity for African $89999
nations to diversify trade from extractive $2 49999 $4 99999
commodities, for example minerals, which each
traditionally accounted for over 75% of Afri- each each
ca’s exports outside the continent, to non-
extractive exports. 5TH GENERATION BULK
NATURAL SWEET WHITE SUPER BLADE
Shava said the government, through the
National Development Strategy 1, was in /DRY RED WINE 5ℓ BEEF/kg
the process of developing a number of val-
ue chains, which include leather, cotton and $11 19999 $4 59999
fertilisers. These value chains, once fully de-
veloped, will position Zimbabwe as a glob- SAVE SAVE
al powerhouse in the export of high value
manufactured products on the internation- $1 50000 $19000
al market.
ALCOHOL MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH IF CONSUMED TO EXCESS. THE OPERATION OF MACHINERY OR DRIVING AFTER THE CONSUMPTION OF
“My ministry is working on opening new ALCOHOL IS NOT ADVISABLE. NOT FOR SALE TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
frontiers within the Gulf States and Asia,
while at the same time strengthening ties CHATBOT +263 788 788 034 QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED PER PERSON. E&OE.
with the rest of the international community. PRICES INCLUDE VAT. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT
This will facilitate local companies to diversi- PRIOR NOTICE. OFFER VALID WHILE STOCKS LAST. PICTURES ARE NON-CONTRACTUAL.
fy their exports into more lucrative markets,
thereby increasing our exports,” Shava said.

Industry minister Sekai Nzenza, who also
presented a speech during the conference,
said the country could not build a “sustaina-
ble manufacturing sector or a secure export
network without value-addition.

“Not only does this allow us to collective-

ANALYSIS October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 9

Industry and Commerce minister Sekai Nzenza diversified to the full extent of the country’s
capabilities.
growth in export proceeds, with figures cur- pandemic. he said.
rently standing at US$3,52 billion. In 2021, exports grew by 37,3% to US$6 bil- “Within the same period, overall capac- “The success of our people at the district
level is the collective success of all of us at
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, who stood lion, from US$4,39 billion in 2020, surpassing ity utilisation in the manufacturing sector the national level. We eagerly await to see
in for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the 10% annual growth target. rose to 56,25%, while capacity utilisation for the successes brought by the clusters, from
said the National Export Strategy which was large-scale manufacturing sector firms in- the basket weaving villages in Matebeleland
launched in 2019 set a US$7 billion exports The manufacturing sector realised a 5,5% creased to 62,7%; the highest level recorded North to the Horticulture Clusters in Masho-
target by 2023. increase in exports to US$404 million in 2021. since 2012.” naland,” he said.

Since then, Ncube said, the country has “This can be attributed to measures intro- Finance minister said the need to establish “Furthermore, the empowerment of mar-
recorded a number of positives towards duced by the government, which allowed economic independence at district level was ginalised communities, women and youth
achieving this target, despite having to deal easier and cheaper access to foreign curren- paramount, and this inclusive approach en- must be supported at all levels, both in the
with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 cy for industry at the forex auction system in- sured that the country’s exports were widely private and public sector.”
troduced by the Reserve Bank in June 2020,”
Ncube said he was “very impressed” to
learn that ZimTrade has launched the NEXT-
She-Exporter programme, a female-focused
programme that seeks to balance gen-
der representation in exports by equipping
women-led small-to-medium enterpris-
es (SMEs) with skills requisite in penetrating
and achieving excellence in export markets.

“The organisation also continued with its
award-winning Eagle’s Nest programme,
a youth incubator programme to nurture
youth-led SMEs into export-ready compa-
nies. I am elated as this is evident that this
trajectory considers inclusivity in exports,
and augurs well with the motto that ‘no one
should be left behind,” he said.

Ncube said the government was stead-
fast in its pursuit of image building, as well
as foreign engagement and reengagement
efforts.

He said a strong national brand raises
the competitiveness of domestic goods, in-
creases export demand, and attracts foreign
investment to our country.

“Accelerating the ongoing ease of doing
business reforms to lower transaction costs
actively supports our successful engage-
ment and reengagement with the global
community,” he said.

“The government is also dedicated to
come up with sustainable solutions for chal-
lenges that face our exporters. Indeed, as the
world is recovering from a pandemic, with an
imminent global recession, measures to im-
prove product competitiveness have been
instituted.”

FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 10

Can
Southern

Africa
take on
inflation?

AFRICAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES FIRST REGIONAL INSTRUMENT TO FIGHT A s national governments continue to
ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN AFRICA battle the crippling economic effects
of Covid-19, inflation has emerged
among the most immediate threats
to social stability. Triggered by the
pandemic, central bank policies and the war in
Ukraine, among other factors, inflation has en-
gulfed the global economy and exposed its vul-
nerability to geopolitical shifts.

Rising living costs have also shaken govern-
ments across various countries, including in
many democracies, as citizens grow agitated
with a situation their leaders seem unable to ad-
dress. The post-pandemic political atmosphere
was always set to be fraught with social ten-
sions; this has been compounded by a crisis of
legitimacy for the many governments that mis-
managed Covid-19 intervention funds.

Fiscal trouble
Even before the pandemic, most economies
in the Southern Africa Development Communi-
ty (SADC) faced slowing growth and rising youth
unemployment. Investment in public infrastruc-
ture – and the value realized for the costs of
those projects that did happen – were already
areas of concern.
Major infrastructure in Africa is increasingly
built via Chinese lending, and the trickle-down
benefits of such projects to their host econo-
mies have been questionable, as countries of-
ten struggle to realize the economic value and
pay back the loans. Now, policymakers must
contend with these preexisting structural chal-
lenges. Unemployment, inequality and poverty
across the continent were already at high levels,
threatening social stability.

The pressure on policymakers to align with
the public favors populist responses that exac-
erbate macroeconomic challenges.

In a visit to Zimbabwe in September, Interna-
tional Monetary Fund staff lauded the govern-
ment’s efforts to stabilize the economy amid
global shocks. Inflation in Zimbabwe stood at
285 percent in August, as the country sought to
emerge from the pandemic shock. It had faced
a dire situation before the pandemic, and will re-
quire more than currency adjustments to return
to a stable fiscal path.

Amid high unemployment (33.9 percent),
South Africa is also battling a rising cost of living.
Before the pandemic, sovereign rating agencies
were concerned about South Africa’s growing
deficit, particularly the rising public sector wage
bill. South Africa’s Treasury had since committed
to fiscal consolidation, pledging to rein in public
sector wages and let go of some troubled state-
owned entities, such as South African Airways.

But political interest in belt-tightening was
absent, and trade unions vowed to resist any
measures to curb their salaries. This has strained
relations between labor, business, and govern-
ment after the pandemic.

Political will
Regional economic powers like South Africa
are seeing stagflation and widening deficits, af-
ter massive pandemic spending amid high un-
employment and slow growth. Due to the fragil-
ity of political order in the region, fighting infla-
tion and pursuing fiscal consolidation while still
maintaining political stability will be a delicate
balance.
Responding to high fuel and food costs, South
African trade unions have kicked off a series of
“shutdowns” and protests to publicize worsen-
ing labor conditions. In July, government work-
ers in Zimbabwe went on strike to demand their
pay in American dollars, due to the collapse of
the national currency. Public sector workers in
the country, including teachers and health pro-

FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 11

fessionals, have for years pressured the govern- A decline in credibility, which is exacer- an expensive, short-term solution. Such itated public will bring long-term insta-
ment over hyperinflation. bated by corruption, undermines their efforts simply aim at compensating for bilities – which may eventually become
ability to pursue cost-cutting measures, a lack of policy or aptitude to address intractable. The prospects of meaningful
Chinese-built Gwayi-Shangani dam in Zimba- including cutting public sector wages. structural economic problems. economic reforms are hampered by the
bwe Merely extending social funding to de- current crisis of legitimacy, and will need
spondent unemployed youths, as is hap- For governments in South Africa and major political shifts to happen.
Major African infrastructure projects, like the pening in South Africa, is proving to be Zimbabwe, staying in power by pursuing
$42 million Gwai-Shangani dam in southwest policies only designed to appease an ag- — .gisreportsonline
Zimbabwe, are increasingly built through Chinese
loans, which host governments often struggle to
repay. © Getty Images

Dealing with today’s inflation in the SADC will
come down to policy interventions and the po-
litical will to ensure economic stability. Mone-
tary authorities will have to focus on stabilizing
currencies despite political pressure. Treasuries,
meanwhile, will have to choose between man-
aging budgets to ensure fiscal consolidation or
yielding to political expediency.

Scenarios
Zimbabwe and South Africa are headed toward
contentious elections in 2023 and 2024, respec-
tively. Both ballots could bring major policy shifts,
even altering the general political order. The out-
comes in both countries could signal important
changes affecting macroeconomic imbalances,
including government responses to inflation and
public support for such measures.
Whether Harare and Pretoria will pursue un-
popular policies to manage inflation and imple-
ment structural economic reforms hinges on their
appetites to risk losing the coming elections.
Among the policy discussions underway in South
Africa, led by the ruling African National Congress
(ANC), is the nationalization of the South Africa
Reserve Bank. An ANC resolution seeks to nation-
alize the privately-owned central bank so it can
focus on unemployment, not just monetary poli-
cy. When social tensions escalate due to the high
cost of living and macroeconomic imbalances,
formulating a sound policy response becomes
even more difficult for democratic governments.
Such dynamics often fuel populist sentiments, in-
cluding questions over the legitimacy of financial
institutions like central banks. The pressure on
policymakers to align with the public favors pop-
ulist responses that exacerbate macroeconomic
challenges. Political discord and fragmentation
impede governments from attaining the consen-
sus necessary to sustain fiscal consolidation.
SADC leaders are facing questions over their
willingness to act in the interests of the people.

FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 12

We need IIhan Omar and egalitarian continent, we must invest
a ocratic institution building and account- move the root causes of extremism. in solutions on the continent – wheth-
ability for human rights violations can re- In order to have a sustainable, growing,
Marshall
Plan for
Africa

The continent of Africa has over 1.3 bil-
lion people – more than double the size
of Europe. By 2050, that population is
expected to double, giving it more than
a quarter of the world’s population –
many of them of young working age.

And its economies are poised for more growth.
The Centre for International Development pro-
jects that seven African countries will be among
the 15 fastest growing over the next five years. Im-
proving education systems and increased trade
are already improving the lives of hundreds of
millions of Africans. The poverty rate continues
to plummet and migration is increasing as well
– spurring the spread of ideas, entrepreneurship
and investment. Africa has more than 60% of the
globe’s arable uncultivated land. And a new trade
agreement is expected to create Africa’s first con-
tinent-wide free trade area, generating econom-
ic benefits.

But the continent faces serious threats. A third
of children remain malnourished. A similar amount
do not finish secondary school. The Covid-19 pan-
demic has made these challenges more difficult,
with many officials fearing Africa could lose a full
decade of development. Putin’s illegal war of ag-
gression in Ukraine has contributed to a devastat-
ing famine that is taking lives as we speak. And
the climate crisis will make the hurdles for devel-
opment and flourishing even higher. This is a par-
ticular injustice for a continent that contributes
less than 4% of global CO2 emissions, but suffers
the brunt of the impact.

We in the US have too often treated African
countries not as political and economic partners,
but as a security problem that needs to be ad-
dressed with military and policing solutions. This
has led us to repeat the same mistakes we made
in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, with mili-
tary leaders calling foreign policy shots instead
of diplomats. A policy that leads with training hu-
man rights-violating militaries and police, unac-
countable civilian casualties in airstrikes, and arms
sales is doomed not just to fail but to backfire.

While the US focuses on geopolitics in the Mid-
dle East and Asia, China and Russia have seized
opportunity on the African continent. Russia has
signed military deals with at least 19 African coun-
tries since 2014 and has become the top arms
supplier on the continent. Chinese companies
have invested heavily in natural resources there,
and Chinese trade with Africa was up to $254bn
last year. Pro-Russian and Chinese misinformation
are rampant.

Like many of my colleagues, I hear frequently
from African ambassadors and officials that they
would prefer to partner with the United States
on things like infrastructure, development, and
health. But too often we don’t show up, they tell
me, or we’re seen as less committed than the Rus-
sians or the Chinese. African countries, like all
countries, have the choice to partner with and
trade with whomever they choose. The way to en-
sure that they choose the United States is to be
their best and most reliable partner.

But great power competition with Russia and
China alone cannot and should not be our guid-
ing principle when it comes to formulating our Af-
rica policy. Both echo colonial relationships that
we should be taking great pains not to continue
or re-create.

Our engagement should instead be guided by
stalwart respect for democracy and human rights.
A landmark study by the UN development pro-
gram in 2017 shows that people who join violent
extremist groups throughout the continent – from
al-Shabaab to Boko Haram – are generally from
geographically isolated and socially marginalized
groups, and most name the precipitating event
before joining one of these groups to be a low-
level human rights violation.

So in terms of narrow counter-terrorism poli-
cy, support for governments, militaries, and police
that violate human rights – rather than local civil
society – is self-defeating. Only support for dem-

FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 13

er it is in agricultural productivity, infrastructure,
democratic governance, combating extremism,
or tackling the climate crisis. Our role must be
as partners with the movements and civil soci-
ety groups acting on the ground. And we must
center peaceful engagement – on investment,
diplomatic and NGO fronts. In 1948, the US ini-
tiated the Marshall plan to invest $13bn ($115bn
in today’s dollars) in western Europe to help Eu-
ropean economies become self-reliant and pre-
vent the spread of Soviet totalitarianism. We need
a Marshall plan for Africa, one that marshals the
resources of the United States and the ingenui-
ty of the African people to build a truly prosper-
ous continent.

There are policies that can achieve this. In
2020, I introduced a package called the Pathway
to Peace. It includes the Youthbuild Internation-
al Act, replicating the highly successful domes-
tic YouthBuild program, which has partnered with
more than 275 organizations to help disadvan-
taged youth obtain the education and employ-
ment skills they need to achieve economic self-
sufficiency. The package also includes the Global
Peacebuilding Act, which transfers $5bn from the
Pentagon to create new multilateral peacebuild-
ing funds. The contours of this investment must
be genuinely locally driven, not top-down or dic-
tated by the US, Europe, or big NGOs and foun-
dations. This means that, for example, agricultur-
al investments need to take into account Indige-
nous practices, prioritize small-scale farmers and
women, and preserve local staple rotations rath-
er than focus on large-scale monoculture for ex-
port. Infrastructure projects must be driven by the
communities on the ground. And governance is-
sues must be determined by the people who live
in those countries, not imposed by outsiders. Only
then will these investments be truly self-sustain-
ing. We have an opportunity to build a partner-
ship that undoes centuries of distrust and coloni-
zation, and helps create a truly resilient and self-
reliant Africa. For the sake of the billions of Afri-
cans, the United States of America, and the world
at large, I hope we undertake this effort.

— The Guradian
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar is an American politician
serving as the US representative for Minneso-
ta’s fifth congressional district since 2019

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE CONDOLENCE MESSAGE
ON THE PASSING ON OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT’S GRANDSON,
YASHA MAFIDI MNANGAGWA

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade,Honourable Frederick M. M. Shava, the Deputy Minister Honourable David
Musabayana, the Permanent Secretary Ambassador James Manzou and the entire Ministry staff at Head Ofce and abroad wish to convey
their deepest condolences to His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, First Lady, Her Excellency Auxillia Mnangagwa,
and the entire First Family on the untimely passing on of Yasha Madi Mnangagwa,grandson to the President and First Lady, and son to
Sean Mnangagwa, on 23 October 2022.

News of Yasha's passing stunned us all as no parent should have to suffer the loss of a child, especially a child so young. We cannot imagine
the terrible loss you must feel at the death of Yasha. His life was a blessing to all who had the privilege to know him. His passing is
particularly poignant because he was a young man with a bright future ahead of him.

We offer our deepest sympathy to you and your family during this heart-rending time.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Honourable Frederick M. M. Shava
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 14

Africa’s next wannabe third-term
presidents must be stopped

Butcher As the African Union (AU) turns 20 this year, celebrations are under
way under the motto: Our Africa, Our Future. At the heart of the
$8590.00 $8990.00 $5590.00 transformation of what was the Organisation of African Unity to
the AU was a shift from the principle of non-interference to one of
8 099$ 99 8 499$ 99 5 299$ 99 non-indifference. That change towards more proactive responses
per kg per kg per kg was particularly aimed at stopping transitions of power by force.
FAT FREE MINCE SUPER T BONE SUPER BLADE BEEF
Twenty years later, coups d’état are indeed rarer than they were, and –
$4950.00 $4430.00 $6010.00 when they have returned to haunt countries in recent years – invariably pro-
voke stern responses from the AU.
4 699$ 99 4 199$ 99 5 699$ 99
per kg per kg per kg However, the continental body has not stood up against another kind of
PORK KEBAB CHAKALAKA DRUMSTICKS coup – when incumbent presidents have manipulated constitutions, often
BOEREWORES to extend their terms as in Guinea (2020) and Ivory Coast (2020), or to sim-
ply suspend the constitution, as in Tunisia (2021). This stark contrast in its re-
One Day Special. Valid On 26th October 2022. Quantities Are Limited Per Person. sponse when those in office abuse the system to stay on, as compared with
E&OE. Prices Includes VAT. Price Are Subject To Change Without Prior Notice. when they are removed forcibly, has led to criticism of the AU as a club of –
O er Valid While Stocks Last. Pictures Are Non-Contractual. and for – powerful incumbents.

Now the AU must change, for this pattern of constitutional coups is spread-
ing. Developments in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Senegal offer
the body an opportunity to redeem itself and set the tone for Africa’s demo-
cratic future over the next 20 years.

Next third-termers
In the CAR, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and his allies are at-
tempting to write a new constitution with a view to reset the presidential
term count and run for a third term. Currently, the country has a two-term
limit. Similarly in Senegal, President Macky Sall is rumoured to be harbouring
ambitions for a third term.
They are drawing straight from the playbooks of Alpha Conde of Guinea
and Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast.
Conde organised a contested referendum in 2020 to adopt a new con-
stitution and run for a third term. He was subsequently removed in a military
coup. The AU said nothing to admonish Conde, but immediately suspended
Guinea after the coup.
Ouattara, meanwhile, claimed that a new constitution adopted in 2016 re-
set the clock on term limits, allowing him to run again in 2020. He won more
than 94 percent of the vote in an election boycotted by most of the opposi-
tion. Despite the fiasco, the AU largely remained mute.
Sall, if he decides to run again, would use the same arguments as Ouatta-
ra, and the AU’s past silence could embolden him.
Domestic checks
To be sure, in both the CAR and Senegal, third-term attempts are already
facing pushback.
Touadéra in the CAR does not have a stranglehold on the country’s Consti-
tutional Court. On September 23, the court invalidated the attempt to rewrite
the constitution. It reminded the president that he had taken a public oath
to respect the constitution and not seek a reversal of the ban on third terms.
If Touadéra were to accept the court verdict, it could pave the way for a pos-
sible peaceful transition in the CAR in 2026, a massive achievement that the
country can be proud of.
In Senegal too, Sall knows that he would face strong resistance from the
public, civil society and opposition groups if he tries to run for a third term.
Notably, his former ally, ex-Prime Minister Aminata Toure, has left his ruling
coalition and has emerged as a strong critic, including in opposing a third
term.
Even if Sall were to overcome political resistance, he would also need to
convince the country’s Constitutional Council that a constitutional change in
2016 effectively reset the term count. While this is possible, it is not inevitable.

FEATURE October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 15

Outside help?
Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that either Toua-
déra or Sall will play by the rules.
Touadéra’s supporters have accused judges of trea-
son. They have even attempted to storm the court
premises and were stopped only by United Nations
peacekeepers. He is now trying to force the president
of the court and the president of the National Assem-
bly – who has indicated that he agrees with the court
decision – to retire early, likely to allow Touadéra to re-
table the reforms.
If Touadéra goes ahead and seeks a constitution-
al amendment – either by simply ignoring the court’s
decision or after removing the court’s president – he
will likely have the support of top allies who know that
their positions, too, would be precarious without him
at the helm.
There’s also a wild card in the mix in the CAR, in the
form of Russia and President Vladimir Putin. The noto-
rious Putin-linked Wagner Group is providing security
support to Touadéra – reportedly in return for access
to the country’s natural resources. Through the group
has not made an express show of political support to
Touadéra, he could leverage the militia’s armed clout
to strengthen his ability to withstand domestic pres-
sure.
While the court, civil society organisations and op-
position groups can still tilt the balance against Toua-
déra’s plans, the destabilising potential of his very
move is significant, particularly given the fragile po-
litical and security situation in the CAR and its neigh-
bourhood.
Senegal’s Sall has clout too. Alongside Ouattara’s
Ivory Coast, Senegal recently blocked efforts by the
Economic Community of West African States to re-
vise its Democracy Protocol to limit presidential terms
to two in all member states. Senegal also banned a
recent gathering and concert promoting term limits
across Africa.
This is disconcerting: Senegal is considered a bea-
con of democracy and stability in Africa and Sall is cur-
rently chair of the AU. It is also ironic because Sall won
his first election on a campaign of opposition to a third
term for his predecessor, Abdoulaye Wade, in 2012.
AU must step up
Yet, precisely because Sall currently heads the AU,
the organisation’s credibility is even more on the line.
Sall and Touadéra could set a strong positive exam-
ple for future leaders by respecting term limits. But the
broader AU, by ensuring that they do so, could also set
an important precedent and redeem its reputation.
It should engage in proactive, if quiet, diploma-
cy to lean on these leaders to do the right thing for
their countries and for Africa. In the case of the CAR, it
should put the country on the agenda of the AU Peace
and Security Council, the body responsible for keep-
ing a check on factors that can destabilise nations.
The AU should also send a prominent delegation to
the CAR to insist to Touadéra that the decision of the
Constitutional Court be respected, with the threat of
suspension from the AU and even sanctions for fail-
ure to comply. In Senegal, while Sall’s chairmanship of
the AU makes public rebukes difficult, it also creates
channels of direct communication for the organisation
to try and convince him. In any case, Sall’s chairman-
ship will end in January 2023.
These interventions will be in the immediate in-
terest of stability in these countries and their neigh-
bourhoods. For the long term, the AU is working to-
wards developing guidelines to prevent constitutional
abuses. If adopted, the guidelines would formalise the
power of the AU to suspend countries and sanction in-
cumbents engaging in constitutional coups.
But these would take time to adopt, and there is no
guarantee that they will be effective.

— Aljazeera

INTERVIEW October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 16

A passion for education

and art drives Thembani
T eacher and musician Them-
bani Doralyn Mhambi (TM) to a good school, and you are going to Talk to us about that? an example, I applied to join the Toast-
suffered post traumatic dis- go to university and you are going to be TM: Okay, so when I was in high school masters Club in high school and they said
order because of bullying a lawyer or a doctor or a chartered ac- no. They just rejected the letter and then
when she was in high school. countant. When that is not the path that I was bullied a lot at school, and high the word was that I was not part of the
Mhambi told Alpha Media Holdings you want to take then you kind of have school was actually a very difficult time cool girls. The first thing I did after High
(AMH) chairman, Trevor Ncube (TN) on to fight, you know. I can understand our for me. School was join Toastmasters Interna-
the programme In Conversation with parents, because I think parents really tional and then eventually I became the
Trevor that the bullying she endured feel that they need to protect their chil- TN: At Chisipite Girls School? president of the club, so it is those kinds
gave her the “I will show you kind of dren. So, they will be saying I don’t think TM: At Chisipite Girls School yes. So, of things that I feel the bullying actually
attitude” which shaped her adult life you can do like zvemagitari [guitar stuff ] it was a very difficult time for me, I was gave me a boost, it was like my first real
and the pursuit of various activities, you know, because it will be a hard life coming from a government school, and push.
including developing herself continu- for you, you are a girl, you are young, I was the only person from my prima-
ously. people will try and take advantage of ry school at Chisipite and Chisipite has a TN: So like I am going to do it?
you. So, it would be better for you to go feeder school. So there were many peo- TM: Yeah.
Below are excerpts from the inter- like to medical school or something like ple who knew each other and they were all TN: Has that remained your attitude
view. that. It is really out of love. friends with each other. So here I was, I was towards life?
from a different school, I did not know an- TM: Now my attitude has changed a
TN: As I was reading your biography, TN: So, you actually experienced that yone, not a soul and then I also look a bit lot, because obviously life happens, but
your profile, I was saying wow, there’s from your parents? different and I was quite obese as a child, I still want to pursue excellence.
so many pieces to this human being? so I was also fat. It was a very difficult time TN: Admiral Tate, that’s where you did
You are a communicator, a marketing TM: Yes, I did experience that, yeah. for me. Then I am also very young and it your primary school?
expert, you are a musician, public rela- TN: Talk to me about that strain? is like just trying to come into myself, and TM: Yes.
tions expert, you have a passion for ed- TM: I started playing music in high that transition was like being hit by a train. TN: And then Chisipite Girls High.
ucation, for art, you have done recruit- school, and when I was doing A’ Lev- TN: Unpack to us if you may. Any spe- Looking at your bio, there are a couple
ment. Which one of these is Thembani? el I was studying maths, biology and cific incidents of bullying that you dealt of people that played a big role in who
chemistry. So, my mother insisted that I with at Chisipite? And when you say you you became particularly as a musician?
TM: The passion for education and art. drop all my musical activities. I was do- are looking different, you mean the ma- If there are a few that you want to high-
TN: And it spills to other things ing many musical activities, so I dropped jority were white and you’re black? Is light I would love that. Diana Wright,
doesn’t it? pretty much everything except for a few that what you’re talking about? Paul Coleman, Sibu Moyo, Bruce Brine,
TM: It spills to other things yeah. In like just one, the Harare City Orchestra TM: Other people came from fairly well Lorna Kelly. All these people poured
fact, it is the people, the people are at where I was still playing with them, but off families. So, for me I was there on like something in you? Talk to me about
the heart of everything that I do, but I I dropped all my musical activities at a bursary, so that is why I was there. Then those people?
really love education and art, artistic en- school to just focus on my schoolwork. coming from a home that was a single TM: So Di Wright, she was my first mu-
deavours. Then after graduating I wanted to study parent home, most of the other girls had sic teacher and we had a love-hate re-
TN: The people? A lot of people say music but my mother had said no just go their mothers who were housewives and lationship. I think she’s still teaching at
people are problematic? Why are you to University of Zimbabwe (UZ), study a things like that. So, we were different. Even Chisipite School today. If you talk to any-
attracted to the people? normal degree and then after that if you on civvies days and things like that you one from the music department they will
TM: I think there’s probably some- still want to do the music you can come would see the difference. Looking back, I tell you about Di Wright, but she really ex-
thing in me that just wants to grow and back to do the music. All these many think it was just little kids being little kids pected a high standard of excellence and
develop, so learning more about peo- years later here I am coming back finally and trying to find significance by kind of she was so committed to music that even
ple, spending time with people, helping to the music. exercising what they thought was pow- when she was teaching me, when I start-
people, I think that is my calling in life. TN: So you did what mom said you er on somebody else that they perceived ed I was learning the viola and the viola is
So it is the people. should do? to be weaker rather than trying to find it totally different. The viola uses a different
TN: Don’t people get to you? I mean TM: Yes. in themselves, trying to find that signifi- cleft, like the musical writing, it is slightly
they’re being people? Their ‘people- TN: You went to the University of cance within themselves without needing different, you have to read it differently.
ness’? Zimbabwe and you studied physiother- to kind of put themselves out there on top She was, she would be on the next page
TM: Yes of course. apy is it? of everybody else in a negative way. of the music book and I would be on the
TN: Does that not get to you some- TM: Yes, physiotherapy. TN: Any scars that have stayed with page before! So that is how it was, but
times? TN: As I was looking at your CV, I’m like you as far as that aspect of your life she was really committed, and I think she
TM: Yes, that does get to me. there is very little physiotherapy here, is concerned? Bullying and being in a sparked that love of music in me.
TN: How do you deal with that? What- but you actually went, you actually got space where, from what I am reading,  “In Conversation With Trevor” is
ever they bring with them? Their anger, awards at university for third year. You you get the sense you don’t fit? a weekly show broadcast on YouTube.
their frustration, their hate? How do had the best dissertation and that kind TM: It definitely felt like I did not fit and com//InConversationWithTrevor. Please
you deal with that? of stuff ? You are doing all this because I always say I have got like PTSD from the get your free YouTube subscription to this
TM: I think it’s work in progress. As I mom wanted you to do this? bullying, but it also gave me that ‘I will channel. The conversations are sponsored
have gotten older I have become a bit TM: Yeah. So, I think that is another as- show you’ kind of attitude. So, everything by Nyaradzo Group.
more mature, but I think as Paul said in pect of me. I guess that I am very task that happened to me in high school, I
the Bible, that I have not attained it. The oriented. I like to say I am a performer, just said I will show you. That pretty much
race is not finished and you know until I so a performer executes what needs to shaped my adult life and the pursuit of
die I will still always be maturing and im- be executed and I am a performer. So, different activities and developing myself
proving in the way that I deal with peo- if that is what we need to do today then and continuously working on myself. As
ple. that is what I am going to do. So, at that
TN: It is work in progress. Also, as I was time in that season I had to complete
reading your bio it is as if you have layers that degree and that is why I just put my
of you which continue to be revealed? best effort into it.
The musician, the teacher, the perform- TN: And you aced it?
er. Talk to me about that evolution of TM: Yes.
you? Are you done yet or are we going TN: Now that you are the adult that
to still be experiencing more of you? Are you are, accomplished in what you are
you still evolving? But talk to me in the doing, what has mom got to say about
first instance about that journey of dis- this?
covering who Thembani is? TM: She is very proud of me. She is
TM: The journey, I think it is like life very proud and she is very supportive
breaks you, and then when life breaks and what we do not discuss, we never
you open, then you get to experience go back to that discussion, but she can
more of yourself. So, in my younger years see that I am happy now with what I am
it was trying to fit into the role that was doing.
expected of me by family, by society, TN: It is never a profitable discussion
and in fact I would say by just even the isn’t it?
black society you know. Then as I have TM: Yes, it is not a profitable discus-
gotten older and realise that I am living sion at all, yeah.
life for myself and not for anyone else, TN: Okay. Where did you get the in-
and long term I can’t possibly be happy spiration from when you look at your
doing things that other people wanted musical journey? Your journey as a per-
me to do and not follow my own path. former? Where does it come from? Talk
So that is what has led me to be where to me about that journey? Your passion
I am today. for music? Your passion for perform-
TN: Not fitting in? ing live concerts and that kind of stuff ?
TM: Not fitting in.
TN: Standing out. You talk about par-
ticularly what African culture expected
you to be? What other people expect-
ed you to do, to be? Talk to me about
that pushback that you have had to go
through to assert who Thembani is?
TM: Okay. I think for most people com-
ing from family backgrounds, your par-
ents expect that they are sending you

OPINION October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 17

Recalibrate MINISTRY OF NATIONAL HOUSING AND SOCIAL AMENITIES
eZciomsyasgtreimc
PROJECTS
EBEN MABUNDA
Contributing towards achieving MGDs!
THE latest stats released by the World
Bank show that Zimbabwe has the
highest food inflation globally with
the aggregate having come in at
353% as of mid-October, a significant
jump from the second-placed country Lebanon
whose food inflation came in at 198%. .

For comparison, only tw0 other African coun-
tries feature on the "Top 10 Countries Hit Hard-
est by Inflation" list. Ghana and Rwanda are in
positions 9 and 10 with a food inflation of 34%
each. This red flag once again signals the need
for Zimbabwe to revisit its farming policies from
command economics toward free market eco-
nomics so as to eliminate inefficiencies in the
sector.

The extent of the food inflation witnessed
in Zimbabwe is the result of both endogenous
and exogenous factors with the former having
a stronger bearing on the figures than the latter.

In the case of exogenous factors, supply chain
disruptions as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian
conflict have squeezed the demand for food
commodities and pushed food prices higher.

The world over, average wheat, maize, and rice
prices in October 2022 are 18%, 27%, and 10%
higher, respectively than in October 2021. Mean-
while, wheat and maize prices are 38% and 4%
higher, respectively, and rice prices are 21% lower
than in January 2021. According to a recent pub-
lication by the World Bank:

"The war in Ukraine has altered global patterns
of trade, production, and consumption of com-
modities in ways that will keep prices at high lev-
els through the end of 2024 exacerbating food
insecurity and inflation."

Locally, an unstable currency and a burgeon-
ing in the Aggregate Money Supply (M3) com-
pounded by increased government expenditure
have sustained high levels of inflation in the
economy. The latest RBZ stats show: Reserve
money increased by ZW$2,86 billion to ZW$87,10
billion during the week ending September 30
2022, compared to the previous week's position
of ZW$84,24 billion. Zimbabwe's inflation scaled
up year-on-year by over 460% in the last year
alone (Sept 2021–Sept 2022), while interest rates
have mounted by about 400%. It is piquantly
clear that the greater weight of Zimbabwe's food
inflation is steered by local factors; sounding the
siren for a re-calibration of Zimbabwe's agricul-
tural ecosystem.

Food security for Zimbabwe and by exten-
sion, the concept of reducing the importation
of grains will continue to be elusive for as long
as the elephant in the room is not addressed:
land tenure security. Over the past five years, ap-
proximately over US$5 billion has been pumped
by the government toward Zimbabwe's agricul-
tural activities through "Command Agriculture"
and "Pfumvudza" — a series of government-led
initiatives where farmers were given inputs at
subsidised prices. However, these subsidies have
not translated into much as they have failed to
revitalise Zimbabwe's agriculture.
The panacea?
It is imperative to allow farmers' security of land
to give life to private sector-led agricultural re-
forms. This will revitalise the malfunctioning
farming ecosystem which has been inefficiently
financed by quasi-fiscal activities for over a dec-
ade now.

This would make the land bankable, attract fi-
nancing into the sector, secure inputs, and guar-
antee results. To take a jog down memory lane,
when Zimbabwe still enjoyed "breadbasket" sta-
tus, white farmers had land security. This allowed
banks to extend credit efficiently and providers
of inputs to engage with the farmers directly
and indirectly through the banks. A revitalisa-
tion of this setup can be set in motion by allow-
ing farmers security of land. As the government
would want to guard against land ownership by
foreign banks, a redemption scheme can be ar-
ranged and put in place.

Once this ecosystem is revived, in the medium
term food security can be attained and sus-
tained with the reduction of the import bill oc-
curring as an offshoot.
Eben Mabunda is an analyst and TV anchor at
Equity Axis, a leading financial research firm in
Zimbabwe. — [email protected]

COLUMN October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 18

Real dictators ‘ArmedRobbers4ED’:
raising their hands New group to join
gravy train
TMy Dear People, Bulawayo.
o be honest teachers were not the Apparently nurses were force-marched This week, the people at the Zimba- cording videos threatening violence con-
best paid professionals during bwe Electoral Commission (Zec) received testing for elections. But those who actu-
Gushungo’s time, but they were from wards to listen to JB’s political gibber- shocking news when the ruining Zanu PF ally perpetrate violence, we can allow.
still revered in their communities ish, leaving patients unattended. party announced that it does not need Those ones are allowed to contest be-
until this special class took over. their help to win elections. cause their violence is patriotic. As for dis-
Under Lacoste, teachers have become Since Launchmore claims to be a dem- Tafadzwa Mugwadi, the party’s desig- allowing “dishonest” people from running
a laughing stock, not only because of the ocrat, will he allow Nero and his CCC foot nated loudspeaker, shocked an audience for elections, we now run the risk of going
poor remuneration, but the bankrupt Pfee soldiers to address civil servants from their when he declared: into the election with no politicians at all.
politics they are being forced to prioritise workstations like what the Zanu PF commis- “Our electoral fortunes as the ruling par- ‘ArmedRobbers4ED’
ahead of their jobs has stripped them of sars are doing? ty depend on what we do as an organisa- There was jubilation in the capital this
their dignity. tion. For Zanu PF, it doesn’t matter who is in week as impoverished teachers from
After six months of bunking Parliament, the vehicle or who is not there, or what Zec around the country gathered to celebrate
The abuse of teachers reached ridiculous Generari Kheddah last week finally resur- has done or not done. Our focus as a major imaginary economic development.
levels last week when scores of them were faced to face impatient legislators who player in these elections is to engage the Teachers4ED, a new organisation bring-
bussed to Harare in the middle of the end wanted answers on the rot in the health sec- people of ing teach-
of year examinations for the launch of the tor. Zimba- Tidbits ers to-
Teachers4ED outfit. bwe with gether to
It didn’t take long for him to prove that he the aim of celebrate
As part of the rented crowd gyrated in has been living in a different planet when taking this the deci-
front of the grinning Launchmore at the he claimed that health workers that left the country mation of
HICC, audio recordings started circulating country for greener pastures were returning the ed-
on social media of some teachers narrating in droves. forward ucation
how they were tricked into travelling to Ha- in devel- system,
rare for the comic event. Without any sense of shame, he thun- opmental Twitter: @MuckrakerZim came to-
dered: “It’s cold out there”.  What a shame! terms.”
Others say they were told by their school News gether in
heads that they were going to a workshop This is the same Generari, who ordered the that Zanu PF needs no help to win must Harare. Who wouldn’t want a school trip in
in Harare, only to be shocked on arrival at Health ministry to stop issuing verification have come as a huge surprise to one Dex- the middle of exam season?
the HICC that they were attending a Zanu letters for nurses that want to go abroad be- ter Nduna, who is into his final year as an “Through your Teachers for Economic
PF rally. cause the government could not cope with illegal Member of Parliament simply be- Development local structures, authority is
the exodus of health workers. cause a Zec officer had a slip of the tongue hereby granted that you release those who
Government regulations bar civil serv- while announcing results in Chegutu West. have been selected to attend the launch
ants from participating in active politics, He is probably unaware of the huge num- Engagement for Teachers for Economic Development,”
but Launchmore is leading from the front in ber of nurses who are leaving the country Last weekend, there was more evidence a memo from the Primary and Second-
trashing those legal provisions. every day for low paying jobs in care centres of what Mugwadi meant when he said his ary Education Ministry secretary Tumisang
in the United Kingdom because they  can no party’s winning strategy is to “engage the Thabela said.
These are desperate times for the Lacoste longer take the abuse at home. people of Zimbabwe”. Recently, we had Nurses4ED launching
gang as it is becoming clear that their can- Sensing defeat in upcoming by-elec- their organisations, joining a long list of
didate does not stand a chance against It has also become apparent that the Gen- tions, the party has “engaged” voters in such “4ED” groups. No doubt we will soon
Nero in next year’s elections, hence the cre- erari is not aware that nurse aid certificates a series of patriotic violence. In Matobo, have a similar association of one of the
ation of Zanu PF parallel structures all over are now one of the most sought after quali- youths drove from as far as Mashonaland most economically active groups in the
the place. fications in Zimbabwe. to re-educate the people and make them country, ArmedRobbers4Ed.
understand that poverty is good for them. The charge sheet
The foray into schools, however, should It is obvious that he is listening too much One woman minding her own business This week, a tribunal was appointed to
be frowned upon by all right thinking Zim- to Dead BC propaganda so much that he was attacked for simply wearing a yellow nail John Makamure, a member of the
babweans. now believes it. dress. Zimbabwe Not-so-Anti-Corruption Com-
In Insiza, a group of party stalwarts de- mission. He is accused of working against
Zimbabwe’s education system is already Munopengaaaa! cided they would forcefully attend an op- the commission, whose job, judging by its
in the doldrums and the Lacoste gang must That the Lacoste gangsters are sensing position campaign meeting and “engage” performance so far, is to make sure no-
not be allowed to inflict further damage by defeat in next year’s elections has become locals by beating them up, smashing and body is arrested for stealing.
polluting classrooms with its chinu chedu too obvious. The likes of Mudha are running pouring sand into vehicle engines. An MP, His charge sheet shows that someone
politics. scarred and they are causing mayhem in the Jasmine Toffa, was attacked. was put under pressure to scrape the bot-
Midlands. Who needs to sell ideas to voters when tom of the barrel all night long to come up
Still on the rot in our education system, After he was thrown out of the feeding there are tried and tested methods of win- with something. They say Makamure failed
the massive leaks of the Zimsec O’Level ex- trough for growing a big head, Mudha has ning elections? to disclose his interest as the founder and
amination papers within the first week of been trying too hard to make himself rele- trustee of the Southern African Parliamen-
the exams is a sign of a serious rot that is vant again to his godfather by going around ‘Toothless’ police
tied to the failures of the post-coup admin- threatening poor villagers with violence for After recent violence, police announced tary Support Trust whose objectives are al-
istration. rejecting his comatose party. that it had received reports from both Zanu legedly inconsistent with the functions of
An audio recording surfaced last week PF and the Citizens Coalition for Change. Zacc and government.
They say nothing works if the politics is where Mudha and Mackenzie were address- “Reports of assault have been received A shocking discovery, three whole years
not right. ing villagers in Mberengwa ahead of a by- from both Zanu PF and Citizens Coalition after his appointment.
election there. for Change members,” the police said. But it was the accusation that he paid
I am certain the exam paper leaks report- The two claimed that the 2023 elections We can only imagine that one party some chap called “Lee Sung” to fund a
ed last week are a tip of the iceberg and the would be more violent than the 2008 ones went to complain about being attacked, political campaign in Gokwe that brought
special class in the cockpit does not even where war veterans launched an orgy of vio- while the other went to complain that their laughter around the land. Makamure
care because none of them have been in- lence after Baba was trounced by Tsvangirai victims were not running fast enough. should have never cheered on the arrest
side a classroom. in the first round of voting. The police went on: “Investigations are of our favourite Gokwe-Nembudziya son.
Poor Mudha forgot that we are living in now in progress with a view of accounting Now he is paying the price. When will peo-
Who has ever met anyone who claims to the digital era and the clever villagers re- for all suspects involved in violence.” ple realise that corruption is not a crime in
have been a classmate of Launchmore or corded his rant. Now the world knows what We wait for them to account for one Ab- this country? The crime is to report it.
the Generari? Ngwena and his running dogs are planning ton Mashayanyika, who shocked nobody Unpatriotic scribes
ahead of next year’s elections. by publicly calling for Nelson Chamisa to On Monday, some journalists from Alpha
Baba valued education because he was Still on audios, there is another one of a be killed. When asked about it, he retorted Media Holdings and the Daily News were
an educator in his own right and in Mata- Zanu PF MP from Gokwe who is heard mak-
beleland they still fondly remember him ing threats against the overzealous Mayor,
as Teacher Ngwenya. His degrees were who is accused of stealing millions from the
earned, not these ones being dished by po- troubled Cottco.
litical commissars now in charge of our uni- If anyone still has any doubts that trou-
versities. ble is brewing in the cockpit they need to lis-
ten to that audio! The honeymoon is over for
It is not only teachers that are being Ngwena.
abused by the Lacoste gangsters, but long Munopengaaa
suffering health workers are also in hot Dr Amai Stop it! PhD (Fake)
soup.

There are videos that are circulating on
social media showing JB of the short sleeve
fame addressing nurses at Mpilo Hospital in

to a journalist: “When are the police going kicked out of State House because some-
to come? I am not afraid of them.” one’s ego was bruised.
Who, surely, would be afraid of a police There were no reasons given, but we can
force that doesn’t even take itself serious- be sure that it has something to do with
ly? the fact that unpatriotic journalists are not
Patriotic violence welcome at our events. One of them even
Still on matters to do with violence, it recently dared to take a picture of a rusty
has been reported that anyone who is vi- doorknob when they visited State House.
olent or dishonest may not be allowed to Why they would do this instead of show-
stand in elections. ing the nice green grass, and the glorious
According to a report in the Sunday Mail, new gate, is hard to understand.
“individuals convicted of offences related Of course, some are pointing out that the
to public violence, breach of trust and dis- Minister of Information, Monica Mutsvan-
honesty at least a year before the sitting of gwa, came out only recently to state that
the nomination court will be ineligible to journalists can report freely.
contest for elections”. This is according to “The Second Republic has put in meas-
proposed amendments to be made to the ures that guarantee the full enjoyment of
country’s Electoral Act. the right to freedom of expression and
Of course, this means that all those peo- freedom of the media as well as the right
ple in our jails accused of violence may not of access to information.”
be allowed to stand in next year’s elections. They just have to exercise those rights in
We cannot have people who go around re- a way that hides the truth.

AFRICA October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 19

Cop 27: between $1.5bn-$3.5bn a year, 30- Despite the estimated windfall, "The pipeline route was designed to minimise its
Uganda- 75% of its annual tax revenue. Tanza- campaign group Stop Eacop says impact on the landscape and biodiversity" and "will
Tanzania nia will reportedly get at least $12 a the pipeline will produce 34 million significantly improve living conditions locally," the
oil pipeline barrel, close to $1bn a year. tonnes of harmful carbon emissions French oil giant said.
each year. It passes near Murchison
sparks Members of the Uganda Nation- Falls National Park, an area rich in bio- However, Ugandan climate activist Brian says Ea-
climate row al Students Association hold up signs diversity, as well as farmlands. cop would only turn Uganda into a "petrol station"
reading "European Union Leave Our for Europe and China and says the windfall from the
UBy Dickens Olewe Oil"Image source, Getty Images TotalEnergies, which has a 62% project will only benefit the country's elite. We are
ganda and Tanzania are set to be- stake in Eacop, told the BBC that the not giving Brian's full name for security reasons.
gin work on a massive crude oil pipe- Image caption, project will have "one of the compa-
line a year after the International En- Protests denouncing the EU's ny's lowest carbon dioxide emission Stop EACOP protestsImage source, Getty Images
ergy Agency warned that the world stance on Eacop have been held in levels". Despite threats of arrest and harassment faced by
risked not meeting its climate goals if Uganda Eacop opponents, Brian continues to campaign for
new fossil fuel projects were not stopped. The two the country to switch to green energy as it com-
East African countries say their priority is econom- mitted to by signing the Paris Climate agreement in
ic development. 2015 - the global plan to prevent temperatures ris-
ing beyond 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels.
Short presentational grey line "You only use the oil and gas that's already devel-
Juma Hamisi, not his real name, keeps his dis- oped. The moment you start developing new ones
tance, careful not to trespass, as he points to today, and tomorrow, and a month later and years
mounds of rubble spread across an open field. They from now, you're delaying the process of transition,
are signs that a thriving community once lived here and that will cause a tipping-point for the climate,"
in a mix of concrete and grass-thatched mud hous- Brian says. Tony Tiyou, the head of the company
es. Renewables in Africa, disagrees with green energy
At this time of year, the surrounding fertile land purists.
would normally be covered with a variety of sprout- "I may be a renewable advocate, but I'm also a
ing crops - enough to feed the village, along with a practical guy," he says.
surplus to sell at local markets. But it too lies bare. "I know we're still going to need some fossil fuel
"We used to be the source of cassava and lemons, because at the moment people need power in Afri-
now there's scarcity. We can't even harvest the co- ca and if they don't have power, it will be a little bit
conuts you see over there because it's not our land difficult to lift people out of poverty," Mr Tiyou says.
any more," Mr Hamisi says.
Several signs bearing the name Tanzania Petrole- — BBC
um Development Cooperation, a state agency, now
claim ownership of the area where villagers once RTGS RATES DAILY 1 MONTH 3 MONTHS 6 MONTHS 12 MONTHS
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construct a pipeline to transport crude oil from the The Standard ZW 550.00 ZW 2,200.00 ZW 7,150.00 ZW14,300.00 ZW 28,600.00
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Because of the waxy nature of Lake Albert's crude
oil, it will be transported through a heated pipeline
- the longest in the world. But only a third of the re-
serves of 6.5 billion barrels, first discovered in 2006,
is deemed commercially viable.
Despite the projected economic benefits, the
timing of the project has divided opinion in Ugan-
da and beyond. In September, the European Union
waded into the controversy surrounding the East
African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop), and called for it
to be halted, citing human rights abuses and con-
cern for the environment and the climate.
The intervention was dismissed by the Ugandan
and Tanzanian governments which see the pipeline
as vital to turbo-charge their economies.
"They are insufferable, so shallow, so egocen-
tric, so wrong," Uganda's President Yoweri Musev-
eni said of the EU lawmakers.
His frustration is shared by some advocates of Af-
rica's economic development who argue that the
continent has the right to use its fossil fuel riches
to develop, just like rich nations have done for hun-
dreds of years.
They point out that Africa has only emitted 3% of
climate-warming gases compared to 17% from EU
countries.
Crucially, 92% of Uganda's energy already comes
from renewable sources. In Tanzania, it is about
84%. Whereas for the EU it is 22%, according to the
International Renewable Energy Agency.
"It's hypocrisy," Elison Karuhanga, a member of
Uganda's chamber of mines and petroleum, says of
the EU's comments about the pipeline.
"Unlike wealthy nations which will remain wealthy
even when their oil and gas revenue is removed,
we cannot afford to gamble the future of Ugandan
generations on hypotheticals," Mr Karuhanga says.
The first oil is expected to be tapped in three
years with at least 230,000 barrels pumped out
every day at its peak - projected to earn Uganda

AFRICA October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 20

Can’t buy me trust: Why are Africa’s

elections so costly yet contested?

African elections are, on average, remarkably ex- mistrust in the process, some have turned to foreign compa- Gambia was able to vote out a long-serving autocrat in 2016
pensive to run. Between 2000 and 2018, it is es- nies to print ballots with expensive security features – com- using a decades-old practice of dropping marbles into con-
timated that sub-Saharan Africa spent approxi- parable to those used on bank notes – and transported par- tainers representing different candidates. This voting system
mately $125 billion on holding elections. Just sev- ty and civil society representatives to observe their printing. is simple and familiar, difficult to manipulate, and cheap.
en recent polls – in Nigeria (2019), Kenya (2017 and In other cases, officials have procured costly electronic voting
2022), the DR Congo (2019), Malawi (2019), Zambia (2021), machines in a bid to minimise opportunities for fraud. What these comparisons show is that trust is paramount
and Angola (2022) – cost a combined $4 billion. and that you cannot buy it. If voters and candidates do not
Unfortunately, these and other measures seem to do little believe in the institutions, processes and structures behind
The logistics and administration of holding elections in to ensure peaceful and credible votes or ensure trust. Ken- an election, showing them a new high-tech innovation or
which millions of people vote is, of course, expensive. But ya’s recently-concluded 2022 elections, for instance, cost high-cost intervention that will supposedly make an election
the costs in Africa outstrip those in other almost all other the state $370 million to run, yet were still contested at the fraudproof will do little to help.
parts of the world. Countries on the continent spend on av- Supreme Court by a losing candidate alleging “criminality”.
erage $4.50 per capita on elections, compared to $4 in North The country’s previous elections in 2017 – the world’s second Electoral management bodies are, of course, somewhat
America, Europe, and Australasia. The world average is $2.10 most expensive ever per capita at a whooping half a billion constrained in building trust in repressive or undemocratic
per person. India, which has a similar GDP per capita to many dollars – saw the presidential results nullified due to serious political contexts. But there is much that they can do, from
African countries, spends an average of just $1 per person. irregularities and had to be re-run to the tune of an addition- the bottom-up, to build trust in electoral processes. Rath-
al $117 million. er than putting their faith in expensive quick fixes, commis-
Africa’s high spending on elections is alarming. Not only sions can prioritise systems that are pragmatic, participatory,
does the continent have countless competing spending pri- Malawi’s 2019 elections were similarly annulled and re- and centred on the interests of voters rather than on politi-
orities and huge gaps in funding for pressing needs, but the held, costing the country upwards of $100 million overall. cians. They can actively build trust among the electorate by
quality of elections is often poor. That a debt-distressed con- Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s long-await- ensuring citizen engagement at all levels of the process and
tinent continues to spend enormous sums on elections – ed polls in 2018 were widely denounced as being fraudulent by committing to the highest levels of transparency and ef-
amidst signs of democratic decline – should be a source of despite the nationwide deployment of expensive electronic fective communication. And they can turn to community-fo-
concern for citizens as well as development partners called voting machines and an election budget at one point esti- cused approaches that integrate accountability mechanisms
upon to support these processes. mated to be $1.8 billion. that are meaningful and accessible to ordinary voters.

Where the money goes How to rethink African elections Electoral bodies can also save money in other ways. For
The cost of running elections in some African countries has As these examples show, more spending and more sophis- instance, Ghana’s electoral commission saved over $90
been pushed up by issues such as the late disbursement of ticated equipment does not necessarily mean better elec- million through an open and competitive tendering in
funds to electoral management bodies as well as opaque tions. And in fact, the opposite is often true. 2020. But at the heart of Africa’s expensive – and often in-
tender and procurement practices. However, often high costs Botswana, considered one of the strongest democracies effective – elections is a deficiency in trust and confidence.
have largely been engendered by low levels of trust in elec- on the continent, does not use expensive voting systems or This problem cannot be solved with money. It can only be
toral process. even specially made transparent boxes to hold ballots, but addressed through a combination of political will and de-
This has required electoral commissions to make otherwise cost-efficient local ones. The UK uses hardly any electoral liberate engagement, as well as reforms that are inclusive,
simple administrative systems and procedures more com- paraphernalia considered essential in many African countries transparent, and driven by citizens.
plex to minimise the potential for irregularities. To manage such as indelible ink and even eschews voter checks. And The
— African Arguements

OPINION October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 21

Will exchange rates converge?

ITAFARA Mtutu seen authorities struggle to close the gap be-
t was a small victory for Zimba- tween the official and parallel market rates.
bwe when the IMF staff made
positive comments on local au- The gap between the two rates averaged 43%
thorities’ efforts to stabilise the in the first 12 months of the ZWL’s return before
local foreign exchange market spiking to an average of 153% in the subsequent
and lower inflation after their visit three months following the authorities’ move to
between September 12-19 2022. fix the official rate at 1:25 because of Covid-19
The global financial institution also effects. The premium narrowed to an average
commended the tightening of of 27% in the five months after the introduction
monetary policy and the contained of the foreign currency auction system in June
budget deficits which were cited as 2020, but inefficiencies in the system quickly
key to the narrowing of the paral- led to a jump in the premium to an average of
lel market exchange rate premium. 76% between December 2020 and May 2022.
Zimbabwe has been experiencing A devaluation of the official exchange rate from
macroeconomic stability since 2016 1:173 to 1:309 overnight narrowed the premium
when the failure of the bond notes to an average of 54% between June and Octo-
birthed the parallel market. An of- ber 2022. The increase in interest rates to 200%
ficial rate was introduced in 2019 for corporates, a tight hold on ZWL available for
when the country reverted to the lending, and an overhaul in the government’s
Zimbabwean dollar but low con- procurement process were also instrumental in
fidence and system inefficiencies, the narrowing of this premium over this period,
among several other concerns, have which is currently around 23%.

Breast Cancer Awareness We hold onto the view that rates convergence
will be a major step towards economic stabil-
High Tea2022 ity but whether this can be achieved requires a
look at drivers of demand for foreign currency on
Guest of Honour Keynote Speaker the parallel market in developing countries. Ac-
Dr Amai Rebecca Chisamba Dr Guramatunhu cording to a study done by Agènor in 1992, the
emergence of the parallel market in developing
THEME: markets is often underpinned by restrictions on
TOGETHER WE CAN transactions in foreign currency. Only a small
group of intermediaries is permitted to engage in
Guest Speaker: Dr Mrs Abigael Jemedze Guest Speaker: Dr FN Hove currency transactions. Purchases of foreign cur-
Specialist Obstetrician & Gynaecologist Obstetrician & Gynecologist rencies by domestic agents are, in principle, re-
stricted to uses judged by the authorities to be
DATE: 28 OCTOBER 2022 “essential” for economic development, such as
VENUE: THE VANILLA MOON TIME: 10:00am - 12:00noon imports of capital goods. Consequently, some of
the supply of foreign exchange is diverted and
REGISTRATION: $30 sold illegally at a market price higher than the of-
DRESS CODE: HIGH TEA ETIQUETTE WITH A TOUCH OF PINK ficial price to satisfy the excess demand.

Sponsors: We observe that this holds true in Zimbabwe
considering that only a few “qualified” agents
For Bookings & Registration can access foreign currency through the Dutch
Contact: Spiwe 0783 917 708; [email protected] auction system. Given that more than half of
the economy is informal and cannot participate
in the formal auction system, we can infer that
demand for foreign currency for business and
personal use is considerably high in the informal
sector, and this cements the demand for foreign
currency on the parallel market. We also add that
fuel, the most critical and basic commodity in any
functioning economy, only trades in foreign cur-
rency vis-a-vis no allocation on the auction sys-
tem for local fuel consumption.

In addition, foreign currency in the parallel
market comes with less costs and limitations.
Transactions in formal channels attract an IMTT
of 2% for ZWL and 4% for USD-denominated
transactions. This tax was created with the goal
of collecting tax from the informal sector but the
quick cash-dollarisation of the untamed industry
has left formal businesses facing the brunt of the
burden. We also add that there are no limits with
parallel market transactions, and we identify this
as an advantage since USD withdrawal limits in
formal channels dwindled from US$10 000 per
day in 2013 to US$1 000 in 2022. To top it off,
policy inconsistency has resulted in the general
population opting to preserve value in hard cur-
rency and out of the formal system which abrupt-
ly wiped entire bank balances almost instantly on
two occasions in the last 15 years.

In light of the above, we opine that conver-
gence is highly unlikely and this carries unsettling
expectations over the country’s growth potential
and long-term stability prospects. A study done
by the IMF that analysed 25 developing countries
with active parallel currency markets between
1970 and 2021 revealed a trend of high inflation
and poor economic growth. These countries ex-
perienced an average contraction of 28% in their
economies from their respective peak periods to
2021. These economies also featured prominent-
ly among countries with widespread corruption
and poor governance, and they had some of the
highest inflation rates in 2021.

We also assert that the central bank’s tight hold
on ZWL makes the current slowdown in inflation
and currency stability temporary and superficial.
Local banks’ ZWL liquidity for lending purposes
has been cut down from ZWL$14,2 billion in Sep-
tember 2021 to ZWL$0,1 billion in September
2022, and this has choked up the availability of
debt capital which is critical for bridge finance
in sectors such as agriculture, distribution, and
manufacturing.
Tafara Mtutu is a research analyst at Mor-
gan & Co. — [email protected] or
+263 774 795 854.

ARTS October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 22

The moving story behind the next
young-star Aphiwe from Plumtree

CBY PLOT MHAKO guitar Aphiwe started singing along and vibes immediately Sibanda met with the boy’s uncle Sobancane who reiter-
alm, collected and super talented! These words connected and Sobancane decided to mentor him in music. ated his message.
aptly describes the latest young artist to take the
internet by storm. Born Aphiwe Surprise Moyo Here is how it all unfolded, last year the two artists record- I asked them if we can record a video of them singing.
on the 16th December 2007 and currently doing ed a 1 minute snippet singing a song and sent it to a poet Posted it on Facebook and it immediately went viral.
form 2 at a rural school in Zimnyama, Plumtree. based in South Africa called Thabo who then forwarded it to
We unpack the young artist’s musical journey with his uncle his friend Handy Sibanda creating a connection which was Handy Sibanda
Sobancane. then followed up with a voice-note from Sobancane. The video had reached over 90K views on Facebook and
earGROUND picked up the footage and re-shared it attract-
The unplugged video clip of Aphiwe singing the song In- Thabo Arts ing even more views online and a snippet from the official
hliziyo yami together with his blind guitar playing uncle In the voice note the uncle started with the following mes- video has already been viewed by 114K people.
Sobancane went viral a few months subsequently leading to sage: A lady based in the UK called Muziyokuthula Moyo decid-
the recording of the track as their first studio track and later ed to take it upon herself to help them with recording fees
on a video for the song. “Hie Im looking for someone who can assist Aphiwe to which has seen them record three songs now and one mu-
record music and grow in the music industry because I have sic video which was done by Godwin Ndlovu and has now
It is more fascinating that Sobancane is actually a neigh- a strong belief and a vision that he is destined for this and will gained over 10k views on Youtube.
bour to the boy who became an uncle by default. Soban- go far. I cant sleep because of this…the young man is very tal- The team working with the boy and his uncle are grate-
cane has had a musical background, he was not born blind ented. Some one out there please help” ful for the support and they hope to gain more exposure and
but lost his sight a few years ago due to a medical condition. possibly get a chance to do live performances.
That voice message was then followed-up by an un- I strongly believe the duo will go far musically as they
What started off as a pastime for Aphiwe is fast turning plugged version of their song Inhliziyo Yami which Handy offer something refreshing to the Zimbabwean market in
into a very promising career path. The young boy would oc- Sibanda immediately fell in love with and the next day he the form of Maskandi music. The amount of talent is over-
casionally go over next door to play with Sobancane’s acous- drove to the boy’s school…waited for him to knock off and whelmingly compelling.
tic his guitar and other neighbouring kids would pass by to drove with him to his homestead deep in the rural areas of
watch him play. So, one day while watching his uncle play the Zimnyama. — earGROUND

Handy Sibanda

SPORT October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 23

Patrick Vieira: ANTI-SANCTIONS STATEMENT BY THE COUNCIL FOR CHURCHES IN AFRICA (CCA)
Crystal Palace
The church is feeling the impact of rising facilitate trade and mobilise capital for
boss says in�ation and incomes have been eroded with development.
‘doors are not prices skyrocketing daily. The economy is in Since assuming power, the Second Republic has
tatters as a result of illegal sanctions which taken pragmatic steps to re-engage with the world,
open’ have been imposed against Zimbabwe by our including hostile western nations. The re-
for black detractors. The situation has reached another level engagement efforts �nd expression in the united call
managersDoors are not open" for black managers, and ordinary congregants are not free to operate by SADC member states to speak unanimously
in a country with an economy which is in intensive against the sanctions annually on October 25.
says Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira. care unit. Basically, the current administration has
Vieira, the only black manager in the Pre- Today marks a historic call from the implemented political and economic reforms
ecumenical umbrella body representing that have been accompanied by unprecedented
“mier League, says more needs to be done to indigenous churches in Africa, as we join infrastructural development notwithstanding the
encourage black players into management. everyone in denouncing illegal sanctions which continued existence of the illegal sanctions.
A new report shows that 43% of Premier League have been imposed against Zimbabwe. The European Union introduced sanctions
and 34% of EFL players are black, but only 4.4% of Indeed, this is a complementary crusade for a commonly referred to as the Common Foreign
managers. common good of ordinary congregants. We thus Security Policy Frame work (CFSP) imposed in
congregate today with the main objective to February 2002 while the United States enacted
"We have to give opportunities to people of col- show solidarity with members of the society the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic
our," Vieira told Alex Howell on the BBC's Football who are wailing in abject poverty caused by illegal Recovery Act (Zidera), which restricts support to
News Show. sanctions. Zimbabwe's economy.
Transacting in potential income-generating Today, the CCA, its partners, helpers and
"We are as good as anybody else. And we need projects and major investment has been stakeholders condemn the illegal sanctions imposed
to have no more or less opportunity than anybody hampered by these restrictions since it require against Zimbabwe with loudest voices.
else. foreign currency (US$). There is no easy of doing The Council for Churches in Africa is a non-pro�t
business since churches are facing the same faith-based ecumenical umbrella body for
"When you are looking at the top five leagues problems that the general populace is indigenous churches in Africa with the aim to
in the world and you're looking at the number of experiencing. That has become a challenge for the promote love, peace and justice amongst churches
black coaches you have in the first or second divi- church, which rarely receives foreign currency. through genuine dialogue and engagement in an
sion, it is not enough. Likewise, Africa and many other countries in the effort to avoid church splits in the region. CCA is
region have joined Zimbabwe in the call for the also the Voice of the African indigenous churches
"There is a lack of opportunity there. There is a removal of the sanctions which have choked the and a voluntary arm for African Union with the
lack of connection from black players to connect country for more than two decades thereby objective of giving spiritual guidance.
ourselves a little bit more with people who are retards development and crippling church-
making the decisions. related businesses. The sanctions makes it more I thank you all!
difficult for Western companies and investors to
"But overall I believe that the doors are not open deal with Zimbabwe and making it almost
for us to do what we can do and to go into man- impossible for Zimbabwe to access most ofthe
agement. When I talk about management I'm talk- normal global �nancial institutions set up to
ing about the team, but I'm also talking about the
higher level as well.

"We need to be given more opportunities to
show that we are as good as anybody else."

Vieira, one of the finest players in the Premier
League era, won the World Cup with France in 1998
and the European Championship two years later.

In a glittering career at Arsenal the midfielder
won the Premier League three times, including the
Double twice, and was part of the 'Invincibles' team
that went unbeaten in 2003-04. He also won Serie
A four times and a Champions League title with In-
ter Milan.

After his playing career ended he managed New
York City and Nice before taking over at Palace in
June 2021.

Vieira said it was encouragement from Manches-
ter City managing director Brian Marwood as he
finished his playing career that led him into man-
agement.

"I spoke a lot with Brian Marwood and he made
me understand that having the career I had as a
player wasn't enough," he said.

"I decided to go through my [coaching] badges
and to start with Manchester City Under-21s and to
go to New York. I needed to build that credibility
as well as the experience to really believe in myself
that this is what I wanted to do.

"I had good people around me who gave me the
platform to learn and to make mistakes and today
to be at Palace with belief and confidence in my
ability to be a good manager."

Last week a report from The Black Footballers
Partnership, an organisation formed earlier this
year, found that 14% of those with top coaching
qualifications - a Uefa pro licence - are black, and
only 1.6% of executive, leadership and ownership
positions in football are held by black people.

The Football Association's diversity code was
launched in 2020 and aims to tackle racial inequal-
ity in the English game.

All the clubs in the Premier League and 30 oth-
ers have signed up to the voluntary code, with each
having to provide annual data on their workforce.

QPR director of football Les Ferdinand said last
week that it has "made no difference whatsoever"
in helping black players get jobs in the game.

A spokesperson said the FA is "deeply commit-
ted to ensuring the diversity of those coaching and
leading within English football is truly reflective of
our modern society".

The FA added: "Signatory clubs collectively ex-
ceeded diversity targets in hiring senior leadership
and men's club senior coaches, while making pro-
gress against targets in other areas.

"Within the FA specifically, our teams - includ-
ing the FA board - are increasingly diverse, with 8%
of our leadership team, 12% of all employees, 20%
of our England men's coaching staff, and 4% of
our England women's coaching staff coming from
Black, Asian, Mixed or Other Ethnic backgrounds.
We have been transparent with our data reporting
and have set targets to increase representation out
to 2024."

October 26 to November 1 2022 Weekly Digest 24

How cricket players are
performing at T20 World Cup

TBY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE day's fixtures. over Scotland.
he Zimbabwe cricket team made history af- The all-rounder who is number seven on the ICC T20 The latter’s bowling figures of three for 19 achieved in
ter beating Scotland to qualify to the Super 12
stage at the ICC Men’s T20 World cup under- rankings has a high score of 82 achieved in the first the 31 run defeat to West Indies are the best for Zimba-
way in Australia. match of the tournament where Zimbabwe beat Ireland bwe so far followed up by Blessing Muzarabani who took
It was the first time that the Chevrons were by 31 runs three wickets for 23 against Ireland.
taking part at the global showpiece in six years, since
they crashed out in the first round group stages in India He also struck a brisk 40 off 23 balls to steer Zimbabwe The Zimbabwe players failed to improve their statis-
back in2016. to a five wicket victory over Scotland and confirm their tics against South Africa on Monday after the match was
place in the Super-12. abandoned because of the rain.
Expectations were high for the Zimbabwe team after
hitting a rich vein of form in the format following the ap- Wessley Madhevere is the second best Zimbabwe But they will certainly have an opportunity to improve
pointment of Dave Houghton as the head coach about batsman with a total of 84 runs in four innings while Cap- their figures in the coming against Pakistan, Bangladesh,
four months ago. tain Sean Ervine has contributed 69 runs to the team’s Netherlands and India.
cause with a high score of 58.
The team had a flawless T20 World Cup qualifier and Speaking about the Zimbabwe team, coach Houghton
also beat Bangladesh 2 – 1 in a three match T20i series Surprisingly bowler Luke Jongwe has also made some believes the team is set up with the future in mind.
in Harare and the main man for Zimbabwe has been all- notable contributions with the bat and has 49 runs, two
rounder Sikandar Raza. ahead of Milton Shumba. “The first thing is regarding our team, we don't really
need to change it at the moment. We've got a really nice
And Raza has been instrumental in helping the country Lanky fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani has been im- blend of experience and youth. Raza and today Craig Er-
reach the Super 12 stage of the competition and Weekly pressive with the ball in hand taking six wickets in three vine, the captain, really stood up to be counted through
Digest looks at the performances of the Zimbabwe play- innings and is joint fourth on the overall standings. this tournament at the right time,” he told journalists af-
ers at the global showpiece so far. ter Zimbabwe qualified for the Super-12 stage.
Raza has also done well with the ball taking five wick-
Raza is by a country mile Zimbabwe’s best perform- ets at this stage of the competition while Tendai Chatra “Reggie has done it recently as well. They are our sen-
er having scored a total of 136 runs in four innings while and Richard Ngarava have claimed four wickets each. ior players, and of course Chatara was our best bowler
ranks as fourth best in the tournament ahead of Wednes- today. These are our senior players. All the rest are rang-
Ervine and Raza hold the highest fourth wicket part- ing from 19 to 24, so we've got years of them to come,”
nership at the T20 World Cup when they teamed up for he added.
64 runs last Friday in the Chevrons’ five-wicket victory