NewsHawks 28 October 2022

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WHAT’S INSIDE Friday 28 October 2022 NMEuWgaSbe’s big SZPimORcTan win
warning to some more at
MNEnWanSgagwa Chiwenga the World Cup,
brings rival comes to pass says ex-coach
Chiwenga to
his knees Story on Page 7 Story on Page 50

Story on Page 3

Mnangagwa
may call snap
2023 general
elections

ALSO INSIDE They want to detain me beyond 2023 - Sikhala

Page 2 News NewsHawks

Zim may call Issue 104, 28 October 2022
snap 2023
general polls
early next year

OWEN GAGARE campaign for themselves and him too. conduct parallel voter tabulation during the 2023 Zec Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba.
The central committee report says Zanu PF has harmonised elections. In pursuit of that, they will per individual in high-density suburbs such as
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa may call deploy election observers at all polling stations Mabvuku, Highfield and Mbare. In essence, they
snap general elections in the first quarter of next 84 917 cells, 17 496 branches and 3 216 districts who will also double as CCC agents,” the report are acting as the opposition commissars whose
year — in March — after securing a fresh man- countrywide. says. activities complement those of the opposition
date as Zanu PF leader and its candidate in the outfit.”
polls, it emerged during the party’s congress at the “The (District Coordinating Committees) “These will send results to their established
weekend. DCCs have become an important cog in ensur- Command centres and have consolidated results On the economy and national security, the
ing that the grassroots are well-organised and are before Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) ruling party says price volatility caused by sharp
Inside sources say although constitutionally an integral part of the mainstream mobilisation. announces. If Zec announces what is different exchange rate movements had become a securi-
elections should be held by or before the end of Through the emphasis on cells as the nucleus and from what they have, they are planning to have ty threat “which consequently had blighted its
July 2023, indications are Mnangagwa may call DNA of the party. This has re-awakened the need violent protests. This plan is a recipe for chaos and chance of a landslide win in the 2023 harmonised
early polls in March or April. to strategise around the polling stations so that we mayhem as well as a serious security threat.” elections”.
have certainty that our people are really registered
This comes as the ruling party is deeply worried to vote,” the report reads. Zanu PF, which is pushing for the PVO Bill, The party applauded interventions by govern-
and scared stiff of plans by the main opposition wants to curtail the influence of the civil society ment, including the introduction of gold coins,
CCC led by Nelson Chamisa and civil society to Zanu PF, according to the report, will also con- organisations which is says are “a security threat”. which have stabilised the exchange rate. But it
have a parallel ballot-counting and results tabu- tinue working with indigenous religious group- The party says these civil society organisations are called for more measures to strengthen the econ-
lation, as well as transmission process to counter ings in its mass mobilisation drive, as well as af- assisting the main opposition CCC’s mobilisation omy.
vote-rigging. filiates such as Teachers for ED, Young Women drive.
for ED, Journalists for ED, Returnees for ED, “However, there have been concerns regarding
Throughout their just-ended congress, Zanu Affirmative Action Group and Economic Em- “In their quest to upset the ruling Zanu PF the welfare of the population. It would therefore
PF leaders kept on harping on Chamisa and powerment Group. party support base, the opposition working with be prudent for the government to address social
CCC, showing they consider and fear them as a their Western handlers, have employed hybrid welfare issues, including service delivery so that
major threat after what happened in Zambia last It was also resolved at congress that Mnangag- warfare, ranging from political, economic, social as we approach the elections in 2023 the country
year and Lesotho recently when opposition par- wa will restructure the politburo, the administra- and cyber threats. This has seen the opposition does not fall into the same predicament that befell
ties unexpectedly swept to power. tive body of the decision-making central com- political party penetrating Zanu PF strongholds, it in 2021 whereby the opposition won some of
mittee, to create new portfolios, including one particularly rural constituencies,” the report says. the crucial urban by-elections despite several in-
Mnangagwa’s government is viciously cracking dealing with labour issues. This is meant to ad- frastructural development programmes done by
down on the CCC. Two of its MPs, including its dress workers' issues and hopefully get their votes. “The main opposition outfit is using NGOs the ruling party.”
senior leader Job Sikhala — now the face of the and CSOs as their agents for regime change, with
fight for democratic change in Zimbabwe — and The party is also targeting artisanal miners, Goal Zimbabwe, Danish Church Aid and Plan Zanu PF usually relies on state institutions,
14 of its activists have been detained on allega- widely known as makorokoza/otsheketsha, in plac- International being on record for handing cash particularly the military, to steal elections. Zec is
tions of inciting violence for well over 130 days. es like Mazowe and Penhalonga, as well as others handouts ranging between US$10 and US$20 also widely accused of rigging elections for Zanu
around country. It is also raising funds through PF.
There has been an eruption of political violence gold mining activities and leveraging its control of
in many hotspots across the country. Two opposi- mining concessions for political support. Despite
tion activists, Mboneni Ncube and Moreblessing its grand strategy and tactics to win elections,
Ali, have been killed as brutality intensifies ahead Zanu PF is worried by the parlous state of the
of the polls. Although Zanu PF won a two-thirds economy, including the prospect of civil society
majority in July 2018, its leader — Mnangagwa organisations independently tabulating results to
— scraped through by a disputed wafer-thing counter its rigging machinery.
margin. Mnangagwa has proved to be far less
popular compared to his party. By contrast, Cha- “The Zimbabwe Election Support Network
misa is more popular than his party. and the Election Resource Centre are planning to

Zanu PF says it is also gravely concerned about Zanu PF brands new cars in preparation for election campaigns.
the social suffering among Zimbabweans due to
the deteriorating economic conditions which may
have a far-reaching impact on the elections.

Zanu PF has over the years been consolidating
its grassroots structures, according to the party’s
central committee report presented at congress. It
says this will enable the party to have polling sta-
tion-based interventions as it seeks to garner five
million votes.

Closing Zanu PF’s congress yesterday, Mnan-
gagwa said he was grateful for being nominated
the party’s sole candidate in next year’s polls.

“As we approach 2023, we must remain in
sync and encourage our members to register to
vote,” he said. “The party’s election manifesto will
be launched soon and will be distributed in due
course.”

Inside sources say Zanu PF is planning to con-
clude its primary elections before the end of the
year, having already established its cells, branches,
as well as district and provincial structures restruc-
turing and internal poll processes.

Mnangagwa said his party’s elections manifesto
will be launched soon. The party has already or-
dered five million pieces of campaign material. It
also now has fleet of branded cars, some of which
it bought for itself, while others were purchased
by donors and well-wishers.

Mnangagwa has also ensured that MPs, who
have not been paid salaries and allowances for
a long time, get their monies to enable them to

NewsHawks News Page 3

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

OWEN GAGARE Mnangagwa brings rival
Chiwenga to his knees
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has
brought his bitter rival Vice-President Con- President Emmerson Mnangagwa
stantino Chiwenga to his knees — literally and
metaphorically — at the crucial Zanu PF con- personal nominees. The move is calculated to He put retired Lieutenant-General Engelbert lands province was singing “Munomuvenge-
gress which ended in Harare yesterday. cement his control of the party. Rugeje who was later removed after the 2018 reyi Mnangagwa?” which literally means “Why
elections. do you hate Mnangagwa?”
After a brutal political battle following the Mnangagwa’s 10 appointees came from the
2017 military coup which propelled Mnangag- country’s 10 provinces, one each. This is de- Rugeje is a key Chiwenga ally who chal- The song caught fire as the venue erupted
wa to power, characterised by plotting, internal signed to mobilise votes. lenged Mnangagwa’s purges and new modus into a cacophony, burying Chiwenga and his
strife, purges, poisoning and a grenade attack operandi at a charged politburo meeting in faction under an avalanche of Mnangagwa’s in-
amid dead bodies, Chiwenga was crushed at They included Emmanuel Fundira (Mid- July 2019. ternal support among the 4 000 delegates.
congress. His surrender — at least for now — lands); Paul Mangwana (Masvingo); Angeline
was symbolised by his kneeling before Mnan- Tongogara (Mashonaland Central); Wilson Chiwenga and the army also ran internal However, insiders say Chiwenga is down,
gagwa. Khumbula (Manicaland); Michael Madanha Zanu PF elections in 2018, including the na- but not out.
(Mashonaland East); Joseph Madziva Chiron- tional polls.
Delegates, foreign fraternal party represen- goma (Mashonaland West); Veronica Munki- One delegate said: “It would be unwise for
tatives, diplomats, observers and journalists li (Matabeleland North); Miriam Chikuk- However, that power is no longer intact for ED (Mnangagwa) and his supporters to think
witnessed the kowtowing spectacle. Those who wa (Harare); Zenzo Nsimbi (Bulawayo) and Chiwenga. Chiwenga is down and out. He is down, but
spoke to The NewsHawks found the kneeling Abednico Ncube (Matabeleland South). not out. The question is: What next for him?
symbolic of defeat. Mnangagwa arrived at congress, having put Chiwenga still has strong residual support in
Mabel Chinomona remained in charge of his ducks in a row through the district coordi- the party and military. He has retreated but will
“That summarised the key outcome of the the women’s league and Douglas Mahiya the nating committee, provincial and central com- regroup, perhaps starting with Bhora musango
congress; Mnangagwa emerged triumphant war veterans league. mittee elections, as well as cells. [internal sabotage] during the upcoming gen-
and Chiwenga defeated, given their power re- eral elections. It’s not yet over till it’s over. At
lations in 2017 and the power shift now,” one Mnangagwa is also restructuring the polit- The provincial elections were brazenly the end of the day, the unresolved leadership
delegate said. “This is not to say Chiwenga is buro portfolios, creating new ones, while also rigged in favour of Mnangagwa. Sources say issue in Zanu PF still remains as long as there
down and out. This means he is down, but not coming up with an elders’ council structure. the central committee members were meticu- is a top leader who believes he was betrayed
out. The fact of the matter is simply that he Chiwenga’s supporters claim the elders’ council lously vetted and packed with his supporters. and needs to recover his lost ground and seize
was routed at congress and needs to retreat and is evidence that their ally is still powerful and They say Mnangagwa went through the central power.”
regroup.” influential as that demand came from the coup committee list of elected members — one by
leaders in 2017, but it is likely to be another one — to ensure it is dominated by his loy- Closing the congress, Mnangagwa said:
Chiwenga himself accepted the trouncing, pro-Mnangagwa structure. alists. “Our party is more united as we march for-
going as far as claiming leaders are ordained by ward in building our country, leaving no one
God. He implied Mnangagwa, whom he once In yet another indication of his power in Chiwenga struggled to even get nominated and no place behind. As we approach the 2023
claimed was the great Munhumutapa (histori- 2017, Chiwenga stopped Mnangagwa from in his Mashonaland East province. elections, we must remain in sync and encour-
cal Shona-speaking people’s monarch), had the appointing Victor Matematanda, now ambas- age our members to register to vote.”
divine right to rule. sador to Mozambique, as political commissar. At the congress, Mnangagwa’s support —
perhaps stage-managed — was thunderously
Said Chiwenga: “The party membership evident in song. For instance, his home Mid-
through its structures and leagues has already
clearly and thunderously endorsed Cde Em-
merson Dambudzo Mnangagwa as the presi-
dent and first secretary, and as the sole presi-
dential candidate for the ruling party, Zanu PF,
in the 2023 harmonised elections. People have
thus spoken.”

Singing praises of Mnangagwa, he added:
“He is the one and only candidate that we
know.”

This was a far cry from his plan in 2017
during the coup when he called the shots.

Chiwenga’s strategy was to install Mnangag-
wa as President for five years, and then take
over in 2023.

This was part of the military plan to then
keep power within their structures and among
themselves.

In 2017, Chiwenga practically installed him-
self vice-president when he exchanged military
fatigues for a civilian suit, blocking Mnangag-
wa’s bid to appoint Defence minister Oppah

Muchinguri-Kashiri co-deputy leader with
Kembo Mohadi. He also took over the defence
and war veterans portfolios that Mnangagwa
had initially given to Mohadi who was briefly
put in charge of security.

Muchinguri-Kashiri was later appeased
through an appointment as party chair, a posi-
tion which she retained at congress.

Zanu PF’s top positions have remained
unchanged after congress: Mnangagwa (pres-
ident), Chiwenga (deputy president), Mo-
hadi (deputy president), Muchinguri-Kashiri
(chairperson), Obert Mpofu (secretary for
administration), Patrick Chinamasa (finance),
national political commissar Mike Bimha and
secretary for security Lovemore Matuke.

Except Chiwenga and Mpofu, the rest of
these appointed top party officials support
Mnangagwa, insiders say.

Mohadi, who helped checkmate Chiwenga
during the bruising power struggle, threw his
weight behind Mnangagwa in his congress ad-
dress.

Mnangagwa lightheartedly described Mo-
hadi as “naughty” — a reference to his sex
scandals — but said he is dependable and use-
ful. He said Mohadi is also an honest leader as
he is the only one who has repeatedly told him
in his face that he wants to be president.

Good-homouredly, Mnangagwa said if Mo-
hadi wants to be president he must first sur-
vive a sustained campaign of vilification and
threats, poisoning, expulsion, walking 40 ki-
lometres and then a dramatic recovery from
that, which was a description of his own rise to
power under the late former president Robert
Mugabe’s last days.

Mnangagwa also appointed a limited num-
ber of members of the politburo members and
10 new central committee officials who are his

Page 4 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Zanu PF congress: The Great Betrayal

OWEN GAGARE The great betrayal... Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa (right) and his co-deputy Constantino Chiwenga.

IF the late former Rhodesian Prime Minister was the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence ed fighting for political survival amid rising a leading role in the decimation of the Mujuru
Ian Douglas Smith felt betrayed by the British Forces when the military staged a coup in No- popular discontent and the emergence of the faction in the 2014 congress before emphatical-
government and his allies — including apart- vember 2017 to end long-time president Robert opposition MDC, Mnangagwa and Chiwenga ly determining the succession question through
heid South Africa — whom he expected to Mugabe’s 37-year grip on power, and Mnangag- became instrumental in the combat which has the 2017 military coup.
side with him to keep Rhodesia under his firm wa had a gentleman’s agreement that the Pres- now lasted two decades.
control, then spare a thought for Vice-President ident would rule for five years, and then hand Joice Mujuru, then considered a Zanu PF
Constantino Chiwenga who put his head on the over power to his deputy in 2023. Amid hotly disputed election results, Mnan- succession race shoo-in, was eliminated as Mug-
block to ensure President Emmerson Mnangag- gagwa, who was defeated by the opposition in abe’s potential successor by Mnangagwa and
wa rose to power, only for he and his close as- In fact, insiders say Chiwenga and the army 2000 and 2005, and Chiwenga were key is res- Chiwenga after checkmating her late husband.
sociates to be thrown under the bus during this wanted to keep power within military structures cuing Mugabe in 2002 and 2008.
weekend’s elective congress. and leaders after Mnangagwa’s one term of of- Chiwenga is now the latest victim of Zanu PF
fice. Mnangagwa was Mugabe’s returning officer internal strife and treachery.
In his 400-plus page book, which is both an during the 2008 elections, with Chiwenga lead-
autobiography and a history of Rhodesia, The However, Zanu PF congress this weekend ing the military side’s interventions. Mugabe told journalists at his Harare Blue
Great Betrayal: The Memoirs of Africa’s Most Con- ruthlessly snuffed out those hopes as it con- Roof mansion in his last major interview on 15
troversial Leader, Smith felt that with the "winds firmed Mnangagwa as the party’s candidate in They became particularly close in 2008 when March 2018 that he warned Chiwenga to take
of change" sweeping through the continent the 2023 presidential election, crystallising the they worked hand-in-glove to rescue Mug- over power for himself because Mnangagwa
amid an ascendancy of nationalist liberation betrayal of Chiwenga who was out outmanoeu- abe, who had lost the first round of polling to would betray him as he said he was not reliable.
movements as decolonisation gained ground, vred during the post-coup period. MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, culminat- Mugabe said Chiwenga would regret his deci-
the British were too eager to get rid of their ing in a bloody runoff in June, which forced the sion.
colonial problems regardless of the cost to the Mnangagwa’s political supremacy was con- opposition leader to pull out of the race.
white populace. firmed during the party’s politburo and central That has now come to pass.
committee meetings on Wednesday and Thurs- Zanu PF insiders say Mugabe was at the time As reported by The NewsHawks last week,
In that way, he felt greatly betrayed, explain- day respectively, and later on Friday when con- entertaining thoughts of handing over power to Mnangagwa inevitably emerged triumphant at
ing his Unilateral Declaration of Independence gress was officially opened. Tsvangirai after losing, partly because of inter- congress after a fierce power struggle — char-
(UDI) on 11 November 1965. nal sabotage. acterised by scheming, backstabbing, a grenade
It was a surreal moment as Chiwenga was attack, poisoning and purges, as well as fears
The Rhodesian Front wanted independence forced not only to confirm his rival as the victor A camp which had coalesced around the late of yet another military coup — over his unre-
under guaranteed minority rule. Smith had re- after a brutal political battle, but to go as far retired army commander General Solomon solved party leadership rivalry with Chiwenga.
placed Winston Field as prime minister in April as claiming Mnangagwa was ordained by God Mujuru was accused of leading a bhora musan- It is the first full congress since Mugabe’s dra-
1964, after having been his deputy. The Rho- to lead as a way of justifying his own fate and go (internal sabotage) strategy where it encour- matic ouster and subsequent death. An extraor-
desian Front swept all A-roll seats in the 1965 coping with the devastating defeat. aged party supporters to vote for Zanu PF MPs, dinary congress was held in December 2017
election, and Smith used this parliamentary but not for Mugabe. to confirm a central committee decision the
strength to tighten controls and repression on While Mnangagwa had his own agency in previous month to install Mnangagwa as party
the liberation movement. his dramatic rise to power, Chiwenga was the As a result, many Zanu PF legislators had leader, but the 2019 congress was avoided as the
kingmaker. more votes than Mugabe in their constituencies. President feared Chiwenga was still too strong
After several failed attempts to persuade Yet Zanu PF also lost to the MDC. then to oust.
Britain to grant independence, Smith declared Chiwenga and Mnangagwa’s relationship Since then, Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are
UDI. dates back to the liberation struggle era. Mnan- As a result of the sabotage, a marriage of con- still fighting over the spoils of the coup.
gagwa was Mugabe’s aide in Mozambique, while venience was sealed between Mugabe, Mnan- Chiwenga, who engineered Mugabe’s top-
Britain declined to respond to the move with Chiwenga was a guerrilla commander leading gagwa and Chiwenga against Mujuru, who later pling and put Mnangagwa in power, thought
force, instead using economic measures, includ- the commissariat department. died in a mysterious fire at his Beatrice farm in his ally would serve only one term and hand
ing ending the link between the pound sterling August 2011. over the reins of power to him in 2023, but that
and the Rhodesian currency, and seizing assets. Mnangagwa has publicly confirmed they thought perished this weekend during the cru-
were close. Mugabe and his close allies were accused by cial Zanu PF congress, leaving the former army
Smith’s government countered by defaulting insiders of killing Mujuru. commander weak, exposed and vulnerable — a
on its British-guaranteed debts, leaving London After Independence in 1980, the two were far cry from his original plan when he installed
liable while at the same time balancing its bud- also key to Mugabe’s power consolidation and Mnangagwa and Mujuru's enmity arose from the incumbent through the daring and risky
get. retention strategy, including during the Guku- a protracted battle to succeed Mugabe as well coup.
rahundi massacres calculated to crash the then as competing business interests. Mujuru and
The United Nations (UN) Security Council main opposition PF Zapu and decimate its Chiwenga had explosive differences emanating
imposed mandatory economic sanctions on largely Ndebele social base. from the army and personal issues.
Rhodesia in 1966, the first time that the UN
had taken that action against a state. After 2000 when Mugabe and Zanu PF start- Chiwenga sided with Mnangagwa in the
Zanu PF factional battles, with the army playing
The sanctions were broadened in 1968, but
still were only partly successful; some strategic
minerals, especially chrome, were exported to
willing buyers in Europe and the United States,
further strengthening the economy. Sanc-
tions-busting operations also undermined the
measures.

On 20 June 1969, a referendum was held
to adopt a constitution that would consolidate
political power in the hands of the white mi-
nority and establish Rhodesia as a republic; the
predominantly white electorate overwhelmingly
approved both measures.

The constitution was approved by parliament
in November that year, and on 2 March 1970,
Rhodesia declared itself a republic.

Unsuccessful negotiations with Britain and
later the United States continued, but there was
no breakthrough.

In short, Smith felt betrayed by the Brit-
ish “who were bent on spoiling things for the
happiest blacks in the world” instead of siding
with their kith and kin. He felt South Africans,
despite their apartheid policy, held Rhodesia to
ransom to appease the Organisation of African
Unity and to make their detente exercise a suc-
cess.

To Smith, the British, through Foreign Sec-
retary Lord Peter Carrington who presided over
the 1979 Lancaster House Talks, and Rhodesia’s
last governor Lord Christopher Soames, openly
betrayed him.

Even Rhodesian army commander General
Peter Walls was also part of the great betrayal,
according to Smith.

In a different context and circumstances,
Chiwenga is feeling the same with Mnangagwa,
especially after Zanu PF’s elective congress this
weekend. His allies say Chiwenga is fuming as
he feels Mnangagwa and his faction have com-
mitted treachery of the worst kind.

It is widely understood that Chiwenga, who

NewsHawks News Page 5

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Chiwenga’s humiliation complete

RUVIMBO MUCHENJE tion of members of the opposition Citizens' The 15 were arrested in June and are yet to Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga
Coalition for Change (CCC). go to trial, more than 130 days later and their sition has warmed up to Mnangagwa’s lead-
ZANU PF co-deputy president Constantino unfair treatment is viewed by many as part of ership. He was referring to political parties
Chiwenga has effectively conceded defeat by "There is no doubt that through his (Mnan- a lawfare plot to silence dissent. which have cosyied up to Zanu PF under the
announcing his arch-rival, President Emmer- gagwa) focused leadership our country contin- Political Actors Dialogue grouping.
son Mnangagwa, as the sole presidential can- ues to move towards an era of political toler- In recent weeks Zanu PF thugs have un-
didate for the ruling party ahead of next year’s ance, inclusivity and economic empowerment leashed violence on opposition legislators and "Today opposition political parties gradu-
general elections. which resonates well with this year's theme, members during by-election campaigns. The ally acknowledge his leadership and the vision
'Building a Prosperous Zimbabwe, Leaving latest violence in Matobo has seen the hospi- he has impacted on our generation and our
As reported by The NewsHawks last week, No-one And No Place Behind'," said Chiwen- talisation of Bulawayo metropolitan MP Jas- nation," he said.
Mnangagwa emerged uncontested as party ga. mine Toffa. In Gokwe, Chamisa's motorcade
leader after outwitting his coup ally, Chiwen- and journalists were attacked by people in "For instance, several high-ranking opposi-
ga, shattering the latter’s ambition to be Zanu His remarks came a day after the leader of Zanu PF regalia. tion figures have rejoined our great party Zanu
PF’s candidate in the next election. the opposition CCC, Nelson Chamisa, was PF, itself the confirmed mother political party
once again barred from visiting Zengeza West The same happened to members of the op- of our nation," he added.
Amid cheers from the crowd, Chiwenga an- MP, Job Sikhala, Chitungwiza North MP, position in Wedza and Chitungwiza ahead of
nounced his own defeat at the just-ended par- Godfrey Sithole, and the 14 other detainees at by-elections in the respective wards. In a grotesque twist of irony, Chiwenga
ty's 7th elective congress in Harare and pro- Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. chanted "pasi nemhirizhonga [down with vio-
claimed Mnangagwa as the leader of Zanu PF. Chiwenga went on to claim that the oppo- lence]" in his slogan, even when Zanu PF has
unleashed a reign of terror on the opposition.
"Whilst this congress is supposed to be an
elective congress, the party membership and
its structures, and leagues have already clearly
thunderously endorsed Cde Emmerson Dam-
budzo Mnangagwa as the President and first
secretary and as the sole presidential candidate
for the ruling party, Zanu PF in the 2023 har-
monised elections," said Chiwenga.

"People have thus spoken, let their will be
obeyed so that His Excellency Cde Dr. Em-
merson Mnangagwa can take us to the Zim-
babwe we envision. He is the one and only
candidate we know. Shumba Murambwi we-
shambochena deserves another opportunity to
lead us to the next level,"

"It is only logical that we do the right thing
and pledge our total commitment to remain
fully behind our God-given leader and first
secretary of our party Zanu PF, His Excellency
Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa," he added.

Chiwenga suffered setbacks in his spirited
fight for the post of party president, including
a one-year break, when he was battling for his
life in hospitals, the death of his trusted gen-
erals Perrance Shiri and Sibusiso Moyo and a
dwindling support within the army.

The agreement from the 2017 military coup
was that Mnangagwa would complete Mug-
abe’s term and serve one other term before
handing over power to his coup ally, Chiwen-
ga the 2023-2028 term.

Mnangagwa however made strides in con-
solidating power, during the time when Chi-
wenga was seeking treatment.

The convening of the congress was chal-
lenged by Zanu PF youth Sybeth Msengezi,
but the case is yet to be heard before the court.

What has happened to Chiwenga is a simi-
lar script to that which was used in 2004 when
eight provinces had endorsed Mnangagwa as
vice-president of the party.

As secretary for adminstration, Mnangag-
wa was made to announce that the second
Vice-President would be a woman, and Joice
Mujuru got the coveted slot ahead of Mnan-
gagwa.

Chiwenga’s ouster from the race was a pre-
meditated plan by Mnangagwa since 2017.

Scared of being ousted by Chiwenga and
his faction, Mnangagwa had avoided the
scheduled 2019 congress after his controver-
sial ascendancy through a central committee
meeting held on 19 November 2017 at party
headquarters in Harare.

An extraordinary congress was held in De-
cember 2017 to install him as party leader, but
the constitutional processes were not followed
to the letter and spirit of the law.

Zanu PF youth member Musengezi, pub-
licly viewed as Chiwenga’s proxy, is challeng-
ing Mnangagwa’s legitimacy in the courts. He
wants the congress stopped until that matter
has been resolved as they are intertwined, but
Zanu PF is forging ahead all the same.

Zanu PF insiders say Chiwenga lost polit-
ical ground when he fell ill and almost died
between 2018 and 2019. From there, they
say, he never quite recovered even though his
faction has remained intact, with potential to
regroup and fight back.

At the same conference, Chiwenga ap-
plauded Mnangagwa for political tolerance
and inclusion. This is in stark contrast to the
violent attacks and prolonged pretrial deten-

Page 6 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga, Chiwenga put his head on
who was the then commander of the Zimbabwe the block for Mnangagwa
Defence Forces, put his head on the block to
rescue President Emmerson Mnangagwa before Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Phillip Sibanda Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga
handing him power after the 2017 military coup, wenga, with then youth leader Kudzai Chipanga
although his personal presidential and economic saying the youths were prepared to die for Mug-
ambitions also influenced his decision. abe.

Alongside other military commanders, Chi- “We will not fold out hands to allow a crea-
wenga risked being charged with treason by ture of the constitution to subvert the very con-
challenging the late former president Robert stitution which establishes it,” Chipanga said.
Mugabe’s authority before deposing him in a
coup. “Defending the revolution and our leader and
president is an ideal we live for and if need be it
When Mnangagwa was fired from Zanu PF is a principle we are prepared to die for.”
on November 6, 2017 before being dismissed
from government two days later, the military On 14 November, armoured vehicles were
sprang into action and whisked him out of the seen on the outskirts of Harare. Under the cov-
country to ensure his safety. er of darkness, the military took over strategic
places in Harare during the night including the
As revealed by Chiwenga during the funeral control of Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
of Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Phil- building at Pockets Hill in Highlands, Harare.
lip Valerio Sibanda’s mother in Gokwe in July
2018, he directed the then Zimbabwe National On 15 November, Major-General Sibusiso
Army commander to ensure Mnangagwa’s safe- Busi Moyo appeared on ZBC in the wee hours
ty. Chiwenga was in China when Mnangagwa of the morning to announce that the military
was dismissed. had moved in to deal with criminals around
President Mugabe. He emphasised that the pres-
"Today, I want to say something I have nev- ident and his family were safe while insisting
er told anyone, a secret that has been kept be- that the ZDF was not embarking on a coup.
tween me and General Sibanda," Chiwenga told
mourners. Amid meetings aimed at persuading the pres-
ident to go, the military organised a massive
"General Sibanda is truly a brave hero. When protest on 18 November where thousands of
the then Vice-President was fired from the gov- people marched on Harare’s streets demanding
ernment last November, I was away in China on that Mugabe relinquish power.
national duty. General Sibanda called me to ad-
vise me on the sad developments. The army, working together with Zanu PF
leaders, put pressure on Mugabe by holding a
"I told him that Mnangagwa's life could be central committee meeting on 19 November
at stake, so please make sure he is safe. General which resolved to remove Mugabe as party pres-
Sibanda is the one who orchestrated our Presi- ident, as well as reinstate Mnangagwa, who was
dent's escape through the Mozambique border elected interim president.
and he sent two soldiers, one of them did not
have a passport. The central committee gave Mugabe until
midday 20 November 2017 to resign as presi-
"They managed to safely whisk him away dent of the country.
through the border and they left him in Mo-
zambique and came back using the same border. Mnangagwa arrived back in Zimbabwe from
When I came back, we sat and insisted that we South Africa on 22 November and was inaugu-
want this to be a peaceful operation. Sibanda rated as President of Zimbabwe on 24 Novem-
coined the name Operation Restore Legacy." ber, with Chiwenga and the army having done
the dirty work for him. — STAFF WRITER.
Chiwenga arrived from China a few days lat-
er, amid contested allegations that his soldiers
disarmed a crack team from the Zimbabwe Re-
public Police Support Unit — a paramilitary
wing of the police — which had been deployed
to arrest him on arrival at Robert Mugabe Inter-
national Airport.

On 13 November, he held a Press conference
where he declared that Zanu PF had been in-
filtrated by people seeking to reverse the gains
of the liberation struggle. He called for drastic
immediate action, in what many people saw as
a coup threat and a direct challenge to Mugabe.

“It is pertinent to re-state that the Zimbabwe
Defence Forces remain the major stockholder
in respect to the gains of the liberation struggle
and, when these are threatened, we are obliged
to take corrective measures,” Chiwenga said.

“. . . We must remind those behind the cur-
rent treacherous shenanigans that, when it
comes to matters of protecting our revolution,
the military will not hesitate to step in.”

Following the statement, Zanu PF described
Chiwenga’s statement as treasonous. The party
however said it was unshaken.

“The statement issued by General Constanti-
no Chiwenga purporting to speak on behalf of
the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) was not
only surprising, but was outrageous vitiation of
professional soldiership and his wartime record
as a high-ranking freedom fighter entrusted with
Command responsibilities in a free and demo-
cratic Zimbabwe,” said Zanu PF spokesman Si-
mon Khaya Moyo in a statement.

“Clearly calculated to disturb national peace
and stability, the said statement by General
Constantino Chiwenga which was not signed,
and which did not represent the rest of the com-
mand element, suggests treasonable conduct on
his part as this was meant to incite insurrection
and violent challenge to the Constitutional Or-
der.

“Indeed, this is what happens when the gun
seeks to overreach by dictating to politics and
norms constitutionally.”

Moyo said Chiwenga’s actions were uncon-
stitutional, adding: “As the party running the
democratically-elected government of Zimba-
bwe, Zanu-PF will not succumb to any threats,
least of all those deriving from the conduct that
is inconsistent with the tenets of democracy and
Constitutionalism.”

The Zanu PF youth wing also blasted Chi-

NewsHawks News Page 7

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

WITH the Zanu PF congress set to confirm that Mugabe’s big warning to
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has outsmart- Chiwenga comes to pass
ed Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, the
late former president Robert Mugabe’s warning Late former president Robert Mugabe
to the ex-military general amid the 2017 coup
has now come to pass. to engage army commanders, including Chi- manders at KGVI, now Josiah Magama Tongog- Mugabe said Chiwenga refused to take over
wenga, but he later replaced him with his confi- ara, Barracks, Harare. and even denied that he had staged a coup
Mugabe warned Chiwenga that Mnangag- dante Gideon Gono. against him.
wa would use and dump coup leaders unless he As armoured vehicles, tanks and other army
seized power himself. He said Mukonori had "sold out" as his role cars rolled on the streets enforcing the coup, Mugabe said Chiwenga denied the coup ve-
as emissary became compromised and biased in Mugabe said he spoke to Chiwenga through hemently, saying he would never act against him
Mugabe told journalists at his Borrowdale favour of the coup, hence Gono had to come Gono, telling him that he should just take over as they had worked together for decades since
mansion on 15 March 2018 in his last inter- into the process because "he was objective". power as Mnangagwa was not reliable and would the liberation struggle days in Mozambique.
view that he warned Chiwenga that imposing Gono went to meet Chiwenga and other com- remove all his allies to consolidate power later.
Mnangagwa would end in grief as he would lat- — STAFF WRITER.
er purge coup plotters.

Mugabe advised Chiwenga to take over him-
self, but the then army commander balked,
probably because a military man taking over
would have gone against the propaganda that
the military was not staging a coup.

After the coup, Mnangagwa, as Mugabe
warned, went on to purge the coup leaders;
dismantling the coalition that brought him to
power.

Chiwenga’s key military backers, who played
a pivotal role in the coup, were kicked out of
the army and Zanu PF, while he was battling a
life-threatening illness in India and then China,
amid poisoning fears.

Among those removed were retired Lieu-
tenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe, who com-
manded troops on the ground during the coup
as Presidential Guard commander.

Sanyatwe is Chiwenga’s personal friend and
confidante. Sanyatwe was retired alongside sev-
eral commanders ahead of diplomatic assign-
ments in February 2019.

These include the late Zimbabwe National
Army chief-of-staff retired Lieutenant-General
Douglas Nyikayaramba, who was chief-of-staff
responsible for service personnel and logistics,
retired Lieutenant-General Martin Chedondo
and retired Air Marshal Sheba Shumbayawon-
da.

In June 2019, Mnangagwa then made an-
other significant move by removing retired
Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje from the
Zanu PF commissariat and replacing him with
ally Victor Matemadanda, as he seized control
of the party, while Chiwenga was incapacitated.

Most of Chiwenga's factional allies have been
removed, dumped and others have died myste-
riously including the face of the coup, the late
retired Leuitenant-General Sibusiso Moyo who
was appointed Foreign Affairs minister after
the coup. Former Air Force of Zimbabwe com-
mander Perrance Shiri, who was appointed Agri-
culture minister, also died of Covid-19 although
his allies say he, like Moyo, was poisoned.

Mugabe told journalists, including The New-
sHawks editors who then ran the Zimbabwe In-
dependent, that when the coup struck he sent
Roman Catholic priest Father Fidelis Mukonori

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s key military backers, who played a pivotal role in the coup, were kicked out of the army and Zanu PF.

Page 8 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala

They want to jail me until 2023: Sikhala

RUVIMBO MUCHENJE

ZENGEZA West MP Job Sikhala says there is a He has been in detention since 14 June 2022, to life in prison after the Rivonia trial, no one Chitungwiza North MP Godfrey Sithole
sinister political plot by the authorities to keep when he was arrested for allegedly inciting vio- knew whether his sacrifice would bear fruit, but on 2 November while awaiting trial for incite-
him in detention beyond the 2023 general elec- lence after convening a prayer meeting for his he kept his faith in the cause. I have faith in the ment and obstruction on 15 and 17 November
tions, The NewsHawks can reveal. deceased client and opposition party member, cause that I am suffering for, more than any- respectively.
Moreblessing Ali, who was gruesomly killed by a thing else,” said Sikhala.
Sikhala, who celebrated his 50th on Sunday Zanu PF-linked man, Pius Jamba. He has been arrested more than 60 times on
while in pre-trial detention, told The News- Sikhala’s family could not celebrate his birth- similar charges, and has never been convicted.
Hawks that he has it on good authority that the He hopes that his sacrifice will gradually bear day. A cake brought by his wife was not allowed
state wants him to languish in jail beyond the fruit. inside prison. He says God is witnessing the persecution.
polls slated for July or August 2023. “I do believe in the Bible. God hardened the
“When Nelson Mandela was condemned Sikhala will apear in court for routine remand hearts of those that were powerful for his power
“We obtained information beforehand that to manifest before those who thought they were
they want to keep us (Sikhala and Chitungwiza
North MP Godfrey Sithole) until the 2023 gen-
eral elections. The purpose is very clear that they
want to eliminate me from the national political
equation for reasons best known to themselves,”
said Sikhala.

Sikhala, charged with obstruction of justice
and inciting violence, has applied for bail eight
times at both the High and the magistrates'
courts, but has been denied this constitutional
right.

He says the 138-day-long pre-trial detention
has not broken his spirit.

“Whatever they do will never defeat the en-
durance of my spirit to continue on the path of
independence and freedom of our people. Zim-
babwe, in its current state, has been placed in
the same situation as the one in which Ian Smith
placed this country before,” said Sikhala.

In a statement that he released as a birth-
day message from inside Chikurubi Maximum
Security Prison, Sikhala said he is not the first
person to spend birthdays in prison, citing the
example of South Africa’s first democratic presi-
dent, Nelson Mandela.

“What gives me utmost hapiness is that I am
not the first nor will I be the last political pris-
oner to celebrate their birthdays under persecu-
tion from an evil dictatorship. History is awash
with such personalities. Nelson Mandela spent
27 consecutive birthdays in peison; Dumiso
Dabengwa 7; Lookout Masuku 7; Bakili Mulu-
zu 10; Raila Odinga 10; and many other men
and women of good standing,” wrote Sikhala.

Asked whether his sacrifice would bear fruit,
he answered in the affirmative.

NewsHawks News Page 9

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

BRENNA MATENDERE Zim 2023 polls: Britain
to engage Ramaphosa
BRITAIN will engage South Africa’s President
Cyril Ramaphosa to lead efforts to make African South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa
leaders put pressure on President Emmerson
Mnangagwa to ensure that Zimbabwe's 2023 Baroness Kate Hoey
general elections are free, fair and credible.
“I am afraid that this consistency is not re- violence and the holding of free and fair elec- “However, I know that at numerous inter-
The deal was hatched in the British House of flected in the ministers for Africa; we will now tions?” he asked. national fora the then Africa minister, as well
Lords on Thursday when MPs expressed con- be on our sixth in just three years. I heard the as other ministers including myself, have had
cern that the polls may be marred by disputes minister refer to the welcome involvement of In his responses, Goldsmith highlighted that discussions with neighbouring countries in the
over lack of transparency. officials with our Sadc friends. However, have engagements were already underway. region where this and other issues have been
there been any ministerial meetings with Sadc raised. However, I will provide details on spe-
Baroness Kate Hoey raised the matter. allies on a regional solution to ensure that there “My lords, I cannot provide details of minis- cific meetings with Sadc after this question,” he
“My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Oates has is the highest pressure for an end to political terial meetings; that is not to say that they have said.
outlined the shocking violence perpetrated by not happened—I just do not have the details of
Zanu PF and Mnangagwa on anyone, really, specific meetings.”
who opposes the regime.”
“The economic situation is dire, and hunger
is being used against anyone who opposes the
regime.”
“Does not the visit of the South African Pres-
ident — the first state visit under His Majesty
the King — give the government a wonderful
opportunity to work with the South African
government and talk to them about how they,
and other countries in Africa, can influence to-
gether to ensure that there really will be free and
fair elections next year in Zimbabwe?” she asked
the UK's minister of State, Foreign, Common-
wealth and
Development Office, Frank Zacharias Robin
Goldsmith.
In his response, Goldsmith concurred and
sealed the deal.
“The noble baroness has been a champion of
Zimbabwe for many years, and I pay tribute to
her for that. She is right to identify this upcom-
ing visit as an opportunity.”
“There is no doubt that South Africa, and
indeed southern African countries, not least
through Sadc, have a particular ability to influ-
ence Zimbabwe, far more so than we can. I am
sure that the topic we are discussing today will
be on the agenda when the visit happens,” he
said.
Ramaphosa has already said the crisis in Zim-
babwe needs to be put on the table for discus-
sions in order to resolve immigration problems
caused by the country’s citizens fleeing econom-
ic hardships.
He previously sent envoys to help resolve the
crisis but was snubbed by Zanu PF officials who
claimed all was well in the country.
Diplomatic sources confirmed to The News-
Hawks that, as a result, the ANC was shifting to
the left and abandoning its soft stance on Zim-
babwe.
Again in the House of Lords in Britain on
Thursday, Robert Hayward, who was one of the
Commonwealth election observers in the
2018 elections in Zimbabwe, said those polls
lacked credibility and urged Britain to be tough-
er, especially on the Zimbabwe Electoral Com-
mission (Zec).
“My lords, reference has already been made
to the elections in 2018; at that time I was one
of the observers from this country on behalf of
the Commonwealth, with the noble Baroness,
Lady Jay.”
“The report was pretty damning, particularly
in relation to the events after the general elec-
tion in 2018. Can my noble friend (Goldsmith)
ensure that very strong representations are made
to the electoral commission, because it has been
lamentable in any action? It was before the 2018
election, and there is no sign that it will enforce
any form of free and fair elections next year,”
he said.
The British minister promised action by Brit-
ain before next year’s elections and insisted that
it was possible to pin down President Emmer-
son Mnangagwa on free and fair elections since
he is desperate to engage London.
“We will use whatever leverage we have to
maximise the chance of free and fair elections. I
make a broader point: we know that President
Mnangagwa wants more engagement with the
UK — that is clear— and in many respects we
want him to have that too.”
“However, deeper re-engagement with the
UK will require meaningful political and eco-
nomic reform and respect for human rights and
the rule of law in line with the President’s own
stated commitments when he took office. The
former Africa minister reinforced that message
when she met the President last year at COP,”
said Goldsmith.
Jeremy Purvis weighed in with another ques-
tion, cranking up pressure on Harare.

Page 10 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

NATHAN GUMA Psmas members bear brunt
of medical services collapse
ABOUT three million members of Zimbabwe’s
oldest and largest medical aid group, Premier Ser- has not been paying. PSMAS Managing Director Dr Farai Muchena
vices Medical Aid Society (Psmas), are suffering “Corruption in government, and also among
immense inconvenience after the company shut
some departments due to financial constraints. most of the officials is the one causing all this
mess. They do not care about workers’ welfare.
This month, private medical care provider, We just pray that we do not fall sick because they
Premier Services Medical Investments (PSMI), have already destroyed most of the health facilities
which falls under Psmas, was the latest entity that have been taking civil servants,” said Charles
to temporarily shut operations at Westend and Chinosengwa, ZCPSTU secretary-general.
Claybank clinics in Harare and Gweru respec-
tively. Chinosengwa says while PSMI medical centres
are closing, others are still open to affluent gov-
Psmas has over 890 000 members — each ernment workers, pushing access to medical care
with three beneficiaries, who have been rely- beyond the reach of tax-paying civil servants.
ing on PSMI service centres across the country,
which brings the total beneficiaries to slightly “People can still visit specialists at the clinic
over 2.5 million. (Westend) — but at their own expense,” Chi-
nosengwa said. “Most clinics around the country
The worker-led medical aid group runs 126 have since closed. Westend and Claybank are not
service centres across the country’s 10 provinces the only ones. For them to operate, they need to
that have over the past decades been providing have pharmacists and doctors – who have not
civil servants with cheap and affordable medica- been paid over the past months. The medical aid
tion. is working in name only, but government is not
honouring its obligation.”
However, non-payment of staff has hampered
operations, leading to mass industrial action that The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimba-
has arm-twisted most service centres into shut- bwe (PTUZ) says the ongoing shutting down of
ting down. medical facilities is shortchanging its members,
in violation of the existing contractual agreement
Public sector workers, the main stakeholders, which ought to grant them access to medical ser-
have been bearing the brunt of the closure of vices from PSMI centres.
medical centres, with many having limited op-
tions when it comes to medical care. “Medical aid contributions are being made,
but service is not being rendered. In terms of
The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sec- membership, teachers are also the major contrib-
tor Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) says the govern- utors to Psmas. However, teachers do not have a
ment has been at the epicentre of the Psmas rot. say in the running of Psmas.

The government through the Public Service “So, Psmas has become a milking cow for gov-
Commission (PSC) has been plotting to seize ernment and other directors involved in its run-
control of Psmas — blocking annual general ning. What we are saying is that there is need to
meetings and Press conferences — in an attempt ensure a service to the extent that the contract
to create what has been described as a feeding should allow civil servants to choose their own
trough for politically connected corporate raid- medical aid affiliations,” says Takavafira Zhou,
ers. the PTUZ president.

Although subscription rates for Psmas average “That is a challenge because the government
58% of market charges, this has been having a would like civil servants to remain under Psmas,
downstream effect, causing card rejections by ser- yet the service is not being rendered, particularly
vice providers and shortfalls — thus inadequately to teachers. We need dialogue, and the best way
covering the cost of services. forward that must ensure that our members re-
ceiving a service, rather than contributing, then
The resulting challenges facing Psmas have fail to get one,” said Zhou.
made it an attractive asset for the corporate raid-
ers who have been hovering, vulture-like, above
its struggling operations.

The government has also been failing to remit
employee contributions, worsening Psmas oper-
ations.

“According to our agreement on the condi-
tions of service with government, the employee
contributes 20%, whilst government should pay
the remaining 80%. The employer (government)

NewsHawks News Page 11

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Pharmacists behind drug smuggling

DUMISANI NYONI

A NEW report has revealed that some govern- enough for three days. Worse still, the report Zimbabwe’s pharmaceutical industry ranks drug smuggling as one of its top-four challenges.
ment-employed pharmacists are running smug- notes, Zimbabwe has a poor credit rating and
gling rackets and use their influence to evade Former Health minister Obadiah Moyo
border controls. most reputable suppliers are unwilling to offer lines to import medicine or accept payments in
the country’s government or companies any credit local currency.
In a report titled: Infamous by Design: Illicit Fi-
nance in Zimbabwe, PACT, a global civil society
organisation, said the practice by public officials
was putting people’s lives at risk as some of the
drugs were fake or sub-standard.

“The fallout from the economic crises created
conditions for an overwhelming demand for af-
fordable medical drugs, which formal public and
private health institutions have been unable to
meet through legal means,” the report notes.

“This incentivised retail pharmacists to seek
the cheapest possible medication to keep their
businesses afloat. Smuggling became one illic-
it solution to this problem, and smugglers were
readily able to meet the pharmacies’ demands,
often involving actors outside the public health
system, such as informal traders. We also found
that some government-employed pharmacists
run smuggling rackets and use their influence to
evade border controls,” the report reads in part.

PACT said the local pharmaceutical indus-
try ranks drug smuggling as one of its top-four
challenges and estimates that one in five drugs
consumed that are procured through the national
health system, worth an estimated US$60 million
per year, was smuggled into Zimbabwe.

“Throughout our research, health system pro-
viders, users, and observers consistently described
pronounced material and equipment shortages
that have a direct or indirect impact on quality of
care and use of the system,” it said.

The organisation said most drugs have some
storage requirements and were potentially sim-
ilarly affected when moved illegally, especially if
they were transported alongside other goods, such
as stockfeed and fuel.

“For example, one health expert noted that
'some life-saving drugs like insulin are very sen-
sitive to temperature and the conditions they
are smuggled under are likely to deactivate them
which poses a real danger of death for the patients
who use the drugs'.”

“Other drugs could be fake or sub-standard,
posing health risks for users. Beyond these seri-
ous consequences on health outcomes, smuggling
distorts the health sector by undermining the
pharmaceutical industry, tax-paying manufactur-
ers, and registered importers of drugs,” the report
said.

The report says health contracts hold the po-
tential for graft. Zimbabwe’s 2019 national bud-
get shows that in 2018 the government spent
US$104 million on public procurement in the
health sector, equivalent to 0.4% of gross domes-
tic product.

“Efforts to redirect some of that money
through patronage networks and into the pockets
of the political elite grabbed global headlines,” it
said.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the
government sought to procure medical supplies
and equipment valued at US$60 million and
awarded a sole-source US$20 million contract to
Drax Consult SAGL, a new company whose only
line of business had been government tenders.

Drax charged the government double the
market price for medical supplies, leading to the
Health minister Obadiah Moyo being dismissed
and charged with corruption, a rare rebuke in a
political system where the well-connected often
are shielded from sanction.

Zimbabwe’s economic collapse in the aughts
seriously damaged health service delivery as the
government could no longer maintain and im-
prove infrastructure or pay public health workers
adequately, while citizens, struggling with hy-
per-inflation and high unemployment, were no
longer able to afford insurance.

As the central bank exhausted foreign curren-
cy reserves, Zimbabwe’s ability to import critical
medication and supplies was compromised.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) rec-
ommends that a country should have enough
foreign currency reserves to cover at least three
months of imports. In 2018, Zimbabwe had

Page 12 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

BRENNA MATENDERE Matewu demands probe into
Moyo for evading parliament
MARONDERA MP Caston Matewu has
called on speaker of the National Assembly Marondera MP Caston Matewu
Jacob Mudenda to institute an investigation Local Government minister July Moyo
against Local Government minister July Moyo
fo contempt of the august House.

The demand arises from Moyo’s six-month
absenteeism from Parliament, where he must
pitch up to answer questions from MPs on We-
nesdays to clarify policy issues and also address
matters of national importance on Tuesdays.

MP Matewu made the demand during the
pre-budget session in Harare, openly telling
Mudenda that Moyo’s conduct had become
inconsistent with requirements of his job.

"Mr Speaker, I submit that you institute an
investigation into Local Government minister
July Moyo.

“He has not been anywhere near Parliament
for the past six months. He is again not here
for the pre-budget seminar. However, we see
him in letters demanding money from local
authorities," said MP Matewu in apparent ref-
erence to the stinking Pomona garbage deal.

The letter which MP Matewu referred to
was the one in which Moyo directed Harare
City Council to pay US$780 000 to private
company Geogenix BV as fees for garbage de-
livered to Harare's Pomona dumpsite.

Writing through Local Government per-
manent secretary Zvinechimwe Churu, Moyo
said council could not cancel the contract for
the next 30 years, under which the local au-
thority is bound to pay US$22 000 per day
to dump waste it would have collected at its
own cost.

"May I remind you that the action not to
pay has serious consequences, not only with
respect to council's obligations but also on
government who is the guarantor to the proj-
ect.

"Failure to pay will result in accumulation
of debt through interest, arrears, penalties and
fees due and payable," reads part of the letter.

This week, the government announced it
had instead paid the money after council in-
sisted it did not have money to pay the bill for
the contract it cancelled.

During the recent pre-budget meeting, Mu-
denda promised to look into the demand to
investigate Minister July Moyo.

Last week on Wednesday, MPs from the rul-
ing Zanu PF met President Emmerson Mnan-
gagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga
to, among other issues, complain about minis-
ters who evade Parliament.

The MPs were also concerned about the
non-payment of their allowances.

At that meeting, Chiwenga promised to
order the ministers to attend parliamentary
sessions and also pledged to keep a register of
attendance with Parliament's administration.

Pupurai Togarepi, the Zanu PF chief whip,
however told The NewsHawks on Tuesday that
Minister Moyo is doing nothing wrong by
not attending parliamentary sessions since he
was always represented by his deputy Marrian
Chombo.

“The standing rules and orders governing
processes in Parliament provide for ministers,
including deputy ministers, to attend Parlia-
ment to answer questions. When a minister
cannot attend, he notifies the speaker, which
Minister July Moyo has done whenever he has
commitments elsewhere in government and
his deputy always comes.”

“May I also make it clear from the start that
deputy ministers are ministers in terms of the
same standing orders and rules. The deputy
minister has always provided very clear an-
swers, to the satisfaction of most members of
Parliament,” said Togarepi.

He insisted that Moyo cannot be placed un-
der investigation because he has not erred.

“The ministry of Local Government mem-
bers have always been religiously represented
in the House at most question times in Par-
liament.

“The minister has done nothing wrong to
warrant any investigation as he has done what
the standing rules and orders require him
should the situation demand that he cannot
attend Parliament. There is no need for me to
engage the minister on this one because his
ministry has always played its part in Parlia-
ment through the minister and/or his deputy,”
said Togarepi.

NewsHawks News Page 13

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

NATHAN GUMA Mnangagwa worse than
Mugabe on rights: ZDI
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s gov-
ernment has a worse track record than the late President Emmerson Mnangagwa
former president Robert Mugabe in stifling civic
space ahead of polls, a comparison by a human Late former president Robert Mugabe
rights watchdog, the Zimbabwe Democratic In-
stitute (ZDI), says. “These institutions played an important role ing strategy. appointments. Hers is understood in the context
in making the 2017 coup a success, and thus “The appointment of Abigail Mohadi as one of Zanu Pf ’s 2023 menu of electoral manipula-
Mnangagwa rose to power on the back of a president Mnangagwa appointed his clansmen to tion within the broader spectacle of competitive
military coup that toppled Mugabe in November lead the institutions in questions as a coup-proof- of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) . . . electoral authoritarianism,” ZDI says.
2017, and has since maintained a hard stance to shows the authoritarian consolidation through
consolidate power, according to the report titled:
Civic Space Contestation Ahead of 2023.

Some of the key reforms made since 2017 in-
clude political appointments and programmes
that intensify militarisation of Zanu PF to bol-
ster Mnangagwa’s stay in power, according to the
report.

Over 200 Statutory Instruments have been
promulgated since 2017, to date.

Zanu PF has over two thirds representation in
Parliament and making it easy for the party to
introduce legislation which suffocates the oppo-
sition, while creating a soft landing for Mnan-
gagwa.

“The government under President Mnangag-
wa has presented a lot of amendments and legis-
lation including the Constitutional Amendment
Bill No. 1 and 2, the Patriotic Bill, Cyber and
Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information
Act and the Private Voluntary Organisations Bill
(PVO) Bill.

“This shows that Mnangagwa is walking in the
footsteps of his predecessor, the former president
Robert Mugabe. The Cyber and Data Protection
Act is the latest law to threaten online freedom.

“The Act is most likely to be used as a way
to stifle the efforts by journalists, online activists
and pressure groups in tracking down, monitor-
ing and reporting malpractices prior and during
the 2023 elections,” ZDI said.

Findings by ZDI show a drastic fall in civil lib-
erties during the political tenure of Mnangagwa,
compared to that of the late Mugabe.

The organisation made an analysis of the civic
space between 2014-2021 by contrasting Mug-
abe’s final four years in power ahead of the 2018
elections, and Mnangagwa’s initial four years into
power ahead of the 2023 elections.

The findings showed a two percent increase in
the civic space and state freedom during Mnan-
gagwa’s first year in power, compared to Mugabe
in 2014.

2019 saw a 13% decline in state freedom
from 44% 2014 under Mugabe to 31% in 2019,
which was also Mnangagwa’s second year in pow-
er.

During that time, the government descend
heavily on civic society leaders, said the report.

“In 2019, the director of Heal Zimbabwe
Trust (HZT) was remanded in custody until
March 2019, charged with subverting a consti-
tutionally elected government under section 22
of the Criminal Law and Codification Act. The
security apparatus is deployed by the Zanu PF
government to harass human rights defenders
who are part of CSOs,” read part of the report.

The following year — 2020 — saw a hostile
environment, with civic liberties at 32% under
Mugabe in 2016 and 29% under Mnangagwa in
2020.

In the same year, the human rights record de-
teriorated, with the country scoring 28/100 on
the Global Freedom Score, which shows how un-
safe the human rights situation has been in the
country.

This was mainly necessitated by the enforce-
ment of Covid-19 regulations, according to ZDI.

The index which is published by research firm,
Freedom House, rates people’s access to political
and civil rights in over 210 countries; includ-
ing the right to vote, freedom of expression and
equality before the law.

Countries with a 28/100 score are considered
not free, whilst those with 49/100 are considered
partly free.

National freedom finally tipped into the neg-
ative in 2021, with a 12.5% deterioration of
state freedom of the public sphere during presi-
dent Mnangagwa’s tenure in office, compared to
14.29% under Mugabe in 2021.

ZDI says Mnangagwa’s appointments into key
national departments have also revealed his ea-
gerness to consolidate power. “President

Mnangagwa is from the Karanga ethnic group
and has appointed commander of the defence
forces, air force chief and head of central intelli-
gence who all belong to the Karanga group.

Page 14 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

BRENNA MATENDERE British MPs quiz minister
over worsening Zim crisis
BRITISH legislators on Thursday quizzed the
country’s minister of State, Foreign, Com- State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office minister Frank Zacharias Robin Goldsmith
monwealth and Development Office, Frank
Zacharias Robin Goldsmith, over the contin- mendations from the 2018 electoral monitor- Zimbabwe continually undermine civil society ety and asked Goldsmith about how the Brit-
ued persecution of opposition officials such ing reports. and reduce the well-being of the people and all ish government was working with allies to en-
as Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala among the institutions there, including the Church?” sure the PVO Bill does not hamper the work
other undemocratic practices being perpetrat- “We recognise that there has been only very he asked. of NGOs.
ed by Harare ahead of next year’s watershed limited progress to date on the electoral re-
elections. forms recommended in the 2018 paper. Key In response, the British minister noted that Goldsmith expressed fear that if it becomes
outstanding areas include a transparent voter Zimbabwe is a country with extraordinary po- law and is implemented, it could very easily be
During the question-and-answer session in registration process, publication of an accurate tential and an extraordinary history and added used to undermine the ability of civil society to
the House of Lords, the British MPs also asked voters' roll, transparent use of state-owned re- that it is right that the current political ap- operate effectively in Zimbabwe.
Goldsmith to explain what measures he was sources and more effort to demonstrate the in- proach by Zanu PF inhibits that potential.
taking to help Zimbabwe convene free, fair dependence of the electoral commission.” “It also puts at risk its (Zimbabwean civil
and credible elections next year. “The UK is a long-standing partner of Zim- society) ability to deliver development and hu-
“This remains a priority in our discussions babwe and we provide significant levels of manitarian assistance. We engage very widely,
The questions emanated from recent devel- with not just Zimbabwe but neighbouring ODA [overseas development assistance]. How- not only with civil society within Zimbabwe
opments in Zimbabwe where the ruling Zanu countries as well,” said the minister. ever, I want to be clear to the House that we and through our overseas development assis-
PF party has switched to the use of brute force do so in a way that avoids government-to-gov- tance, which I mentioned earlier, but also, im-
and unmatched violence against the opposi- Christopher Chessun of Southwark again ernment bilateral financial aid. In other words, portantly, with South Africa.”
tion officials as well as attempts by the gov- highlighted that the church was concerned none of the money that we provide is chan-
erning party to shrink civil society space by with the worsening political situation in Zim- nelled through the government. “As noble lords will know, we have deep
formulating draconian legislation such as the babwe. and long-standing ties with South Africa, rec-
Private Voluntary Orgnisations Bill. Instead, we work through multilateral or- ognising the important role that the African
“My lords, the diocese of Southwark is ganisations, and wherever we possibly can we Union and the Southern African Development
Outspoken British MP Jonathan Oates got linked with four of the five Anglican dioces- support civil society and NGOs in the private Community have in relation to Zimbabwe.
the ball rolling by asking Goldsmith what dis- es in Zimbabwe and the neighbouring diocese sector,” said the minister. UK officials speak very often on a broad range
cussions his ministry has had with the govern- of Rochester with the fifth, Harare. Does the of issues, including of course on Zimbabwe,”
ment of Zimbabwe about the continued de- minister agree that the systemic corruption Ray Collins of Highbury zeroed in on the minister Goldsmith said.
tention of opposition members of Parliament and long-standing poor level of governance in situation happening in Zimbabwe’s civil soci-
Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole, and other
opposition activists.

In response, Goldsmith expressed concerns
over the current volatile political situation in
Zimbabwe.

“The UK is concerned by the trend of
lengthy pre-trial detention of government crit-
ics in Zimbabwe. We are monitoring the on-
going detention of the MPs Job Sikhala and
Godfrey Sithole. As the ambassador publicly
stated on 2 October, the UK is committed to
the fundamental right to peaceful assembly
and association, as enshrined in Zimbabwe’s
constitution. The former minister for Africa
also raised the issue with the Foreign minister
of Zimbabwe (Ziyambi Ziyambi) on 30 June,”
he said.

Oates in a follow-up questions demanded
tougher measures against Zimbabwe for its de-
meanors.

“My lords, the minister will be aware that
opposition MPs Job Sikhala and Godfrey
Sithole have now been detained without bail
for 142 days in Chikurubi Maximum Security
Prison and paraded in court in leg irons; that
only a week ago, the Bulawayo MP Jasmine
Toffa was violently assaulted as part of an at-
tack on CCC activists; and that across Zimba-
bwe political violence is raging in the lead-up
to the 2023 general elections.”

“Will he join me in calling on the Zimba-
bwe government to end this political violence
now? Will he join me also in making clear to
Zanu PF officials and ministers, members of
the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Zimbabwe
prison officers that the world is watching and
holds them accountable for the safety and se-
curity of all Zimbabwe’s citizens?” he asked.

In his response, Goldsmith said: “I thank
the noble Lord for raising this enormously im-
portant issue. He is right: the world is watch-
ing and of course the UK is deeply concerned
by the challenging human rights situation in
Zimbabwe. Political parties, journalists and
opponents should be able to operate without
any form of harassment.”

“We regularly call for the rights of freedom
of assembly and association, as well as the rule
of law and due process, to be respected in line
with Zimbabwe’s own constitution.”

“We monitor all individual cases, including
those that he mentioned, such as that of Jas-
mine Toffa, MP. All political violence is con-
cerning and violence against women in politics
is of particular concern, particularly in Zim-
babwe.”

Another MP, Anthony St John of Bletso,
weighed in and asked Goldsmith if there were
any chances for free and fair elections next year
in Zimbabwe, given the escalation of violence
cases and refusal by Zec to release the electron-
ic voters' roll. Zec said it will only avail the
voters' roll on a portal and insisted parties can
only obtain the hard copy.

Goldsmith said the UK is working closely
with international partners to encourage the
Zimbabwean government to live up to its own
constitution and commitment to electoral re-
form, including by implementing the recom-

NewsHawks News Page 15

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

NATHAN GUMA PVO Bill sparks civic uproar

ZIMBABWEAN civil society should take lessons ZDI principal research officer Bekezela Gumbo
from regional neighbours who have resisted at-
tempts by their governments to clamp down on In August, only two Citizens' Coalition for The remaining 17 legislators supposedly joined “So, we will not see anything that much from
non-governmental organisations and stifled free Change (CCC) legislators were physically present the proceedings via Parliament’s relatively unreli- a Parliament that is controlled by a party with
expression, a local human rights watchdog, the when the PVOs Amendment Bill's second read- able virtual platform, thereby giving Zanu PF the two-thirds majority to oppose what it seeks to
Zimbabwe Democratic Institute (ZDI), has said. ing began in the National Assembly. leeway to fast-track the Bill. implement.”

This comes at a time the government is
fast-tracking the implementation of the Private
Voluntary Organisations Bill (PVO) that seeks
to control the operations of non-governmental
organisations.

Through his column in a state-controlled pa-
per, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he is
ready to sign the Bill “once Parliament has done
its part”.

The PVO Bill, which has already undergone
its second reading, could see the country losing
millions of dollars in funding at a time the cost of
living has been skyrocketing, and the nation is in
desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

NGOs bring more forex than foreign invest-
ments — with total foreign currency receipts ris-
ing from US$647.78 million to US$975.16 mil-
lion between 2020 and 2021, signalling a 50.5%
increase.

Foreign investment contributed US$40.06
million and US$91.14 million in the same pe-
riod.

ZDI said civil society can borrow a leaf from
the resistance that has met legislation similar to
the PVO Amendment Bill in Zambia, Ethiopia
and Kenya.

“In 2013, the Kenyan government introduced
a draft law to the National Assembly that aimed
at amending the 2013 Public Benefits Organisa-
tions (PBO) Act. The Act limited the amount of
foreign funding allowed to NGOs operating in
Kenya to a maximum of 15% of their total fund-
ing,” reads a report by ZDI titled: “Civic Space
Contestation Ahead of 2023.”

The Kenyan coordination board responsible
for the registration, coordination and facilitation
of NGOs gave a directive aimed at suspending
510 organisations on the grounds that they had
not submitted their annual reports.

Responding to this Bill, more than 50 NGOs
within the Kenyan civil society commenced a
large-scale campaign and brought parliament to
reject the proposal.

In 2009, Ethiopia similarly adopted its first
law governing the registration and regulation
of NGOs that prohibited charities and societies
receiving more than 10% foreign funding, from
engaging human right and advocacy activities.

CSOs in the country responded by preparing
joint commentaries on the drafts, and organised
forums to discuss with government officials.

Zambia in 2013 also called upon NGOs to
register under the NGO Act, which makes it a
requirement for NGOs to re-register after every
five years.

“When the law was introduced without con-
sultation in 2009, there was strong resistance
from national and international NGOs. In addi-
tion, despite threats of de-registration by the gov-
ernment, many organisations chose not to register
under the 2009 NGO Act. In view of the PVO
Amendment Bill, Zimbabwean civil society can
borrow a leaf . . . and resist the Bill,” ZDI says.

The organisation said there has been de-cohe-
sion within civil society, hence the need for unity
of purpose.

“We have had reports whereby CSOs have
been conniving with state agents to disrupt meet-
ings convened by their counterparts. They send
information actually. Let us say we invite you to
their meetings — you share the meetings with
the state agents whilst you are a member of the
session,” said Bekezela Gumbo, ZDI principal
research officer, in an interview with The News-
Hawks.

Gumbo said Parliament has been weak in ful-
filling its oversight role in countering the PVO
Bill.

“This is a Zanu PF policy, and Zanu PF mem-
bers of Parliament are there in the House of As-
sembly to ensure that this policy is implemented.
This has been made clear by the President in his
weekly columns where he talks very specifical-
ly about this Bill, and making sure that it suc-
ceeds. And we have seen people like the Zanu PF
spokesperson and the like, who are very clear that
this is a Zanu PF Bill that should be passed, and
non-governmental organisations are controlled
and restricted from operating,” Gumbo said.

The opposition has also been caught napping.

Page 16 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Auditor-General requests more funding

NATHAN GUMA Auditor-General Mildred Chiri
Chiri says the Auditor-General’s office needs new servers and laptops.
AUDITOR-GENERAL Mildred Chiri has revealed
gross underfunding of her department by Treasury,
which is stifling efficiency in service delivery, posing
a threat to transparency in public resource manage-
ment.

Chiri’s office is mandated with inspecting public
accounts for transparency and accountability.

“The office subscribes to priorities of the country.
And, one of the national priorities that we address is
governance. Under that, we look at public service de-
livery.

“Our fore-letter, the envelope was ZW$6.7 billion
for 2023, but through our estimates and workings,
and other objectives that we aspire to do, I think a
realistic budget would be ZW$25.7 billion. So, the
shortfall is ZW$19 billion.

“We are looking at items such as employment costs.
According to the fore-letter, it is ZW$1.6 billion, but
per our realistic budget, I think it should be ZW$8.9
billion,” Chiri said in a presentation at the 2023
pre-budget seminar held at Rainbow Towers Hotel.

The seminar was moved from Victoria Falls to Ha-
rare due to pressure from parliamentarians who had
not been paid salaries and allowances.

Chiri said her office has been hit by a 105-employee
deficit, which is a drawback in proper service delivery.

The understaffing has been contributing to the
AG’s office failure to meet deadlines of releasing pub-
lic reports.

“The establishment of the office is that the total
personnel staff complements 381. But those in posts
are currently 276. We want to create new posts, so you
would find that after salaries, there will be a ZW$6.5
billion shortfall.

“At the moment, the staff turnover attrition rate is
28%. Our wish is to reduce it to 5%, so that we re-
duce the rate by 25%. The new staff to be recruited
will have to fill the vacant posts.”

Employee attrition refers to the loss of personnel
through naturally occurring processes such as retire-
ment, elimination of position, personal health reasons
or death.

She said ramping the workforce is important in
promoting efficient service delivery.

“The first priority area is to promote public sector
transparency, accountability and good corporate gov-
ernance by carrying out compliance audits for devolu-
tion funds. We want to produce quality audit reports
and meet the statutory deadline of June 30 each year.

“To be able to fulfill the first priority area, we need
to fill the vacant posts. We need critical posts that
were revealed in the job evaluation exercise which was
done last year,” Chiri said.

Chiri also said her office is in need of 15 vehicles to
transport officers between audit stations.

“To keep ourselves abreast of the profession, we
continuously do trainings. In every co-letter, we were
granted ZW$396.6 million, but we think we need
ZW$1.167 billion — so there is a short of ZW$770.7
million,” she said.

Her office is too underfunded to meet the cost
of digital transformation, which has caused a major
slowdown in fulfilling the comptroller mandate.

“The major source of our delay (to meeting dead-
lines) is due to this manual processing that we have
been carrying out in the office. We need ZW$523
million to address this priority area.

“We are all aware that the economy is digitalising,
and our processes are still backward. We want to move
towards a paperless office like our counterparts in oth-
er countries. And we want resources such as network
and audit software such as computer-assisted audit
techniques.

“We need new servers, new laptops and a whole lot
of things. The process has already started. We are cur-
rently buying laptops for our staff, but it is a process
that will take some time,” Chiri said.

In addition, she said underfunding has been re-
stricting them from making audits in other key areas,
hence decelerating efficient public service delivery.

“We need to do special audits, such as forensic and
environmental and so forth. For us to do that, we
need special divisions that would be specifically look-
ing into that, and that entails creating more posts,”
Chiri said.

She also said funds allocated to her office by Trea-
sury have been insufficient to support renovations to
the building housing the comptroller’s office.

The Auditor-General’s Office is also located in an
old dilapidated building.

NewsHawks News Page 17

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Poverty rife in diamond-rich Marange

Villagers who were moved to pave way for diamond mining in Marange are yet to get full benefits of the discovery of the gems in their backyards.

BRENNA MATENDERE families from Marange were relocated. ing 51% to Zimbabweans, foreign-owned com- “However, soon after they moved in, the walls
Across the 567-kilometre-wide terrain of dia- panies could cede 10% in shares to community in the new homes in Arda Transau began cracking.
A UNITED States-based non-profit conservation trusts. Water supply became irregular, the irrigation sys-
and environmental science organisation, Monga- mond fields and mines, known as Marange, that tems did not materialise and the families were paid
bay, has revealed fresh details into the deepening have sold at least 76 million carats of diamonds The five companies which controlled the con- US$1 000 as a relocation allowance — an amount
poverty that is engulfing relocated communities since 2010, according to Mongabay, the govern- cession at the time — Marange Resources, Anjin many relocated people say is too little for the as-
in Marange, 14 years after locals were promised ment's promises of housing and compensation Mining Investments, Jinan Mining, Mbada Dia- sets, homes, land and lifestyle they lost,” reads the
homes, electricity, water, water, employment, so- have not yet been settled. monds, and the Lebanese private company Dia- report.
cial services, as well as compensation by the gov- mond Mining Corporation — promised to trans-
ernment working with diamond-mining compa- After the precious stones were discovered, more fer US$10 million each into a community trust. Twelve years later, the situation has worsened
nies in the area. than 35 000 people moved to the area to dig and considerably, James Mupfumi, the director of the
pan as artisanal miners or buy and sell the gems However, a meagre US$400 000 was subse- Centre for Research and Development (CRD),
The organisation, which made a follow-up in- along with foreign companies. quently deposited into the Marange Community told Mongabay researchers.
vestigation to its findings on the situation that ob- ownership share trust.
tained in Marange in 2016, revealed in its latest re- In November 2008, the Zimbabwean govern- “These houses were a rushed project done by
port that the affected villagers moved to pave way ment controversially took control of the Chiadzwa Part of Mongabay’s findings read: “The govern- the company without involving the department
for the diamond mining are yet to get full benefits diamond field. However, according to Mongabay, ment and mining companies promised homes, of public works, who inspects houses to make
of the discovery of the gems in their backyards. poverty is stinking in Marange. electricity, water, employment, social services and sure they are up to standard. Schools were built
compensation, but residents and civil society or- as promised, but they were not big enough to
The latest Mongabay report, released on Mon- Mongabay noted that there is current high se- ganisations say they have still not received many accommodate all the children who were moved
day this week, is titled: Broken Houses and Promis- curity in the Marange area but behind it are un- of these promises since Mongabay last reported on there,” said Mupfumi.
es: Residents Still in Poverty Near Massive Diamond told abuses. “Security is tight but poverty in near- the project in 2016.
Project. by communities drives many to attempt to break The US organisation also found out that Ma-
in and pan for diamonds illegally. Those caught “According to a Parliamentary report in 2016, range families left behind five hectares (12 acres)
Part of the report reads: “More than 14 years risk beatings and torture by government and mine Mbada Diamonds and Marange Resources were of communal grazing land near rivers and baobab
since the discovery of the Marange diamond security forces,” reads part of the report. the only mines that put money into the trust, with trees whose fiber they had used to make rugs to
fields, one of the world’s largest diamond-produc- only US$400 000 deposited. Local media had re- sell, and were compelled to live in small houses on
ing projects, relocated residents and locals living Mongabay also said during Operation ported two years earlier that some of this money dry and arid individual plots that could not sus-
near the mines are still living in poverty.” Hakudzokwi, which aimed to end artisanal min- had been spent on allowances to board members tain crops or raise livestock.
ing deemed illegal, over 200 people were killed and travelling costs.”
The organisation also blamed President Em- when military helicopters fired on diamond pan- Their original homes had 8 to 12 rooms and
merson Mnangagwa for the mess in Marange. ners from the air. The environmental organisation noted that rondavels (traditional huts) to accommodate large
the government and Anjin Mining Investments families and relatives.
“Previously, foreign companies in Zimbabwe The organisation said some people were later promised the relocated families jobs in the mines,
had to either give the majority of their shares to “buried in mass graves using bulldozers”, accord- three-bedroom homes, electricity, running water, Mongabay said according to Newman Chiadz-
locals or divest money into community trusts. ing to testimonies made available to Mongabay by tarred roads, half a hectare (about 1.2 acres) of land wa, chairperson of the Chiadzwa Community
However, this promise has fallen short since cur- human rights organisations. with irrigation systems, schools, a clinic, seeds, fer- Development Trust (CCDT), the value of the
rent president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, reversed tilizer and food delivery every three months. homesteads villagers were forced to leave ranged
the law,” said Mongabay. The Indigenisation and Empowerment Act of from US$60 000 to US$200 000 depending on
2010 stipulated that all foreign companies with The families, previously farmers and dependent their size, but no compensation equivalent to that
The organisation revealed the dire situation at over US$500 000 in assets must either sell or cede on the land for their livestock, were also to receive was made.
Arda Transau in Eastern Zimbabwe, where some 51% of their shares to Zimbabweans in order to help starting piggeries.
give control back to local people. As part of divest-

Page 18 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Granite miners connive with govt

NATHAN GUMA Women face higher unemployment levels in Mutoko and have turned to community agriculture to provide food for the community.

GRANITE mining in Mutoko and Mure- out environmental impact assessments to guide had a disproportionate impact on women. Due to the villagers against the mining companies,
wa districts, combined with the failure by the their operations, thereby continuing to effect to the excess use of water in granite mining and leaving the villagers prone to abuse.
government to take appropriate action against evictions without consent of the villagers. the fencing of mining sites which block tradi-
mining companies, is continuing to fuel human tional rural footpaths, they have been forced to The government in August effected a ban on
rights abuses, with specific impacts on women, “We also suspect that the regulatory authori- travel longer distances to fetch water and fire- raw granite exports under Statutory Instrument
a new report has revealed. ties are being paid by the mining authorities so wood and to reach grazing pastures and grave- 127 of 2022, but little has been done to curb
that they do not expose them. When the En- yards. human rights abuses by companies operating in
Several companies are extracting raw granite, vironmental Management Agency (Ema) con- the area.
which is used for construction, tiles and tomb- ducts inspection visits, we are never invited, yet “Roads are being destroyed or flattened by
stones, among other purposes. it’s our lands that are damaged, our rivers that heavy mining company vehicles leading to re- “The significant underfunding of government
are silted and polluted, our forests that are cut,” duced road levels and excessive water runoff departments means that regulatory inspections,
The granite has over the years been export- said an unnamed headman quoted in the report. during rainstorms. Sand is then washed into monitoring and investigations generally do not
ed to South Africa, various European countries, women’s gardens, ruining the crops grown to take place. When they do, corruption compro-
the United States and Mozambique. The employment structure has also been fa- help their families survive on low wages paid in mises their effectiveness.
vouring men over women. the sector,” read the report.
Some of the countries have been importing “The involvement of many senior govern-
an estimated 90% of the granite for export to It- “Women generally face higher unemploy- The mining activity has also been causing ment officials and party personnel in the gran-
aly and Spain, according to a report by Action- ment levels in the area and have turned to com- loss of lives, with children drowning in unreha- ite-mining companies is also conducive to the
Aid titled: Black Granite Mining in Zimbabwe, munity agriculture to provide food for the com- bilitated pits. corporate capture of government decision-mak-
Human Rights Harms and their Gendered Im- munity and sell to neighbouring markets. ing which puts corporate interests over commu-
pacts, compiled by various international mining The legal framework has not been protective nity concerns,” reads the report.
law experts including Susie Talbot, Dr James “Evictions and the destruction of homes have
Tsabora and Darlington Chidarara.

Various Chinese and European-linked gran-
ite-mining companies have been operating in
Mutoko and Murewa for long, effecting de-
cades of human rights abuses.

NSEC, one of the oldest companies operat-
ing in Mutoko, commenced mining in the ear-
ly 1970s and its current ownership is linked to
Italian shareholders.

Other firms like Zimbabwe International
Quarries (ZIQ) and Quarrying Enterprises –—
with local and Italian shareholders have been
operating since 1995 and 1986 respectively —
whilst Chinese companies that include: Jint-
ings, Surewin Pvt Ltd, Longlui, Dingmao have
maintained their presence.

While the government in August banned
export of raw granite through Statutory Instru-
ment 127 of 2022, little has been done to abate
human rights abuses within the mining areas.

“The land use involved in granite mining is
substantial and in Zimbabwe has involved the
widespread clearing of vegetation, dumping of
rubble and interference with natural river flows.

“In turn, the lives and livelihoods of commu-
nities who depend on small-scale agriculture,
livestock ranching, hunting and gathering forest
products, grazing pastures and local businesses
are greatly impacted,” reads part of the report.

Other companies have been mining with-

NewsHawks News Page 19

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

NHAU MANGIRAZI Beam: Govt fails to deliver

EDUCATION stakeholders have criticised the Beam is meant to cushion vulnerable children by ensuring they get an education.
government for failing to provide social security
nets to vulnerable children after it emerged that Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Paul Mavima
Treasury is yet to disburse Basic Education Assis- multi-stakeholder contributions at grassroots strategy to failure. Our position about Beam is to on the budget allocation and co-ordination of
tance Module (Beam) funds to schools. levels. The over-reliance on tax funding by our be upgraded into a financing model to promote education financing models in the country,’’ said
government in a weak economy exposes the free basic education for all citizens and improve Ndlovu.
Beam is a programme that provides school
fees, examination fees, levies and building assis-
tance to needy primary and secondary education
pupils. It is meant to cushion vulnerable chil-
dren by ensuring they get an education, even
when guardians cannot afford school fees.

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency
(ZimStat) recently highlighted that poverty was
driving pupils out of school.

“Among the population aged four to 24 years,
44.9% cited financial constraints as the main
reason for leaving school,” the ZimStat report
read.

“Marriage or pregnancy-related reasons were
cited by 18.2%. About 52% of the males left
school due to financial constraints, compared
with 38.8% of females. Marriage or pregnan-
cy-related reasons were cited more among fe-
males (31.7%) than males (3%). Financial con-
straints were the main reasons why persons aged
four to 24 years left school for both rural (50.2%)
and urban (36.7%) areas. This was followed by
marriage or pregnancy-related reasons for both
rural (19.8%) and urban areas (15.7%).”

In separate interviews, players in the educa-
tion sector implored the government to speed
up the disbursement of Beam funds to schools.
They said schools were facing challenges in prop-
erly administering learning activities due to the
outstanding funds.

Some schools are battling to buy stationery,
among other requirements, as they are operating
on shoestring budgets after Treasury failed to re-
lease the funds timeously.

The money should have been released through
the Social Welfare department of the Public Ser-
vice, Labour and Social Welfare ministry led by
Paul Mavima.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers' Union of Zim-
babwe (Artuz) secretary-general Robson Chere
said the education system has been compro-
mised by the non-payment.

‘‘It is actually disheartening and frustrating
on our part that the government has failed to
disburse the Beam funds towards schools. Most
schools are now financially crippled,’’ he said.

‘‘Some schools are facing challenges to secure
learning materials for their students. Learners
are now disenfranchised in partaking in activities
like sports that need financial resources.

The situation is serious to education and it is
now a national crisis that we call upon the gov-
ernment to act upon as a matter of urgency.

‘‘Government must act and save the education
sector. Teachers are frustrated over poor working
conditions and the non-payment of Beam funds
adds woes to both teachers and learners.

“There is no money to run these schools. The
worst affected are those in some outlying rural
and farming communities that the government
has failed to improve in terms of infrastructure
development,’’ said Chere.

Director of social welfare Tawanda Zimhunga
did not answer calls to his mobile phone and,
although he received text messages from The
NewsHawks, he did not reply.

Zimbabwe Teachers' Association chief execu-
tive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said most schools were
still awaiting the payment of 2021 Beam fees
and levies.

He revealed that the few schools which re-
ceived the arrears payments got them after heavy
tax due to inflation which left them in financial
dire straits.

‘‘The non-payment is affecting the service de-
livery in public schools, which are now hit by
shortage of infrastructure, that remain in a state
of disrepair and poor Wash [water, sanitation
and hygiene] facilities,’’ he added.

Ndlovu said the authorities have not bothered
to communicate as to why the Beam money has
not been disbursed.

‘‘Officially, we have not received any official
word regarding the hiccups in payment that are
outstanding,’’ he added.

Ndlovu noted that the Beam programme is
part of an important strategy meant to ensure
equitable access to education and must be ad-
ministered transparently.
‘‘The Beam funding mechanisms must in-
crease to include smart partnerships through

Page 22 News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Mental health patients flood
Chikurubi Maximum Prison

BRENNA MATENDERE holding capacity of 150 (as at 6 October 2022). Gaka urged family members of the mental environment for the treatment of such patients,"
The institution is thus clearly overcrowded,” he patients in prison facilities like Chikurubi to be said the prisons boss.
MENTAL health patients have overwhelmed a said. involved in their assessment, treatment and dis-
special institution designed to take care of such charge processes. He said social support assistance ZPCS conducts periodic anti-drug and sub-
cases at the Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison "At Mlondolozi, the number of mental patients being provided to patients is inadequate, resulting stance awareness campaigns at all levels from na-
in Harare, with the major drivers for the psycho- was 301 against an official holding capacity of in delays in patients' rehabilitation, and leading to tional, provincial down to station.
logical disturbances being attributed to depres- 406 patients. Such increasing numbers negatively overcrowding.
sion as well as drug and substance abuse. impact on the rehabilitation process for patients Gaka said the ZPCS in collaboration with the
as the institutions are not adequately resourced to "Thus improved health becomes central to ministry of Health and Child Care and other
Depression and substance abuse are rife in so- cater for such large numbers. human happiness, well-being and economic stakeholders is working towards the implemen-
cieties facing economic hardships like Zimbabwe. progress, as healthy populations live longer, are tation of the National Development Strategy 1
"As you are all aware, there is an increase in more productive and accumulate more savings. (NDS 1) national priorities which, among others,
Mental health, according to medical journals, drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe and this Coming to the role of the ZPCS in mental health include health and well-being.
is governed by many internal factors like anxiety, has caused an increase in admissions of patients treatment and rehabilitation, the ZPCS is playing
fear, depression and worry; as well as outside forc- with substance-induced mental health conditions a critical role not only in providing a conducive As of 6 October 2022, the ZPCS has recorded
es such as sickness, hardship, and loss. in the special institutions." a total of 779 mental health patients who are not
convicted prisoners countrywide.
At Mlondolozi Mental Health Prison in Bula-
wayo, patients with the same psychological disor-
ders are almost filling up the facility to capacity.

The revelations were made recently at the Uni-
versity of Zimbabwe (UZ) by the chief director of
health services in the the Zimbabwe Prisons and
Correctional Services (ZPCS), Senior Assistant
Commissioner Evidence Gaka.

He was speaking during commemorations
held to mark World Mental Health Day attended
by various stakeholders, comprising mostly young
people from higher and tertiary education institu-
tions in the country as well as officials from the
National Aids Council (NAC).

The mental patients are not convicted prisoners
but members of society who are taken to the fa-
cility after having been adjudged to have become
dangerous to themselves and therefore in need of
treatment and rehabilitation.

Gaka decried the high numbers of mental pa-
tients at the ZPCS special institutions, especially
Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.

“The number of patients admitted at Chikuru-
bi Special Institution was 478 against an official

NewsHawks International Investigative Stories Page 23

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

InInvteesrtniagtaiotinvaelStories

Millions in UN funding flow to
war profiteers and human rights
abusers in Syria — Study shows

THE United Nations has paid tance is systematically abused porting the murderous Assad or “security reasons.” UN funding was also provided
out tens of millions of dollars and distorted, under the pretext regime.” Of the remaining amount, to the Syria Trust for Develop-
to Syrian companies linked to of protecting the neutrality of ment, a foundation established
war profiteers, human rights humanitarian operations, it may But the new study — pub- the report analyzed the money and run by Syria’s First Lady
abusers, and sanctioned figures become a dangerous weapon in lished on Tuesday by the Lon- that went to the U.N.’s top 100 Asma Al-Assad, in 2015 and
linked to the Bashar Al-Assad the hands of the government don-based Syrian Legal Devel- known suppliers in Syria — and 2017, ostensibly for emergency
regime, a new study shows. against its people,” the report’s opment Program (SLDP) and found that about $137 million shelter and “non-food items,”
authors wrote. the Observatory of Political and went to what the report called according to the U.N. Financial
The United Nations paid out Economic Networks (OPEN) “high” or “very high” risk com- Tracker Service.
roughly $137 million to Syri- The U.N. has long been — was the first major attempt panies, including those owned
an companies linked to human known to contract compa- to analyze just how much U.N. by war profiteers, sanctioned Carsten Wieland, a German
rights abusers, war profiteers, nies linked to the Assad re- procurement money is going to people, and prominent regime policy adviser and author of a
sanctioned people, and other gime, which has overseen a human rights abusers or figures allies. book about humanitarian aid
figures connected to the Bashar decade-long civil war that has who are sanctioned or connect- in the Syrian conflict, expressed
Al-Assad regime in 2019 and killed hundreds of thousands of ed to the Assad regime and the Reporters from OCCRP and alarm at the findings.
2020, a new study has found. people and forced around seven conflict. its media partner, Syrian In-
million to flee their homes. vestigative Reporting For Ac- “It is very appalling that there
Among the companies that re- In total, the United Nations countability Journalism (SIR- has not been sufficient due dil-
ceived U.N. procurement mon- U.N. staff have spent tens of paid out around $406 million AJ), assisted with research, were igence inside the U.N. where
ey in Syria was one owned by a millions of dollars staying at the in procurement spending in granted advance access to the these organizations came from,
sanctioned militia leader linked Damascus Four Seasons hotel, Syria in 2019 and 2020, cover- report, and carried out their or are a hidden arm of someone
to a massacre outside Damascus which is partly owned by re- ing a wide variety of goods and own analysis of the U.N. pro- else,” he told OCCRP.
and another owned by the fam- gime-allied businessman Samer services such as food, accom- curement database, which cor-
ily members of a businessman Foz, for instance. The United modation, medical equipment, roborated many of the report’s Francesco Galtieri, a senior
who allegedly profited from States sanctioned Foz in 2019, security, training, IT services, key findings. They also found U.N. official based in Damas-
trading the rubble of buildings saying he had “leveraged the chemicals, and office materi- examples of problematic dis- cus, said that the United Na-
shelled by government forces, atrocities of the Syrian conflict als. About $75 million went bursements before 2019. tions provided assistance “with
the study said. into a profit-generating enter- to companies which were not strict adherence to humanitari-
prise” and was “directly sup- identified for “privacy reasons” In one of the more striking an principles of humanity, neu-
“When humanitarian assis- cases, about $1.4 million in trality, independence, and im-

Page 24 International Investigative Stories NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

partiality.”
He said that internal due

diligence procedures had been
strengthened over the past two
years and that donor states
could ask for details of contracts
through a formal audit process.
The U.N. also continuously
reviews allegations and “disen-
gages” if evidence suggests “the
involvement of vendors and
suppliers in proscribed practic-
es,” he said.

“All U.N. agencies apply dil-
igent effort to ensuring an in-
depth understanding of the
breadth of factors relevant to
conflict sensitivity and due
diligence practices in Syria, to
ensure that programming and
related operational procedures
are risk aware and do no harm,”
Galtieri told OCCRP.

The Rise of War Profiteers ment,” the study found. nies receiving U.N. funds were U.N. agencies that spend Syrian gazette, as well as news
Syria’s government has main- Another company, Jupiter for linked to the Assad family, money in Syria are required by websites and social media, they
tained a tight grip over the including multiple relatives the government to exchange divided the suppliers into four
economy for decades, with allies Investments SA, which received and partners of Assad’s cous- currency at the official ex- levels of risk, based on a guide
and relatives of the ruling Assad over half a million dollars from in, the sanctioned business ty- change rate, which is far below written by SLDP and Human
family dominating key sectors UNICEF for “management coon Rami Makhlouf. Many of the black market rates. Karam Rights Watch.
such as telecommunications, in- and admin services,” is owned Makhlouf ’s assets were stripped Shaar, the co-author of the re-
frastructure, and real estate. by relatives of regime ally Mo- and he was put under house ar- port, said that in his research he “Very high risk” companies
hammad Hamsho, including rest in a conflict with Syrian au- found the U.N. exchanged some included companies with links
Since the 2011 uprising and four who are under sanctions. thorities over the past two years. $340 million at the official rate to human rights abuses, para-
the ensuing civil war, the Syrian Hamsho, who is also sanctioned in 2020, which was on average military groups, the private se-
regime has become even more by the United States and the Eu- Earlier this month, the Asso- 50 percent lower than the black curity industry, the destruction
reliant on a new class of war ropean Union, has been accused ciated Press separately reported market rate that year. of civilian property, the develop-
profiteers and proxies to help of trading in the rubble from that staff members at the U.N.’s ment of land where people were
it skirt sanctions and maintain destroyed homes and acting as World Health Organization in The differential resulted in forcibly displaced, and support
control over its last few remain- a front for Assad’s brother, Ma- Syria had accused their boss of $170 million of “diverted” do- for the Syrian armed forces and
ing sources of foreign currency. her, who heads the army’s elite mismanaging millions of dollars nor money, although it is not government since 2011.
Fourth Armored Division. and using the agency’s funds to exactly clear how or where the
At the same time, Syria has buy gifts for Syrian government government diverted these “High risk” included compa-
become one of the world’s larg- Cham Wings, a Syrian airline officials. amounts, he said. nies which have received Syrian
est recipients of humanitarian sanctioned by the United States, The Report state contracts or held monop-
assistance. Since 2011, over $40 received over half a million dol- The influx of foreign curren- The SLDP and OPEN study olies over certain sectors, were
billion of aid money has flowed lars from the World Food Pro- cy brought by humanitarian analyzed about $294 million owned by members of parlia-
into the country, more than half gram, the study said. The airline aid spending is a boon for the in procurement funding, repre- ment or other local officials, had
of that through the U.N., ac- was also sanctioned along with Syrian government, which has senting the amount that went to donated to Syrian entities, or
cording to researchers. its owner and chairman by the struggled to procure cash amid the U.N.’s top 100 suppliers in taken part in economic block-
European Union for exacer- international sanctions, the col- Syria in 2019 and 2020, and in- ades of opposition-held areas.
The SLDP and OPEN study bating the refugee crisis on the lapse of its most productive eco- cluding companies that are fully
shows that many in the regime’s borders of Belarus in 2021 and nomic sectors, and a financial private or those with both pub- The study found that about
inner circle have benefited from 2022, but the sanctions were crisis in neighboring Lebanon. lic and private shareholders. 36 percent of the funds it an-
this influx of cash. lifted earlier this year. alyzed went to “very high risk”
Drawing on business direc- companies, while another 10
For instance, a company A variety of other compa- tories which rely on the official percent went to “high risk”
called Desert Falcon LLC, run companies, 30 percent to “me-
by pro-regime commander Fadi dium,” and 23 percent to “low
Ahmad, received over $1 mil- risk” companies.
lion in 2019 and 2020 from
the U.N. children’s agency Wieland, the policy advis-
UNICEF and its refugee agen- er, said that thorough reform
cy for Palestinians, UNRWA, would be needed to get out of
under a variety of categories in- the “neutrality trap” and make
cluding “apparel,” “office equip- sure that U.N. money was not
ment,” “electronics,” and “man- going to suppliers like those list-
ufacturing components.” ed in the report.

In 2012, Ahmad, also known “It is something so tricky, and
as Fadi Saqr, took command of so politically relevant, that it
the pro-government National has to come from somebody so
Defense Forces militia in Da- far up,” he told OCCRP. “This
mascus. The following year, the has not been done. I have not
militia took part in a massacre seen any real will to tackle such
of dozens of people in the Syri- issues.”
an capital’s Tadamon district.
— Organised Crime and
Desert Falcon’s co-owner is Corruption Reporting Project.
Bilal Al-Naal, who has been a
member of Syrian parliament
since 2020. Another company
owned by Naal, Al-Naal LLC,
received over $1.2 million in
funds, also from UNICEF and
UNRWA, listed under catego-
ries including “apparel,” “paper
materials,” and “medical equip-

NewsHawks Editorial & Opinion Page 25

Issue 104, 28 October 2022 CARTOON

Just expect nothing
new from Zanu PF

ZANU PF'S motto — "Unity, Peace and Development" — is supposed to be Is Zim ready for elections?
a succinct expression of the party's founding values and principles.
Hawk Eye
The theme of the party's ongoing 7th elective congress is: "Building a Pros-
perous Zimbabwe. Leaving No-one And No Place Behind." Dumisani
Muleya
Listening to all the hollow sloganeering at the congress this week, a visi-
tor from planet Mars would have been forgiven for thinking that there is a
shortage of slogans in Zimbabwe. The massive energy expended on clichés,
praise-singing, bootlicking and the chanting of political platitudes could be
better channeled towards more constructive causes.

Zimbabwe desperately needs a progressive approach to nation building,
not this empty grandstanding meant to fool the gullible.

Ideological clarity requires intellectual integrity – the willingness to ac-
knowledge the brutal facts even when they are at variance with our existing
beliefs and inclinations. Of necessity, we must ask each other: What is the
nature of the Zimbabwean crisis? Who are the chief purveyors of failed poli-
tics in this country?

It was Slavoj Žižek, the Slovenian philosopher, who once observed:
"What if the way we perceive a problem is already part of the problem?"
When people begin to believe that sloganeering is the answer to hunger and
poverty, they start seeing bootlicking as a glorious meal ticket.
At the party congress this week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa told
the central committee that his vision is to build a modernised, well-structured
and rejuvenated party. Although Mnangagwa is not a gifted orator — and
this is a charitable appraisal — he has perfected the art of selling a dummy
to the uninitiated. Typically, the man is long on promises but woefully short
on delivery. Let us dissect, for a moment, Zanu PF's current performance
vis-à-vis its motto. Has the party lived up to its stated objective of promoting
"unity"? How do you account for the criminalisation of dissent? How does
Mnangagwa explain the political prisoners he has locked up at Chikurubi
and Khami? Why are Zanu PF thugs brutalising opposition legislators and
members? Has anyone been arrested for the recent reign of terror in Gokwe,
Matobo and Insiza?
Mnangagwa’s government is quick to arrest and detain CCC activists, yet
Zanu PF hoodlums are literally getting away with murder. Abton Mashayan-
yika — the Zanu PF pastor who openly incited the murder of CCC leader
Nelson Chamisa in Mberengwa — is still free to peddle his murderous gospel
out there, months after the partisan police were furnished with unassailable
video evidence of the heinous criminal offence.
What of the so-called "peace"? Mnangagwa presides over a system that
continues slaughtering the innocents with impunity. On 1 August 2018, he
deployed rampaging soldiers who killed unarmed civilians in cold blood on
the streets of Harare. The Kgalema Motlanthe-chaired commission of inquiry
recommended justice and reparation. Mnangagwa is still dragging his feet
while the bereaved families painfully wallow in grief. There are countless oth-
er examples of the Zanu PF government’s unmitigated impunity. In recent
weeks — with the 2023 general elections beckoning — Mnangagwa has
carefully packaged his Gukurahundi soundbites for the Matabeleland elec-
torate. Ahead of the 2018 polls, he promised heaven on earth. The agrieved
communities are still waiting in vain.
The third leg of the ruling party’s motto makes reference to "development".
Here the scorecard gets really farcical. Mnangagwa is today at the helm
of an economy ravaged by the world’s highest inflation rate. In September,
the World Bank announced that Zimbabwe has the highest food price infla-
tion on the planet, at 353%. Citizens are hungry, malnourished and pover-
ty-stricken.
All the objective pointers show that Zanu PF has failed to foster a nation
state defined by dignity, inclusive belonging, solidarity and true patriotism.
What was once a vaunted liberation movement has been vandalised into
yet another African authoritarian kleptocracy. The average Zimbabwean citi-
zen today is hungry, sad and impoverished. Nobody should be surprised that
our young people — who constitute the bulk of the population — have lost
faith in national politics. Their sole aim in life, it appears, is to attain an ed-
ucational qualification, grab a passport and flee this country at the earliest
opportunity. Even holders of master's degrees are flocking to enrol for short-
term first aid courses — the quickest route out of Zimbabwe’s man-made
crisis these days.
The Zanu PF of Herbert Chitepo, Josiah Tongogara and Eddison Zvob-
go was a party of serious ideas. Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF is a party of power
retention and endless political scheming. It is all about the power question
— and not the national question. This explains why Zanu PF cannot survive
one hour in power without deploying brute force against the masses. Instead
of seeking to win the hearts and minds through a brand of politics centred
on heightened national consciousness, the ruling elites have personalised
power. They will not hesitate to kill, if that is what it takes to preserve their
much-cherished slot at the feeding trough.
This unbridled ambition to consolidate partisan political power at the ex-
pense of nation building is what has reduced Zimbabwe to a laughing stock.
It is a threat to national survival.

Reaffirming the fundamental impor- The NewsHawks is published on different EDITORIAL STAFF: Marketing Officer: Voluntary Media
tance of freedom of expression and me- content platforms by the NewsHawks Digital Managing Editor: Dumisani Muleya Charmaine Phiri Council of Zimbabwe
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NewsHawks

Issue 76, 15 April 2022
BusinessPage26
MATTERSNewsHawks

MARKETS CURRENCIES LAST CHANGE %CHANGE COMMODITIES LAST CHANGE %CHANGE
USD/JPY
GBP/USD 109.29 +0.38 +0.35 *OIL 63.47 -1.54 -2.37
USD/CAD
USD/CHF 1.38 -0.014 -0.997 *GOLD 1,769.5 +1.2 +0.068
AUD/USD
1.229 +0.001 +0.07 *SILVER 25.94 -0.145 -0.56

0.913 +0.005 +0.53 *PLATINUM 1,201.6 +4 +0.33

0.771 -0.006 -0.76 *COPPER 4.458 -0.029 -0.65

Alarm bells: Somalia has more
diversified economy than Zim

BERNARD MPOFU

WHEN Kurai Matsheza, the Confederation of “In terms of the export diversification index, Strategy by the authorities, which aims to sup- with high inflation and multiple exchange rates,
Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president, told del- Zimbabwe is about 2.5, which is even lower than port the development and promotion of exports significantly set back economic progress. This
egates attending this year’s ZimTrade Exporters' countries such as Somalia. The higher the num- of goods and services, should be strengthened volatility was primarily driven by a mixture of
Conference that famine-hit Somalia fared better ber, the less diversified you are. So, the ideal sit- and have an explicit productivity lens aligned policy missteps, climate shocks, and limited
than the southern African nation in terms of ex- uation is to move closer to zero,” Matsheza told with African Continental Free Trade Area (Af- structural transformation,” the World Bank says.
port diversification, many were left in awe. a national exporters’ conference last week…Only CFTA) implementation.
18% of products exported by Zimbabwe have “So, until we can engage on industrial trans-
Just to bring that into perspective, according shown some competitive advantage.” “However, Zimbabwe’s exports of goods and formation, it will be very difficult to drive diversi-
to the World Bank, in the early 2000s, Zimba- services have been under-performing over the fication. Investment in industrial transformation
bwe used to introduce 600 new products in the He said limited developments in the energy past two decades, falling from an average of 33% is key and we talk of the three stages of industri-
export basket. The rate of discovery (exports of sector also continued to hamper growth of key of GDP between 2002 and 2009 to 25% of GDP alisation for us to achieve the 2030 Vision.”
previously un-exported products), however, has economic sectors and this would ultimately make a decade later (2010–19). Merchandise exports
been declining and in 2019 it dropped to just local firms less competitive. have been improving since 2017, owing to rising Allan Majuru, the ZimTrade chief executive,
five. commodity prices, as well as changes in legisla- said innovation would be key to achieving this
“Unless we do something as a country on tion on artisanal gold mining that have improved goal.
Immediately, Zimbabwe’s quest to transition power, it is going to be very difficult to make our gold deliveries and production,” the World Bank
into an upper middle-income economy by 2030 economy go forward. Yes, there are 600 mega- says in its Country Economic Memorandum on “As we increase value addition, we also need to
was brought into sharp focus and questions were watts being expected later on, but still that will Zimbabwe. come up with new products that address current
asked as to how feasible this ambitious project not be able to take us forward, there is still a lot global changing consumer behaviour. For exam-
is without a robust export-driven development that needs to be invested in that sector,” he said. Zimbabwe is aiming to build comparative ple, consumers are now after organic and natural
plan. advantage in the manufacturing sector, but products,” Majuru said.
According to the World Bank, while merchan- only primary sectors such as metals, minerals
For decades, economic diversification has been dise exports have recently improved, only a hand- and foodstuffs (tobacco) contributed positively With limited diversification, Zimbabwe could
a policy priority for low- and middle-income ful of products, mainly primary goods, represent to export growth between 2015 and 2020. The be literally putting all its eggs in one basket and
economies. more than 90% of total exports, reflecting limit- World Bank contends that there is little evidence faces enormously risks when the prices of com-
ed diversification in merchandise exports. that Zimbabwe’s comparative advantage in the modities plunge on the global market.
Unfortunately, this goal continues to elude manufacturing sector is growing, and this may
many African countries. In simple terms, eco- Official figures show that in 2020, gold, tobac- be a result of across-the-board distortions that are Already, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has
nomic diversification is when a country moves to co, and other metals and minerals accounted for limiting competitiveness in the formal sector. warned that an imminent global recession will
a more diverse production and trade structure. more than 90% of total exports. These exports hurt the country’s growth prospects.
It involves transitioning away from dependence are also increasingly concentrated in just a few “However, so far, the country has struggled to
on one or a few commodities such as crude oil, destination markets. reach its full economic potential, partly because “The spectre of global recession is real. I have
minerals, and agricultural production toward of high economic volatility. Economic growth just come back from the IMF/World Bank meet-
a broader range of sources of production, trade Exports of services remain concentrated on averaged 0.1% per year in the ings in Washington DC and this was the topic
and revenues. tourism and transport. The lack of diversity of and that’s the take away,” Ncube told delegates
exports, the World Bank says, is primarily due to two decades between 2000 and 2021, but this attending the exporters' conference.
Experts say the main constraints to Zimba- macroeconomic instability, coupled with a dif- increased to 2.3% per year over the past decade.
bwe’s export and economic diversification in- ficult business environment, particularly distor- Considerable economic volatility over this pro- “So we have to redouble our efforts to pro-
clude the reliance on primary production, mac- tions that limit competitiveness. longed period, including two major recessions mote our exports to ensure that we can compete
roeconomic instability, skills availability to drive effectively in a shrinking global market. I hope
diversification, entrepreneurship development As competition intensifies, experts say the im- that it's temporary at least for the next 12 to
and constraints on key enablers such as energy. plementation of Zimbabwe’s National Export 18 months and then the economy will recover
again.”
Zimbabwe, which at Independence had one of
the most diversified economies on the continent,
has often been cited as a case study on the efficacy
of sanctions.

During the 1965 Universal Declaration of In-
dependence era under former late prime minister
Ian Smith, Rhodesia, a British territory in south-
ern Africa that had governed itself since 1923,
now regarded itself as an independent sovereign
state. It was slapped with sanctions, but emerged
stronger.

Through a combination of inward looking
policies and an aggressive industrialisation drive,
Rhodesia, which later became Zimbabwe at In-
dependence in 1980, managed to build a solid
manufacturing sector with forward and back-
ward linkages and its core infrastructure contin-
ues to stand to this day.

Matsheza said industrialisation is key in ex-
panding the economy.

“There is a need to diversify, obviously, our
production processes. Mining and services are
coming up but more than 70% of our exports
are mineral-based,” Matsheza said.

NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 27

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Simbisa seeks migration to VFEX

BERNARD MPOFU liquidity. Steers to its portfolio. Simbisa Brands Limited is traded on the ZSE under the ticker symbol
The VFEX offers tax incentives for sharehold- has an extensive footprint in Africa, with outlets “SIM”.
QUICK service restaurants (QSR) operator Sim- in Zimbabwe and countries including Kenya,
bisa Brands is seeking shareholder approval to mi- ers which include a 5% withholding tax on divi- Ghana, Mauritius, Botswana, Democratic Re- Market watchers say Simbisa’s move, if ap-
grate to the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX) dends and no capital gains tax on share disposal. public of Congo, Malawi, Eswatini, Lesotho, and proved by shareholders, is likely to trigger more
from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) amid Shareholders would be able to retain more of their Zambia. On 5 August 2015, Simbisa Brands was migrations.
expectations that that this move could trigger a earnings compared to the ZSE. incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Inn-
mass exodus as companies seek United States dol- scor. Effective 1 October 2015, Simbisa acquired, “An approval of the migration of a business
lar earnings. Simbisa says it currently operates and franchis- through a scheme of reconstruction, all the assets such as Simbisa will likely set a precedence for sev-
es 604 QSR restaurants in nine countries across and liabilities of the QSR business from Innscor eral businesses that are driven by local operations.
Simbisa, whose brands include Chicken Inn, Africa with future ambitions of further expansion in exchange for 541 593 440 shares in the compa- Companies like Tanganda Tea,
held a meeting on 26 September and the compa- across the region. ny. The company was then listed on the ZSE on 6
ny’s board of directors considered the termination November 2015. Simbisa Brands Ariston, Hippo Valley and Delta could easily
of Simbisa’s ZSE listing, with the intent to list the In 1987, the business opened its inaugural make a case for a move to VFEX should they want
company’s shares onto the VFEX by way of in- Chicken Inn outlet in Harare and has since ex- Limited is listed on the ZSE. Simbisa Brands to do so in the aftermath of Simbisa’s migration,”
troduction. panded to add brands such as Pizza Inn, Nando’s, brokerage firm Morgan & Co said in a research
and note.
Shareholders are expected to convene for an
extraordinary general meeting and annual general
meeting on 18 December when they are expected
to vote for or against the move.

In its circular to shareholders, Simbisa chair-
person Addington Chinake said the rationale
behind the move was to attract foreign currency
capital from investors to match the business’ for-
eign currency needs, provided that Simbisa’s rev-
enue streams are predominantly in US dollars for
the Zimbabwean operations which are material to
the group.

Furthermore, a US dollar-indexed exchange
would support the organisation's most appropri-
ate functional currency and its sizeable ownership
in foreign assets.

The company also seeks to take advantage of
offshore settlement options which allow inves-
tors to efficiently repatriate their dividends. This
would also eliminate the foreign currency risk of
holding Simbisa shares as a foreign investor and
the firm is also optimistic that the migration will
enable existing shareholders to realise the US dol-
lar value of their holdings as compared to the ZSE
where local currency returns were subject to hy-
perinflation. Capital raised through a VFEX list-
ing may be held in an approved local or offshore
account, and there would be an allowance for
offshore settlements for executed trades for easier
repatriation of dividends and more transactional
flexibility to existing shareholders.

This would attract a more diverse shareholder
base and enable Simbisa’s shareholders to realise
the value of their holdings incentivising greater

Microfinance entities fail to meet capital threshold

BERNARD MPOFU Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe says the microfinance industry registered significant improvement in total The sector's aggregate capitalisation levels, the
loan portfolio, total assets, aggregate equity and net profit. report shows, recorded an increase of 118.25%
ZIMBABWE’S microfinance institutions are up from ZW$6.63 billion as at 31 March 2022
making frantic efforts to boost their balance institutions. Seven (7) operating deposit-tak- ZW$ equivalent to US$5 million. The DTMFs to ZW$14.470 billion as at 30 June 2022. The
sheets after it emerged that 34 of the credit-only ing microfinance institutions were not compli- were given up to 31 December 2022 to comply increase in equity was largely attributed to in-
entities failed to meet the US$5 million mini- ant with the minimum capital requirements of with the new capital requirements.” jection of additional capital by shareholders of
mum capital threshold as at June this year. some microfinance institutions and capitalisa-
tion of retained earnings in a bid to comply with
A floundering economy and wage pressures the minimum capital requirements.
resulting from high inflation are forcing many
employed Zimbabweans to turn to the lenders. Official figures show that as at 30 June 2022,
But the current high interest rate regime has there were 199 registered microfinance institu-
in recent times slowed down borrowings. The tions comprising 191 credit-only microfinance
authorities hiked interest rates to 200% to dis- institutions and 8 deposit-taking microfinance
courage borrowing for parallel market foreign institutions.
exchange transactions.
The microfinance sector recorded 8.22%
According to the latest Reserve Bank of Zim- growth in branch network, from 900 as at 31
babwe Microfinance Quarterly Industry Report March 2022 to 974 as at 30 June 2022.
for the period ending 30 June, the microfinance
industry registered significant improvement in “The sector's aggregate total equity reg-
total loan portfolio, total assets, aggregate equity istered a 118.25% increase over the quarter
and net profit as microfinance business opera- from ZW$6.63 billion as at 31 March 2022,
tions returned to normalcy post the Covid-19 to ZW$14.470 billion as at 30 June 2022. The
pandemic. increase in equity was largely attributed to in-
jection of additional capital by shareholders of
“All deposit-taking microfinance institutions some microfinance institutions and capitalisa-
(DTMFIs) were not compliant with the new tion of retained earnings in a bid to comply with
minimum capital requirements of ZW$ equiv- the minimum capital requirements,” the report
alent to US$5 million effective 31 December reads.
2022. Measures are underway to bolster the in-
stitutions’ capital levels,” the report reads. “The aggregate total equity for the subsector
increased over the review period from ZW$3.99
“As at 30 June 2022, 34 credit-only microfi- billion as at 31 March 2022, to ZW$7.48 bil-
nance institutions were not compliant with the lion as at 30 June 2022 representing an 87.46%
minimum capital requirements of ZW$ equiva- increase in equity in the credit-only microfi-
lent to US$25 000, effective 31 December 2021. nance institutions subsector. The growth was
Exchange rate developments had significantly attributed to injection of additional capital and
impacted on the balance sheet of microfinance capitalisation of retained earnings.”

Page 28 Companies & Markets NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Isolated Zim looks inwards for funds

BERNARD MPOFU

DEBT-RIDDEN Zimbabwe, struggling to ex- “Progress achieved under the first MTDS funds amounting to US$3.533 billion and an creditors, which include the Arab Bank for
tricate itself from a huge external debt over- has been moderate, partly due to the lack of obligation of US$3.5 billion for the compensa- Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)
hang, will rely on 90% of its domestic resourc- progress in the clearance of external debt ar- tion of dispossessed white farmers. and the International Fund for Agricultural
es over the next three years to finance capital rears to both the International Financial In- Development (IFAD), among others.
expenditure and social spending, a new report stitutions and bilateral creditors,” the report Zimbabwe’s official PPG external debt stock
has shown. reads. is estimated at US$13.4 billion as at end De- RBZ balance sheet external debt of US$4.9
cember 2021. Of this amount, US$5.6 billion billion comprises US$3.5 billion blocked
Zimbabwe is currently in debt distress, “Nonetheless, there has been renewed com- is owed to bilateral creditors, US$2.7 billion funds, US$1.2 billion Afreximbank debt,
and the accumulation of external debt arrears mitment to clear the longstanding debt arrears, to multilateral creditors, US$111 million to US$26 million from foreign banks and
has worsened the country’s inability to access through the Arrears Clearance, Debt Relief and creditors under the 2015 RBZ Debt Assump- US$155 million from other commercial cred-
funding from external traditional sources and Restructuring Strategy (ACDRRS), launched tion Act and US$4.9 billion is external debt on itors, which include Frontera Capital VBV
the international financial markets. in April 2022. On the domestic front, Govern- RBZ’s balance sheet. (Netherlands), Germcorp (UK) and Trade and
ment re-introduced the Auction System for the Development Bank (TDB).
With limited budgetary support, Zimbabwe issuance of Treasury Bills, which has provided Of the total bilateral external debt, US$3.9
has been depending on domestic resources the mechanism for price discovery of Govern- billion is owed to the Paris Club bilateral cred- “While Government has committed to ac-
such as taxes, but critics say this has resulted ment securities, through a yield curve.” itors, and US$1.8 billion being owed to the celerate the implementation of the Arrears
in multiple layers of statutory obligations and non-Paris Club bilateral creditors. Clearance, Debt Relief and Restructuring
high costs of running a business. Official figures show that the total Public Strategy (ACDRRS), the MTDS will largely
and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) debt as at end For the multilateral external debt, US$1.5 focus on domestic financing, including the
According to the country’s Medium-Term December 2021 amounted to US$17.2 billion, billion is owed to the World Bank Group, development and deepening of the domestic
Debt Management Strategy (MTDS) seen by comprising of external debt of US$13.4 billion US$711 million to the African Development debt market, through introduction of medi-
The NewsHawks, the southern African nation (77.9%) and domestic debt of US$3.8 billion Bank Group and US$358 to the European In- um to long-term debt securities, with a view
remains ineligible to access concessional fund- (22.1%). vestment Bank. to mitigate exposures of the debt portfolio to
ing due to slow progress in normalising rela- refinancing risk,” the report reads.
tions with multilateral lenders and the Paris This total public debt stock includes blocked The remaining US$66 million, the report
Club. shows, is owed to other various multilateral

This MTDS is a framework developed by
the Zimbabwe Public Debt Management Of-
fice (ZPDMO) to guide the government’s
borrowing operations and public debt man-
agement policy decisions, with the objective of
ensuring debt sustainability in the long term.

The framework guides the government in
pursuing the desired structure of its public
debt portfolio, which reflects cost and risk
trade-off preferences.

The MTDS sets out the government’s debt
management strategy over the period 2022-
2025, with respect to the existing stock of pub-
lic debt and the financing of the fiscal deficits.

“Given the country’s limited access to exter-
nal financing, during the period 2022-2025,
Government will focus on mobilising resourc-
es for budget deficit financing mainly from the
domestic financial and capital markets, while
ensuring that refinancing risks on the public
debt portfolio are kept minimal,” the report
reads.

“In this regard, the MTDS will be under-
pinned by a financing mix of 90 percent fi-
nancing from the domestic financial and capi-
tal markets and 10 percent from external debt
sources. The main focus of this strategy is the
development and deepening of the domes-
tic financial and capital markets, through the
introduction of medium to long term bonds,
with a view to minimizing the public debt
portfolio’s exposure to refinancing risk. To this
end, the domestic financing is composed of
40 percent Treasury Bills and 60 percent Trea-
sury Bonds (2-year, 5- year and 10-year). The
development and deepening of these markets
will also include bond issuances, which will be
listed on the Victoria Falls Securities Exchange
(VFEX).”

The MTDS has been formulated at a time
the global economy is reeling from the devas-
tating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and
geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe.

“Resultantly, the fiscal position of most
countries, including Zimbabwe, has worsened
as a result of tax revenue shortfalls, the expen-
diture and supply shocks brought about by the
Ukraine-Russia conflict,” the report reads.

“In the case of Zimbabwe, these develop-
ments have exacerbated Government’s already
huge financing needs, as the Government is
committed to adequately fund projects and
programmes to mitigate the effects of these
shocks.”

The MTDS (2022-2025) is the second debt
management strategy for Zimbabwe, succeed-
ing the MTDS (2017–2021).

The main thrust of the previous MTDS was,
according to the report, to maximise external
concessional funding, through the engagement
and re-engagement with international finan-
cial institutions, while seeking to borrow from
the domestic market, through medium to long
term debt securities.

The establishment of an auction system for
issuance of domestic government securities was
also one of the key objectives.

NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 29

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Tigere Property Fund to list on ZSE

BERNARD MPOFU listing. to grow and deepen capital markets that has led ZSE CEO Justin Bgoni
“The listing of the Tigere Property Fund is to the formation of REITs in Zimbabwe. As in the near future and congratulate the Tigere
TIGERE Property Fund is on the cusp of list- the team on their achievement and unlocking more
ing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), an exciting moment in the history of Zimba- value for investors and facilitating economic
becoming the country’s first listed real estate bwe’s property sector and the broader econo- ZSE, we are indebted to the ministry’s sup- growth in the country,” he said.Michael Craft,
investment trust (REIT) as the fund seeks to my. It is a culmination of years of work and port and believe this listing is a symbol of prog- Frontier Real
grow a US$50 million property portfolio and policy driven by the Minister of Finance and ress and that Zimbabwe is open for business.
deepen the capital markets. Economic Development, Hon. Mthuli Ncube We look forward to seeing more REITs list Estate, Tigere Property Fund Promoter said
the listing would broaden investment in the
Zimbabwe’s property market has largely mir-
rored the performance of the overall economy
over the last half a decade which was charac-
terised by low economic activity, inflationary
pressures, power challenges and foreign curren-
cy constraints. All these have had an adverse
impact on businesses. The property market has
generally remained subdued, characterised by
significant vacancy levels in various sectors of
the market.

The promoter, Frontier Real Estate, intends
to sell a total of 255 323 000 REIT units by
way of an offer for sale at an offer price of
ZW$28 per unit. At conclusion of the IPO, it
is envisaged that the entire issued REIT Units
of 719 323 000 will be listed on the ZSE.

According to the company’s prospectus,
Tigere REIT will have an initial market capi-
talisation of ZW$20 141 044 000 comprising
of 719 323 000 REIT units of ZW$28 each
held by the Promoters and Anchor Investors.
The Promoter seeks to raise at least ZW$7 149
044 000 through the sale of 255 323 000 REIT
units at a unit price of ZW$28 per unit.

A minimum of 10% of the REIT IPO units
(25 532 300) REIT units shall be made exclu-
sively available to retail investors participating
on the C-Trade and ZSE-Direct platforms.
Should these not be fully subscribed by retail
investors, they will be made available for allo-
cation to other investors.

A REIT is a collective investment vehicle
that allows investors to pool capital, which is
then invested in a portfolio of selected prop-
erties for a return. Investors are certain of div-
idend yield and payments as REITs are man-
dated to distribute a minimum of 80% of Nett
Income. The REIT structure is not subject to
income tax and investors receive a flow-through
of income.

Brett Abrahamse of Terrace Africa Asset
Management told journalists this week that the
listing which is slated for 23 November would
deepen the country’s capital markets.

“We are delighted to announce the listing of
the Tigere REIT, which is an important step
in developing and strengthening the capital
markets, as well as building a strong real es-
tate sector within Zimbabwe. Our seed assets
are already performing exceptionally well, with
income and occupancy levels trading ahead of
initial expectations,” said Abrahamse.

“The Tigere REIT will provide an opportu-
nity for both public and institutional investors
to participate in well managed newly-devel-
oped, commercial properties through the pur-
chase of REIT units on the ZSE. Unit holders
will also have access to our extensive and in-
novative US$50m property development pipe-
line, which comprises of exciting commercial
projects that are currently in planning or devel-
opment stage.”

The Tigere REIT according to the company
will be listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange
under the symbol TIGZ and will provide an
opportunity for investors to own a stake in high
quality commercial property through a highly
regulated financial structure. The Tigere REIT,
which was approved by the Securities and Ex-
change Commission in July 2022 is set to en-
hance the current property investment market
through improved transparency, liquidity and
compulsory dividend pay-outs.

According to Abrahamse, the Tigere REIT
has been seeded with two new commercial
retail assets, namely Highland Park and Chi-
namano Corner, which together have a com-
bined total of 41 retail tenants. Over 75% of
income earned from tenants by the Tigere
REIT is USD linked and occupancies are cur-
rently reported at 95%.

Justin Bgoni, Zimbabwe Stock Exchange
(ZSE) CEO said he was excited with the new

Property
NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022 PROPERTY INTERIORS ARCHITECTURE GARDENING Page 30

The home of prime property: [email protected]

Residential flats under construction

A new block of residential flats is being built along Herbert Chitepo Avenue, opposite Greenwood Park in Harare. Picture: Aaron Ufumeli

NewsHawks CrSitioccakl TThakininkging Page 31

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Price Sheet A MEMBER OF FINSEC & THE ZIMBABWE STOCK EXCHANGE

Friday, 28 October 2022

Company Sector Bloomberg Previous Last VWAP (cents) Total Total Price Price YTD Market
Traded Traded Traded Change Change (%) Cap
AFDIS Consumer Goods Ticker Price (cents) 29800.00 Volume Value ($) (cents) ($m)
African Sun Consumer Services Price 2300.00 (%)
ART 1700.00 -
Ariston Industrials AFDIS: ZH 29800.00 - 399.77 100 - - - 138.40 35,609.37
Axia Consumer Services ASUN: ZH 2300.00 2300.00 8023.08 200 2,300 - - 258.11 33,991.73
BAT ARTD: ZH 1505.00 1700.00 317500.00 1,400 3,400 195.00 12.96 62.68
Bridgefort Capital Consumer Goods 396.61 400.00 741.00 1,300 5,597 3.16 0.80 7,428.62
Bridgefort Class B Consumer Goods ARISTON: ZH 7098.96 8100.00 2600.00 104,300 924.12 13.02 7.40 6,505.84
CAFCA AXIA: ZH 317500.00 20005.00 - - - 166.99 44,521.70
CBZ Industrials BAT: ZH 741.00 - 13288.46 - - - - -0.81 65,511.42
CFI Financial Services BFCA: ZH 2600.00 - 41125.00 - - - - -78.83
Dairibord BFCB: ZH 20005.00 - 4800.00 - - - - 88.92
Delta Industrials 13288.46 - 23423.96 - - - - 4.00 34.89
Ecocash Banking CAFCA: ZH 41125.00 - 4409.82 - - - - 17.68 1,747.46
Econet CBZ: ZH 4975.00 - 8641.12 38,700 - -175.00 -3.52 76.78 69,453.66
Edgars Industrials CFI:ZH 23390.34 4800.00 760.00 729,000 1,857,600 33.62 0.14 339.50 43,609.31
FBC Consumer Goods 4404.74 24000.00 5000.00 47,000 170,760,600 5.08 0.12 37.14 17,184.04
Fidelity Consumer Goods DZL: ZH 8499.81 4400.00 2200.00 87,600 2,072,615 141.31 1.66 44.12 305,881.69
First Capital DLTA: ZH 750.00 9000.00 934.54 400 7,569,625 10.00 1.33 8.47 114,239.79
FML Technology EHZL: ZH 5000.00 760.00 2500.00 17,300 3,040 - - 1.66 223,854.85
FMP Telecommunications ECO: ZH 2200.00 5000.00 890.00 - 865,000 - - 74.71 4,592.28
GBH Consumer Services 935.00 - 200.00 15,200 - -0.46 -0.05 47.70 33,597.50
Getbucks EDGR: ZH 2500.00 934.00 1755.00 400 142,050 - - 39.37 2,396.31
Hippo Banking FBC: ZH 890.00 2500.00 20700.00 - 10,000 - - 170.57 20,185.27
Innscor Financial Services FIDL: ZH 200.00 - 32504.18 - - - - 25.00 17,253.58
Lafarge FCA: ZH 1755.00 - 12000.00 - - - - 14.10 11,019.60
Mash Banking 20700.00 - 800.00 - - - - -12.85 1,073.18
Masimba Financial Services FMHL: ZH 32000.00 - 7500.00 20,800 - 504.18 1.58 192.50 20,412.73
Meikles FMP: ZH 12000.00 32600.00 10266.67 - 6,760,870 - - -26.07 39,955.26
Nampak Real Estate GBH: ZH 753.36 - 870.00 600 - 46.64 6.19 100.15 185,233.67
NatFoods Industrials 7500.00 800.00 110213.48 - 4,800 - - 50.00 9,600.00
NTS GBFS: ZH 10266.67 - 1200.00 - - - - 146.56 13,500.67
NMBZ Financial Services HIPO: ZH 870.00 - 2398.04 - - - - 36.36 18,124.03
OK Zim Consumer Goods 110213.48 - 3195.32 - - - - -17.93 26,298.15
Proplastics INN: ZH 1200.00 - 2949.58 - - - - -22.02 6,574.14
RTG Industrials LACZ: ZH 2400.00 - 788.55 2,800 - -1.96 -0.08 -19.82 75,386.14
RioZim Industrials MASH: ZH 3173.03 2400.00 13000.00 13,900 67,145 22.29 0.70 90.48 3,046.47
SeedCo Real Estate MSHL: ZH 2949.58 3200.00 8205.00 - 444,150 - - 197.78 9,692.20
Simbisa Industrials MEIK: ZH 800.00 - 24000.47 2,200 - -11.45 -1.43 16.42 41,421.31
Star Africa Industrials NPKZ: ZH 13000.00 764.00 180.09 - 17,348 - - 1.72 7,431.04
Tanganda Industrials 8205.00 - 8500.00 20,700 - - - 1.10 19,678.23
Truworths Consumer Goods NTFD: ZH 24154.50 8205.00 254.00 86,200 1,698,435 -154.03 -0.64 225.00 15,863.83
TSL Industrials NTS: ZH 181.00 24000.00 4210.00 44,500 20,688,410 -0.91 -0.50 -22.27 20,461.11
Turnall NMB: ZH 8500.00 179.00 390.00 - 80,140 - - 166.67 134,926.99
Unifreight Banking 254.00 - 5296.92 - - - - 55.44 8,491.39
Willdale Consumer Services OKZ: ZH 4210.00 - 287.00 - - - - 26.75 22,190.49
ZB PROL: ZH 391.00 - 11501.10 200 - -1.00 -0.26 27.00 975.53
Zeco Industrials 5296.92 390.00 - 780 - - -40.00 15,075.04
Zimpapers Consumer Services RTG: ZH 290.00 - 3.31 3,000 - -3.00 -1.03 -4.91 1,922.86
Zimplow RIOZ: ZH 11501.10 280.00 300.00 - 8,610 - - 76.76 5,639.86
ZHL Basic Materials SEED: ZH - 1780.00 - - - - -7.26 5,102.86
TOTAL Consumer Goods 3.31 - 510.00 700 - - - 49.36 20,148.85
Consumer Goods SIM: ZH 300.00 300.00 2,300 2,100 - - 589.58 15.34
Consumer Goods SACL: ZH 1780.00 1780.00 27,700 40,940 - - 3.09 1,728.00
Consumer Goods TANG: ZH 510.00 510.00 1,164,200 141,270 -24.58 6,133.53
Consumer Services TRUW: ZH 213,351,125 35.61 9,272.92
Consumer Goods 1,804,083.64
TSL: ZH
Industrials TURN: ZH
Industrials UNIF: ZH
Industrials WILD: ZH
ZBFH: ZH
Banking ZECO: ZH
Industrials
Consumer Services ZIMP: ZH
Industrials ZIMPLOW: ZH
Financial Services
ZHL: ZH

ETFs CSAG.zw 187.47 - 187.47 - - - - 87.47 67.86
Cass Saddle Agriculture ETF DMCS.zw 174.37 172.00 174.29 17,652 30,765 -0.08 -0.05 74.29 122.94
Datvest Modified Consumer Staples ETF 106.00 120.00 120.00 14.00 13.21 20.00 2,869.21
Morgan&Co Made in Zimbabwe ETF MIZ.zw 2125.00 2125.00 7,500 9,000 112.50 2,734.30
Morgan&Co Multi-Sector ETF MCMS.zw 542.58 - 548.92 - - - - 24.73 788.39
550.00 12750.00 6.34 1.17
Old Mutual ZSE Top 10 ETF OMTT.zw 46,973 257,844
3.00 3.00
FINSEC Financial Services OMZIL 12750.00 - 1300.00 -- - 27.50 10,583.99
Old Mutual Zimbabwe
Mining BIND:VX 24.50 24.92 -45.45 US$m
VFEX (US cents) Mining CMCL:VX 35.00 35.00 -
BNC Consumer Goods 3.00 YTD % 106,731 3,202 - - 38.18
Caledonia Consumer Goods PHL:VX 1300.00 +37.99 - - - - 18.67 8.06
Padenga SCIL:VX +29.35 -0.08 -0.32 24.78
SeedCo International 25.00 +30.72 223,712 55,742 -3.04 -7.99 134.97
38.04 +30.00 802,154 280,754 % 133.51
+60.92 Price Change +13.02
Index Close Change (%) Open Top 5 Risers 8023.08c +924.12c +12.96 YTD %
ZSE All Share 14,933.47 +0.64 14,838.12 Axia 1700.00c +195.00c +6.19 +166.99
Top 10 8,810.56 +0.41 ART +46.64c +1.66 +62.68
Top 15 9,842.26 +0.77 8,774.22 Mash 800.00c +141.31c +1.58 +146.56
Small Cap -0.32 9,767.50 Econet 8641.12c +504.18c
Medium Cap 523,569.99 +1.19 525,250.93 Innscor 32504.18c % +1.66
32,839.64 32,454.26 Change -3.52 +100.15
Price -175.00c -1.43
Top 5 Fallers 4800.00c -11.45c -1.03 YTD %
Dairibord -3.00c -0.64 +37.14
RTG 788.55c -154.03c -0.50 +1.10
Willdale 287.00c -0.91c -7.26
Simbisa 24000.47c +166.67
Star Africa 180.09c +55.44

SALES & TRADING: Davide Muchengi: [email protected] | Lungani Nyamazana: [email protected] | Precious Chagwedera: [email protected]
RESEARCH: Batanai Matsika: [email protected] | Tafara Mtutu: [email protected] | Gabriel Manjonjo: [email protected]
Tel: (+263) 08677008101-2 | Email: [email protected] | Address: 14165 Sauer Road, Gunhill, Harare

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

independently verified; MORGAN & COMPANY makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to the accuracy or completeness of its content.

Page 32 RNeferwams AinngaIlsysuises NewsHawks

BRENNA MATENDERE Issue 104, 28 October 2022

THE bedrock of Zimbabwe’s cRoororut pctaiuosne noof tZsiamncctrioisniss
multi-layered socio-econom- Director-General Isaac Moyo;
ic crises is grand public sector by top and influential Zanu PF troversial tenders were awarded President Emmerson Mnangagwa. police Commissioner-General
corruption and mismanagement politicians and government of- to shadowy companies to con- Godwin Matanga; former Pres-
of the economy, but Zanu PF ficials, as well as their business struct roads, build dams, bridges potential. The fault lies in cat- idential Guard commander An-
has found an excuse to hide its cronies. and supply equipment. A US$60 astrophic mismanagement by seleem Sanyatwa and business
failure by claiming sanctions are million scandal, commonly those in power and the govern- mogul Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
behind the protracted economic During a question-and-answer known as Draxgate, led to the ment’s abuse of its own citizens."
crisis bedeviling the country. session in Parliament early this sacking of Health minister Oba- The Zimbabwe Defence In-
year, it emerged that government diah Moyo. In many cases, du- The US Department of State dustries is also under British
On Tuesday, Sadc joined the officials were clandestinely dis- bious companies are paid in ad- sanctions coordinator James sanctions and cannot buy weap-
Zimbabwean government to posing of strategic entities such vance to provide services which O’Brien also defended the em- ons because of the Zimbabwean
call for the lifting of sanctions, as mines and petroleum outlets they never deliver. bargos. army’s propensity to commit
which President Emmerson without seeking parliamentary human rights violations on de-
Mnangagwa’s administration approval, in flagrant breach of Responding to claims by the “We are not engaged in com- fenceless citizens, like it did on
insist are hurting the economy, the country’s constitution. government that US sanctions prehensive efforts to close the 1 August 2018 when security
a narrative which was publicly are harming Zimbabwe’s econ- Zimbabwean economy. We are forces killed six civilians and left
challenged by the United States The Parliament of Zimbabwe omy and causing suffering, the not sanctioning banks. We are several with gun-shot wounds in
and British embassies in Harare, found itself in the eye of a storm embassy in Harare said: not stopping certain types of Harare streets.
while the commemorations were when leaked official communica- sanctions,” he said.
taking place. tion revealed that it had award- “The direct impact of sanc- Political analyst Stephen Chan
ed Blinart Investments (Private) tions on the average Zimbabwe- The US government has im- concurred that the sanctions do
The majority of Zimbabweans Limited was awarded a tender to an is minimal compared to the posed sanctions on 73 individu- not hurt the Zimbabwean econ-
are struggling to make ends meet supply 173 laptops for a total of economic devastation caused by als and 37 entities – 110 – out of omy.
and are struggling to put food on US$1 602 755.77, translating years of corruption, poor policy nearly 16 million Zimbabweans.
the table or access basic services to US$9 200 per gadget. Mid- choices, and economic misman- All have either undermined de- "My longstanding view is that
like healthcare. End Computers and Hardware agement.” mocracy, violated human rights, sanctions do not in themselves
Ltd clinched a tender to supply or facilitated corruption, the US harm the Zimbabwean econo-
To mark the day, school chil- 79 desktops valued at US$3 000 Earlier on, the former US am- embassy said. my…” he said, adding:
dren in many provinces were each. bassador to Zimbabwe Brian A.
made to march to denounce Nichols had said: The British embassy also said “However, they provide a per-
sanctions, while in Harare pro- The tenders were later can- its sanctions do not affect eco- fect excuse for the government
testors camped at the US embas- celled after a public outcry. "Our targeted sanctions are nomic growth in Zimbabwe as to hide behind as it continues to
sy to register their displeasure not responsible for Zimbabwe they are only targeted at five in- mismanage the economy. The ar-
over the sanctions. In the past, similar other con- falling tragically short of its dividuals – former State Security gument could be made that the
minister Owen Ncube; Central presence of sanctions acts as a
A music gala was also held in Intelligence Organisation (CIO) disincentive for investment into
Chitungwiza. Zimbabwe.”

Sadc and the African Union “But many other countries at-
added their voice to the calls to tract signs of political disapprov-
lift sanctions, joining China and al but still attract investment if
Russia which also slammed the they have working economies
measures. that can absorb investment and
promise returns on investment.
Protestors and Zimbabwe’s Right now, Zimbabwe simply is
supporters however shied away not an attractive destination for
from mentioning growing cor- investment because the struc-
ruption and the mismanagement ture of the economy simply is
of the economy which have con- not promising for guaranteed
tributed immensely to the eco- returns.”
nomic difficulties in the country.
Opposition Citizens' Coali-
Public sector corruption and tion for Change senior mem-
policy inconsistency, for exam- ber David Coltart also said the
ple, have over the years pushed sanctions mantra by Zanu PF is
away investors. “false”.

Just last week, Mnangagwa “The sanctions narrative of
said corruption within govern- Zanu PF is overwhelmingly false
ment circles had reached alarm- — as is most of their propagan-
ing levels as some senior officials da. Sanctions (such as they are)
now deliberately deflate tyres of serve them very well because
their new official vehicles, park they are a useful scapegoat and
them and use pool cars for five also distract leaders in the re-
years to eventually buy them at gion,” he said.
book value – for a song.
Political analyst Rasweat
Earlier on, Finance ministry Mukundu described the an-
permanent secretary George ti-sanctions clamour as a con-
Guvamatanga had also said the venient excuse by Zanu PF for
procurement officers in some in- economic mismanagement.
stances were inflating prices of
goods by ridiculous amounts. “If the Zimbabwean govern-
ment is serious about seeing the
High-level corruption result- sanctions lifted, then they can-
ing in the loss of billions of dol- not continue with arbitrary ar-
lars, with no corrective measures rests of political activists without
being taken, has become rife in cause and harassing opposition
government, while mineral leak- supporters. We feel the sanctions
ages have become the order of are now being used by Zanu PF
the day. In a report titled  Zim- to continue with looting and
babwe’s Disappearing Gold: The gross corruption,” he said.
Case of  Mazowe and Penhalon-
ga,  the Centre for Natural Re-
sources and Governance led by
Farai Maguwu revealed that the
country was losing three tonnes
of gold monthly worth US$157
million through illicit siphoning

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 33

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

African Union outspoken on sanctions
on Zimbabwe but silent on rights abuses

The AU’s response president Félix Tshisekedi and oth- Current mechanisms provide lit- goods and services from Europe, holding a placard stating “We want
seems to contradict er regional heads of state spoke out tle assistance. Onerous procedures Canada, Australia, the US and UK. better. Reform our institutions.”
its position on par- against the Zimbabwe sanctions. In make it difficult for citizens to access
ticular types of sanc- his capacity as AU chair, Senegal’s the African Court of Justice and Hu- The listing of companies such as The political and electoral play-
tions. president Macky Sall  led  the conti- man Rights to report state abuses. Chemplex Holdings and Zimbabwe ing field also remains deeply flawed.
nent’s call for their removal. What Closer to home, the Sadc Tribunal Fertilizer Company harmed food The road to the 2023 elections is
THE Southern African Develop- Africa’s leaders didn’t proffer, howev- is all but defunct after Zimbabwe production as it affected the avail- already  littered  with violence as
ment Community (Sadc) designat- er, was an alternative. put up a spirited diplomatic  offen- ability and affordability of fertiliser. the ruling party makes good on its
ed 25 October as a day for solidar- sive against it. The Zimbabwean gov- The businesses were added because threats to silence the opposition.
ity against sanctions imposed on The AU’s response seems to con- ernment is dexterous at such moves. their ownership structure included
Zimbabwe by the European Union tradict its position on particular the Industrial Development Cor- What can be done? While tar-
(EU), United States (US) and Unit- types of sanctions. The continental The targeted sanctions are more or poration of Zimbabwe — an entity geted sanctions have helped main-
ed Kingdom (UK) nearly 20 years body isn’t opposed to targeted sanc- less symbolic; a blunt instrument to under sanctions. All this affects ordi- tain pressure on the Zimbabwean
ago. tions per se —  indeed, the AU  im- enforce behaviour change. For most nary citizens, not least because some government, a different approach
poses such sanctions on its member individuals on the US sanctions list, international financial institutions that involves SADC and the AU is
The targeted sanctions were ap- states. Instead, the AU is against the prospect of travelling to the US won’t process transactions involving required. 
plied in response to human rights comprehensive economic sanctions. has always been remote, so banning Zimbabwe.
violations, government policies and Those issued against Zimbabwe are them is of little import. However, Currently, the AU imposes sanc-
actions that impede democracy, rule targeted, which suggests this wave sanctions can be a deterrent to some However, to blame all Zimba- tions on regimes that came to power
of law and respect for human and of support is more about anti-im- risk-averse investors.  bwe’s economic ills on sanctions is through coups but does little to pre-
property rights.  perialist and Pan-African narratives disingenuous and untrue. The coun- vent situations that lead to coups or
pushed by Zimbabwe’s government Institute for Security Studies re- try’s inability to borrow money from unconstitutional changes of govern-
In Zimbabwe, the day than facts. search in 2019 and 2020 found that international financial institutions ment. The continental body should
was  marked  by pomp and ceremo- investors were put off by the high- has more to do with bad debt than consider sanctions to prevent human
ny and an all-night music concert to The US maintains two sets of risk premium placed on the country sanctions. By 2000, way before the rights violations, electoral processes
protest against the economic hard- sanctions on Zimbabwe. One tar- because of the targeted US sanctions. sanctions, the World Bank had sus- and actions that stifle democracy.
ship caused by the sanctions.  gets “specially designated nationals” pended lending to Zimbabwe. In
who undermine democratic pro- And numerous international 2001, after multiple defaults, the This would not mean lifting the
A month ago, the US  updat- cesses. The directives prohibit any banks have cut ties with Zimba- International Monetary Fund (IMF) current sanctions against Zimbabwe.
ed  its sanctions list on Zimbabwe. American citizen or entity from hav- bwean banks because of the onerous declared the country ineligible to ac- Rather, complementary processes
It added police Deputy Commis- ing commercial dealings with such task of complying with US Office of cess its resources. A few years later, are needed that encourage behaviour
sioner-General Stephen Mutamba people or entities. The second set of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) reg- the IMF started procedures for com- change and enable the US, EU and
and removed 11 others deemed to sanctions — which aren’t in force — ulations. Ofac monitors sanctions pulsory withdrawal from Zimbabwe.  UK to lift sanctions eventually. This
no longer threaten democracy and direct any US citizen in a position of adherence and penalises any US could be via the African Peer Review
human rights in the country. On influence in international financial company or individual who does But are the targeted sanctions hav- Mechanism or Sadc’s troika of three
the list were individuals who died or institutions to block credit to Zim- business with a sanctioned individ- ing their intended effect? Although states responsible for regional peace
were removed from government, like babwe.  ual, entity or country. president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s and security.
Olivia Muchena, who was fired from administration has made inroads on
her ministerial post in 2014. While African governments have Most companies in the US, Can- protecting property rights, sanctions Given the principle of subsidiari-
united in denouncing the sanctions, ada and Europe would rather avoid have largely failed to improve dem- ty that gives regions the first bite at
Sadc’s anti-sanctions day follows a they’ve been mum on the wanton doing business with Zimbabwean ocratic behaviour among the rul- the cherry, Sadc rather than the AU
major show of solidarity by the Afri- rights abuses, weaponisation of the companies because of the cumber- ing elites. Human rights violations is the crucial player in this case. 
can Union (AU) and African leaders law and violence unleashed on Zim- some process of checking if entities persist, and political freedoms have
at the United Nations General As- babwe’s opposition and political ac- are related to a sanctioned person or been severely curtailed. In Septem- What is not an option is the
sembly in September. Sadc chair and tivists. company. The risk of being caught ber, one of Zimbabwe’s foremost unconditional lifting of sanctions
Democratic Republic of the Congo on the wrong side by Ofac is high. prolific writers, Tsitsi Dangarembga, without concessions from the Zim-
Does that mean Africa condones Many companies in Zimbabwe have was convicted of “inciting” public vi- babwean government or an AU/Sadc
these actions? Where is the brutal- gone under or are operating at a sub- olence after being arrested for simply initiative to guarantee the protection
ised citizen to seek recourse? optimal level — unable to procure of human rights.

— Institute for Security Studies,
Pretoria.

Page 32 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Civic space contestation ahead of 2023

THIS report presents findings and A police officer tackles a woman with his boot outside the MDC headquarters in Harare. Jekesai Njikizana/AFP
discussions on the post-Mugabe
authoritarian consolidation policy how the government operates with closure of the public space has had research objectives, research ques- ic spaces were physical locations
in Zimbabwe, paying attention to civil society. many outcomes in other coun- tions and literature review ad- such as town squares, marketplac-
the closure of the civic space as one try studies that include prolifera- dressing the civic space conceptual es, or community centres where
of the key strategies implemented The use of state institutions and tion of violent protests and social framework and methodology of people could come together and
to prevent the repeat of the Zambi- government departments to in- movements, revolutions and mass the study. exercise their freedoms of expres-
an precedent in Zimbabwe. terfere with the work of CSOs is uprisings, and loss of international sion, assembly and association.
another strategy used to restrict image. The first section presents the
Three main objectives are ad- the operating environment of civic background to the closure of civic With the advent of the internet,
dressed by the findings in the fol- groups in Zimbabwe. Civil unrest is the worst-case sce- space in Zimbabwe. This section much of daily life has shifted on-
lowing order: (i) to investigate the nario usually associated with clo- details the problem and how it af- line. Along with the new digital
nature of and key players in the The findings of the study indi- sure of civic space as people tend fects civil society. marketplaces, social networks, and
closure of the civic space in Zim- cate that the political landscape of to turn to the streets and violence news outlets, the internet has be-
babwe; (ii) to interrogate implica- Zimbabwe is characterised by ten- as an alternative way of expression. The second section presents the come host to a multitude of online
tions and consequences of closure sions that exist between the gov- research objectives and their cor- civic spaces.
of the civic space; and (iii) to in- ernment and CSOs; 81% of the Closure of civic space as a result ollary research questions which
terrogate the possible way forward participants said the government of the PVO Bill will lead to a sharp mainly interrogate the closure of Global internet penetration sur-
for civil society. Key findings are has increased its surveillance and shrinkage in the contribution of the civic space, its consequences passed 50% of the human popu-
summarised as follows: interference in the operations of non-prifit organisations (NPOs)/ on the work of civil society organi- lation in 2017, according to the
civil society in Zimbabwe, 16% non-governmental organisations sations and how this affects the full Digital in 2018 report by We Are
The study found that Zimba- indicated that there is no increase, (NGOs) to the nation’s economy enjoyment of democratic rights of Social and Hootsuite.
bwe in the post-Mugabe era has whereas 3% revealed that they do which will, in turn, intensify the the citizens of Zimbabwe.
witnessed a sequence of political not know about it. economic hardships already felt by Much of the recent growth is
reforms designed to consolidate the citizens of Zimbabwe. The last section presents the occurring in Africa, which saw a
authoritarian rule. Findings of the study revealed mixed-methods strategy used in 20% bump in internet users over
that government’s surveillance and The operation of NGOs is crit- this study. The research strategy the course of 2017.
These include: (i) political ap- interference with operations of ical for generating revenue for the began by in-depth analysis of pub-
pointments and programmes that CSOs is in three categories, name- government through taxes. The lished data which was followed There are now half a billion us-
intensify militarisation of key state ly: (i) political, (ii) legal, and, (iii) PVO Bill threatens to rob the by thematic analysis of data from ers across the continent, with some
institution and Zimbabwe African administrative as explained below. country of this critical tax revenue semi-structured interviews, with of the highest percentage of con-
National Union Patriotic Front stream when implemented. research participants selected nectivity occurring in southern
(Zanu PF) to buttress President The study found that the PVO through purposive sampling. Africa. As the African continent
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s staying in Bill provides an enabling legal Critical sectors of the economy Background: The public space has become more connected, it has
power, (ii) regulations and statuto- framework for the Mnangagwa in Zimbabwe rely more on NGOs and civil society changed how citizens participate
ry instruments that muzzle opposi- regime to demonise, discredit and support and the PVO Bill and at- The closure of civic space and in civic life, as well as how govern-
tion parties and (iii) amendments erode the legitimacy of CSOs in tendant closure of civic space will implications on democracy and ments respond to their citizens.
of legislation and the constitution the eyes of their target constituen- have a reductive impact on this human rights in Zimbabwe are
to narrow political participation of cies. support in Zimbabwe. examined in the auspices of the In part, the internet has opened
opponents of the ruling Zanu PF Introduction Gramscian theory of the public up new avenues for human rights
party and widen the power of the The FATF recommendations This chapter presents the intro- space. defenders (HRDs)  to pursue their
executive branch of government. have been used as a justification duction of the study. It is organ- advocacy. Hashtags that highlight
for authoritarian clampdown of ised into background to the study, For much of human history, civ- human rights issues are able to
This authoritarian consolidation CSOs regarded as opponents of the spread information quickly and
policy has been very injurious to Mnangagwa regime. broadly across a country and even
the democratic gains of the 2009- internationally. This has also been
2013 power sharing reforms. The Findings of this study reveal that
most injured being: judicial inde-
pendence, separation of powers,
constitutionalism, political partic-
ipation and role of civil society.

On authoritarian consolidation
through amendments and politi-
cal appointments, the study found
that identity politics has been used
in appointment of key leaders
of the security forces to buttress
Mnangagwa’s stay in power.

The government under Mnan-
gagwa has presented a lot of amend-
ments and legislation including the
Constitutional Amendment Bill
No.1 and 2, the Patriotic Bill, Cy-
ber and Data Protection Act, Free-
dom of Information Act (The new
AIPPA) and the Private Voluntary
Organisations Amendment (PVO)
Bill which reflect the consolidation
of power and a continuation of
Mugabe’s legacy.

Findings of the study show that
the closure of the civic space has
worsened since the ascent to power
of Mnangagwa.

The study found that the atti-
tude/behaviour of government of
Mnangagwa towards civil society
organisations (CSOs) has been
more hostile compared to what
was there during Mugabe’s era:
84% of the respondents noted that
government’s attitude towards civ-
il society in Zimbabwe is hostile;
10% of the respondents highlight-
ed that the attitude of government
towards civil society is friendly;
while 6% said they do not know

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 33

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

demonstrated in Zimbabwe. society organisations cannot fulfil police district which covers areas ment promulgated into law the Cy- creation, registration and opera-
Public spaces are “environments a number of important roles, in- including Kondo Chipangayi have ber Security and Data Protection tion of all Non Profit Organisa-
cluding fostering citizen participa- taken note of your notification to Act which infringes citizens’ rights tions (NPOs) in Zimbabwe.
open to everybody where, first of tion, exercising accountability in hold a political meeting at Kondo to freedom of expression online
all, a society’s inner contradictions governance, advocating for policy Business Centre on the 13th of Au- and it provides means by which Three main objectives of the
could emerge freely and openly change, and delivering essential gust 2022. government authorities monitor PVO Bill are: (i) to ensure tech-
and where people could begin to services to otherwise excluded peo- private communication and target nical compliance with the rec-
deal with these contradictions” ple. Section 58 of the constitution of opposition and civil society leaders ommendation 8 of the Financial
(Berman, 1986: 477). Zukin Zimbabwe provides for the right to and members. Action Task Force (FATF); (ii) to
(1995) underlines two rules that In an open civic space, CSOs freedom of association and assem- enable effective regulation, regis-
define the public space: (i) public are able to act with autonomy to bly. Section 58 (1) stipulates that: The state has arrested people tration and simplify administrative
stewardship and (ii) open access. advance democracy, development, and charged them with insulting processes for private non-profit or-
good governance, and human Regardless to these constitution- the authority of the president. ganisations and (iii) to make sure
These two definitions reveal rights. It follows that an open pub- al provisions, the government of private non-profit organisations do
that the concept and existence of lic space is key to successful Open President Mnangagwa appears to For instance, in June 2022 the not engage in political lobbying.
the public space is hinged on three Government Partnership (OGP) be descending heavily on political police arrested and detained Zim-
basic rights processes. opponents using the draconian Live editor Mduduzi Mathuthu The recommendation eight
Maintenance of Peace and Order and charged him with insulting raised in Zimbabwe’s Mutual Eval-
(i) the right to freedom of as- In conditions of closed civic (Mopa) Act. or undermining the authority of uation Report noted deficiencies
sembly, (ii) freedom of association space, CSOs cannot fully play their Mnangagwa over a tweet that he related to the country’s anti money
and (iii) freedom of expression. role as OGP partners, and citizen Opposition parties and civic posted about the President’s fiscal laundering and financing of terror-
oversight and participation will groups have faced challenges in or- policies. ism legislation.
These three combine to form the be limited. In an open civic space, ganising their meetings as they are Right to demonstration
constituent elements of the public CSOs can participate as full part- being frustrated by the authorities The right to demonstrate is provid- Due to the aforementioned de-
space and, in turn, the purpose of ners, and citizens are free and able (Freedom House, 2021). Thus, ed for in section 59 of the consti- ficiencies, FATF put Zimbabwe
the public space. It depends on to demand greater accountability the country scored 1/4 points on tution. It states that “every person under a monitoring program in
these rights and serves to promote and transparency from their gov- associational and organisational has the right to demonstrate and to October 2018 to make sure the
them. Thus, rules and regulations ernments. rights under civil liberties. On 10 present petitions, but these rights nation aligns its laws on private
governing the accessibility of and August 2022 the Crisis in Zimba- must be exercised peacefully.” voluntary organisations with rec-
conduct in public spaces should In many authoritarian regimes, bwe Coalition was blocked from ommendation 8. This recommen-
adhere to these rights. These rules the public space has been perceived conducting its prayer rally on the However, since the inception of dation's goal is to prevent terror-
are imposed by and reflect the in- as a threat to the state’s monopoly basis that it failed to meet Mopa the second republic led by Mnan- ist organisations from misusing
terests of the ruling elite, they are of legitimate power (Beste, 1996). requirements. gagwa in November 2017, the right non-profit organisations to either
not negotiated in a rational dis- Thus, in several states including to demonstrate appears to have pose as legitimate entities or to use
course between equals but fought Zimbabwe, a conscious push back The police said similar circum- been effectively banned. As high- legitimate entities as conduits for
for within the existing power rela- against human rights and partici- stances have also happened with lighted above, gatherings by oppo- terrorist financing, including the
tions (Bayley and Shearing; 1996; patory democracy is being made. the Institute for Young Women sition parties and civic groups have use of private foundations.
Jones and Newburn, 2002; Nogala, and Development whose peaceful either been interrupted or blocked
1995; Eick, 1998). This has been occurring in Af- and private stakeholder consulta- by the police on the basis that they However, as shall be shown here
rican states in a bid to close the tive meeting on 29 July 2022 in failed to meet the requirements of below, this international mandate
For civil society to function, public space, for example, the gov- Bindura was disrupted by the heav- Mopa. has offered a ripe opportunity for
flourish and play a full role in pro- ernment of Zambia targeted five ily armed police and four members Problem statement the government to sneak-in its au-
moting democracy, development, journalists from Mano Radio in were arrested. The closure of civic space falls thoritarian consolidation policy
good governance and human rights November 2016, detaining them within a broader authoritarian con- and clampdown on civil society
the three essential rights stated and charging them for using “in- The opposition CCC party has solidation policy of the post-Mug- organisations.
above (i) the right to freedom of sulting language” under section also faced the same fate as some of abe government in Zimbabwe.
assembly, (ii) freedom of associa- 179 of Zambia’s Penal Code. its rallies continue to be banned by The findings of this study indicate We argue that the government
tion and (iii) freedom of expression the police. For instance, in August that, five years after the overthrow of Zimbabwe was motivated by
must be respected and realised. In May 2018 the Lesotho Con- 2022 the police banned CCC par- of former President Robert Mug- its desire to prevent the Zambian
These are protected by the Article stitutional Court declared the ty from going ahead with its po- abe through a hybrid coup d’état precedent, where civic society or-
20 of the Universal Declaration of offence of criminal defamation litical rally in Chipinge. The ban inNovember2017, Zimbabwe has ganisations (CSOs) played a cen-
Human Rights and International unconstitutional in the case of was premised on Mopa and the witnessed a series of political re- tral role in the replacement of the
Covenant on Civil and Political Basildon Peta v Minister of Law, police Chief Superintendent Chin- forms calculated to consolidate au- ruling party by the opposition.
Rights (ICCPR) in Article 22. Constitutional Affairs and Human yanganya in his letter addressed to thoritarian rule. This explains why the government
Rights and 2 Others. the CCC party highlighted that: has relentlessly pursued the PVO
The ICCPR obliges states to en- conform to the provisions of the These include: (i) political ap- Bill despite being removed from
sure that restrictions of these free- Peta was charged with the of- Maintenance of Peace and Order pointments and programmes that the FATF grey list in March 2022
doms are: (1) prescribed by law, (2) fence of criminal defamation after Act, Chapter 11:23 order number intensify militarisation of key state after onsite evaluations.
necessary in a democratic society, the Lesotho Times in 2016 pub- 9/2019.” institution and Zimbabwe African
and (3) seek to fulfil any of the lished a satirical column relating to National Union Patriotic Front In fact, most amendments show
four national interests: national the then Commander of the Leso- The banning of political and (Zanu PF) to buttress president that the intention was to pursue
security or public safety, public or- tho Defence Force, Tlali Kamoli. civic meetings by the police us- Mnangagwa’s staying in power, the two objectives, (i) to enable ef-
der, the protection of public health ing Mopa is a complete disregard (ii) regulations and statutory in- fective regulation, registration and
or morals, or the protection of the The decision to challenge the of the constitution which the su- struments that muzzle opposition simplify administrative processes
rights and freedoms of others. offence was in response to the re- preme law of the land upon which parties and (iii) amendments of for private non-profit organisa-
pression journalists faced in that any other law should be premised. legislation and the Constitution tions and (ii) to make sure private
The standard international country. to narrow political participation of non-profit organisations do not
practice is that states that wish to The government of Mnangagwa opponents of the ruling Zanu PF engage in political lobbying than
limit the freedom of association Overall, the public space means has also violated citizens’ right to party and widen the power of the FATF recommendations.
must give compelling reasons in the freedom for CSOs and human associate or disassociate with any executive branch of government.
addition to stating the above 4 na- rights defenders to operate in a group as provided for by section In addition, Zimbabwe’s adop-
tional interests. In this report, we country which depends on the ex- 58 (2) of the Constitution of Zim- This authoritarian consolidation tion of a blanket approach in
argue that the reasons given by the tent of three basic human rights: babwe. For instance, in Hurungwe policy has been very injurious to designation of NPOs affected by
Mnangagwa regime for restricting freedom of assembly, expression East constituency in Ward 2, a the democratic gains of the 2009- recommendation 8 of the FATF
these freedoms, as shall be demon- and association. Zanu PF councillor was reported 2013 power sharing reforms. The is contrary to the definitions and
strated below, do not pass the Politics of capture in Zimbabwe in July 2023 to be harassing local most injured being: judicial inde- designation of the FATF (2015:7)
"compelling reasons" or "national Freedom of association and assem- villagers for supporting the CCC pendence, separation of powers, which explicitly excludes most
interest" test. bly “every person has the right to party and not attending Zanu PF constitutionalism, political partic- CSOs that deal with political ad-
freedom of assembly and the right meetings cell and branch meetings. ipation and role of civil society. vocacy.
In addition, the three basic rights not to assemble or associate with
constituting the public space are others.” Freedom of expression “every In this context, this study exam- This sheds more light to the
recognised in the United Nations person has the right to freedom of ines the closure of the civic space observation that the main inten-
General Assembly’s Declaration Further to that, section 58 (2) expression, which include freedom in Zimbabwe paying a particular tion is to control, capture and/or
on the Right and Responsibility of provides that, “no person may be to seek, receive and communicate attention on the Private Voluntary clampdown the civic space. The
Individuals, Groups and Organs compelled to belong to an asso- ideas and other information.” Organisations Amendment Bill FATF recommendations became
of Society to Promote and Protect ciation or to attend a meeting or (PVO Bill). a means to an end. The overtures
Universally Recognised Human gathering.” Freedom of expression is pro- to politically control and close the
Rights and Fundamental Freedoms vided for in section 61 (1) (a) (b) Through the PVO Bill, the gov- civic space have outweighed the
(commonly known as the UN “This office brings to your at- of the constitution of Zimbabwe ernment of Zimbabwe seeks to noble cause of the PVO Bill.
Declaration on Human Rights De- tention that your intended demon- which states that. amend the Private Voluntary Or-
fenders) and in Africa, the Coto- stration violates section 10 (1) (a) ganisations Act [Chapter 17:05], — Zimbabwe Democracy Insti-
nou Declaration on strengthening of Maintenance of Peace and Order Notwithstanding this constitu- the legislation that controls the tute.
and expanding the protection of all Act Chapter 11:23 therefore the tionally guaranteed right, Mnan-
HRDs in Africa. demonstration is not sanctioned.” gagwa’s government is accused of *About the writer: The Zimba-
muzzling free expression online bwe Democracy Institute (ZDI)
When the public space is lim- “Chief Superintendent G. Chin- and offline using legal instruments is a politically independent
ited, the essential contribution of yanganya being the regulating au- such as the Criminal Law (Codifi- and not-for-profit public policy
civil society is not realised. Civil thority for Chipinge district, the cation and Reform) Act of 2004. think-tank based in Zimbabwe.

In September 2021, the govern-

Page 34 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Infamous by design: Illicit finance in Zim

LAUREN KEEVIL/NORMAN MUKWAKWAMI Drivers of illicit finance
The ubiquity of illicit finance in Zimbabwe reflects both institutional weaknesses and the reality
THE fight against corruption is in the global limelight. that the current political order relies on the movement of dirty money to bind and stabilise rela-
With the world’s attention trained on responding to Covid-19, citizens are increasingly aware tionships between power-holders. Certain features of the country’s political culture and economy
have created the conditions necessary for illicit finance to thrive and continuously present actors
of the impact public spending has on their livelihoods and wellbeing. The resulting clamour for with opportunities, incentives, and even imperatives to engage in illicit financial activity. These
transparency around government spending and outcry over impunity is a significant moment in a structures and institutions are, respectively, relatively permanent or stable features or relatively
long struggle for greater openness. dynamic and potentially open to change or reform.

The transparency and accountability movement has made inroads from the global level — seen Note that the structural and institutional factors summarised on the next few pages are not
in the founding of the multi-stakeholder Open Government Partnership in 2011 — down to the unique to Zimbabwe. Numerous other countries have struggled with similar dynamics and the
grassroots level. negative consequences they have on the lives of citizens.
Political culture
Unfortunately, countervailing forces are strong. In 2018, the World Economic Forum estimated From the colonial era on, Zimbabwe has exhibited features of an extractive state, where politicians
that annually US$2.6 trillion is lost to corruption and US$1 trillion is spent on bribes — 5% of and the elite steer wealth toward a privileged minority. After Independence in 1980, the army
the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). underwrote state/Zanu PF control in exchange for significant economic rents, in effect building
a quasi-military state. In this relationship-driven environment, clientelism, where power flows di-
This not only hollows out institutions and deprives governments of funds to address critical rectly from a leader and is characterised by the maintenance of intricate networks of patron-client
service needs and meet targets, including the Sustainable Development Goals, but enables illegal relationships, has become an important facet of Zimbabwe’s political economy.

activity by bankrolling criminal networks, drug traffickers, and The exchange of goods, influence, and favours to perpetuate the political order has blurred
militias. boundaries between the public and private spheres, while the capture and distribution of public
resources to support these relationships is facilitated by long-standing efforts to weaken formal
Managing resources to respond to citizen needs is the core pur- institutions and state capacity. For example, the distribution of free agriculture inputs to rural
pose of government, but as illicit finance and corruption syphon communities through Zanu PF structures instead of local government bodies13 has made plain to
funds from the public purse, governments wither and citizens citizens where the real power lies and the economic benefits of party membership.
suffer.
But, party membership does have limits.
Illicit finance is a transnational problem that requires local Frequent cabinet reshuffles and demotions have promoted intra-party factionalism, incentivis-
solutions. Financial crimes are enabled by a global network of ing party members to seek outside resources to fund their political activities, further entrenching
banks, companies, and individuals who understand how to sub- clientelist and short-term thinking, while expanding the circle of rentseekers.
vert financial regulations, but the drivers of this phenomenon are In aggregate, these dynamics have engendered a culture of impunity from political and econom-
unique to the local actors in any given system. This also is true for ic crimes, where the perceived risk for political and economic elites is not in violating formal laws,
solutions; as is the case for many development challenges, even if but in challenging the interests of powerful political patrons.
country-level stakeholders are well aware of global technical best Zimbabwe is defined by opaque, poorly governed public institutions, despite the recently enact-
practices, they require careful contextualisation to be impactful. ed but not fully implemented Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
This is particularly salient for an issue like illicit finance, where Though there are meaningful overtures to implementing the Act, such as the introduction of
local-level solutions must align with global and regional protocols post-cabinet Press meetings, the murky environment and resulting proliferation of conflicts of
to prevent the inadvertent creation of loopholes for illicit finance to flow through. interest have exposed institutions to a higher risk of corruption. Key processes that can act as
The local problem channels for corruption, such as public procurement, continue to operate in Zimbabwe with min-
The high incidence of financial crimes in Zimbabwe serves to both reinforce and amplify the effects imal oversight. The government’s significant presence in regulating, trading, and marketing various
of the country’s relative isolation from international financial systems due to longstanding sanction sectors through state-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly in the transport and energy sectors,
regimes. For a country that needs to grow at an average 7% GDP over the next decade to achieve its presents a similar risk.
Sustainable Development Goals, including goals focused explicitly on health outcomes in the wake Illicit finance thrives in this opacity and in environments where laws are enforced by discretion
of Covid-19, reducing losses from the incidence of illicit finance should be a national imperative. and intra-agency cooperation is not institutionalised, allowing for loopholes to be exploited. For
Indeed, Zimbabwe has experienced a decline in economic output in one out of every two years example, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is relatively well-capacitated and resourced to
since 2000, mainly as a consequence of decisions made by the country’s leadership. The govern- realise its mandate in the formal economy, but struggles to disincentivise tax avoidance and typical-
ment of Zimbabwe (GOZ) admitted that the most recent recession in 2019-2020 was in part ly refrains from holding senior political leaders to account. The Procurement Regulatory Authority
brought on by its “missteps” in implementing austerity policies; the prior Mugabe administration of Zimbabwe (Praz) also inconsistently follows protocol, such as failing to publish procurement
(1980–2017) never made such an admission despite carrying out similar policies. This has left half notices and awards on its website as required by law.
of the country’s citizens living in extreme poverty,6 up from 26% in 1991. There are some bright spots: recent amendments to the Companies Act have introduced a bene-
Simultaneously, to help cement and deepen their hold on power throughout Zimbabwe in ficial ownership register for the first time in the country’s history, a significant step in reducing the
the midst of declining party popularity, politicians from ruling party Zimbabwe African National use of anonymous shell companies to hide the proceeds of illicit activity. Efforts to strengthen the
Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) increasingly have abused public office to enrich themselves and public procurement process by creating Praz are also welcome signs.
finance their political activities, often colluding with corrupt private sector actors. Economy
Despite the challenges ahead, there are many reasons to be optimistic about Zimbabwe’s future, Political structures create and are shaped by a set of economic structures.
not least of which is the dynamism of the Zimbabwean people, who increasingly are aware of the For example, investment in Zimbabwe is significantly conditioned and constrained by the reali-
hydra of illicit finance and consequently are demanding reforms. For example, civil society actors, ty that property rights to most arable land is publicly owned. Weak property rights deprive Zimba-
such as Transparency International Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association, bweans of a form of collateral that can be used to access finance, which many already struggle to do.
and the Publish What You Pay local chapter, are actively making demands for greater transparency Property rights are not the only driver of the country’s credit crunch: Zimbabwe has been under
and openness from the GOZ. Zanu PF has echoed back these sentiments in its rhetoric, epito- some form of sanctions for 28 of the past 57 years, isolating it from international markets. While
mized by President Mnangagwa’s announcements early in his term in office that his administration sanctions are narrowly targeted at key political and economic actors associated with the regime,
would encourage good governance, accountability, and transparency. Unfortunately, real progress their impact is widespread.
has yet to be made. Between 2008 and 2017, Zimbabwean banks lost relationships with more than 50 correspon-
Pact’s response dent banks that were unwilling to be exposed to the financial activity of sanctioned individuals and
For more than 20 years, Pact has worked in Zimbabwe alongside civil society partners in support the potential non-compliance with anti-money laundering legislation.
of a more-democratic society.
Pact Zimbabwe expanded our knowledge of the political economy of the extractive sector, wide-
ly seen as the sector at greatest risk for corruption globally, through our work improving the liveli-
hoods of artisanal gold miners.
Building on our network of trusted relationships forged in these sectors and prior research into
Zimbabwe’s political economy, we set out to understand how illicit finance specifically has affected
Zimbabwe mining and energy sectors. This analysis and the resulting funder interest in the subject
paved the way for Pact to analyse illicit finance across four additional sectors: energy, agriculture,
transport, and health.
Pact conducted a series of studies on illicit finance from 2018 to late 2020 with the support of
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Embassy of Sweden in
Zimbabwe, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the
Transparency, Responsiveness, Accountability, and Citizen Engagement Programme (TRACE).
The researchers interviewed and consulted with more than 200 civil society activists, parliamentari-
ans, academicians, sector experts, government officials, and private sector actors, complemented by
secondary literature to address any potential gaps in the research because of inability to interview
some stakeholders due to the volatile operating environment.
Through these conversations and the resulting analyses, Pact enumerated the risks and vulnera-
bilities that contribute to illicit finance throughout Zimbabwe.
This report captures and synthesises Pact’s findings, focusing on the economic and political
drivers that enable — or in some cases incentivise — Zimbabweans to participate in illicit finance
across the five sectors of mining, energy, agriculture, transport, and health and offers some recom-
mendations on how to continue the push for responsive governance in Zimbabwe and beyond.

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 35

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Altogether, these factors have incentivised informal means of accessing finance, including forc- cate financial crime investigations) further stymies efforts to prevent this crime.
ing some Zimbabwean individuals and businesses to become fluent in moving funds while avoid- Companies in Zimbabwe engage in trade misinvoicing to overcome regressive capital controls
ing American correspondent banks to make legitimate payments. Though they aim to incentivise
foreign direct investment and prevent capital flight, Zimbabwe’s monetary policies and stringent and move capital in and out of the country more freely. A typical large-scale mining operation is
capital controls have had the opposite effect. Instead, the onerous requirements have pushed busi- a capital-intensive process and requires millions of US dollars in upfront investment, and Zim-
nesses and individuals alike to exploit every route possible to keep foreign currency earnings out- babwe’s financial sector does not have adequate capital to finance these investment needs. As a
side the country. The resulting capital flight and increased demand for the US dollar have an result, most sector investment comes from foreign sources, such as banks, venture capitalists, and
outsized impact on Zimbabwe’s inflationary environment. downstream buyers of the minerals who are domiciled outside Zimbabwe. Restrictions on the
movement of capital and the foreign currency shortage makes it exceptionally difficult for foreign
In 2018, the government re-introduced the Zimbabwe dollar, following a decade of de facto mining companies to exchange Zimdollars into US dollars in order to pay dividends to sharehold-
dollarisation, and the official exchange rate overvalues the Zimdollar. As a result, when companies ers. Moreover, mining companies that receive these investments are incentivised to pay it back
or individuals require foreign currency — often necessary for trade — they turn to the informal as quickly as possible to minimise the high cost of borrowing, especially in a hyper-inflationary
market. This also encourages firms and individuals to minimise their exposure to Zimdollar-priced environment. To do this and pay these investors in US dollars, companies exploit opportunities to
goods or assets, maximise short-term profits, avoid domestic lending or ownership, and maximise move their profits out of Zimbabwe (and Zimdollars) and into offshore bank accounts (and US
assets stored in offshore accounts. dollars).
Illicit finance categories and types
Illicit finance in Zimbabwe can be grouped into four categories. Pact adapted these categories from In aggregate, this has a deleterious effect on the economy and stunts the mining sector’s growth
an existing typology developed by Alex Cobham, which balanced colloquial ways of describing potential. One study found that more than US$9 billion in minerals remained unaccounted for
illicit finance in Africa with global literature. due to trade mis-invoicing that occurred from 2002 to 2012. This figure understates the total loss
felt by Zimbabwe’s economy because it does not account for state revenue lost through tax evasion
Within these, Pact’s research identified 16 types of illicit finance in Zimbabwe’s mining, energy, by under-reporting income.
agriculture, transport, and health sectors, the majority of which were present in multiple sectors.  Energy Sector: Collusion
The table below describes each of the categories of illicit finance we used, Zimbabwe’s energy sector is concentrated in the hands of very few entities, including several SOEs,
and represents a significant proportion of the country’s GDP. The paucity of actors and the person-
highlights the individual types of illicit finance that were detected in at least two sectors, and in al links between them have allowed collusion to flourish.
which sectors they were observed.
Category I: Market and regulatory abuse One of these SOEs, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) Holdings, is a monopoly
Trade misinvoicing is the deliberate falsification of traded goods’ value to move capital illicitly that controls the entire electricity supply chain from production to retail, delivering seven terawatt
from one jurisdiction to another and to conceal how and to where money moves. The two most hours of electricity worth US$628 million (approximately 4% of 2020 GDP).
common forms of trade misinvoicing in Zimbabwe are underpricing of exports and overpricing
of imports. Trade misinvoicing is used to evade the government’s capital controls, avoid taxes, and Another SOE, the National Oil Infrastructure Company (Noic), owns a pipeline through which
facilitate kickbacks for corruptly won public tenders. Zimbabwe imported US$1.5 billion worth of petroleum products in 2016. Petroleum products
Category II: Tax abuse are Zimbabwe’s top import, accounting for 28% of all imports and equivalent to 7% of 2017’s
Tax abuse involves tax evasion, the intentional non-payment of duties, and tax avoidance, the estimated GDP.
lawful minimising of taxes owed by exploiting loopholes and exemptions in tax law. Weaknesses
in financial disclosure requirements and the tax administration’s system mean that businesses are Until January 2022, Zimbabwe’s mandatory fuel blending policy required petrol retailers to
able to misrepresent their finances with minimal fear of sanction. Both tax evasion and avoidance blend fuel at a ratio of 80% petrol to 20% ethanol, creating demand for US$150 million worth
contribute to a smaller public purse, thus fewer resources to devote to government services. of ethanol (1% of GDP) annually with the stroke of a pen. Most of this was supplied by a single
Category III: Abuse of public office company, a joint venture between state and private sector actors, whose main beneficial owner has
Corruption, or the abuse of public office for private gain, is often at the centre of illicit finance in a documented record of colluding with ruling party officials to illegally finance elections and loot
Zimbabwe. resources from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Diverse actors are attracted to the economic rents generated by strong state involvement in the Fuel importers exploited this arrangement to gain access to cheaper currency, acquiring foreign
economy. This includes petty corruption, (also known as administrative corruption), which is “the currency in exchange for Zimdollars at the official rate, which often is lower than the black-market
everyday corruption that takes place when bureaucrats meet the public”. rate. Importers can make more money by trading in currency on both markets and exploiting the
exchange rate differential (that is, arbitrage). As one news outlet explained:
It also includes bribery, which is the offer or exchange of money, services, or other valuables to
influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of entrusted power. "Fuel Company A can take [ZW$84 million] to RBZ and receive US$1 million, then exchange
the [US$] 1 million on the parallel market and receive [ZW$120 million]. Company A can then
Grand corruption, on the other hand “is perpetrated at the highest levels of government and return to RBZ with [ZW$84 million] and exchange it for another [US$] 1 million and keep
usually involves both substantial benefits for the officials involved and significant losses for the state ZW$36 million (equivalent to [US$] 300 000 on the informal market) as profit. This is done
and its citizen”. without importing any fuel and leads to fuel shortages."

This can include corrupt public procurement, in which actors intentionally ignore the rules and Fuel importing companies worked with corrupt state officials to pocket these funds, an arrange-
regulations for issuing government contracts and abuse of state subsidies, in which actors use a ment enabled by patronage politics and weak institutions with limited capacity for oversight. This
subsidy for something other than its intended purpose, diluting the subsidy’s attempt to deliver a dynamic further entrenches the clientelist system underpinning Zimbabwe’s political economy,
public good. Collusion, when organisations or individuals work together to manipulate a market with Zimbabwean citizens forced to bear the brunt of the cost, either through their wallets by
for their maximum benefit, between public and private actors is also an important trend. These absorbing fuel price shocks or through low-quality public infrastructure.
types of abuses can lead to government officials enriching themselves, anticompetitive practices,
and other consequences. Agriculture Sector: Abuse of state subsidies and corrupt procurement
Category IV: Proceeds of crime Agriculture is a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy, occupying the centre of daily life, touching
Criminal activities that contribute to illicit finance include the theft, or stealing, of public resources nearly every citizen, and animating several political debates. The state spent a staggering 20% of
(financial and non-financial) and the smuggling of goods across borders. Smuggling is the illegal GDP on agriculture in 2015–2018 alone, nearly 68% of rural citizens derive their livelihoods
movement of goods through a country by circumventing import rules, such as safety standards, directly or indirectly from farming, more than 8% of GDP comes from the agriculture sector, the
taxes, and contract regulations. sector employs 66% of the country’s labor force, and tobacco is Zimbabwe’s second-most exported
How illicit finance materialises good (behind gold). Unfortunately, the sector’s importance to Zimbabwe makes the corruption
Dirty money does not grow on trees, but it can be helpful to think of one when within it have even-morewidespread and potent consequences for citizens.

conceptualising illicit finance’s reach and diversity. As described earlier, the structures and insti- Food security has remained a clear government priority in recent years. Zimbabwe has been
tutions in Zimbabwe’s economy and political system bind together into common factors — the implementing the Command Agriculture programme, a subsidy programme supporting maize
tree’s roots and trunk — underlying the various financial crimes witnessed across different sectors consumers and producers, since 2016. Corrupt public procurement and abuse of state subsidies
— the tree’s branches. have undermined Command Agriculture’s ostensible efforts to make Zimbabwe’s agriculture sys-
tem more productive, equitable, and competitive. Pact’s analysis focused on Command Agriculture
Each sector covered in this section — mining, energy, agriculture, health, and transport — can operations before 2019. While important reforms have occurred since, Pact identified weaknesses
be affected by multiple forms of illicit finance, but each sector case study focuses on one type
uncovered in Pact’s research. Each case study presents which form of illicit finance is analyzed,
why they continue, who participates, and what the costs are. Together, the case studies provide a
window into of how illicit finance manifests in Zimbabwe and its real-world consequences to sup-
port developing politically savvy solutions and to help make citizens aware of the toll illicit finance
exacts on their livelihoods.
Mining Sector: Trade mis-invoicing
Zimbabwe is mineral rich, so the mining sector is an important driver of growth, generating 60%
of the country’s export earnings in 2021. As President Mnangagwa once stated, this “presents huge
growth prospects towards the speedy attainment of our national vision to become an upper mid-
dle-income economy by 2030”. However, the sector’s wealth-generation potential, on top of the
opacity of and inconsistencies within mineral pricing, has allowed trade misinvoicing to become
pervasive.

Trade mis-invoicing is a notoriously difficult problem to address because it too often eludes
regulators, who have limited capacity and knowledge to cut through the red tape of the account-
ing procedures used to obscure the transactions and who are unfamiliar with the market price of
minerals.

The lack of transparency by mining companies (including hidden beneficial owners that compli-

Page 36 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

within the governance of the Command Agriculture in which public and private actors colluded to Covid-19 and corruption
move as much money as possible into their own pockets and distributed funds in a way that flouted Health contracts hold the potential for graft. Zimbabwe’s 2019 national budget shows that in
parliamentary oversight and utilised opaque financing arrangements. 2018, the government spent US$104 million on public procurement in the health sector, equiva-
lent to 0.4% of GDP. Efforts to redirect some of that money through patronage networks and into
CAP’s poorly managed and targeted subsidies demonstrate how Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector the pockets of the political elite grabbed global headlines: In response to the Covid-19 pandemic,
has been vulnerable to powerful actors’ abilities to circumvent procurement protocols, oversight the government sought to procure medical supplies and equipment valued at US$60 million and
mechanisms, and due diligence laws. Public procurement systems and safeguards were routinely awarded a sole-source US$20 million contract to Drax Consult SAGL, a new company whose only
ignored at all stages of the programme, from the initial contract being awarded through a closed line of business had been government tenders. Drax charged the government double the market
door, sole-sourcing agreement to the procurement of inputs to be distributed to farmers, providing price for medical supplies, leading to the Health minister being dismissal and charged with corrup-
ample opportunities for abuse. tion, a rare rebuke in a political system where the well-connected often are shielded from sanction.
Transport Sector: Bribery
Before 2019, the State Procurement Board (widely seen as linked to Zanu PF and once de- The transport sector is an indispensable facilitator of economic activity in land-locked Zimbabwe,
scribed as “the most corrupt entity in the country”) oversaw the public procurement process. delivering products to domestic and export markets, bringing raw materials to industries, moving
Multiple informants suggested that the government ignored procurement procedures to control people within the country and across its borders, and delivering humanitarian aid to where it is
Command Agriculture’s financing arrangement, which offered easy access to capital through the needed the most. In doing so, the sector contributes approximately 9% of GDP and employs 92
sale of treasury bills. Once the government borrowed funds through Command Agriculture, the 000 people, just under 1 in 30 Zimbabweans in the labor force.
lender (Sakunda Holdings) had free licence to spend the funds on the government’s behalf, without
procedures in place for monitoring the value and necessity of expenditures or to avoid conflicts of The government is heavily involved in the sector’s management and regulation through the min-
interest in future procurements. istry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and a dozen SEOs. Like the agriculture sector,
state engagement has made the transport sector susceptible to the clientelist and rent-seeking facets
One cabinet minister tweeted that some inputs procured for the program were “grossly over- of Zimbabwe’s political economy. Pact’s research uncovered that bribery has become a ubiquitous
priced”, citing a pesticide that was priced by Command Agriculture at more than twice its market phenomenon to help quicken cumbersome processes and as a mutually beneficial way for public
price. officials and transport operators to “make the most” of an overly bureaucratic system. The road
sub-sector in particular is heavily affected by bribery thanks to the large number of state regulators,
Once farmers finally received the subsidy, the broader political economy incentivised them to dominance by private sector actors, and a multiplicity of touchpoints between the two.
misuse the funds. Instead of using inputs to produce mealie-meal, a staple crop, farmers sold the
inputs on the black market for US dollars. This was more money than they would have received Public officials, whose incomes have been significantly eroded by inflation (earning approxi-
from the government for mealie-meal, which would have been paid in the rapidly depreciating mately US$56-130 per month), are incentivised to augment their incomes. In turn, regulatory
Zimdollars. With money leaking out of the programme at every step, Command Agriculture has agencies are reported to intentionally make requirements burdensome to motivate transport oper-
been unable to meet its objective of improving the country’s food security situation, with close to ators to offer bribes to avoid the expensive and time-consuming process and obtain their licenses
5.5 million Zimbabweans finding themselves food insecure in 2020. faster. The lack of timelines dictating when regulatory decisions should be made also creates an
unbalanced power dynamic, where regulators have total discretion over when applicants receive
their approvals, usually at a cost to applicants with no legal recourse. For example, there are ample
opportunities to grease palms, as money changes hands up to four times for a haulage truck oper-
ator to obtain the required licenses and approvals.

Petty corruption in the transport sector may be smaller in scale than other illicit finance types
in other sectors, but its impact on Zimbabwe’s citizens is equally corrosive as the grand corruption
witnessed in other sectors. It not only leads to the loss of revenue for the government and harms
the economy’s attractiveness to investors and tourists, it weakens transportation infrastructure and
makes the country’s roads unsafe; Zimbabwe has the highest proportion of overall deaths caused
by road traffic accidents globally, approximately 6.5%.

Health Sector: Smuggling Navigating opportunities and barriers
Quality health service delivery is essential for all people, a fact made even more obvious by the The dynamics and stakeholders driving illicit finance in Zimbabwe have deep roots in the coun-
Covid-19 pandemic. Zimbabwe’s economic collapse in the 2000s seriously damaged health service try’s history and, over time, have become linchpins of the current socio-economic order. As in any
delivery; the government could no longer maintain and improve infrastructure or pay public health country, it will take a significant investment of time, effort, and resources by international and
workers adequately, while citizens, struggling with hyper-inflation and high unemployment, were national actors to combat the trends that have created powerful incentives for corruption, a task
no longer able to afford insurance. As the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe exhausted foreign currency made harder by Zimbabwe’s relative economic isolation.
reserves, the country’s ability to import critical medication and supplies was compromised. The
International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommends that a country have enough foreign currency in Across the variety of financial crimes Zimbabwe is struggling to confront, a number of public,
reserve to cover at least three months of imports; in 2018, Zimbabwe had enough for three days. private, and civic actors are well-positioned to affect positive change. To do so effectively, they will
Worse still, Zimbabwe has a poor credit rating and most reputable suppliers are unwilling to offer need to circumvent other actors with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
the country’s government or companies any credit lines to import medicine or accept payments
in Zimdollars. In the next section on recommendations, we will examine how to join forces with or navigate
around these stakeholders to achieve anti-corruption objectives and mitigate fiduciary risks.
The fallout from the economic crises created conditions for an overwhelming demand for af- Recommendations for stakeholders in combatting illicit finance in Zimbabwe
fordable medical drugs, which formal public and private health institutions have been unable meet For civil society and media
through legal means. This incentivized retail pharmacists to seek the cheapest possible medication Short-term recommendations
to keep their businesses afloat. Smuggling became one illicit solution to this problem, and smug- Improve data use and uptake for advocacy and reporting, and identify opportunities to improve
glers were readily able to meet the pharmacies’ demands, often involving actors outside the public information collection and sharing.
health system, such as informal traders. We also found that some government-employed pharma-
cists run smuggling rackets and use their influence to evade border controls. The local pharmaceu- Civil society organisations (CSOs) and journalists have demonstrated that there is ample de-
ticals industry ranks drug smuggling as one of its top-four challenges and estimates that one in five mand for their work, evidenced by rising levels of public interest in corruption and government
drugs consumed that are procured through the national health system, worth an estimated US$60 action in response to this pressure, such as the cancellation of Covid-19 relief contracts following
million per year, is smuggled into Zimbabwe. allegations of corruption by journalists. CSOs’ and media’s work are distinct but complementary,
and identifying how to leverage their respective strengths could amplify the work of both. In the
Throughout our research, health system providers, users, and observers consistently described short term, this could be done by improving how data is identified and utilised to fight illicit fi-
pronounced material and equipment nance. Both CSOs and media houses would benefit from understanding how to better use public
shortages that have a direct or indirect data sources to support their individual advocacy and reporting, respectively. This could be com-
impact on quality of care and use of
the system. Most drugs have some
storage requirements and are poten-
tially similarly affected when moved
illegally, especially if they are trans-
ported alongside other goods, such
as stockfeed and fuel. For example,
one health expert noted that “some
life-saving drugs like insulin are very
sensitive to temperature and the con-
ditions they are smuggled under are
likely to deactivate them which poses
a real danger of death for the patients
who use the drugs”. Other drugs could
be fake or sub-standard, posing health
risks for users. Beyond these serious
consequences on health outcomes,
smuggling distorts the health sector
by undermining the pharmaceutical
industry, tax-paying manufacturers,
and registered importers of drugs.

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 37

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

plemented by providing analogous data literacy and use training to CSOs so they are well-posi- so that they and other stakeholders can provide more continuous oversight.
tioned to integrate the information generated by journalists in their advocacy work.
For bilateral donors, international financial institutions (IFIs), and devel-
Exploring how to proactively identify and capitalise on opportunities to improve information opment agencies
collection and sharing can generate quick wins. For example, CSOs can spearhead large-scale pub-
lic education campaigns to increase awareness of the cost of financial crimes and mobilise the Short-term recommendations
public to report cases of illicit finance through formal channels, such as Deloitte’s Tip-Offs Anon-
ymous and Transparency International’s Advocacy and Legal Advice Centers. Then, investigative Build on and capacitate existing systems within Zimbabwe to increase ac-
journalists and law enforcement officials can follow up on these tips as appropriate. Though this countability and address weak links.
approach is more likely to identify cases of petty, rather than grand, corruption, in the absence of
robust whistleblower protections, this can help build the norm that abuse of public resources will Development partners should consider how best to build on existing sys-
not be tolerated. tems in Zimbabwe to increase accountability and address gaps that hinder
Long-term recommendations progress.
Re-frame corruption and illicit finance as a constitutional
concern. For example, bilateral donors prioritising support to civil society might fo-
Current advocacy campaigns in Zimbabwe focus on building awareness of the costs of illicit fi- cus on providing targeted financial support to CSOs so they can raise citizen
nance and channeling public outrage. Looking forward, CSOs should continue to exert pressure awareness of the prevalence and consequences of illicit finance or could sup-
on the government to enforce anti-corruption policies and to be at the forefront of exposing illicit port the production of toolkits and training for investigative journalists on
finance cases. Important to this is identifying how to better link CSOs and journalists through modern techniques and skills to investigate financial crimes. IFIs that work
coordination mechanisms or informationsharing platforms. There also may be opportunities to directly with government partners could consider similar approaches to capac-
re-frame advocacy efforts by recasting questions of illicit finance and corruption as constitutional itate key government actors, such as Zacc investigators or the Auditor-Gener-
concerns. Constitutional issues have been at the forefront of civic activism in recent years; by fo- al’s Office to ensure audits are conducted in a more-robust and systemic way
cusing on Parliament’s delineated responsibilities and stated requirements for government officials to expose how incidents of illicit finance occur and who benefits from them.
to act in the public interest, there is potential to fight financial crimes with litigation.
For government and Parliament Long-term recommendations
Short-term recommendations
Capitalise on “pockets” of political will to enforce integrity legislation and address loopholes. Encourage and facilitate sharing of lessons learned in fighting illicit finance
Thanks to a recent raft of legislation, several of Zimbabwe’s laws, such as the Freedom of Informa- between international and Zimbabwean actors, and support advocacy and cit-
tion Act and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, would begin to stem the izen education in development partners’ home countries.
flow of illicit finance if properly enacted. In some cases, these laws appear aspirational and full en-
actment is unlikely given current resource constraints. However, the political will signaled by these Development partners are uniquely positioned to broker linkages between
de jure changes can be channeled into reforms that make an immediate impact, such as ensuring Zimbabweans and other international actors and to share global lessons learned, all of which are
Praz publishes notices of public procurement and contract awards on the Praz website within needed. Development agencies can connect Zimbabwean CSO partners with like-minded CSOs
30 days of award, as mandated by law. The government also could prioritise the development of in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia for dedicated learning exchanges or can
e-procurement systems to reduce the amount of discretion officials have over public spending and conduct discrete analyses, such as on the drivers of regional drug smuggling routes throughout
to maximise transparency. For example, in the agriculture sector, an e-voucher system for input southern Africa. These activities can lay the groundwork for future collaboration and informa-
distribution will help reduce leakages, ensure transparency, and improve targeting of beneficiaries tion-sharing. IFIs could explore strengthening analogous information-sharing for government
and productivity. Lastly, the government should prioritise reforming inefficient government pro- partners, such as Zacc, to support regional cooperation and promote the uptake of global best
cesses to minimise opportunities for petty corruption, such as the transport licensing processes that practices.
require too many intermediary steps.
Long-term recommendations The knowledge generated through these activities can be used for advocacy, certainly in Zim-
Capacitate and empower an independent Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission (Zacc) to in- babwe, but also to educate citizens of development partners’ home countries. Illicit finance is a
vestigate illicit finance, and ensure the independence of financial intelligence units (FIUs), the trans-national problem, so localised solutions, while critical, cannot fully address the problem; if
judicial system, and SOE boards. one route for dirty money is closed, bad actors will find another to exploit. Development partners
should proactively share their work, urging their home countries to cooperate with the interna-
There are “islands of integrity” within the government should be identified proactively and tional community to regulate tax havens within their jurisdictions, promote supply chain due
strengthened. Chief among them, Zacc must be capacitated with the techniques to investigate diligence, and demand fiscal transparency.
illicit finance, such as the expertise to conduct quantitative analysis of trade data, and be made in-
dependent and autonomous to carry out full prosecution of corruption cases. In addition, because Global and local solutions: Better together
financial crimes do not stop at the border, neither can Zacc’s work. Wherever possible, Zacc should The corrosive impact of financial crime in Zimbabwe extends past the cost borne by its citizens to
work with other countries’ FIUs and law enforcement, prioritising learning techniques and ap- exacerbating worrying global trends and undermining good governance.
proaches to build their internal capacity, while simultaneously building the quality of their collab-
orations with analogous offices in other countries. Other bodies within the government also must This has entered the zeitgeist, with a renewed focus on anti-corruption efforts observed in mul-
become autonomous to fully inhabit their mandates, such as FIU, the judicial system, and SOE tilateral institutions, such as the World Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and De-
boards. Because change will come from within, government reformers throughout the government velopment, and World Economic Forum. It is also reflected in the domestic priorities of powerful
should seek to enforce existing laws consistently, particularly public disclosure laws, and consider global influencers, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, which recently launched
engaging civil society for technical assistance when necessary. To complement this, civil society a dedicated strategy on the subject that describes “[c]orruption [as] a cancer within the body of
should continue advocating for government transparency through the implementation of existing societies — a disease that eats at public trust and the ability of governments to deliver for their
laws and pushing for additional reforms (such as making the beneficial ownership register public) citizens”.

Importantly, a growing chorus of experts have explicitly linked tackling corruption
to achieving other global policy objectives, such as climate change. Though Zimbabwean pres-
ident Mnangagwa’s participation in the most-recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26)
and expressed commitment to reducing Zimbabwe’s emissions by 40% before 2030 are welcome
signs, the country’s energy transition risks coming at the cost of human development goals. As
discussed above, the mining and energy sectors — key actors in the push to reduce fossil fuel use
— are rife with potential for corruption in Zimbabwe and globally, while the billions of dollars
invested in the renewables industry, attracting a frenzy of new actors, poses similar risks.
To guard against these, actors must capitalise on opportunities to deepen global collaboration,
knowledge, and skills exchange around illicit finance. Solutions to trans-national problems are only
as strong as their weakest links. Actions taken in Zimbabwe to tamp down on illicit finance do
not occur in a vacuum and must account for and align with global and regional efforts. Therefore,
initiatives to counter illicit finance must remain cognizant of the challenges facing anti-corruption
advocates in other contexts like Zimbabwe and must help them address those challenges to avoid
missing blind spots and creating new loopholes that can be exploited later. Many of the recom-
mendations offered in this report draw on the experiences of anti-corruption advocates around the
world, creating clear channels for exchange. Linking the efforts of local actors with global initiatives
may support more-durable solutions that are greater than the sum of their parts.
As the world continues to focus on identifying and eliminating places to stash ill-gotten gains,
corrupt actors will adapt at the continued expense of the world’s poor. While it is unlikely that the
battle against illicit finance will have a tidy conclusion, action is still warranted and valuable. The
human cost associated with paying bribes, taking counterfeit drugs, experiencing limited access
to services, and sub-standard quality of infrastructure in Zimbabwe is clear — a sobering reality
mirrored in other country contexts. This global effort has the potential to advance anti-corruption
reforms and unlock new potential to address the world’s thorniest problems and lift people out of
poverty. Pact hopes that illuminating how the web of illicit finance has been spun in Zimbabwe
will contribute to this momentum and provide anti-corruption champions with even more tools
to rise to the challenge.
— Pact.

*About the writers: Founded in 1971, Pact is an international not-for-profit organisation
headquartered in the United States. This article was funded by Pact Inc. and the research pre-
sented therein was funded by UKaid, the US Agency for International Development, and the
Embassy of Sweden in Zimbabwe. The information and views contained in this publication
are those of the authors alone and do not reflect the official opinion of the British, American,
or Swedish Government or any other party.

Page 38 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Critique of the chiefs report on consultative
meetings held on Gukurahundi atrocities

Taona B. reason why the Zanu PF government and
Denhere its leadership are side-stepping the issue of
apology is because they fear that issuing
Introduction Accord document. These three documents Additionally, another concerning aspect deal with Gukurahundi grievances and in- an apology for their Gukurahundi com-
On 18 October 2022, President Emmer- are crucial in providing a historical founda- of this chiefs' report which again casts doubt justices. However, it has more to do with missions and omissions might open the
son Mnangagwa launched a manual on tion for interrogating any real or perceived on the sincerity of the Zanu PF government the desire to circumvent and avoid poten- floodgates of litigation from the victims
Gukurahundi community engagement redress for Gukurahundi genocidal and eth- in providing effective reparative, restorative tial international legal, punitive and prose- and survivors.
process of chiefs together with the report on nocidal crimes. and corrective measures for the Gukura- cutorial ramifications on some of the chief
consultative meetings on the Gukurahundi hundi survivors and victims is the single architects of Gukurahundi genocide. The report talks about construction of
“issue”. Accordingly, as expected both these Another crucial element to critique into mention of the term justice. Thus, in its 22- memorials, which are part and parcel of
documents have ignited fierce and compet- this report is the human factor and element page report the term justice was mentioned However, to a certain extent any poten- symbolic justice for the victims and the
ing reactions and commentary from dispa- of it, that is the chiefs who have been tasked only once, that is on page 10 – again as a tial transitional justice mechanisms aimed survivors of the Gukurahundi genocide.
rate sections of Zimbabweans and across with resolving the so-called Gukurahundi mere footnote rather as a major highlight of at addressing the Gukurahundi genocide On page 14 it says: “The President has
both sides of the political spectrum. “issues”. Thus, the institution of chiefs has the report. Consequently, this de-emphasis- needs to be internationalised. That is, the opened up the space for people to freely
been highly politicised, captured and cor- ing of justice in this report casts doubt on domestic process needs to borrow exten- grieve their loved as part of the process to
Consequently, this opinion piece at- rupted by the Zanu PF government. It is whether the chiefs under instruction from sively from other foreign jurisdictions that find closure”. Nevertheless, this statement
tempts to provide both a discursive and well-known fact that chiefs are highly par- the Zanu PF government have the political have effectively conducted and institu- is far removed from reality. Over the past
deconstructive critique of the 22-page con- tisan and deeply pliant towards the Zanu will to robustly disseminate restorative nor tionalised transitional justice mechanisms two years, three Gukurahundi memorials at
sultative meetings on Gukurahundi “issue” PF government. Coupled with the fact reparative justice for the Gukurahundi sur- within their polities. This is largely due to Bhalagwe in Matabeleland South province
(the report). Therefore, I will argue, that that, chiefs are beneficiaries of the Zanu vivors and victims. the fact that Zimbabwe has no judicial and have been desecrated and destroyed at times
ipso facto, the chiefs` report – notwith- PF government’s patronage and crony-cli- political experiences in conducting such a through the deployment of military-grade
standing the fact that it attempts to provide entelism system and have historically acted The report also emphasises that the pro- process. explosives. However, on all these three sep-
the traditional leaders with a road-map to- as the defacto political commissars of Zanu cess of redressing Gukurahundi historical arate occasions the memorials have been
wards resolving Gukurahundi “issues” – is PF during election season. As such, this grievances is going to be purely locally driv- Therefore, it will be rational for the destroyed, no concerted effort was made by
punctuated with some deeply concerning calls into further question the integrity and en and, as such that, neither foreigners nor government of Zimbabwe to consult and the state to apprehend the perpetrators.
legal blind spots and considerable and de- independence of the chiefs in dispensing foreign theories will be involved. Further- engage countries such as South Africa,
liberative omissions. That will undoubtedly far-reaching and transformative decisions more, Chief Fortune Charumbira on page which carried out arguably one of the most Suffice it to say that the chiefs' con-
call into question the sincerity, the political in resolving Gukurahundi grievances.   we 21 illustrates that an international commis- successful reparative and restorative transi- sultative report, which aims to provide a
will and seriousness of the government of must question whether the chiefs can be sion of enquiry is unnecessary.  However, at tional justice mechanisms, the Truth Rec- roadmap towards some form of commu-
Zimbabwe to resolve what it euphemistical- the impartial arbiters in this highly emotive face value this proposition sounds logical onciliation Commission.  Since, the Zanu nity-driven non-trial-based transitional
ly defines as Gukurahundi “issue”, which and divisive matter of the Gukurahundi and useful, it sought to reinforce the ethos PF government has over the past three years justice, has been made untenable by the
nonetheless satisfied the international crim- genocide. of “African solutions to African problems”, has cultivated a political and diplomat- fact that transitional justice mechanisms
inal law thresholds of the crime of genocide, which is quite commendable. ic bromance with Rwanda. Therefore, it have by their very nature been conducted
war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the report highlighted the fact would have been pragmatic for it to consult by post-genocidal regimes, post-autocratic
Thus, I will further argue that the chiefs' that chiefs will derive their authority in re- However, this approach in terms of and engage widely with the government of regimes and post-perpetrator regimes. That
report is reductive and minimalistic in na- solving Gukurahundi “issues” from section comprehensively addressing Gukurahun- President Paul Kagame on how it managed is, it is unprecedented in the historiography
ture and it will be incapable for laying out a 281 of the 2013 constitution of Zimbabwe. di is insular and quite exclusionary. Thus, to successfully institute transitional justice of transitional justice mechanisms that the
clear  roadmap towards far-reaching trans- Nonetheless, section 281 does not go far it negates and downplays the fact that tge mechanisms. perpetrators preside and institute those
formative justice for both the survivors and enough in terms of empowering chiefs in Gukurahundi genocide had international mechanisms. For instance, if you look at the
victims of the Gukurahundi genocide administering community-level non-prose- dynamics to it. For instance, the former Another deeply concerning aspect of Rwandan example it was the post-genocid-
Performance of injustice and spectacle of cutory-based restorative or reparative justice South African apartheid government was this report is the issue to do mainly with al regime of President Paul Kagame in con-
legalities for the victims of state-sanctioned crimes heavily invested in the Gukurahundi geno- the apology. Thus, it has been highlighted junction with the international community
Thus, it is an undisputed fact that Guku- against humanity or genocidal crimes. cide. North Korea actively trained and that the Zanu PF government is comfort- that instituted transitional justice for the
rahundi was a genocide at industrial level armed the crack 5 Brigade military unit able with acknowledging the Gukurahundi victims and survivors of the 1994 genocide
and various objective studies and researches Therefore, what is needed is robust leg- and the roles of the United Kingdom gov- “issues”. However, it is deeply uncomfort- against the Tutsi people. The same applies
have proved beyond reasonable doubt that islative architecture in the form of a Guku- ernment and the international community able with apologising for the same issues. to the post-genocidal Khmer Rouge of
Gukurahundi was a genocide. However, rahundi Bill or a Gukurahundi Act. That need to be interrogated. In particular, the It also reports that if the apologies are to Cambodia, who presided over transitional
the framing and the definitional wording of would have express and legal provisions deafening silence and condonation of the come through, they have to be done by the justice for the genocidal victims of Pol Pot.
the chiefs' report is very much problematic. providing proper terms and provisions that authoritarian excesses of the Robert Mug- chiefs on behalf of the government. That Therefore, the Zanu PF government is in-
That is, it is reductive and minimalistic in specifically address both prosecutory and abe government during the height of the is, the Zanu PF government and the chief volved in cakeism, whereby it wants to have
nature, in that Gukurahundi is trivialised non-prosecutory transitional justice mech- Gukurahundi terror and genocide are mat- perpetrators of Gukurahundi are outsourc- its cake and eat it at the same time.
and reduced to a mere footnote of being anisms for the survivors and victims of ters of interest. ing their responsibilities to apologies to the
an “issue” rather than being classified as a Gukurahundi. Such legislative instrument victims and survivors of Gukurahundi to However, there is another school of
genocide. would have provided effective guardrails for Also, the decision by the Zanu PF gov- the chiefs. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond thought which argues that, notwith-
the provision of reparative, restorative and ernment to side-step the international com- Tutu once famously said: "There is no fu- standing the faults and the pitfalls within
Accordingly, on this 22-page chiefs' re- retributive justice for Gukurahundi vic- munity in resolving the historical genocidal ture without forgiveness”.  Consequently, this, nonetheless to a certain degree it is a
port the term genocide was mentioned only tims and survivors. Therefore, by having a injustices of Gukurahundi is not based on the lack of an apology from the government commendable step that the Zanu PF gov-
once on page 11 as a mere asterisk rather chiefs' consultative meeting report without the principle or belief that Zimbabwe has deeply brings into question the authorities' ernment, albeit belatedly, is now openly
than being emphasis as the major high- a Gukurahundi Act is akin to the Zanu PF indigenous legal and institutional frame- sincerity and their political will to effective- discussing the Gukurahundi genocide. The
light and raison d'être of the report. Con- government putting cart before the horse. works to appropriately and methodically ly redress these grievances. Moreover, the Gukurahundi genocide is no longer a taboo
sequently, this points to a well-calculated topic and, as such, the government has de-
process by the government of Zimbabwe criminalised the topic. Also important to
to downplay and circumvent the gravity note is that the report, despite its imperfec-
of the Gukurahundi genocide. Moreover, tions, is a good starting point for redressing
by adopting this restrictive approach of the historical grievances of Gukurahundi
classifying Gukurahundi as an issue rather genocide.
than a genocide, this then has a detrimental
impact on the terms of reference of resolv- It provides some low hanging fruits
ing the Gukurahundi genocide. That is, it such as the issuance of birth certificates to
negates the standardised international le- the victims and survivors. There is also the
gal mechanisms of dealing and addressing provision of exhumations and burials of
war crimes, crimes against humanity and the victims and possibilities of psychosocial
the crime of genocide. That requires both therapeutic relief for the survivors through
trial-based transitional justice mechanisms sharing and opening up of their repressed
and non-trial-based transitional justice pain, trauma and memories of Gukurahun-
mechanisms. di, among other issues.
Conclusions
Prima facie, the chiefs' report immedi- Notwithstanding the fact that the Zanu
ately raises eyebrows to any serious observ- PF government is belatedly and grudging-
er, critic or reader in the sense that neither ly opening up the discussions and debates
the front page nor the back page contains around the emotive, traumatic and painful
reference sections that must have contained aspects of Gukurahundi genocide, new
various historical documents which are es- steps such as the Report on the Consulta-
sential in informing or providing a histor- tive Meetings on Gukurahundi Issues by
ical basis for the chiefs' report. There were the Chiefs from predominately Matabele-
no reference sections that acknowledged land regions are worth noting. This initia-
invaluable historical Gukurahundi docu- tive – despite some considerable positives
ments such as the classified  Chihambakwe   such as provisions of birth certificates to the
commission report, the Catholic Com- survivors and exuhimations and reburials
mission on Justice and Peace report titled of the victims – is still plagued with serious
Breaking the Silence and the 1987 Unity and concerning issues that have the poten-
tial of defeating the whole process of re-
dressing Gukurahundi historical genocidal
grievances. Thus, the report might end up
applying symptoms to the problems rather
than solutions to the problems. Accord-
ingly, the report might end up spawning
performance of impunity and a staging of
illusion.

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 39

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

MATTHEW MARE Religion, masculinity and
femininity dichotomy
THE masculine-feminine dichotomy
emerges as one of the key notions to Archbishop Ezekiel Guti and wife Eunor. zi Wimbo does also have a school at
explain the root causes of abuse of the Goora. This is a serious theological
girl child. It is the assumption of this study (2016:56). (Öhlmann et al., 2018:4). In ATR, anti-climax and a milestone achieve-
that the government of Zimbabwe These argued that AICs contribute society had mechanisms such as ment especially in such closed church
Peterson and Runyana (2010) ob- must intervene on gender insensitive nhimbe/ilima and zunde ramambo/ societies like JMAC. It is the assump-
serve that when we favour or privilege churches such as the JMAC with the immensely toward upliftment of the isiphala senkosi to ensure a collective tion of this study that, these school
that which is associated with feminin- view to transform their theologies so lives of its congregants. Typologically, response to labour and hunger. shall help transform the lives and
ity, it is these dualisms that have tra- that they complement the govern- Turner (1967:17) referred to AICs as welfare of women and children in
ditionally valued the masculine side ment’s drive to empower and recog- African churches, primarily for Africa Perhaps, what might be of concern JMAC.
of the man-woman dichotomy more nise the rights of women and chil- without missionary Godfathers. to the theology of JMAC and AICs is
than the feminine. dren. the non-spiritual element to the doc- Education is very important in
According to Öhlmann et al. trine of polygamy. transforming lives including that of
This is reinforced by McCann and Gendered development (2018:4), the church must play a piv- women as well as awakening their
Kin (2010) who further observe that Llo (2014:34) asserts that it is im- otal role in uplifting the lives of its There are human rights concerns consciousness about human rights in
the common use of man to designate perative for the government to recog- people. to this research regarding child la- general and the rights of women and
human beings in general also favours nise AICs as key partners in develop- bour and women abuse. The JMAC children in particular.
masculinity at the expense of femi- ment. Thus, he advocates for strategic He noted that, in most parts of teaching that no man with one eye
ninity. partnership between the government Africa, AICs control a larger popula- can enter the kingdom of God is to Maphosa, Sibanda and Maka-
and AICs in order to ensure that sus- tion. He also stated that, the church say only polygamous man enters the hamadze (2011:262) assert that edu-
They further argue that the hierar- tainable livelihoods of women and must play its role towards sustainable kingdom of God. cation transforms the social and eco-
chical dualism of Man and Woman children in the religious sphere are development of which AICs were the nomic lives of church members and
is so pervasive that is if we rewrite or effectively transformed. proponents of human security and Of note is that children and wom- ordinary people. The trio went on to
redefine the inferior, deprivileged side Llo further argues that the con- the doctrine of indigenisation. AICs en in polygamous families are regard- state that, the state must support the
of that dualism, we cannot correct its tribution of AICs to development is encourage small and medium enter- ed as cheap labour and this position is church’s developmental initiatives.
devalued status. Instead, we redefine an area that has not been fully ex- prises, a concept well-articulated in an antithesis to the goal of the church They gave an example when the late
that which is undervalued but retain plored by scholarship. He noted the Daneel when he talked about basket as an empoweree. former President Robert Mugabe
its devalued status. This aspect of at- following scholars as the only schol- makers. commissioned a ZCC conference in
tempts to critique hierarchical dual- arly work done so far exploring the In the past, AICs were not con- 2011 and also conferred a honorary
ism like reason and feeling has been contribution of AICs to develop- While there is evidence of polyga- cerned about building social ame- doctorate degree to Nehemiah Mu-
reflected in the writings of many fem- ment, namely: Turner (1980), Cross, my and high illiteracy level amongst nities infrastructure like clinics and tendi by the University of Zimbabwe
inists, male and female. Oosthuizen, and Clark 1993; Oost- the AICs, there is no evidence of schools. for his educational initiatives and
huizen 1997, 2002), Garner (2004), hunger and starvation. The teachings building of schools (The Insider, 18
Gilmore, cited in Haralambos and Bompani (2008, 2010), Freeman of AICs on sustainable development In fact, the church would preach April, 2011).
Holborn (2007) suggests that there (2012a), Öhlmann, Frost, and Gräb is perhaps a model that might need openly against Western education
are three typical features of masculin- to be refined, since food is a Human and medicine. However, some AICs The theology of Zion Christian
ity found in most societies, notably, Right issue. are beginning to adopt the culture of Church (ZCC) on education is worth
man the impregnator, man the pro- building schools and clinics for their noting because of the church’s nu-
vider and man the protector. In JMAC, families work for their congregants. merical and charismatic influence.
survival in line with ATR where fam- The ZCC News Letter of April
On man as impregnator, Gilmore ily is the primary source of labour JMAC, for example, built St Pe- (2012:4) indicated that the church
states that men are expected to im- ter's school in Marange and Mudzid- had more than 2 million followers
pregnate women and to this, they are in Zimbabwe, close to 300 000 fol-
normally required to take the initia- lowers in South Africa, over 400 000
tive in courtship and sexual encoun- in Mozambique, close to 100 000 in
ters. They are expected to compete Zambia and Democratic Republic of
with other men for access to women. Congo and about 50 000 in Botswa-
na.
On man as provider, Gilmore pos-
its that having impregnated women, The two million figures in a
in most societies, men were then ex- country with a total population of
pected to provide for them and their 14.5 million people is no joke. Cox
offspring. Man, as protector is evident (1995:245) estimates that 50% of all
in most cultures where men have the Christians in Zimbabwe belong to
responsibility to protect their women AICs.
from anything that can harm them
and of course, from other men. Unlike the JMAC founder, the
ZCC founder Samuel Mutendi val-
In the Zimbabwe Assemblies of ued and encouraged his congregants
God Africa (Zaoga), it can be argued to value education. This is no wonder
that there is gender balance, with why the church built and run schools.
women and men having equal op- The ZCC has a clearly defined policy
portunities in the church. The case of which seeks to eradicate illiteracy in
Zaoga shows that not all the African the church.
independent churches (AICs) violate
the rights of women and children The theology and the teachings
through teachings, doctrines, practic- of ZCC do not discriminate educa-
es, rituals and symbols. tionally, both male and female have
equal educational opportunities (Ma-
According to Maxwell (2002:12), phosa, Sibanda and Makahamadze
in Zaoga the church regalia tend to (2011:262).
have Ezekiel Guti and his wife Eu-
nor. On events such as birthdays and Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi is a
international women’s day, Eunor is trained teacher by profession; hence
widely celebrated and showered with his educational vision is somewhat
gifts and praises as the mother figure shaped by his own profession and
of the church. experience; buttressed by his father’s
desire to educate the nation. The
Guti himself helped Eunor to fur- aforementioned trio stated that ZCC
ther her tertiary education and the schools are staffed with ZCC trained
church has established Ezekiel Guti teachers and the church supports
University in Bindura to show the them through donations and provi-
church’s commitment to education. sion of scholarships (ibid, 2011:262).
The gender teachings in Zaoga is
quite different from Johanne Ma- *About the writer: Matthew
range Apostolic Church (JMAC) Mare is a Zimbabwean academic
where women are no better than who holds two bachelor’s degrees,
children. The wives to Marange are five master’s qualifications and a
not recognised by the church. These PhD. He is also doing another PhD
discrepancies help to expose gender and has 12 executive certificates in
imbalances in JMAC. different fields. Professionally, he is
a civil servant and also board mem-
The comparative approach demon- ber at the National Aids Council of
strates the masculinity and femininity Zimbabwe.
dichotomy in AICs.

Draper and Mtata (2012:103)
noted that women in Zaoga play an
important role in the welfare of the
church. A number of women testify
the support they get from the church
towards their emancipation. Wom-
en in Zaoga have an organ called
Zaoga Gracious Women, a platform
through which women coordinate
themselves developmentally (Chitan-
do, 2012:274).

Page 40 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Lesotho elections turnout was down
to 38%: Political discontent is real

JOHN AERNI-FLESSNER

THE southern African kingdom of Lesotho new Prime Minister Sam Ntsokoane Matekane.
Lesotho went to the polls on 7 Oc-
tober 2022. Or at least some of its government. Hence, general  disil- tion, making government more er coalition. Its partner Alliance der shutdown during the pandem-
voters did. lusionment. transparent, and reforming a polit- of Democrats is led by long-time ic meant hardship for much of the
ical system prone to gridlock and politician Monyane Moleleki, who population which is still largely
Turnout was at an all-time low of The election turfed out many es- quick shifts of government. If he said in April that  he had “made” dependent on  migrant labour  to
38% of registered voters. Many are tablished politicians, with only the manages to finally pass the nation- Matekane  by steering his compa- South Africa. The textile factories
expressing discontent with politics main opposition Democratic Con- al reforms that stalled in the last nies’ government contracts. in Maseru have retrenched around
in Lesotho by  refusing to partici- gress  reaching  double-digit num- parliament, the weary electorate in 20 000 workers, leaving only
pate. Those that did come out were bers of parliamentary seats. Lesotho will likely reward his party The other coalition party, about 30 000 employed there now.
in an anti-incumbent mood. handsomely. the  Movement for Economic There are few other secondary in-
The Revolution for Prosperity Change, is led by  Selibe Mochob- dustries. Government is the major
This turnout was almost 10 per- party poached a few established Sam Ntsokoane Matekane’s oroane, who currently faces treason employer, and Matekane said he
centage points below the 47% who politicians to run, but largely re- victory is, perhaps, Lesotho’s last charges  related to the 2014 coup would bring  “austerity”  to the na-
voted in the last elections in 2017. lies on the  rags-to-riches story  of and best chance to actually enact attempt. tional government.
founder Matekane for its appeal.
Sam Ntsokoane Matekane, a One of 14 children in his family, the political reforms that will Both leaders are seen as linked Daunting task
wealthy businessman who has nev- he was born in a rural village in the allow the country to move forward with the fractious coalition poli- Unable to change the country’s
er been engaged formally in politics mountains near the town of Mant- If, however, his party falls into tics of the 2012-2022 period. Some fundamental vulnerability to shifts
before this year, emerged as the new sonyane. infighting, the electorate could Basotho are disappointed that in the global and regional economy,
prime minister. At 64, he is much continue to lose hope in democracy Matekane had to include them in Matekane has few economic levers
younger than the men who have He left school before complet- as a means of governance. government. to pull. He will have to rely on his
hitherto dominated politics in Le- ing secondary education and built Headwinds own personal persuasiveness. Even
sotho – Tom Thabane was 81 when a business empire. Starting in road The party’s inability to win an The bigger question is whether more difficult, he needs to get par-
he was forced to resign in 2020 af- construction and mining trans- outright majority means anoth- the Revolution for Prosperity par- liamentarians to limit their own
ter being charged with the murder port, the company diversified into ty can push through amendments personal power, and convince citi-
of his ex-wife;  Pakalitha Mosisi- real estate, aviation and more. to the constitution. They were zens he has changed the system.
li was 72 when he left office for the Matekane himself kept a low pro- mandated by the Southern African
last time in 2017. Only  Moeketsi file for many years, but in the past Development Community after re- Many Basotho put their faith in
Majoro (60), whom Matekane suc- few years has increased his  public peated attempts to settle Lesotho’s the local champion from Mantson-
ceeds, is younger than him. visibility through charitable giv- political feuds dragged on for much yane who beat the odds to become
ing  and as chair of a private sec- of 2017-2022. the country’s richest man. His
Matekane’s Revolution for Pros- tor group working to get more term as prime minister could bring
perity, a party formed only  in Covid-19 vaccinations to Lesotho. The last parliament then  failed about a more stable and better-gov-
March, won 56 seats out of 120 in to pass them. They would have lim- erned Lesotho.
parliament. He combined with two Matekane will be challenged to ited the power of parties and indi-
smaller parties, the Movement for work within a parliamentary sys- vidual members of parliament. The — The Conversation.
Economic Change and the Alliance tem where he, as prime minister, new coalition promised to quickly
of Democrats, to form a governing will have plenty of power but not pass them. Its popularity, some- *About the writer: John Aer-
coalition. absolute control as he did in busi- what ironically, will rest on curbing ni-Flessner is associate professor
ness. The art of compromise will be its own powers. of African history at Michigan
All the parties that had been in one he needs to master, and quick- State University in yhe United
the last parliament lost some seats. ly. No matter what the government States.
The  All Basotho Convention, the does, the Lesotho populace is hurt-
party occupying the prime minis- He has come to office saying the ing from the continued effects of
ter’s office from 2017 to 2022, fell right things about ending corrup- the Covid-19 pandemic. The bor-
from 48 seats to eight.

The last parliament failed to
pass a series of political and securi-
ty reforms. Those bills would have
ended parliamentary representa-
tion for tiny parties and curbed the
power of the prime minister. The
prime minister’s power to appoint
the judiciary, for one thing, means
that Basotho perceive politics as
a rigged game in favour of those
with  power and connections. Vot-
ers hope Matekane’s coalition will
prioritise passing reforms.

Matekane’s victory is, perhaps,
Lesotho’s last and best chance to
actually enact the  political re-
forms  that will allow the country
to move forward from a decade of
political malaise and non-gover-
nance. Voters are tired of the old
politicians and their unwillingness
and inability to solve the pressing
problems of poverty, crumbling in-
frastructure and social service un-
der-investment.
Hope amid disillusion
While Matekane’s party won a ma-
jority of the directly elected seats,
it still polled under  40% of the
total vote. This is because Leso-
tho, a country of about 2.1 million
people, has  65 registered political
parties. No party can command a
majority. This has led in the recent
past (2012-2022) to ever-shifting
coalitions and repeated changes of

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 41

Issue 104, 28 October 2022 Famine should not exist in 2022,

JOSHUA HALLWRIGHT yet Somalia faces its worst yet

MORE than a quarter of a million
people died of hunger in Somalia in
2011 – half of them children young-
er than five.

The situation in Somalia in the
coming months  could be a great
deal worse, despite  global commit-
ments to never let the 2011 famine
happen again.

The United Nations predicts more
than 300 000 people in Somalia will
be in famine by December.

Somalia is home to  16 million
people and has a rich history reach-
ing back to before the Roman Em-
pire. Somali people were producing
beautiful rock art  in the third mil-
lennium BC,  trading with Ancient
Egypt  and establishing  important
masjids and mosques in Mogadishu
from the 7th and 13th Centuries
onwards.

More recently, however, the
people of Somalia have endured
wars,  locust plagues, flash flood-
ing, pandemics and, now,  extreme
drought. Today, crisis on top of
crisis means  7 million people  are
in need of humanitarian assistance
– two million more than just three
months ago.

Despite historic levels of drought
and hunger,  Somali  civil  society
continues to find ways to support
people at risk of starvation. But ad-
ditional help is needed. To date, the
international community has large-
ly failed the Somali population. In
2022, the risk of famine should not
exist.

Defining ‘famine’ Despite historic levels of drought and hunger, Somali civil society continues to find ways to support people at risk of starvation.
There is a well established and glob-
ally recognised  system  of categoris- drought, affecting more land area, Operations Coordination Center in was clearly stated back in 2011. riencing some of the worst impacts
ing how close to famine people are. with fewer regular rainy seasons. Puntland, which predicts upcoming This includes supporting preven- of climate change, as the current
“Famine” is the worst of five levels. droughts and climate extremes. drought and hunger crisis so clearly
The extreme difficulties of pro- tative and resilience-building initia- demonstrates.
For an area to be declared  in a longed drought are hard for anyone This centre and  many oth- tives, such as  rehabilitating water
“famine”, there must be hard evi- to cope with, especially if there is ers  warned Somalis and the world points and establishing mini green- COP27 should lead to Somalis,
dence of very high levels of child little to no safety net to catch peo- of the seriousness of the predicted houses. Such initiatives will enable and the many millions more around
malnutrition (over 30%), very high ple during hard times. Indeed, food drought back in early 2020. They Somalis to help others prepare for the world hit hard by climate
levels of death (for every 10,000 prices  are higher now  than during have continued to  repeat these difficult times and get through the change, being financially compen-
people, more than two people dy- the 2011 famine. warnings  as the situation deterio- worst impacts of the changing cli- sated by the countries and corpora-
ing every day), and extreme levels rated. mate. And, perhaps most impor- tions most responsible for changing
of hunger (more than one in five Somalia does have a nascent so- tantly, wealthy countries should the climate.
households going without food). cial safety net called  Baxnaano. It These warnings fell on largely compensate Somalis for the cata-
aims to build a bridge beyond the deaf ears until only very recently. strophic impacts climate change is How can I help?
In 2022, no-one should suffer humanitarian approach, addressing The coordinated plan to respond to having on their lives. The crisis in Somalia will only wors-
from a lack of food, let alone ex- immediate food security and nu- the Somali crisis had received  only en in the coming weeks. If you are
treme starvation:  the world is pro- trition issues, while also laying the US$56 million in March, but needs This compensation - known as in a position to donate, consider the
ducing more food than ever before. foundations for a stronger work- US$1.5 billion to be properly im- “loss and damage financing” in UN following charities:
And in 2011, humanitarian aid force. But it is still at the pilot stage. plemented. circles –  will be a central topic  at
agencies and civil society organisa- the upcoming international climate • Bulsho Kaab: a Somali dona-
tions launched the  Charter to End The country is divided in three: While the international com- change summit  COP27, held in tion-based crowdfunding platform
Extreme Hunger at the UN in New south-central Somalia, the self-de- munity’s efforts have ramped up in Egypt in November. that supports communities and
York, clearly outlining five steps to clared independent region of So- recent months, the plan to provide youth initiatives across Somali re-
take to avoid famine. maliland, and the autonomous life-saving support  is still missing Loss and damage refers to climate gions.
state of Puntland in the north. The US$409 million. change harms that can’t be prevent-
Since then, it has been endorsed various governments are not able What needs to change? ed, mitigated, or sometimes even • Oxfam
by the UN, world leaders, and doz- to reach some parts of the country Between October and December, prepared for. Think rising sea lev- • Médecins Sans Frontières
ens of humanitarian organisations. or provide adequate safety nets for the drought is expected to force els destroying entire ways of life, or • Red Cross’ Global Hunger Cri-
So, why is this happening again? Somalis experiencing the harsh chal- 6.7 million people across Somalia disasters that are happening so of- sis Appeal
The past four rainy seasons in Soma- lenges of a changing climate. into acute food insecurity, a techni- ten, so severely, that even insurance — The Conversation.
lia have failed to materialise and the cal term meaning people are close to companies refuse to insure people
fifth is very likely to underperform That said, some lessons have been starving. against them. *About the writer: Joshua Hall-
as well. learned by Somali governments wright is deputy director of the
from previous disasters. In 2021, International assistance needed Somalis produce  a tiny, tiny Centre for Humanitarian Leader-
Crops  cannot grow  to their full the  National Desert Locust Moni- to be provided at scale when the amount of greenhouse gas emissions ship at Deakin University in Aus-
potential, if at all in some areas. The toring and Control Centre  was es- first warnings were shared. This compared to the high-income coun- tralia.
camel, goat and cattle herds of So- tablished, along with the  Drought tries of the world. Yet, they are expe-
mali pastoralists do not have enough
vegetation to eat nor enough acces-
sible water to drink - already,  mil-
lions of livestock  have perished in
the current drought.

Climate change underpins this
continued lack of rainfall. Somalia is
ranked second-most vulnerable (af-
ter Niger) to the adverse impacts
of climate change, which will likely
cause  Somalia to experience more

Page 42 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

GHANA is grappling with runaway Ghana’s economic crisis: government to build the economy to
inflation as prices of basic commod- How things got so bad withstand internal and external shocks.
ities  have spiralled. Government fi-
nances are also at their weakest in of GDP). International Monetary Fund (IMF) outcomes. In this article, law professor He  says  that Ghana’s lack of fiscal
years. Ghana’s local currency, the cedi, However, the debt stock has since for a bailout programme that would Danny Bradlow removes some of the discipline and its recent history of de-
is now  the world’s worst perform- restore economic stability. The idea mystery surrounding IMF visits to a pendence on foreign financing leave
er against the US dollar — a signal of risen by 7 000% to US$54 billion, is that it would enable the country to country. He unpacks the reasons why the country vulnerable to swings in
the depth of the country’s economic which is 78% of GDP. Economist meet its payments to the rest of the the IMF sends its staff on “missions” investor sentiment and accompanying
crisis. Adu Owusu Sarkodie  explains  why, world and restore the health of gov- to a country and what can be expected portfolio investment selloffs.
between 2017 and 2019, Ghana’s debt ernment finances. Ghana is hoping to in each case. 4. Debt restructurin
Over the past few months, various stock grew astronomically. He argues receive as much as US$3 billion. 3. Ghana’s recurrent failure
scholars have written important arti- that, beyond the normal drivers, there This is the second time in the past three In this article, Acheampong explains
cles for The Conversation Africa on the were three main reasons: the country’s But when the IMF announces a years – and 17th since independence in how Ghana’s engagement with the
state of Ghana’s economy, how it got energy sector debt, the financial sector visit to a country in Africa, the news 1957 – that Ghana has turned to the IMF will require a decision to restruc-
into this situation and on the Interna- clean-up exercise undertaken by the can cause concern. This is because IMF IMF for help. Economist and political ture the country’s massive debt.
tional Monetary Fund’s involvement. country’s central bank and the impact policies can have a direct impact on the risk analyst Theophilus Acheampong
Here are four essential reads. of the COVID pandemic. lives of people living in those countries. argues that Ghana’s approaches to the The Fund states that it will not lend
1. How Ghana got here 2. Demystifying IMF visits It can also cause concern because the IMF tell a story of recurrent failure of to countries that have unsustainable
By the year 2000, the government of This year, Ghana began talks with the public gets little information about the debts unless the member takes steps to
Ghana had borrowed so much that the purpose of the IMF’s visit – or its likely restore debt sustainability, which can
country was in debt distress. It then include debt restructuring.
subscribed to the Heavily Indebted
Poor Countries initiative of the In- He says that while debt restructur-
ternational Monetary Fund and the ing is inevitable, the government must
World Bank. By the time the initiative improve its management of the funds
ended in 2006, Ghana’s total public that are available to it. Steps include
debt stock was US$780 million (25% limiting borrowing from the domestic
market and respecting the law on fiscal
responsibility.

— The Conversation.

NewsHawks Africa News Page 41

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

STEPHEN ONYEIWU Nigeria 2023 budget of despair
won’t change the economy
NIGERIA’S   2023 budget, re-
cently presented by President Mu- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
hammadu Buhari to the National
Assembly, has generated a furore. which domestic savings aren’t ad- naira  at the parallel market. Bu- Lingering fears countries.
equate to fund a country’s desired hari made no mention of govern- The first and second quarters of There are also fears that unre-
There are concerns about the level of capital investment — the ment intention to close this huge 2023 will be dominated by  elec-
impact on the country’s  rising saving-investment gap. gap between the official exchange tions  and political transitions. strained borrowing could tilt the
deficits and debt, as well as its rate and the parallel market rate. This may have the effect of dis- country’s debt portfolio into the
failure to address some of the In addition, the country doesn’t rupting economic activities and realm of unsustainability, which
structural deficiencies behind de- generate enough foreign exchange The only sustainable way to fuelling uncertainties, especially may then lead to defaults in debt
clining revenues and  rising infla- earnings to pay for its imports – close this gap is to raise the ca- among domestic and foreign in- repayments and a steep decline
tion. the foreign exchange gap. It’s dif- pacity of the economy to generate vestors. in new loans. Government obli-
ficult to estimate the magnitude foreign exchange earnings. gations to contractors and other
The 2023 budget  expen- of the foreign exchange gap in The economy may therefore fall investors would be jeopardised.
diture  of 20.51 trillion naira Nigeria. But it is manifested by The gap has serious implica- short of the 3.5% growth rate as-
(US$43.7 billion) is the highest the fact that foreign airlines in the tions for government expenditure sumed in the budget parameters, The lip service paid by the
ever. More than half of this is country have been unable to re- outcomes. Many of the ministries, which would subsequently result 2023 budget to structural trans-
money the government does not patriate about US$450 million in departments and agencies of gov- in lower revenues and additional formation and sustained eco-
have and has to be financed with ticket sales because of acute short- ernment buy goods and services borrowings. nomic development will dampen
new debt. This will mean that the ages of foreign exchange. from companies that source their investors’ optimism about the Ni-
country exceeds the 3% of gross foreign exchange requirements Nigeria’s overall  debt to GDP gerian economy. The lack of clar-
domestic product threshold stip- Nigeria is not generating from the parallel market. ratio of about 37% is sustainable. ity about the future direction of
ulated by the Fiscal Responsibili- enough foreign exchange earnings However, the new round of bud- the economy under a new admin-
ty Act of 2007 – a pointer to the to meet the economy’s require- This automatically makes ex- geted borrowing sends the wrong istration, as well as the lingering
worsening of the country’s fiscal ments. This has led to a parallel penditure estimates in the 2023 signal to domestic and foreign in- security challenges in the country,
health. market in foreign exchange, with budget unrealistic, as the suppli- vestors. will make matters even worse.
most businesses and individuals ers of goods and services will re-
More than 60% of the 2023 turning to the parallel market to quire a revision to their contracts Deficits and debts imply that — The Conversation.
budget will finance debt repay- source major foreign currencies to cover the higher costs of sourc- taxes will be raised in the future
ments (N6.31 trillion), person- such as the US dollar. ing foreign exchange. This would to pay for debts, making invest- *About the writer: Stephen
nel costs (N4.99 trillion) and then require supplemental bud- ments less profitable. It may also Onyeiwu is the Andrew Wells
overheads (N1.11 trillion). This The 2023 budget is based on an gets and additional borrowings, prompt nervous investors to move Robertson Professor of Econom-
leaves very little for spending to exchange of rate of 435.57 naira which in turn, make expenditure their capital to more fiscally stable ics at Allegheny College in the
revitalise the economy and raise to US$1, compared to over  700 projections unreliable. United States.
its growth potential.

These are all well and good, but
it’s unclear how they will reduce
the high unemployment and pov-
erty rates in the country. These
projects are not widespread and
labour-intensive enough to ab-
sorb millions of unemployed Ni-
gerians.

It is also unclear how many
of the projects will be complet-
ed, given the propensity for suc-
cessive governments in Nigeria
to abandon projects.

The biggest problem is that the
budget fails to address the issue of
diversifying the economy. This is
vividly reflected in its title: Fiscal
Sustainability and Transition.

One cannot have fiscal sus-
tainability without structural
transformation. This involves
resources being reallocated from
low-productivity to high-produc-
tivity sectors of the economy. The
budget made only a tepid refer-
ence to the manufacturing sector.
Yet this could deliver a number of
benefits.

The first is jobs. Manufactur-
ing uses more labour per unit of
output and could absorb the high
number  of unemployed and un-
deremployed Nigerians. Nige-
ria’s informal sector contributes
about  80%  of the country’s em-
ployment, making it difficult to
collect taxes. An increase in the
number of Nigerians in formal
sector jobs would raise more in-
come taxes and reduce the need
for borrowing. Manufacturing
enterprises also tend to be  more
stable.
Gaps
Nigeria is having to borrow be-
cause of two key weaknesses – nei-
ther of which are addressed in the
budget.

The first is the country’s lin-
gering “dual-gap” economic prob-
lem. This refers to a situation in

Page 44 Africa News NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

MICHAEL SACHS/ ARABO K. EWINYU/
OLWETHU SHEDI

CORE public services – basic education, Winnie Ngwekasi Primary School in Soweto, South Africa. Public schools have been under pressure since this picture was taken in 2009. Stephane de Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images
healthcare and criminal justice – account
for a large share of the consumption bas- SA’s public service: Real spending
ket of poor South Africans. is falling, but demand is growing

They are provided largely free of charge ysis shows that by 2010 the level of spend- withdrawal of core services, rather than an mand for services (such as the size plans to balance fiscal consolida-
to any user. The public provision of these ing had increased to more than R2,000 improvement in efficiency. of the population or enrolled us- tion with the need to safeguard
services is widely recognised as a corner- per citizen. By the time the Covid-19 pan- ers). In the case of basic education frontline services by reducing
stone of social and economic develop- demic hit in 2020, however, spending had Even if government could find effi- and criminal justice, there have resources for lower priority pro-
ment in any society. fallen below R1 700 (US$92) per citizen. ciencies, reduce unnecessarily “bloated” been absolute falls in employee grammes and departments. It
bureaucracies, or overcome wasteful numbers. should ensure that employment
Together, they account for three-quar- Police employment reached around spending and corruption (and it has ta- • The real incomes of government of teachers, nurses and doctors,
ters of government’s wage bill and half 200 000 in 2010 but was reduced by bled no clear plans to do this), the cur- employees who fall outside the and police officers keeps pace
of spending on goods and services – the around 15 000 personnel by 2020. If rently planned path of fiscal consolidation bargaining unit – senior manag- with the demand for services.
medicine, books and cars that doctors, current budget plans are executed, police would still largely depend on reducing the ers and judges – have been forced • Second, government should ne-
nurses, teachers and police officers need to spending and employment levels will fall real value of core public services. down consistently over the last gotiate a longer-term agreement
do the job. Over the last decade, there has even further in the years ahead, reaching decade. This, combined with with its employees that balances
been a chronic and deepening erosion of their lowest point over the last 20 years. The emphasis of government’s pro- successive bargained agreements the need for decent pay, sufficient
the resource base on which public services Cutting employment means cutting gramme is to reduce average pay. that give higher pay increments employment and measures that
depend. Users of these public services services to lower-level employees, has con- improve the effectiveness of pub-
have been caught in the middle of govern- The 2022 budgets of national and provin- It is sometimes believed that govern- tributed to a compression in the lic services and enhance produc-
ment’s need to consolidate the fiscus on cial governments imply large reductions ment employees are overpaid and unpro- government wage structure. In a tivity. This should form part of
the one hand, and the demands of public in government employment in all these ductive, and therefore reductions in their context of rapid increases in pay a programme to improve public
sector unions for better pay on the other. services under any reasonable assump- numbers and pay can be achieved without for private-sector executives and provision and restructure public
tions about pay improvements. Even if negative impacts on public services. Evi- others at the top end of the distri- services.
In a recent report, we appraise the the assumptions made in the budget for dence presented in our report questions bution, this is likely to have con- • Third, a fiscal rule to anchor ex-
choices made in the government’s budget average pay increases of 1.5% a year were these assumptions. tributed to the brain drain from pectations of growth of the salary
statements, and numbers that are tabled to be realised, large and damaging head- the public service and the opera- bill should be considered in the
as part of those statements. We argue count reductions are required to meet ex- t is true that over the last 20 years, most tional collapse experienced in so context of social dialogue. This
that  the fiscal consolidation as current- penditure limits. government employees have enjoyed sig- many government departments. would enable a better alignment
ly proposed  will significantly reduce real nificant improvements in pay. However, • Where government departments between fiscal objectives and the
spending on core public services. We show that the government wage these improvements are strongly concen- have been unable to keep com- need to sustain the services which
bill is dominated by core public services. trated in  the period 2007-2010. Since pensation spending within the form a critical part of South Af-
It will erode the quality and reach of The professionals who provide these ser- then the average pay of most government imposed limits, they have reallo- rica’s fragile social and political
these services, and widen income inequal- vices – teachers, doctors and nurses, and employees has grown at a moderate pace, cated budgets away from procure- compact. A fiscal rule of this na-
ity in South Africa. These choices are at police officers – dominate government largely in line with pay trends for similar ment, capital and maintenance ture would need to command
odds with the constitution. They will cer- employment. Within the core public ser- workers in the private sector. Forcing real spending, towards compensation, broad support from the public
tainly lead to a retrogression in socioeco- vices, the balance between professional incomes of government workers below which now accounts for a larger and acceptance of public sector
nomic rights. and administrative staff appears stable and their private sector counterparts could share of budgets. This has been unions.
sensible. erode the human resource base of public particularly marked in healthcare This is an edited extract from the re-
The government has provided no evi- services. and criminal justice. port,  Public services, government employ-
dence that suggests a contrary conclusion. “Bloating”, if it exists, is concentrated Compensation spending cannibalising While spending on government con- ment and the budget, published by the
Nor has it presented any plans or policy in political and executive offices, eco- budgets sumption has been held down over the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies.
interventions to alleviate the damaging nomic regulation, infrastructure services For many years, budget allocations have last 10 years, demand for public services — The Conversation.
effects of fiscal consolidation on public and public administration – particularly not kept pace with pay increases agreed has increased substantially. Meanwhile, *About the writers: Michael Sachs
services. finance and co-operative government. to by government. Spending on compen- as  public  employment in health, educa- is adjunct professor at the University
These have seen substantial increases in sation of employees has been contained tion and criminal justice has stagnated, of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
The report gauges the quantitative as- employment in recent years. Even so, total within strict limits for many years. In employment by  private  companies pro- Arabo K. Ewinyu is research manager
pects of public policy in three respects. employment in all public administration effect, Cabinet has been increasing civil viding same services has surged. at the Southern Centre for Inequality
First, we identify the trends in real spend- departments was less than 40,000 in 2019 service pay while adopting budgets that The need to negotiate a new path ahead Studies at the University of the Witwa-
ing over the last two decades. Second, we compared with more than 1 million in ed- effectively invalidate its own decisions. We suggest the following change in direc- tersrand. Olwethu Shedi is an economist
use the budgets approved by parliament ucation, healthcare and criminal justice. tion: and junior researcher at the Centre for
and provincial legislatures to gauge the These pressures have resulted in three • First, the government should an- Competition, Regulation and Economic
impact of budget choices on real re- From our bird’s-eye view of the gov- forms of “crowding out” that have eroded nounce a programme that reflects Development in South Africa.
source allocation over the next three years. ernment’s payroll data, there is little evi- state capabilities: clear policy choices and explicit
Third, we present analysis of government dence that the employment structure is
pay and employment trends, which are deficient – a widely held view in public • Most damaging has been the
strongly concentrated in the core public discourse. The implication of this is that reduction in the number of em-
services that are our interest. fiscal consolidation will lead to a further ployees. Employment in core
Real spending is falling public services has fallen relative
We find  that over the last decade, there to broad measures of public de-
have been significant reductions in the
real value of basic education and criminal
justice. Healthcare budgets have been un-
der increasing pressure.

In basic education, government spent
about R20 000 (about US$1 086) per
learner in 2009, but this had fallen to
about R16 500 per learner by 2021. If
provincial governments’ budgets are exe-
cuted without adjustment, the next three
years will see a large negative shock to the
real value of spending per learner. In a
worst-case scenario spending could fall to
R14 000 (US$760) per learner.

Government currently employs one
educator for every 33 learners enrolled in
the public school system. This could rise
to as high as 39 over the next three years
because the budget can only be realised
with significant reductions to employ-
ment in the sector.

In healthcare, expenditure has stagnat-
ed in real terms relative to the population
who depend on government services. In
2012, there were more than 720 health-
care sector workers per 100 000 unin-
sured people. This ratio has steadily fallen
since then, reaching 632 by 2018.

Spending and employment increased
in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in
2020. But current budgets imply a rever-
sal of these increases, and a reduction of
spending per capita being to a historical
low. Healthcare workers per 100 000 citi-
zens could fall as low as 590.

Given the systemic inequalities within
the healthcare systems, this shock is like-
ly to be unevenly distributed. Provincial,
specialised and district hospitals are likely
to face the brunt.

For the criminal justice sector, our anal-

NewsHawks World News Page 45

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

It matters that Sunak has become UK’s
first prime minister of Indian descent

PARVEEN AKHTAR could be read as a testament to the that gave them, and millions like UK new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. A scandal over his wife’s  non-do-
British dream: the idea that the UK them, the chance of a better future.” vestment banking, landing a job with miciled tax status  threatened to end
FOLLOWING his uncontested run is a land of opportunity where, no Goldman Sachs before going to Stan- Sunak’s career less than a year ago but
at the top job, Rishi Sunak acquires matter where you come from, if you Not all immigrants, of course, get ford University in the US to complete he somehow managed to recover.
the less-than-coveted title of second work hard, you can make it right to to afford for their children the best an MBA.
successive un-elected British prime the top. The formula for success is education that money can buy – no Acutely aware of the potential for
minister to take office in 2022. simple hard work and determination. matter how strong their work ethic. He married into wealth. His wife, his fortune to jar with the experienc-
Privately educated at Winchester, one Akshata Murty, is the daughter of es of the public, Sunak ensures that
However, coming from Punjabi Both his parents studied in the UK of England’s oldest and most expen- an Indian billionaire, NR Narayana his image is carefully curated (with
heritage, he also takes on the more es- – his father, medicine at the Universi- sive public boarding schools, Sunak’s Murthy, co-founder of Infosys. Her the help of a public relations compa-
teemed title of the nation’s first Brit- ty of Liverpool, his mother, pharmacy upbringing was undoubtedly priv- shares in her father’s company make ny). Choreographed snaps and videos
ish Asian leader. at my own institution, Aston Univer- ileged. He followed the well-worn her one of the richest women in the more akin to a social media influenc-
sity. Sunak has spoken about the sac- path of many in the British political UK. The couple have a combined er than a politician have characterised
Sunak was born in the southern rifices his parents made to give him elite, studying politics, philosophy wealth of £730 million (US$836m). his every move since becoming a cab-
English port city of Southampton “opportunities they could only dream and economics at Oxford. After grad- Sunak can thereby allegedly lay claim inet minister in Boris Johnson’s gov-
in 1980. His father, Yashvir, was a of. But it was Britain, our country uating he entered the world of in- to another title – the richest man to ernment in 2020.
family doctor and his mother, Usha, ever sit in the House of Commons.
a pharmacist. They were born and This is nevertheless a big moment.
brought up in present-day Kenya and Whatever the mixed feelings are
Tanzania, respectively, before moving around his personal fortune, becom-
to the UK. Sunak’s grandparents on ing the first non-white leader of the
both sides were from India and had country is important. In some ways,
migrated to East Africa. the Conservative party has a lot to be
proud of when it comes to promot-
Indians share a long history with ing ethnic minority colleagues. In Liz
African traders in the Indian Ocean Truss’s administration, ethnic minori-
region – links that were strengthened ty politicians held three of the key
in the 19th century. During the time posts: chancellor of the exchequer,
of the British empire, and especial- home secretary and foreign secretary
ly following the creation of the  East – albeit only for a short while.
African Protectorate  (also known as
British East Africa) in 1885, many However, they were all also, like
Indians migrated to the region, which Rishi Sunak, privately educated.
was then under British control. The There is certainly room for a specific
Indian population grew rapidly and kind of diversity in the Conservative
prospered economically. Party.

Many Indian immigrants and their Interestingly, Sunak was not pop-
descendants remain in East Africa to- ular with the party’s membership
day, but significant numbers left in when he first ran for the leadership
the second half of the 20th century. in the summer of 2022. A  possible
In the 1960s, the region became a less explanation – and one which certain-
hospitable place for Indians, most in- ly warrants further research – is that
famously evidenced by the expulsion the membership is less comfortable
of the Indian minority from Ugan- with an ethnic minority leader than
da under the orders of then-president it lets on.  In a now infamous radio
Idi Amin. It was at this time that a show, a caller professing to be a Tory
significant proportion of the Indian Party member stated that he, “along
diaspora left Kenya and Tanzania. In- with most people”, didn’t think that
stead of returning to India, many set- Sunak was British. While this was the
tled in the US, Canada and the UK. view of one caller on a radio show,
such views are a reminder that some
Sunak’s parents may have been people still don’t accept British Asian
born in East Africa, but his cultural identity to be truly British.
affinity lies with his Indian roots. He
is a practising Hindu and does not, The prime minister of India, Na-
for example, eat beef. As he said in rendra Modi, was quick to congrat-
a 2015 interview: ulate Sunak, referring to him as “the
‘living bridge’ of UK Indians”. In the
British Indian is what I tick on the difficult waters of British and indeed
census, we have a category for it. I am international politics, all eyes will be
thoroughly British, this is my home watching to see how well the bridge
and my country, but my religious and stands.
cultural heritage is Indian, my wife is
Indian. *About the writer: Parveen
A dream – for some Akhtar is senior lecturer in politics,
The Sunaks’ personal family history history and international relations
at Aston University in Britain.

Porsche just got angrier Being a Fashion Model

&Life Style

STYLE TRAVEL BOOKS ARTS MOTORING

Page 43 Issue 104, 28 October 2022

JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA fiercely popular opposition party,
the Citizens’ Coalition for Change
THE phrase “beauty and brains” is a Beauty and politics (CCC), Matanda seems to be reading
bit of a cliché, so let’s drop that for as ruling party lass from the same book as her leadership.
now, and talk about “beauty and pol- empowers girl child
itics.” “The opposition is there to serve
young girls who want to become interests of their foreign funders and
Political parties in Zimbabwe now make-up artists,” she said. that is not how it should. And the
have beauty contests. The ruling Za- CCC is a sell-out party.
nu-PF actually has a crown – Miss “I got sponsorship from Zanu PF
Zanu-PF – and her name is Yeukai and a working space where I teach “Zimbabwe is a sovereign stage and
Mutanda. up to 230 students in beauty therapy. therefore should chart its own course
The materials and the office were pro- and future and not be told what to
Well, she has the brains, too. vided for by Zanu PF.” do,” she said.
The 21-year-old beauty has since
started her own project with help Always in a jovial mood, the tall While 2023 is around the corner,
from her party to empower the girl beauty paid tribute to her party, say- Mutanda is a registered voter and she
child in Bulawayo to ensure they en- ing she has been Zanu PF since birth. said she was looking forward to cast-
joy the fruits of their sweat. ing her vote for the first time.
In an interview during the “I was born Zanu PF,” she said,
just-ended Sanganai/Hlanganani adding: “It is the only party I know.” “I am going to vote for the first
World Tourism Expo, Matanda said time and I look forward to it,” she
empowerment was the only way to Asked about her views on the new said.
get her contemporaries out of poverty
and abuse. But while Mutanda is empowering
“I have realised that in most cases other young women, how safe is she
the girl child tends to depend on men from sexual predators?
when they have nothing to do. That
is when they are vulnerable to mbin- “I’m in a stable relationship,” she
gas and sugar daddies,” she told  The said.
NewsHawks.
"Mbinga" is a common Zimba- Not new to the ramp, she began
bwean term that refers to the rich and modelling in 2021 after becaming
famous. first princess in the Miss Environ-
“So, I have since launched an em- ment contest.
powerment project whereby I teach
She then crowned Miss Super
Glow for Best Project and Best Na-
tional Costume in the same year.

Mutanda studied beauty therapy
and she works as a make-up artist in
Bulawayo.

NewsHawks Poetry Corner Page 47

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Title: uncle's car Title: The Market Place Where Death Is Sold Title: Sad stories
Poet: Chenjerai Mhondera Poet: Plaxedes Mahanise aka Meredith Bur- Poet: Patrick Hwande
tley
they view it with disdain The way we cut down trees,
they don't care what becometh of it, The mighty women of gossip, Bet in decade or so,
they say it's uncle's car! Throw the tots of grapevine like grain, Posterity will stand to inherit wastelands.
pointing fingers in the blue Always having a knack for pure gossip, The way we run schooling systems,
pointing even with no clue, Where they bewitch the listener with the anec- Sooner than we think,
others keeping passive eyes glued dotes, Of the street grapevine, Borderlines will be in charge of all affairs.
they say it's uncle's car That does the rounds, The way we abuse hard substances
passing in view And sing every dry grass, In no time at all,
this car they forget With tongues of flames of malice. The healthy will be confined to museums.
uncle bought Poisoned is the well, The way we handle matrimonies,
for everyone's convenience From whence we dwell, As many as are my fingers,
they forget even to clean the car, Their parody is but hell, Nobody will be somebody's flesh.
they cause dents on the car, It comes as a bell's signal, The way we mis (inform) the masses,
they scribble their ugly writings on thick coat of That chimes at odd hours, Given another decade,
dust Awakening skunbering witches, Dogmatism will be the air we breathe.
soiling its body To another meal; a newly unborn. The way we love to hate another,
till it screams, He who acquires a fleet, Pretty soon people of the same clan,
"WASH ME! WASH ME PLEASE!" Invites death to their doorstep Will scowl each other as Martians.
all they think and say is, "it's uncle's car!" For the wiles of the street women, There is a lot going on our heads,
they give no damn, Is naturally destructive, Wishing we could debate whims and feel-
so proceed to treat it with such disgust. Turning their homes into marketplaces of death, ings; To survive this decade.
***************************************************** Were rile is but the only tuck for survival. ***********************************************
.************************************************
Title: Untitled Title: Tynwald deaths
Poet: Stephen Mupoto Title: Farewell Poet: Blessing S Chigunda – Radical
Poet: Gift Sakirai
As we ride on the back of time, Speed thrills
Mirroring on the dark past behind, Look here love but
Our hearts are reverted on the glory ahead. I know not what to tell you anymore. kills
Like a pendulum, My eyes have come face to face with the spectre death is a harlot
We bob back and forth, of truth. selling thighs
In search of the spindles of a lost destiny. Forgive mine deceit for promising a tomorrow that to mr life
On these market stalls, was never mine to give. who feasts on the hive
Death is for sale, Conceited, I thought that I could with ease tread at the expense of people's joy.
You choose how you want to die. softly on the mine infested land of lies on my way Death!
The calendar is but a false trudge, to a mirage of truth. a raunchy
In a conditioned twelve moon orbit, Forgo with contempt all that I said, if not filthy
Where abortive dreams are nurtured, all that I promised to give. committed employee
And resolutions envisaged die still. Mine heart thought with certainty that I could with manipulated by the brutal hands of circum-
In these opulent buildings, exertion great hew into existence a life affluent stance.
They squabble all day, befitting your beauty and intellect. gripped by the clamp of reality
Creating absurd legislations, Hate not how our union came to be, we all owe him our souls.
That protect the elite, what's not to love? However...
And smack the poor, Our heartfelt vows of yesteryear notwithstanding, Should we recklessly
With whips that crack the last lines of defence, I must with acute regret bid you farewell, live?
That is a little piggy bank saving, I can no longer withstand that glazed look on your Should we carelessly
Gobbled by a raging tax. weather-beaten face. survive? Should we
I have but deep conversations with self, Silently, it speaks volumes of all that I failed to inconsiderately
And still wonder if I am going anywhere, provide. A one-time dreamer, drive?
As we have collectively bargained for a fail, I awoke to a lifetime of never-ending horrors Take audit of our actions.
Bolted to the cross of penury, invariably fuelled by shops that laugh in my tired Make a serious
Like death row criminals. face, fiend-like. Please go my beloved, critical analysis
Where has justice flown to, salvage the little dreams that you still can in this of our habits.
When we are involuntarily enlisted, auction of an existence, Muzzle complacency!
Into the bandit brigades, my bids are fated to fall through ad infinitum. Lest...
To subdue our own, I am a hunter who chased after the wrong game, we all prematurely die,
Maim and kill. mine academic accolades proved worthless in we become victims
this casino economy. left with no parents
.***************************************************** Goodbye my love, within your heart we leave orphans behind.
find some way to forgive mine folly: ***********************************************
I'm just but a fool; who dared to dream.
***********************************************

Page 48 People & Places NewsHawks

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

Sunset picture at Lake Kariba.

The Umbozha Kariba Houseboat docks at Sampakaruma Island. Aerial view of houseboats docking at Marineland, Kariba.

The Umbozha Houseboat offers tourists nine cabins; each with ensuite shower toilet. Sleeping areas all have magnificent lake views and beautiful wooden furnishings. Every cabinet is fully air conditioned and
boasts a unique contemporary feel, while the boat has an expansive lounge and dining area offering panoramic views of the landscape beyond. A staircase leads from the lounge to the top deck where one can relax
on a day bed.

NewsHawks Sport Page 49

Issue 104, 28 October 2022

SENEGAL captain and Chelsea de- African teams 'should ranked side since November 2018.
fender Kalidou Koulibaly says the aim to win World Cup' They will be joined as African rep-
Teranga Lions are aiming to become
the first African nation to win the Sadio Mane. resentatives in Qatar by Cameroon,
World Cup, with the tournament in Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia.
Qatar exactly a month away.
Four years ago, Senegal manager
No side from the continent has Aliou Cisse said he was "certain" an
ever made it past the quarter-finals, African team will eventually win the
with Cameroon (1990), Senegal World Cup.
(2002) and most recently Ghana
(2010) knocked out in the last eight Having lost the 2002 Nations Cup
– all after extra time or penalties. final as captain and the 2019 edition
as a coach, Cisse finally led the Lions
This year's finals start on 20 No- to a maiden continental success in
vember when the hosts face Ecuador February.
in Group A, with Senegal beginning
their campaign, in the same pool, The country erupted in celebration
against the Netherlands the following after decades of heart-breaking near
day. misses to erase Senegal's reputation as
one of Africa's underachieving foot-
Koulibaly, who plays regularly in balling nations.
the Premier League, believes Africa's
representatives need to think bigger Thousands took to the streets to
than just reaching the knock-out celebrate in the capital Dakar, with
phase. car horns blaring and fireworks set
off after the penalty shootout victory
"African nations are lacking self-es- over Egypt.
teem and self-awareness that they can
really win a World Cup," the 31-year- Koulibaly believes that success in
old told BBC Sport Africa. Cameroon has set the tone for the
team heading into Qatar.
"We consider that going past the
group stage is a good thing, but we "This Afcon trophy is going to raise
should set higher goals for ourselves. self-awareness for the World Cup. We
will be willing to do better," he add-
"I don't think that the French team ed.
or the English team are happy with
going through the group stages – they "Our first goal is going to go
want to go further. through the group stages because in
2018 we didn't.
"We should have the same mind-
set. That's what I am trying to bring "The whole country will expect a
to Senegal. lot from us, but the World Cup is just
at another level. Every player dreams
"I think it's time that an African to play in a World Cup so going there
country delivers and wins the World and qualifying after the group stage
Cup, because we are a very talented will be good, and then we will fix our
continent. We have great players." goals step-by-step.

Senegal were crowned continen- "We will go there well-prepared.
tal champions in February and are It's coming soon but we must also be
18th in the world rankings heading careful because a lot can happen [be-
into Qatar, having been Africa's top- forehand]."

– BBC

Bye for now, Big Phil, see you soon

THE West Indies have been round- Cricket (ZC) administration knew able to recover in spite of the efforts that goes “kukava datya kuriyam- Instead, it is Zimbabwe who
ly condemned for their woeful per- instantly that they had imported of a great deal of well-meaning peo- butsa,” literally meaning that when have remained in Australia, and on
formance at the T20 World Cup in something special from the Carib- ple within Zimbabwean cricket. one kicks a frog spitefully, they in- Thursday the Chevrons continued
Australia, but one man that ought bean. De Beer, who played club cricket stead only succeed in getting it over their unbelievable run of form af-
to be spared the brickbats is their for Alexandra Sports Club in Ha- the line (or stream), its intended ter a sensational Super 12 win over
coach Phil Simmons, definitely one The players, too – in fact every rare and made three first-class ap- destination anyway. Pakistan, one of the World Cup’s
of the best in the business in world one of them who passed through pearances for Manicaland, quietly Simmons soared following his early favourites.
cricket today. Phil’s hands during his time in disappeared from the scene with his politically-motivated sacking by
Zimbabwe – speak with high re- bags of promise while the all-round Zimbabwe. He was successful with There were familiar faces in the
In Zimbabwe – a country he has gard of the man’s impact in their Mukondiwa ended up enjoying a Ireland first then Afghanistan, opposition when West Indies de-
great affinity for to this day and careers. relatively successful internation- guiding them to the verge of Test feated Zimbabwe in Australia in
a place he made lots of lifelong al career with Zimbabwe’s rugby cricket, which both nations at- this World Cup. They were Zim-
friends – Big Phil, as we called The full 14-man CFX Academy team, captaining the Sables on one tained in 2017. babwe’s captain Craig Ervine and
him here, will always have a special squad of 2003, under Simmons’ occasion as stand-in skipper. And in the first of his two spells batsman Sean Williams, who were
place in many people’s hearts in tutelage, was: Stuart Matsikenyeri, Charmed by Simmons’ part of the Under-19 World Cup
these parts. Kudzayi Taibu, Erick Chaulu- work with the CFX Academy, squad in 2004, as well as the Chev-
ka, Ryan Bennett, Stanley Chio- ZC asked the former Windies rons’ current team manager Dilip
18 years and five international za, Adiel Kugotsi, Greg Strydom, star to travel to Bangladesh as HawkZone Chouhan, who held a similar po-
jobs as coach, Simmons announced Dylan de Beer, Gavin Ewing, An- sition with the youth side 18 years
last week that he will be leaving his thony Ireland, Johnson Marumisa, Zimbabwe’s technical advisor ago. Then Zimbabwe’s assistant
fifth gig before end of year, the first Charles Coventry, Norman Mu- Enockfor the 2004 Under-19 World coach Stuart Matsikenyeri, who
casualty of what has been a forget- kondiwa. was in the CFX Academy class of
table campaign for the record two- Cup, where the youthful Afri- 2003 under Simmons.
time T20 World Cup champions. Six of them – Matsikenyeri, Stry- Muchinjocan side, inspired by fast bowler
dom, Ewing, Ireland, Marumisa Quite the amiable fellow, Phil
It is hard to believe that it has and Coventry – became Zimbabwe Tinashe Panyangara, stunned definitely wouldn’t have missed the
been close to two decades since one internationals with varying success. Australia by seven wickets in a opportunity of enjoying a good
of the best cricket coaches on the pool match. laugh with the Zimbabwe camp,
planet today launched his coaching Of those who did not go on to Simmons was appointed Zim- on recollection of amusing past ex-
career in Zimbabwe when the Afri- play for Zimbabwe, two or three babwe’s senior team coach the same as coach of his native West Indies, periences.
can country’s national board hired really should have. Certainly Kudzi year, a huge leap from the acade- Simmons delivered a T20 World
the giant Trinidadian as the third Taibu, a delightful batsman who my. But Zimbabwean cricket was Cup title in 2016 in a fruitful ten- Simmons leaves the West Indies
coach of the thriving CFX National also bowled both spin and medium at that time experiencing political ure in charge of the Caribbean out- post following the year-ending
Academy in 2003. pace effectively. Then the dynamic turmoil in the game and Simmons, fit. two-Test match series in Australia,
wicketkeeper De Beer as well as the one of the antagonists, paid the West Indies beat Zimbabwe but hopefully not for too long.
Just two years after his playing all-rounder Mukondiwa. price and was fired by the board in in the first round of the ongoing
career was over, the former West 2005 as the fighting took a nasty World Cup over a week ago, but There will be widespread inter-
Indies big-hitting batsman showed But Kudzi, young brother of turn. not enough to avoid an early exit est, no doubt, for the signature of a
his coaching talents early and the Zimbabwe’s first black captain But in Shona there is a saying from the tournament. man who started his journey right
cricketing minds in the Zimbabwe Tatenda Taibu, lost his direction here in Zimbabwe.
somewhere in life and was never

Sports Bye for now,
African teams Big Phil, see
should aim to you soon
win World CupThursday 1 October 2020

Friday 28 October 2022 @NewsHawksLive TheNewsHawks www.thenewshawks.com

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS CULTURE

Zim can win some more at the$60 Covid
tariff for
visitors &
Community
radio
regulations

tourists under review
World Cup — ex-coach ButcherENOCKMUCHINJO
Story on Page 3
Chamisa reacZIMBABWEisstakingitsplaceagain
Story on Page 8
Raza did not play under Butcher

in Zimbabwe, but the 68-year-old
Englishman has also been thoroughly
as a force to reckon with in world impressed by the rise of the Chevrons
cricket, and as the team’s dream run at out to
the ongoing T20 World Cup in Aus- Khupetalisman into a world-class player over
tralia continues to be saluted by some the months.
of the top names in the sport, the Af- “Raza has been phenomenal over
rican side’s former coach Alan Butcher the past year and his positive approach
rubs off on others around him,” re-
has also commended the turnaround. marked Butcher.
Zimbabwe remain undefeated two Unofficial president calls for emerge“Unfortunately, he wasn’t
games into the Super 12 stage after Zim-qualified during my tenure so
pulling off a stunning one-run win he didn’t come into any of my squads.
over Pakistan on Thursday in Perth, an He looked a talent back then, but is a
incredible result owed in large part to much better cricketer now.”
the bowlers’ heroic performance after Coach Dave Houghton, who took
the Chevrons totaled just 130-8 earlier over in June and has mastermind-
in the day. ed Zimbabwe’s transformation into
Former England batsman Butcher, a completely new outfit, also earned
who had a successful tenure as Zimba- plaudits from Butcher.
bwe’s coach between 2010 and 2013, Author of "The Good Murungu:
has applauded the bowling unit for its A Cricket Tale of the Unexpected" –
role in the Chevrons’ revival. inspired by his unforgettable times
“I think the main difference is that in Zimbabwe – Butcher travelled to
this team has a bowling attack to com- Zimbabwe in July for the World Cup
pete in all conditions…more pace qualification tournament in Bulawayo
bowling options,” Butcher told The as a team consultant for Jersey, one of
NewsHawks from the United King- the team in the qualifiers.
dom. Butcher, who was in Zimbabwe for
“The team I inherited were operat- the first time since he left nine years
ing on one-and-a-half seamer basis and ago, is not totally surprised by the Af-
a stronger hand of spinners. The cur- rican side’s progress over the past five
rent Zim pace attack is very exciting months.
and of course (spin-bowling all-round- “Having been in opposition to Davy
er) Sikandar Raza turns matches with in a coaching capacity for many years
important wickets.” and observed his cricket philosophy,
On Thursday on the bouncy wicket I knew that he would instil positivity
of Perth’s Optus Stadium, Pakistan’s and no-fear attitude into the (Zimba-
fearsome pace onslaught was heavily GREAT JOY: Zimbabwe's players celebrate their stunning win over Pakistan in Perth on Thursday. bwe) team,” commented Butcher.
tipped to blow away Zimbabwe’s bat- “This was very apparent in Bula-
ting line-up. But Zimbabwe made a 12 win following an opening defeat to the 25-year-old right-armer held his (Muzarabani) and Richard (Ngarava) wayo at the qualifiers and personified
promising start batting first, with cap- rivals India last week. nerve, conceding just one run until are still young,” said Butcher. by Raza, who was outstanding at that
tain Craig Ervine and young Wessly But Zimbabwe’s bowlers came to Pakistan required three runs off the “My concern might be with the tournament. I was very impressed
Madhevere’s majestic stroke-play guid- the party in style, with the finger spin- last delivery, which produced a run- younger batters who need to step up by the confidence and belief that the
ing the side to a first wicket stand of ner Raza claiming a crucial 3-25 to out to seal a thriller. quickly because Craig (Ervine) and squad showed and they’ve carried it
42 before both were removed in quick turn the tables on his country of birth. Whilst Evans’ courageous bowling Sean (Williams) won’t be around for- through to the World Cup.”
succession. It was then left to the dramatic final ALaSndOthIeNpSleIaDsiEng perFfoirnmaanncceeoMf tihneistyevweri.”pes out $3.2 Billion depositorsSofufanrdsos good fZorimZi'ms blaabtwees.tBlautnd c
A middle-order collapse, engi- over of the match, with the ball tossed entire attack is a good sign, Butch- It has been a very good team effort should Houghton’s team be content
neered by Pakistan pace-man Moham- in the direction of rookie pacer Brad er would also like to see Zimbabwe’s by Zimbabwe behind the turnaround with what they have already achieved
mad Wasim’s career-best 4-24, left the Evans, as Zimbabwe needed to defend batsmen play with the same intensity. over the past five months, but it is the in this World Cup?
Asian giants – one of the World Cup’s 11 runs to post a famous victory. “For Brad to come in for his first batting feats of Pakistani-born Raza “No,” replied Butcher. “There are
pre-tournament favourites – with the The over started badly for Evans, tournament game and perform so that have provided the major talking still winnable games in this group, so
seemingly simple task of chasing down who was smashed for three and a well speaks volumes of his ability and point for the Chevrons across the hopefully there are more celebrations
a low score to record their first Super boundary on the first two balls.  But character and let’s not forget Blessing cricketing world. for the Zimbabwe fans to enjoy.”

ALSO INSIDE African teams 'should aim to win World Cup'