NewsHawks 1 April 2022

WHAT’S INSIDE Friday 1 April 2022 MNEnWanSgagwa Price
fails to
NTrEeWvoSr Ncube’s destroy US$1
dalliances with Chamisa
Mnangagwa run JSuPrOyRaTll
much deeper Story on Page 9 out for
Benjani
Story on Page 5
Story on Page 44

Auditor-General
exposes US$300m
foreign payments
without approval

ALSO INSIDE Fresh party divisions rock Mnangagwa’s backyard

Page 2 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Auditor-General exposes US$300m
foreign payments without approval

OWEN GAGARE

ZIMBABWE’S Treasury made foreign direct were questioned by Chiri. Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage,” she said. Auditor-General Mildred Chiri
payments on behalf of 16 government minis- “My review of the direct payments register “Detailed documentary evidence of how the concerns in the 2019 audit, but nothing was
tries amounting to US$300 599 941 (ZW$18 done.
955 573 888 using the Reserve Bank of Zim- showed that Treasury made various foreign pay- transactions were recorded and reported in the
babwe 2020 spot rates) without the required ments totalling US$20 691 044 (approximately accounting records, was also not availed for au- The Ministry of Environment, Climate
parliamentary approval and the knowledge of ZW$770 646 758 when converted to Zimba- dit. It was therefore difficult to verify the accu- Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry did
beneficiary ministries, in a disclosure which bwe dollars using RBZ spot rates for 2020. The racy of the expenditure reported,” it says. not take delivery of 13 laptops, 13 Samsung
further shows how the country’s public finances payments were made to suppliers and service Galaxy tablets and 50 school desks and chairs
are in a shambles. providers on behalf of the ministry of Finance Chiri further voices grave concern over gov- despite paying.
and Economic Development during the year ernment revenue collection given that some
This revelation, which throws new light into ended December 31, 2020. The expenditure ministries and commissions failed to submit “Failure by paid contracted suppliers to ful-
maladministration by President Emmerson was not uploaded in the public financial man- their revenue returns indicating how much they fill their contractual obligations is a cause of
Mnangagwa’s government, is contained in Au- agement system and hence, this expenditure collected during the year under review. concern. This trend has negatively impacted
ditor-General Mildred Chiri’s 2020 report on was not accounted for in the ministry’s appro- the ministries in carrying out their mandate as
Appropriation Accounts, Finance and Revenue priation account for the year 2020,” her report This, she says, limited the scope of her audit. there was a shortage of motor vehicles and tools
Statements and Fund Accounts. The 2021 re- says. “Furthermore, revenue amounting to of trade. Follow-ups should be made on the
ports are not yet out. ZW$320 831 782 collected from company reg- outstanding deliveries,” Chiri says.
The Auditor-General says whereas the ap- istrations, trademarks and patents, stamp duty,
Apart from leadership, governance and pol- proved budget for unallocated reserves as per refund or miscellaneous payments from votes Some government ministries were also not
icy failures, as well as exogenous factors like the Appropriation Act was ZW$1 394 632 000, and other revenue sources was not supported. maintaining an updated manual and a Public
targeted sanctions and vagaries of international the Ministry of Finance transferred ZW$102 The accuracy and completeness of the revenue Financial Management System Asset Register,
trade, including global commodity prices fluc- 085 420 418 to line ministries, resulting in un- figures disclosed could not be validated,” Chiri in contravention of Section 100 of the Public
tuations, Zimbabwe’s economy is struggling authorised excess transfers of ZW$100 690 788 says. Finance Management Act.
due to authorities’ corruption, incompetence 418. The excess expenditure was not approved The Auditor-General also expressed concern
and extended period of mismanagement of gov- by parliament as required by law. over the non-delivery of procured assets, in- The Ministries of Information Communica-
ernment affairs, including public finances. cluding cars. tion Technology and Courier Services, Higher
Some payments done by the Ministry of Fi- “Assets comprising 30 motor vehicles worth and Tertiary Education, Science and Technol-
The report, which has now been tabled in nance to suppliers of goods and services on be- ZW$117 042 902 that were purchased by three ogy Development and Energy and Power De-
Parliament, sheds light on how government half of ministries were done without adequate ministries in 2020 had not been delivered by velopment had assets worth ZW$31 161 392
finances continue to be in a mess, with Trea- supporting documentation. Detailed docu- September 2021,” she says. procured in 2019 and 2020 not recorded in
sury and ministries making payments without mentary evidence was also not provided for the At least 24 of the vehicles in question were their asset registers.
supporting documentation in numerous cases, audit, raising eyebrows. purchased by the ministry of Information, Pub-
resulting in blatant corruption and loss of mil- licity and Broadcasting Services, while three Some ministries did not even maintain man-
lions of dollars in public funds. “For example, direct payments amounting to were procured by the ministry of National ual asset registers.
US$22 024 406, ZAR6 403 830 and BWP8 Housing and Social Amenities.
Several government ministries lost revenue 359 434 were made by Treasury on behalf of the The Ministry of Justice had also not taken Year after year, Chiri’s audits reveal the mas-
after paying for goods, including cars, which Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water delivery of three vehicles, which were paid for. sive chaos in public finances and looting in
were not delivered, while in many cases pur- and Rural Resettlement and Ministry of Trans- Curiously, the ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts government, parastatals and local authorities,
chased assets were not recorded in official reg- port and Infrastructural Development. In addi- and Creation had also not taken delivery of two but they have been largely ignored by the ex-
isters. tion, direct payments amounting to ZW$376 vehicles purchased in 2017. Chiri raises similar ecutive, legislature, law enforcement agents and
019 364 were paid on behalf of the ministry of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission,
The Ministry of Finance, according to Chiri, which spend public resources chasing small
made unauthorised excess transfers of ZW$100 fish, while failing to tackle whales of corruption
690 788 418 without condonation from par- mainly in the public sector.
liament as required by section 307 of the con-
stitution of Zimbabwe, among many other
anomalies.

Chiri also revealed that the bulk of the au-
dit findings, 55%, which she wanted addressed
from her 2019 report, were ignored by gov-
ernment ministries, while 28% were fully ad-
dressed and 17% partly attended to.

“I observed that Treasury made foreign direct
payments on behalf of 16 ministries amount-
ing to US$300 599 941. However, I noted that
a number of the ministries were not aware of
these payments and did not acknowledge these
transactions,” Chiri says.

“As at November 15, 2021, five line min-
istries disputed Treasury disbursements from
direct payments totalling US$183 638 970 (ap-
proximately ZW$14 763 681 058).”

Chiri expresses concern that the direct pay-
ments were not uploaded to the respective
ministries’ votes in the public financial man-
agement system. As a result, the ministries did
not report the amounts in their appropriation
accounts for 2020.

Treasury made a foreign direct payment of
US$155 703 721 on behalf of the Ministry
of Mines, but the ministry was only aware of
US$486 501, giving a variance of US$151 217
220.

A foreign direct payment of U$15 044 768
on behalf of the Energy ministry was made
without its knowledge. Treasury made a foreign
payment of US$12 345 758 on behalf of the
Ministry of Defence without its knowledge.

A total of US$10 254 123.77 was paid on
behalf of the Health ministry, but the ministry
was only aware of a payment of US$5 252 688,
giving a variance of US$5 001 436.

Treasury also made a foreign direct payment
of US$1 688 376 on behalf of the Public Ser-
vice Commission, which was however only
aware of US$1 658 586, giving a variance of
US$29 787.

In addition, the ministry made payments to
its foreign suppliers and service providers which

NewsHawks News Page 3

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Zimra in deep financial depression

MOSES MATENGA full name to allow the authority to flag applicants “The outstanding revenue return was not ad- to be included in the outstanding revenue return
with outstanding vehicles on TIPs, as a result justed for these payments. Some clients then could not be ascertained as some of the goods
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) sys- some applicants had multiple outstanding TIPs. continue to accumulate penalties and interest for might have been consumed locally,” the report
tems are in a shambles, with companies and indi- As at December 31, 2020, there were 34 008 outstanding amounts.” further stated.
viduals being made to pay for the tax collector’s (2019: 49620) electronic TIPs that had not been
inefficiency, while the authority is also suffering acquitted despite the fact that they had expired. It also emerged that the SAP system allowed On online deposits, it emerged that there was
huge financial losses due to leakages and fraud, it Some date back to the year 2013.” creation of duplicate contract accounts for the no evidence to support that the authority re-
has emerged. same revenue head under one business partner viewed its online banking mandatory minimum
The number of TIPs that have expired stands number and, consequently, assessments by the details required when paying using online plat-
Due to the inefficiency, the country has lost at 12 598 and the implication was loss of revenue authority and payments from clients were being forms.
millions of United States dollars in potential rev- due to irregular TIPs and mis-statement of the posted to the different contract accounts for the
enue, while prejudicing businesses, which now outstanding revenue return. same business partner. “As a result, the uncleared deposits grew to
bear the brunt of the taxman’s ineptitude. ZW$1 636 814 620 by end of December 2020
“Some of the vehicles may have been localised, This, Chiri said, distorted outstanding revenue due to business partners who were not supplying
The failing systems have exposed the tax collec- as they are long outstanding, prejudicing poten- for the individual business partners. sufficient details of the Payee and tax heads when
tor to fraud, with Zimra workers colluding with tial duty payable.” making online payments,” the report reads.
clients. On tax amnesty, the report noted: “The au-
On VAT refunds, Chiri said: “Included in VAT thority introduced a tax amnesty waiving interest “The authority could not allocate these depos-
According to the Auditor-General (AG) Mil- refunds of ZW$6.4 billion stated in the receipts and penalties for late payments of tax arising prior its to clients hence the business partner’s debts
dred Chiri’s latest report on state enterprises and disbursements, revenue return were VAT re- to June 30, 2018. As at December 31, 2020 all were not adjusted. Some business partners con-
and parastatals, the authority was found want- funds that were fraudulently processed. The pro- interest and penalties were yet to be reversed on tinued to accumulate penalties and interest for
ing on several issues, including value-added cess to quantify the extent of fraud is still in prog- the accounts of all approved clients. I could not outstanding amounts.
tax (VAT). Returns that were taking long to be ress, hence this return excludes these amounts.” determine the total amount of penalties and in-
processed amounted to ZW$1 309 335 146 terest to be reversed which was included in the “Misstatements of the outstanding revenue re-
for the year ending 31 December 2020, while Chiri said at least ZW$707 648 618 deposited Outstanding Revenue Return.” turn as penalty and interest would automatically
ZW$14 455 494 related to previous years. by clients was not receipted and allocated to any charged to the business partner’s accounts despite
tax head, a development that raised eyebrows for It also emerged that removal in transit (re- being up to date with the payments.
This, Chiri said, was in contravention of the the AG. gional consignments) entries amounting to
law. ZW$140 222 566 (2019: ZW$30 699 543 had “The authority should review its banking re-
“Included in the revenue return is not been acquitted as at 31 December 2020. quirements and engage banks on how the online
“The delays in processing the refunds are in ZW$707 648 618 deposited by clients but not platforms can be enhanced to enable clients to
contravention of the Authority’s Domestic Tax receipted and allocated to any tax head by end “Some of the entries date back to the year 2015 provide the mandatory details when making tax
Instruction (DTI) 15, which stipulates that the of December 2020. The authority attributes the and they exclude RITs that are in the process of payments.”
refunds should be processed within 30 days from anomaly to insufficient details of the payee and cancellation once they meet the required criteria.
the date of submission of the application or tax heads for online banking systems,” she said. As a result, the extent of outstanding duty payable The unallocated amount, Zimra said, was now
claim,” the report reads. ZW$707 648 618.

It also emerged that the authority was having
challenges in the clearing of motor vehicles and
losing millions of dollars in the process, as a result
of fraud.

“The motor vehicle clearance system process
has taken time to be fully automated. As a result,
it was difficult for the authority to timely identify
data capturing errors that were occurring, as of-
ficers were capturing customs clearing processes
(CCC documentation).

“Clients took advantage of the weaknesses in
the process and did not properly clear vehicles
totalling 1 570, with only 645 vehicles recovered
during the period under review,” the report reads
in part.

“The implications are loss of revenue in the
form of customs duties for the authority due to
fraud and collusion amongst clients and employ-
ees of the authority.”

On temporary import permits (TIP) of tour-
ists’ vehicles, Chiri’s report stated that the system
was not configured to flag vehicles that had ex-
pired TIPs when issuing new ones to the appli-
cants.

“In addition, the system did not document
the applicant’s essential details like address and

MOSES MATENGA Chiri red flags Zacc, as anti-graft body
fails to account for millions of dollars
AUDITOR-GENERAL Mildred Chiri has red
flagged the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Com- presented in the financial statements,” the report prepared back reconciliation statements on time side of transactions, as a result, the statement
mission (Zacc) over several cases of irregularities reads. for the periods under review as they were pre- of cash flow had an imbalance of US$60 435.
that have raised suspicion that millions of Unit- pared in retrospect. I was unable to determine the extent of the ad-
ed States dollars could have been abused after it “In addition, the commission was unable to justments necessary to correct this account area.”
failed to account for petty cash and expenditure avail creditor’s reconciliations for the 2017 finan- “The years 2012 to 2015 bank reconciliations
while its books have remained in a shambles cial period. I was therefore unable to perform al- were prepared in 2016 and 2017 bank reconcil- On unsupported expenditure for 2012, Chi-
since 2012. ternative procedures to obtain assurance as to the iations were still in progress at the time of audit ri said: “The commission was unable to provide
accuracy and completeness of these balances.” in 2019. As a result, the commission had incom- sufficient and appropriate supporting documents
Chiri highlighted that there was a risk of fraud plete cash records. The cash records only showed for fuel, general expenses and payroll disclosed
at Zacc due to lack of supporting documentation On property, plant and equipment, the com- the payment side of transactions,” the report in the income statement amounting to US$108
for payments. mission is said to have de-recognised houses with reads. 215. Due to the fact that ledgers were recon-
carrying amount of US$2 417 374 without fol- structed from the bank statement and limited
Zacc is tasked with fighting corruption, which lowing procedure and no proper explanations or Chiri said she was not availed with vouchers documentation in place. I was unable to conduct
has become a scourge in the country. Zimbabwe supporting documents were provided to support that support the cash payments including fuel alternative procedures necessary to obtain assur-
loses billions of dollars due to high-level corrup- this process. purchases, vehicle maintenance, and sub-con- ance regarding reliability, validity, occurrence,
tion. tracting of services totalling US$1 116 548. completeness and accuracy of the reported ex-
“As a result de-recognition did not meet the penditure.
According to Chiri’s 2020 audit on State En- criteria set out under the International Account- “The implication is financial loss due to ma-
terprises and Parastatals, Zacc’s books have been ing Standards (IAS) 16 property, plant and terial irregularities and fraud that may not be “There were no alternative audit procedures
in a shambles since 2012. equipment.” detected on time. Fraudulent activities may go that I could perform to satisfy myself as to
undetected,” Chiri’s report reads. whether these expenses were free from material
The commission has failed to produce doc- On revenue, Chiri said: “The revenue figure misstatements,” Chiri said.
uments on its expenditure amounting to US$1 presented in the financial statements of US$2 A red flag was also raised as Zacc’s petty cash
116 548 in cash payments for the year ended 033 090 differed from the trial balance amount book was incomplete as the anti-corruption “The statement of financial position had a
2019. of US$1 042 118 by US$990 972. No explana- body was only recording payments and not re- suspense amount of US$432 769 which the
tion was provided to explain the variance.” cording reimbursements into petty cash. commission could not explain and whose source
For the year ending 31 December 2017, the could not be determined.”
report said that the commission also failed to On reconciliations and cash payments, the “The commission had an incomplete cash re-
produce documents to support payments of Auditor-General said the commission had not cord. The cash record only showed the payment
amounting to over US$2 million.

“There were no supporting documents availed
in the form of invoices or supplier statements to
validate expenditure and payables amounting to
US$2 064 864 and US$417 138 respectively

Page 4 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Bad corporate governance resulted in the deterioration of service delivery.

Audit unmasks rot in local authorities

RUVIMBO MUCHENJE Harare is accused of failing to account for over US$1 million.

LOCAL authorities across the country have been tures (Private) Limited in 2016 valued at US$137 [Chapter 29:15]. Moreover, the city council was funds for personal use. Upon enquiry, the council
exposed for abusing millions of US dollars and 713. However, the bitumen had not been deliv- involved in unprocedural allocation of stands to highlighted that the practise emanated from the
failing to account for actions that prejudice rate- ered and the money paid had not been recovered two minors.” memo issued by the town clerk where employees’
payers of proper service delivery. by the time of my audit in August 2021,” the re- salaries to cover properties directly belonging to
port reads. “In 2018, Gokwe Town Council allocated the employee or employees’ parents or in-laws.”
According to the Auditor-General’s report for a commercial stand measuring 8750m2 to the
the financial year ended 31 December 2020 on “The 2020 annual report had 42% governance town council chairperson without following due The same municipality was in the firing line
local authorities, massive corruption and bad issues which are perennially related to the absence processes. In 2018, Nyanga Rural District Coun- for effecting salary increments without approval
corporate govenance were reported at several of key policies, non-compliance with laws and cil recorded US$536 500 as stand deposits but from the relevant minister, hence compromising
councils, including Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, other regulatory provisions and mismanagement could not provide any supporting documents for service delivery.
Gweru, Chiredzi, Gokwe, Nyanga and Chitung- of assets. Bulawayo City Council, Gweru City such funds,” reported Chiri.
wiza. Council and Chiredzi Town Council, among “Management salary scales that were applied
others, were operating without key policies and The issue of possible fraud in stand allocation from August 2018 were not approved by the
Bad corporate governance resulted in the abuse procedure manuals.” is more apparent at Chitungwiza Town Council minister of Local Government and Public Works
of ratepayers’ money and a deterioration of ser- where the Auditor-General reported that em- (July Moyo). Service delivery may be compro-
vice delivery. The fraudlent sale of housing and Gweru, Gokwe and Nyanga RDC were found ployees have a leeway to loot by intercepting pay- mised as funds meant for service delivery are di-
commercial stands was also rampant country- in breach of procedural allocation of stands, with ments for plan approval from clients. verted to salaries and wages,” reported the Audi-
wide, just like in previous audits. Gokwe allocating two stands to minors. tor-General.
This prejudiced the local authority of revenue.
Harare was accused of failing to account for “Gweru City Council was utilising estate for “The council was allowing employees to inter- Chiri urged Harare and other local authorities
over US$1 million. Its accounting system is recurrent expenditure instead of capital expen- cept payments from clients for plan approval. As a to implement the audit findings if there is to be
shambolic, facilitating opaque transactions. diture as required by the Urban Councils Act result, employees were collecting and utilising the sanity in the operations of council.

“The council’s cash books were not furnished
for audit. Cash receipts and payments journals
linked to the bank accounts were also not availed.
Reconciliation of bank accounts, EcoCash ac-
counts were not being done and proper check-
ing and authorisation of the same was not being
done. Some of the bank accounts were not in the
accounting system,” the report reads.

Harare conceded failure to account for some
of the money, saying the council did not have the
proper accounting systems in place.

“The urgency for a well-maintained trade and
other payables’ record cannot be under-estimated,
and the new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
is targeting to eliminate this teething problem,”
City of Harare management said in response to
the audit report.

Auditor-General Mildred Chiri also flagged
Masvingo for failing to account for US$137 713
meant for the procurement of 545 drums of bi-
tumen in 2016, which are yet to be delivered five
years on.

“The council purchased five hundred and for-
ty-five (545) drums of bitumen from Podilla Ven-

NewsHawks News Page 5

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

This article on the mysterious and controversial Trevor Ncube’s dalliances with
relations between President Emmerson Mnan- Mnangagwa run much deeper
gagwa and local publisher Trevor Ncube is a
summary based on an extract from a chapter in
a draft manuscript of a book titled Reporting
Under Pressure: Truth in Perilous Times, which
award-winning journalist Dumisani Muleya,
The NewsHawks managing editor, is currently
working on.

JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA

SOMETIME deep in the spring of November Publisher Trevor Ncube (third from left) and his team from AMH with President Emmerson Mnangagwa (right).
2004 under the azure blue sky hinting at a sum-
mer about to set in, former Zimbabwean minister shibboleths of the past and concomitant certain- der the chairmanship of Lord Peter Carrington, Brian Kagoro, Everjoice Win and Priscillah Mis-
and ex-Zanu PF member of Parliament Jonathan ties until his tragic end. secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth ihairabwi.
Moyo received a surprising and curious message Affairs. It ended on 15 December 1979, after 47
from his estranged friend Trevor Ncube, a local The debate on constitutional reform was plenary sessions. The chairperson of the state-sponsored constitu-
publisher then flying high the flag of independent sparked by what was viewed as a series of arbitrary tional commission was the late chief justice God-
journalism. amendments to the Lancaster House constitution The resultant Lancaster House constitution be- frey Chidyausiku, then a Supreme Court judge.
to consolidate and concentrate power in the pres- came a ceasefire and transitional document to stop The commission had 396 members, including all
The message rekindled a friendship that had idency. The most far-reaching of those was the the liberation war and bloodshed which had been 150 members of Parliament. Some previous acer-
gone sour and ended acrimoniously largely over 1987 amendment which created the executive raging for over a decade. bic critics of the Mugabe government were also in-
the 1999/2000 Constitutional Commission pro- presidency to build Mugabe’s imperial hegemony cluded among the 246 other members, including
cess, which Ncube at the time had described as which lasted 37 years. After mismanaging the country through au- Moyo, who designed the structure, process and
the “most expensive public relations disaster” since thoritarian repression, corruption and incom- methodology of the constitutional commission
Zimbabwe’s Independence in 1980. Zvobgo was central to that. Many say he did petence for almost two decades, Mugabe was in and its work.
Mugabe’s bidding not because he wanted him to 1999 forced into the constitutional reform pro-
Moyo was a central figure in the commission’s be unconquerable and remain in power in perpe- cess by growing resistance and agitation from After months of intensive and controversial
Augean task to draft a new constitution to reform tuity, but hoping one day he would succeed him opposition parties and civil society organisations, outreach programmes — well over 500 outreach
Zimbabwe’s authoritarian dystopia that had been as president. especially the National Constitutional Assembly meetings were held — a draft was produced and
spawned by a catalogue of failures after the 1980 (NCA), whose taskforce was chaired by the late subjected to a constitutional referendum on 12
dream of a new beginning to build an inclusive, Following the Meeting of Commonwealth founding MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. February and 13 February 2000. The constitu-
democratic and prosperous society had collapsed Heads of State and Government held in Lusaka tional draft was rejected by the people.
into chaos and disillusionment. from 1 to 7 August 1979, the UK government Tsvangirai had been the leading light of the la-
under Margaret Thatcher — the first female Brit- bour movement for the past decade. Moyo, who had become a key player in the
The constitutional process had set Moyo on ish prime minister and longest-serving one in the constitutional commission, while in the process
a collision course with Ncube, civil society and 20th century — issued invitations to Bishop Abel Established in 1997 at a time when Mugabe fighting Mugabe succession battles with Zanu PF
the opposition at the time. Even some in Zanu Muzorewa, then Zimbabwe-Rhodesia premier, had begun losing political grip and traction as the gladiators like Zvobgo and Mnangagwa on oppos-
PF circles were also against Moyo, who had been and leaders of the Patriotic Front — Zapu and economy declined and socio-economic problems ing factions, was hugely disappointed. He could
brought back from South Africa after sometime Zanu (Joshua Nkomo and Mugabe respectively) mounted, amid rising discontent, even though he not breathe.
in Kenya by the late Zanu PF maverick, Eddison — to participate in a Constitutional Conference had been overwhelmingly re-elected the previous
Zvobgo, tasked to superintend the process on be- at Lancaster House in London. year due to lack of serious opposition, the NCA’s Meanwhile, Ncube and others in the NCA,
half of the ruling party. founding convenor was lawyer Tawanda Mutasah, opposition and civil society circles were over the
The purpose of the conference was to discuss now Oxfam vice-president of global partnerships moon.
Zvobgo had been sent secretly to London, and reach agreement on the terms of an indepen- and impact. Oxfam is a global organisation that
United Kingdom, to work on a Zanu PF draft dence constitution, and that elections should be fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. The rejection of the constitutional commission
constitution that was to be used as a document supervised under British authority to enable Rho- draft constitution had serious and far-reaching
of engagement or even be manoeuvred into the desia to proceed to legal self-rule and the parties to Mutasah served as moderator. He was succeed- consequences that were to shape Zimbabwe’s poli-
official process through the backdoor. settle their differences by political means via the ed by Bishop Peter Nemapare. tics for a long time to come. The repercussions and
first democratic election. impact of that referendum are still being felt up to
When confronted by two Zimbabwe Indepen- Serving with Tsvangirai in the NCA taskforce this day. The negative outcome, especially over a
dent journalists about this issue at his Old Reserve The conference opened on 10 September un- were lawyers and activists, who included Welsh- clause giving the government power to seize white-
Building offices in Harare in January 2000, Zvob- man Ncube, Lovemore Madhuku, Tendai Biti,
go, looking immaculate in a black suit, white shirt
and black tie, stood up from his chair behind a
palatial desk, went to get some coffee and then
brought the secret Zanu PF draft constitution he
had written.

In a jovial and sarcastic mood, he read out the
preamble to the reporters and burst into character-
istic self-praise, joking: “Listen, this is written in
English, can you hear that; the Queen’s language,
not what you are taught at the University of Zim-
babwe or your colleges here! Ichi chirungu original,
not zvenyu zvamunonyora izvi (this is original En-
glish, not what you write).

After some light-hearted moments, jokes and
laughter, Zvobgo — who was cheerful amid clear
signs of deteriorating health, which he said was
due to a lengthy battle with cancer — then gave
the reporters an insight into the constitutional
commission process and the dynamics at play, ad-
mitting his agenda and that of his party, before
diverting to Zanu PF internal politics.

On his part, he wanted to know how the jour-
nalists had known about the secret role he was
playing on behalf of his party behind the scenes
and his own political manoeuvres.

Those in the constitutional commission who
knew about the story had leaked it to the media
to expose Zanu PF’s hidden agenda in the process;
the late former president Robert Mugabe wanted
it to be a charade to maintain his rule.

However, instead of doing Mugabe’s bidding
throughout the exercise, Zvobgo had his own
agenda which was to later play out as a spectacle
in the commission’s theatre of debate and its ma-
noeuvring chessboard at the height of attendant
political brinkmanship.

The eventual fallout emanating from the consti-
tutional reform process had far-reaching personal
consequences for Moyo and Ncube, and dramatic
political repercussions for Zimbabwe.

Mugabe, who had already ruined the nation
through leadership, governance and policy failures
— although the worst was yet to come — had on
21 May 1999 appointed the commission to come
up with a new constitution fit for the country to
replace the repeatedly amended, hence mutilated,
Lancaster House constitution.

Typically, Mugabe did not want reform, let
alone change, but a smokescreen. He clung onto

Page 6 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

owned farms without compensation, was taken as before. when he was recruited, with no journalism train- Former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo
a personal rebuff of Mugabe who was pushing for After the Tsholotsho debacle, Mnangagwa’s ing or reporting experience, Wilson wanted to business, mainly at Heritage Investment Bank
it and land reform after the expiry of the Lancaster groom him to become the editor. and later after it had merged with First Merchant
House constitution’s 10-year moratorium. allies, six Zanu PF provincial chairpersons Mike Bank in 1997. Subsequent to that, Munatsi en-
Madiro (Manicaland), Daniel Shumba (Masvin- However, after Nyarota was removed as The gineered a merger of Bard Discount House, First
Conversely, it was seen as victory for the NCA go), Themba Ncube (Bulawayo), Jacob Mudenda Chronicle editor and transferred to Harare before Merchant Bank, UDC and ULC companies op-
and opposition forces, especially the newly-formed (Matabeleland North), July Moyo (Midlands), being summarily dismissed in 1989 following the erating across the southern African region, culmi-
MDC under Tsvangirai. The result gave the oppo- and the late Lloyd Siyoka (Matabeleland South) Willowgate corruption scandal, Rusike — who nating in the creation of a regional bank, African
sition momentum until the June 2000 parliamen- had been suspended and later banned for five had worked with him at Zimpapers — hired him Banking Corporation, now BancABC, of which
tary election, which the MDC lost by a narrow years. in 1990 to take charge of the Fingaz. But he did he was chief executive, with Chidawu as chairper-
margin — five constituencies — on elected seats. not last long. In 1991, Ncube then became Fingaz son until 2014.
Moyo was also ostracised by Mugabe before be- editor. He was also fired by the late Rusike, a Zanu
That was a serious warning to Mugabe and ing fired as minister and from the ruling party the PF central committee member, in 1995. As managing director of First Merchant Bank,
Zanu PF that the honeymoon was over. following year — February 2005 — ahead of par- Munatsi was instrumental in engineering bank
liamentary elections in April after he had decided It became a blessing in disguise for him. funding for Ncube’s acquisition of 100% control
The constitutional process fallout triggered to stand as an independent candidate. He waged The following year, 1996, Ncube was recruit- of ZimInd Publishers, which ran the Zimbabwe In-
a serious political backlash by Mugabe — he let a big fight and went on to win, partly courtesy ed by his former boss Wilson and publisher Clive dependent and The Standard, when Murphy and
loose his supporters, led by war veterans — to grab of Ncube, who mobilised financial and logistical Murphy — they initially wanted the late Mark Wilson, founders of the company, disinvested.
white-owned farms in retaliation for the defeat, a support for him. Ncube did not do it as charity Chavunduka as their founding editor — to es- Munatsi also supported Ncube’s acquisition of the
process that would define the country’s future for or out of friendship, but as a calculated political tablish the Zimbabwe Independent, which formed Mail & Guardian in South Africa in 2002.
generations. White farmers had mobilised against move. The way Moyo was dismissed by Mugabe the foundation for Alpha Media Holdings (AMH),
the draft over the land issue in a bid to thwart farm while relaxing at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Bul- also publishers of The NewsDay and The Standard. The New York-based Media Development In-
grabs, but the law of unintended consequences ap- awayo and how he later responded was both dra- AMH also runs Heart & Soul. Before 2017, Ncu- vestment Fund (formerly Media Development
plied. matic and acrimonious, yet politically revealing. be’s media empire included South Africa’s Mail & Loan Fund), which provides affordable debt and
Guardian, which had a regional African edition. equity financing to independent media, mainly in
Their farms were violently seized, leading to the Ncube (Trevor) and Moyo had a long relation- Between 1993 and 1999, Moyo and Ncube’s harsh operating environments, played a role. The
collapse of commercial agriculture, the economic ship going back to the late 1980s when the latter relationship seesawed as the former left to work UK Guardian Media Group had sold the M&G to
mainstay and, resultantly, Zimbabwe’s economic was a lecturer, and the former a teaching assistant in Kenya for the Ford Foundation, making their Ncube ahead of many other monied competitors
implosion. at the University of Zimbabwe. contacts sporadic, until his return home from because they believed he would maintain its edito-
South Africa in 1999 for the constitutional com- rial independence and integrity, while ensuring its
At personal levels, the process led to a break- In fact, Moyo was Ncube’s negotiator (munyai mission project. financial sustainability.
down in relations. One of the relations that be- in Shona; umkhongi in Ndebele), who escorted Despite the distance between them, the shrap-
came a casualty of the fight for a new constitu- him to meet the Muzuva family when he went to nel from Ncube’s divorce with Eva did not spare After Munatsi helped Ncube with money to
tion was that of Mugabe and Zvobgo, which was ask for the hand of their daughter, Eva Muzuva, Moyo, not least because of his role as marriage buy ZimindInd Publishers, the AMH boss says the
patchy anyway. in marriage. negotiator; and the fact that many a member of late banker, who became a close family member,
the Muzuva family had over the years become his took a lot of flak from Zanu PF circles for sup-
Zvobgo, who had roped in Moyo through pub- When Elias Rusike recruited Ncube to join the close relations in the communal African sense. porting him.
lisher and academic Ibbo Mandaza, wanted to use Financial Gazette as assistant editor to Clive Wil- When reports of Ncube bashing Eva in their
the constitutional reform process to stage a palace son in 1989, Moyo was already a contributing col- toxic marriage and calling her “a stupid Zezuru Yet that had embedded Ncube into Mnangag-
coup against Mugabe by barring him from stand- umnist to the paper; having been roped in earlier woman” appeared in the media in 1994 follow- wa’s business circles and political networks, a rela-
ing for re-election. He had a grip on the transi- by the editor. It was a great development for Moyo ing court processes, Moyo was disturbed, and that tionship that would manifest itself when he recon-
tional mechanism committee of the constitutional to have Ncube, his friend, assume a top position partly further strained their relationship. nected with Moyo in 2004 after the Tsholotsho
process chaired by lawyer Honour Mkushi. at the Fingaz. Ncube is now married to Nyaradzo Muteiwa. Declaration fiasco and years later during the 2017
Meanwhile, Ncube — who has supported military coup.
Zvobgo campaigned indefatigably for Mugabe However, Ncube was only recruited because Zapu, MDC, the Third Way, Mavambo/Dawn/
to be barred from standing for re-election through Moyo had refused an offer from Rusike to be edi- Kusile, Alliance for People’s Agenda and Zanu PF The Tsholotsho incident was about Mnangag-
a constitutional mechanism and that led to a com- tor of the Fingaz. Rusike, who had bought the pa- in his peripheral political activism — got himself wa’s dramatic bid to become Mugabe’s co-deputy
plete breakdown in relations. per from Murphy after leaving Zimpapers, where embedded in Mnangagwa’s factional business during the Zanu PF 2004 congress ahead of for-
he was managing director, headhunted Moyo — a networks through the late innovative banker and mer vice-president Joice Mujuru before he was
In the process, Zvobgo clashed not only with trailblazing academic who was an outspoken critic Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency stopped in his tracks by the late retired army com-
Mnangagwa and Chidyausiku, who were there to of Mugabe — to be his editor and offered him a chief executive Douglas Munatsi and their asso- mander General Solomon Mujuru and his faction.
protect Mugabe, but also Moyo, who objected to hefty package, but he rejected the job, saying he ciate Oliver Chidawu, Harare provincial minister
the idea of ousting an elected leader through the could not leave the university to join Modus Pub- of state. Ncube and Munatsi joined Wingate Golf Subsequent efforts by Mnangagwa to form an
backdoor of a constitutional reform process, in- lications. Club in Harare at about the same time and that opposition party, the United People’s Movement
stead of elections. cemented their friendship. (UPM), a project which Moyo drove, failed as he
Instead, Moyo remained a Fingaz columnist. Chidawu, an entrepreneur, and Munatsi were used that to spook Mugabe into ditching Mujuru
The fight between Moyo and Zvobgo, who had He also wrote a column, CashTalk with Dr Jon- part of a business network that supported Mnan- and embracing him, especially after the Zanu PF
brought him in, became nasty to the extent that athan Moyo, in the late Herbert Munangatire’s gagwa for decades. Their paths converged on Goromonzi annual conference in 2006.
the Masvingo maverick’s allies stormed Sheraton Sunday Times.
(now Rainbow) Hotel in Harare, where the pro- The Mujurus has tried to stop Mugabe in
fessor was staying for months, and threatened to Rusike then went for Ncube. At one point Goromonzi from being the Zanu PF presidential
bring down the hotel if their agenda was thwart- Rusike actually wanted Mthuli Ncube, an econo- election candidate in 2008. They pulled out all the
ed. Zvobgo’s allies, especially Dzikamai Mavhaire, mist and now Finance minister, to edit the Fingaz. stops to do so in 2007 when they forced him to
had already been in trouble in Zanu PF for agitat- Even though Trevor Ncube was a media rookie hold an extraordinary congress in December
ing that “Mugabe must go”.

A Harvard-trained lawyer, brilliant legal mind
and Zanu PF spokesperson at the Lancaster House
Talks, Zvobgo had been Mugabe’s co-partisan and
close ally for decades. They had fought together in
the liberation struggle, detained in the same pris-
on cells, shared food and, along with many others,
emerged as heroes in 1980, yet their rivalry had
remained bubbling under the surface, waiting to
erupt.

Having helped Mugabe initially to build a
one-party state and an imperial presidency, Zvob-
go had tried to later on challenge him on policy
issues, even on sensitive matters like Gukurahundi
and demanding reform in public. His mercurial
role in the constitutional commission became his
last-ditch stand. He paid for it.

By the time he died on 22 August 2004, just
before the Dinyane High School meeting in
Tsholotsho on 18 November 2004 to coordinate
Mugabe’s succession plot and Mnangagwa’s rise,
Zvobgo had been booted out of top Zanu PF and
government structures, including cabinet and the
politburo.

Mnangagwa defended Mugabe to the hilt
during the constitutional commission. Amid
all this topsy-turvy politics, Moyo and Ncube’s
friendship also became a casualty of the acrimo-
nious process and its domino effect. They fell out
badly. The situation became worse when Moyo
was later appointed Information minister in
2000, after which he had subsequent serious run-
ins with the media as he defended Mugabe and
Zanu PF, leading their strategic communications
and fighting dirty.

Ncube spoke about this hostility publicly and
even wrote an opinion-editorial in one of his
newspapers lamenting the acrimonious break-
down of his relationship with Moyo.

So when Ncube reached out to Moyo four years
down the line in November 2004, it was a major
surprise to the latter. But it did not take time for
them to reconcile as they had been great friends

NewsHawks News Page 7

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

that year to confirm his candidacy. Mnangagwa Mugabe and Zanu leaders had resolved to kill on Apa leader Nkosana Moyo Ncube would attack his own editors and reporters
defended Mugabe under siege from the Solomon a grand scale and commit ethnic cleansing to im- trick worked on Mugabe, who instructed him to on Twitter, and either mute or block those who
Mujuru and Dumiso Dabengwa-led onslaught. pose a one-party state and also build an ethnocen- withdraw the 2004 amendment to the Zanu PF did not agree with him, in brazen acts of intol-
tric national project. The decision was made at a constitution which had provided that one of the erance.
Politburo minutes, obtained and published in Zanu PF central committee meeting in Harare on party’s two vice-presidents should be a woman —
the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper by its top 31 December 1982. benefitting Mujuru, while blocking her archrival. Abraham Lincoln said: “Nearly all men can
journalists at the time, confirmed the story. Mnangagwa was surprised but got afraid to table a stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s true
After the meeting, Zvobgo secretly told Msipa: notice for that amendment, yet he had got Mug- character, give him power.”
When all that failed, senior Zanu PF politburo “The decision was simply that let’s massacre Nde- abe where he wanted him.
member and former minister Simba Makoni quit beles”. Further, apart from using Pac as an ingratiating
the party to challenge Mugabe in 2008. Ncube After the Esigodini conference, where he turned platform, Ncube manoeuvred to worm his way
supported Makoni. In the meantime, Mnangagwa This was just two weeks before the deadly around his political fortunes after throwing his al- around Mnangagwa by taking his coup editors
continued pushing to gain control until Solomon Gukurahundi tsunami started formally sweeping lies under the bus over the Tsholotsho incident, to the President’s Office to pay homage and show
Mujuru’s mysterious death in August 2011 and across Matabeleland. The trigger was Zapu leader Mnangagwa did not want to hear about UPM, solidarity; networking with the First Lady Auxillia
Joice Mujuru’s removal in December 2014. That Nkomo’s refusal in a tense meeting with Mugabe which then suffered a stillbirth and fell apart be- and roping in the President’s son-in-law Gerald
opened the pathway for Mnangagwa to power. in mid-January 1983 to accept a formal one-party fore it was launched; and worse, he did not want Mlotshwa to fund his online In Conversation with
state proposal and to kowtow to him. to hear about Tsholotsho or Gukurahundi. Trevor interview series.
Prior to that in 1999, Mnangagwa had been
defeated by John Nkomo for the position of party Even the discovery of arms caches saga in 1982, The story ended there and then. The rest is Mlotshwa was also supposed to end up as a
chair when Zvobgo led a realigned faction to scut- used as a pretext for the military lockdown in history. Suffice to say during the 2006 Zanu PF shareholder in AMH, which badly needed capital
tle his bid. Nkomo went on to become vice-presi- preparation of Gukurahundi, came after a volatile Goromonzi annual conference, General Mujuru’s injection as a technically insolvent entity.
dent after the death of Joseph Msika in 2009. He meeting on 5 February 1982 between Nkomo plot to stop Mugabe from seeking re-election in
died later in 2013. and Mugabe, in which the former had rejected 2008 failed (he was only stopped by Tsvangirai, All the while, Ncube persisted to gullibly and
the one-party state proposal that his party did not forcing him into a coalition government in 2009) naively believe that Mnangagwa was “a listening
After the Tsholotsho fiasco, suddenly, as if there want. Mnangagwa was the enforcer. and that marked the beginning of the general’s president” and political messiah Zimbabwe had
was no fallout backdrop to their strained friend- own tragic end — he died in a mysterious fire in been waiting for when most people had seen
ship since the constitutional commission days, So, Moyo told Ncube that they wanted to pla- 2011. Later his wife, Joice, was ousted as vice-pres- through the coup smokescreen, especially after
Ncube crawled out of the woodwork and reached cate Mnangagwa on the Gukurahundi issue; rath- ident in 2014 and replaced with Mnangagwa. the 1 August 2018 Harare massacre, days after his
out to his erstwhile friend Moyo through text mes- er than threatening him or joining those whom he controversial election to sanitise the putsch stink
sages, saying he had been impressed by his “princi- thought were after his head, they wanted to build It was thus not a coincidence that Ncube in and gain legitimacy.
pled support for Mnangagwa” in Tsholotsho. confidence and trust with him as they saw him as his Drakensberg speech early last month cited the
the leader with the keys to resolving the emotive belief that Mnangagwa would be better placed to In his Drakensberg address, in which he unwit-
Moyo was surprised as he did not know Ncube, atrocities issues. What they wanted was not his resolve the Gukurahundi issue as one of the rea- tingly admitted he was politically unworldly, naïve
who always claimed at the time that he believed scalp, but his cooperation and willingness to take sons he supported the coup. That was a theory he and wrong, Ncube said he had realised Mnangag-
in change from outside Zanu PF, also supported responsibility and lead the initiative to allow for shared with Moyo way back. wa had failed and that the coup project would not
Mnangagwa way back then. Ncube said at the truth, justice, reconciliation, compensation and end well as it was largely motivated by the pursuit
time, his gripe with Moyo was that he believed healing for the victims. Ncube said he had supported Mnangagwa of personal, ethnic and economic or financial in-
change would come from outside Zanu PF, while during the coup because he thought since he had terests by Mnangagwa and his faction.
his friend thought the opposite. Second, Moyo told Ncube that because it had worked closely with Mugabe and seen how and
become clear that the presidency in Zanu PF had why he had failed, and was also instrumental in So for those reasons and many others, Ncu-
After Ncube reached out to Moyo, they were deteriorated into a Karanga-Zezuru sub-ethnic Gukurahundi, he was better placed to be the next be jumped ship even though he had enjoyed the
friends, again, just like that. When Moyo ran as battle, they wanted to break the logjam by pro- leader and to resolve Gukurahundi. ride while everyone could see that the Titanic was
an independent candidate for Tsholotsho in April posing a rotation of the presidency of the party headed for the proverbial iceberg crash.
2005 against Mugabe’s advice — leading to the between four major ethnic/sub-ethnic groups in In so doing, Ncube had aggressively and clum-
late strongman saying “akaoma musoro sedamba Zimbabwe: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika and Nde- sily tried to curry favour with Mnangagwa by un- In fairness, some people rightly feel Ncube,
kuti papata; he is strongheaded) — Ncube was bele. They said this was fundamental to Zimba- ethically pressuring his editorial team at AMH and who has previously supported Zapu, MDC, the
one of the few Mnangagwa-linked business allies, bwe’s progress and stopping ethnic polarisation, intimidating editors and reporters to support his Third Way, Mavambo/Dawn/Kusile and Alliance
who included John Mushayavanhu, Herbert Nka- divisions and conflict, amid political instability partisan political cause at the expense of editorial for People’s Agenda (Apa), should not be faulted
la and his nephew Edwin Manikai, to contribute and economic collapse. independence and audiences. for his political errors of judgement, as it is his
funds and logistics to his campaign. democratic right to do so, and since experience is
Initially Mnangagwa seemed amenable to the He even went to the extent of censuring editors the best teacher. After all, many Zimbabweans in-
Given Ncube’s stinginess, it was a big deal for initiative to an extent that he even encouraged the in public at work meetings and denouncing them cluding the worldly in politics, had supported the
him to contribute to Moyo’s campaign. The stakes formation of UPM to push this and other major on social media platforms for carrying stories he coup as they were tired of Mugabe and hoped for
were high. Ncube did not help Moyo out of mere national initiatives for new politics to extricate did not like, and which did not fit or advance his the best, perhaps against hope.
friendship, which had been strained anyway, but Zimbabwe out of the crisis. agenda to support Mnangagwa.
as a political manoeuvre supported by Mnangag- In the wake of his recent quitting, which many
wa trying to reconfigure Zanu PF politics to create Moyo and others produced concept papers on Ncube knew that what he was doing was wrong in the political community say was underlined by
a pathway to the top. these issues, but Mnangagwa turned them into as he seized editors’ smartphones before editorial a sour-grapes speech, whose narrative is unjusti-
briefing and intelligence reports for Mugabe and review meetings that he chaired for fear of being fied beyond his personal interests and collapsing
Ncube’s messages had swiftly unlocked money used them to scare him that there was trouble recorded and exposed as Mnangagwa’s captured business fortunes with mounting debts and fail-
and logistical support for Moyo from Mnangag- brewing in Zanu PF and in the country because loyalist and gatekeeper prepared to push the en- ure to pay his workers, Ncube has opined that
wa’s close allies such as Mushayavanhu, Nkala and of how the party and government had mishandled velope to support and please him at all costs. The his Damascene perspective about the November
Manikai, the President’s nephew, who was to later the Tsholotsho saga. seizure of editors’ phones became a new low for 2017 coup and Mnangagwa’s lack of commitment
recruit him to become part of the Presidential Ad- Ncube in his desperate editorial manipulation bid to reform is based on the Keynesian principle that
visory Council, which the AMH boss quit recently Mnangagwa had since 1980 been Mugabe’s and push to suborn senior journalists. when facts change, one should also change their
with his sour-grapes speech early last month in the intelligence kingpin and pillar of support. Once mind.
Drakensberg, South Africa. he fired him on 6 November 2017, the floodgates This endangered editorial independence, cred-
opened two weeks later for a coup on 14/15 No- ibility and impartiality, but editors and reporters Indeed, amid a recent storm of criticism about
At that time, Ncube came out in the open to let vember, and Mugabe’s tragic end. — except those who supported the coup and were his self-righteous outburst against Mnangagwa
the cat out of the bag — telling Moyo that he was his tools for journalistic manipulation — studi- and self-vindication, Ncube tweeted: “When the
supporting Mnangagwa and hoped that he would To further scare Mugabe, threats were made ously resisted his cajoling, pressure and threats. facts change, I change my mind — what do you
be President someday. Ncube whined about how that there would be demonstrations at the 2005 That saved AMH’s editorial credibility and integ- do, sir?”
Mugabe and Mujuru had stymied and crushed Zanu PF Annual People’s Conference in Esi- rity.
the Tsholotsho move; he was also keen to know godini, just south of Bulawayo. Mnangagwa’s Political and social theorists will not disagree
how Moyo had come to be involved in supporting When exasperated by the journalists’ resistance, with Ncube’s philosophical Keynesian defence
Mnangagwa, who was an enforcer of the Gukura- that when facts change, one’s mind should also
hundi which had killed his father. change.

A previously unpublished dossier obtained by Otherwise, being dogmatic and fossilised does
Zimbabwe Independent and Botswana’s INK Inves- not help. As American paleontologist Stephen Jay
tigative Centre, journalists in 2018 revealed Moyo’s Gould said: “Nothing is more dangerous than a
father — Job Melusi Mlevu, a Zapu councillor dogmatic worldview — nothing more constrain-
then — was killed on 22 January 1983 in Tsholot- ing, more blinding to innovation, more destruc-
sho. The report showed most of the people were tive of openness . . .”
killed for political and ethnic reasons through bru-
tal attacks, bayonetting and gunshots, including In politics, it is trite that theory follows praxis,
pregnant women, children and the elderly. and not the other way round. But the question is:
What facts have changed in terms of Zanu PF rule
Moyo told Ncube that he was part of an infor- and Mnangagwa — and their attitude towards re-
mal network in Zanu PF’s politburo and central form — to cause Ncube’s purportedly Keynesian
committee, as well as other allies outside the party change of mind? Are the supposed changed facts
in civil society and opposition circles trying to find about public policy, public interest and the public
ways of tackling the emotive Mugabe succession good, or Ncube’s personal circumstances and his
and Gukurahundi issues. He said that they had self-interest — Rupert Murdoch-style — in this
two reasons for supporting Mnangagwa in 2004. scheme of things?

First, Moyo’s close networks had come to know The answer to this was provided by Nkosana
that Mnangagwa was the stumbling block to re- Moyo in November 2018 after Ncube had earlier
solving the Gukurahundi issue within Zanu PF quit his party, Apa, to support Mnangagwa and
and government; he always felt that he was the tar- his Zanu PF coup faction.
get of any and all initiatives to address the matter;
he was also on the ropes because the Zvobgo-Mu- When Apa was launched in June 2017, Ncube
juru-Nkomo alliance was on the ascendancy and was part of it. But when the coup came in Novem-
ruling the roost. ber 2017 — five months later, Ncube went back
to base to support Mnangagwa and jump onto the
Moyo even tried to introduce a Gukurahundi gravy train for a slot on the feeding trough, but, as
Bill in Parliament when he became independent it now turns out, it did not end well.
MP. Zvobgo had started distancing himself from
Gukurahundi. Nkosana Moyo, certainly with Ncube in mind,
said: “(Some) Zimbabweans are not fighting to
Years back in 1982, Zvobgo had secretly told change the system; they are fighting to be includ-
the late Zapu heavyweight Cephas Msipa that ed in the system.”

He was clearly not far from the truth.

Page 8 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Shady deals haunt CCC councillors

MOSES MATENGA Suspended Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume Former Harare mayor Herbert Gomba
The minutes of the July gathering, which were Local Government minister July Moyo
AT least four Citizens’ Coalition for Change endorsed by a full council meeting, stated that the
(CCC) councillors elected in last week’s by-elec- local authority was open to future participation
tions could have their joy short-lived following in philanthropic work by the President’s wife.
revelations that they face immediate suspension The CCC has already expressed its reservations
over alleged criminal abuse of office, The News- regarding the Mnangagwa project.
Hawks has learnt. The planned US$400 million Pomona dump-
site project is likely to face resistance from the re-
The plot to suspend the councillors, it has turning councillors as well.
emerged, involves MDC-T councillors at Town As reported recently, Moyo, the Local Govern-
House, Local Government ministry officials and ment minister, reportedly arm-twisted the local
individuals interested in doing business with the authority to railroad the deal without following
City of Harare. due procedure.
“That is one deal we will look at and you must
The targeted councillors include former Ha- know also that some of the councillors who were
rare mayor Herbert Gomba, who made a come- backing Mwonzora now have a point to prove
back through the by-elections after being recalled that they are with us. They will do that by sup-
by MDC-T in 2020. porting our fight,” a senior Town House insider
said.
He had served as an MDC-T-sponsored mayor Mafume and other CCC-aligned councillors
from 2018, representing ward 27 in Glen Norah. who were expected back following the weekend
polls have since described the deal entered into
The other named councillors facing suspen- by German investors as “corruption on high ener-
sion upon swearing in are Lovemore Makuwere- gy” adding that there are many other deals being
re, Hammy Madzingira and Antony Shingadeya. pushed through without due process.
They were all arrested last year and are facing The deal was signed by the City of Harare
criminal abuse of office charges. represented by the acting town clerk, Mabhena
Moyo, and Geogenix BV represented by Miliad
“They (the four councillors) will not be al- Lopa whose address was given as 520 H, 1017
lowed in and they are all going to be served with EK, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
letters to stay at home. It’s not clear how things Curiously, Geogenix BV has roped in contro-
will develop because it depends on how their is- versial businessman Delish Nguwaya as its local
sues will end in the courts,” an impeccable source representative in what sources said may point to
said. the involvement of the first family in the deal.
Nguwaya is close to the Mnangagwa family,
Recently, The NewsHawks, working in collab- particularly the President’s twin sons Sean and
oration with Information for Development Trust Collins.
(IDT), revealed that some councillors — among It also emerged that the Pomona deal was
them recently re-elected ones — were part of car- granted national project status to shield it from
tels fraudulently acquiring and selling municipal public tender scrutiny and protect it from being
land in Harare. challenged, particularly by opposition council-
lors, through a “political force majeure event”
The investigation, funded by the Fojo Media clause.
Institute and International Media Support (IMS), Titled Concession Agreement to Design, Build
established that officials from the housing, estates and Operate the Harare Pomona Waste Manage-
and valuation, as well as city planning depart- ment Facility and Waste Energy Power Plant, the
ments were cashing in on a shambolic land bank. deal was signed in the presence of Moyo and
Nguwaya.
Trusted sources indicated that the return of Acting Harare mayor Stewart Mutizwa was not
Gomba and the councillors might scuttle un- picking calls on the issue while Gomba said he
der-the-carpet arrangements that some council- was fighting to have his issues resolved in court.
lors and senior staff had already hammered out in He would not be drawn into commenting on
the absence of the four. the reported plot to bar him and other returning
CCC councillors from assuming office.
“A lot of things have happened in their (the But on the charges he is facing, he said: “It will
re-elected councillors’) absence and their return end soon. The court cases will come to an end.”
will likely reverse all that and, on that basis, the
plan is to block them.

“To do that, the issue of their criminal charges
will be used as a basis to suspend them and en-
sure they do not interact with Town House at all
costs,” another council official confided.

There is a precedent regarding the use of coun-
cillors’ history at Town House to further block
them from resuming office.

Gomba’s successor at Town House, Jacob Ma-
fume, is before the courts facing criminal abuse of
office charges and has been repeatedly suspended
by Local Government minister July Moyo, on the
basis of the allegations that he is facing.

Moyo, a Zanu PF kingpin, is accused of using
his office to frustrate and undermine opposition
councillors so that the ruling party can gain a
strong foothold at Town House.

“This move (to further suspend the re-elected
councillors) is meant to protect deals entered into
by the MDC-T — now led by Douglas Mwon-
zora — councillors and several companies linked
to the government,” the second insider added.

“The city has warmed up to First Lady Auxil-
lia Mnangagwa of late and they are assisting her
in several projects she is undertaking across the
country. The return of the Chamisa councillors
would compromise that,” the source said.

According to minutes of council’s Education,
Health and Housing committee meeting of 29
July 2021 that The NewsHawks is in possession
of, the local authority supported Mnangagwa’s
Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba and Nharirire Yemusha
project that has seen her going on a whirlwind
meet-the-people tour in both urban and rural
areas.

Ironically, the committee that passed this res-
olution was previously chaired by Madzingira
who has also been re-elected following a recall by
MDC-T.

Madzingira is reportedly bent on reversing the
endorsement of the First Lady’s project.

NewsHawks News Page 9

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Mnangagwa fails to destroy CCC

NYASHA CHINGONO The party suffered unprecedented police Biggest loser . . . MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora voters, make inroads into the rural areas and con-
clampdown on rallies, with four campaigns ers were beaten across the country. One of our solidate the urban voter.
THE Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) was banned by authorities. candidates in Mash Central had their homestead
the biggest winner in last weekend’s by-elections, destroyed. We had problems with the electoral Zanu PF still a force
with Zanu PF coming a humble second, while “We are on this March to a two-thirds major- commission, around the voters’ roll,” Chamisa Although it cannot be considered a big winner,
the MDC-T performed dismally despite the state ity. The citizens did very well. We lost our sup- said on Monday. Zanu PF garnered two new seats previously oc-
pouring money into the sinking ship. porter, Mboneni Ncube, most of our support- cupied by the opposition, namely Epworth and
However, more needs to be done to mobilise Mutasa South.
The by-elections, widely regarded as a dress Zanu PF has proved that its rural strongholds
rehearsal for next year’s General elections, saw have remained loyal to the party, although there
the CCC winning 19 out of 28 parliamentary were reports of voter intimidation by local chiefs.
seats which were lost through recalls instigated by The by-election showed that Zanu PF remains
MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora. intact and a force to reckon with going into 2023.
The party also pumped money into constitu-
The CCC’s win has sent shockwaves across the encies like Binga North, where villagers received
political landscape, at a time the state had gone bicycles and other trinkets but failed to win.
for broke to see the demise of the opposition in However, the party made significant strides, a sit-
Zimbabwe. uation that the opposition must be wary of.
Observers maintain that Zanu PF’s ability to
Despite several attempts to silence its voice, make inroads into opposition territory is worth
the opposition CCC emerged as the most credi- celebrating for the ruling party.
ble challenge to President Emmerson Mnangag- But after spending lots of money on rallies,
wa in next year’s polls. bussing supporters and campaigning with trin-
kets, Zanu PF’s investment does not tally with
Launched in January after a long battle for the its nine seats.
party name and assets won by MDC-T leader Zanu PF failed dismally in its bigger state-run
Mwonzora who also claimed the MDC-Alliance project to smother the threat posed by Chamisa.
name ahead of the by-elections, the CCC has re- The project included the use of several arms of
vived hope in opposition politics. the state, including the judiciary and legislature,
while state security agencies and other opposition
Mnangagwa’s regime, first working with parties were also activated, but to no avail.
Thokozani Khupe and later Mwonzora, had gone Chamisa took Zanu PF by surprise by rebrand-
for broke in a plot to destroy the MDC through ing and that proved to be an ace up his sleeve.
seizure of party assets and recalling the party’s leg-
islators and councillors with the aid of the courts Biggest loser
and Parliament. The biggest loser was Mwonzora, whose candi-
dates garnered zero votes at some polling stations.
The former MDC-Alliance secretary-gener- Despite seizing the MDC-Alliance name,
al has since 2019 pushed to scuttle the alliance headquarters, political funding and recalling par-
forged before the 2018 national elections, while liamentarians, the polls revealed Mwonzora is
propping up Mnangagwa. presiding over a shell.
Like the legendary Titanic, the MDC-T brand
Last year, Mwonzora aided Mnangagwa to ef- is headed for a ruinous iceberg.
fect constitutional amendments. Mwonzora sup- The iconic party, born more than 20 years ago,
ported constitutional amendments when 11 of which mounted a serious challenge to former
his senators voted for the Constitution Amend- President Robert Mugabe, will from here sink
ment (No.2) Bill, which gives Mnangagwa im- into oblivion after failing to win a seat or garner a
perial powers to handpick judges and remove the considerable amount of votes.
running mate clause. The MDC-T’s failure in the by-elections
shows a massive failure of the state operation to
Described as a sad milestone in Zimbabwe annihilate the opposition.
supposed democracy, the Bill further plunged the Mwonzora said he would “bounce back” —
country into pariah status. but many believe he is now damaged goods and
tainted beyond redemption .
The collusion between Zanu PF and the
MDC-T also had become apparent during the CCC won 19 Parliamentary seats in the recently-held by-elections.
military-assisted takeover of Morgan Tsvangirai
House headquarters from the MDC-Alliance,
then led by Nelson Chamisa after the Supreme
Court judged that Khupe was the legitimate lead-
er.

Mwonzora’s collusion with the ruling party
was also revealed when he recalled 12 MDC-Al-
liance legislators in 2020, who were considered
as radicals.

Stripped of its headquarters, legislators and
party name, the MDC-Alliance was headed for
political demise.

But despite the widely documented onslaught
on the opposition, the CCC managed to win 19
seats out of 28 triggered by Mwonzora’s recalls.

Chamisa emerged the biggest winner, with his
gamble to change party name paying off.

Enjoying public goodwill, which has seen the
diaspora involved in funding its campaign, the
CCC’s win is a major plus, going into the 2023
polls.

Now with 19 representatives in Parliament
plus other legislators who were not recalled al-
though they are technically MDC-Alliance leg-
islators, the CCC will seek to be a moral voice in
the House of Assembly although Zanu PF still
maintains a majority.

The CCC’s win comes against the backdrop of
a torrid time on the campaign trail.

In the run up to the by-election, a CCC sup-
porter, Mboneni Ncube, was killed during a
campaign rally in Kwekwe after he was stabbed
to death by Zanu PF thugs, while dozens were
also injured in a fresh wave of violence.

Ncube was killed days after Vice-President
Constantino Chiwenga — former military chief
— said the opposition should be crushed as
“lice”.

On the campaign trail, hundreds of CCC sup-
porters were teargassed and assaulted by police,
while several were arrested.

The popular CCC campaigner Madzibaba
VeShanduko was brutalised in central Harare for
wearing party regalia.

Page 10 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

RUVIMBO MUCHENJE Impressive start for CCC,
but lots of work lies ahead
ONE of the major takeaways of the 26 March
by-elections is that although the Nelson Cha- supposed to be neutral.” vura-Chikanga, Glen View North and Highfield tasa South showed that opposition “strongholds”
misa-led Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) Ruhanya added that the party must ensure it East. are not guaranteed and more work should be put
performed remarkably well for a newly-formed in working with communities on the ground.
party, it still has a lot of work to do in terms of wins by large margins in its urban strongholds. Zanu PF managed to grab Epworth and Mu-
mobilising supporters for voter registration and The CCC won in Highfield West, St Mary’s, tasa South from the opposition while retaining In their reports, the Election Resource Centre
ensuring that they actually vote. Chivi South, Gokwe Central and five other con- (ERC) and Zimbabwe Electoral Support Net-
Glen Norah, Kambuzuma, Mufakose, Hara- stituencies. work (Zesn) said traditional leaders were used to
The party scooped 19 of the 28 Parliamentary re East, Mkoba, Pumula, Binga North, Nku- coerce voters into casting their ballots in favour of
seats and also won 75 of the 125 council seats lumane, Harare Central, Kwekwe Central, Analysts said inroads made by the ruling Zanu the ruling party.
on offer. Mbizo, Kuwadzana East, Kuwadzana, Dangam- PF into constituencies such as Epworth and Mu-

While Chamisa said the victory was testimony
to the fact that his party is a legitimate political
alternative, analysts said the 44-year-old leader
must be worried about the disconnect between
the massive crowds he addressed on the campaign
trail across the country and the low voter turn-
out. This means the party has its work cut out in
convincing supporters to vote.

Voter turnout in the election was significant-
ly low, ranging between 250 and 300 voters per
polling station where over 800 people are regis-
tered to vote.

At the polling station where Chamisa voted,
Kuwadzana 2 Primary School, just over 200 peo-
ple out of 856 registered voters had cast their bal-
lots by 5pm.

But from the polling station, Chamisa walked
to the nearby shopping centre where he was
swarmed by hundreds of ecstatic supporters who
far exceeded the numbers of those who had vot-
ed.

Political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya said Chami-
sa and his party ought to strategise beyond rallies.

“CCC will need to marry crowds with votes,”
he said.

Zanu PF won big in the constituencies that it
claimed, while the CCC won, but with narrower
margins, with analysts saying this could be a reci-
pe for disaster for a party that entertains hopes of
winning the presidential race next year.

Pedzisai Ruhanya, an analyst with the Zimba-
bwe Democracy Institute (ZDI), said the CCC
should do more towards mobilising the rural
vote.

“They have to improve their rural strategy,”
Ruhanya said.

“Apart from Binga, you would realise that they
lost Mutasa, they lost in Gokwe. So it appears
that not much has changed in terms of their in-
roads into the rural areas. So the rural becomes a
key area where the CCC must work, particularly
addressing the issue of fear and patronage and the
role of traditional leaders. Traditional leaders are

Xenophobia: Mnangagwa must engage Ramaphosa

LIZWE SEBATHA

A SOUTH African-based Zimbabwean human ed against immigrants in Johannesburg, a drive Zimbabwe Foreign Affairs and International competence required by industry to quell rising
rights activist has petitioned President Emmerson that has resonated with mainly poor angry South Trade ministry spokesperson Livit Mugejo said tensions over the employment of foreigners.
Mnangagwa to engage his counterpart Cyril Ra- Africans who accuse them of stealing their jobs some Zimbabweans were injured and hospi-
maphosa to stem the rising tide of xenophobic and committing crimes. talised after being attacked by vigilante groups In his keynote address commemorating
attacks in that country. hostile to foreigners in Cape Town on 17 March. that country’s Human Rights Day, Ramapho-
The vigilante group’s actions have sparked fears There were no casualties. sa warned that South African employers risked
Zimbabweans and other nationals have been of an uptick in the xenophobia that has plagued worsening social tensions by employing undoc-
targets of increased attacks from xenophobic South Africa, a country that is home to several “On March 17, our consulate in Cape Town umented foreigners.
groups in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Kwa- thousands of Zimbabweans and other nationals gathered information regarding the anti-foreigner
Zulu-Natal. seeking a better life. violence in the Robertson area which took place The latest xenophobic attacks come at a time
the same day. The affected Zimbabweans fled when an estimated 180 000 Zimbabwe exemp-
Last Monday, foreign immigrants gathered In the past, foreign nationals have ganged up their homes and sought refuge in bushes and tion permit (ZEP) holders living in South Africa
outside Parliament in Cape Town to voice anger to defend themselves. some took refuge at the police stations,” Mugejo face deportation at the end of this year if they fail
over the xenophobic attacks, calling on Rama- said. to migrate to other permits.
phosa to intervene to ensure their safety. A fortnight ago, a newly formed anti-xenopho-
bic group, Kopanang Africa, was stopped from Ramaphosa recently urged companies in his Pretoria has said it will not renew the ZEP per-
The leader of a vigilante group targeting for- going ahead with an anti-xenophobic march on country to employ locals and train them to the mit after the expiry of a 12-month grace period
eign nationals under the theme “Operation Dud- Human Rights Day by police. lapsing in December.
ula”, Nhlanhla Dhlamini, was arrested on charges
of theft and defeating the ends of justice after his
followers raided the home of a Soweto resident,
accusing him of selling illicit drugs.

He was released on Monday on R1 500
(US$103) bail.

In a petition addressed to Zimbabwean ambas-
sador to South Africa David Hamadziripi, activist
Chandagwinyira Chose called on Mnangagwa to
engage Ramaphosa over the xenophobic attacks.

“I am requesting the government of Zimba-
bwe to intervene in what is happening at Rob-
ertson where our dear Zimbabwean citizens are
being butchered by South Africans. This is some-
thing that needs your office to intervene at a gov-
ernment-to-government level, as it is getting out
of hand,” Chose’s letter reads in part.

“Operation Dudula” has in recent months act-

NewsHawks News Page 11

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s back- Fresh party divisions rock
yard, the Midlands province, has been hard hit Mnangagwa’s backyard
by fresh turmoil after losing three crucial seats in
last week’s by-elections, with rival factions blam- l Factions in blame game after loss to CCC
ing and threatening each other for contributing
to the loss. Zanu PF Midlands istration is for. We have a lot of work to do to long as President Mnangagwa is not reigning in
chairperson Larry convince the electorate of the new kind of politics his supporters and allowing vigilantism, terrorism
Zanu PF is deeply divided in the province, divorced from use of force. Clearly, the bad image and violence to continue, Zanu PF will never win
with the party failing to heal from the bloody and Mavima cost us dearly,” a senior Zanu PF official said. in Kwekwe. People in
divisive provincial elections that saw Mnangagwa dent Constantino Chiwenga threatened during
imposing his top ally, Larry Mavima, for the post a campaign rally in Mbizo that the opposition “For a long time, people in Kwekwe and Mbizo Kwekwe will continually reject the governing
of chairperson, while firing State Security min- CCC would be crushed like lice. have been subjected to violence from Zanu PF. As party.”
ister Owen “Mudha” Ncube, who was accused
of resorting to violence and alienating the party “People in Kwekwe are fed up with the violent Tobaiwa said she was also a victim of Zanu PF
from voters. conduct of the Zanu PF militia, they need a new violence, but soldiered on.
kind of politics, which is what the new admin-
But the Ncube camp, that is said to have “My campaign car was defaced, my poll agents
assuned a passive approach during the by-elec- have been victimised and have violence meted on
tion campaign while sulking, accuses Mavima of them. I would, however, want to thank my sup-
lacking the strategy to win Mbizo and Kwekwe porters for coming out in large numbers and vote
Central constituencies. for us despite the challenges,” she said.

Zanu PF also lost Mkoba constituency to CCC Tobaiwa became the first female candidate to
organising secretary Amos Chibaya. win a parliamentary seat in Kwekwe since Inde-
pendence and has promised to push for the equi-
Sources close to Ncube told The NewsHawks table distribution of mining resources.
in separate interviews that the perennial cam-
paigners for the party, particularly the violent Al- Chikwinya, who retained his Mbizo seat, said:
Shabaab youths linked to Ncube, took a back seat “This win is a tribute to Mboneni. We dedicate
in the electoral process. this win to him. He did not die in vain and we
are going to continue with the values and ideals
It also emerged that the imposition of John that he died for.
Mapurazi to represent Kwekwe Central largely
contributed to the loss to CCC’s Judith Tobai- “We are going back to Parliament to reclaim
wa, with supporters linked to Energy Ncube and our parliamentary space and giving alternative
Kandros Mugabe vowing their candidates would policies to government. We understand that gov-
have grabbed the seat given the groundwork they ernment is in the hands of Zanu PF. We have
had done. Zanu PF and Zanu PF in Parliament, there is
no Zanu PF and other opposition in Parliament.
Ncube, nephew to former minister “Mudha” Zanu PF captured Mwonzora.
Ncube, and Mugabe were disqualified following a
series of violent clashes ahead of the party primary “Through our re-election under CCC, people
elections. are voting back their voices. Those of us who are
going back to Parliament, we are going to dom-
“The supporters of the two candidates were not inate Parliament, with respect to providing alter-
happy with the disqualification of their preferred native policies to government as a precursor to the
candidates after so much work and most of them 2023 general election,” he said.
took a back seat in the campaign process,” an in-
sider said. Zanu PF Midlands provincial chairperson
Mavima was not answering calls to his mobile
Vongai Mupereri represented the party in the phone this week, but was recently quoted during
race for the Mbizo seat, with party insiders saying a campaign rally warning members against protest
he was imposed ahead of favourite Moses Murada votes.
and this contributed to bhora musango.
“We will expel you from the party if we find
“People within the party structures were not out that you are going to vote for an opposition
happy with the candidature of Mupereri and Ma- candidate. Hatidi bhora musango. Ukaita bho-
purazi. In Mbizo, people wanted Murada, but the ra musango tokudzinga (we do not want protest
leadership instead imposed Mupereri,” the source votes, if you do that we will fire you),” he said.
said.
—STAFF WRITER.
“In Kwekwe Central, the party would have
fared better if they had allowed Mugabe or Ncube Former State
to stand. They had done their groundwork and Security minister
all was set. Owen “Mudha”

“Mapurazi is very unpopular and it was going Ncube
to be a miracle if he were to win,” a Zanu PF in-
sider said.

“Things are not well, people are not happy.
There are people who think they know every-
thing and have a strategy to win lying to Num-
ber 1 (Mnangagwa) of their potential. We ended
up watching them do the things and we knew it
would end in defeat,” a senior Zanu PF official
told The NewsHawks this week.

“We were not united on the ground. People
who were running the campaign did not have a
strategy, they do not have people skills and we
ended up on the losing side.”

Zanu PF relied on mobilising youths around
mining claims and the strategy, sources said, was
working well and, had Ncube or Mugabe been
allowed to stand, given their support base, one of
them could have won.

“Remember Mugabe and Ncube’s strategy, a
populist approach and mass mobilisation, was the
same strategy that saw (the late former Kwekwe
Central MP Masango) Matambanadzo winning.
Matambanadzo was Zanu PF and later joined
National Patriotic Front (NPF) but continued to
win. We needed that,” the insider said.

However, a rival camp blamed the violence un-
leashed by Zanu PF’s Al-Shabaab thugs for alien-
ating the party with supporters.

The terror group is known for terrorising peo-
ple in and around Kwekwe and said to be linked
to Ncube, better known as Mudha in Zanu PF
circles.

Ncube was fired from his powerful govern-
ment post after he led a violent campaign for the
post of provincial chairperson against Mnangag-
wa’s advice.

At least 16 Zanu PF youths were last month
arrested at Jessie Gardens, a lodge owned by Ncu-
be, and charged with the murder of CCC activist
Mboneni Ncube at a rally addressed by opposi-
tion leader Nelson Chamisa in Mbizo.

His death came hardly a day after Vic-Presi-

Page 12 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Makari defies odds to win Epworth

MARY MUNDEYA starting with residents who were settled legally. Epworth Epworth is a very big constituency with many
“I’m grateful to his excellency President MP Zalerah informal traders so they need to benefit from
WHEN she became a member of Parliament such trainings and attain different skills,” she
following the 2015 by-elections, many people Mnangagwa’s initiative of making sure that every Makari said.
thought she was a chancer. Little did they know Zimbabwean has decent housing, which the Ep- Makari said she looks forward to advancing
that Zalerah Makari’s journey to becoming one worth community stands to benefit from. We are the issue of regularisation of stands, building of The mother of one declined to divulge more
of the most competitive female politicians of her going to have a systematic allocation of the title decent structures and promoting income-gener- about her life outside politics. She said she does
generation had begun. deeds starting with the people who were settled ating projects for women and young people. not like to speak about her personal life, prefer-
formally by the Methodist Church to the infor- “I have big plans for the constituency. We are ring instead to focus on the work she does for the
Winning an urban constituency has not been mal ones who are in places like Kumagada.” talking about regularisation of stands, having community.
easy for Zanu PF politicians, yet she romped to cooperatives anovaka dzimba dzakanaka zviri
victory in last weekend’s by-election in Epworth. pamutemo, (which will build houses legally). We
also need technical colleges because
It is by no means a mean achievement. De-
spite winning the 2015 by-elections in the same
constituency on a Zanu PF ticket, she was de-
nied the chance to represent the party in 2018 af-
ter being labelled a member of the G40 faction.

She ran as an independent candidate and still
managed to get 10 000 votes, a rare achievement
given that in Zimbabwe the trend is that people
vote along party lines.

However, she reclaimed the seat in the 26
March by-election.

Many Zanu PF heavyweights, both dead
and alive, have been humbled while trying to
win urban seats, including President Emmer-
son Mnangagwa who lost the Kwekwe Central
seat to Blessing Chebundo in 2000 and 2005,
prompting him to seek a rural seat instead.

The list of heavyweights who lost in urban
seats includes former Zipra intelligence supre-
mo Dumiso Dabengwa, who was humbled by
former MDC vice-president Gibson Sibanda in
2000 and 2005, despite his glittering liberation
war credentials.

Dabengwa then said the MDC would have
won even if it had fielded a donkey, because peo-
ple were very disgruntled with Zanu PF.

But Makari is proving to be a unique breed of
politician.

She says her love for the Epworth community
— where her grandparents hailed from — and
the ability to relate with people from all walks
of life as well as being “available on the ground”
in the constituency has made her stand out over
the years.

Although her political journey has had its ups
and downs, Makari says her bid to transform the
Epworth constituency has been an agenda that
she has never let go of since 2015.

Even after being disqualified from represent-
ing Zanu PF in 2018, she continued her work
“on the ground.”

“People have always accused me of being a
G40, I guess its because the late former presi-
dent, Robert Mugabe was my uncle.

I am Zanu PF, it’s the party I grew up knowing
and I’m loyal to,” Makari said.

Asked on why she contested in the 2018
general elections as an independent candidate,
Makari said the call came from the people of
Epworth who wanted her to proceed with the
work she had started as a member of Parliament
between 2015-2018.

“I failed to ignore the numerous pleas I got
from the people of Epworth to contest in the
2018 general elections although I had been de-
nied an opportunity to, under my party. The
people wanted me to finish the work I had be-
gun in the constituency and surely did they vote
in numbers. I managed to get more than 10 000
votes, which is usually unheard of for indepen-
dent candidates in Zimbabwe,’’ she said.

The 44-year-old Makari dismissed the asser-
tion that her family background paved way for
her political career.

“I, like every other female politician, have
faced my fair share of challenges that I get sur-
prised when I hear people talk about how priv-
ileged I am to have come from a family where a
number of my elders were politicians,’’ she says.

“The truth is that I was motivated by some of
them, like my aunt Tsitsi Munyati, who became a
senator when Zimbabwe attained Independence,
but I wasn’t given anything on a silver platter. I
have put in a lot of work to be the politician I am
today and my work in Epworth bears testimony
to the kind of legislator I am.”

Commenting on Zanu PF’s promise to expe-
dite the processing of title deeds to

Epworth residents, which was one of the par-
ty’s central campaig messages, Makari said there
is going to be systematic processing of deeds,

NewsHawks News Page 13

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Grace frets over son’s unholy alliances

MOSES MATENGA Former first lady Grace Mugabe

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s widow, Grace, is viduals to extort money from Robert Jnr, amid who do not solicit money from individuals. “When 2017, 2018, 2019 came, when I went
fretting over her son Robert Jnr’s newfound ac- promises to protect his business ventures and lin- Commenting on the late former President’s to Singapore, he came for his treatment and stayed
quaintances who have nudged him into embrac- ing up a meeting with Mnangagwa. a couple of months, but those five to six months
ing his father’s “tormentors” in Zanu PF, amid last days, Robert Jnr said: “My dad was sick for he was there, he was very ill, he was not coming
fears he is being exposed to danger. AAG founding president Philip Chiyangwa, a long time, for like 10 years, so it was just like out of bed, didn’t want to eat and we would push
who on Monday announced the new AAG team a matter of time, so for those years we knew as a him in a wheelchair. It’s a lot, seeing someone who
Robert Jnr hit the headlines after appearing at led by Scott Sakupwanya, was not immediately family that anytime the doctor would tell us he used to take care of you, they are vulnerable, it is
the Zanu PF St Mary’s rally two weeks ago in the available to comment, but indicated this week has a couple of days or months to live, but that painful.”
company of self-proclaimed prophet Passion Java that his organisation deserved people of integrity, day never came.”
and other socialites. This has seen the former First
Lady fearing that her son is being dragged into the Robert Jnr (left) attends Zanu PF rally in St Mary’s, Chitungwiza recently.
dangerous internecine fights, given how she and
Mugabe were hounded out of the ruling party.

Mugabe was ousted via a military coup plotted
and orchestrated by President Emmerson Mnan-
gagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga
who was then Commander of the Defence Forces.

After he was hounded out of the party, Mug-
abe declared he would not vote for his tormen-
tors ahead of the July 2018 national elections.
The ousted leader added that upon his death, he
would not want them pontificating at his funer-
al. This signalled his deep-rooted anger against
Mnangagwa and other loyalists in the military
and government who had betrayed him.

“She is worried and very angry with him at
the same time,” a Mugabe family source told The
NewsHawks this week.

“The former first lady only learnt about the
Passion Java, Robert Jnr links a few weeks ago
and she is not happy with that. Not only Amai
is unhappy about that, but the whole family,” the
source said.

It emerged that although some of the Mugabe
family members are said to be struggling to access
their money, part of the US$10 million left in a
nostro account at a local bank, Robert Jnr had
his money facilitated easily, with sources saying
the former first lady was even called to block the
transaction, but refused, grudgingly saying her
son was old enough to handle his life.

“Some officials called Grace for her to stop the
transaction, but she refused. She said he was a
grown up and should not be taught about his life.
She said that out of anger and she is still angry
with him,” the source said.

In an interview with a local online platform,
Robert Jnr confirmed his relationship with Java,
whom he described as “a spiritual figure in my
life”.

“Our relationship is just natural,” Mugabe’s
first son with Grace said.

“I first saw him on social media and thought he
was a funny guy. He is smart and I always wanted
to meet him and it so happened we were in Zim-
babwe at the same time. One of my friends who
knows him linked me and we linked up and we
now spend a lot of time almost every day.”

“He is a spiritual guy, a decent and straight per-
son and I look at him as a mentor. He is like a
spiritual figure in my life. He is wise, a wise guy,”
Robert Jnr said.

It remains unclear how Java has amassed the
riches he often flaunts on social media, raising
suspicion he could be involved in illicit deals,
hence the source of Grace’s fears about her son,
who says he has interests in mining, agriculture
and other businesses.

Robert Jnr made a surprise showing at Presi-
dent Mnangagwa’s St Mary’s rally recently, where
he took the opportunity to greet his father’s for-
mer deputy, who then asked him how his mother
was doing.

He received a rapturous welcome by thousands
of Zanu PF supporters when he was introduced
by his uncle, the ruling party’s national political
commissar, Mike Bimha.

Mnangagwa, however, did not mention him in
his address.

Exiled former Zanu PF national political
commissar Saviour Kasukuwere said the raptur-
ous welcome Mugabe’s son received at the party
meeting was clear testimony of how the former
Zanu PF strongman’s name remained a factor in
Zimbabwean politics and the ruling party’s inter-
nal dynamics.

Affirmative Action Group (AAG) sources told
The NewsHawks on Thursday that the sacking of
Java and his executive, including the grouping’s
president Mike Chimombe and his whole presid-
ium followed alleged attempts by unnamed indi-

Page 14 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Mubaiwa family in deep distress

MOSES MATENGA . . . as Chiwenga’s wife’s health deteriorates

THE family of Vice-President Constantino Chi- Marry Mubaiwa
wenga’s estranged wife Marry Mubaiwa say they
are in agony as the health of the former top model Marry’s father
deteriorates at a time she is being denied her pass- Kenny Mubaiwa
port to seek medical attention outside the country.
ing.” while she has been continuously denied her pass- travelled outside the country to China, India and
Mubaiwa is admitted to a private hospital in She has also been denied access to her children port. Other people who face criminal charges South Africa for medical reasons.
Harare, where her right hand is awaiting ampu- have been allowed to travel for medical reasons.
tation, according to her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa. aged 11, 10 and eight, whom she has not seen or This has raised fears that a big political hand could When The NewsHawks asked Mtetwa on
spoken to in more than two years. be behind the action against her. Thursday to shed light on Marry’s current state
Mtetwa this week told magistrate Lazini Ncube of health in hospital, she referred questions to her
that her client was admitted on Tuesday last week Marry has on several occasions collapsed out- Chiwenga himself has on several occasions mother, who was unreachable on mobile phone.
and diagnosed with a severe syndrome which is side the courts as she struggles with ill-health
chronic.

According to a medical report by specialist
trauma and orthopaedic surgeon John Nyahun-
zvi, Mubaiwa was on five-week post-revision sur-
gery for a right humerus shaft refracture and her
condition was critical.

The surgeon said her condition has necessitat-
ed hospitalisation and stabilisation with a plan for
emergent right high above elbow amputation as
soon a she is deemed medically stable.

But despite the need for emergency medical at-
tention and surgery, the family said there is little
they could do for her to travel out of the country
since the courts were refusing to release her pass-
port.

Businessman Kenny Mubaiwa, who is father to
Marry, told The NewsHawks this week that under
the circumstances, they have no other plan to en-
sure their ailing daughter is assisted and described
the situation as painful.

“We would have wished to have her flown for
treatment outside the country, but there is no plan
as it stands because she doesn’t have a passport. If
we had her passport, we would have tried some-
thing and see whether it works or not,” Mubaiwa
said.

“She cannot do anything including going out-
side the country just like all the others who fall
ill and fly out for medical attention, she is being
denied that opportunity.

“She broke her arm on January 29 this year,
but they have tried an operation, nothing worked,
they had to put something, again not working
and it’s swollen and she is in pain.

“The operation was not successful and we
would then need a second opinion and we are
troubled on what to do next. She is in serious
pain, so I don’t know how we can be helped,”
Mubaiwa said.

He would not be drawn into commenting on
whether they had sought political help to have the
issue resolved.

Marry has, however, previously told The News-
Hawks that she has engaged President Emmerson

Mnangagwa over the matter several times, to
no avail.

Apart from being denied her passport, Marry
has also told The NewsHawks that she has also
failed to access money for medication from her
accounts because of political intervention, result-
ing in her relying on her family for treatment.

Family sources said they felt helpless and could
not confront Chiwenga over the matter, whom
they believe is behind her persecution.

Marry is embroiled in a nasty divorce with Chi-
wenga and is also facing charges of attempting to
kill the VP while he was hospitalised in a South
Africa.

She is also facing charges of marriage fraud and
externalising over US$1 million.

Marry, who is also facing another charge of
assaulting a domestic worker, last year took to
Twitter to express her frustration over the lack of
assistance she was getting.

“I have approached the current President many
times, he has done nothing and has completely ig-
nored me, citing reasons that his subordinate does
not take instructions from him, who is the boss
now?” Marry wrote on microblogging site Twitter
in October.

“If E.D.M (Mnangagwa) wanted to help me,
he would have done so, a long time ago because
he knows there is no grain of truth in all these
fabrications, he had put me out in the open to
be terminated, he promised vehicles, security, ac-
commodation since I am being denied access to
my homes and all my bullet proof vehicles taken
from me, my money and all but absolutely noth-

NewsHawks News Page 15

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Page 16 News NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Govt neglects Chingwizi villagers

Chingwizi villagers face several problems, including lack of clean water, grazing pasture, adequate schools and healthcare facilities.

MORRIS BISHI families were displaced from their fertile land to Tugwi-Mukosi Dam sated in line with Article 12. This would go a long
one-hectare plots in Chingwizi, their rights con- MACRAD urged the government to protect way in ensuring the realisation of several other
THOUSANDS of villagers who were relocated tinue to be trampled. The families were promised the rights of families in Chingwizi in line with fundamental rights,” the report says.
to Chingwizi in Mwenezi to pave way for the glory but they seem to have been forgotten. They the United Nations Commission on Human
construction of Tugwi-Mukosi Dam are still liv- are still living in miserable conditions and the Rights guiding principles on internally displaced A senior government official in Masvingo told
ing in harsh conditions, depriving them of their state of affairs in the area is pathetic,” the report persons. It also recommended that in addition to The NewsHawks that government is aware of the
basic livelihoods eight years after the relocation, reads. five-hectare plots, the government should offer at challenges being faced by Chingwizi villagers,
while the government continues failing to fulfil least five more hectares of land to sustain families which include lack of clean water, grazing pas-
its promises. “The one-hectare plot is inadequate to sustain which should follow by issuance of title deeds or ture, adequate schools and healthcare facilities
large families which used to occupy more than at least land permits in line with section 292 of and as a province they always raise the issue with
In 1998, the government began constructing five hectares. Some children are growing to marry the constitution of Zimbabwe. central government.
the 1.8 million cubic litre dam at the confluence and get married and there is no land at which “Zimbabwe being a signatory to the African
of Tugwi and Mukosi rivers in Masvingo prov- they can set up their own families. Fathers-in-law Union Convention for the Protection of Inter- He said the Chingwizi issue is now being taken
ince. Now called Tugwi-Mukosi Dam, the water end up living at the same household with their nally Displaced Persons in Africa should ensure as an example by citizens who are facing reloca-
reservoir is meant to provide irrigation water and daughters-in-law, a situation that is culturally un- that the people who were relocated from Tug- tions in the country and they have every reason to
hydro-electricity to sugarcane estates and com- acceptable in a Zimbabwean society.” wi-Mukosi to Chingwizi are adequately compen- resist the locations like what is happening in the
munal farmers in the southern part of the prov- Chilonga area of Chiredzi district.
ince.

In 2011, while the dam was still under con-
struction the government relocated people on the
promise that each family would receive a 17-hect-
are plot of land.

Government also pledged to compensate dis-
placed persons.

Between 2012 and 2013 some families relo-
cated to Chisase, Masangula and Chingwizi in
Nuanetsi Ranch, but were allocated between two
and four hectares as opposed to the 17 hectares
they had been promised.

Some families resisted relocation, but were lat-
er moved to Chingwizi after heavy rains in 2014
which threatened their lives.

The families are still holed up on the one-hect-
are plots which they were given in Chingwizi.

According to a latest report by Masvingo Cen-
tre for Research Advocacy and Community De-
velopment (MACRAD), thousands of Chingwizi
villagers are living without basic needs like ade-
quate healthcare services, clean drinking water
and accessible education.

Their cattle do not have grazing pastures since
most of the pastures were fenced off by private
investor Billy Rautenbach who was allocated part
of Nuanetsi Ranch by the government.

“An internally displaced person (IDP) is a per-
son who is forced to leave their home but remains
within the borders of their country. IDPs are en-
titled to the same rights that all other citizens en-
joy. Eight years after hundreds of Tugwi-Mukosi

NewsHawks News Page 17

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

MARY MUNDEYA Remarkable school headmaster
transforms rural community
AS a young boy, Evermore Chakwizira (52)
dreamt of the day he would become a lawyer, but The overall winner of the Integrity awards Evermore Chakwizira, the headmaster of Chinyika High school in Goromonzi. — Pictures: Aaron Ufumeli
little did he know that fate had different plans
for him. offers quality education. Every student deserves a tional voice agitating for the promotion of hon- given to me gives me greater energy to work for
good education regardless of the location of the est and ethical conduct in the provision of public the common good. It makes me aim higher and
His story is that of an Advance Level student school,” he says. services. Many public institutions have brilliant gives me the zeal to perform better,” he says.
who mistakenly applied to enroll for a Bachelor service charters neatly displayed in beautiful pic-
of Arts (BA) degree instead of law, but after 30 “I dream of an education sector where every ture frames, but poor service delivery. I want to “After toiling for years, I’m happy to finally be
years in the education sector, has risen to be an child is afforded equal opportunities, where on- show young people that there is dignity in labour, recognised for the work I have done. I love edu-
integrity icon. line lessons are available for all, where the inter- that honesty and hard work are more rewarding cation, I enjoy working in an environment where
net and tablets and computers are available for compared to lethargic service delivery,” he says. both my staff and students are getting the best
“I wanted to become a lawyer; somehow there each and every child.” and, look where it got me.
was a problem. We were advised to rank the de- To Chakwizira, being recognised as an Integri-
gree programmes of our choice starting with the Chakwizira hopes to inspire other civil ser- ty Icon means that he has a role to play in Zim- “Through the prize I got from Accountability
one with the lowest points and I put BA at the vants that innovation can bring good results. babwe’s transformation. Lab, my life has changed for the better. I mean,
top. When we went to the university, we later dis- what a boost to my self-confidence and some of
covered that it was not possible to switch to any “I also want to influence the young people into “Being recognised as an Integrity Icon doesn’t the projects that will transform our school. My
other programme.” perceiving the public service as a career path in mean that I am perfect, it means that I have a wife and kids are so proud of me. One of my
which they can work with honesty, transparency role to play in the transformation of our nation, daughters recently said she’d want to walk in my
Chakwizira and four others were recently and integrity. I want to encourage public servants particularly in the civil service. The recognition footsteps,” Chakwizira said.
honoured as Integrity Icons through an Ac- to go beyond the call of duty and to be the addi-
countability Lab global campaign that is led by
citizens in search of honest government officials.
The programme aims to stimulate debate on the
idea of integrity and demonstrate the importance
of honesty and personal responsibility. Integrity
Icons’ goal is to inspire a new generation to be
more effective public servants.

In 2019, after years of teaching in “A” schools
and mission schools, Chakwizira was promoted
to headmaster and was moved to Chinyika Sec-
ondary School in Goromonzi.

The school was in a dire state with little re-
sources. Never before had he worked in such an
under-resourced environment.

Determined to better the conditions at the
school for both his staff and students, he decided
to make Chinyika a self-reliant institution and
has more than excelled at it.

With the assistance of local leaders, including
political leaders, Chakwizira initiated a chick in-
cubation and hatchery business for the school to
raise funds to build classrooms and improve the
student-textbook ratio.

The proceeds from the poultry project enabled
the establishment of a clothing factory.

“With the chicken project profit, we managed
to open a school uniforms manufacturing factory
in 2019 employing six machinists and two assis-
tants. The factory is bringing the much-needed
income for capital projects from sales of uni-
forms, curtains and face masks,” Chakwizira told
The NewsHawks.

“We managed to make 22 000 facemasks in
2020 alone, which were sold and distributed to
primary and secondary schools in Mashonaland
East through the ministry of Health and ministry
of Primary and Secondary Education.”

In 2020, using proceeds from the project,
Chakwizira constructed a state-of-the-art science
laboratory at Chinyika.

This enabled the school to be accorded Ad-
vanced Level Zimsec Centre status.

Through continuous engagement with local
leaders and business people, Chakwizira appealed
for assistance and got a donation of US$$80 000
to build a library after getting assistance from the
Heijn Foundation, Hukuru, Pinefields and Dr
Scott Moore Gordon of Mzuru Sana Farms. But
that is not all.

“I’m grateful for the continuous support that
local leaders and business personnel has shown
towards the development initiatives we have
been implementing at Chinyika. Not only have
we managed to establish income-generating proj-
ects, we have also improved the infrastructure
and learning environment,” he said.

“So far, we have managed to upgrade the pit
latrines in the school to flush toilets, purchase
300 single-seater combination desks for every
Form One student in compliance with Covid-19
spacing protocols, buy three state-of-the-art over-
head projectors to enhance e-learning, 10 brand
new Core i5 computers and a powerful printer
to upgrade our computer lab, build a spacious
semi-detached staff house to reduce sharing of
housing and now we are working on building
a double storey H-shaped block with 16 class-
rooms. Brick moulding has already begun at the
school using an industrial electric brick-mould-
ing machine.”

While standards are rapidly deteriorating in
most Zimbabwean schools, Chinyika Secondary
has been basking in the glory of Chakwizira’s in-
novative ideas that the school is slowly moving
towards becoming an “A” school.

“I’m very happy with the progress that we
have made so far. I will not rest until Chinyika is
transformed into a low-cost boarding school that

Page 18 NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

InInvteesrtniagtaiotinvaelStories

Sanctioning an oligarch is
not so easy: Why the money
trail of Alisher Usmanov, one
of Russia’s wealthiest men, is

difficult to follow

Alisher Usmanov, who mersant, he fired an editor and a top And he has billions in assets that reporters, an Usmanov representa- Even so, her lifestyle is unusually
has been closely tied manager who oversaw its reporting will be even harder to trace. The tive denied that “Mr. Usmanov has chic for an Uzbekistani doctor.
to top Russian leaders, on election violations committed by Uzbek-born businessman has spent ever distributed his wealth among his
hides behind trusts, the ruling United Russia party. years shuffling money around the relatives in order to conceal it from Her Facebook photos show that
secretive offshore com- world among various relatives, shell any governments” and said that this she has traveled to Venice, Sardinia,
panies, Swiss bank Western sanctions against Russian companies, and trusts. allegation is “baseless and unsubstan- and Dubai, flying on a private jet,
accounts, and his family oligarchs are meant to deny them the tiated.” enjoying a VIP airline lounge, and
members to detach his enjoyment of their wealth and, in ef- Given Usmanov’s skill in exploit- cruising on a yacht.
name from his billions. fect, to punish them for their support ing the global financial system and its In an earlier communication, how-
of the Putin regime. But as the world built-in loopholes, it’s unclear wheth- ever, Usmanov’s press service wrote She has also vacationed on the
MIRANDA PATRUCIC/ is rapidly discovering, it’s not so sim- er even identifying all of his assets is that his U.K. real estate and his enor- Costa Smeralda, a stretch of land
ILYA LOZOVSKY ple to sanction an oligarch. possible, much less sanctioning them. mous yacht were a “long time ago along the northeast coast of Sardinia
transferred into irrevocable trusts” known for its excellent beaches and
IN response to the Russian invasion Usmanov’s $19-million Sardini- Using information from several whose beneficial rights now belong to turquoise waters.
of Ukraine, Russian oligarch Alish- an villa may have been seized by the large leaks of financial documents his family.
er Usmanov — one of the world’s Italian government. But German au- and data, including Suisse Secrets, And if that weren’t enough, leaked
100 wealthiest people — has been thorities appear to have struggled to the Panama Papers, and FinCEN “All of Mr. Usmanov’s businesses data from Credit Suisse shows that
sanctioned by the United States, the formally impound his infamous $600 Files, reporters from OCCRP and the have been audited by Big 4 [audit] Narzieva is listed as the beneficial
United Kingdom, and the European million yacht, the Dilbar, which is Guardian have pieced together a par- companies, since their inception, as owner of 27 Swiss bank accounts
Union. moored in Hamburg. tial picture of how Usmanov has hid- well as were his personal tax returns through which billions of dollars
den his assets in secretive havens like and expenses,” his press service wrote. have passed over the years. At its
As a particularly well-connected “The yacht is registered in the Cyprus, Bermuda, and the British “All of his investments, his expenses maximum balance in April 2011, just
figure, Usmanov is an obvious target. Cayman Islands and owned through Virgin Islands — and how his money and his income have gone through one of these accounts held over $2.1
He has been accused of being close Klaret Continental Leasing, a compa- continued to flow through offshore strict compliance procedures.” billion. Many of the others also had
to President Putin, providing luxuri- ny based in Malta,” Forbes reported, entities for years, even as government The World’s Wealthiest Gynecologist? maximum balances in the hundreds
ous homes to former Prime Minister “making it difficult to tie directly to officials made inquiries and banking Saodat Narzieva is a 56-year-old ob- of millions.
Dmitry Medvedev, and otherwise Usmanov for the purpose of sanc- institutions raised red flags about its stetrician and gynecologist who lives
supporting Russia’s ruling regime. As tions.” hidden origins and signs of possible in Uzbekistan. Obviously, Narzieva is no ordinary
the owner of the business daily Kom- money laundering. gynecologist.
On paper, Usmanov holds only a She has practiced medicine for
49-percent stake in his main business Though some of the data dates as over thirty years, presumably earning In fact, she is the sister of Alisher
conglomerate, making it a difficult far back as 2004, at least some of the a comfortable income as the deputy Usmanov.
target because the U.S. Treasury uses shell companies Usmanov used were chief doctor of Maternity Hospital
a 50-percent threshold when impos- operational as recently as 2021. Number 6 in Tashkent. Her lifestyle is an example of the
ing sanctions. (He has described this kind of luxury accessible to oligarchs’
arrangement as a “coincidence.”) In response to questions sent by relatives. But her riches — and those
Swiss bank accounts in particular —
are also evidence of how even high-

NewsHawks International Investigative Stories Page 19

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

ly-respected Western banks can help the world. that conducts a significant amount Saodat Narzeieva. but OCCRP confirmed through
obscure the connections between oli- The FiNCEN Files leak — which of wires with numerous other shell nomic purpose,” the report reads. comments that appear in her Face-
garchs and their money. entities.” book account, is that Nasirkhodjaev
consists of over 2,100 Suspicious “Although the transaction de- is Narzieva’s son-in-law.
It’s not clear why Narzieva would Activity Reports (SARs) submitted As further reasons for suspicion, tails indicate that the payments …
be listed as a beneficial owner of these to the U.S. Treasury Department by the officer noted a number of other were for ‘TRANSFER OF OWN In his email to reporters, Narzieva’s
accounts. The data shows that they banks and other financial players — points: FUNDS’ and ‘DIVIDEND RESO- spokesperson wrote that she “does
are corporate accounts — and sixteen show that Usmanov and his compa- LUTION,’” Deutsche Bank wrote not recall the specific details of these
of them list contact information asso- nies held dozens more accounts at • Gallagher and a number of its that it was “unable to confirm the transactions (from many years ago)
ciated with USM Group, the massive Credit Suisse, and at other banks in counterparties were “identified in the commercial purpose of any of these nor does she know why a SAR report
holding structure her brother uses to Cyprus, Russia, and Latvia. Panama Papers” investigation, mean- transactions through independent re- was sent.”
unite his business interests. ing they used the disgraced offshore search.” Trusts and Secrets
While some of these were Usman- services provider Mossack Fonseca; Usmanov’s more concrete assets —
The leaked Credit Suisse data does ov’s personal accounts or belonged to In another report from February shares in his business empire, real es-
not name the specific legal entities his real Russian businesses, many oth- • “Many of the wires were sent 2017, Deutsche Bank showed how tate, and a megayacht — are hidden
that own the accounts. But one of ers were held by his offshore holding in large, round, and/or repetitive Usmanov sent money to his sister, away in trusts or owned by offshore
Narzieva’s account numbers matches companies or shell companies that amounts,” Narzieva, in a way that raised ques- companies whose precise ownership,
an account number found in the Fin- appeared to have no clear business tions about his true intent. The bank and connection to him, is difficult to
CEN Files, a leak containing reports purpose and were registered in secre- • “Some wires list banks as the officer listed two wires, totaling over establish.
about suspicious financial transac- tive jurisdictions like Cyprus and the remitter/beneficiary and the true re- $667,000, he had sent to her the pre-
tions. This allowed reporters to iden- British Virgin Islands. mitter/beneficiary do not appear to vious year under the description“fam- In 2018, after Russia faced a new
tify the entity as Gallagher Holdings, be identified elsewhere in the wire ily funds transfer.” round of U.S. sanctions, Usmanov
one of the main holding companies What’s interesting about the Fin- details,” and reorganized his corporate structures,
Usmanov used to control his fortune. CEN Files data is not just the exis- “This appears to be an unusually putting 49 percent of USM’s core as-
tence of so many bank accounts, but • “The source of funds and purpose large sum of money exchanged to sets under his own immediate control
Since Usmanov is known to have how Usmanov used them to obscure of the transactions cannot be ascer- a family member,” the bank officer through Russia. The remaining 51
been the beneficial owner of Galla- his wealth. tained.” wrote. percent are still scattered across mul-
gher Holdings, the Credit Suisse re- tiple business associates and offshore
cords listing his sister as the benefi- Even banking professionals had As one example of an especially A May 2017 report filed by JP companies across the world, making
cial owner of its bank account raises trouble figuring out how and why suspicious transaction, the officer de- Morgan Chase Bank highlighted a it impossible to sanction under cur-
questions. Usmanov’s cash flowed around the scribed a $49.5 million wire transfer 2012 transfer of $3 million to Nar- rent rules.
world, puzzled by the sheer number Gallagher received in April 2004. zieva marked simply: “gift.”
Moreover, ten of the Credit Suisse of seemingly unrelated companies Thanks to Usmanov’s profligate
accounts were opened in 2013, a pe- with which he engaged in transac- The money came from a Baha- Five months later, she sent use of secretive offshore companies,
riod when Usmanov was restructur- tions. mas-based “corporate lender” called $100,000 back to her brother in two the personal assets he and his family
ing his business empire and opening Sevenkey Limited — whose owner, transfers. The payment details stat- members have acquired over the years
companies for Narzieva, his other The SARs show how bank officers the officer wrote, “was a trust for the ed that the funds had been sent “to are also hard to firmly link to him.
sister Gulbakhor Ismailova, her hus- repeatedly flagged suspicious trans- benefit of Igor Shuvalov, a former top the brother for current expenses” —
band, and two business associates. actions totalling billions of dollars, aide to [Russian President Vladimir] an amusing claim, considering that Although the $600-million “Dil-
many of which had no clear business Putin.” Narzieva’s brother is a world-famous bar” superyacht is widely known to
“This is a strange story,” wrote Gra- purpose, exhibited signs of possible multi-billionaire. belong to Usmanov, the ownership of
ham Barrow, a specialist on financial money laundering, had no clear ori- Gallagher then used the $49.5 an Airbus H175 helicopter that sits
crime, after reporters conveyed these gin, or raised other suspicions. million to acquire a stake in a British Another report, this one filed by on the yacht was transferred in 2018
findings. steelmaker called Corus Group. Standard Chartered Bank in October to a Cayman Islands company that
For example, a bank officer with 2017, shows what Narzieva appears cannot be traced to him.
“From my experience, it is quite BNY Mellon, a lender headquartered “BNYM … is concerned that the to have done with most of the $3
unusual for so close a family mem- in New York that acted as a corre- funds ultimately came from an indi- million her brother sent her. The helicopter can be definitively
ber to be used as a proxy,” he wrote. spondent bank for Usmanov’s Galla- vidual with such close ties to Putin,” linked to Usmanov after that date
“It is hard to tell why they should gher Holdings, identified nine bank the officer wrote. “After receiving the $3M gift,” only because it has been photo-
have done so in this case, but maybe accounts belonging to the company the bank officer wrote,” she “remit- graphed physically present on the
the fact of the sister not being well that carried out 182 suspicious wire While these transactions involved ted funds totaling over $2.5M to yacht.
known, and potentially a close and transfers, totaling over $1.6 billion, external senders and recipients, a sep- [Shokhrukh] NASIRKHODJAEV,”
supportive relationship between the between March 2003 and January arate report filed by Deutsche Bank who has been “identified as the direc- The yacht itself, Usmanov’s press
bank and Usmanov, led to a failure of 2015. in July 2017 shows that Usmanov tor of a steel company in the UAE.” service wrote reporters, has been
robust due diligence.” also moved money around within transferred into an “irrevocable trust”
In a report submitted to the U.S. his own business empire in ways that “The purpose of the wire transfers that he does not own and whose ben-
Usmanov’s press service simply Treasury on December 23, 2016, raised suspicions. between NARZIEVA and counter- eficial rights had been “donated” to
denied the findings: “We categori- the officer wrote that “the wires are party NASIRKHODJAEV … could his family.
cally deny that Ms Saodat Narzieva primarily suspicious because Galla- Deutsche Bank reported six trans- not be established,” Standard Char-
had any possession or control of any gher … appears to be a shell entity, fers, totaling over $190 million, that tered Bank wrote, “as they appear to Also belonging to a trust, his rep-
accounts in Swiss banks on behalf of incorporated in Cyprus and banking Usmanov sent to himself over a pe- be engaged in different lines of busi- resentative wrote, is real estate held
her brother, Mr Alisher Usmanov, in Cyprus, Russia, and Switzerland, riod of three months in 2017. The ness as a doctor and managing direc- by Usmanov in the United Kingdom.
nor did she have any signatory con- transactions moved “through multi- tor of a steel company, respectively.” The best-known of his properties is
trol over any accounts related to Mr ple personal accounts and accounts Sutton Place, a 16th-century Tudor
Usmanov,” he wrote. for offshore entities that [Usmanov] What the report does not mention, manor house in the English county
controls … with no apparent eco- of Surrey.
In an emailed statement, a spokes-
person for Narzieva wrote that she is The property, worth at least $40
an ordinary gynecologist whose “life million when it was listed for sale in
would be completely unremarkable the 1990s, is so famously tied to Us-
except for the fact that her brother manov that even its Wikipedia page
is Alisher Usmanov, who on any ac- lists him as its owner. But the two
count is a very successful business- Cyprus companies that hold it are
man.” themselves owned by a trust services
firm that cannot be linked to Usman-
“Mr. Usmanov has been gener- ov through paperwork.
ous to his family members over the
years, including to Mrs. Narzieva,” The Financial Times devoted an
the spokesperson wrote. “But she has entire investigation to the question of
never had any formal or informal role whether Usmanov “really owns” Sut-
in any of Mr. Usmanov’s businesses, ton Place, and was unable to arrive at
nor has she been a proxy or nominee an answer.
in any company or business structure
of Mr. Usmanov’s.” Finally, as part of OCCRP’s Rus-
sian Asset Tracker project, reporters
He added that she “does not know identified six coastal villas connected
why her name would appear as an to Usmanov on the Italian island of
[ultimate beneficial owner] for any Sardinia.
accounts at Credit Suisse, whether it
is 27 accounts or 270.” He owns just one of them direct-
ly. Two more are owned by his sis-
In a statement emailed to report- ter Gulbakhor Ismailova. The rest
ers, a representative of Credit Suisse are held through complex corporate
said that the bank “cannot comment structures that lead to a company in-
on potential client relationships,” corporated in Bermuda.
noted that it “applies all sanctions, in
particular those issued by the EU, the The trail would have gone cold
United States and by Switzerland,” there — if not for a billing spread-
and rejected “allegations and insin- sheet tying the company to Usmanov
uations about the bank’s purported that was unearthed in a set of leaked
business practices.” records from an offshore services pro-
Suspicious Activities vider.
Though 27 Swiss bank accounts may
sound like a lot, they represent just These are the lengths it takes to
a fraction of the Usmanov-associated connect one of Russia’s most infa-
accounts held at Credit Suisse and mous billionaires to his own posses-
other banking institutions around sions.

— Organised Crime and Corrup-
tion Reporting Project.

Page 20 Editorial & Opinion NewsHawks

CARTOON Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Get registered now

A BLITZ for the issuance of national identification docu- Critical lessons from by-elections
ments has kicked off and it will be followed, on 11 April, by
the second phase of the biometric voter registration (BVR) ZIMBABWEANS voted in critical by-elec- had 38.5%. seats — Epworth and Mutasa South — to
exercise. tions on 26 March across 28 parliamentary This is calculated on the basis of the first- Zanu PF and won one from the smaller op-
constituencies and 122 municipalities in position National Patriotic Front in Kwe-
The February BVF blitz was dismal, as very few voters the long-delayed polls. past-the-post electoral system — winner- kwe.
registered. takes-all approach — instead of propor-
The outcome was important in many tional representation where even losers get In other words, the CCC lost two seats
At that time, the low number was attributed to people’s respects: It would show whether the ruling something at a certain threshold as every from what it had after the 2018 general
failure to acquire national IDs — particularly young voters Zanu PF and President Emmerson Mnan- vote counts. elections and won one, which means it ef-
who often lack documents. gagwa are still holding the line; whether fectively lost one.
the newly-launched Citizens’ Coalition It we use the total numbers of votes cast
During the February blitz, it became clear that political for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Cha- to determine the winner, the figures will By contrast, Zanu PF won two seats
parties — especially the opposition — were not showing misa was a force to reckon with after its slightly change to accommodate minori- (Epworth in Harare province and Mutasa
the seriousness expected of them at this level of the political name, MDC-Alliance, was seized by its ty parties and candidates, but that doesn’t South in Manicaland province) from the
game. rival MDC-T under Douglas Mwonzora change the full picture significantly. CCC. It took away two seats previous-
and, indeed if the MDC-T/Alliance and ly held by the CCC when it was still the
A report jointly written by two civil society groups, the Mwonzora were the real official opposi- However, if the results are interpreted MDC-Alliance.
Zimbabwe Election Support Network and the Election Re- tion. on the strict meaning of what a by-election
source Centre, on the last BVR blitz made stark revelations. Zanu PF won a two-thirds parliamen-
The initial delays to the by-elections were Hawk Eye tary majority in 2018, which it still main-
It was found, for instance, that political parties were not attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic and tains after the by-elections.
bothering to observe the voter registration process. This is Statutory Instrument 225A of 2020 (SI Dumisani
astonishing. 2020-225A) together with the (Covid-19 Muleya Depending on how one looks at it, one
Prevention, Containment and Treatment) can say CCC — which was two-months
Party leaders are quick to scream “vote rigging”, yet they (Amendment) Regulations, 2020, No 4) is then the interpretation of the outcome old since it was announced as a new party
conveniently forget that an election is a process and not an that gave effect to the postponement. changes. If a by-election result is to be in- on 24 January 2022 — performed very
event. The democratic process demands the active partici- terpreted on who held that seat or ward well since it was technically 60 days old
pation of political parties in the entire electoral process. A Ordinarily, and in line with section 158 before the new poll as the framework of after being forced to abandon the name
party which only resurfaces a few days before polling and (3) of the constitution and Sections 39 and analysis, then the meaning changes signifi- MDC-Alliance, although practically it
expects to miraculously win is wallowing in wishful think- 121 of the Electoral Act, by-elections to fill cantly. just continued with its old structures.
ing. in vacancies are held within 90 days of the Or one can say Zanu PF actually won
vacancy having arisen. In this case, while the CCC won most of the by-elections as it gained two more seats
It just does not work like that. the parliamentary seats in the by-elections, by taking them away from CCC as the suc-
In February, only 90 out of 581 voter registration centres While general elections are due in 16 it actually lost one from what it had after the cessor to the MDC Alliance. In terms of
were subjected to electoral observation. How on earth do months and thus by-elections were in a 2018 general elections when it contested votes cast, Zanu PF did better than CCC.
political parties hope to be taken seriously when they show way a waste of public resources, they had as the MDC Alliance. The CCC emerged At the time of the by-elections, the seats
such a breathtaking lapse in concentration? to done for constitutional and democratic from the wreckage of the MDC Alliance won by Chamisa in 2018 had been taken
But the failure to observe the BVR process is only part reasons. There are legal and democratic re- after Chamisa abandoned the name as he away by Mwonzora through parliamenta-
of the problem. The real crisis is the low number of newly quirements to be met. was fighting over it with Mwonzora, who ry MP recalls which were coordinated by
registered voters. is leader of MDC-T, which now also calls Zanu PF, government, the judiciary, exec-
Why are young Zimbabweans not registering? The ID The result ended up with Zanu PF win- itself MDC Alliance. utive legislature and state security agencies
headache is part of the answer, of course, but there are ning nine out of 28 parliamentary seats to destroy Chamisa.
clearly other factors at play. and the CCC getting 19 out of 28 seats. This means CCC’s parliamentary seats In the end, CCC won most by-election
The time has come for political parties to partner with went down by one seat because it lost two constituencies contested, but effectively
community groups, civil society and the media in raising On municipal elections, the CCC got lost one. Its biggest victory was to defeat
awareness on the importance of voter registration. More 75 municipal wards out of 122 and Zanu the plot by Zanu PF and the MDC-T/Al-
importantly, youths must be placed at the forefront of this PF 47. On the surface of it, CCC won liance to destroy it. The MDC-T/Alliance
voter registration campaign. 67.9% in the parliamentary by-elections was simply a disaster.
We have all seen how young people are sidelined from and Zanu PF 32.1%, while in the munic-
these campaigns. As a result, there is a generational dis- ipal polls CCC got 61.5% and Zanu PF
connect between those who are running these uninspiring
campaigns and the target audience.
If this country really wants young people to register as
voters, it must make conscious efforts to place them at the
heart of voter registration campaigns.
This is not rocket science. The strategy ought to be two-
pronged: to stimulate the political engagement of youths
and to boost young people’s participation in democratic
processes. And we have to emphasise that youth participa-
tion in politics should not be restricted to voting. It should
also involve the fielding of young people as candidates.
Young people are likely to vote for their peers. This enhanc-
es public confidence in politics.
It goes without saying that young people constitute the
majority. As we have previously stated in the pages, without
citizen participation in electoral processes and governance,
there is no democracy to talk about.
To find relevance in the lives of young people, political
parties must reconfigure and transform into youth-focused
organisations. There are too many tired politicians in the
existing parties who believe that public affairs is the exclu-
sive domain of self-important geriatrics.
The few youths who currently participate in politics are
exploited and abused by political overlords.
This month’s national ID blitz and the subsequent BVR
blitz are glorious opportunities to empower the young peo-
ple. They must grabbed this moment with both hands.

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MATTERSNewsHawks

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ALEX MHANDU Currency volatility dents
recovery prospects: CZI
INDUSTRY’S apex body, the Confederation
of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), has warned of CZI says inflation and currency instability remain the biggest challenges to industrial performance.
stunted economic growth prospects for 2022
due to poor management of inflation and cur- ments, inflation is expected to only worsen in still need to continue with mechanisms that Addressing delegates at a debt indaba held in
rency volatility. the outlook, unless there are new measures ad- will stop the growth on broad money, especially Harare this week, CZI president Kurai Matsheza
opted to deal with the challenge. coming up with financing mechanisms for infra- noted that while there are growth prospects for
Although the economy is projected to grow structure, agriculture and subsidies that do not 2022, businesses still required external support
by 5,5% in 2022, the CZI maintains inflation “In addition to issues at the global level which result in rapid growth of money supply. Thus, in in the form of loans to boost production.
and currency instability will slow growth, as they are generally beyond the control of policymak- the outlook, inflationary pressures are expected
remain the biggest challenges to industrial per- ers, inflation in Zimbabwe is highly correlated to remain in place,” the CZI said. “Without external support, which is coming
formance. to the growth in money supply, especially M1. in certain instances as debt, I don’t think that on
Meanwhile, the industrial lobby group has our own we will be able to move very fast and
Other factors like global trends and develop- “This generally implies that the ability of the also called on the government to address the efficiently in taking this country forward.
ments such as prices of commodities, coupled policymakers to control the growth of money country’s debt distress, as it is crippling oper-
with the war in Ukraine are expected to add the supply beyond reserve money will be critical to ations due to lack of access to foreign funding “This external support is still required. So as
strain and worsen inflationary pressures in the stopping the inflation momentum. for retooling, procurement of raw materials and the business community we say let’s move with
country. meeting foreign obligations. speed and resolve some of these outstanding is-
“While the central bank has been doing well sues,” he said.
“The inflation trends generally underline that in controlling reserve money growth, there is
inflation is not yet under control in Zimbabwe.

“The major threat to Zimbabwe’s economic
prospects is its inability to successfully manage
currency and inflation, which are intertwined.
The base effect, which made it easy for

Zimbabwe to register rapid deceleration in
inflation from a peak of 837.5% in July 2020
ended in July 2021 when inflation was 56.4%,”
said the CZI in its Annual Economic and Busi-
ness Outlook 2022 report.

Earlier this year, the CZI also warned the
country would once again miss inflation targets
for this year, as policymakers continued to ignore
fundamental issues being raised by industry.

The industrial body highlighted that the au-
thorities were, among other things, failing to
address the official foreign currency auction sys-
tem that saw some bids being cleared after two
months.

In his 2022 National Budget, Finance and
Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncu-
be projected an average inflation target of 32.6%
and end period range of 15% to 20%.

Statistics show that inflationary pressures
began to emerge beginning September 2020,
which has seen annual inflation increasing from
50.2% in August 2021 to 66.1% in February
2022.

The month-on-month inflation is also regis-
tering an upward trend, increasing to a record
high since August 2020.

“Given the pressures from the global develop-

Listing requirements: ZSE gives firms grace period

THE Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) has due for publication by 31 March 2022 are here-
given listed companies which failed to publish by granted a 30-day compliance grace period to
their year-end financials by Thursday a month- 30 April 2022,” Bgoni said.
long grace period to comply with the listing re-
quirements of the local bourse. “This will allow issuers to complete their au-
dit processes and finalise financial statements
The past few weeks have seen many compa- and reports. (Issuers/listed companies) who fail
nies such as financial institutions, manufactur- to meet the 30 April 2022 deadline will be pe-
ing firms, among others, publishing financials nalised for non-compliance.”
for the period ending 31 December ahead of the
mandatory Thursday deadline. Rising inflation and the volatility of the Zim-
babwe dollar have stood out as some of the key
Justin Bgoni, ZSE chief executive, said the issues which arose during the reporting period,
exchange made the decision due to an over- with several companies announcing that they
whelming request for extension of compliance were coming up with strategies to ensure that
by issuers to submit year-end financial state- their balance sheets remain strong.
ments.
Some companies have in the past been fined
“The ZSE has made the following decision or suspended from the ZSE for failing to com-
that issuers: whose half-year or full-year finan- ply with listing requirements such as the timely
cial period ended on 31 December 2021 and are publication of financials. — STAFF WRITER.

Page 22 Companies & Markets NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

BERNARD MPOFU ZSE still best investment
option for insurance firms
THE Zimbabwe Stock Exchange has remained
the preferred option for the country’s life as- projects that can be accorded prescribed asset Official statistics show that 2021 was another 045.84% recorded in 2020.
surance companies, accounting for nearly three status as a way of enhancing compliance,” the spectacular year for local equities after the market This performance, analysts further said, was
quarters of the sector’s investment portfolio as report says. significantly outperformed inflation in 2021.
uptake for prescribed assets remains low due to driven by inflation-hedging activities, increased
concerns over policy inconsistency and inflation, Market analysts say the equities market will The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange’s (ZSE) main participation of retail investors following the
a new report has shown. this year continue to be the most preferred in- All-Share Index (ALSI) rose by 310.51% for introduction of digital trading platforms and
vestment option for investors in Zimbabwe as the year compared to annual inflation of 60.7% the strong financial performance of underlying
Insurance companies have for years invested the economy faces inflationary pressures. in 2021. This growth follows an impressive 1 counters.
in mega capital projects such as the construction
of large shopping malls and other office and resi-
dential properties in many urban centres.

Official figures obtained from the country’s
insurance regulator show that as at 31 Decem-
ber 2021, the sector reported nominal total as-
sets amounting to ZW$90.09 billion, which rep-
resents growth of 18% from ZW$70.09 billion
reported as at 30 September 2021.

“The growth in the sector’s assets was mainly
driven by increase in values of quoted equities on
the Zimbabwe stock exchange and increases in
value of properties,” the Insurance and Pension
Commission said in its Life Assurance Sector re-
port for the year ended 31 December 2021.

“The increase in the value of equities was at-
tributable to the bull-run on the Zimbabwe
Stock Exchange (fair value adjustments) while
the increase in the value of fixed properties was
on account of property revaluations in the wake
of rising prices.

Fixed properties and equities constituted 73%
of the total assets for life assurers. Concentration
of the sector’s assets in long term investments, ac-
cording to the Insurance and Pensions

Commission (Ipec), reflects the general nature
of liabilities for the sector which are long-term
in nature.

The report further showed that 10 out of 11
life assurance players who submitted returns, re-
ported prescribed asset ratios that were below the
minimum required threshold of 15% of total as-
sets. Only Fidelity Life Assurance was compliant
as it reported a 17% prescribed asset ratio.

As at ended 31 December 2021, the total in-
vestments in prescribed assets by the life assurance
sector amounted to ZW$3.14 billion, translating
to an average compliance level of 3.56%.

With limited budgetary support, prescribed
asset investments are an important resource mo-
bilisation tool for funding projects of national
interest that help to foster socio-economic devel-
opment.

“The Commission is continuously engaging
the life assurance entities to develop prescribed
asset compliance plans and to come up with

Border Timbers exits judicial management

MILLING and timber manufacturing compa- ley,” the company announced this week. returned to the Board of Directors of the Com- Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
ny Border Timbers Limited (BTL) has even- “Pursuant to the cancellation of the Final pany.” Early this year, the company announced that
tually exited from judicial management nearly
a decade after the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange Judicial Management Order, Mr. Peter Lewis Border Timbers’ exit from judicial manage- it had been agreed that in respect of compensa-
(ZSE)-listed concern was suspended from the Bailey has been divested of his powers as the ment was largely dependent on the settlement tion 57.5% would go to the company, while the
local bourse due to insolvency. Final Judicial Manager of the Company. Man- of a dispute with creditors over US$125 million remainder would go to VP Claimants.
agement and control of the Company has been awarded to the company by the International
The company had been under judicial man- — STAFF WRITER.
agement since March 2016 after it failed to
settle debts to several creditors such as financial
institutions.

Choked with a US$20 million debt, the com-
pany was eventually suspended from the ZSE.
When the company was placed under judicial
management, its liabilities consisted mainly of
US$30 million deferred tax arising mainly from
biological assets while borrowings were in excess
of US$20 million.

BTL’s US$6 million debt to FBC Bank was in
absorbed by the Zimbabwe Asset Management
Corporation, the special investment vehicle cre-
ated by the central bank to clean toxic loans.

This week, the company announced that the
term of caretaker turnaround strategist Peter
Bailey had come to an end. Analysts contend
that Bailey played a critical role of bringing the
company out of the proverbial woods.

“Notice is hereby given that the order of the
High Court of Zimbabwe under Case No. HC
35/15 which placed Border Timbers Limited
(‘the Company’) under Final Judicial Manage-
ment on 2 March 2016 was cancelled by the
High Court of Zimbabwe on 9 March 2022 af-
ter the successful turn-around of the Company
by the Judicial Manager, Mr. Peter Lewis Bai-

NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 23

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Stanbic posts profit despite Covid-19

FINANCIAL services institution Stanbic Bank billion in 2020 to ZW$7.3 billion. others, licence fees, data lines, insurance and fran- 2022.
has shrugged off the adverse effects of the Covid- “The relaxation of the lockdown conditions led chise fees. The bank’s customer deposit base grew “Notwithstanding the positive GDP outlook
19-induced lockdowns to post inflation-adjusted on a historical cost basis from ZW$35.5 billion in
after-tax profit of ZW$ 5.2 billion for the year to the uplift in the volumes of transactions which 2020 to ZW$91.8 billion largely underpinned by for 2022, we remain cautious of the following
ended 31 December 2021, up 185 % from the were passing through our various service channels. the uplift in our foreign currency deposits com- potential business risks: erratic rains which could
ZW$1.8 billion in the prior year. However, the persistent foreign currency shortag- bined with the increase in money supply,” said reduce productivity for non-irrigated crops; the
es on the foreign currency market impacted neg- Nyanhongo. Covid-19 pandemic, especially given that the
The bank, a subsidiary of Standard Bank Group atively on the level of trading activity, resulting in nation’s vaccination levels stand at below 25%
of South Africa, achieved ZW$7.4 billion profit depressed trading revenue,” Nyanhongo said. Sebborn noted that the global economy contin- of the population; currency instability caused by
on historical cost basis, outpacing the prior period ues to recover, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pan- excessive money creation but manifesting in hy-
of ZW$3.2 billion. The 2021 inflation-adjusted credit impair- demic. The global economy is expected to grow by perinflation and a dislocation between the foreign
ments improved from ZW$1.2 billion in the prior 4.9% in 2022 driven by an active vaccine policy currency auction rate and parallel rates, as well as
In a statement accompanying the results, Stan- period to ZW$320 million, largely supported by and firming commodity prices. inefficiencies on the foreign currency auction sys-
bic Bank chairperson Gregory Sebborn said the strong recoveries which were recorded during the tem, leading to external payments backlogs; Lon-
bank ended the year with core capital of ZW$11.3 period on the bank’s financial assets. He said the Zimbabwean economy is also posi- ger power cuts due to frequent breakdowns at the
billion, up from ZW$3.8 billion in 2020. This tioned to benefit from the growing trade prospects thermal power plants,” said Sebborn.
equates to US$ 103.7 million against the regula- Nyanhongo said Stanbic’s inflation-adjusted arising from the positive global economic outlook.
tory minimum of the local currency equivalent of operating expenses grew by 3% from ZW$8.6 bil- The Zimbabwean economy grew by an estimat- He noted that annual inflation, which had
US$30 million. lion in 2020 to ZW$8.9 billion. This growth was ed 6% in 2021 buoyed by a good rainfall season, decelerated to 50.2% in August 2021, has been
largely driven by the once-off costs which were in- which resulted in improved agricultural output. creeping upwards since then, reaching 60.7% by
“The outlook remains somewhat uncertain due curred as the bank completed its staff optimisation December 2021. The resurgence of inflationary
to currency instability, the Covid-19 pandemic project. The growth momentum is expected to progress pressures indicate that value and capital preserva-
and the growing inflationary pressures. However, into 2022, with forecasts ranging from 3% (IMF) tion will remain critical in the outlook period. —
the bank will continue to ensure that strategies are “This was compounded by the impact of ex- to 5% (government). Mining and agriculture are
in place to mitigate the possible negative effects of change rate movements on our foreign-denomi- envisaged to be the key growth drivers during STAFF WRITER.
these factors,” said Sebborn. nated operating expenses which include, among

Stanbic Bank chief executive Solomon Nyan-
hongo said the year 2021 was difficult on account
of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw blanket
lockdown conditions being introduced in the first
two months of the year as the number of infec-
tions soared. The lockdown conditions had an ad-
verse impact on the level of business activity in the
first quarter of the year.

However, the subsequent mild relaxation of
lockdown conditions contributed positively to the
recovery of the economy as most businesses were
now able to operate with minimal disruptions, as
the country’s vaccination level improved.

Nyanhongo said this also contributed signifi-
cantly to the bank’s positive performance which
saw the 2021 inflation-adjusted net interest in-
come surge by 206% from ZW$2.7 billion in
2020 to ZW$8.1 billion, largely underpinned by
the improved growth in the bank’s average interest
earning assets from ZW$11.7 billion to ZW$34.1
billion as new lending assets and financial invest-
ments were acquired.

The bank recorded a 72% increase in its net fee
and commission income, growing from ZW$4.2

DUMISANI NYONI PPC repatriates US$11m dividends

CEMENT maker PPC Zimbabwe has, since PPC Zimbabwe seeks to strengthen its presence through continuous product supply.
November 2020, managed to repatriate over
US$10.6 million from the country to its parent segment, growing segment with potential to un- bulk strategy and fixed cost optimisation. cost optimisation through executing automation
company, PPC Limited, as dividends, the local lock further volumes and partnering with exist- Cost mitigation initiatives being implement- projects, information technology or operations
unit has revealed. ing customers to offer technical solutions. technology integration for all the sites with en-
ed include: improving the stability of power by terprise resource planning (ERP) system inter-
PPC operates a clinker plant at Colleen Bawn As cost containment measures, PPC seeks to establishing a 20-megawatt (MW) solar plant at face and implementing artificial intelligence.
in Gwanda in Matabeleland South province, as achieve nominal clinker capacity, electrical ener- Colleen Bawn, completing the bag filter retrofit
well as cement-milling plants outside Bulawayo gy consumption, thermal energy consumption, and other associated activities and implementing It also wants to establish 10MW renewable
and Harare. clinker factor reduction, security of extenders, artificial intelligence on the pyro process, fixed energy supply for Bulawayo.

Apart from South Africa and Zimbabwe, PPC
also has units in Botswana, Ethiopia, the Dem-
ocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

In its presentation made during a capital mar-
kets day held in South Africa last month, PPC
said in November 2020, its local unit repatriated
US$4.4 million from Zimbabwe. In June 2021,
it sent out US$2.7 million and in February 2022
it repatriated US$3.5 million.

A total of US$95 million has been repatriated
since October 2010, it revealed.

It said forex can be easily repatriated as divi-
dend payments to PPC Limited.

Forex sales account for 54% of PPC Zimba-
bwe’s total sales, while local sales account for only
46%. The company said the foreign currency
sales are from diaspora platform, domestic and
foreign direct investment-funded projects.

The company, whose market share stands at
50%, seeks to strengthen presence through con-
tinuous product supply, maintain top 20 con-
tribution at below 50%, grow retail volumes
by targeting micro retailers and entrepreneurs,
attractive branding to create top of mind aware-
ness.

It also wants to continue with technical en-
gagements to improve relations, close partnership
with customers to develop tailor made offerings,
continue with technical engagements to enhance
value addition, secure more silos to support
growth in cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM)

Page 24 Companies & Markets NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Covid menace: Tourism loses US$700m

BERNARD MPOFU

ZIMBABWE’S tourism sector could have
lost nearly US$700 million in business due to
Covid-19 restrictions aimed at slowing down the
spread of the respiratory disease, the private sec-
tor arm of the World Bank has said.

The country reported its first case of the coro-
navirus in March 2020, prompting the author-
ities to enforce several measures such as halting
global travel which hit hard the tourism sector.

According a statement issued by the Interna-
tional Finance Corporation, a unit of the World
Bank Group, following the launch of the coun-
try’s first national Tourism Satellite Account
(TSA), the outbreak of the pandemic, which has
claimed millions of lives across the globe, calls
for new policy measures to help the industry re-
cover.

The TSA shows the size and significance of the
tourism sector for the Zimbabwean economy,
based on the last available pre-Covid-19 data and
on data gathered before the formal transition of
national currency from the US dollar into the
Zimbabwe dollar.

Official statistics show that tourism accounted
for 4.25% of gross domestic product (GDP) with
a value of US$1.03 billion in 2018. In 2019, the
sector accounted for 6.3% of GDP with a value
of US$1.23 billion. At the same time, the data
also shows that tourism accounted for 1.56%
of national employment levels in 2018, with
around 100 000 jobs supported and created.

“Tourism in Zimbabwe has been significantly
impacted by the pandemic, with the introduc-
tion of travel restrictions and lower demand
from tourists leading to a massive fall in visitors.
The loss to the national economy is estimated at
US$690m, the IFC said in a statement.

According to IFC country manager Adamou
Labara, “these empirical findings highlight the
opportunity for policymakers in Zimbabwe to
support recovery of the tourism sector through
stimulating traveller demand, and responsibly
reducing barriers to entry”.

The TSA was crafted as part of the Zimbabwe
Destination Development Programme, a techni-
cal assistance programme supported by IFC.

As well as recording the number of tourists
visiting the country, the initiative also provides
monetary and non-monetary tourism data re-
lated to supply and demand and measures the
value of expenditure on goods and services across
all types of tourism as well as the value of tour-
ism-sector industries producing goods and/or
services. It will be used for quantifying tourism’s
contribution to GDP and national employment
rates.

BERNARD MPOFU Insurance product uptake surges

THE uptake of short-term insurance products Ipec says US dollar-denominated business written by the players improved. Cell Insurance, Zimnat Lion and Old Mutual In-
rose by 48% to nearly US$68 million by year surance were the market leaders with a combined
2021 compared to prior comparative period generated by short-term insurers during the peri- “During the year ended 31 December 2021, market share of 56%.”
as confidence in Zimbabwe’s domestic curren- od under review,” reads the Ipec report. in terms of foreign currency-denominated GPW,
cy dampened on the back of rising inflation, a The annual inflation decreased to 60.7% in
report by the country’s insurance regulator has December 2021, down from 362.6% registered
shown. in January 2021. The month-on-month inflation
spiked in June and October 2021 due to acceler-
Officially, the Zimbabwe dollar depreciat- ation in food and non-food inflation before slow-
ed against the US dollar in the fourth quar- ing down towards the end of 2021.
ter, shedding 31.44% to close at an average of
US$1:ZW$108.7. On the parallel market, the The major sources of foreign currency-denom-
local unit was trading at 1:200 against the green- inated business for short-term insurers, accord-
back. ing to the insurance regulator, were motor and
fire lines of business, contributing a combined
Analysts say the marginal depreciation was due 44.8% of the total business written for the 12
to high foreign exchange demand as businesses months ended 31 December 2021.
were gearing for re-stocking ahead of the festive
season. All 18 insurers reported capital positions that
were above the minimum capital requirement of
The Insurance and Pension Commission ZW$37.5 million as at 31 December 2021.
(Ipec) says United States dollar-denominated
business written by the players improved during Seventeen out of the 18 insurers that were
the period under review. operational were compliant with the minimum
solvency margin of 25% as stipulated in the In-
“The foreign currency-denominated gross pre- surance Act, the report further reads.
mium written (GPW) for the 12 months ended
31 December 2021 increased by 49.87% from Total assets for short-term insurers increased
US$67.71 million reported during 2020 to by 125.82% from ZW$8.87 billion reported as
US$101.48 million reported for the comparative at 31 December 2020 to ZW$20.03 billion re
period in 2021. Foreign currency-denominated
business contributed 57% of the total business

NewsHawks Stock Taking Page 25

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Price Sheet A MEMBER OF FINSEC & THE ZIMBABWE STOCK EXCHANGE

Friday, 01 April 2022

Company Sector Bloomberg Previous Last VWAP (cents) Total Total Price Price YTD Market
Traded Traded Change Change (%) Cap
Ticker Price (cents) Traded Volume Value ($) (cents) ($m)
(%)
Price - -
1,100 9,900
AFDIS Consumer Goods AFDIS: ZH 22000.00 - 22000.00 16,000 - - 76.00 26,288.79
African Sun Consumer Services ASUN: ZH 872.55 900.00 900.00 800 22,776 27.45 3.15 40.13 12,815.38
ART ARTD: ZH 2000.00 2000.00 2000.00 7,300 3,103,200 91.39
Ariston Industrials 311.94 312.00 312.00 43,100 2,931,965 - - -16.18 8,739.55
Axia Consumer Services ARISTON: ZH 7200.21 7200.00 7200.00 0.06 0.02 139.60 5,077.47
BAT AXIA: ZH 366495.00 800 - -0.21 -0.00 14.49 39,754.82
CAFCA Consumer Goods BAT: ZH 366500.00 366495.63 - 261,170 -4.38 -0.00 26.47 75,620.94
CBZ Consumer Goods 21500.00 - 21500.00 5,763,145 19.81 1,878.05
CFI CAFCA: ZH 9068.97 9000.00 9005.86 2,900 - - 30.49 47,070.16
Dairibord Industrials CBZ: ZH 12200.00 13000.00 12210.05 47,200 14,400 -63.11 -0.70 2.86 12,947.64
Delta Banking CFI:ZH 3600.00 3600.00 3600.00 86,963,380 10.05 0.08 48.71 12,888.03
Ecocash 24092.14 23990.00 24169.92 400 84.49 315,218.20
Econet Industrials DZL: ZH 6984.45 8000.00 7500.00 359,800 45,000 - - 62.05 194,293.29
Edgars Consumer Goods DLTA: ZH 13824.22 13795.00 13773.89 24,613,940 77.78 0.32 3.95 356,823.20
FBC Consumer Goods EHZL: ZH 450.00 600 515.55 7.38 5.16 2,732.35
Fidelity ECO: ZH 560.40 3600.00 452.19 178,700 129,325 -50.33 -0.36 -17.65 23,921.42
First Capital Technology 3595.00 3560.00 17,800 -108.21 -19.31 38.97 1,416.00
FML Telecommunications EDGR: ZH 1300.00 - 1300.00 28,600 - -35.00 -0.97 -10.00 10,367.33
FMP Consumer Services FBC: ZH 450.71 480.00 480.01 500 41.03 12,422.58
GBH FIDL: ZH 1800.00 1800.00 - 10,381,550 - - -37.83 13,619.73
Getbucks Banking FCA: ZH 1026.13 - 1100.00 - 29.30 6.50 8.33
Hippo Financial Services 131.93 1100.00 142.67 2,162,800 7.14 765.55
Innscor FMHL: ZH 650.00 150.00 650.00 - 16,500 - - 88.48 7,560.27
Lafarge Banking FMP: ZH 29999.05 650.00 30000.00 34,954 73.87 7.20 56.25 57,906.17
Mash Financial Services GBH: ZH 30749.21 30000.00 30608.77 1,500 10.74 8.14 -6.68 174,432.17
Masimba 12500.00 30610.00 12500.00 24,500 5,850 3.86 10,000.00
Medtech Real Estate GBFS: ZH 300.00 12500.00 302.79 7,170,000 - - -40.00 5,629.09
Medtech Class B Industrials HIPO: ZH 5399.55 320.00 5712.50 900 5,968,710 0.95 0.00 36.00 13,804.47
Meikles 2100.00 5800.00 2100.00 23,900 -140.44 -0.46 12.22
Nampak Financial Services INN: ZH 3400.00 3400.00 19,500 50,000 30.41 252.00
NatFoods Consumer Goods LACZ: ZH 14076.62 - 14038.46 18,470 - - 30.95 45.63
NTS MASH: ZH 1455.00 - 1455.00 400 45,700 2.79 0.93 33.33
NMBZ Industrials MSHL: ZH 180000.00 14200.00 180000.00 6,100 312.95 5.80 48.93 35,467.62
OK Zim Industrials MMDZ: ZH 840.00 1455.00 840.00 - 9.27 10,994.68
Proplastics Real Estate MMDZB: ZH 1207.50 - 1199.37 800 - - - 44.84 123,120.19
RTG Industrials MEIK: ZH 3002.81 - 2999.13 - 182,500 - - -15.87
RioZim Financial Services NPKZ: ZH 4200.00 1350.00 4200.00 - 1,455 -38.16 -0.27 37.50 2,132.53
SeedCo Financial Services 645.00 2850.00 656.25 - - - 70.25 4,847.51
Simbisa Industrials NTFD: ZH 5500.00 - 5500.00 1,300 - - - 172.22 38,565.34
Star Africa Industrials NTS: ZH 17990.92 700.00 17971.92 100 472,550 - - 20.78 10,581.30
Tanganda Consumer Goods NMB: ZH 22154.75 - 24500.00 - 5,155,505 -8.13 -0.67 43.33 16,376.69
Truworths Industrials 140.00 17995.00 139.93 - - -3.68 -0.12 -17.50 6,711.62
TSL OKZ: ZH 9611.90 24500.00 9611.90 5,250 - - 59.61 44,427.06
Turnall Banking PROL: ZH 165.00 140.00 165.00 39,400 - 11.25 1.74 34.11 137,735.27
Unifreight Consumer Services 11200.00 - 11200.00 171,900 2,012,855 - - 11.79 6,597.82
Willdale RTG: ZH 480.00 - 550.00 318,500 -19.00 -0.11 -2.21 25,093.27
ZB Industrials RIOZ: ZH 3350.00 11200.00 3350.00 - 64,647 2345.25 10.59 -22.08
Zeco Consumer Services SEED: ZH 305.00 550.00 302.63 800 - -0.07 -0.05 316.67 633.71
Zimpapers 6000.00 - 6000.00 - - - -8.56 39,995.47
Zimplow Basic Materials SIM: ZH 305.00 - 3,438,400 - - -11.44
ZHL Consumer Goods SACL: ZH 2.00 - 2.00 11,200 30,800 - - 11.48 2,711.72
Consumer Goods TANG: ZH 332.00 - 266.09 - 70.00 14.58 3,566.89
TOTAL Consumer Goods TRUW: ZH 2086.03 290.00 2090.00 1,300 56,895 - - 5,380.77
Consumer Goods 421.65 2090.00 419.27 46,200 - -2.37 -0.78 10,511.44
Consumer Services TSL: ZH 409.75 - - -
Consumer Goods TURN: ZH - 1,384,985 - - 9.27
UNIF: ZH - 16,720 -65.91 -19.85 1,532.68
Industrials WILD: ZH 30,700 225,148 3.97 0.19 7,201.73
Industrials ZBFH: ZH 5,600 160,949,945 -2.38 -0.56 7,623.25
Industrials ZECO: ZH - 1,986,108.12
18,800
Banking ZIMP: ZH -
Industrials ZIMPLOW: ZH -
Consumer Services 520,500
Industrials ZHL: ZH 800
Financial Services 53,700
3,814,500

ETFs DMCS.zw 188.00 190.00 190.80 83,733 159,763 2.80 1.49 90.80 134.58
MCMS.zw 1451.22 1500.00 1458.79 728 10,620 7.57 0.52 45.88 1,877.07
Datvest Modified Consumer Staples ETF OMTT.zw 856.15 850.00 847.01 -9.14 -1.07 92.46 1,216.52
Morgan&Co Multi-Sector ETF 47,918 405,869
Old Mutual ZSE Top 10 ETF 12,451.76

FINSEC Financial Services OMZIL 15000.00 15000.00 15000.00 16 2,400 - - 50.00 US$m
63.64
Old Mutual Zimbabwe 8.06

VFEX (US cents) Mining BIND:VX 5.00 5.00 5.00 289,224 14,461.20 - - -9.09 114.01
Mining CMCL:VX 1300.00 - 1300.00 - - - -- 107.00
BNC Consumer Goods - - - - - 0.24
Caledonia Consumer Goods PHL:VX 21.05 - 21.05 - - - -- YTD %
Padenga SCIL:VX 28.05 28.05 +34.11
SeedCo International +172.22
-37.83
Index Close Change (%) Open YTD % Top 5 Risers Price Change % +84.49
ZSE All Share 16,098.23 +1.51 15,858.92 +48.75 Turnall 550.00c +70.00c +14.58 +41.03
Top 10 10,672.78 +1.87 10,476.38 +56.69 Simbisa 24500.00c +10.59
Top 15 11,720.54 +1.63 11,532.19 +55.66 GBH 142.67c +2345.25c +8.14 YTD %
Small Cap -4.27 417,308.92 -0.81 Ecocash 7500.00c +10.74c +7.38 -8.56
Medium Cap 399,472.40 +0.58 26,183.01 +29.04 FMP 1100.00c +7.20 +3.95
26,333.83 +515.55c +5.16
+73.87c -2.21
+19.81
Top 5 Fallers Price Change %
Zimpapers
Edgars 266.09c -65.91c -19.85
FBC 452.19c -108.21c -19.31
Willdale 3560.00c -0.97
CBZ 302.63c -35.00c -0.78
9005.86c -2.37c -0.70

-63.11c

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

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Property
NewsHawks

Issue 74, 1 April 2022 PROPERTY INTERIORS ARCHITECTURE GARDENING Page 26

The home of prime property: [email protected]

FBC focuses on residential property

ALEX MHANDU said Nkala in a performance update for the year “Similarly, demand for industrial properties margin, while net fee and commission income
to 31 December 2021. was also suppressed throughout 2021 owing to was up 71% to ZW$3.4 billion, aided by the
DIVERSIFIED financial services group FBC low capacity utilisation, power outages, deteri- group’s digitalised infrastructure that supported
Holdings Limited says it will maintain its fo- Overall, the property market remained sub- orating infrastructure and shortages of foreign increased volume of transactions by customers.
cus on the residential segment of the real estate dued during the year under review due to the currency,” Nkala said.
sector, on the back of stable demand from the adverse impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nkala highlighted that gross profit on prop-
market. The central business district (CBD) office space Meanwhile, despite the challenging oper- erty sales significantly increased from ZW$7.7
was the hardest hit as demand remained low, ating environment during the year, the group million to ZW$260.5 million in 2021 in line
Group chairperson Herbert Nkala revealed resulting in voids. The remote working model, achieved solid financial performance, posting with an increased number of units sold.
the residential market continues to provide following the outbreak of the pandemic, result- profit before tax of ZW$5 billion in infla-
opportunities for investment as demand for ed in depressed demand for office space. The tion-adjusted terms, 93% ahead of ZW$2.6 Other income, mainly comprised of fair
low-cost housing continues to outstrip supply, reduced economic activity due to the pandem- billion recorded in 2020. value adjustment on investment property, in-
especially in the capital Harare, where over half ic also had a knock-on effect for the industri- creased to ZW$1.7 billion from ZW$318 mil-
a million people are on the housing waiting list. al market, as capacity utilisation was subdued After-tax profit was ZW$4.3 billion, with lion, buoyed by increased investment in the
during the year under review. earnings per share of ZW$6.89 and a return on portfolio and the repricing of the investment
The retail segment is also favourable, accord- equity of 30% on the back of improved perfor- property portfolio in the Zimdollar functional
ing to Nkala. “Whilst the property market remained a crit- mance by all business subsidiaries. currency.
ical investment hedge in the wake of inflation-
“The prospects of residential and retail mar- ary pressures, occupancy rates across the differ- Total income for the group was up 37% to As of 31 December 2021, the group’s to-
kets, however, remain favourable owing to firm ent property types remained highly subdued. ZW$17.9 billion, primarily on the back of tal assets were ZW$63.3 billion, 22% ahead
demand, thus presenting opportunities for fur- Property owners have had to incur high oper- improved revenue growth across all income of ZW$52.1 billion recorded during the pri-
ther investment. ating costs and lower rental returns throughout streams, with the exception of net foreign cur- or comparable period, largely driven by an
the period under review. rency dealing and trading income which expe- increase in total deposits of 12% to ZW$37
“The group remains focused on this segment rienced a decline. billion, translation of foreign currency-denom-
and continues to make deliberate investments “Covid-19-induced remote working heavily inated assets into Zimdollars at closing rate,
with a view to provide housing to a needy mar- impacted office occupancy as it curtailed de- According to the group, net interest income property investments and increased retained
ket and at the same time generating returns mand for formal space. increased by 86% to ZW$5 billion on the back earnings.
consistent with shareholders’ expectations,” of increased lending and an improved interest

NewsHawks News Analysis Page 27

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Electoral reforms are urgently needed

NYASHA CHINGONO

YET another election, but the same Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices in Harare.
problems.
ghost of disputed elections has con- electoral body of exposing the voting voters' roll before the polls. mo said there is no political will to
Zimbabwe has already endured tinued to haunt Mnangagwa. process to manipulation and double Team Pachedu, a pressure group reform.
nearly 42 years of disputed elections, voting. Some voters also failed to find
as Zanu PF’s unholy alliance with He was declared winner after a their names on the voters’ roll, elec- with an interest in transparency, ac- “You cannot reform yourself out of
electoral authorities continues un- Constitutional Court battle which tion observers alleged, while in some countability and democracy, says it power,” he said.
abated. ruled in his favour. wards there was a disproportionately has discovered that the names of at
large number of assisted voters. least 165 000 people were moved to He added that Zec should be inde-
Last weekend’s by-elections, like Not just because he belonged to a different wards and constituencies pendently resourced to ensure a free
many other elections since 1980, regime implicated in electoral theft, Assisted voting is largely viewed without notification, leading to con- and fair election.
were marred with electoral malprac- but that Mnangagwa has continued as a plot to sway the vote. This is fusion and some people having to
tice, with the opposition Citizens' treading Mugabe’s ruinous path by closely linked to directives by some travel long distances to vote. “We need to ensure that the elec-
Coalition for Change (CCC) calling attempting to steal the vote from the traditional chiefs for families to reg- toral body is well-resourced and in-
for sweeping electoral reforms. opposition through intimidation of ister their names at polling stations. Commenting on Zec’s conduct in dependent from the state structures.
voters, among other rigging mecha- Observers say this is tantamount to the elections, Chamisa said: “There Electoral reform must not be done
The opposition continues to sing nisms. intimidation. is nothing that will stop us from just before elections but a year after
the same melancholic hymn of re- forming the next government, yes the previous ones. If Zec can run
forms in the face of a brutal regime Civil society groups, the Election Chamisa, whose party won 19 out challenges are there. Zec still has to a free election, it should be inde-
which has been accused of rigging Resource Centre (ERC) and the Zim- of 28 parliamentary seats at the week- reform. Electoral reforms must be pendently resourced,” Nkomo added.
polls in favour of the incumbent, year babwe Election Support Network end, said rural Zimbabwe had been implemented, and we have said those
after year. (Zesn), noted that the ruling party marred with rigging. reforms have to be put in place. That Political analyst Rashweat Mukun-
was engaged in massive vote buying, is why we have written to Sadc to du said Zimbabwe is still stuck in
For a country with what, on pa- especially in the rural areas. “What we have now is 19 seats out help us,” Chamisa said. Mugabe-era politics. He urged oppo-
per, looks like a relatively progressive of the contested 28 which is an em- sition parties to continue participat-
constitution, in which a level playing An old trick, which seems to work phatic victory and landslide show by But the by-elections, which are the ing in electoral processes despite the
field for all political parties is guaran- all the time, vote buying has been the citizens. largest held in the country, carried hurdles.
teed, including media coverage and used to woo voters through trinkets high stakes for the opposition.
the right to assemble, the repeated including foodstuffs for desperate “Had it not been for rigging and “We are still stuck in the same old
manipulation of the vote is seen as Zimbabweans. other shenanigans particularly in The CCC, formed after losing the politics of violence, manipulated elec-
a mockery of the supreme law of the the countryside we would be talking battle for the party name in what toral processes and violent electoral
land. “ERC and Zesn noted activities about almost 26 out of 28 but, tell analysts say was a state-sponsored management body because there is
that qualified as vote-buying during you what, the citizens are clear and onslaught on the opposition, enjoys no political will to democratise the
It also negates the democratic te- the campaign period, which included have made a bold statement,” Cha- public goodwill and emerged as a ma- electoral processes,” Mukundu said.
nets upon which the nation is sup- the use of food and so on ahead of misa told journalists in Harare. jor winner in last weekend’s polls.
posedly founded on. by-elections,” read their statement. “Opposition political parties must
Chamisa, who described the result Although Zanu PF made inroads continue to participate in elections,
In the run up to the 26 March During the by-election, CCC as a resounding success, said the elec- into opposition territory, the CCC must continue to challenge the weak-
by-elections, the state unleashed a president Nelson Chamisa bemoaned tions were neither free nor fair. has proven to be a force to reckon nesses and inefficiencies of Zec. It is
massive clampdown on the oppo- Zimbabwe Electoral Commission with on the political arena. important to look at elections not as
sition CCC, with anti-riot police (Zec)'s failure to provide clear indel- Some CCC candidates also com- an end in themselves but part of a
squashing four rallies, while the ible ink. The opposition accused the plained of Zec’s failure to provide the Political analyst Dumisani Nko- broader strategy of democratisation.”
ruling Zanu PF enjoyed free reign
around the country.

CCC also endured Zanu PF bru-
tality which led to the murder of
party supporter Mboneni Ncube in
Kwekwe. He was stabbed to death
while 22 others were injured.

This is on top of the several ar-
rests around the country as the state
descended on the opposition party
which has proved to be one of the
fastest-rising political outfits in the
country.

While this reads like an old script,
it is disheartening that President Em-
merson Mnangagwa’s government
which calls itself the “New Dispen-
sation” has resorted to old tricks to
silence the opposition.

Mnangagwa, widely regarded the
chief enforcer of former President
Robert Mugabe’s regime, presented
himself as a reformist when he rose
to the top following a military coup
in 2017.

However, he squandered the good-
will of the world, which had rallied
behind him when Mugabe was re-
moved from power.

The “New Dispensation” façade
came off in dramatic fashion as the
world saw through the deceit of his
new rhetoric which lacked imple-
mentation of widespread political
reforms.

The murder of six unarmed civil-
ians in central Harare on 1 August
2018 and 17 more the following year,
would ostracise Mnangagwa from the
international community, which he
desperately sought to rejoin after the
coup.

Apart from the extrajudicial kill-
ings which happened on his watch
and state repression on human rights
defenders, including journalists, the

Page 32 Critical Thinking NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

The Supreme Court of public opinion:
Preliminary analysis of by-elections
eyeing. Given the acrimony that ac-
Alex T. wa knew by-elections would bust the be drawing blanks at polling stations CCC leader Nelson Chamisa. companied the MDC-T’s Extraor-
Magaisa myth of the Khupe/Mwonzora led across the country. Here is a party stock, but there is nothing like the fi- dinary Congress in December 2020,
opposition that his regime was trying that has been favoured with control nality of election results. rivals like Morgan Komichi and Elias
“THE court of public opinion has hard to promote. of the opposition headquarters, it has Mudzuri will be secretly thinking
spoken,” a reader wrote to me as he received millions of dollars in public The implications for Mwonzora are Mwonzora has got what he deserves.
petitioned “the good Lord to continue The longer the by-elections were funding, and it has been given an easy ominous. A political leader is judged They thought he cheated them to the
to shine His countenance” upon me. I kept in abeyance, the better. The ride by the police and state media. But by his electoral performance. While presidency of the party, and they will
was grateful for the favour. The short Covid-19 pandemic was a disaster for its performance at the by-elections sympathetic media like the Daily certainly be pinning this defeat on
message was a reminder of a phrase I the world but for Mnangagwa and his was so bad that in some cases it was News and some political analysts mis- him.
used two years ago after the Supreme surrogates it became a convenient cov- losing to independent candidates. It is guidedly tried to prop him up over the
Court of Zimbabwe had delivered a er to avoid the by-elections. hard to find a party bearing the MDC past two years, characterising him as All this means the challenge at the
controversial judgment concerning label that has performed as badly as part of a triumvirate of political lead- next party congress, scheduled for
the MDC. Still, an election was bound to the Mwonzora-led outfit and, at this ers, the so-called Big 3, the by-election next month, is likely to be that much
come at some point. If it was not the rate, he will go down in history as the results have consigned him to a mere stronger. This is of course if the party
I did not agree with the Supreme by-elections, a general election was man who buried one of the country’s political footnote. His claim to a place survives the by-elections bloodbath.
Court’s decision. But legally, there was coming in 2023. Sooner or later, the greatest political brands. at the negotiating table has vanished at No one likes to be associated with de-
nothing more to be done because the court of public opinion would have the stroke of a pencil in the ballot box. feat and, sensing an existential threat
matter had reached the highest legal its say. It was patiently waiting for its Mwonzora has paid the price of un- All along he was banking on political to their political careers, some will be
authority in civil matters. However, I turn. For his part, Mwonzora knew wisely associating with the regime for capital earned by Chamisa and these jumping ship over the next few days
did not think that was the end of the he stood no chance in elections. He purposes of harming the opposition. results show that he is incapable of and weeks. But those who will remain
road. I argued that although the court was petrified of elections, although He became the regime’s favourite, creating his own political capital. He will challenge him. They will use the
of law had made its decision, in poli- he rode on the ticket of being a con- which marked his place in the public’s will without shame continue to claim by-elections embarrassment to argue
tics there was still another important stitutionalist. He tried hard to avoid estimation as a puppet of the regime. MPs that are currently in Parliament, that he does not have what it takes
forum of appeal, the court of public by-elections, at one point arguing that His party became known as an oppo- but his goose is cooked. How could to lead the party. In a normal coun-
opinion. And so, I concluded my they were not necessary. Even after the sition to the opposition. He was seen Mnangagwa seriously negotiate with try, Mwonzora would not wait to be
analysis by arguing that the political by-elections were called, a tortoise was as a Muzorewa-type politician, evok- a man whose party cannot even win a challenged by his subordinates after
question would eventually be resolved seen perched on a fence post, with a ing memories of Bishop Abel Muzore- single polling station and expect to be such a dismal electoral performance.
by the supreme court of public opin- weak application to stop them. These wa who became a puppet of the Smith taken seriously?  He would concede and throw in the
ion. were the last desperate attempts of a regime in the late 1970s. He dreamt of towel. But this is Zimbabwe, where
political outfit that knew an election having a government of national uni- But it is not just a claim to nation- politicians do not just resign as a mat-
The reader, like others, never forget would seal its fate. ty with Zanu PF in which he would al leadership that Mwonzora has lost. ter of principle. He will hang on and
that phrase. be a prime minister. But he wanted to The pathetic performance also puts promise to fight another day even
As it happened, 26 March duly ar- negotiate this political arrangement him under fire from party rivals. Par- when it is clear to everyone that it is a
This weekend, the supreme court rived and, as expected, it was utter car- using stolen political capital. The ty politics is intensely competitive. hopeless exercise.  
of public opinion spoke, and it did nage for Mwonzora and his party. But by-elections were an opportunity for While there is usually an outward ap-
so in a resounding fashion. The Su- the scale of the defeat was worse than him to demonstrate his political cap- pearance of unity, internally, political As for Zanu PF, things have not
preme Court decision was delivered what anyone could have imagined. ital. But they have had the opposite players are in a constant state of latent gone quite as planned. They wanted
in the final week of March 2020. By We had always predicted that Mwon- effect. They have exposed that he has conflict, each suspecting the other. to bury Chamisa and his party but,
some coincidence, the supreme court zora and his allies would be punished nothing in the tank. The election cam- When a party fails, it is not everyone instead, the rivals have behaved like
of public opinion has also delivered by the voters for their devious politi- paigns had already indicated his weak who mourns. Some secretly enjoy the amoeba – you cut off one head and
its verdict in the final week of March cal conduct, but we could never have failure because it reflects badly on the another grows. After stripping the
2022. The two-year honeymoon that imagined that their candidates would leader whose position they might be party of everything, and supporting its
Douglas Mwonzora and his allies have surrogate, the regime believed it had
enjoyed is well and truly over. It is a cancelled its main challenge. Chamisa
sign of the seasonal nature of politics and his allies dropped the MDC-Al-
that while two years ago they were on liance label and formed the Citizens'
a high, now they have reached their Coalition for Change right on the
nadir, suffering severe humiliation in eve of the by-elections. This caught
the process. the regime by surprise because it had
imagined Chamisa would be drawn
Back in 2020, when the Supreme into a fight with Mwonzora over the
Court handed over the MDC-Alli- MDC-Alliance. That the CCC man-
ance to Thokozani Khupe, Mwonzo- aged to contest in all by-elections was
ra and their allies, Nelson Chamisa a success. That it has gone on to win
and his allies were literally fighting most of the seats on offer is more than
for their political lives. The domino it could have imagined. Zanu PF will
effect of that judgment meant Cha- be happy to have snatched some seats
misa was left without public funding, from the opposition and that it re-
with no headquarters, and without tained its rural seats with significant
control of the parliamentary party. It margins where turnout was higher
was a devastating set of circumstanc- than in urban areas.
es that Khupe, Mwonzora, and allies
easily achieved with the connivance There were signs of teething prob-
of the state machinery. It was blow lems for the CCC, such as the fielding
after blow as Khupe and Mwonzora of double candidates by the in a cou-
recalled the MDC-Alliance’s elected ple of wards. In the end, the party let
representatives from Parliament and the candidates slug it out, leaving the
local authorities. The political gods people to decide whom they preferred.
were smiling upon them. A lesser par- The party was fortunate that the rivals
ty would have collapsed. But instead were weak, and the split votes did not
of falling, the Nelson Chamisa-led affect it. This allowed its two candi-
party remained resilient and grew in dates to prevail despite the double
resolve as supporters at home and candidature. The party cannot afford
abroad stood firm in its defence. They a repeat of this in 2023. One lesson
had lost everything, but they had one is that the party must pay attention
advantage that their rivals lacked: the to what the local people want. The
favour of the people. They were pen- people are best placed to determine
niless and homeless, but they had the who must represent them and they
hearts and minds of the people. The must be given the authority to make
by-elections were the party’s great that decision. However, there must be
opportunity to reassert itself and van- clear rules governing the candidate se-
quish the pretenders. But Mnangag- lection process. If there are no rules,
there will be chaos which will affect
morale.

The CCC lost two seats that were
previously held by the opposition: Ep-
worth and Mutasa South. While there

NewsHawks Critical Thinking Page 33

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

are concerns regarding electoral mal- low voter turnouts in by-elections. No election will ever be perfect, but stories of manipulation that voting to dismal depths in 2022. They will
practices such as vote-buying and as- This phenomenon is not confined to the electoral referee must strive for is a hopeless cause. There must be a struggle even more to understand how
sisted voting which may have affected Zimbabwe. the best. It must take seriously issues strong message which encourages peo- the MDC-Alliance contested to fill
the outcomes, it is important to rec- raised concerning the unauthorised ple to register and to vote. The voter vacancies where MDC-Alliance MPs
ognize that from previous results these But while the low turnout can be movement of voters from their polling must never be placed in a situation had been recalled for being MDC-Al-
are typically swing constituencies. The explained, it does not mean the parties station voters' rolls, the abuse of assist- where they feel that there is no point liance MPs.
outcome of voting in such constitu- must rest on their laurels. Voter turn- ed voting, vote-buying, the opening of in participating in the electoral pro-
encies can be impacted by even the out in urban areas, where opposition elections materials, abuse of election cess. Planting and growing that seed But the Zimbabwean electorate has
smallest factors. The MDC-Alliance parties have most of the support, tends agents, and others. If these are system- of hope is a critical task for the oppo- enough wisdom to understand the
majority in Mutasa South in 2018 was to be lower than voter turnout in ru- atic and widespread, they can sway the sition parties between now and 2023. complexities and nuances of its politi-
small, just as Zanu PF’s majority in ral areas where the ruling party tends election and cause a legitimacy deficit. cal environment.
this election is also small. The seat will to excel. A significant effort must be The by-elections also demonstrated
once again be up for grabs in 2023. made to lure more urban voters, espe- Participating in the by-elections the repressive nature of the political That is why the CCC, which
cially among young people. Now that was an important exercise in testing system. There was a systematic effort emerged from the ashes of the old
Likewise, both the MDC and Zanu they have seen that it is possible to win the electoral system. So much that to ban CCC political rallies in sev- MDC-Alliance, has emerged as the
PF votes in Epworth were split in even against the odds, many will be needs fixing has been identified and eral parts of the country. These bans big winner of the by-elections, while
2018 due to double candidates. Zal- encouraged to go and register to vote. there is much evidence to back up and restrictive conditions showed the the pretentious MDC-Alliance led by
erah Makari, who contested as an in- One of the priority exercises over the regional and international diplomacy partisan role of the police which is the Mwonzora has been consigned to the
dependent was effectively a Zanu PF next 12 months has to be voter regis- towards electoral reforms. People ask: regulatory authority. Thankfully, some political graveyard.  The by-elections
politician who had fallen out on ac- tration. Why do you continue participating in of these bans were overturned by the presented a perfect opportunity for
count of being associated with G40. flawed elections? courts and in some cases, they had Chamisa and his allies to introduce
Although this is a brief survey unintended effects as CCC supporters their new party to the national po-
This time she returned as a sole of the by-elections, it would not be Well, as the outcome shows, it is still came out in large numbers. The litical market. They allowed the new
Zanu PF candidate, enhancing her enough without a comment on the not impossible to overcome the im- CCC wins in Marondera and Bin- party to make an emphatic political
chances and it is not surprising that performance of the elections referee, pediments of flawed elections. If there ga North, where rallies were banned, statement that can no longer be ig-
she snatched the seat. If the CCC goes the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. were any irregularities that had a sig- are reminders that such tactics do not nored. As my correspondent said earli-
back to the drawing board, finds the Zec was under intense scrutiny in the nificant impact on some of the elec- work because the people know what er today, “the supreme court of public
right candidate, and devises new strat- run-up to polling day. This scrutiny is tion results, they must be challenged they want.  opinion has spoken”.
egies, it has a good chance of snatch- important because it keeps the politi- in the electoral courts – this too is part
ing it back in 2023 because of its na- cal referee on its toes. Zec has a large of the electoral process. Finally, the by-elections were a lot The race in 2023 will be between
ture as a swing constituency. and diverse set of constituencies whose more than the normal by-elections to Chamisa and the CCC on the one
interests are not always aligned. There As for the opposition parties and fill vacancies. hand and Mnangagwa and Zanu
Zanu PF retained its seats in rural was some effort to communicate and electoral activists, they must strike a PF on the other hand. Everyone else
areas, an advantage for it because it respond to concerns that were raised, balance between the need to highlight They are a fight for political su- will be with the boys performing
maintains the narrative that it is strong although the quality of these responses electoral irregularities and the fear of premacy between the CCC and the goat-skinning duties while the elders
in rural areas where statistics show that could have been improved. causing voter despondency. It does MDC-T trading as the MDC-Alli- are seized with important matters at
most of the population lives, and voter not help to keep quiet in the face of ance. A newcomer to Zimbabwean the village court.  
turnout is often higher. A significantly The acceptance of the outcome irregularities but, at the same time, too politics will be confused by the chang-
low voter turnout in urban areas was suggests that the political community much emphasis on irregularities might es that happened over the last two *About the writer: Dr Alex Magai-
one of the most conspicuous features will generally accept that there will be lead to resignation and apathy among years. sa is a law lecturer at Kent Univer-
of these by-elections. Although this some irregularities if they are not of potential voters. sity in Britain and former adviser to
has worried some observers, seasoned such significance as to affect the out- They will struggle to understand the late Zimbabwean prime minis-
election watchers are familiar with the come. You do not want voters to stay away how the MDC-Alliance, which per- ter Morgan Tsvangirai.
just because they are led to believe by formed so well in 2018, has flopped

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Page 34 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

William Ruto, presidential candidate
taking on Kenya’s political dynasties
WESTEN K. SHILAHO

THE recent party  nomination  of nomic and political opportunities, knocking him out of the succession that he would end their economic William Samoei Ruto.
Deputy President William Samoei and dignifying the poor. It invokes race. and political stranglehold. They per-
Ruto as a presidential candidate sets equity, inclusivity, social justice and ceive Ruto – relatively young, astute, Despite the rhetoric, Ruto is a
the stage for a tight race in Kenya’s fair play. In Kenya’s media, including social ambitious, prescient and gallant – as a creature of Kenya’s political culture,
elections scheduled for early August. media, Ruto is the villain; the bogey- threat to their dubious privileges. notorious for a lack of scruples. Its
His “hustler movement” has man. Through newspaper headlines, elite is anglophile in outlook, and dis-
Ruto (55) is leader of the United been propelled by  mass unemploy- hashtags, prime time news and talk In 2010, Ruto stood out from this dainful of the poor. It is also mired
Democratic Alliance party, the newly ment,  poverty,  inequalities  and state shows, he is depicted as the skunk of coterie and mobilised against the pas- in impunity and tribalism.
formed and largest party in Kenya, excesses such as  extrajudicial execu- Kenya’s politics solely associated with sage of the current constitution. He
under the Kwanza (Kenya First) co- tions. vices such as corruption, land grabs, recently defended his stand on the Ruto’s political legitimacy, like that
alition. His main rival is Raila Odin- impunity, unbridled ambition, in- grounds that he did not approve of of Kenyatta and Odinga, is derived
ga (77), who will run under the rival Ruto has reinvented himself as the solence, warlord politics, and ethnic some parts of the new constitution – from  visceral tribalism. His is con-
Azimio la Umoja (Unity Declaration) agent of class consciousness hitherto cleansing. but embraced it once it was passed. stantly campaigning in Kikuyu re-
coalition. absent in Kenya’s political discourse gions, like Odinga and Kenyatta.
and competition. By rebranding him- These vices, however, pervade Ken- He faulted Kenyatta for violating
Against sustained pushback by the self as the antithesis of the status quo ya’s political landscape. the same constitution through blatant What is significant is that Ruto’s
incumbent, Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto is and personification of the hopes of defiance of numerous court orders reframing of the political discourse
determined to succeed him. Kenyatta the poor, his messaging has resonated Ruto cut his political teeth under and weaponising oversight bodies into hustlers versus dynasties has ac-
is instead backing his former archrival with a cross spectrum of the margin- the mentorship of the long-serving and state agencies. Ruto also accused corded him traction and set the tem-
and longtime opposition leader Raila alised. autocrat Daniel arap Moi in the early Kenyatta and Odinga of a conspiracy po of this election despite the gov-
Odinga. 1990s. Facing presidential opponents to illegally amend the constitution to ernment’s abysmal scorecard. He has
Based on recent polls, not all cred- for the first time in 1992, Moi mo- consolidate their power through the made this election about the rule of
Kenyatta and Ruto are former al- ible, he is in pole position with a few bilised the youth vote with the help Building Bridges law, constitutionalism, equalisation
lies: Ruto campaigned for Kenyatta months to go. An insider running of young politicians, under an outfit of economic opportunities and com-
during his first presidential attempt as an outsider, Ruto has a realistic known as Youth for Kanu ‘92. Ruto Initiative. Though quashed petitive plural politics.
in 2002, which he lost. Both were in- chance of winning in August. If he was one of the youthful politicians as unconstitutional by the  high
dicted by the International Criminal does, he will have to overhaul Kenya’s who crafted the successful – but court  and  appeals court, an attempt This contrasts with Odinga, who
Court (ICC) as the suspected mas- socioeconomic and political edifice to equally  infamous  – re-election strat- to revive the initiative is now before has publicly  defined  himself as the
terminds of the mass atrocities that assuage the restless and disenchanted egy in 1992. This involved Moi sanc- the supreme court. status quo candidate, an extension
followed the disputed 2007 elec- populace. If he does not, he risks be- tioning the printing of money used to Political traction of Kenyatta tenure and therefore out
tions. They then  teamed up to con- coming a casualty of his success. bribe voters, among other things. Ruto frequently quotes the Bible to preserve the exclusive political and
test in 2013. They prevailed in 2017 The making of candidate Ruto and attends church services regularly, economic arrangement that dates to
as well, but not before the Supreme Following disputed elections in Ruto’s entry into parliament in during which he donates generous- colonialism.
Court annulled the first round. 2017, Kenyatta and his close allies 1997 was in defiance of his mentor. ly or pledges future funding. These
embarked on a campaign of vilifica- Moi, a fellow Kalenjin from the Rift acts of generosity may endear him The stakes are high for Kenyans. A
Ruto has characterised Kenyatta tion against Ruto. He was soon edged Valley, had tried to prevail on Ruto to some in the dominant Christian Ruto victory could end the dynastic
and Odinga as the  embodiments  of out of the government and remained not to run. Moi exited in 2002 and population. But this seemingly ec- dominance of Kenya’s politics and
[dynastic politics] and  entitlement. a Kenyatta’s principal assistant in law Ruto astutely won over the Kalenjin clesiastical bent masks a consummate economy. Peripheral actors could rise.
The two are sons of Jomo Kenyatta only. Kenyatta transferred his official voting bloc and used it as a launch- political strategist. As to whether Ruto would prise open
and Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first responsibilities as deputy president to ing pad into national politics. Moi the economy for the benefit of all,
president and first vice president re- a loyal cabinet minister in an attempt had wanted to bequeath it to his son, On the stump, Ruto constantly that remains an open question.
spectively. to whittle down the office and clip Gideon. castigates hoarding of state power and
Ruto’s political wings. economic opportunities by an insular — The Conversation.
In contrast, Ruto is of  humble Hence the fallout between Moi elite. He avers that empowering the
upbringing. He invariably invokes The aim was to delegitimise and and Ruto. masses will enhance social cohesion *About the writer: Westen K.
his background in  hawking chicken frustrate him into resigning, thus and reduce political instability. Shilaho is a senior research fel-
by the roadside  to affirm his appre- The Kenyatta-Moi-Odinga axis, low at the Institute for PanAfri-
ciation of the dire circumstances of which Ruto has propped up in the can Thought and Conversation at
Kenya’s downtrodden. past, has turned against him, fearful the University of Johannesburg in
South Africa.
As an outlier in Kenya’s political
power matrix, which is dominated by
a tiny clique related by familial and
economic ties and adept at manipu-
lating tribalism, Ruto was elbowed
out by the establishment. But he has
somersaulted back by appealing di-
rectly to the masses.
Ruto versus status quo
For almost six decades, political and
economic power has been confined
within a group around Kenya’s first
two presidents – Kenyatta and Dan-
iel arap Moi. Raila Odinga joined this
group in the sunset years of Moi’s ten-
ure. The group has leverage over state
agencies and the security apparatus. It
exploits state power to advance com-
mercial interests spread across the en-
tire gamut of Kenya’s economy.

Kenyatta’s family, for instance, has
vast business  interests. The Mois are
also fabulously wealthy.

Ruto is also certainly  a man of
means. According to his opponents
in the government he too has exten-
sive  business interests. It is for this
reason that Ruto has been  been ac-
cused of hypocricy  for championing
the downtrodden, or ordinary Ken-
yans whom he refers to as “hustlers”.

Pivotal to Ruto’s campaign is
his bottom-up economic model.

Its pillars are the dispersal of eco-

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 35

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Will Africa really be “Europe’s next gas station”?

SILAS OLAN'G/ AMIR SHAFAIE/ While some producers may benefit from Europe’s scramble for
THOMAS SCURFIELD non-Russian oil and gas, the reality is unlikely to match the hype.

RUSSIA'S invasion of Ukraine and Oil rigs and drilling ships being serviced in Cape Town, South Africa. Credit: Rodger Bosch.
the attendant horrors have prompt-
ed moves by many countries to re- line with perceptions of how the ogies. ables as not only necessary to tackle bility of fewer supply opportunities
duce their dependence on imports talks are progressing. Russian sup- The current crisis could lead to the climate crisis but also to im- and lower prices over time.
of Russian oil and gas. ply earmarked for Europe could prove energy security.
be diverted to Asian markets in the even greater demand destruction Governments should ensure
The United States, for instance, long term. This would reduce Asian given it appears to have reinforced To ensure a globally  equitable that  strong revenue management
has imposed an  immediate ban. demand for gas from elsewhere and Europe’s conviction to accelerate transition, Europe should consider frameworks  are in place, including
The  United Kingdom intends  to offset the benefit of increased Euro- its energy transition away from meeting any longer-term demand by directing any windfall revenue
stop oil imports by the end of 2022. pean demand for oil and gas from fossil fuels. Beyond its goal to se- first with petroleum from African toward sustainable development
The  European Union plans  to cut these producers. cure non-Russian supplies in the countries, given their pressing de- and economic diversification. Diver-
Russian gas imports by two-thirds short-to-medium term, the EU also velopment needs. Europe could also sifying economies remains crucial.
by the end of 2022 and fully elim- The second factor is how much aims to leave fossil fuels behind for champion the inclusion of incen- Governments should also rigorously
inate oil and gas imports by 2030. market share other non-African pro- good. tives for good governance in the se- analyse their prospects across differ-
This European plan is particularly ducers capture.  Europe is not only What African and European offi- quencing of the global phase out of ent scenarios, factoring in project
significant given that Russia is re- looking to Africa to fill the gap. US cials can do fossil fuel production. In so doing, timelines and potential market evo-
sponsible for 25% of the EU’s oil LNG exports to Europe are surging, Leaders in both Europe and Africa it should balance addressing  Euro- lutions. They must remain cautious
imports and 45% of its gas imports. multiple additional large  US LNG can take steps to make this moment pean energy security with reduc- and avoid using public capital to
projects are ready for development, more of an opportunity for Africa. ing African energy poverty as part of make risky bets on oil and gas.
These shifts, combined with and  European leaders  are striking a broader strategy that also supports
Western oil and gas companies long-term deals in the Middle East. The EU could begin by clarify- African countries’ own transitions While some African producers
dumping their  Russian interests, Many of these producers have more ing its energy transition strategy to clean energy. Finally, as Europe may benefit from Europe’s scramble
present an opportunity to other pe- spare capacity and projects that can for the benefit of African producer seeks to expand its use of clean en- for non-Russian oil and gas, the re-
troleum producing countries, albeit be greenlit more quickly than Afri- countries and potential private in- ergy, it should ensure that African ality is unlikely to match the hype.
one tempered by actions to address can producers. vestors. Thus far, its pathway has producers of the critical mineral in-
the climate crisis. This has led gov- been a minefield of mixed messages. puts to green tech receive good and — African Arguments.
ernments and commentators to dis- Third, prospective suppliers must For example, its plans announced in fair deals.
cuss African producers as potential consider potential “demand de- February 2022 to label some kinds *About the writers: Silas Olan'g
beneficiaries of Europe’s supply gap, struction” and the pace of the en- of gas-fired power as “green” was Irrespective of how Europe pro- is the Africa co-director at the Nat-
with talk of a “seismic shift” to Afri- ergy transition.  A lesson from the seen by some producer countries ceeds, officials in existing and pro- ural Resource Governance Insti-
ca and of the continent as “Europe’s 1970s is that high prices and market as a  signal  to move ahead with gas spective oil and gas producing tute (NRGI) in New York, Unit-
next gas station”. turmoil often lead to a  permanent projects. Africa countries should soberly eval- ed States. Amir Shafaie is NRGI’s
reduction  in demand through im- uate the longer-term uncertainties. legal and economics programme
Such headlines gloss over the provements in energy efficiency and However, some European leaders While prices are soaring now, this director.  Thomas Scurfield is an
complex reality. It is true that several development of alternative technol- seem to increasingly view renew- unpredictability includes the possi- Africa senior economic analyst at
established producers – such as Al- NRGI.
geria, Angola, and Nigeria – are al-
ready reaping higher revenues from
soaring oil and gas prices. Countries
with projects due to start within the
next year or so, such as Mauritania
and Senegal, will likely also benefit
from higher prices. However, most
current producers have limited spare
capacity to quickly ramp up supply
and need to attract more investment
before they can.

Investment decisions on key liq-
uefied natural gas (LNG) projects
in prospective producers, such as
in Mozambique and Tanzania, are
not likely until  at least 2024 given
security challenges in the former,
and ongoing negotiations and out-
standing project design processes
in the latter. This means significant
production is unlikely before 2030.
Most of Mauritania and Senegal’s
oil and gas reserves won’t be devel-
oped until later project phases. And
any supply from prospects current-
ly under exploration is likely even
further off. It has historically taken
sub-Saharan countries around  12
years  to move from discovery to
production — often longer than
initially predicted by governments
and companies.

While some African projects may
come online more quickly, investors
will make decisions based on an
uncertain long-term outlook. The
current spike in prices is a potent
reminder of the fundamental unpre-
dictability of oil and gas markets.
Seven years on from the price spike
in 1979, rates had fallen more than
two-thirds from the peak of the cri-
sis.

Three factors make the current
outlook particularly uncertain. First
is Russia’s role in the oil and gas
market. Its supply to Europe will
be affected by how its negotiations
with Ukraine unfold, as highlight-
ed by how prices have fluctuated in

Page 38 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

The perilous long game in Ukraine
Compromising with Putin may be America’s best option
SAMUEL CHARAP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. sia’s periphery to reduce the likelihood
BEFORE 24 February, when Russian of a conflict like this in the future. In
President Vladimir Putin announced to accomplish it without significant still has the capacity to achieve it. recognize them as independent states. addition to a massive humanitarian
his fateful decision to attack Ukraine, military effort—just enough shock Russia’s initial struggles do not Kyiv will never accept those terms. and economic aid effort to stabilise
the core objective of United States pol- and awe to convince Ukrainian Presi- Ukraine, this will require follow-on
icy on the brewing crisis was clear. dent Volodymyr Zelensky and his gov- mean that it will lose this war. Washington could help break this consultations with all parties con-
ernment to flee, to force the Ukrainian Should Putin attain peace on his impasse. The United States and its cerned — Russia, Ukraine, Russia’s
Washington sought to deter an in- military to surrender, and to ensure a European partners could use the lever- other neighbors, and the West. Talks
vasion by raising the costs of any mil- swift Russian victory that could be terms after a long, bludgeoning cam- age that they have generated through should be aimed at agreeing on rules of
itary operation that Putin launched presented to the West as a fait accom- paign, it would constitute a significant sanctions to compel Russia to drop the road that would minimise the risk
and by issuing threats of punishment pli. Putin also assumed that European strategic setback for the United States. its maximalist demands, relieving of a future war involving Russia and its
— largely economic — if Moscow governments would be reluctant to A long war that sees him prevail would some sanctions in support of a peace neighbors. This will be a long process,
were to proceed. But deterrence clearly sever economic ties with Russia and also cause dramatically more death agreement that does not cross Kyiv’s akin to the talks that produced the
failed. Russia rolled into Ukraine and that cracks would emerge in the trans- and destruction in Ukraine, acceler- red lines. That might be a tough pill Helsinki Final Act, the 1975 pan-Eu-
its forces have since killed thousands atlantic alliance that he could exploit. ating mass displacement and emigra- for Washington to swallow, because it ropean agreement that covered a range
of civilians and devastated several cit- tion that might overwhelm neigh- would mean effectively dialing down of security and humanitarian issues.
ies. The US, together with its allies On every count, Putin spectacularly boring countries, spark humanitarian some of the pressure exerted on Pu- The war in Ukraine has laid bare the
and partners, took sweeping action misjudged. Much credit for his failure disasters, and ignite political crises in tin. But the alternative would surely reality that the contest for influence in
in response to Russia’s aggression, im- so far goes to the resilience and bravery the European Union. The risk of the be worse: a grinding war, the destruc- this region has spiraled out of control.
posing unprecedented sanctions, in- of the Ukrainians, but US policies — Russia-Ukraine war becoming a direct tion of Ukraine’s cities, the flight of A repeat of this war in Ukraine could
cluding freezing central bank reserves, including sending military assistance confrontation between Russia and millions more of its citizens, a global take place, for example, in Belarus —
and delivering hundreds of millions to Ukraine, rallying the international the United States and its allies, which economic downturn, and the very if a future Belarussian leader seeks to
of dollars’ worth of materiel to sup- community, and hitting Russia with combined possess more than 90 per- plausible risk of escalation. distance the country from Russia’s
port the Ukrainian military. But the punishing sanctions — have certainly cent of the world’s  nuclear weapons, The long game increasingly tight embrace — or in
urgency of countering Putin seems to played a central role. will remain elevated as long as the Some observers have welcomed the Georgia, unless there is the security ar-
have clouded the question of what US fighting continues. The regional and prospect of a protracted war as an op- chitecture in place to manage geopo-
objectives should be and how best to But Russia’s initial struggles do not global economic consequences of the portunity both to dramatically weak- litical competition and incentivize the
pursue them. mean that it will lose this war. Putin conflict will multiply, perhaps spark- en Russia and to undermine Putin’s peaceful resolution of disputes. Reach-
seems to have shifted from seeking re- ing a major worldwide recession. regime. But the reality is that Putin ing that agreement would not entail
The horrors of the war, includ- gime change to a strategy of imposing has already done astounding damage a new détente with Russia, or an end
ing the leveling of major urban areas costs; by inflicting ever-greater pain To avoid these outcomes, a negoti- to his country’s power, prestige, and to tense and at times hostile relations.
such as Kharkiv and Mariupol, the and suffering on Ukraine, he seeks ated end to the war is urgently needed. economic prospects. A long war in Instead, it would establish a bare min-
displacement of millions, and the to force Zelensky to accept his terms Ukraine and Russia have made some Ukraine might push that process of imum of stability among adversaries.
civilian death toll, cannot help but for peace, including the recognition progress in their bilateral talks, partic- decline and marginalisation too far,
provoke outrage. US President Joe of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Lu- ularly on the possibility of Kyiv’s future too fast — turning Russia into a mas- Second, although the United
Biden’s unscripted remark in Warsaw hansk regions as independent states. nonalignment (Zelensky seems willing sive version of North Korea — and States and its allies should hold Rus-
on Saturday — speaking of Putin, he Russia can still snatch victory — de- to accept permanent neutrality and re- thus threaten three key long-term US sia accountable for the war, it will be
said, “For God's sake, this man cannot fined this way, at least — from the nounce any ambitions to join Nato), objectives. important to avoid transforming the
remain in power” — reflects a fairly jaws of defeat over the coming weeks but they seem to have run into some country into a basket case, an incor-
widely held sentiment that the United and months. It would doubtless be a insurmountable barriers. Moscow is First, Washington has an interest in rigible international spoiler, or both.
States must prioritise punishing Putin, brutal, bloody, and ultimately Pyrrhic insisting on expanding the writ of long-term stability and a durable peace This will inevitably prove a difficult
or even seek his ouster (although the victory, but the Russian military, even Russia’s separatist proxies in Donetsk in a postwar Ukraine and along Rus- balancing act. Some of the punitive
White House has denied that this is after suffering the losses it has suffered, and Luhansk far beyond the prewar sanctions and other measures imposed
US policy). But Washington should be line of control and forcing Ukraine to on Russia for its aggression will likely
wary of the siren call of regime change, have to remain in place. But a severe
which seems at first to offer a just and enough economic shock could desta-
effective remedy. Recent US experi- bilise the country, returning to the
ence in Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere sug- nightmare scenario from the 1990s,
gests that it almost never produces the of a Russia in chaos. At that time, the
desired results. United States concluded that a weak
Russia, unable to control its territory
Instead, policymakers in Washing- and large nuclear arsenal, would pose
ton must wrestle with two distinct a grave threat to US national security.
kinds of goals. In the near term, US And turmoil in Russia would econom-
priorities remain denying Putin a ically decimate several of the former
battlefield victory, avoiding the esca- Soviet republics in Central Asia that
lation of the conflict, and limiting its remain highly dependent on remit-
humanitarian and economic costs. tances from and other economic ties
Over the long term, the United States to Moscow.
wants to shape  Russian behavior  in
such a way that minimises risks to US Even if Russia does not trans-
geopolitical interests and international form into an economic basket case,
stability and reduces the potential for it might well become a rogue actor.
future regional conflict. Moscow demonstrated many rogue-
like tendencies before the war as seen
The main challenge today is that in its 2014 annexation of Crimea and
Ukraine’s brave resistance — even interference in the 2016 U.S. presi-
combined with ever-greater Western dential election. If all incentives for
pressure on Moscow — is highly un- moderation are gone, those tenden-
likely to overcome Russia’s military cies would likely become the norm.
advantages, let alone topple Putin. And if Russia begins to behave like a
Without some kind of deal with the determined international spoiler, in
Kremlin, the best outcome is proba- the manner of North Korea, it could
bly a long, arduous war that Russia is drag down much of what remains of
likely to win anyway. And such a pro- the multilateral system, including the
tracted conflict would cement the cur- nuclear nonproliferation regime and
rent extreme level of hostility between the UN Security Council. Further, if
Russia and the West, undermining the Russian economy is largely severed
long-term US interests in regional and from the international financial sys-
global stability. tem, Moscow would have little reason
to restrain itself from striking back at
It will be extremely hard, if not Western banks, corporations, and oth-
impossible, for the United States to er financial institutions with its con-
achieve either its short- or long-term siderable cyber-capabilities. Finally,
objectives if the war drags on for although it is clear that Russia’s aggres-
months longer. However distaste- sion will leave it far more dependent
ful it may be to reach a compromise on China regardless of what Washing-
with Putin after the carnage he has ton does now, the United States does
unleashed, the United States should have a long-term interest in avoiding
work to secure a negotiated settlement a new bipolarity. ...To next page
to the conflict sooner rather than later.
A tough pill to swallow
Putin has not achieved the quick win
he sought. His initial war aim was
clearly regime change, and he hoped

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 39

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Russia’s war with Ukraine: Five reasons why
many African countries choose to be ‘neutral’
Russia accounts for 16% of global
OLAYINKA AJALA The late Libya's President Muammar Gaddafi listens during the opening session of the African Union Summit in Addis wheat production, and  13% of fer-
Ababa in February 2009. Some African leaders have not forgiven NATO for the ouster and death of Libya’s Gaddafi. tiliser production. African countries
IN early MARCH, the United Na- are already reeling from the impact of
tion’s General Assembly  voted  on a ficials over the years that its eastward veloped significant military alliances lous countries in Africa. Covid-19 are sceptical about cutting
resolution demanding Russia imme- expansion would lead to greater, not with Russia. Several African coun- The Stockholm International any trade links.
diately stop its military operations in less, instability in the region" . tries have depended on Russia to
Ukraine. combat insurgencies. This has ranged Peace Research Institute estimates In addition, the perceived lack
This is not the first time African from hiring private military contrac- that Russia  sold 18%  of the total of support from the west during
Out of 193 member states, countries have been sceptical of Na- tors from Russia such as the Wagner arms it produced to Africa between the Covid-19 pandemic has shifted
141  voted  in support of the resolu- to's activities. In 2012, the former group to direct arms imports. 2016 and 2020. Some of these mil- many African countries further away
tion, five voted against, 35 abstained president of Namibia (another coun- itary alliances have been in existence from their traditional western allies
and 12 did not vote at all. Of the 54 try which abstained from the vote) The lack of emphasis on adherence since the Soviet era and are deeply in Europe and America.
African member states, Eritrea voted argued that Nato’s overthrow of Lib- to human rights has shifted many entrenched.
against the resolution, 16 African ya’s Muammar Gaddafi should be countries in Africa to building mil- Fourth, some African countries see
countries including South Africa ab- condemned and rejected by all right itary alliances with Russia. Third, several African countries the conflict as a  proxy war  between
stained, while nine other countries thinking Africans. depend on Russia for wheat and fer- US and Russia, reminiscence of the
did not vote at all. For instance, in 2014 when the tilisers. This has deepened economic Cold War and so don’t want to get
The invasion of Libya and the sub- United States  refused  to sell certain ties. The figures from the UN con- entangled in the conflict.
In all about half (26) of the 54 sequent killing of Gaddafi resulted weapons to Nigeria due to gross hu- ference on trade and development
member states in Africa chose the in  destabilisation  in North Africa man rights abuses recorded in the show that African countries import- The Cold War brought untold
path of neutrality in some form. and the Sahel. The result is that Nato fight against Boko Haram, Nigeria ed wheat from Russia and Ukraine hardship to several African coun-
has become quite unpopular in sever- turned to other countries including worth about US$5.1 billion between tries as it happened when most of
So why did African countries not al African countries. Russia and Pakistan for arms supply. 2018 and 2020. A quarter of African the countries in Africa were gaining
vote overwhelmingly to support the countries depend on the two coun- independence and needed to align
resolution? Second, in the last decade, sever- In 2021, Russia signed military tries for a third of their wheat con- with one of the blocs.  Several civil
al African countries such as Libya, cooperation agreements with  Nige- sumption. wars ensued. It therefore seems right
I believe that the decision of sev- Ethiopia, Mali and Nigeria have de- ria and Ethiopia, the two most popu- to countries to some stay neutral at
eral African countries to stay neutral this point.
and avoid condemning Russia for its
invasion of Ukraine was made on is- Furthermore, China, a major
sues relating directly to the conflict ally to several African countries has
as well as broader security, economic towed this line. As a result some of its
and political considerations. allies in Africa chose the same path.

There are five key reasons: these in- Finally, there is an increasing per-
clude scepticism towards the North ception in several African countries
Atlantic Treat Alliance (Nato), and that traditional Western allies only
its motives; growing reliance among care about their own economies and
some countries on Moscow for mil- people, and would only assist if it is
itary support past decade; growing in their interest or falls within the
dependence on wheat and fertiliser liberal agenda. For instance, since the
imports; and a sense that this is a re- impact of sanctions on Russia start-
turn of the Cold War. ed driving up commodity prices, the
US has  turned to Venezuela  while
African countries have based their the  United Kingdom has turned  to
decisions on strategic calculations Saudi Arabia to increase oil produc-
on how the conflict will affect them tion and reduce the burdens of citi-
rather than on the humanitarian ca- zens at home.
tastrophe arising from the conflict.
This is in contrast to the European There has been no mention on
Union which has been able to con- how African countries are affected,
verge and take a unanimous stance or how to help countries on the con-
on the conflict. tinent whose economies are strug-
The driving arguments gling. This brings back memories of
First, some African countries in- the lackadaisical support received
cluding South Africa see the Nato from the west during the pandemic.
as the aggressor with its expansion And it further reinstates the need to
eastwards. This, in the view of these be neutral – or in some cases not to
countries, constitutes a threat to Rus- be dictated to.
sia. The president of South Africa re-
cently blamed  the organisation for — The Conversation.
the war in Ukraine stating:
*About the writer: Olayinka Aja-
"the war could have been avoid- la is a lecturer in politics and inter-
ed if Nato had heeded the warnings national relations at Leeds Beckett
from amongst its own leaders and of- University, United Kingdom.

The perilous long game in Ukraine
From previous page allows for some sanctions relief would Russia have shaken the country’s econ- Kremlin is convinced that U.S. policy the long term, the United States wants
A Russia completely dependent be a necessary first step toward pur- omy, undermining the relative stabil- is aimed at regime change, it is likely to stability and peace in and around
on China — and a China willing to suing all three. Otherwise, continued ity and prosperity that served as the hit back hard. Putin is unlikely to go Ukraine and to ensure that Moscow
underwrite Putin’s regime — could regional conflicts, a Russian economic core of Putin’s legitimacy. His war on down without a fight against domestic pays a cost for its aggression with-
bring the two into a de facto alliance implosion, increased global disorder, Ukraine has indeed created real risks of or foreign enemies. out making it a global pariah. Putin’s
to counter the United States and its al- and a de facto Moscow-Beijing alliance domestic instability over the long term, murderous gambit has sparked un-
lies. Such an outcome could exacerbate all become more likely long-term out- imperiling his own rule. The Russian state remains capable of derstandable outrage, but cool heads
Washington’s challenges in its long- comes. significant violent repression at home will be necessary to pursue both these
term competition with Beijing. Cooler heads But an official policy of regime and even more aggression abroad than short- and long-term US objectives.
These three long-term interests — A growing number of analysts and change — or even a tacit endorsement it has already demonstrated in the past
achieving regional stability, discour- politicians in Washington are calling of it — could backfire dramatically for month. — Foreign Affairs.
aging Russia from turning into an for the Biden administration to adopt the United States, its allies, Ukraine, *About the writer: Samuel Charap
international rogue, and precluding a regime change in Russia as the central and even the Russian people. As Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on is a senior political scientist at the
new bipolarity — should not stop US US objective. This is understandable. and the humanitarian disaster deepens, RAND Corporation and a co-author,
policymakers from imposing costs on Putin and his regime have engaged in Russian strategists have long posited Washington may be tempted to focus with Timothy J. Colton, of Everyone
Putin and his regime. But they should truly horrific acts of violence against that a Western attempt to overthrow exclusively on punishing Putin. Loses:  The Ukraine Crisis and the
inform US decision-making. A nego- Ukraine. The sanctions imposed on the government would combine threats Ruinous Contest for Post-Soviet Eur-
tiated peace in the coming weeks that on the periphery, economic warfare, But that approach might well back- asia.
the fomenting of domestic unrest, and fire. In the short term, pursuing a ne-
eventually direct military attack. If the gotiated settlement could head off a
come-from-behind Russian win. Over

Page 40 Africa News NewsHawks
NDO, a major civil engineering group
in Rwanda owned by the ruling party Issue 73, 25 March 2022
of President Paul Kagame, is reported-
ly in the running to win a big contract Rwanda eyes the spoils ly from its military interventions."
on Mozambique’s huge liquefied nat- of war in Mozambique NPD is a subsidiary of Crystal
ural gas project in the country’s trou-
bled north.  Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi walking with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame. Ventures (CV) which, according to
Dr Phil Clark of the School of Afri-
The move has raised questions can and Oriental Studies in London,
about what Rwanda, or its politicians, is the investment arm of the Rwandan
are getting in return for providing Patriotic Front, Kagame’s ruling party.
military assistance in Mozambique’s Clark said there was “an ever-revolving
insurgency-hit north. door between senior Rwandan govern-
ment positions and CV management
Paris-based news site Africa Intelli- … it is entirely plausible that CV has
gence reported at the end of February tendered for a job on the back of the
that NPD had joined Italian, South RDF’s involvement in Mozambique”.
African and Portuguese contractors
in bidding for the contract on the To- Edson Cortez, director of the Mo-
talEnergies-led project and was added zambique’s Centre for Public Integrity,
to the shortlist at the last minute, the said the entry of NDP was a sign that
report said.  “there are no free lunches”.

The work would involve clearing “It is understandable that the gov-
the site and doing structural work at ernment of Rwanda had some kind of
the project. TotalEnergies did not re- gains from the investments made in
spond when asked for comment. the security of Cabo Delgado and it
may be that the form of payment ar-
In July last year, Rwanda deployed ranged was this,” he said.
to Mozambique’s north-eastern prov-
ince of Cabo Delgado a 1 000-strong “We regret that local content is
military and police force, which has again being relegated to the back-
since doubled in size. In the face of ground, because the work that this
much speculation that the deploy- company will carry out could be car-
ment was being paid for by France or ried out by Mozambican companies
French oil major TotalEnergies, which that will pay taxes in Mozambique,
operates the gas project there, Kagame and pay salaries to Mozambicans.”
said in an interview with state broad-
caster RBA that “no one is sponsoring” According to Fidel Terrenciano, an
the military support in Mozambique. academic and dean of the Arco Iris
University based in Pemba, Cabo Del-
Maputo has since appealed to the gado, the entry of the NDP company
European Union for financial support in the gas business in Palma was an-
for the continuing deployment, which other step in the increasing rapproche-
has been broadly successful in return- ment between Mozambique and
ing Palma and Mocímboa da Praia, Rwanda — but also a sign of the close
the two key districts for the gas proj- relationship between Rwanda and To-
ect, to government control. talEnergies.

“We’re using our means,” Kagame “From a reliability point of view,
said in September. “We have decent Total trusts Rwanda more, to the det-
means, which we are also ready to riment of face-to-face negotiations
share with friends and brothers and with the [President Filipe]Nyusi gov-
sisters. So there is no one who spon- ernment,” he said. “More business will
sored us for this.” be managed by Rwandan companies
in the coming years. Let’s keep our
Rwanda’s high commission in Mo- eyes open.”
zambique said: “The first step of help
is military. Second is development for Clark agrees. “With close links be-
the Cabo Delgado province, with high tween Crystal Ventures and the Rwan-
interest from Rwandan companies.” dan military, as well as the deepening
economic and military ties between
But journalist Michela Wrong Rwanda and Mozambique over the
told  Zitamar News: “Rwanda has a last three or four years, it makes sense
track record of benefiting economical- that CV would see vast opportunities
in Mozambique.” 

— The Continent.

There is a future.

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NewsHawks Africa News Page 41

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

AFOLASADE A. ADEWUMI Africa’s wars are hurting its rich
heritage: How the law can help
SEVERAL countries  across the
African continent are currently about 70km away. Unfortunate- Protocol II is the most effec- convention’s 1999 Protocol II. File photo.
embroiled in war. ly, a lack of knowledge on the val- tive at protecting heritage during This means the country cannot
ue of these artefacts led to their conflict. State parties to the pro- benefit from these provisions. offices, ensure the return of ob-
Some of those worst hit are being used as firewood by the res- tocol can exercise universal juris- jects looted during the war.
South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan, idents of Orlu. diction to extradite or to try any In 2021, Ethiopia submitted
the Democratic Republic of heritage offenders found in their to the 1954 Hague Convention However, there are reports that
Congo, Somalia, the Central Af- In Sierra Leone, the civil war territory. committee a report on its activi- Ethiopian forces are behind
rican Republic and Burkina Faso. between 1991 and 2002 severely ties under the treaty for the peri- the destruction and looting of
These armed conflicts are caused damaged a museum in Freetown. Another important law is od between 2017 and 2020. The various historical and cultural
by a range of factors, including Some artefacts were riddled with the 1970 Unesco Convention on country outlined its implementa- heritage items in Tigray. This il-
bad governance, corruption, pov- bullet holes, while others were the Means of Prohibiting and tion of Articles 3, 25 and 28 of lustrates the gaps in the govern-
erty, rights violations and reli- destroyed by rain due to the Preventing the Illicit Import, Ex- the Hague Convention. ment’s political will to safeguard
gious intolerance. damage done to the museum’s port and Transfer of Ownership the country’s heritage.
roof, windows and doors. of Cultural Property. There is also Article 3 covers measures put
Armed conflict has led to the  1995 UNIDROIT Conven- in place in peacetime to safe- Reversing the trend
the loss of  millions of African Ethiopia has more recently il- tion  on Stolen or Illegally Ex- guard cultural property against Misinformation and a shallow
lives  over the decades and neg- lustrated how armed conflict de- ported Cultural Objects. the foreseeable effects of an understanding of the significance
atively affected national devel- stroys historical items. The coun- armed conflict. of heritage items are at the root
opment. It has also caused  huge try’s northern region of Tigray The 1970 Unesco and 1995 of the violence demonstrated
losses to cultural heritage. – rich in religious heritage and a UNIDROIT conventions – if Article 25 addresses measures against heritage items in many
tourist attraction – has been war- properly implemented by coun- geared towards public enlighten- parts of Africa – and beyond.
As a scholar of internation- torn since November 2020. tries – can help prevent the ment. This includes training of To counter these, protecting
al law, with a focus on cultural looting and illicit trafficking of the military and civilian popula- heritage requires:
property law, my  research and Ancient manuscripts and in- cultural property. To implement tions in peacetime on principles • political will
policy briefs have analysed appli- valuable artefacts in the region these conventions, state parties that would ensure the protection • civic education on the value
cable policies and legislation that have been  targeted  for destruc- need to, among other things, of cultural property. of
would protect heritage during tion and looting by Ethiopian have up-to-date heritage legisla- heritage
conflict. and Eritrean troops. tion and inventories of their ar- Article 28 focuses on putting • partnership among African
tefacts. mechanisms in place national- states,
I have found that without a re- International treaties ly for sanctioning nationals and heritage stakeholders, and re-
awakening of cultural conscience International law provides for However, no African country foreigners who violate the con- gional
among Africans – and political the protection of cultural her- has any laws specifically aimed at vention’s provisions. and international organisations
will from governments – the con- itage during war. However, for domesticating these internation- • strengthening national legis-
tinent’s heritage will continue to these legal mechanisms to take al conventions. This makes im- Additionally, Ethiopia ratified lation
suffer neglect and destruction. effect, governments need to have plementation of their provisions the 1970 Unesco Convention in and harmonising it with
effected them during times of largely impossible. November 2017. Articles 7 and 9 international best practices.
Partnerships among African peace. of the convention allow for inter- — The Conversation.
states, heritage stakeholders, and One such law is the  1954 Ethiopia and the treaties national cooperation among state
regional and international organ- Hague Convention  for the Pro- Ethiopia became a  state par- parties. *About the writer: Afolasade
isations are equally fundamental tection of Cultural Property in ty  to the 1954 Hague Conven- A. Adewumi is a senior lecturer
in establishing a solid foundation the Event of Armed Conflict. It tion on 31 August 2015. This ensures that objects illicit- at the University of Ibadan in
for heritage protection. has Protocols I and II. However, it has not joined the ly removed from the territory of Nigeria.
a state are returned.
Widespread destruction
There are several accounts of Ethiopia can rely on these pro-
the destruction to Africa’s heri- visions and, through diplomatic
tage in conflict situations.
For instance, the war be-
tween  Eritrea and Ethiopia  –
which started in 1998 and ended
with a peace deal in 2000 – re-
sulted in the Ethiopian army top-
pling  the Stella of Matara, a
2,500-year-old sculpture of cul-
tural significance.
In Mali in 2012, rebel Isla-
mist groups took over Timbuktu
and  destroyed  mosques, mauso-
leums and Sufi tombs that had
been built as far back as the 15th
century.
In Côte d'Ivoire, sacred circu-
lar masks were  stolen and some
burnt  during a conflict that be-
gan in 2002. The Klin Kpli, the
sacred talking drum of the Baoule
people, was stolen from the royal
court of Sakassou.
In Senegal between 1990 and
2011, churches, mosques and sa-
cred forests were destroyed as ci-
vilians used them for refuge and
combatants sought to hide from
government troops.
In the Nigerian civil war be-
tween 1967 and 1970, the Oron
Museum in the country’s east was
occupied by troops. The Oran
Kepi ancestral figures kept there
were moved to Umuahia town in
the south for safekeeping. When
the war reached Umuahia, the
objects were transferred to Orlu,

Page 42 World News NewsHawks

LIANA FIX/MICHAEL KIMMAGE Issue 73, 25 March 2022

THE twentieth century’s two world wars What if Russia makes a deal?
are an endless source of precedents and How to end a war that no one is likely to win.
analogies.
ably unsatisfactory peace. This humbling no treaty commitment from the United Russian President Vladimir Putin. not just Putin’s Russia, is unlikely to ever
The lead-up to World War II pro- reality must be the starting point for pol- States or from another major outside which were occupied before the 2022 in- return it to Ukraine. Also, Crimea may
duced the Munich analogy, an allusion icy and diplomacy. power ever emerged. Putin’s invasion vasion, will get folded into this demand. matter less to Ukrainians than other parts
to the 1938 British and French decision Why Minsk failed of Ukraine in February was driven by Relatedly, Russia may also push for a of the country currently under Russia’s
to permit Nazi Germany to annex part of Through the Minsk negotiations, Putin a  revanchist vision  of Ukraine’s histor- land bridge from Moldova to Mariupol, partial control, which could make a de
Czechoslovakia. “Munich” has become was hoping to ensure Ukrainian neutral- ical ties to Russia and from his self-ap- depending on how the war goes. facto acceptance of Russian
shorthand for “appeasement.” The after- ity on Russian terms and to compromise pointed mission to terminate Ukrainian
math of the war produced the Nurem- Ukrainian sovereignty by creating a semi- statehood. But the invasion was also in- A second aim is to establish Ukraine’s control easier. And although Nato
berg analogy, a reference to the public tri- autonomous zone in the country’s east. spired by Putin’s more practical frustra- neutrality, which could mean either its may decide to accept Sweden or Finland
als of the surviving leaders of the utterly Instead, after the Minsk agreements were tion with Minsk. Although the Russian inability to join Nato and to enter into as members, it will not accept Ukraine —
defeated Nazi regime. “Nuremberg” now hammered out, Ukraine forged closer military had won its battles in 2014 and the treaty alliances of its choosing or its despite prior promises to do so. Zelensky
stands for “unconditional surrender.” and closer ties with the United States, 2015, the Kremlin was losing the war “demilitarisation,” as Putin has put it, has indicated his willingness to consider
Nato, and western European countries. for Ukraine’s future. Putin believed that presumably the elimination of its mili- alternatives besides Nato membership,
By contrast, the conclusion of World A line of contact formed in the coun- swiftly toppling the government in Kyiv tary capacity. Indeed, Putin might seek and has asked the West for security guar-
War I had been unclear and incomplete. try’s east between Ukraine proper and would transform this state of affairs and both of those outcomes. In a less dras- antees — that is, promises to enforce any
Berlin did not fall in November 1918. a netherland under Russian control. At pull Ukraine back toward Russia, pun- tic scenario, neutrality could also mean potential agreement with Russia, ensur-
Instead, the government waging the war considerable cost, Russia had acquired ishing Kyiv’s European and US partners. limitations on certain weapons systems ing that any deal would not amount to
dissolved; Kaiser Wilhelm went into ex- territory that gave it no real leverage over As he saw it, an invasion would not re- and the prohibition of foreign bases in empty words.
ile. The harsh terms of the peace — the Ukraine’s geopolitical future. sult in a wider war because Europe and Ukraine.
reparations and the attribution of guilt to the United States were only superficially For Kyiv, legally binding security
Germany — became the preconditions Meanwhile, the United States and committed to Ukraine. Had they been Finally, Putin will want to constrain or guarantees — involving the United
for Adolf Hitler’s rise and for the out- European countries imposed sanctions truly committed, they would not have let to block Ukraine’s integration into Euro- States, Russia, European countries, and
break of World War II. This is the sto- on Russia, pledging not to lift them Minsk lapse into irrelevance. pean institutions, especially those tied to potentially Turkey, as well — are crucial.
ry of “Versailles”: shorthand for a peace until Russia withdrew its military from Broken promises the European Union. Zelensky will have Such guarantees would be the equivalent
agreement that begets further war. eastern Ukraine and ended the war, even Ukraine’s surprise success has made the to measure an unjust peace against a just of extending Nato’s Article 5 to Ukraine:
though Russia remained unvanquished Kremlin rethink its war aims. Putin but devastating war. committing to go to war if Ukraine’s
The question now is what kind of end- on the battlefield. Putin could not nor- began the invasion with the  maximal- sovereignty or the terms of any potential
ing Europe’s first major twenty-first-cen- malize relations with the United States ist goal  of toppling the Ukrainian gov- For his part, Zelensky wants to se- agreement between Ukraine and Russia
tury war will feature. The Roman states- and its allies unless he implemented the ernment. The point of the war was to cure his country’s full sovereignty and were violated. Such a pledge would cer-
man and scholar Cicero argued that an Minsk accords on their terms, which he “de-Nazify” Ukraine, in Putin’s bizarre autonomy. In theory, this would entail tainly be a dramatic and precedent-de-
unjust peace is better than a just war. had no intention of doing. But the sanc- parlance, which meant regime change. the withdrawal of all Russian troops fying step for the United States and its
Ongoing negotiations between Ukraine tions were not destabilizing for Russia, Given Russia’s immense battlefield losses, from Ukraine, the return of Crimea to allies, which have tried to avoid being
and Russia will put that proposition to and were not powerful enough to coerce taking Kyiv may have become impossible Ukraine, and the freedom to deepen dragged into the war. Putin may not
the test.  Moscow accept the West’s terms. for Russian forces, and by scaling back economic relationships with the Unit- agree to it — or he may not agree to it
talk of the de-Nazification, Putin has ed States and Europe. Those outcomes, in good faith. But binding guarantees —
The Ukrainians’ brave resistance has Minsk’s failure has many authors. signaled that he might accept Ukrainian however, would require Russia to  lose in contrast to the unenforced Budapest
halted the Russian advance. In ordering The signatories to the agreements were President Volodymyr Zelensky’s govern- the war. Whereas Putin cannot be trust- memorandum of 1994, which Russia
an invasion of Ukraine, Russian Presi- France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine. ment as a legitimate counterpart in ne- ed to honor the documents he signs and first violated in 2014 by seizing Crimea
dent Vladimir Putin acted impulsively. Paris and Berlin were rhetorically com- gotiations. But this may also be a trap for should not be given concessions for his — would furnish all sides with a solu-
Were he now to think strategically, he mitted to the deal but did little to enforce Kyiv, a pause before Russia returns to an criminal war, he cannot be removed from tion to the essential problem of Ukraine’s
would cut his losses and look for a way to it, and the effect of sanctions weakened escalatory set of demands. Putin will at the negotiations. Russia has at its dispos- security. Real bilateral or multilateral se-
finish the war. His larger political aims are with each passing year. Washington was any rate use whatever territory that Rus- al the threat of chemical and biological curity guarantees would be better than
already out of reach. He cannot control equally complacent and lazy. US military sian forces have occupied in recent weeks weapons and tactical nuclear weapons, Nato’s policy of having an open door in
Ukraine and will struggle to partition a assistance flowed into as a bargaining chip. not to mention the application of fur- general but a closed door for Ukraine.
country opposed to Russian occupation. ther conventional military force. Under Putin could sell this solution — the
Moscow has only an expensive and for- Ukraine when the administration of Putin likely has three core aims at this dark shadow, Zelensky must deter- foreclosure of any chance that Ukraine
bidding military path ahead of it, which President Donald Trump agreed to pro- this point. One is to formalize Crimea’s mine the degree of compromise he can would ever join Nato — as a win. At the
together with sanctions will place sizable vide lethal military aid — with enough incorporation into Russia, a signature condone and that Ukrainian citizens will same time, a US-backed security guaran-
burdens on Putin’s regime. But whatever strings attached for Trump to get im- achievement of his presidency in Putin’s accept. He will have to measure the im- tee to Ukraine could deter Russia from
happens in Ukraine, Russia will still be a peached for his manipulative relations eyes. Perhaps the annexation of the Do- peratives of an unjust peace against those attacking Ukraine again.
nuclear power, and it will retain Europe’s with Ukraine. Yet despite earlier promis- netsk and Luhansk regions, only a part of of a just but devastating war. You can't always get what you want
largest conventional military. es, Ukraine was never given the oppor- Perhaps the parties will strike a grand
tunity to join Nato or any other alliance: Zelensky has some leeway on Crimea bargain favorable to Ukraine, if Russia
Ukraine has mounted a formidable and Nato membership. Russia’s annex- continues significant battlefield losses.
defense, but it cannot reverse Russia’s ation of Crimea was an illegal violation More likely, however, this war will ad-
overall military dominance or stop its of Ukrainian sovereignty. Yet Russia, and mit no easily sustainable peace. If Russia
shelling and bombing of civilians and yields, it will probably yield to a provi-
of military targets. Ukraine’s diplomat- sional peace. Putin does not seem capa-
ic balancing act — between retaining ble  of learning from his mistakes. Yet a
its sovereignty and terminating a cruel provisional peace that preserves Zelen-
war — will be exceptionally difficult. sky’s government, brings about a lasting
Weapons from the United States and its cease-fire, and does not permanently
European allies will strengthen Ukraine’s infringe on Ukraine’s independence, sov-
negotiation position. But without their ereignty, and autonomy (as Kyiv defines
direct involvement in the war, which is the terms) may be attainable. As unjust
not going to materialize, Ukraine will not as it would be, it is preferable to all the
enjoy an outright victory and Russia will actual alternatives.
not suffer an outright defeat.
The war has rendered Russia’s foreign
If they reach a negotiated deal, policy untenable. Putin is pursuing am-
Ukraine and Russia will both have to bitions that the Russian economy and
settle for partial and fragile gains. In this the Russian polity will not be able to re-
war, there will be no Munich, no Nurem- alize. Although Putin will not fundamen-
berg, and no Versailles. tally recalibrate, Russia cannot escape the
fact that its ends outstrip its means. At
Recent history provides another (not some point, Putin will meet his politi-
very encouraging) analogy for the parties: cal Waterloo as a result of this war. And
the Minsk analogy, which alludes to the when the consequences of his overreach
agreements negotiated in that Belaru- descend on Moscow and the dictator de-
sian city in 2014 and 2015 in a bid to parts, Ukraine’s chance for a peace that
end fighting between Ukraine and Rus- is more than provisional may at long last
sian-backed separatists that was the pre- come into view.
quel to the current war. Putin’s full-scale
invasion of Ukraine proved the inade- — Foreign Affairs.
quacy of the Minsk agreements, which *About the writers: Liana Fux is a
represented a form of crisis management resident fellow at the German Mar-
that irritated everyone and satisfied no shall Fund in Washington, DC, United
one, deferring and perhaps even exacer- States. Michael Kimmage is professor
bating Ukraine’s fundamental problems. of history at the Catholic University
of America and a visiting fellow at the
The United States and Europe are German Marshall Fund. From 2014 to
not at war with Russia and cannot apply 2016, he served on the policy planning
either the Nuremberg or the Versailles staff at the US Department of State,
models to this particular European con- where he held the Russia/Ukraine port-
flict. Their mission, thus, is to do better folio.
than Minsk. Western sanctions on Russia
and military assistance for Ukraine pro-
vide genuine leverage. Washington and
its European allies  should use and ex-
pand this leverage in proportion to Rus-
sia’s continuing violations of Ukrainian
sovereignty. The transatlantic alliance can
dictate nothing to Putin. It can only assist
Ukraine in navigating its way to a prob-

NewsHawks World News Page 43

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

How much oil does the US import
from Russia and why did Biden ban it?
The United States had until recently turned to Rus-
THE  fracking boom  made America sian crude to service more isolated coastal markets
the world’s biggest oil producer a few and keep refineries running at optimal levels.
years ago, but the US until recently
was still importing millions of bar-
rels each day from other parts of the
world, including Russia.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine,  the Biden administration
is  banning Russian oil imports  into
the US.  Expecting an expanded re-
sponse by Western governments
to  Vladimir Putin’s aggression,  re-
finers  have  already  balked at buying
Russian oil, and banks are refusing to
finance shipments of Russian com-
modities, according to traders, oil ex-
ecutives and bankers.

Here is a look at why the US was
still importing Russian crude and
where it had been going.

How much oil had the US been im-
porting from Russia?

The US still consumes far more oil lacking pipeline connections from US? What will US refiners have to do to US President Joe Biden.
than companies extract domestically, the Permian and Cushing, mostly Roughly half of the oil that the US replace Russian crude?
requiring it to import some supplies. import it from overseas. had been importing from Russia was While American fuel makers are not crude had been interpreted by the oil
But it is less reliant on Russia’s oil than Why do US refineries need differ- going to the West Coast, where refin- expected to see a significant disrup- market as another hit to already tight
Europe and takes only a small portion ent varieties of crude? ers take crude deliveries from overseas tion to operations without Russian global supplies, which could further
of its imported crude from Russia. The US was buying Russian oil in largely because they aren’t connected imports, refineries that had used raise costs on consumers. The US and
part to feed refineries that need dif- by pipelines to the Permian Basin, those barrels in places like Hawaii other major oil-consuming nations
America gets most of its crude ferent grades of crude with a higher the largest US oil field. West Coast and Washington will likely have to said that they would release 60 mil-
imports from Canada, Mexico and sulfur content to make fuel at top ca- refiners had been taking Russian pay higher prices for similar grades of lion barrels  from emergency stock-
Saudi Arabia. Smaller countries in pacities. US refineries were designed crude that is shipped out of the port crude from West Africa or the North piles to boost global supplies. Still,
Latin America and West Africa also decades ago to use heavier grades of Kozmino on the country’s eastern Sea, partly due to longer transit times, oil and gasoline prices have remained
typically send more crude to the US of crude, often with higher levels of side on the Pacific Ocean. Lipow said. high on concerns about tightening
than Russia had been sending.  sulfur, when domestic supplies were supplies.
lower. Another quarter of that oil, rough- Russian crude that has ended up at
About 8% of US imports of oil ly 50 000 barrels a day, was going to refineries in the Gulf Coast, with its US oil prices fell almost 6% Mon-
and refined products, or about 672 In recent years, Russian crude has the East Coast, where refiners also higher sulfur content, can be replaced day, settling at US$103.01 per bar-
000 barrels a day, came from Rus- filled some of the gap around the aren’t connected by pipeline to the with so-called medium sour barrels rel, after briefly dipping below the
sia last year, said Andy Lipow, pres- world left behind by sanctions on current top sources of US oil pro- produced in the Gulf of Mexico, US$100-per-barrel mark.
ident of Lipow Oil Associates LLC Venezuela and Iran, which crippled duction. The remaining quarter often while East Coast refiners could get
in Houston, citing figures from the the flow of that type and similar types ended up in the Gulf Coast, where similar grades from other countries. Some refiners had already been
Energy Information Administration. of oil from those two countries to Russia’s Urals grade of crude, which What might happen if the US and refusing  to  buy Russian oil  due to
Setting aside refined products, Rus- refiners in the Gulf Coast and else- has a higher level of sulfur than most other countries slow the flow of the risk that they could be ensnared
sian oil alone made up roughly 3% of where, Mr. Lipow said. of the crude produced in the US, is Russian crude? by sanctions, as  the war triggered
the nation’s imports, about 200 000 Where was Russia’s oil going in the considered profitable for use in refin- Moves to hamper the flow of Russian a reordering of the world’s oil flows.
barrels a day.  eries designed to run so-called sour Global market participants were be-
grades of oil.  ginning to contemplate the previous-
In mid-2021, US imports of Rus- ly unthinkable question of how they
sian crude hit the highest levels in would cope without Russian oil sup-
about a decade, and had been trend- plies.
ing higher in recent years, EIA data
show. But Russian crude has never — Wall Street Journal.
made up a large part of the US oil
supply system, Mr. Lipow said.
If the US exports millions of barrels
a day from the Gulf Coast, why was
it importing Russian oil?
The Jones Act, passed a century ago,
has effectively limited the size of
vessels that are allowed to transport
goods between US ports. That has left
oil buyers on the West Coast and East
Coast effectively unable to get sup-
plies shipped out of the Gulf Coast.

The Gulf Coast, where oil com-
panies shipped out about 3 million
barrels a day in December, is con-
nected by pipelines to  the Permian
Basin of West Texas and New Mexico
and  Cushing, Okla., the nation’s oil
storage hub. 

It isn’t profitable for companies to
ship oil from that region to the US
East and West Coasts by such small
ships, so refiners along those coasts,

Porsche just got angrier Being a Fashion Model

&Life Style

STYLE TRAVEL BOOKS ARTS MOTORING

Page 44 Issue 74, 1 April 2022

Zim’s Mr Brown
makes impact
on SA music

JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA

SOUTH African music is hugely popular in Zimbabwe, but not many people are aware of the
Zimbabwean influence behind that popularity.  

An example is the Zimbabwean-born producer of Makhadzi, the South African Afro-pop sing-
er known for her swanky dance moves.

The producer, commonly known as Mr Brown, hails from Zimbabwe’s Midlands province.
“I was born in Gweru, but I grew up in South Africa, but I do relate with my Zimbabwean
roots,” Mr Brown tells The NewsHawks this week.
Oliver Mtukudzi, Ringo Madlingozi and Jabu Khanyile are some of his musical heroes.
You might not be aware: apart from Makhadzi, Mr Brown has also co-produced Master KG
and Zanda Zakuza’s hit song Skeleton Move – as well as Xola Moya Wami by Nomcebo Zikode.
The 32-year-old is no newcomer to the mainstream music scene. Back in the day, when he was
still known by his birth name Lynol (full name Lynol Siwela), he contributed to the 2017 hit,
Lazaro.
“I want to work with anyone as long as the person has got real talent and uniqueness,” he ex-
plains the diversity of the artistes he has worked with.
South African-raised yes, but Mr Brown’s connection to his motherland has also seen him work
with some of Zimbabwe’s best-known singers.
“I’ve worked with Roki on Sreenshot and also Nutty on a yet-to-be-released album.  I felt good
to work with Roki. He’s also humble and fun to work with.”
Speaking of Zimbabwean Afro-beat sensation Nutty O, Mr Brown is currently with him along-
side Makhadzi and Han C on a single titled Attention, a potential hit.
Mr Brown! Why that moniker?
He explains: “It came from the fans. I used to tint my hair brown. So I became Mr Brown!”
This weekend, Mr Brown will perform in his country of birth for the first ever time, at Alexan-
dra Sports Club in Harare for the JamAfro Festival on 2 April. And Makhadzi will also be there!
Zimbabwean artistes who will perform include Freeman, Nutty O, Sulumani Chimbetu,
Neelah, ExQ, Feli Nandi and Juntal.

NewsHawks Life & Style Page 45

Issue 74, 1 April 2022 Synik uses Hip-hop to discuss
Zim issues despite the censors
GIBSON NCUBE have adopted as home: “They are
saying kwerekweres are the problem.
“No one leaves home unless home They say we only there so we can rob
is the mouth of a shark.” This is them.”
how British Somali poet  Warsan
Shire  begins her now famous poem While the diaspora offers economic
called  Home. These words resonate possibilities, it remains an inhospita-
with the experiences of many Zimba- ble place. In the song Rukuvhute (the
bweans who have been forced to leave umbilical cord), Synik refers to how
their country in search of better op- Zimbabweans in the diaspora have to
portunities elsewhere. deal with numerous hardships:

The beginning of the 2000s saw Plodding through the hardest of
the rapid economic and political de- terrains
cline of the country, largely due to
the inopportune  land reform pro- Conscious of the strain of being
gramme  instituted by the govern- estranged from where you came
ment of Robert Mugabe.
Difficult Zimbabwe the roads and bridges too Synik Music as critique and alternative
Synik  (Gerald Mugwenhi) is an Released in 2012, SynCity was While they fly to foreign lands for archive
award-winning Zimbabwean hip- Synik’s first album. The central theme their medical exams when some move to foreign lands,
hop artiste currently based in Lisbon, is life in Harare – however, what hap- Your folks are in the village dying they must deal with a set of new chal- Although the diaspora is inhospi-
Portugal. His first album SynCity de- pens in the capital city embodies what without a plan lenges there. table, it offers security for musicians
tails some of the challenges that force happens elsewhere in the country. Synik alludes to how those in po- such as Synik to openly critique the
Zimbabweans to leave their home- For example, in the song Power These include xenophobia, racism government back home.
land. Cut, he describes a party scene that sitions of power steal from state cof- and racial profiling among many oth-
is disrupted by an electricity outage, fers, so the basic infrastructure and ers. Dealing with them leads to a con- Academic Isidore Okpewho  ex-
His latest album,  A Travel Guide one of the daily struggles faced by healthcare needed by citizens is either dition which Synik terms “diaspora plains how migration can offer a pro-
for the Broken, chronicles what it Zimbabweans. These struggles, as he non-existent or dilapidated. blues”. In the song Underground he ductive space of “asking the kinds of
means to be Zimbabwean in a foreign states in Marching As One, are man recounts some of these challenges: questions that lay the foundations for
country. Synik’s new album is a logi- made. In a more critical song, Greed, This song ends on a didactic note a morally responsible order of exis-
cal extension of his earlier themes. Synik paints a grim picture of how as he proposes that “we got one world Exploited daily, no unions rebuking tence in the future”.
greed is to blame for the various chal- and its resources are limited, so we the bosses
I first began to explore the way lenges bedevilling Zimbabwe. The gotta check our greed if well all gonna Who pay us half our wages to be The music of artists such as Synik
music offers Zimbabweans a space to first part of the song focuses on how live on it”. This is a recurring element boosting their profits is important for its analysis of con-
discuss social issues some years ago. I a small ruling elite abuses its political in Synik’s songs. He calls for a change Working long shifts, modern temporary Zimbabwean culture and
have argued in my research that hip- power by amassing obscene wealth: in the way people think and act. enslavement in progress society.
hop artists like Synik offer a self-re- Steals from sanitation, from our Dependants back home is why we
flexive space to decry the diverse homes and clinics Diaspora blues taking this nonsense Against a background of a stifled
issues afflicting contemporary Zim- From our children’s education and On his new album, Synik explains He describes how foreigners are and censored public sphere, music
babwe. that although many problems cease blamed for all the things that are presents an alternative public arena.
wrong in the countries that they
In a country where the public Through music, Synik and other
sphere is heavily censored by the state, musicians create a space in which top-
music proposes an alternative space to ical political issues can be discussed.
discuss what is happening.
The creation of “other” spaces of
Censorship free speech is important in making
In Synik’s time numerous artists in known things which the state would
Zimbabwe have had their work cen- rather stifle and obfuscate. Synik’s
sored or banned. For example, visual music is transformed into a tool of
artist Owen Maseko was arrested and documentation that creates an ar-
his politically-charged  art exhibi- chive of narratives and discourses that
tion was banned. Over the years nu- are ordinarily sidelined from the pub-
merous songs have been banned from lic sphere.
the national airwaves for being crit-
ical of the government. This has in- The critique offered by this alter-
cluded music by non-Zimbabweans. native space is central in enabling us
For example, South African group to challenge the role of politics and
Freshlyground was banned from per- politicians in shaping not just our
forming in Zimbabwe. lives but, importantly, individual and
Outspoken Zimbabwean writ- national identity and consciousness.
er Tsitsi Dangarembga explains in
a  2008 lecture  that there “is practi- — The Conversation.
cally no public sphere to speak of ” in
Zimbabwe: *About the writer: Gibson Ncube
Those who wish to parade peacefully is a lecturer at Stellenbosch Univer-
for non-political issues … are refused sity in South Africa.
permits … Those who do not comply
with the refusal, and march or parade,
are quickly broken up by the police.
Almost 15 years later, nothing has
really changed.

Page 46 State of the culture NewsHawks
THE Oscars are a celebration of
the Hollywood film industry and Issue 73, 25 March 2022
of course across the world, the
spotlight of pop culture pundits What Will Smith smacking
and fans alike falls on that glitzy means for black people
stage to ogle the stars of the silver
screen. The 94th edition hosted
by Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes and
Amy Schumer was eventful!

Cultural  tour de force
America has created this jugger-
naut which for a long time has
churned out thousands if not
millions of movies and television
which have impacted societies and
changed the way people live and
dream. From my generation, in
the township halls, we grew up on
the Spaghetti Westerns, cowboy
films which espoused the Ameri-
can Wild West ethos.John Wayne,
Clint Eastwood and Bud Spencer
et al played gunslingers and hard
men roaming the untamed Amer-
ican western frontier, fighting
native Indians for their land and
each other for gold, kine and land.

We cheered the characters, the
irony of what we are really do-
ing lost  to us. We did the same
with the Chinese staple of kung fu
films as welloming to think of it.
Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee were
heros. Men settled their squabbles
with either a gun or a flying kick
or sword. Violence was just the
way for settling disputes in which
a man's dignity was slighted. Self
help, which is disdained today
under Roman Dutch jurispru-
dence, was a matter of course es-
pecially when a man's pride were
involved. The Oscars Will Smith
Chris Rock moment was typically
American and also typically hu-
man. It was a mistake. I will at-
tempt to explain why.

Domino effect had happened. on-black violence as a counter ar- tion. It is standard practice. Will Smith.
Chris Rock's joke was about the The downside gument. As if to say, why should Yes as I have alreay stated, the
baldness of Jada Pinkett Smith. I felt that next time the gaffe can black lives matter in the first place tary 'Summer of Soul', a cele-
She has apparently lost her hair give going the Academy a jus- if they do not apparently matter moment was as gangster as it was bration of music of black origin.
due to alopecia, a hair loss con- tification to exclude black peo- to black people themselves. No, human. But gangster to what end? Questlove's documentary is about
dition as per the reports and has ple altogether from the stage. In the Oscars gaffe cannot be swept A diversion the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festi-
been  reported widely and ad- America's storied history of ra- under the carpert. It is out there Now instead of the world focusing val. The live recordings from the
vanced as the reason why Rock's cial discrimination, the perceived and it has beclouded a lot of on the Venus and Serena Williams concerts staged at what is now
joke was in bad taste. savagery of black folk has given things and split the black com- story for which he won the Best Marcus Garvey Park featured per-
detractors and racists the justi- munity. formances by Nina Simone, B.B.
Initially appearing to laugh at fication to perpetrate all manner Some people Oscar playing King, the 5th Dimension, the Sta-
the0⁰ joke, Will Smith got up and of evils against people of African feel that it was Richard Williams, ple Singers, and other purveyors
walked onto the stage to go and origin including such inhuman "beautiful". an inspirational of black music.
slap Chris Rock who was stunned practices like lynching. Tiffany Had- Addy black story, the
and to his credit appeared un- dish, a come- focus is on Will Parting shot
ruffled. The show went on with Speaking of lynching which is dian herself Kudita Smith smacking Will Smith has since apologised
Rock saying : "this is the greatest the arbitrary exceution of black Chris Rock. about the incident. He says in
moment in television". No it was people in America especially in ironically, said essence that he does not pro-
not. It was an awful distraction the South where slavers treated as much. What People sing- mote violence in all of its forms
to what should have been. What other humans like property, was do comedians do by the way ? ing Will Smith's . He rightly acknowledged how
should have been was something only this week outlawed by Pres- praise may probably not realise his gaffe dimmed the light on
more transcendental. I will get to ident Joe Biden ! Staggeringly, it A gangster or human moment ? how that moment obscured ev- black achievement in the Arts
it. was not criminal to lynch people. No, violence is not the preserve of erything positive that should have and sporting arena. Imagine how
the black community in America. been spotlighted that night. It the Williams sisters feel? Imag-
But Rock could have hit back There was no statute to that We live with it here in Africa as should have been a celebration ine how the Ukrainian people
at Smith despite his smaller size in effect. But I digress. The point I war upon war ravage our conti- of Black culture. The Oscar night feel? Pop culture is very powerful.
comparison to his attacker. Imag- make here is that Balck people nent. We have leaders who think was produced by Will Packer, a The Academy responsible for the
ine that!  I have seen growing up have come a long way anyway to nothing of wasting black lives in black man, for the first time. awards will reveal its formal reac-
in the dusty townships that size get there where they are even win- the same manner colonial regimes Will Smith did go on to win tion in a few weeks' time.
does not matter much in a street ning Oscars. did. They even go beyond what his first Oscar for playing the role
fight. We may never publicly the colonialists did in some cases. of the late father of the Williams Chivalry is not a bad thing. I do
know Rock's fighting skills. It does mot help that some Madzibaba VeShanduko was bad- tennis sisters Serena and Venus.  not know that what Will Smith
critics of the Black Lives Matter ly beaten for his political affilia- Soul music purveyor Questlove did advances the notion. What I
What I do know is that a slap movement have held up black- won an Oscar for his documen- know is that it does not really ad-
was and remains one of the most vance the notion of black pride.
triggering things. There could
have been a serious tumble on
the global stage. Thankfully Rock
held himself together and contin-
ued with the show like nothing

NewsHawks Poetry Corner Page 47

Issue 73, 25 March 2022

Title: The Chicken Bus Title: The Thick Black Blanket Title: In my eyes
Poet: Garikai Magaya Poet: Andy Kahari Poet: Drey ZW

Matching flowing daisies, adorning a panoram- Laid on that hut bed; From the period of being juvenile,
ic vlei My heavy heart felt Through budding like a flower;
Charging glowing doves chirping in celebration The heavy burden blanket, To this point of existing.
of a future in awe I saw pulled halfway; In my eyes, a lot I have attested.
The radiant princess and the glowing prince Overwhelmingly, daringly From captivating moments to those dis-
blaze our hearts with joy And promisingly heartening.
The royal couple, the serving faithful, the Awaiting to cover I whole. Ambiguous and erratic moments I've been
cheering masses chatter deep into the African But I couldn't tell, encountering.
night Whether halfway, And those sensational ones are yet to be
Conversing on the grandeur and splendor Meant up or down? side-lined.
awaiting the privileged duo For I knew not; A phase of flashbacks creep in.
Alas, before the cock did to a new day coo If in today as in tomorrow, A couple at the verge of separation was in
The royal messenger with sacred drum in tow The blanket my eyes.
To the mountain top did ascend. Would still be undivided A cantankerous man, Conniving and cruel
In a feared but familiar rhythm to the disbeliev- In knowing its fate; he was.
ing masses, sad tidings descended upon us. But heavy burdening, To flee was the only option for her.
The emerging fruits of the promised dream of It had been A begging street kid I spotted,
triumphalism went submerging into a night- For my frail self; His lips dry and chapped,
mare with the ancestors – Though I begged in prayers, It was a disheartening view.
In spite of our denialism It remained lower In my eyes I witnessed indigence...
For while in sweet slumber with them we chat- Only for a little while, In my eyes I witnessed corruption...
ted For tomorrow Happiness and love also experienced.
The chicken bus rattled by with our beloved I needed to see; All these in my eyes.
ones now scattered But the night became
A bountiful field unharvested, a beloved gar- Loudly darker, Title: Paranoid
den unweeded For my ear eyes Poet: Fortune Munsaka
Glorious tales of the Halcyon days of yore in Not to hear
passages unfinished The screeching pulling up Why these constant flicks of
In usual theatrics, the Pastor now conductor, Thick black blanket, flickers that flash off the phantoms of my
the rites reader, assuages the masses with Hammered in blunt nails, ferocious affections keep me haunted?
soothing tales of the afterlife And all halfway burdens Maybe it's just a feeling.
The driver, the grim reaper with Hobson’s Became miniature nails, But initially, I insisted
choice passes Long enough, Into my intuitions
As the Chicken bus rattles by To prick and count and see That you've probably fallen for Melinda.
Not every caterpillar shall become a butterfly, In the thicket of the thick black blanket; Or maybe I'm just day dreaming...
not every cub the king of the jungle Covering the dead day Hello Hilary, how long did it take her to
Dreams unquenched, plans unpanned, In pursuit of my body and soul! hack into your heart while I was off to ma-
Love unrequited, sentiments unregimented ternity last summer?
As unpredictable as the reclusive dark night Overview: You know what,
thunder, such is the fickle way of the Gods This piece came to me as I sat in the dark I've sensed since Sunday
As unreliable as the seductive red-lights lover, night during load shedding. I saw how the Your compromised love I now share with
such is the feeble fate of man night blankets us all and seals us whole, not your cell phone, this makes me curious.
When the chicken bus rattles by to have a glimpse of light, just as shall be our I am watching you.
final drawn curtain on that fateful day. You’ve raked me off your heart, ready
to dispose of me somewhere in the dust
bins.
This erases my hopes in you
for I now beg for a conversation,
but when she calls you jump like a Ga-
zelle...
So why rush out when taking calls?
Maybe I'm just... I'm just being paranoid.
It all hurts more when you have no proof.

Page 48 People & Places NewsHawks

Zim novelist Issue 73, 25 March 2022
Dangarembga
wins PEN
Pinter prize

Author, who was arrested last year in
Harare while protesting against corrup-
tion, is hailed by judges as a ‘voice of
hope we all need to hear’

TSITSI Dangarembga, the Book- garembga is also a film-maker, play- has held a magnifying glass up to the work “demonstrates diligence, sto- Tsitsi Dangarembga.
er-shortlisted Zimbabwean writer wright and activist, who was arrested struggles of ordinary people, in so icism, and the ability to capture and she added.
who was arrested last year in Harare last summer while protesting in Ha- many parts of the world, to lead good communicate vital truths even amidst
while protesting against corruption, rare, charged with intention to incite lives in the increasingly corrupt and times of upheaval … It is an honour Dangarembga will deliver a key-
has been awarded the PEN Pinter public violence. Her case has not fractured new world order. Hers is a to join my colleagues in raising up the note speech at a ceremony on 11
prize, praised for her “ability to cap- progressed, and free speech organisa- voice we all need to hear and heed.” voice of a woman whose words have October, when she will announce the
ture and communicate vital truths tions, along with her fellow writers, written the story of my country of co-winner of her prize – an Interna-
even amidst times of upheaval”. have called for the charges against her Armitstead’s fellow judge, the lit- birth with a clarity, bravery and hon- tional Writer of Courage who is “ac-
to be dropped. erary critic and publisher Ellah P esty that is a rare and precious gift,” tive in defence of freedom of expres-
The prize is given by free speech Wakatama, said that Dangarembga’s sion, often at great risk to their own
campaigners English PEN in memory “I am grateful that my casting – in safety and liberty”. — the Guardian.
of the Nobel laureate Harold Pinter. the words of Harold Pinter – an ‘un-
It goes to a writer of “outstanding flinching, unswerving gaze’ upon my
literary merit” who, as Pinter put it country and its society has resonated
in his Nobel speech, shows a “fierce with many people across the globe
intellectual determination ... to de- and this year with the jury of the
fine the real truth of our lives and PEN Pinter prize,” said Dangaremb-
our societies”. Previous winners in- ga. “I believe that the positive recep-
clude Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, tion of literary works like mine helps
Margaret Atwood and Linton Kwesi to prove that we can unite around
Johnson. that which is positively human.”

Dangarembga is the author of Ner- The Guardian’s associate editor
vous Conditions, which she wrote for culture and English PEN trustee
when she was 25, and which was Claire Armitstead praised Dangarem-
described by Doris Lessing as one bga’s “unusual and exemplary career”,
of the most important novels of the which has seen her make “things hap-
20th century. The story of a village pen for other people as well as achiev-
girl called Tambudzai, it was followed ing in her own right”.
by The Book of Not, about Tambu’s
teenage years, and the Booker-short- “Through her trilogy of novels …
listed This Mournable Body, the third she has charted the development of
part of the trilogy, set in the postco- Zimbabwe from a British colony to
lonial Zimbabwe of the 1990s. Dan- an autocratic and troubled free state,”
said Armitstead. “In doing so, she

NewsHawks Sport Page 49

Issue 73, 25 March 2022 World Cup star professes
to ‘losing my bearings’
ENOCK MUCHINJO
Honeywell Nguruve playing against Japan at the 1991 World Cup, hosted by Britain and France. mother many years ago.
WHEN prop Adrian Garvey scored Prior, amongst his public utteranc-
splendidly for Zimbabwe against For Nguruve though, being se- in the loose and back of the lineout,” “Thank you everyone,” wrote
Scotland at the 1991 Rugby World lected to play for one of the best went part of the article. Nguruve on Facebook. “I’m okay es was a highly-charged tribal post in
Cup, the first of a brace for himself provincial sides of a top-rugby play- now. Lost my bearings for a while. which he accused the country’s ma-
and the team, it probably went down ing nation, even as he was a World That was then. Nguruve’s arrival I still have to tell you why I haven’t jority ethnic community of “killing”
as one of the best tries in the history Cup player two years earlier, was in Australia 29 years ago was the last been to Zimbabwe for 29 years. (If ) Zimbabwean rugby. 
of the Sables. an achievement worth noting for a time he left Zimbabwe. He has not I tell you what happened sounds and
24-year-old from Africa who only been back home since. feel like a fiction movie. Thank you.” Today, Nguruve is 52, still ex-
Garvey’s try came from some su- picked up a rugby ball for the first tremely proud of his modest upbring-
perb lead-up work from his fellow time in high school. Over the past few years — former But no sooner had he posted this ing, and early education at Chinyika
tight forwards — who included a teammates, old friends and fami- than he was back hurling slurs at any- Primary School in rural Masvingo.
marvellously-gifted giant named A match preview for that Boks ly have grown increasingly worried one and everyone.
Honeywell Nguruve — playing lock warm-up, in a local Perth newspaper, about Nguruve — chiefly due to The very sporty Milton Boys High
that afternoon in front of 35 000 hyped up Nguruve, who had proved rather weird social media posts in Before, not many had escaped School in Bulawayo was probably the
Scots at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. an instant hit on Australia’s club which the ex-Sables star has revealed Nguruve’s vitriol. This included his place where he was toughened up
scene. serious mental disintegration during own father, Wiridzayi Nguruve, into a real warrior, using his natural
To be a member of Zimbabwe’s his time in the diaspora. Zimbabwe’s first black police com- huge physique to intimidate the op-
25-man squad in that second World “Zimbabwean World Cup squad missioner in 1982, who was labelled position.
Cup edition — one of only four member whose highly mobile talents A few days ago, Nguruve seemed a “dic***ad” by his own son on Face-
players of colour in the Sables’ squad have brought depth to the WA squad to have figured out his troubles, and book for supposedly abusing his He wrote recently on Facebook:
— was testament to the quality pos- mended his ways. “I was taught to go in there and
sessed by Nguruve and the esteem in bash them to submission and hope I
which he was held during the early come out alive. In rugby, nice guys
era of racial transformation in Zim- come last! I’m going in there to break
babwean rugby. bones. No funny business!”

Two black players started for Zim- Many old friends and teammates
babwe that day as the Scottish ran of Nguruve have spoken to this pub-
riot to win 51-12. Nguruve and the lication about how the ex-Sables
great Richard Tsimba made the start- World Cup star needs support in his
ing line-up for the Sables, with the hour of need.
other two players of colour, Elimon
“Bedford” Chimbima and Ian Noble, “He has been crying out for help
among the substitutes. for a very long time and some of us
former black teammates of his have
Zimbabwe lost all three Pool B tried, to do that, but blocked of ac-
matches by 50-plus scores against cess,” said an ex-Sables player.
Scotland, Ireland and Japan. Against
the Japanese, Nguruve crossed the In-between the vile posts, Ngu-
whitewash once, his first and only try ruve has shown some tender sides,
in his one and only World Cup tour- especially towards those who shaped
nament appearance. his rugby career in the formative
days.
The early '90s were good for
Nguruve. Despite rugby still being “Mr Dawson told me, if you got
stuck in the amateur era those days, to tackle, ‘stop that bugger and cut
Australian scouts had been tracking him in half ’. The instruction from
Nguruve’s progress with great admi- Mr Dawson was ‘I don’t want you to
ration and, in 1993, Perth-Bayswater pass the ball, go as far as you can go,
Club signed the versatile Zimbabwe- let them stop you.’ That was how I
an forward to boost their squad. played the game,” wrote Nguruve.

A good player cannot be ignored Sydney Dawson was coach of Bu-
for a long time, no matter where he lawayo club giants Old Miltonians
comes from. In the same year that he when Nguruve played there in the
arrived in Australia, Nguruve was se- '80s and early '90s. The legendary
lected into a Western Australia side mentor’s son, Brendan Dawson – a
that played a warm-up match against 1991 Sables World Cup teammate
Bulawayo-born coach Ian McIntosh’s of Nguruve — is Zimbabwe’s current
touring Springboks of 1993, who lost national team coach.
the Test series 2-1 to the Wallabies.
So he is not short of familiar peo-
Western Australia lost heavily ple to help him out of his woes.
at the eminent WACA Ground in
Perth, 71-8, to a Bok side captained
by the great Francois Pienaar, who
two years later famously led South
Africa on home soil to its historic
first World Cup title.

Winning is all these Sables newcomers know

NYASHA MUCHOCHOMI Matipano, Chaitezvi’s schoolmate at for the team and fulfil any role assigned ing out on the full. enced defeat so far in their journey. This
St Stithians College in Johannesburg, by the coach. He will be a valuable asset When you analyse tier-two rugby is the kind of culture the Sables need.
IT is pleasing to note that Zimbabwe’s has a much-needed ability to find his to the Sables in the long term, particu-
rugby team continues to get younger way to the try line. He always seems to larly by demonstrating team spirit. nations, a level the Sables aspire to be Just look at how they casually walked
and younger — and daring.   finish as the top try scorer for every team in the near future, the number 9 posi- into the team last week, with little train-
he plays for. Against Boland, he crossed The Sables management should be tion is one these teams regularly give to ing, barely out of high school, and going
I watched the young team beat Bo- the whitewash thrice. commended for managing to convince a gutsy young player who is somewhat on to beat a well-respected Boland side.
land last week in their Currie Cup First these exceptional rugby talents into naïve, but full of energy.
Division warn-up match, scoring six Marume, on the other hand, is a playing for the country, with a World This is because winning is all they
tries against the opposition’s four. 100% locally-produced flyhalf who can Cup qualification tournament round One such example is Shaddy Man- know. On the other hand, the Sables
control the game well. With Zimbabwe the corner. For now, though, focus is on daza, the Pitbulls scrumhalf who is have done well to drop some of the
The unheralded achievement, how- lacking depth in the number 10 posi- Zimbabwe’s return to the Currie Cup. If full of guts and has the X -factor. The players that have been comfortable with
ever, was how the Sables fielded some tion, Marume can become a long-term these youngsters are given much-needed 19-year-old Mandaza has been playing being on the losing side of the score-
of the most highly regarded young play- plan for that role. game time, they could possibly plug the adult rugby since he was 16, with great board, players that are content with a
ers. These include Munashe Chaitezvi holes in the Sables squad for the qualifi- success. For the last six months he has narrow loss to Namibia or Kenya.
(21), Tawanda Matipano (19), Brendon Another area that has given the Sa- ers in France in July. been a thorn in the flesh for big clubs
Marume (19), Declan Ralphs (21), and bles coaching staff headaches is a hook- like Old Georgians and Old Hararians. There is no room for players that
Aaron Juma (21). er that can consistently throw lineouts A position that still requires depth is crumble in the pressure of big mo-
straight. Harare Sports Club hooker scrumhalf. In recent games played by Critics of the Sables management ments. We need a new breed that steps
Chaitezvi has recently dominated Ralphs has a proven record at schoolboy the Sables, the quality of service has in- team have questioned the lack of experi- up in these moments, to take Zimba-
South African schoolboy rugby with his and national Under-20 level, constantly dicated a need to step up. enced players in the squad. bwe to the World Cup next year.
blistering pace and ball skills. Had it not hitting his jumpers.
been for citizenship issues, he certainly In particular, the box kicking by our But all young players that I have *Guest columnist Nyasha Mucho-
would have been called up to the Junior As for Juma, he is all heart and hard 9s has not released pressure. It has in- highlighted bring a winning culture. chomi is a media personality, rugby
Springboks. work, a player who is ready to sacrifice stead added the pressure with kicks go- They are match-winners in their short statistician and sports director at his
rugby careers, they have hardly experi- former school, Watershed College.

Sports A crippling
poverty of
leadership
at Zifa

‘Humiliated, intimidated,
degraded’ ref reports
Thursday 1 October 2020 sexual advances

Friday 1 April 2022 @NewsHawksLive TheNewsHawks www.thenewshawks.com

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ALWYN MABEHLA Story on Page 3 Story on Page F8rance and England before coming

NEWS that former Zimbabwe cap- back to hang his boots in South Af-
tain Benjani Mwaruwari landed the
Ngezi Platinum FC coaching post Chamisa reacrica.
was the talk to the Premier Soccer As a player he made it. But the
League (PSL) this whole week. honeymoon is over now. Coaching
is a different ball game altogether.
The ex-Manchester City forward In roping in Bongani Mafu,
signed for the Mhondo-Ngezi side and keeping Takesure Chiragwi as
alongside new team manager Ti- out to Khupeone of his assistants, he chose men
nashe Nengomasha and assistant who will surely equip him with the
coach Bongani Mafu. knowledge of local football.
He is surely a man on a mission
In all fairness, Mwaruwari is still – he has the knowledge that he ac-
learning the ropes as a coach and, quired playing under some of the
now that he has thrown himself into best managers like Harry Redknapp,
the deep end at Madamburo, he has Unofficial president calls for emergeMark Hughes, Guy Roux and Jomo
to swim or sink. Sono.
Mwaruwari, to his credit, took
The Undertaker will have his plate his time after hanging his boots to
full, especially after a humbling ex- hone his coaching skills, including
perience with the Warriors in an a youth coaching role at his former
ill-fated short tenure as an assistant English Premiership club Ports-
to the sacked Croatian Zdravko mouth.
Logarušić. FC Platinum coach Norman
Mapeza, another former Warriors
That stint lasted just one match captain, did take almost the same
before Logarušić was axed and left route that Mwaruwari is taking.
the job with the rest of his staff. Mapeza, after years in Europe,
started as an apprentice under
At Ngezi, Benjani has the oppor- Charles Mhlauri at CAPS United.
tunity to make a name for himself Now Mapeza is a coach of high
in his first job as a senior team head pedigree who has acquainted him-
coach. That he was chosen ahead of self well on the local scene, winning
the likes of Kelvin Kaindu and Mark three league titles on the spin with
Harrison, both expatriates who have FC Platinum.
worked in Zimbabwe and are high- Ngezi can learn a lesson or two,
ly regarded, speaks volumes of what by being patient with Mwaruwari as
the platinum miners are trying to their biggest flaw. over of coaches at Baobab Stadium. Benjani Mwaruwari. he will surely need time to make a
do. The former Warriors striker must Mwaruwari departed the local Jomo Cosmos in South Africa be- stamp on the team. For now, only
fore making it is Europe, where he time will tell whether or not Mwaru-
Ngezi Platinum are a decent surely be mindful of the high turn- scene some two decades ago to join excelled for clubs in Switzerland, wari will see out his four-year deal.
side and, on their day, they can
match any of the Premiership’s big ECvuanrrsiestCarutspionpZenimer’s SQUAD
guns.   However, their insatiable Starting line-up: 1. Victor Mupunga
appetite for success has often been 2. Matthew Mandioma 3.  Bornwell
FORMER Sharks lock Andrew Evans Gwinji 4. Kudakwashe Nyakufar-
starts for Zimbabwe against Georgia ingwa 5. Andrew Evans 6. Biselele
this Saturday for the country’s return Tshamala 7. Tonderai Chiwambutsa
to Currie Cup rugby while scrumhalf 8. Aiden Burnett 9. Hilton Mudariki
Ernest Mudzengerere is among the 10. Boyd Rouse 11. Munashe Chai-
substitutes after reversing his decision Evans features in an exciting sec- ALRSuOsselIlNDSinIDhaEand fFuilnlbaacnkcCeoMnninoristyZwimibpaebsweouUtnd$e3r-.220Bcialplitoainn dRuespseollsitosteerzlslviDfu1in2nh.daTsa1k4u.dDzwarZareiClmhM'iseazklaaw1tae3sh.satR1lua5s-n. d c
to quit the sport two years ago. ond-row partnership with another Kennedy. Dinha, nephew of Sables legend Cos- Connor Kennedy.
tall enforcer, Kudakwashe “Goofy” Chaitezvi is an explosive out- ta Dinha, has recently been playing
24-year-old Evans is one of the Nyakufaringwa. side-back for the University of Jo- his rugby abroad. Subs: 16. Aaron Juma 17. Deanne
biggest recruits by Zimbabwe in the hannesburg’s Varsity Cup team, one Makoni 18. Panashe Rukodzi 19.
country’s bid to qualify for next year’s The other new players in the set- of the players tipped to shine in the Kennedy lives in the United Arab Godwin Mangenje 20. Dylan Utete
World Cup in France. Other high- up, making the starting line-up, are Currie Cup this season. Emirates and plays club rugby over 21. Ernest Mudzengerere 22. Bren-
ly-rated newcomers will join the team all in the backline. These are wing there for Dubai Exiles. don Marume 23. Tawanda Matipano.
in the later stage of the Currie Cup Munashe Chaitezvi, outside-centre Former Prince Edward School and
First Division, where the Zimbabwe- — STAFF WRITER.
an side – playing in the tournament
as Goshawks – will participate in
eight matches.

ALSO INSIDE World Cup star professes to ‘losing my bearings’