Full text: Mugabe's 88th birthday interview
21/02/2012 00:00:00
by Tazzen Mandizvidza I ZBC
President Robert Mugabe turned 88 on Tuesday. The following is the transcript of an interview with the state-run ZBC General Manager News and Current Affairs, Tazzen Mandizvidza, broadcast on Monday night:
TM: Your Excellency, thank you for being with us on this special programme.
President Mugabe: Thank you!
TM: Ndakamirira mhuri yeZBC ndingatange ndichiti makorokoto, amhlope, congratulations.
President Mugabe: Aiwa ndeedu tose. Kwete pamakore asi mufaro wacho.
TM: Your Excellency, one issue that has been talked about for quite sometime is the issue of the Constitution. It has taken longer than we all thought but are you really happy with the progress?
President Mugabe: Not really. It’s a process that is puzzling us now. When we begun we thought it was a matter of 18 months and we have an election. But as things look now, one doesn’t know what’s happening and one doesn’t know which way people would want us to go.
There is the dragging of feet, so much delay in the process. I don’t know what the real problem is but as others describe the problem, they think those who are charged with the task of putting ideas together, examining what the people said during the outreach programme are dragging their feet deliberately.
They want longer time, longer time because it means more money. They are given allowances. They are being paid and if the process comes to an end, so does naturally, the payment. It comes to an end.
I don’t know it, that is, the reason, whether it’s because the people who are at the top of it want a longer period to earn money or there are some problems.
But, I would want to believe that one problem is that some people or shall I say, one or two parties to the constitution-making process might now have discovered that this way of the constitution making is not in their favour and that the views that were obtained during the outreach programme are not in their favour.
They are not supportive of their parties and so they are dragging and dragging and dragging on, either to confound the process or to get the other side to tire and give up the exercise and the exercise doesn’t happen at all.
So one wonders why we abandoned, in the first place, the process that we had agreed on that this was going to be based on the Kariba Draft, which was all ready, all agreed and enunciating, you know, the process, which could have been completed in a short period. But we listened to our counterparties that it was better to listen to the people first.
To get a comprehensive view from our nation and on the basis of the views that would have been expressed, build a constitution.
But this is not proving to be a success at all.
TM: Your counterparts in the Global Political Agreement are actually accusing Zanu-PF. They say Zanu-PF is causing the delays because it’s afraid of elections.
President Mugabe: No! We want elections, we wanted them yesterday, we want them today, we want them any day, but others are saying no, no, no, we can’t have elections.
First, they were saying 2012, now they are saying in 2013. But perhaps when we get much further without elections they will say no elections at all; let us remain in power without elections.
TM: Your Excellency, looking at this scenario, when are we likely to have elections?
President Mugabe: Yes, sure; this year! We just must have elections. They just must take place with or without a new constitution.
And we will, on our side as a party, we have made a decision, last year at our conference that this year we definitely have an election exercise. If others don’t want to have an election then they are free not to participate.
Nobody is forced to go to an election but definitely I will exercise my presidential powers in accordance with the main principal law, the Constitution of our country and announce when the election will take place. And I will do this.
TM: But looking at the process that we have been going through with the help of our brothers from the Sadc region. If, for example, we have elections and the other parties boycott, what will likely be the result? How would Sadc react?
President Mugabe: Well, we will tell Sadc what the problem is and Sadc can’t compel us to continue an exercise which is futile and I am sure there is greater wisdom on the part of Sadc. And anyway, the GPA states that a party can resign, completely reject it and once a rejection takes place, we revert back to our Constitution, which all these years we have based ourselves and it becomes the basis of our election.
TM: Your Excellency, are you telling us that Zanu-PF is likely to withdraw from the GPA if this does come to an end?
President Mugabe: No, no, no! All I am saying is that Zanu-PF will withdraw from the GPA if others continue with these dirty tricks. We can’t have them anymore. We can’t put up with them anymore.
Anyway, what I should say is, last week, the principals — that is the other two and myself — Tsvangirai, Mutambara and myself decided that we be provided with the draft constitution, that the management should present that to us.
We got the draft (but) we haven’t looked at it yet and we would want to see what the draft says but I am told the draft is not yet reviewed by the management committee and so it’s a draft which we can’t base any definite views of our own.
The other part which should look at the draft hasn’t done so and hasn’t presented it to us as a reviewed draft. But it’s just a raw draft directly from the drafters. All we can do is just look at and perhaps see what the drafters have put together and give time to our management committee to look at it and present a reviewed version of it.
Now we had decided that once we have looked at the draft having been looked at, first, by the management committee, we will then decide on the road map. We the principals and I think none of us is for any undue postponement of elections. No!
TM: Your Excellency, what is this roadmap? What should the nation expect?
President Mugabe: They should expect a referendum, a referendum to get the people’s views, whether the people accept the draft constitution or not.
If they reject it then we revert to the old constitution, if they accept then the usual process takes place. Parliament must also endorse it and then it becomes a legal document after it has been passed by Parliament and we can go for an election. If it’s rejected then of course, announce the process that should take place.
TM: Your Excellency, talking of the draft constitution, there have been reports that there is a certain clause that has been put there in order to bar you from contesting as a presidential candidate by limiting terms of office.
President Mugabe: Cowards, cowards, cowards! Why are they afraid of me? Why should they ban anyone at all?
We haven’t come to a position where political tricks or legal tricks, for that matter are put in place to bar anyone, who normally has the right to participate in an election.
TM: Still on elections, is Zanu PF ready for elections? I am saying this in light of the factionalism we hear about. Are you prepared as a party?
President Mugabe: Well I don’t know anything about factionalism. You always get differences in a party. I suppose this makes the process. It’s always the fact of differences, we have contradictions. We must resolve these contradictions, move forward and you move forward, you will also encounter new contradictions, new differences and also have solutions and that’s how progress is made, isn’t it?
It always comes after such contradictions provided solutions do occur in regard to them. Yes, yes, yes the party is always ready, ever ready. This means we are always ready to fight.
TM: Your Excellency, what calibre of a leader would you want to succeed you and at the moment can you say you have found that successor?
President Mugabe: NO! The party will find a successor. It’s the people who can find a successor. I came from the people and the people in their wisdom, our members of the party, will certainly select someone once I say I am now retiring, but not yet.
At this age I can still go some distance, can’t I?
TM: Zanu-PF has been in power for the past 32 years, what do you offer the electorate?
President Mugabe: What do we offer the electorate? Goodness me! Independence gave us political freedom and we say that political freedom can not be complete unless we have sovereignty over our natural resources and we started by exercising the right, sovereign right, in acquiring our land and apportioning it to our people and so the first step was for us to feel that we are not just politically sovereign.
That we are also economically sovereign and the first step as I said was that of acquiring the ownership of our land and getting it from the British settlers and put it into the hands of Zimbabweans. That sovereignty over the land resources! But that’s not all. The land question is just one area. There are other areas which are economic. We must exercise our sovereignty also in regard to, you know, the economic sector.
And not that the agriculture sector is not part of the economic sector, it is!
But you have also mining, manufacturing sector. You have the infrastructure and that sovereignty has not yet based itself. Therefore, now with our law on indigenisation and empowerment, we will want to ensure that our people also have the ownership of the resources that lie underneath.
That way the mining sector is meaningful. It was not meaningful all along because there is a process where it is owned by outsiders but we want the resources to remain in our hands even though we are ready, we are prepared that those who will be partners with us should have a share of our resources, not ownership, but of the benefit that comes from our resources.
And that is why the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act was passed and this requires that whatever companies undertake mining in the country or any manufacturing exercise or any other socio-economic activity; if these companies are foreign, they must cede at least 51 percent.
This should belong to the people of Zimbabwe either to the Government and Government acting on behalf of the people and that’s part of indigenisation also and so this is an exercise we are working on now.
The land has come, now the minerals must also come and manufactured products must also belong to us and of course we have the infrastructure, we have the telecommunication and other communication activities.
The programmes that are due to take place, we want our people and all those to participate as owners and shareholders but particularly owners in that regard on their own.
Yes we will continue to produce people with skills in that they work, become workers, they become labourers in some cases but they must be owners of their own resources, owners of these enterprises. Be entrepreneurial, in attitude, in their disposition, generally not expect that outsiders will come into the country and develop the country for us and do it at our own expense.
When we get the benefit of being workers and nothing more than workers and then at the end of the day what comes to us is that which the State gets by way of taxation. That must stop now!
TM: Just out of curiosity, Your Excellency, draft constitution ikauya kwamuri mukaona ma issues amusingafarire, do you have the authority ekubvisa?
President Mugabe: Tinoramba. Ehe, tinobvisa. Ko togoregererei? Nhai, nhai, nhai! It’s a draft constitution and we will say this we do not want. If for example, you have in the constitution kuti ngavatemwe makumbo, vanenge vaba, ngavatemwe makumbo. Aiwa zve tinoramba. Kana homosexualism zvese tinobvisa.
TM: Let’s move away from elections and the party. Let’s look at the GPA. Are you happy with the progress that you have made?
President Mugabe: I am happy with the fact that it has managed to at least get us together with the other parties so they can participate in Government and have a feel of what Government is and also be exposed to the public. Now that the public knows what Zanu-PF stands for, MDC-T, M, N or whatever they call themselves; what these stand for.
I am sure no one can deceive the public anymore by hiding their own views and ideas because they have not yet entered the arena but they are now in the arena and the people can see who speaks sense and who speaks nonsense and who is better behaved. And who is guilty of misbehaviour and so on and so forth.
So we are there for the people. It has also enabled us, and it is one good thing it has done; the GPA enabled us to work together, know each other. We are parties and perhaps cease regarding ourselves as enemies but regard each other as opponents.
People, yes, with differences among themselves, ideological differences, political differences.
Differences in approach to definite issues and therefore people who can tolerate each other and at the end of the day we are Zimbabweans. All of us so that is very important and it’s important to our people that we may differ politically, religiously even ethnically. Differ in various other ways but we are all Zimbabweans and that is what counts much more than anything else.
It counts much more than your ethnicity, it counts much more than your political affinity and much more than any other — ism that you may have that you are a Zimbabwean national, Zimbabwean citizen, mwana wevhu; singing one national anthem and waving one flag. That is what must always guide us; that these differences are really artificial.
But one thing that we can never deny an individual, no matter what dress he is wearing, no matter what religion he belongs to, what tribe he belongs to, is the nationality.
The fact that he is a Zimbabwean. That is the son or daughter of the soil. So that is very important and that is also the source of the other principles that derive there; the fact that we are one.
Must we hate each other because we belong to different religions and bodies or because we are of different tribes or different parties? No!
But yes, we may oppose each other and oppose each other quite firmly. But must we unleash violence to each other? That must stop of course. No violence.
That is what the GPA has taught all of us and we are also very happy that our national healing exercise, as there is an organ which is led by Vice President John Nkomo, and each championing this, you know, campaign of getting people to understand each other, appreciate each, one another, sons and daughters of Zimbabwe.
But having said that, there are great differences between us and the other parties — Zanu-PF and the others. We believe ourselves in the people of Zimbabwe as a sovereign people. We believe that they are endowed by the Almighty with the right to sovereignty over their land. That no one from outside has the right, you know, to acquire a piece of land or any national resource without their permission.
In other words, the outsiders must be entertained by us, accommodated by us, must be permitted by us to live here and to make homes here, to enjoy themselves, to marry our beautiful girls and also to eat our beef; to kill our deer, antelope, go to Kariba and fish, catch our fish; in other words, to do things that we can do. Yes!
We accommodate people from outside, just as our people can be accommodated in other countries as well. But no, they should never, never, never attempt to impose their power over us. I am talking now of countries like Britain, of nationals like Britons who once upon a time said the sun never sets in the British Empire. Priding themselves on never, never, never being slaves; as they sang Britain, Britain, Britain will never be slaves.
They never sang Britain will never, never be slave masters. You see they will never be slaves but how about being slave masters? So there is the difference between us. They should never try to impose their culture on us and hence our abhorrence or feeling of abhorrence. The feeling that if we are to get aid from Britain we must first accept that man can marry man and woman can marry woman. That’s what David Cameron said. You don’t say those things to other nations. So there it is.
The GPA emphasises that, but we differ with the other parties. Zanu-PF is of the strong view that we are sovereign but we still have these other parties still going to the Europeans, you know, Europeans, when we have problems, Europeans.
They must get to Britain; they must go to France, German etc to get ideas. No! We have ideas here.
Fortunately, now we have well educated people. Very, very highly educated people and nobody can boss us intellectually.
TM: Yes, Your Excellency and we also read of alleged clashes between yourself and the Prime Minister. How do you describe your working relationship with the Prime Minister?
President Mugabe: I read of the clashes in the papers. In the Standard and what are the others? The little papers! (TM: Daily News?) Dustbin things, Yah!
This is where the fights are and I wonder where they get the information from.
But because they must create these fights it’s Tsvangirai going for Mugabe. So and so and I am always at the receiving end, you see. Even when people come to my State House where I am the resident, they have come to fight me. No, no, no!
It has always been very peaceful. We were very suspicious of each other at the beginning but as time went on, we got to know each other.
Now Tsvangirai can drink a cup of tea which I make and I have no objections drinking a cup of tea which he makes.
TM: Your Excellency, from what you have said this might become a tricky situation where it has been alleged that the Prime Minister was involved in some fraudulent activity which involves the purchase of the Prime Minister’s residence and it is said the police have done their work and are waiting for the go ahead to arrest him. Is he going to be arrested?
President Mugabe: I am not a policeman. The President is not a policeman. When crimes are committed, the police do not come to the President to ask permission to arrest an individual.
They just proceed on the basis that they derive their power from the law and arrest individuals.
I have read also in the papers that there has been some fraudulent behaviour but it if this is so, well, it’s the Prime Minister who should answer and if he does not get to you, you don’t have to get him to answer via the President.
If there is really a case that requires him to answer, I am sure he will be able to explain what happened, himself.
What we don’t want is people getting arrested on the basis of evidence which is not clear and on the basis of facts which have not been thoroughly investigated.
The police must investigate these cases thoroughly so that by the time they get to the stage of building a case and taking it to the court they are quite sure that they have a case against the particular individual to whom it relates. But just rushing to build a case against somebody doesn’t do us good at all.
If anything, it harms our reputation and I hope they have investigated the matter thoroughly not just rush to make up things against the Prime Minister.
TM: Your Excellency, from there we take you to the state of the economy. You spoke about mining, you spoke about indigenisation, are you happy with the contribution that mining has done to the economy in totality?
President Mugabe: There is mining taking place. Just now our eyes are fixed on diamond mining. Not much has come from that mining yet because the sales are not many and there are hindrances being put along the way.
Put in the way of selling and marketing diamonds by the United States. They go to our main markets, to main buyers of diamonds and threaten them. (The go) to ask them not to buy Zimbabwean diamonds. It is alleged that these are blood diamonds but I haven’t seen any blood flowing on the diamonds. I have visited Chiadzwa, I have done so twice, but they are very clean.
We know that the US, Britain and other Western countries do not want to see us succeed. They want their sanctions to pull us down and ruin us economically but we refuse to be ruined.
We are a resilient nation and we know what our rights are and we will not be subjugated by anyone. But they try their best and this is the reason why not much has come from the diamond sector. But with more companies being licenced, we hope that the State will get a greater benefit. I can assure you I have my eyes there.
We know of the talk about diamonds being smuggled, but no really, there is strict security; but it’s a case of selling the diamonds. The mining is taking place but the marketing is what is so limited when it takes place.
But other areas of the mining sector are also important. We have platinum, but there is very little contribution being made by platinum to our development.
If anything really, our platinum is developing other countries much more than it is developing Zimbabwe. Then there is gold, gold is the main, I would want to believe, the main mineral and you get it practically in every province in the country.
And you have small miners, makorokoza, vanamai nanababa, along the rivers, digging everywhere. We have nothing against them but we want them to be better organized, taught how to do their gold mining.
But they are making a contribution, where they are doing it properly; to the development of the country but these are areas that should be better organized. However, because of sanctions there has been a sagging of the sector and it needs to be revamped, needs quite some capital to go into it. You know, machinery wears out and there is need for some spare parts or new machinery. We need to see much more production.
Gold is fetching higher prices. US$1 755 per ounce, that’s the international price at the moment and it is lots of money and we need now to improve and get the process which will see our gold mining recover very much. So we want to get to about 30 tonnes that we used to produce in the past. About that and even exceed that.
Platinum also must be managed. I hope the Indigenisation and Empowerment Act will now enable us to get greater benefit from all this mining exercise which has been taking place in the past by doing so at our expense, national expense that is.
Now that we must go into all these companies with at least 51 percent, that is least, it can be more than that. Fifty-one percent shareholding in a company! The reward to Zimbabwe must be greater but what is required is revamping, improving the performance and greater productivity taking place in the mining sector.
Manufacturing also requires the same exercise; injecting more capital and I think companies, as you see, had actually gone down miserably to about 10 percent. And now we want to see this production capacity rise but we must inject more capital, more capital into them and this has been the problem.
TM: Do you have this capital?
President Mugabe: We thought we had SDRs. The IMF gave us but they were used otherwise. Yes, we create capital. We can borrow from international institutions but the World Bank and IMF must obey the dictates of the West and impose sanctions on us. Even if they don’t say so but in practice that is what happens and we can’t rely on those ones.
But we have the Afrrexim bank which has been there and the regional banks and reliance on the eastern bloc, China, India and their financial institutions.
We can borrow from them and use our resources as security and get loans.
They are prepared to give us loans. They are also prepared to bring their companies here and partner us and that way get us rejuvenated and increase the production of our companies.
TM: Your Excellency, you mention the issue of sanctions, how are you going to handle that within the GPA as your partners are constantly failing to sing from the same hymn book?
President Mugabe: That is what baffles us. Surely, if you are a Zimbabwean and Zimbabwe is being attacked by outsiders and it doesn’t matter what differences between the MDC and ourselves, when outsiders attack us, we must unite against the outsiders and try to drive the outsiders out of Zimbabwe, get his hand off us.
His intervention bids us to be together but, no, the MDC decides to side with the Americans, with the Europeans in supporting sanctions against its own people. We do not understand that. They fail to, they find it very difficult, to say sanctions are hurting us.
They try to avoid using the word sanctions; they want to call them restrictions. I do not understand, perhaps, it’s the lack of political consciousness, national consciousness, which characterize them. You see, they have not gone through the grill like us. But one doesn’t have to have been a member of the ANC, National Democratic Party, Zapu, Zanu in order to have national consciousness.
Just a feeling that Zimbabwe is your country and you will countenance, you will not accept any attack from outside, whether this attack is physical or it’s economic by way of sanctions.
That’s what a real party that stands for the people, that operates in the interest of the people, should do.
But if you are for the people, how can you then at the same time turn against the people by supporting sanctions, which hurt them.
TM: Pamunosangana hamumbobvunza here kuti zvii zvinorema?
President Mugabe: Vanoti tiritose asi kuti vaenda kunze uku vanoudza varungu vavo kuti ah, chimboregai ma sanctions aripo, vanhu vaye, vanaMugabe havasati vavakuda regime change, havasati vanzwa. Hatife takanzwa!
Imperialism is imperialism. An imperialist is just an imperialist. I often repeat the words of Nkurumah: Only a dead imperialist is a good one.
TM: One of the issues to do with the economy inyaya yemari. We have serious cash shortages. Are we likely to see the return of the Zimbabwean dollar? What solutions do you have as a Government to deal with the shortages seeing that the money we are using doesn’t come from Zimbabwe?
President Mugabe: I agree, the US dollars did help a bit but the dollars are not minted by us, we don’t manufacture them, we don’t print them. They are American. You can’t expect to develop an economy using foreign currency, American foreign currency. You got to have your own foreign currency.
Yes, sure, we had that inflation that rendered our Zim dollar worthless but these things happen to economies when they have the burden of sanctions, the burden of bearing lots of debts and so on and so forth.
We cannot improve the situation in the GPA very much. That’s why we would want to have an election and we know as Zanu-PF government we would certainly bring about a far, far much better situation to the economy in respect of getting capital injection into it.
We are persons who look east and at the moment if you look west, Europe and America are looking east, what you encounter are eyes that are looking east and your eye is looking west.
In other words, they have nothing to offer at all and it’s futile to hope that the West can redeem us.
Even if we were in good books with Europe, Europe will never ever help you to the extent of your being able to transform your economy from being, you know, a primary producer to being a producer of secondary products.
In other words, that adding of value to our raw products, qualitative improvement, which Europe did when they started industrializing as much as possible, moving dependence on agriculture to dependence of manufactured food.
That is yet to occur in Africa, in South Africa it is okay, here it had started okay a bit but we are now handicapped and that is what we must do, ensure that we raise the level of our economy. Take it from primary to secondary and that’s get it to the manufacturing stage where now you beneficiate your products.
And you produce products of greater value. Then, of course, you can have your own currency that is backed by an economy which is viable. We have gold, we have diamonds, we have platinum, valuable minerals and very precious minerals and these can back our economy.
But I believe that if we can go back to the use of gold as the basis of our currency, that will ensure that our currency will become viable and will not be doubted internationally at all.
And it cannot be assailed by the American dollar, which is just a paper and America has been printing and printing. Because then you can only print money if it’s based on the value of gold that you have. This is based on purely the effectiveness of your economy. How much level of volume of production of your GDP, Gross Domestic Product and then you print money according to the level of development in that regard.
So I believe personally that we have a very great future and thank God we still have lots of wealth underground. Thank God the British settlers did not scoop all and in some cases didn’t discover some of the minerals like platinum. But perhaps, diamonds for one reason they were discovered but they did not want to reveal to the world. De beers I understand were carrying; they said they were carrying out tests, year in, year out, getting lots of soil to South Africa.
Filling lorries from Chiadzwa there and when you ask they say we are still doing tests then we discovered later that, no, there were diamonds, ah, then they stopped; the tests didn’t continue.
And then we had that company called the ACR, born out of De Beers. They tried to put Africans, you know, into it. We resisted it, remember. We said no, and it was then that we took some action and said only the State can operate in that area.
[I did not know ACR was directly tied to De Beers. African Consolidated Resources, perhaps better called Andrew Cranswick Resources, was run by Andrew Cranswick, which is wanted in Zimbabwe for f
We were fencing it because we wanted time to arrange and gear ourselves and prepare ourselves for proper mining in the area. Well, I have great hope that, in the GPA, they will be real, real development in gallops rather than in slow strides as at present.
Well, we have done something with the GPA but very little. The companies are still down. Manufacturing factories, main factories in Bulawayo, down, down, down! And the mining ones too, even gold, some closed and we are having to open some of them now, you see, but we will do so with our friends.
They are not the Chinese only, there are lots of other friends in the East there who are prepared to partner us properly and not on a horse and rider partnership which was what (Roy) Wellensky and (Godfrey) Huggins during the Federation talked about that the partnership with an African was a horse and rider partnership.
And we asked who was the rider and who was the horse and they didn’t provide the answers. Then they talked about the two-pyramid system, that’s Huggins now, who became Lord Malvern later. Two pyramids, the European pyramid is up there, the African pyramid is down here. But when will it ever rise and grow in order to get their height.
But look at the strides we have made since independence, education and socially. Look at our people, we have almost eradicated illiteracy and almost everybody can read and write and this is it. And not the skills, we have now been able to export skills, you see, South Africa, most of our young people.
Even in Australia, Britain, they are proud to have young Zimbabweans with skills to operate in their factories or in their banks etc. That’s Zimbabwe.
But we put ourselves much more together; get our people in the Diaspora to come and join us and we sail together. Our young people must feel that they have a stake in their country and that’s very important because the future is more theirs than ours.
They are the ones we want to equip, they are the ones we feel must have the necessary skills, intellectually and physically, that will enable them now, to run the country and undertake the various operations that are necessary in order to bring about greater development and transformation of the socio-economic system.
TM: Thank you Your Excellency, let me take you to issues facing Africa as a continent. Recently you came back from the AU summit and you came back a disappointed man. Do you feel betrayed by your African brothers when it comes to decision-making; decisions that affect Africa?
President Mugabe: I think the crop of leaders we have now is quite different, quite different from the older crop, from their elders. Those of them who came together to form the Organisation of African Unity and vowed that Africa would be freed from imperialism and colonialism and you had them like Nkrumah, you know, pledging that Ghana would not regard itself as free if any part of Africa was still under the yoke of colonialism and imperialism.
Then they were bidding that Africa must unite and Nkrumah wrote a book to that effect.
You see, they formed the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 and formed also the liberation committee and taught us how to fight for our countries, organised us and showed us how unity could enable us to fight and fight successfully in redeeming our countries and liberating them.
TM: 88 years makore akawanda. Ndaapi mashoko amungape vechidiki kuti varame hupenyu hwakanaka?
President Mugabe: Life is what you make it, they say. But it’s not always what you make it. You have a part of it which is inherited. The physical entity which we are we inherit from our parents so the genetic system is inherited from what your parents gave you.
But there are things that you must do for yourself. Don’t drink. Ahhm or if you want to drink don’t drink too much but I would say don’t drink at all. Yeah, don’t smoke at all. When you smoke the nicotine goes to your lungs; it’s a sure case that your lungs are inhaling... Look after yourself...girlfriends...when you are young you want two or three girlfriends, but you finally make a choice...little houses, some little houses are dangerous these days.
And then nechirwere chedu ichi. I have seen youngsters in the extended families just going one after another. Kune vakasiiwa...We are having to look after them. Havasisina vanoriritira. And i have said to myself if this is what has happened around me, what about the extended family of Tazzen, my neighbour there?
This is what has happened to our nation, young people going in their 30s, 40s - so that is the part that we take care of. The other part we inherit from our parents.
Otherwise if you don’t take to drinking, take to smoking and exercising of course...
TM: You are still exercising?
President Mugabe: Every morning. I have my one hour and ensure I exercise. That’s the way we grow but some live longer than others. My brother Raphael I never saw him. He was born before me, 1922 and when he was six months, mother said he suffered from dysentery. But Michael, who was born before him ... takatamba tese naMichael. He was very bright, a footballer - everything, an athlete.
I wasn’t bright, I was much more conservative, much more inward thinking, but bookish... my mother at one time was worried kuti mwana wangu anogona kunyengawo asikana imi?
Mike was clever; he was also bright, perhaps much brighter than myself. Ah he was really bright, but poorly (in) 1934 he drank poison achibva afa aine 10 years. It was a sad sad death my father couldn’t take it vakati ah mwana wangu apuwa poison kwasekuru vachibva varamwa kuenda kuBulawayo from 1934 only to come back 1944 atova nemumwe mudzimai, 1945 achibva afa muna June, ini ndatova teacher zvangu.
Ndini ndakazodzidzisawo vakanditevedzera, so i was lucky that way. ndikazogona kunyenga ndikati amai ndauya nomuroora ndabva naye kuGhana.
So God looks after us but there is a portion we must play. You must eat well, you take some vegetables, don’t over-eat beef, it’s dangerous, eventually unoita gout. Taida kudya nyama zvakakomba tiri mafreedom fighters. Vose vatakadya navo vaida nyama ah, as for Joshua Nkomo ndiye aive mukuru weduzve, aida nyama maningi, Ndebele style. Kana tikapihwa chicken aitora yose, but then akazoita gout, then the doctor said no...Ah. VaMuzenda gout; VaMusika gout...
TM: Well thank you so much Your Excellency for giving us your time to talk to us about your family, the state of the economy and the country at large. We wish you many more.
President Mugabe: Thank you thank you, you are doing a good work, continue doing that good work. Most of you are on the younger side so we hope that you continue to be revolutionary, if you are, if you are not then read, read mabhuku avana Nkrumah, read a lot, even go out to read.
Labels: BOOKS, DEBEERS, GOLD, HOMOSEXUALITY, INFLATION, INTERVIEW, KARIBA DRAFT CONSTITUTION, MDC, MDC CORRUPTION, NEOCOLONIALISM, ROBERT MUGABE, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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CSOs urge Africa to stop giving mines concessions
By Gift Chanda
Tue 21 Feb. 2012, 11:59 CAT
AFRICAN governments should be more responsible in
maximising benefits from mining through rigorous taxation, urges a consortium of civil society organisations. And the consortium has called on African governments to
stop giving concessions to mining companies at the expense of development of local entrepreneurs.According to submissions by
a consortium of civil society organisations from Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe that met recently in South Africa on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba,
mining has not fully benefited Africans, the owners of the resources.
It observed that a lack of attention elements such as environmental degradation, deepening poverty levels, and slippages in the quality of life, and label the 2012 Mining Indaba as a "gathering of exploitative profit mongers".
The civil society accused mining companies operating in Africa of concentrating on profits at the expense of the welfare of the locals, adding that governments also focus on attracting foreign direct investment without ensuring that the investment benefits communities and national economies at large.
The consortium condemned the inability of governments to negotiate contracts that could result in maximising the benefits of mining while promoting ethical investment.
"We note with grave concern on limited capacity of tax revenue authorities to monitor, collect and enforce tax laws; legalisation of capital flight through the provision of high incentives, protection of transnational companies, tax avoidance, evasion and transfer pricing; lack of enforcement of existing legislation and in many countries mining policies are fragmented and inconsistent and are not harmonised across countries," observed the consortium in an emailed statement yesterday adding that mining was the worst polluter.
The consortium demanded a review of all current multi-national concessions based on ecological and social standards.
"Governments should be more responsible in maximising benefits from mining through rigorous taxation. They should stop giving concession to mining companies at the expense of the development of local entrepreneurs and must utilise mining tax revenues to diversify their economies," the consortium demanded.
It said transparency in the extractive industry should be improved by compelling mining companies to report their profits on a country by country basis.
Zambia was represented by the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD), Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), Caritas Zambia and the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).
Labels: CIVIL SOCIETY, CSO, MINING, TAX EVASION, WINDFALL TAX
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COMMENT - The MDC is sabotaging Zimbabwean agriculture, by
not paying the farmers for goods delivered to the Grain Marketing Board. They are a regime change operation, nothing more. Tendai Biti is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in Special Drawing Rights from the IMF, and he will not pay the farmers for the goods they have delivered to the GMB. I hope everyone now understands the nature of the MDC, and the games they are playing.
Mugabe blasts Biti over economy
19/02/2012 00:00:00
by Business Reporter
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has slammed Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s stewardship of the economy claiming
he was slowing down recovery by making
questionable decisions. Zimbabwe is emerging from a decade-long recession and has recorded positive growth since the coalition government was formed in 2009. Biti has projected more than 9 percent growth this year But Mugabe said treasury was worsening the impact of sanctions imposed by the West through poor decision making.
The Zanu PF leader was particularly critical of
Biti’s use of a US$500 million Special Drawing Rights facility made available to the country in 2009 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“You have the Minister of Finance and you give the Minister of Finance some autonomy. He makes some decisions and those decisions are not always of a nature that is promotive, economically,” Mugabe said in an interview with the Sunday Mail.
"You take the fact that, for example, we had over US$500 million in SDRs. He just sat on them.
“Instead of using that money to bolster up the economy, inject it into companies that needed finance for raw materials or spare parts so that they could be more productive, he just sat on them."
Biti withdrew US$50 million from the facility in December 2009 and another US$100 million in February 2010.
Last month treasury withdrew another US$110 million to help ease a biting cash crisis but Biti warned that the country should resist using-up the facility arguing this would only worsen already unsustainable debt levels.
"Our sovereign debt is $9.1 billion. It is not wise to further contract any sovereign debt," he said.
[Zimbabwe's sovereign debt is $9.1 billion, which in no small part is based on the fact that through the Section 4C of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001, the US directors at International Financial Institutions have vetoed the rescheduling of debt, for a decade. Quote:
the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
No rescheduling of debt for a decade, courtesy of Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Russ Feingold, Jesse Helms, and sponsor Bill Frist. Of course, HIPC wipes out all those debts, in exchange for 10 or 20 times the debt's value in natural resource deposits, like the 20% of known global diamond deposits that Zimbabwe owns. - MrK]
But Mugabe said the facility should instead be used to support the country’s productive sectors.
"He (Biti) said (the fund was) for balance of payment, but balance of payment is the battle between exports and imports.
“If imports dominate exports, then you are in trouble and you do not hope that by using SDRs you are curing the problem; the deficit in an effective way, no.
"Inject what money you have into production. Boost your exports and then you are taking care of your imports. You can do both, of course, if you are able to."
Mugabe also said he wanted to see treasury providing more support for the country’s key agricultural sector.
"Farmers are always ready, raring to go. But we fail them. They do not have inputs, even where they have the money,” he said.
“Just imagine - they could not get fertiliser for two reasons: fertiliser was scarce and where it was available, they did not have money to purchase it. Why? Because their money was locked up in deliveries of maize and wheat that have not been paid for by the Minister of Finance.
[And that's economic sabotage. The first thing the shameful MDC and their ever balooning stooge Tendai Biti should do, is pay the farmers for the products they delivered to the GMB, not make them go bankrupt so they can say that 'land reform failed'. Landreform can only fail if it is made to fail. Made to fail by the MDC. - MrK]
"You have maize that was grown last year that was (only) paid for partially. All the wheat of last year has not been paid for. We do not proceed like that in Zanu PF."
Labels: AGRICULTURE, IMF, MDC, NEOLIBERALISM, ROBERT MUGABE, SABOTAGE, TENDAI BITI, TREASON
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COMMENT - With the release of Zimbabwe's diamonds onto the international markets, the EU is partially lifting it's own sanctions on some companies/people in Zimbabwe. For a full treatment of the extent and nature of economic sanctions that destroyed the Zimbabwe dollar and economy, in order to make the people of Zimbabwe so miserable that they would vote for the MDC, the Zimbabwean version of the TEA Party,
read more below. EU says keen on ‘serious political dialogue’
17/02/2012 00:00:00
by Gilbert Nyambabvu
THE European Union (EU) said Friday it is keen for “serious political dialogue” with Zimbabwe as it announced a partial easing of sanctions imposed on the country more than a decade ago over allegations of rights abuses and electoral fraud.
EU Foreign Affairs chief Catherine Ashton said visa restrictions on Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and his foreign affairs counterpart, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, had been suspended to facilitate the dialogue. “The EU reaffirms its desire to engage in a serious political dialogue with Zimbabwe,” Ashton said in a statement.
“To facilitate this process we have also suspended travel restrictions on the two Zanu PF members of the Zimbabwean Ministerial Re-engagement Team so that the full team can come to Brussels for high-level consultations.”
During a recent meeting, principals to the coalition government urged the country’s EU re-engagement committee to re-approach the 27-nation organisation over the sanctions which Zanu PF blames for the country’s economic problems.
[Not 'merely' the ZANU-PF. Anyone with two working braincells can understand that putting the government on a credit freeze - Section 4C of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 - for a decade is detrimental to the economy. The date of introduction of ZDERA (Jan.1 2002) coincides with the acceleration of the decline of the Zimbabwe Dollar against the US dollar during 2002, when it declined more in 2002 than in the 6 years before, combined. ZDERA came into force on Jan 1, 2002. Only a coward still denies the existence or impact of economic sanctions on the Zimbabwean economy. Ironically, it was ZDERA co-sponsor and so-called 'progressive' Russ Feingold, who tried to extend the credit freeze of the Zimbabwean government beyond ten years, by introducing the Zimbabwe Transition to Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2010, which through Section 4D (Multilateral Financing Conditions) attempted to extend the credit freeze on the Government of Zimbabwe (quote from ZTDERA Sec 4D: "The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe..."). Just as puzzling, ironically, it was the hardline Republican senator Jim Inhofe who tried to get this financial isolation lifted, by introducing the Zimbabwe Sanctions Repeal Act of 2010. The Inhofe bill states:
(25) Section 4(c) of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 specifically directs the United States Executive Director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against any extension by the institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe or any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
(26) In order to restore fully the economy of Zimbabwe and assist in the process of transition to democracy, the sanctions imposed under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 and burdening the power-sharing government in Zimbabwe must be repealed. "
So clearly it is not merely the ZANU-PF who says so. A fact that Tendai Biti (Finance Minister, MDC) explains (4:40 onwards) and other MDC members in the Wikileaks Cables are on record of complaining about the impact of economic sanctions on the economy. - MrK]
The committee comprises representatives of the MDC formations Tendai Biti, Elton Mangoma, Priscilla Misihairabwi, Moses Mzila Ndlovu as well as Chinamasa and Mumbengegwi.
Meanwhile, the EU said the decision to remove 51 individuals and 20 entities from the sanctions list represented “the most significant amendment to the EU measures since they were introduced in 2002”.
“Whilst we note that the overall situation in Zimbabwe has improved, further political reforms in accordance with the commitments in the GPA are necessary for a democratic and peaceful Zimbabwe,” Ashton said.
“The EU remains ready to reconsider the measures at any time in response to concrete progress in the implementation of the GPA and the preparation of credible and peaceful elections.
“Such elections should allow the creation of a Government reflecting the freely expressed wishes of the people of Zimbabwe. The EU will recognise and work with any government formed as the result of such a process.”
However, the list of those cleared does not include security service chiefs or key members of President Robert Mugabe’s inner circle.
“112 individuals and 11 entities who are still considered to be involved in or associated with policies and activities that undermine human rights, democracy and the rule of law will remain subject to the measures,” the EU said in its statement.
Predictably, Zanu PF was not enthused by the development and demanded that the EU scrap all the sanctions.
"The whole sanctions regime is illegal and racist, and we are not going to celebrate decisions meant to patronise us while they act as lords over our political affairs," party spokesman, Rugare Gumbo – who was cleared – told Reuters.
"It's very tragic that the EU is still being used by some of its members, principally Britain, in pursuing a neo-colonial agenda to remove Zanu PF from power."
Zanu PF claims the sanctions were imposed as punishment for its controversial land reforms and blames them for the country’s near-economic collapse over the last decade.
The party has refused to make further concessions under the Global Political Agreement (GPA), accusing its coalition partners of not doing enough to have the sanctions removed.
The following individuals have been removed from the European Union sanctions list:
· Barwe, Reuben 3
· Bredenkamp, John Arnold 5
· Chimbudzi, Alice 15
· Chimedza, Paul 16
· Chimutengwende, Chenhamo Chekezha 17
· Chinamasa, Monica 18
· Chiremba, Mirirai 24
· Chitakunye, Eliphas 25
· Chiwenga, Jocelyn 27
· Chiwewe, Willard 29
· Chiwese, George 28
· Deketeke, Pikirayi 31
· Dube, Tshinga Judge 33
· Gumbo, Rugare Eleck Ngidi 36
· Hungwe, Josaya (a.k.a. Josiah) Dunira 39
· Hungwe, Josaya (a.k.a. Josiah) Dunira 39
· Huni, Munyaradzi 40
· Karimanzira, David Ishemunyoro Godi 43
· Kazembe, Joyce Laetitia 46
· Kereke, Munyaradzi 47
· Mahoso, Tafataona 58
· Makwanya, Judith 59
· Makwavarara, Sekesai 60
· Manyonda, Kenneth Vhundukai 63
· Matanyaire, Munyaradzi 67
· Mavhaire, Dzikamai 72
· Mbiriri, Partson 73
· Mombeshora, Millicent Sibongile 79
· Moyo, July Gabarari 82
· Muchechetere, Happison 88
· Mudzvova, Paul 96
· Mugabe, Leo 98
· Mujuru, Solomon T.R. 101
· Mukosi, Musoro Wegomo 102
· Mumbengegwi, Samuel Creighton 104
· Mutasa, Gertrude 110
· Mutasa, Justin Mutsawehuni 111
· Mutiwekuziva, Kenneth Kaparadza 114
· Muzenda, Tsitsi V. 116
· Muzonzini, Elisha 117
· Ncube, Abedinico 120
· Ndlovu, Sikhanyiso 121
· Nkala, Herbert 124
· Nyawani, Misheck 128
· Patel, Bharat 132
· Rautenbach, Muller Conrad (a.k.a. Billy) 134
· Sakabuya, Morris 138
· Samkange, Nelson Tapera Crispen 140
· Sandi, Eunice Moyo 141
· Shumba, Isaiah Masvayamwando 148
· Utete, Charles 159
· Zvayi, Caesar 163
The following companies have been removed from European Union sanctions:
· Alpha International (PVT) Ltd 1
· Breco (Asia Pacific) Ltd 2
· Breco (Eastern Europe) Ltd 3
· Breco (South Africa) Ltd 4
· Breco (UK) Ltd 5
· Breco Group 6
· Breco International 7
· Breco Nominees Ltd 8
· Breco Services Ltd 9
· Corybantes Ltd 12
· Echo Delta Holdings 14
· Masters International Ltd 18
· Ndlovu Motorways 19
· Piedmont (UK) Ltd 21
· Raceview Enterprises 22
· Ridgepoint Overseas Developments Ltd (a.k.a. Ridgepoint Overseas Developments Ltd) 23
· Scottlee Holdings (PVT) Ltd 24
· Scottlee Resorts Ltd 25
· Timpani Export Ltd 27
· Tremalt Ltd 28
Labels: CATHERINE ASHTON, EU, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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Netizen Journalism, Libya and the UN
by Ronda Hauben
Global Research, February 17, 2012
The Special Issue (vol 21 no 1) of the Amateur Computerist on Netizen Journalism and the story of the resistance to the NATO aggression against Libya is now available at the ACN website.The url is:
http://www.ais.org/~jrh/acn/ACn21-1.pdfThis issue is a collection of articles documenting what happened in Libya in 2011. It presents a critique of the inaccurate reports that were used to justify the NATO war against Libya.
The focus in this collection is on the role played by the UN in making possible the aggression against Libya. The actions taken by the Security Council and other United Nations bodies like the Human Rights Council were contrary to the obligations of the UN charter and other principles of international law. The articles in this issue document the process by which the UN became an accomplice in a NATO war against a sovereign nation that is a member of the United Nations.
These articles serve to argue that starting in February 2011 there was a media blitz supporting the NATO actions, largely based on unverifiable claims by the opposition against the government of Libya. The story that emerged is based on broadly circulated falsifications of what was happening on the ground. The media blitz was accompanied by a rush at the UN Security Council to authorize force against the Libyan government, military, infrastructure and civilians under Article 7 of the UN Charter. The resulting Security Council resolution gave NATO and special forces the pretext to support an armed insurrection inside Libya. This armed insurrection was supported by a military campaign of bombing and other aggressive acts on the part of the U.S., France, the U.K. and several other NATO nations. The harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure was ignored by those supporting the NATO aggression.
There were however a number of journalists, websites and independent news sources which provided an alternative account and critiqued the false narrative being presented to justify the NATO war. Such a form of journalism, contributed to online by many netizens, has been described as “netizen journalism.”(1) Netizen journalism takes as its mission to independently investigate situations, seek out the accurate story, and challenge the fact that much of the mainstream western media is but a media presenting the dominant viewpoint of those in power. Whereas the western mainstream media most often acts to reinforce this power, netizen journalism takes as its mission to challenge the abuse of power.
A number of independent journalists and journalists working for alternative media like TeleSUR covered the struggle in Libya against the NATO aggression and the damage inflicted on the civilian infrastructure and the civilian population. This issue includes not only articles documenting what happened in Libya but also contains references to some of the many independent news reports and analyses that explore the long term goal of the NATO war and the injustice done by that mainstream media which used unverified reports by opposition sources to spread a phony rationale for the invasion of a sovereign nation.
A list of journalists who provided this alternative coverage would include, among others, Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Thierry Meyssan, Lizzy Phalen, and Franklin Lamb.
Some of the websites that have been part of this broader collaborative effort to understand what happened in Libya and to present it to the world include:
Center for Research on Globalization
Voltaire Network
Global Civilians for Peace in Libya
Libya360
Strategic Culture Foundation
Mathaba – Independent News Agency
Investig’Action
teleSUR
Concerned Africans
April Media
American Everyman
In his article in this issue, “From Munich to Tripoli,” Yoichi Shimatsu refers to the resistance offered by the fighters of the Spanish Civil War and the work to spread the story of their resistance by the writers and commentators who conveyed this story to the world. In this issue of the Amateur Computerist we want to pay tribute to both the resistance offered by those in Libya who fought against the foreign intervention and to the journalists, websites, and other forms of netizen journalism around the world that have helped to spread the story of the resistance to the NATO war against Libya and to the destruction of Libya that it wrought.
Note
1) See for example, Ronda Hauben, “The Need for Netizen Journalism and the Ever Evolving Netizen – News – Net – Symbiosis”
http://blogs.taz.de/netizenblog/2011/05/01/need_for_netizen_journalism/
This article appears on my blog at taz.de
http://blogs.taz.de/netizenblog/2012/02/16/netizen-journalism-libya-and-the-un/
Global Research Articles by Ronda Hauben
Labels: INTERNET, LIBYA, NATO, UN
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Bring back funds in offshore accounts, local banks told
Friday, 17 February 2012 00:00
Hebert Zharare and Victoria Ruzvidzo
TREASURY has ordered all banks to repatriate 75 percent of funds held in offshore accounts with effect from March 1 as part of measures to curb liquidity challenges.
Foreign banks operating in Zimbabwe are believed to be sitting on over US$500 million of local depositors' money kept in the United Kingdom and South Africa among other countries.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti yesterday said the move follows consultations with the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe. This came as the central bank also moved in yesterday to suspend cash withdrawal limits from next month following the improvement in the liquidity situation and the need to encourage savings.
In his monetary policy statement on January 31, Reserve Bank Governor Dr Gideon Gono put a US$10 000 ceiling on cash withdrawals while transactions above the limit required notice periods of up to five days depending on the amount needed.
Minister Biti said after consultations with the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe, Government and RBZ concluded that there was need for the repatriation of all other Nostro Account balances in excess of banks' needs, pending international payment obligations and for the purposes of taking positions in the international market.
Said Minister Biti "With effect from March 1, 2012, banks will, therefore, be required to maintain in their Nostro Accounts a maximum of 25 percent of their balances offshore.
"The maximum rises to 30 percent from June 1, 2012," he said.
Banks would still use their Nostro Account balances to meet some obligations such as lines of credit, trade and project finance support.
Minister Biti and Dr Gono reiterated the need for businesses and the general public to broaden the use of plastic money and other electronic means of payment.
"Government is in consultation with the Reserve Bank and the Bankers Association, considering introduction of measures and fiscal incentives deemed necessary to promote broader use of plastic money," he said.
Efforts to restore the central bank's lender of last resort status will receive a major boost next week with the injection of US$23 million from Treasury.
Minister Biti said his Ministry was working with local and international financial institutions to finalise the mobilisation of an additional US$73 million.
Dr Gono said the central bank will need at least US$150 million to effectively play its role in the financial market.
"For the smooth operation of the financial services sector, there is need for the lender of last resort function to be adequately funded. Based on the size of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product), it is estimated that an amount of US$150 million is required for the smooth functioning of the lender of last resort," he said.
RBZ will soon co-ordinate the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle where financial institutions and other investors will contribute towards the LoLR Fund.
This is expected to improve low deposit rates prevailing in the market.
Banks were implored to take a cue from the apex bank's overnight accommodation rate in terms of lending rates charged on loans.
On statutory reserves owed by the Reserve Bank to local banks, Minister Biti said Treasury will issue Discountable and Tradable Instruments to willing participant banks.
The banks are collectively owed up to US$83.583 million.
He said the issuance of discountable paper instruments against the Reserve Bank Statutory Reserve liabilities was against the background of the country's limited fiscal space.
The maturity of the instruments will range from two to four years with features such as Prescribed asset status; Liquid asset status; Half-yearly coupon; Tax exemption; Tradable and Lender of Last Resort security status.
Institutions not willing to participate in the above scheme will have the option of being issued with 15-year bonds at 3 percent per annum.
Treasury will immediately establish a Sinking Fund for servicing of interest payments and maturities.
Furthermore, instruments will be introduced to fund large infrastructure projects which Government could presently not finance from the current levels of fiscal revenues.
"Hence, notwithstanding the prevailing challenges in the financial system, Treasury will be issuing Infrastructure Development Bonds to complement Budget resources set aside for the financing of the rehabilitation of infrastructure.
"Given the need to abide by our cash budgeting principles, the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe will be mandated to issue Infrastructure Development Bonds to the tune of US$50 million."
"Once an agreement has been reached, I will announce the operational framework for the disbursement of these funds."
Furthermore, to strengthen and deepen the financial sector, Treasury, the Reserve Bank, the Insurance and Pensions Commission and the Securities Commission will be reviewing the existing legislation governing the various financial sub-sectors.
This review will cover the following legislation:- Banking Act, Securities Act, Microfinance Bill, Insurance Act, and Pension and Provident Funds Act.
The review of the Banking Act will focus on capital adequacy of banks and governance deficiencies, which have characterised the banking sector.
Notable examples include the need to ensure that shareholders have no role to play in the management of financial institutions.
This will limit the prevalence of incidences of insider loans, abuse of depositors' funds and conflicts of interest.
The review on capital adequacy requirements should result in the streamlining of the number of banks operating in the economy through mergers and the injection of new capital by investors.
Twenty of the 25 operational banking institutions complied with the capital requirements, with the remainder still under-capitalised in spite of moving deadlines for compliance several times.
"Given the importance of having a strong and secure banking sector that is immune to systemic risk, I have mandated the Reserve Bank to develop a framework for mergers between the banking institutions. Modalities of this Framework will be announced in due course," Minister Biti said
Yesterday, Dr Gono confirmed that the central bank was in receipt of recapitalisation proposals by undercapitalised banks as he stressed that no undercapitalised bank will be allowed to operate after March 31.
"It is the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank's expectation to have adequately capitalised banks that are able to play a meaningful financial role in the economy," said Dr Gono.
Labels: BANKING, TENDAI BITI
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President reads riot act to mines e
Friday, 17 February 2012 00:00
Takunda Maodza in ZVISHAVANE
PRESIDENT Mugabe has read the riot act to foreign-owned firms that are refusing to comply with Zimbabwe's indigenisation and empowerment laws, saying the door for negotiations has been closed.
Speaking at the launch of the Zvishavan Community Share Trust at Mimosa Platinum Mine yesterday, the President directed Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere to urgently implement the programme without hesitation.
The directive follows indications that Mimosa was reluctant to cede 51 percent stake to indigenous Zimbabweans in line with the law, offering 30 percent.
But the President would have none of it.
The Zvishavane Community Share Ownership Trust becomes the third such scheme after President Mugabe launched the Chegutu-Mhondoro-Ngezi Zvimba Community Share Ownership Trust at Zimplats and the Tongogara Community Share Ownership Trust at Unki Mine in Shurugwi.
"All these companies which yesterday belonged to outsiders like Implats, Zimplats and others must now be subjected to the law of indigenisation and empowerment that requires that at least 51 percent of shareholding should belong to Zimbabweans.
"That must be complied with. There is no going back on this matter. Let them be told, let the Press tell them, let the relevant ministry finally tell them to comply."
President Mugabe added: "Hapasisina hurukuro (No more discussions). The ministry should take action. Ndanga ndichiti zvandauya kuno (Mimosa) ndinowana zvagadziriswa (I thought I would find everything in place)."
He was referring to Mimosa chief executive Mr David Brown and the company's foreign officials who did not attend yesterday's event.
The President hailed Mimosa for donating US$10 million to the Zvishavane Community Share Ownership Trust, but said it was not enough.
"Asika muchiri chikara chesango. Ngachive chikara chemumba (You still belong to the wilderness. We hope you will be back home). You must belong to us," he said.
President Mugabe said the challenge before the Government was to make it possible for Zimbabweans to participate in the mainstream economy.
"It boggles the mind that while Zimbabwe is well endowed with natural resources that are of a finite nature, particularly in the mining sector, since the onset of colonialism, Zimbabweans have not benefited from the exploitation of these resources.
"Instead, they continue to be under threat not to benefit now and in the future, mainly because of the neo-colonial forces currently threatening the African continent," he said.
President Mugabe said no meaningful income will accrue to local communities without meaningful participation in economic activities taking place in their areas.
"Consequently, communities are bound to lose confidence in themselves and continue to always look towards Government and the donor community for social, economic and infrastructure development and a general improvement in their livelihood," he said.
The President said corporate responsibility programmes have not responded to the needs and priorities of the people.
He said such programmes have instead created and reinforced the dependency syndrome.
"Genuine empowerment begins with making own decisions as opposed to being perpetual observers or by-standers and recipients of charity acts," he added.
President Mugabe said it was now a legal requirement that all foreign-owned mining companies dispose of at least 50 percent equity to indigenous Zimbabweans.
In principle, community share ownership trusts are allocated 10 percent shareholding.
"I note with gratitude that the Deed of Trust for Community Share Ownership Trust has been registered and Mimosa has already made a deposit of US$2 million in the trust account to enable it to commence its operations," President Mugabe said.
Mimosa is also in the process of establishing a five percent employee share ownership scheme.
President Mugabe said such a trust results in a win-win situation for the people of Zvishavane and the country in general.
"Community and Employees Share Ownership Trusts are vehicles for broad based participation in shareholding in various businesses by our communities and the employees of the businesses.
"The proceeds from such participation by Community Share Ownership Trusts shall be used for the provision of social and economic infrastructure in line with the priorities of the communities concerned such as roads, water works, sanitation, soil conservation and the conservation and prevention of environmental degradation.
"Today's programme is therefore a giant step towards the consolidation of my Government's efforts to rid rural population of poverty."
He said proceeds from the trusts shall be properly accounted for and used for projects that benefit communities.
President Mugabe said all trust accounts should be audited annually to ensure transparency and accountability.
He said partnerships between indigenous Zimbabweans and non-indigenous investors guarantee security of foreign investment.
Mimosa managing director Mr Winston Chitando expressed his company's desire to work with the Zvishavane community in uplifting their lives through such programmes as the Community Share Ownership Trust and corporate social responsibility.
The company has engaged in various social responsibility projects covering education, health, sanitation, among others.
Labels: INDIGENIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT ACT (ZIMBABWE), MINING
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Banks targeted as dollar crunch bites
16/02/2012 00:00:00
by Nelson Banya I Reuters
ZIMBABWE will limit the amount of cash local banks can hold in offshore accounts, Finance Minister Tendai Biti said on Thursday, in its latest move to ease a dollar crunch in the wake of the collapse of its own currency. The country has been battling a dollar shortage since the start of 2012 due to a lack of dollar inflows
on foreign investor concerns over government policies.[Source? Worldwide banks are reluctant to lend to eachother. But in Zimbabwe, it is because of indigenisation? Prove it. - MrK]
The country gave up using the Zimbabwe dollar in February 2009 after it was destroyed by hyperinflation that peaked at 500 billion percent. It switched to using foreign currencies instead, mostly the U.S. dollar.
Biti said on Thursday that banks will have to repatriate from March the bulk of funds they hold in so-called Nostro Accounts, or offshore accounts used for international payments and forex trades.
"With effect from March 1, 2012, banks will, therefore, be required to maintain in their Nostro Accounts a maximum of 25 percent of their balances off-shore," Biti said in a statement, adding that the ratio of offshore balances would be raised to 30 percent from June 1.
Last month the central bank set limits on cash withdrawals and urged banks to inject some of their foreign cash holdings into the economy to help avert a dollar crunch. It also warned them that the government could compel them to do so if they did not comply.
The central bank says local lenders, mostly those with international holding companies, have about $450 million in offshore accounts. Barclays Bank Plc, Standard Chartered Plc and the Standard Bank groups are some of the major international firms operating in Zimbabwe.
Last month, Biti said Zimbabwe would draw down $110 million from its allocation of a 2009 $500 million IMF emergency fund in a bid to ease the foreign exchange shortage and bolster the country's $4 billion 2012 budget.
Biti also said the government would soon launch a $50 million bond to raise funds for infrastructure projects.
Since 2009, Zimbabwe has toyed with the idea of issuing bonds to raise funds for projects it cannot fund through its meagre budget, but it has not followed through. Analysts say such plans would have limited success mainly due to the country's risk profile.
Labels: BANKING, MDC, NEOLIBERALISM, TENDAI BITI
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COMMENT - I am all for decentralisation to the local government level, because it increases democratic accountability. However, in the hands of traitors like the MDC, devolution is mere balkanisation, and only puts local elites in charge.
Draft constitution fudges devolution
16/02/2012 00:00:00
by Lovemore Fuyane
THE drafters of Zimbabwe’s new constitution are involved in a complex process which is without precedent.
The process began with an odd outreach process where workshops were soon overrun by the political types. Armed only with blank sheets of paper, we are told outreach teams captured every point of view from these sessions and these are now being distilled into constitutional language by a small minority of three drafters.
That is not the end of course. The draft constitution must still be taken through various vetting and consensus building stages, followed by numerous revisions no doubt, and ultimately the envisaged referendum.
That said, I finally received a copy of what has been reported widely as the so called draft constitution which the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) has thus far compiled.
Like all interested Zimbabweans, I also went through it and did indeed note that it is in fact a very rough draft. The first error I picked up on was in the title where it says “Constitution of Zimbabwe” which I presume ought to read “Constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe”.
Perusing through the document, one picked up numerous other errors including typos and spelling mistakes. However, the purpose of this article is not to critique the cosmetic issues but rather the substance of what is currently contained in sections of the document and hope that whoever reads this article, including the drafters themselves, takes this in the positive light it is intended.
My first and most important criticism of the documents as it stands, particularly in Chapter 4 “Declaration of Rights” – normally referred to as a Bill of Rights in other constitutions – is that it makes very little attempt to definitively identify and recognise Zimbabwe’s multiple and distinct ethnic and language groups or make their languages official in any shape or form.
While I appreciate that one of the key stated objectives is to foster unity, the truth of the matter is that there is in fact greater unity in diversity. Apart from making vague mention of the need to protect people’s rights to communicate in their chosen language (Chapter 4.13), the document makes no provision or undertaking that the speakers of these languages will be supported by the state in order to promote and grow their identity where they live.
One also does not have any sense that the state will ensure there is equitable access to state resources by geographic location and therefore local demographics in virtually the entire document. Taking a hypothetical example, this may well all mean that a government administrator can still be employed to work in an area where he or she cannot converse in the local language and be perfectly entitled to speak in his own language to the detriment of the local population he is deployed to serve.
The right to belong to an ethnic group is simply not guaranteed in this draft constitution. It does not recognise that certain languages in specific geographic locations can in fact be considered official, neither does it commit the state to support such ethnic identities through appropriate support via the education curriculum, the media or deployment of state resources and administrative employees in support of local demographics.
As far as local employment practices favouring demographics are concerned, the document is completely silent yet all these are rights enshrined in international statutes. Under founding values, the draft refers to “the fostering of national unity, peace, and stability, with due regard to diversity of languages, customary practices and traditions” yet in practice this is really nowhere in the body of the document.
My second and most important concern with the draft document is that as far as it deals with devolution of executive powers, in Chapter 5, it completely fails to define what such devolution entails. It makes no mention of the proposed geographic divisions over which it will apply, how the people administering such devolved divisions will be appointed, whether by direct election or party deployment or via the executive as is the case with the current group of provincial governors.
My reading of the draft is that the drafters have currently left this wide open to parliament to finalise such definitions, completely disregarding the fact that the idea did not originate in parliament but with the people themselves. Why indeed was further input not sought from the source of the idea?
It is partly the failing of the Zimbabwean national parliament that has given rise to the grievances that brought the idea about in the first place. How then can you return this delicate issue to the same house of parliament that has failed to represent the people as far as the issues they want devolution to solve are concerned?
The document goes to great lengths to define the role of the executive, how they will be elected and does exactly the same as far as the national parliament and senate are concerned but when it comes to devolution, it effectively defers this back to parliament via the powers it assigns parliament.
All the various clauses do is explain the need for devolution of the different spheres of government as well as emphasising the power of parliament as far as conflicts may arise in locally promulgated legislation and the constitution. It says that parliament can nullify provincial legislation without making reference to any attempt to resolve disputes amicably in the interests of the affected people. In South Africa this is known as cooperative governance.
It would appear all the drafters did was to mention devolution, then spent the bulk of their time on this chapter emphasising the supremacy of the national parliament over the devolved structures as if this was not already obvious elsewhere.
The drafters commit an entire two sub sections 5.6 and 5.7 dealing with conflict between parliament and the provincial legislature, but make no attempt to define the subordinate structure. In fact it is in these sub-sections that one gets the hint that the devolved structures may well comprise some kind of legislature.
It is well and good that parliament has overriding authority over the provinces, but why not provide a straw-man model of exactly how such provincial governing authorities would come about, or what their powers ought to be so that the people can at least have something to work with and critique?
At the moment I am afraid what the drafters have produced amounts to a reproduction of the simple verbatim words from the outreach calling for devolution. I am certain that as far as the people who called for it are concerned, should they read through the document, they too would likely share my sentiments.
Indeed, there are many other aspects that still require beefing up in the document, many which I have no doubt other commentators will also touch on as we forge ahead.
Let us collectively build a secure, peaceful, economically vibrant and just Zimbabwe that is able to respond to the needs of all its citizens.
Lovemore Fuyane is a Zimbabwean who is resident in South Africa
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DECENTRALIZATION, DEVOLUTION
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COMMENT - It is a lie that economic sanctions are not disastrous for the economy that is being targeted. They can weasel around about 'targeted individuals' all day long, but if
hundreds of 'individuals' are being targeted, that alone puts a lie to the 'no economic impact' lie. However, economic sanctions against Zimbabwe go
much farther,
see here for the impact of ZDERA. Billy Rautenbach and John Arnold Bredenkamp are Afrikaners, whose companies have been the main target of these 'targeted sanctions' all along, mainly because they are in the diamond mining business.
Sanctions lifted on Reutenbach, Bredenkamp
17/02/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
THE European Union announced on Friday it has lifted a travel ban and asset freeze on 51 Zimbabweans previously accused of aiding and abetting human rights abuses. The EU also cleared 20 companies in a review of the sanctions first imposed in 2002 in response to claims of electoral theft and human rights violations by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.
Now removed from the sanctions list are six journalists, including the Herald’s editor in chief Pikirayi Deketeke, the paper’s assistant editor Caesar Zvayi, the Sunday Mail’s political editor Munyaradzi Huni, ZBC boss Happison Muchechetere, reporter Judith Makwanya and chief reporter Reuben Barwe.
The EU also lifted sanctions on several senior Zanu PF figures, wives of senior Zanu PF politicians and military chiefs, and two white businessmen who were accused in the past of bankrolling Mugabe.
Former Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, former Midlands governor July Moyo, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa’s wife, Monica, and army commander General Constantine Chiwenga’s ex-wife, Jocelyn, join billionaire businessmen Conrad Muller ‘Billy’ Rautenbach and John Arnold Bredenkamp who now have restrictions lifted on their travel and business activities.
Reacting to the announcement, Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said the EU should scrap all sanctions, calling them "illegal" and blaming them for damaging Zimbabwe's economy.
"The whole sanctions regime is illegal and racist, and we are not going to celebrate decisions meant to patronise us while they act as lords over our political affairs," he told Reuters.
"It's very tragic that the EU is still being used by some of its members, principally Britain, in pursuing a neo-colonial agenda to remove Zanu PF from power."
More follows
Name (and any aliases) Number in Council Decision 2011/101/CFSP
· Barwe, Reuben 3
· Bredenkamp, John Arnold 5
· Chimbudzi, Alice 15
· Chimedza, Paul 16
· Chimutengwende, Chenhamo Chekezha 17
· Chinamasa, Monica 18
· Chiremba, Mirirai 24
· Chitakunye, Eliphas 25
· Chiwenga, Jocelyn 27
· Chiwewe, Willard 29
· Chiwese, George 28
· Deketeke, Pikirayi 31
· Dube, Tshinga Judge 33
· Gumbo, Rugare Eleck Ngidi 36
· Hungwe, Josaya (a.k.a. Josiah) Dunira 39
· Hungwe, Josaya (a.k.a. Josiah) Dunira 39
· Huni, Munyaradzi 40
· Karimanzira, David Ishemunyoro Godi 43
· Kazembe, Joyce Laetitia 46
· Kereke, Munyaradzi 47
· Mahoso, Tafataona 58
· Makwanya, Judith 59
· Makwavarara, Sekesai 60
· Manyonda, Kenneth Vhundukai 63
· Matanyaire, Munyaradzi 67
· Mavhaire, Dzikamai 72
· Mbiriri, Partson 73
· Mombeshora, Millicent Sibongile 79
· Moyo, July Gabarari 82
· Muchechetere, Happison 88
· Mudzvova, Paul 96
· Mugabe, Leo 98
· Mujuru, Solomon T.R. 101
· Mukosi, Musoro Wegomo 102
· Mumbengegwi, Samuel Creighton 104
· Mutasa, Gertrude 110
· Mutasa, Justin Mutsawehuni 111
· Mutiwekuziva, Kenneth Kaparadza 114
· Muzenda, Tsitsi V. 116
· Muzonzini, Elisha 117
· Ncube, Abedinico 120
· Ndlovu, Sikhanyiso 121
· Nkala, Herbert 124
· Nyawani, Misheck 128
· Patel, Bharat 132
· Rautenbach, Muller Conrad (a.k.a. Billy) 134
· Sakabuya, Morris 138
· Samkange, Nelson Tapera Crispen 140
· Sandi, Eunice Moyo 141
· Shumba, Isaiah Masvayamwando 148
· Utete, Charles 159
· Zvayi, Caesar 163
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ENTITIES (20)
Name (and any aliases) Number in Council Decision 2011/101/CFSP
· Alpha International (PVT) Ltd 1
· Breco (Asia Pacific) Ltd 2
· Breco (Eastern Europe) Ltd 3
· Breco (South Africa) Ltd 4
· Breco (UK) Ltd 5
· Breco Group 6
· Breco International 7
· Breco Nominees Ltd 8
· Breco Services Ltd 9
· Corybantes Ltd 12
· Echo Delta Holdings 14
· Masters International Ltd 18
· Ndlovu Motorways 19
· Piedmont (UK) Ltd 21
· Raceview Enterprises 22
· Ridgepoint Overseas Developments Ltd (a.k.a. Ridgepoint Overseas Developments Ltd) 23
· Scottlee Holdings (PVT) Ltd 24
· Scottlee Resorts Ltd 25
· Timpani Export Ltd 27
· Tremalt Ltd 28
Labels: EU, JOHN BREDENKAMP, RUGARE GUMBO, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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COMMENT - Since when is 'Human Rights Watch' in the business of calling for economic sanctions on a country? This is what happens when you let foreign (government) controlled NGO's into your country.
Maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe, EU urged
Posted by By Our reporter at 16 February, at 13 : 25 PM
THE European Union should maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe until the country follows through on promised political reforms,
Human Rights Watch said Thursday. The EU is conducting its annual review of its sanctions against Zimbabwe which include personal sanctions on President Mugabe and selected individuals in the Zanu-PF party.
The sanctions were imposed in 2002 with the Western bloc citing widespread violence and intimidation, although it is widely believed that the Labour Party of British Prime Minister Tony Blair drafted the measures in response to the land reform programme which redistributed land from minority whites to majority blacks.
“EU concessions on sanctions will not get Zanu-PF to end its abuses,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
“To the contrary, removing sanctions will give (President) Mugabe and his party free rein for continued repression ahead of elections.”
“(President) Mugabe’s Zanu-PF is committing grave human rights abuses against all perceived opponents,” Bekele said.
“Easing the sanctions now would send the wrong message and reinforce the repression and impunity in Zimbabwe.”
Zimbabwe is in the process of drafting a new constitution to clear the way for new polls.
Labels: EU, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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COMMENT - It is time for the PF to start collecting $1 to $2 billion a year from the mining sector that the government is owed TODAY in unpaid taxes, and start creating jobs through infrastructure, especially small scale irrigation to bring more land under cultivation and end the annual floods. No child in Zambia should go hunger at all. The country is too rich, but the stealing of the nation's resources by transnational corporations and banks needs to end immediately.
45% of Zambia's children chronically malnourished
By Mwila Chansa-Ntambi in Kitwe
Fri 17 Feb. 2012, 12:01 CAT
A SAVE the Children report has cited Zambia as
one of the ten countries with the slowest annual reduction of stunting between 1990 and 2010. And a new global research by Save the Children says
rising food prices and malnutrition are putting future global progress on child mortality at risk.According to a press release by Save the Children Zambia director Marc Nosbach,
45 per cent of children in Zambia were chronically malnourished and that there has been no significant improvement in reducing the rate in the last few years.
"In recent years, the world has made dramatic progress in reducing child deaths down from 12 to 7.6 million but this momentum will stall if we fail to tackle malnutrition," Nosbach stated.
He observed that malnutrition could damage children permanently, impairing their brains and bodies but that with focused action, 'we can put in place solutions which will end this scandal'.
"Although malnutrition is the underlying cause of a third of child deaths, it has not received the same high-profile campaigning and investment as other causes of child mortality like HIV/AIDS or malaria. This has meant that while the child mortality rate from malaria has been cut by a third since 2000, child malnutrition rates in Africa have decreased by less than 0.3 percent," Nosbach noted.
He added that malnutrition's costs both in human and economic terms were huge.
He added that a chronically malnourished child could have an I.Q of up to 15 times less than a properly nourished child.
He stated that the cost of child malnutrition to the global economy in 2010 alone was nearly US$121 billion.
Nosbach proposed a package of basic measures including fortifying basic foods with essential minerals or vitamins, encouraging exclusive breastfeeding for children up to six months of age and better investment in cash transfers with payments targeted at the poorest families.
He stated that the above measures could turn the tide on malnutrition and thereby reduce the vulnerability of families to food price spikes.
Nosbach stated that Save the Children was calling on all world leaders to make the malnutrition crisis visible by setting global and national targets to reduce stunting, increase funding for direct nutrition interventions such as breastfeeding and fortification and invest in effective social protection policies that reach vulnerable families.
He added that there was need for the G20 meetings to galvanise political leadership on hunger and build a plan of concrete action to tackle malnutrition.
"In Zambia we need to show the same spirit in the fight against malnutrition, as the Chipolopolo showed us during the Africa Cup of Nations," stated Nosbach.
And a new global survey by Save the Children has indicated that nearly half of families are forced to cut back on food and children are made to work to help feed their family, following years of rocketing food prices.
Save the Children warns that if no concerted action is taken, half a billion children globally would be physically and mentally stunted over the next 15 years, their lives blighted by malnutrition.
Labels: HUNGER, MALNUTRITION, POVERTY
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Zamtel loses K1bn
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Fri 17 Feb. 2012, 13:40 CAT
ABOUT K1 billion remains unaccounted for from Zamtel during the disturbance in operations at the height of the takeover of the telecommunications giant by the government.
According to sources, a number of middle management officials, chiefly in the commercial department have been suspended and the matter has been reported to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and police.
The sources said those suspended include some territorial sales representatives and some in distribution.
"I think the money involved in this case is about just about K1 billion because for one manager alone, he was found to have a shortage of over K930 million," the sources said.
"But in total, the money which has disappeared is slightly over a billion."
Another source said weak internal audit systems, coupled with pressure on the commercial staff to meet "ambitious targets pushed some of our colleagues into extremes".
The sources said late last year, Zamtel cut employees salaries by 30 per cent, the deficit which could be recouped by an employee on meeting the set targets.
The sources said some of the shortage which could have been due to some Zamtel staff selling directly stock which they purported to be taking to dealers had been reported to both the police and DEC.
"Basically what was happening is that there was no correlation between the stock which was leaving the Zamtel main stores and what was actually in the field in terms of what our dealers are holding," said the sources.
"We give our dealers about 30 days stock but you find at the expiry of the credit period, the stock which they are recorded to have collected fails to balance with that recorded as left the stores. So, about five guys have been suspended due to this shortage."
Zamtel chief executive officer Dr Mupanga Mwanakwate refused to comment on the matter while DEC spokesperson Simon Silomba said the Commission had not yet received the report.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DEC, ZAMTEL
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