COMMENT - If the MDC can only get 1500 people in the capital of their own heartland, they are not very popular.
Tsvangirai woos ‘influential’ Diaspora vote
11/11/2012 00:00:00
by Bussiness Day
ABOUT 1,500 Zimbabweans attended a rally in Johannesburg Saturday - the first of a series around the world by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) leader Morgan Tsvangirai to woo voters home ahead of elections next year.
Zimbabwe’s constitution does not allow nationals living outside the country to vote, other than staff at foreign missions. There are an estimated 3-million Zimbabweans in the diaspora, with more than 1-million said to be in SA.
Tsvangirai did not attend the rally in Tembisa as he was said to be held up on government business in London. He was represented by other senior party leaders, including MDC-T national chairman Lovemore Moyo.
"We are holding this campaign now because people will be going home for the festive season soon and they should use this time to go and register to vote," MDC-T chairman in SA Kwanele Moyo said on Sunday.
Zimbabweans in the diaspora were not only being targeted because of their large numbers, but also because of the influence they had in Zimbabwe, Moyo said.
"In most cases they are the main breadwinners, so if they register, they can influence their whole families to vote for a certain party," he said.
However, Institute for Security Studies researcher Hamadziripi Tamukamoyo suggested the MDC-T should pay more attention to voters in Zimbabwe.
"I do not think the MDC-T should rely on those in the diaspora for numbers. We have enough people in Zimbabwe who are interested in what is going on there," he said on Sunday.
Tamukamoyo said the resolution of several election-related matters would allow Zimbabweans in the diaspora to decide whether or not they wanted to go home to cast their ballots.
"What they (MDC-T) need to focus on is ensuring a more transparent election, a fair ballot, a constitution, a conducive election environment and an updated voters’ roll," he said.
Ruling party Zanu PF deputy secretary for legal affairs Patrick Chinamasa was quoted in local media as saying Tsvangirai was wasting his time and money on the diaspora campaign, as those Zimbabweans would not be allowed to vote.
MDC-T rallies have been scheduled for next year across provinces in SA. The party has also targeted Zimbabweans living in other countries such as Botswana, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Botswana, the United States and the UK.
Labels: DIASPORA, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
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Zambians living in US believe Sata will deliver
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in New York
Sun 30 Sep. 2012, 10:00 CAT
ZAMBIANS living in the United States believe President Michael Sata has a vision for Zambia and will be an extraordinary leader despite expectations of failure from some cynics.
And foreign affairs minister Given Lubinda says President Sata's anti-graft crusade is for posterity.
Henry Sakala, chairperson of the Zambians living in US, said Zambians in the Diaspora believed President Sata and the PF government would deliver on their campaign promises.
"We deeply believe our President has a vision for our nation and we are certain that he is going to be an extraordinary President," Sakala said on behalf of other Zambians who overwhelmed the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations.
"We refuse the disappointment expectations coming from cynics and other people who oppose his President Sata's government. We still have confidence that he can and he will deliver as he promised to the Zambian people even when it is hard in this time of the global financial crisis. We look to the future with ever increasing faith."
Sakala also urged the government to clarify on the Diaspora policy in which former president Rupiah Banda set a desk at State House.
He also urged the PF regime to continue its fight against corruption which he described as a gorilla which hinder implementation of key projects and the attraction of key investments.
"We know our government is capable and our President is able," said Sakala.
And Lubinda told the Zambians in the Diaspora that President Sata's anti-graft crusade was aimed at securing the country's future from the effects of corruption.
Lubinda said President Sata's fight against corruption had earned him a lot of enemies.
"We are extremely determined to fight corruption and if it means losing positions because of the fight, we will do so," Lubinda said.
He said the "temporal repossession" of some former government parastatals that were corruptly sold by the previous regime should not be misconstrued for nationalisation.
In the first 12 months of his Presidency, President Sata has among fundamental decisions, reversed the sale of 75 per cent of Zamtel shares to LAP Green Networks of Libya and aborted the concession granted to Railway Systems of Zambia to run Zambia Railways assets.
"We temporally took over Zamtel because Zambians got a raw deal and Lap GreenN are at liberty to go to court," he said. "Of what use is it to sell the family silver and yet the family does not get anything out of it? Make no mistake about it; it is not President Sata's intention to nationalise companies.
His intention is to ensure that any company or public property which was sold without the benefit accruing to Zambian people because of corruption will come back, be re-advertised, and sold so that the owners of the silver - Zambians - must be paid for that silver. So, we are determined to fight corruption and this is a fight we don't intend to lose.
And I call on all of you Zambians to join us. It's not our fight for now but most importantly, it's our fight for posterity. We lose the fight now, it will never be won so we have the opportunity now."
And Lubinda said the government was concerned about the high number of Zambians living abroad as economic refugees.
"We have no intentions of neglecting you and we would like to encourage you Zambians living in Diaspora to regularise your stay so that you will be able to contribute to Zambia because in that case you will be productive," said Lubinda. "What we don't want to hear is that a Zambian has died abroad and has died a vagabond and there is not even a coffin to put their body in."
Lubinda, who was accompanied to the meeting by commerce minister Robert Sichinga, tourism minister Sylvia Masebo and Attorney General Mumba Malila, said the government had abandoned the Diaspora desk at State House and was currently working on draft policy.
Lubinda encouraged Zambians living abroad to input into the new draft Diaspora bill. Others who accompanied Lubinda to the meeting were acting deputy secretary to cabinet Peter Kasanda and Zambia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DIASPORA, GIVEN LUBINDA
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COMMENT - The MDC is a corrupt party that came to power through lies and destruction of the national economy through sanctions like ZDERA, which they helped draft for maximum damage to the economy. They also called for illegal invasion of Zimbabwe. According to the Wikileaks cables, MT opposed sanctions in public while urging them to be maintained in private conversation with his US backers. (
"He [Tsvangirai - MrK]also acknowledged that his public statements calling for easing of sanctions versus his private conversations saying they must be kept in place have caused problems.") They will not talk about their neoliberal economic philosophy, because they know the people of Zimbabwe will never knowingly vote for it.
MDC-T admits blocking diaspora vote
17/09/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
PRIME Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T party did not push for voting rights for Zimbabweans based abroad over rigging fears, a senior official said. The
shock admission by the party’s deputy organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe
flies in the face of previous claims by senior party figures – including secretary general
Tendai Biti – that it was
Zanu PF which was blocking the Diaspora vote.
An amended Electoral Bill which sailed through parliament in July last year and a draft constitution published in July this year both offer no electoral participation for Zimbabwean expats.
Bhebhe told a meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) in Bulawayo last Friday that there was agreement between his party and Zanu PF that voting should only be limited to Zimbabweans on diplomatic and official government duties.
“It is not clear how the government would allow the generality of Zimbabweans outside the country, some of whom are illegal immigrants, to vote,” he is quoted as saying by the NewsDay newspaper.
“The parties agreed that the rest of the Diasporans should be left out for now. While it bothers many of us that people in the Diaspora should be allowed to vote, it is important to know that in Southern Africa we are dealing with the united liberation movements that can do anything to support their counterparts during elections.
“These liberation movements cannot be trusted on how they handle postal votes. It is not necessary to say all the people in the Diaspora should be allowed to vote.”
An estimated two million Zimbabweans are resident in South Africa alone, with former colonial power Britain hosting as many as 600,000 Zimbabweans according to recent estimates.
UK campaigners led by New Zimbabwe.com CEO Jeff Madzingo petitioned the Supreme Court seeking a right to vote for millions of Zimbabweans outside the country, but the application was rejected as “without merit” by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku.
Bhebhe, however, insisted that in principle his party supported the Diaspora vote.
Meanwhile, Bhebhe said people’s hopes that a new constitution would ensure free and fair elections were misplaced.
“Even the Lancaster House adopted constitution did not condone violence, but some politicians chose to violate it,” he said.
“A new constitution is only important to enable people to deal with those who violate the rights of others, but still the problem will be those who say their interests supersede laws of the land.
“Some people have a habit of not following the laws. Even the GPA signed by three political parties, some of us, do not want to follow though they signed it. Even if we have good laws, if some players want to play wearing iron boots those laws will not work.”
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DIASPORA, LYING, MDC, MDC CORRUPTION, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
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President Sata implores Zambians in diaspora to help develop the country
TIME PUBLISHED - Friday, April 27, 2012, 1:49 pm
President Michael Sata has urged Zambians in the diaspora to come back home and explore the job opportunities available in the country and to contribute to the development of the country.
President Sata has also assured Zambians that his government’s promise of creating employment opportunities in strategic areas of the economy will be delivered. The President was speaking last evening at a cocktail when he met Zambians living in Zimbabwe at the High Commissioners residence in Harare.
And President Sata has urged Zambians leaving in Zimbabwe to be ambassadors of the country by making meaningful contributions to the economy of the host country.
At the same function, President Sata introduced Zambia’s first Home Affairs Minister Aaron Milner who is now resident in Zimbabwe.
Mr Milner said the election of President Sata has turned a new page for Zambians and the future of the country because of his resolve to stir the country to higher levels of economic development.
He commended President Sata for his firm stance against corruption and urged Zambians to give him and the PF government the support required to fight the scourge if the country is to develop.
Meanwhile, Zambians living in Zambia have been assured of government support to help them obtain national registration identities.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Ndiyoyi Mutiti says the embassy is ready to assist Zambians that are ready and willing to go back home by helping them obtain passports and citizenship documents.
The High Commissioner was responding to questions raised by some Zambians living in Zimbabwe over the procedures to follow when acquiring passports and citizenship documents.
And in a vote of thanks, a representative of Zambians living in Zimbabwe, Yvonne Chibiya said Zambians living in Zimbabwe were proud of the stability and economic development that the country has recorded in the recent past.
Mrs Chibiya said as Zambians in the diaspora are committed to making a meaningful contribution to the discourse of development back home.
Meanwhile, President Sata and his entourage have left Harare for Bulawayo.
The President will officially open the 53rd Zimbabwe international Trade Fair later in the day before returning to Lusaka.
He is accompanied by the First lady Dr Christine Kaseba – Sata, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism Given Lubinda, Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations George Chellah, and Zambia’s High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, Ndiyoyi Mutiti.
ZANIS
Labels: AARON MILNER, DIASPORA, MICHAEL SATA
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Stand up and be counted, Sata urges Zambians in the Diaspora
By George Chellah in London
Mon 02 May 2011, 04:02 CAT
PF leader Michael Sata has urged Zambians in the Diaspora to stand up and be counted. And Sata says a PF-led government will have a smart partnership with the Chinese, which would be for the benefit of the Zambian people.
Addressing the Zambian community at The Orchard Community Hall in London on Saturday evening, Sata who is in England at the invitation of Oxford University to give a special lecture, encouraged Zambians to come back home and contribute to the development of the country.
“You need to come to Zambia. Don’t rush for greener pastures. Stand up and be counted. Turn Zambia into a greener pasture. Let other people start coming to Zambia,” he said.
Sata said there was need for a leadership that would recognise and appreciate the qualified Zambian manpower that is in the Diaspora.
“I know some of you left because of frustration,” he said.
Sata said once in office, PF would ensure that it puts in place special incentives to attract Zambians in the Diaspora.
He said as leader of the most popular political party in Zambia currently, he was quite mindful of the people in the Diaspora.
“I truly welcome the opportunity to engage with you on the issues and challenges facing our nation at home, as well as to share with you our party’s vision and proposed solutions to take our country to the next level,” he said.
Sata said he had travelled to the UK to achieve a number of things.
“To respond to the repeated calls that I have received from various Zambian citizens living in the UK, that I share our party’s and my own vision for our country to which I solicit your feedback,” Sata said.
“I have also been specifically invited by the University of Oxford, to attend a Workshop on Monday, 2nd May 2011 and later on in the evening, for me to share with participants 'The challenges and difficulties of running a successful political party in Zambia’.”
Sata said he would be using the opportunity to meet with a number of other stakeholders, interest groups and friends of Zambia, to brief them on how they perceive the Zambian political landscape as the country heads towards the 2011 general elections.
He said it was his earnest desire to hear their views and seek how they could be accommodated in a PF-led government that is expected to emerge after the elections. “Some of you who may have travelled home recently, especially since the current administration took over, will attest to the perspectives which I will present tonight,” Sata said. “However, some of you may not be fully conversant with the challenges which may have emerged since you left Zambia, or are not reported in the media.”
He said the Zambian public media no longer reflected public concerns or the views of the opposition political parties.
“Instead the Zambia Daily Mail, the Times of Zambia and the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), have simply become the mouth pieces, or as most people refer to them now 'Vuvuzelas' for the ruling MMD party,” Sata said. “I therefore, wish to openly thank the private media in our country both print and electronic.”
On poverty, Sata said in the vision of his mind he daily considered the strange dichotomy of how such a richly endowed country as Zambia could have such large percentage of God’s people living in such abject poverty.
Sata acknowledged that high and chronic unemployment, especially amongst the youth and failure to effectively utilise the available Zambian human capital as well as high levels of abject poverty were among the major challenges that had beset the country.
He said Zambia is currently like a country that was under economic sanctions.
Sata criticised the concept of mobile hospitals, insisting that it was not sustainable because the Zambian terrain was different.
“In 90 days we have to change things,” he said.
And during a question and answer session, Sata, who was asked what his government’s policy would be towards Chinese investment once elected, stressed the need for investment that would benefit the ordinary people.
“We will ask the Chinese...is what they are doing in Zambia, the same as what they are doing in China? Whatever they are doing should be able to benefit the Zambians,” Sata said. “We will welcome them and when we welcome them, we will deal with them on our terms and not on their terms. We are going to have a smart partnership between the Chinese and ourselves.”
Sata said there was no leader in Zambia today that understands the country better than him.
“...politics is not trial and error. Politics you build, you grow with it until you mature,” he said.
Sata further stressed the need for a healthy relationship between the Church and the government.
And PF London branch chairman Arnold Zulu said PF was a momentum party and that Sata was the only hardworking leader that has shown his abilities and capacity.
Sata is accompanied by former SADC Parliamentary Forum secretary general Dr Kasuka Mutukwa and economic consultant Bob Sichinga.
Labels: DIASPORA, MICHAEL SATA
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Diaspora Project 2012
Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 20:48
By Chanda K. Chishimba
Many Zambians living in the Diaspora have yearned to invest, back home, their hard-earned foreign currency. The feeling of having a tangible investment back home breeds excitement about one’s security should that individual decide to migrate back to the motherland.
Diaspora based Zambians have engaged in transatlantic businesses with their relatives and friends in Zambia, ranging from clothes, electronic gadgets, rearing chickens, house construction, mining supply contracts, and cosmetics supplies to mention just a few. While Zambians abroad have done this in good faith, the majority of our people back home have viewed this link as a cash cow.
This negative trend has eroded any confidence among the Diaspora Zambians that they had to invest in Zambia through friends and relatives. The potential loss of income from this lack of trust is colossal. As Zambians living in the Diaspora, we have merely complained about the attitude of our people in Zambia but we have not sought to come up with a more viable business venture, both that fulfills our potential to influence the world market and one through which our interests will be served.
Realizing that partnerships with our friends in Zambia only serve to enrich them, I have reached the inevitable conclusion that we only have ourselves to blame. For how can we continue pouring water into an ocean and expect it to dry up. Diaspora Zambians need to seriously tap into their exposure and potential to be a united front by championing large scale economic ideas. The privilege of living in a developed society must serve as impetus for us to strive to innovate as we are exposed to the way our friends engage in development. Diaspora Project 2012 is an effect of the negative returns we endure by investing at a small scale through our relatives in Zambia. As the name suggests, the project will target 2012 as its initiation year. Here is how it will work;
A membership of 5000 Diaspora Zambians will be targeted by the year 2012. The major goal of this project is to raise $13,000,000 within a year. How is this possible? Each member will contribute $50 every week for 52 weeks. Member contributions will not start until the targeted membership is achieved. Funds may be deposited in a reputable financial institution as agreed upon by the membership. The purpose of this project will be to raise a substantial amount of money, collectively, and target aninvestment sector in Zambia such as property development, cement manufacturing plant, pharmaceuticals, road construction, commercial farming, banking, insurance, software development, computer assembly plant etc.
A management team will be established to explore issues such as registration of the entity, legal requirements, financial management, recruiting, logistics, and business sourcing. In the beginning, this management team must be able to sacrifice their personal funds in order to realize the goals of the entity. The project does not take off until we have all the targeted 5000 members.
Diaspora Project 2012 will endeavor to create a difference from the usual poor quality and sub-standard goods manufactured in Zambia. The Project will engage field experts in Research and Development, Product Development, Packaging, Shipping, Global Marketing, and Resource Development. The project will aspire to penetrate the global market place by producing highly competitive products, products that meet or exceed international standards. Massiveinvestment in this area will be required.
The Project will empower members to research and share development ideas for our common good. The intellectualism of each member will be explored and developed.
The Zambian government will be enticed to provide tangible benefits to the Project through acquisition of land, tax incentives, and foreign trade policy alignment. If the Zambian government can extend a favorable windfall tax regime to foreign investors, they can certainly do the same to Diaspora Project 2012.
While we indigenous Zambians sit back and arm chair critique Zambian government policies, our colleagues from other countries are engaging in meaningful investments in our own backyard. The advantage that Diaspora Project 2012 brings to the Zambian economy will be immense. As opposed to foreign investors who externalize profits, the Project will reinvest back into the Zambian economy. The Project will also create jobs for the local people.
The ultimate goal of the Project will be to become the most ingenious economic block in Africa. The potential of this Project to engage in meaningful global trade will be its cornerstone.
In any investment, investors intend to realize a profit. Members of the Project will share profits through their equity concentration in the Project.
The need to engage serious debate on this issue is of utmost importance. For so long, Zambians in the Diaspora have been a laughing stock of our people back home, that after spending so many years abroad, we still have nothing to show for it. Yet, over the years, we may have contributed to our people being very rich and comfortable through our hard earned money and bogus investments that they lure us by.
It is time that we as Zambians in the Diaspora put our energies together and developed an initiative that will benefit us and our children. The onus is ours to prove that we can make a meaningfulinvestment in Zambia while going about with our daily lives in the Diaspora.
Labels: DIASPORA
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Govt ready to evacuate Zambians in Tunisia
By Bright Mukwasa
Wed 02 Feb. 2011, 03:59 CAT
THE government is ready to evacuate its citizens living in Egypt and Tunisia in case the situation gets out of hand, according to foreign affairs deputy minister Professor Fashion Phiri.
Prof Phiri said the government had so far not received any reports of Zambians caught up in the ongoing protests in the two countries.
“We are ready for that. We can do those things before the situation reaches those levels, although it has not reached those levels now,” said Prof Phiri in an interview yesterday.
He said the government through its respective embassies had issued instructions for Zambians living in those countries to stay indoors until the situation in both countries stabilised.
“We are hopeful the situation will be stable,” Prof Phiri said.
Egyptian protesters have been calling for the ouster of their long-standing President, Hosni Mubarak, since January 25.
At least 100 people have been killed across the country since protests began following an Internet campaign and partly inspired by the ousting of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia last month.
Labels: DIASPORA, FASHION PHIRI
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Diaspora organisations should do more
By: Tellmore Mutsengi
Posted: Monday, January 17, 2011 5:15 am
DEAR EDITOR - I have been following up a lot of initiatives that have been going on in the Diaspora, but have to express my disappointment. There was a Diaspora conference held in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe last year by an organisation called the Development Foundation for Zimbabwe.
There have been other initiatives in the United Kingdom, including events by an organisation formerly called Zimbabwe Gentleman's Club (or ZG Club), which has now been renamed Zimbabwe Growth Club.
We always hear that there are events taking place and most of them have never consulted the public.
ZG Club was charging £25 for an audience with Affirmative Action Group President Supa Mandiwanzira. Such prices are beyond the reach of many, so it would benefit us if they could publish reports of their conferences.
We wonder who exactly some of these organisations represent and what their role in the larger Zimbabwean Diaspora society is.
There was a report in the Financial Gazette which was very critical of the December DFZ conference in Victoria Falls.
The Fingaz reporter said the organisation was full of academics who seemed to lack the business acumen that is needed at such fora, and who enjoyed hypothesizing about a new Zimbabwe, without giving concrete solutions.
There are a lot of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora with the business wherewithall to get involved and make vital contribution.
Why are these organisations fronted by the same old faces that have not delivered for so long?
Are they simply "Boys' Clubs" where certain characters seek to massage each others' egos?
We would be grateful if these organisations could start making headway into reaching out to the general public, rather than remain closed door and unreachable.
Also they should publish the outcomes of their conferences for the benefit of the public.
*Tellmore Mutsengi writes from the United Kingdom.
Labels: AAG, DIASPORA
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MDC-T creating a 'monster' in Tsvangirai
By: Tendai Midzi
Posted: Friday, January 7, 2011 4:09 am
Choice is an important freedom, especially in the world of politics. In Zimbabwean politics, I will be the first to admit, we lack that choice and that freedom. The MDC-T is now part of the inclusive Government, so that choice evaporated with the inclusive Government.
However, put the inclusive Government aside for one moment. You discover that there was not that much choice to start with anyway; or should I say a credible alternative to Zanu-PF, both in terms of policy and ideology. It is a truism that many people who supported the MDC-T in Zimbabwe did so in protest against Zanu-PF.
In the Diaspora, especially in England, many "MDC-T supporters" found an opportunity to "create evidence" in support of their "asylum claims" by declaring that they were MDC-T supporters.
This is why Morgan Tsvangirai was heckled and booed when he came to the UK in 2008 and asked Zimbabweans to come home.
He has never been to the UK since. He got the shock of his life.
He failed to understand the rationale behind the "support" that the MDC-T was getting from diasporans.
It was predicated on the need to rationalise and extend their stay in the UK, on the pretext that as MDC-T supporters they faced "persecution from Mugabe" if they returned home.
Many successful "asylum seekers", who were subsequently granted British citizenship, are now returning home on holiday with their British passports.
They want to reconnect with their people, their ancestors and pay their respects to those who departed when they were in foreign lands. They connect with those that were born when they were away.
The MDC-T has lost this constituency of supporters. They were never MDC-T supporters in the first place and deep down they knew that. Those who really believed some of the fabrications by the MDC-T, returned home and saw a different picture.
They saw a mixture of things. They saw a battered country on the mend, but a vibrant people. They saw a Zimbabwe moving forward despite the trials and tribulations of the last decade.
Even the West that imposed sanctions wants a piece of the business action in Zimbabwe. Remember Enterprise Zimbabwe and various other so-called potential investors; despite Mugabe's alleged "intransigency".
By now these erstwhile supporters of the MDC-T and the world have learned about that party's duplicity and vacuousness.
After reading some of the concocted reports on Zimbabwe, many returnees have since become curious about which Zimbabwe the MDC has been talking about for close to a decade.
Some of those ZImbabweans who have been away too long now form various Diaspora organisations "to engage with Zimbabwe".
They think they have the solution, yet they fled when the going got tough in Zimbabwe.
Those that stayed kept the country together; yet they are seen as clueless by these returnees who want to reconstruct the country.
The sanctions, however, have enabled Zimbabweans to be more resourceful and entrepreneurial.
The West has lost an opportunity to benefit from the abundant resources of Zimbabwe: gold, platinum, diamonds, chrome, etc.
The best the West can do is to try and block Zimbabwe's sale of diamonds, extend sanctions, and concoct more stories about "human rights violations".
The period of lies and fabrications is, however, coming to an end as things normalise in Zimbabwe; especially after the end of the Blair-Brown project and the exit of George Bush.
These people had kept the anti-Zimbabwe campaign alive and well, to suit their own agendas.
The MDC has no solid allies anymore. They are even looking West, like their nemesis Zanu-PF.
The world has moved on even Violet Gonda cannot sit on the Hot Seat.
Even Roy Bennett's Paris speech on Zanu-PF and President Mugabe went almost unrecognised. Bennett has become angrier and louder, yet his impact has dwindled.
Tsvangirai is not the hot boy that he used to be internationally.
Those political analysts who had aligned themselves with the MDC-T are slowly withdrawing from the public arena and sneaking in and out of Zimbabwe to realign their priorities.
They write less opinion pieces and talk more about football, travel, society and other non-political issues.
The so-called "crisis in Zimbabwe" is no longer a profitable business or a source of work. People are finding real jobs now.
Former political analysts now talk about Diaspora re-engagement and have now remembered that they are technocrats or scholars afterall.
Even the brash John Makumbe is now practicing self-censorship by silencing himself.
Yet the internet has stored their previous contributions. Their predictions of Zanu-PF's demise fell by the wayside.
Those contributions are now fit for the museum, as they sound ridiculous if re-read in the current context.
Those who had "crossed the line" by alleging that certain individuals in Zanu-PF were murderers, without proof, are wary of returning home.
They fear that which they know not.
They fear the imaginary monster they created in the media.
They now spend time on Facebook admiring photographs of those who go in and out of Zimbabwe.
Their jealousy and envy becomes apparent when they come across pictures of those people who are buying properties and businesses in Zimbabwe.
Even erstwhile and exiled businessmen who had taken citizenship elsewhere now want a piece of the Zimbabwe action; even before Mugabe's departure.
The MDC-T is clutching onto its empty rhetoric during the day, and enjoying the benefits of being in government at night.
MDC-T ministers arrive at rallies in government vehicles and castigate that same government.
They go on foreign trips and castigate Zanu-PF ministers, who travel less because of sanctions, for spending too much on foreign trips.
No-one knows what Tsvangirai does on a daily basis or his two deputies.
Once in a while Tsvangirai comes out and says something negative about those he leads in the Council of Ministers.
Then reverts to his hole, only to resurface when Zanu-PF introduces another policy that he is against.
The MDC-T spends time plotting or writing the pieces for the PM's Newsletter.
They plot how to take power from Zanu-PF and how to extend their tenure in government, with or without Zanu-PF.
"We are not ready for elections" they say, exactly on the day that news reports say 70% of the electorate wants elections.
Who are they speaking on behalf of?
The MDC-T party has few commentators now. Even die-hard Tsvangirai supporters are now holing themselves up.
The MDC-T was built on that shaky ground (on various misfortunes of Zanu-PF), and has to shake the ground to exist.
But times have moved on. People have wised up and can see through the lies: the lies that the MDC-T will publish the assets of all their leaders, that they will increase civil servants' pay to a living wage.
Time does amazing things.
A week in politics is a long time. Ten years of the same old useless rhetoric from the MDC-T is debilitating, nauseating and monotonous.
There is simply no political choice in Zimbabwe, because many people do not know what the MDC-T is: a pressure group, an NGO, a political party or simply a hodge-podge of opposing interests.
People now don't really know what they will get by voting MDC-T.
The MDC-T is creating a monster in Tsvangirai by openly violating its own Constitution, extending his tenure and making him a demi-god.
That monster will 'bite' them one day.
The tell-tale signs are already there.
The highest position now in the MDC-T that one can strive for is Deputy President of the Party.
Tsvangirai will occupy the top post till pigs fly.
That is no choice for Zimbabweans; only for the MDC-T and its thinning support base.
That is why many of them are returning to the revolutionary party. Back to basics!
______________________
Tendai Midzi writes from the UK. He can be contacted via Tendai Midzi writes from the UK. He can be contacted via tendaimidzi1@yahoo.com
Labels: DIASPORA, MDC, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI
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Writer’s views quite agreeable
EDITOR — I read with interest Wadzanayi Mhondera’s article headlined "UK asylum seekers hypocrites", in The Herald issue of December 13. I agree with his views in totality. The period from 2000 can be best described as Zimbabwe’s great betrayal. As a Diasporan myself based in the UK, I have often called myself an expatriate. I am neither an asylum seeker nor a refugee.
I got leave to remain without having to concoct hair-raising stories or having to tell immigration officials stories that serve to advance their political agenda.
Because of that I have been told by other Diasporans that my views are influenced by the fact that I have never been in their situation, and they always argue that if I were in their situation, I would have done exactly the same.
I can’t answer that one because sometimes people do not do what they say, or may not be able to do what they say, even if they wanted to.
Those asylum seekers happened to be caught between a rock and a hard place.
The West’s economic sanctions against Zimbabwe were vicious and biting hard back home.
The Diaspora provided some sanctuary but in the Western world, Britain in particular, people have to sell their souls to get that reprieve, that is if they couldn’t fit in any other criteria that would entitle them legal status.
I am not very much incensed by those who just took advantage of the system.
They were in a dilemma, and had to choose between two evils, but they know where they stand, and their views remain objective and not corrupted.
The problem is the lot that has turned to believe its lies.
There was a time when I got angry when it appeared as if it was only President Mugabe arguing the case for Zimbabwe. Maybe others lacked the fora.
Yes, there were some voices like George Shire in London, Reason Wafawarova in Australia to mention just a few, but it looked like some who had the opportunity were shying away, maybe scared of being jeered at.
But can the jeering from some shallow minds be much of a bother? Jesus Christ said, "varegererei havana zvavanoziva".
Diasporans had two evils to chose from, to lie and fend for their families or to face the wrath of the evil sanctions.
Zimbabweans at home were also a great betrayal in the 2008 elections.
They voted with their stomachs.
They lied on the ballot papers with the hope that they would get some relief from the biting sanctions.
They had to choose from two options - selling their souls for a promise or facing the enemy head on and fighting him. But that promise has proved to be "nhava izere mhepo".
Cde Cad Mash.
England.
Labels: ASYLUM, DIASPORA
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Interview: Magaisa on diaspora conference
by Staff Reporter
14/12/2010 00:00:00
THE recently-formed Development Foundation for Zimbabwe (DFZ) is hosting a two-day conference on the diaspora’s role in driving development in Zimbabwe starting on Thursday in Victoria Falls.
This week, we caught up with one of the trustees of the DFZ, Alex Magaisa, to find out more about the organisation and its aims:
[NEW ZIMBABWE.COM] NZM: What is the purpose of this conference?
[ALEX MAGAISA] MAGAISA: The conference is designed to open up channels for Zimbabweans based in foreign countries, commonly referred to as the Diaspora, to participate more actively in the development processes in Zimbabwe.
Development is not a one-day event and is multi-faceted – touching as it does on economic and social circumstances as well as governance structures and processes whose efficiency is essential to progress. It’s about creating an environment that enables men and women to use their talents to the maximum and we believe the Diaspora is a key resource in the country’s development.
The Diaspora has so far been more of an outsider in the broader developmental process and has sometimes been viewed with scepticism by other key stakeholders within the country. This despite its immense contributions to the country, albeit, so far, at mostly informal levels.
NZM: But why a Diaspora conference in Victoria Falls?
MAGAISA: Well, we are not trying to re-invent the wheel. We have done our homework and we know that a number of Diaspora-related conferences and events have been held in various stations in the Diaspora, including London, Washington and Johannesburg. We realise that it’s high time the Diaspora comes home, not only because it is the home we are talking about when we talk of investment and other ideas but to show confidence to all stakeholders whom the Diaspora is seeking to engage.
In our tradition, the man who is marrying a bride may start by sending emissaries to his future in-laws but eventually he must come out and present himself personally! Also, we realise as fact that some of the stakeholders in the government, for example, are encumbered by travel restrictions from visiting certain countries where Zimbabweans are based, so engagement has not been easy.
This is an opportunity to engage everyone on home soil. We understand that not everyone in the Diaspora can make it to Victoria Falls but this must not be seen as an end in itself but as part of a series of activities and events aimed at engaging the Diaspora.
NZM: Why the focus on the Diaspora? Some will ask, are these not the same people who ran away from Zimbabwe when things got tough?
MAGAISA: It’s very easy to take a disparaging approach towards the Diaspora. A more positive view, however, is looking at the Diaspora as the representation of a country’s competitive advantage on the global economic landscape. The Diaspora has many faces – people left Zimbabwe for a variety of reasons, including the political and economic challenges of recent years.
Human beings, like all animals, learn to adapt in difficult conditions. Just as the herd of zebra travels long distances in the African Savannah to find water and greener pastures in times of need, human beings tend to migrate in response to challenges and the call of better pastures. It doesn’t make them bad people. It simply means they have adapted, and for Zimbabweans, that adaptation is thanks to the fantastic investment made by Zimbabwean taxpayers over the years – funding education, health and other social facilities that helped those in the Diaspora to become who they are.
It’s too much of a generalisation to say they all ran away from Zimbabwe. There are many who left to seek opportunities but that doesn’t mean they are permanently detached from their home country.
NZM: Well, some people who remained at home might say that the Diaspora is seeking to return because it’s tough out there. Your view?
MAGAISA: Well, it is tough in the Diaspora as many Zimbabweans who came out seeking new pastures can testify. Things can be good in the first years - higher salaries, car loans, mortgages for homes, bank loans, credit cards, etc account for that early bliss.
However, sooner or later reality bites! There is also pressure from home because everyone seems to think the Diaspora is an infinite tunnel of gold. You don’t want to disappoint family and friends so yes, one is under constant pressure.
But not everyone is struggling. Zimbabweans are intelligent and highly educated people with a wonderful work ethic and a good proportion is in incredibly good jobs. They get things done and they have done well in their new stations. There is always the odd story that is negative but every nation surely has bad apples? There are many success stories in the Diaspora and it’s a pity that we don’t often showcase our people’s successes.
Often, we highlight the bad apples and so an impression is created that the Diaspora is all bad and desperate. I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think it is fair that those wishing to return are doing so simply because they have found it tough in the Diaspora. They are coming to invest not to look for jobs so surely they must have done well.
NZM: You didn’t really answer why there is so much interest in the Diaspora?
MAGAISA: Well, if you look across the world, most countries and development agencies are fast recognising that the Diaspora is a critical resource for development. Naturally, migrants move in search of better pastures in order to help themselves, their immediate families, their parents and siblings whom they leave at home. They occasionally help their relatives and when they get more they extend their hand to the communities.
Zimbabwean migrant communities -- like the Chinese, Indian, Fillipino, Ghanaian migrants -- have been doing this for years. The World Bank reported recently that remittances to developing countries are expected to reach $325 billion by the end of 2010. This is a rise from $307 billion in 2009. And all this, during a period of severe financial constraints around the world.
The World Bank estimates that with economic recovery taking shape remittances to developing countries will rise even more in the next couple of years. And please note that these are ‘recorded’ remittances. There is more that it remitted outside the formal channels that probably goes unrecorded.
Our idea, which is by no means new and is shared by many in the field of development, is that with better institutionalisation, helping to track the patterns of migration and the flow of these remittances, governments, business and policy makers can tap into this information and formulate policies that help to safeguard and even leverage these inflows for wider development.
A significant point is that these inflows from remittances are double or even triple the magnitude of official aid to development countries.
NZM: So you say this could be a better alternative to aid?
MAGAISA: Of course, there is no doubt in my mind about that. In fact, we in Africa and most of the developing world should be moving away from dependency on aid. Africa does not need more aid, it needs more investment. Aid does not create jobs save for a few in the aid agencies but investment does and creates even more opportunities.
Aid creates a culture of laziness. Investment makes people work and produce. We should be saying ‘no to more fish’ and asking instead for fishing rods, lines and nets. In any event, the old cliché that there is no free lunch applies to aid – all that we refer to as ‘aid’ does not come free. So we have to search for alternatives to promote development and the Diaspora is a key source.
We must proceed with caution, however, because unless channelled properly and converted into investment, remittances can also lead to a culture of laziness in the recipient communities. Ask any Zimbabwean in the Diaspora and they will tell you of the challenges of sending money home every month and how they despair sometimes when however much they send, the folks at home keep demanding more but doing nothing to create other sources of income for themselves.
There is an impression that money shoots out of a natural spring in the Diaspora! It is not like that. People have to work for it and they work hard.
But we are also saying those in the Diaspora sending money home should pause and ask: is there no better way of sending this money home as an investment, create a job for the person at home and make them self-supporting so that in five years’ time, perhaps, I don’t have to be sending money every month? Calculate how much you have sent in the last five to 10 years and ask if there has been any return at all?
In most cases there is no return at all but instead more is demanded of you. That is the challenge and unless we take leadership in formulating and implementing these ideas, we will continue to bleed money.
NZM: Coming back to the DFZ, how do you see your efforts in a polarised political environment like in Zimbabwe?
MAGAISA: You know, when we are stuck or appear to have reached a cul-de-sac on any issue, one of my comrades in these Diaspora initiatives likes to raise an old quote from someone in the past which goes something like, ‘now that we have seen that it can’t be done, let us think of how it can be done’. It always raises my spirits, this reaffirmation of the idea that nothing is impossible. It’s great to have people with so much positive thinking around.
Our country has been challenged over the last few years – economically, politically and socially – there is no denying these facts. In fact, this is why we are taking these initiatives, to help our country resuscitate. There is a choice to sit back and do nothing; to take a ‘wait and see’ attitude but you know what, whilst we ‘wait and see’, many others who see opportunities in Zimbabwe are not waiting. They are taking them. By the time we have waited and seen, there will be nothing of value there.
Our country will continue to be a source of wealth for others and yet our communities will not benefit much from them. Our view is that a let’s wait and see approach is an expensive luxury.
NZM: As with any initiative like yours, it’s just a matter of time before you are dismissed as a political outfit by this group or that. How do you stay above it all?
MAGAISA: One of the most dangerous perceptions in our society is that everything is seen through the lens of politics. You know, this has caused many outstanding individuals out there to stay away from development efforts – because of the risk of being labelled with the tag of politics. We must move away from that culture where everything is perceived in political colours.
We are Zimbabweans first before we become anything else, be it businesspeople, politicians, activists, etc. That is the common and most important thread that binds us – our Zimbabweanness. So instead of saying what are these ‘politicians’ doing, perhaps we should be first asking what are these ‘Zimbabweans’ up to?
No, for the sake of clarity I must emphasise that we are non-political and non-partisan. If any of us chose to become politicians we would have joined political parties and there are many in Zimbabwe but we have chosen to focus on development projects, working with everyone who is interested in advancing this good cause. I like to think that if our country had fewer politicians and more development practitioners and businesspeople we would go very far.
NZM: But Dr Magaisa, as a columnist for New Zimbabwe.com some will say you are a critic of government, politicians. How then do you work with them?
MAGAISA: Someone once said that criticism without offering solutions is meaningless. I think the word ‘critic’ is overrated and often misused. I don’t consider myself a ‘critic’. I just see myself as a son of Zimbabwe who is enamoured with his country and its people and wants to contribute to its greatness. If it means identifying errors and suggesting ways of rectifying them, then so be it.
I like to think those who understand my work in its totality see it simply as part of a whole package designed to advance of our nation. I don’t focus on individuals, I choose to focus on ideas – placing ideas on the social marketplace and debating them with the objective of facilitating growth in ideas and institutions. Through this ‘Ideas Factory’ I have made friends and acquaintances in various forums. We agree sometimes and we agree to disagree at other times and I think that is healthy because no-one has a monopoly of ideas.
So with that in mind, I have never found myself unable to negotiate paths with people from across the country whatever their orientation in politics, economics or other indices. Respect is the key – as long as you respect each other and the idea, then working for mutual success should not be a problem. And I believe this is the same spirit that informs my colleagues in the DFZ and other Diaspora organisations trying to do their bit for Zimbabwe.
If you look back into our history, there is actually more that binds us than there is for division. In any event, I would like us to get to a stage where we deal with institutions, such as the DFZ and the ideas that inform them, rather than the individuals in them who are fallible.
NZM: Last word, Dr Magaisa?
MAGAISA: I would like to encourage Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and friends of Zimbabwe to take more seriously their role in development in all its forms. I know that individual circumstances differ and that various circumstances encumber us and therefore prevent us from doing all we would like to do. But I also know that there is a huge reservoir of interest and goodwill for Zimbabwe.
Things may not be perfect yet, but we must remember that others are exploiting the opportunities in the country whilst we wait and see. Let’s stop being perennial moaners because that may gain us pity but nothing else of substance.
Any one interested in learning more about and being involved in the DFZ’s work, please visit the website at www.dfzim.com and make contact.
Labels: ALEX MAGAISA, DIASPORA
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Diaspora group holds UK constitutional outreach meeting
By: Our reporter
Posted: Friday, October 1, 2010 5:42 am
THE Zimbabwe Diaspora Development Interface (ZDDI) will hold a constitutional outreach meeting on Saturday at the London Metropolitan University.
In a statement emailed to the Zimbabwe Guardian the meeting aims to give Zimbabwean organisations and individuals in the United Kingdom an opportunity to submit their views to the constitutional reform process in Zimbabwe.
It will be held at
"The meeting will devote the bulk of its time to public submissions along the lines of the key talking points used by Copac in its outreach exercise, but with a major focus on issues that have greater resonance with Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora," read the statement.
Copac is the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee driving the constitutional reform exercise in Zimbabwe.
Article continues below
ZDDI says it "strongly urges Zimbabweans in the UK to come forward with their views so that we can submit them to the process in Zimbabwe and ensure that the diaspora’s voice is not absent or muted".
The organisation "will collate the output from the outreach meeting into a document that we will submit directly to Copac".
ZDDI chairman Dr Alex Magaisa urged Zimbabweans in the UK to come forward and express their views and not remain at the periphery of the constitutional reform exercise taking place in Zimbabwe.
“We need to get the authorities in Zimbabwe to recognise the value of their foreign-based human capital, and this constitutional reform exercise presents the Zimbabwe diaspora with an opportunity to be proactive in advocating for their rights," says Dr Magaisa.
"We in the Diaspora must recognise that any new Constitution will affect us and our children in many ways but if we do not take action to be heard we can have no one to blame but ourselves.”
ZDDI says it sees participation in the constitutional reform exercise as an important step in promoting closer engagement between the diaspora and the inclusive Government of Zimbabwe, the business community and civil society organisations.
In September last year, ZDDI hosted an investment, migration and development conference which "contributed significantly to the makings of a new Diaspora engagement policy by the inclusive Government," according to the statement.
Meeting details
The outreach meeting will be held between 10:30am – 2pm in Room SH2-09, Stapleton House, which is at London Metropolitan University’s main campus on 166-200 Holloway Road, London, N7 8DB, a minute’s walk from Holloway Tube Station.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DIASPORA, ZIMBABWE DIASPORA DEVELOPMENT INTERFACE
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Diasporans losing out on empowerment
By: Duduzile Bhebhe
Posted: Thursday, September 16, 2010 8:11 am
DEAR EDITOR - There has been a lot of interest in Zimbabwe from foreign investors despite the anti-government campaign by the West.
Zimbabwe is endowed with a lot of resources that the West and any serious investors cannot afford to ignore. Many Western companies are going "behind their governments' back" inorder to take advantage of the investment opportunity in the country.
Unfortunately, a lot of Zimbabweans, some well-to-do, are missing out on the opportunity afforded them by the Zanu-PF government; including the indigenisation and empowerment drive.
These Zimbabweans, mainly based in the Diaspora, will one day wake up to find those that remained home ahead of them and they have no opportunity to invest in their own country.
Despite all the reports that the country has learned people and has the best literacy rate in Africa, Zimbabwe is failing to produce entrepreneurs who can fill the void (that is the business opportunity) that is in that country.
There are a lot of academics, who constantly write in cyberspace and make "predictions" about how good or bad politics in Zimbabwe is going to be in the future and when then the country will be conducive for investment.
Unfortunately these "academics and commentators" are missing the opportunity to empower themselves.
They are happy with the jobs they have in the diaspora: lecturers, engineers, doctors, nurses, care workers. They fight for "leave to remain" in those countries rather than make plans to return home.
President Mugabe, Dr Joshua Nkomo, Herbert Chitepo, Josiah Tongogara and many other heroes have fought hard for Zimbabweans to be empowered and to self-determine.
At 86, President Mugabe is still fighting and many Zimbabweans, unfortunately are failing to realise the fruits of his struggle; believing the West in the anti-Mugabe, anti Zanu-PF campaign.
When Kwame Nkurumah was fighting for Ghana, he was castigated and called many names; oftentimes by his own people. When he died in exile, Ghanaians woke up to a country, once called the Gold Coast, in the hands of foreigners.
Today, the Ghanaians can only dream of owning their own resources; which are now in the hands of the conglomerates from the West. Nigeria is lost too.
This is the tragedy of Africa -- producing too many people who would rather work for someone than take charge of their own affairs.
It is unfortunate that, rather than debate the important issues, many Zimbabweans spend time 'playing God' trying to predict when we will see the last days of President Mugabe. These people might as well wait their lifetime because only God can make that judgment.
_______________
Duduzile Bhebhe writes from Cape Town where she is a PhD student in social development.
Labels: DIASPORA, INDIGENIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT ACT (ZIMBABWE)
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COMMENT - Although I am against neoliberalism and the MDC, I agree that 32 ministries is pretty ridiculous. No country needs more than 12, with basic services delegated to lower levels of government. In my opinion.
Diaspora inclusion policy: the jangling discords
Posted By Jeff Madzingo on 6 Aug, 2010 at 5:49 pm
HUMAN resource capacity is a key asset of any nation, for what is a nation without the human factor? When a small developing nation like Zimbabwe loses so much of its human capital, one would assume that it’s a national emergency requiring a co-ordinated response.
Brain haemorrhage kills developing countries and no amount of aid can counter that. The home country always suffers as it fails to benefit from its investment in its migrating manpower.
Notwithstanding, there seems to be a tragic tendency in most developing countries when they deliberately entrench the disenfranchisement of their own Diasporas and Zimbabwe is a classical case. With the inception of the inclusive government in February 2009, many Zimbabwe Diasporas had hoped for a co-ordinated and well thought out inclusion agenda, but at best the approach to date can be described as laughable.
The jangling discords that have come to epitomise the Zimbabwe establishment’s Diaspora inclusion policy, or lack of it, reminds one of the story of a man who long ago had a brain surgery that went terribly wrong. The surgeon in the story accidentally damaged the patient’s brains such that they were only 50% functional.
Notwithstanding, the patient still had a good chance of survival so the surgery completed and the man was allowed to recuperate before being told of the bad news. On being told of the irreversible mistake, the man simply said “Hazvina basa” (“It doesn’t matter”).
To the psychiatrist, the answer symbolised the extent of the damage and the man was confined to a mental health institution for the rest of his life. For most of us who grew up in Zimbabwe, there are varying version of this famous story or call it a joke.
The level of brain drain suffered by Zimbabwe in the last decade is simply unbelievable and one can’t help but identify Zimbabwe to be the patient equivalent. The lack of a Diaspora inclusion and engagement policy on the part of the Zimbabwe government equates the ‘It doesn’t matter’ attitude in the said story.
For if it mattered, one then wonders how all the parties in the inclusive government came up with 32 ministries and completely disregard the desperate need for Diasporas inclusion. For a senior figure in the GPA to then come to the Diasporas almost two years later and argue the need for a Diaspora Ministry is simply laughable.
The lack of a clear policy, constitutional or otherwise, is tantamount to exclusion. On the one hand, there is a lot of rhetoric in the inclusive government about the need to engage the Diasporas. At the same time, one cannot help but notice that the other fundamental elements in the power sharing government would rather declare everyone non-resident non-Zimbabwean. The advocates for Diaspora disenfranchisement seem to be more steadfast and resolved and seem to be winning the tussle.
In the first week of July 2010, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that a Cabinet committee has come up with a catalogue of electoral amendments that have since been signed, sealed and delivered to the Attorney General’s Office for drafting. Of significance to Diasporas is the fact that only those on national duty abroad would be allowed to cast their ballot.
The latest amendments have prolonged the agony of those in the diaspora by continuing to disenfranchise them. In February 2005, I led a group of Zimbabweans based in the UK in a constitutional challenge to fight for the Diasporas’ right to vote in all general and presidential elections. As expected, the test Supreme Court Case 22/05 was thrown out.
One would be forgiven to think that the Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara is fully aware of the recent electoral reforms. If he is, then it is probably the right time to remind him that Diasporas would appreciate a co-ordinated and well-articulated inclusion approach rather than an ad hoc and selective inclusion as this can only further disenfranchise and marginalise the Diasporas.
Mutambara talks of a Minister for the Diaspora at the same time a government he is part of is pushing through legislation that denies Zimbabweans based abroad their right to vote. The government cannot seek to engage on the one hand and deliberately advocate disenfranchisement on the other.
In June 2009, the Prime Minister was booed off the stage in London after declaring that ‘‘Zimbabweans must come home’’, but in direct contradiction, Mutambara addressing Zimbabweans in London on July 24, 2010, said the unity government formed in February 2009 “does not desire to force people to come home”. A week earlier, also addressing Zimbabweans in London, the other Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe said: “I’m not going to say you come home, but encourage you to make your own assessment of when it would be ideal for you to come home.”
Two things are clear here, firstly, the leaders from Zimbabwe now know what to tell Diasporas to avoid being jeered off the podium and secondly, there is no co-ordinated Diaspora policy agenda. Every other Zimbabwean official visiting the Diasporas seems to think that it’s okay to come up with their own policy or directive to impress or impose on the Diaspora community.
The net result of such discords is that after the ‘small talk’, nothing happens because there is no strategy or policy framework for sustained engagement.
If ever Zimbabwe would significantly benefit from its Diasporas, there is need for coherent integration policies and strong institutional frameworks not these jangling discords.
Jeff Madzingo is the CEO of New Zimbabwe Media Limited. He can be contacted on e-mail jeff *** newzimbabwe.com
Labels: DIASPORA, JEFF MADZINGO
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Diaspora inclusion policy: the jangling discords
by Jeff Madzingo
06/08/2010 00:00:00
HUMANresource capacity is a key asset of any nation, for what is a nation without the human factor? When a small developing nation like Zimbabwe loses so much of its human capital, one would assume that it’s a national emergency requiring a co-ordinated response.
Brain haemorrhage kills developing countries and no amount of aid can counter that. The home country always suffers as it fails to benefit from its investment in its migrating manpower.
Notwithstanding, there seems to be a tragic tendency in most developing countries when they deliberately entrench the disenfranchisement of their own Diasporas and Zimbabwe is a classical case. With the inception of the inclusive government in February 2009, many Zimbabwe Diasporas had hoped for a co-ordinated and well thought out inclusion agenda, but at best the approach to date can be described as laughable.
The jangling discords that have come to epitomise the Zimbabwe establishment’s Diaspora inclusion policy, or lack of it, reminds one of the story of a man who long ago had a brain surgery that went terribly wrong. The surgeon in the story accidentally damaged the patient’s brains such that they were only 50% functional.
Notwithstanding, the patient still had a good chance of survival so the surgery completed and the man was allowed to recuperate before being told of the bad news. On being told of the irreversible mistake, the man simply said “Hazvina basa” (“It doesn’t matter”).
To the psychiatrist, the answer symbolised the extent of the damage and the man was confined to a mental health institution for the rest of his life. For most of us who grew up in Zimbabwe, there are varying version of this famous story or call it a joke.
The level of brain drain suffered by Zimbabwe in the last decade is simply unbelievable and one can’t help but identify Zimbabwe to be the patient equivalent. The lack of a Diaspora inclusion and engagement policy on the part of the Zimbabwe government equates the ‘It doesn’t matter’ attitude in the said story.
For if it mattered, one then wonders how all the parties in the inclusive government came up with 32 ministries and completely disregard the desperate need for Diasporas inclusion. For a senior figure in the GPA to then come to the Diasporas almost two years later and argue the need for a Diaspora Ministry is simply laughable.
The lack of a clear policy, constitutional or otherwise, is tantamount to exclusion. On the one hand, there is a lot of rhetoric in the inclusive government about the need to engage the Diasporas. At the same time, one cannot help but notice that the other fundamental elements in the power sharing government would rather declare everyone non-resident non-Zimbabwean. The advocates for Diaspora disenfranchisement seem to be more steadfast and resolved and seem to be winning the tussle.
In the first week of July 2010, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced that a Cabinet committee has come up with a catalogue of electoral amendments that have since been signed, sealed and delivered to the Attorney General’s Office for drafting. Of significance to Diasporas is the fact that only those on national duty abroad would be allowed to cast their ballot.
The latest amendments have prolonged the agony of those in the diaspora by continuing to disenfranchise them. In February 2005, I led a group of Zimbabweans based in the UK in a constitutional challenge to fight for the Diasporas’ right to vote in all general and presidential elections. As expected, the test Supreme Court Case 22/05 was thrown out.
One would be forgiven to think that the Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara is fully aware of the recent electoral reforms. If he is, then it is probably the right time to remind him that Diasporas would appreciate a co-ordinated and well-articulated inclusion approach rather than an ad hoc and selective inclusion as this can only further disenfranchise and marginalise the Diasporas.
Mutambara talks of a Minister for the Diaspora at the same time a government he is part of is pushing through legislation that denies Zimbabweans based abroad their right to vote. The government cannot seek to engage on the one hand and deliberately advocate disenfranchisement on the other.
In June 2009, the Prime Minister was booed off the stage in London after declaring that ‘‘Zimbabweans must come home’’, but in direct contradiction, Mutambara addressing Zimbabweans in London on July 24, 2010, said the unity government formed in February 2009 “does not desire to force people to come home”. A week earlier, also addressing Zimbabweans in London, the other Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe said: "I’m not going to say you come home, but encourage you to make your own assessment of when it would be ideal for you to come home.”
Two things are clear here, firstly, the leaders from Zimbabwe now know what to tell Diasporas to avoid being jeered off the podium and secondly, there is no co-ordinated Diaspora policy agenda. Every other Zimbabwean official visiting the Diasporas seems to think that it’s okay to come up with their own policy or directive to impress or impose on the Diaspora community.
The net result of such discords is that after the ‘small talk’, nothing happens because there is no strategy or policy framework for sustained engagement.
If ever Zimbabwe would significantly benefit from its Diasporas, there is need for coherent integration policies and strong institutional frameworks not these jangling discords.
Jeff Madzingo is the CEO of New Zimbabwe Media Limited. He can be contacted on e-mail jeff *** newzimbabwe.com
Labels: DIASPORA
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Zambians in UK back dual citizenship clause
By Moses Kuwema
Mon 02 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT
ZAMBIANS living in the United Kingdom have observed that the 15-year continuous residence period needed for spouses of Zambian nationals to qualify for citizenship as proposed in the NCC draft constitution is too long.
Submitting their comments to the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) during a meeting held at St George’s Hotel on Friday, the delegates welcomed the clause that recommends dual citizenship, but bemoaned the 15-year continuous residence as being too long.
They also observed that the 40-day period given by the NCC to the nation to go through the draft Constitution and make recommendations was too short.
“A Constitution is a document of substance whose sanctity should not be devalued by depriving citizens the right of participation in its input by way of giving a short period of feedback as demonstrated by the forty days given by the NCC to the Nation. They had almost three years working on ideas which were already in public domain and were a brainchild of the people as submitted through the previous Constitutional Commissions,” they observed.
They observed that while a lot of Zambians in the Diaspora had amassed a lot of wealth after taking up citizenship in their adopted countries, they still longed to invest in their country of birth, but felt alienated because their own country did not appreciate them as exhibited by the incessant affront they faced at home for having taken up citizenship in their adopted countries.
The Zambians also observed that while the draft constitution recommends that a Presidential candidate should have been a resident of Zambia for a continuous period of 10 years immediately preceding the election, the document was silently ambiguous on the status of those who were domiciled abroad for the purpose of studies.
“This ambiguity is disturbing in a country which does not have many institutions of higher learning in that it sends most of its tertiary students outside the country, given that the minimum period of higher education from a first degree to a PhD is seven years,” they observed.
On the degree clause, they observed that some chiefs did not have degrees, and yet they administered the affairs of their people better than some degree holders who were on record as having failed to run some companies.
The delegates also felt let down by the Zambian High Commission in the UK, which they said should have been the one sensitising the people about the NCC draft constitution.
They also felt that the NCC should have also gone as far as recommending that they be given the right to vote, as they were a constituency in their own right, given the numbers of those in the Diaspora.
Labels: DIASPORA, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC
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COMMENT - The Gospel according to Deputy PM Mutambara, MDC-M. And these are the guys the UK and US want to take over the government of Zimbabwe from the Liberation movement, ZANU-PF.
Zimbabwe unveils plan for minister for Diaspora
by Staff Reporter
27/07/2010 00:00:00
A MASS return of Zimbabweans living abroad “would be a disservice to the country”, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara said as he revealed plans by the power sharing government to appoint a Minister for the Diaspora.
Mutambara told a meeting of exiles in London last Saturday that the unity government formed in February 2009 “does not desire to force people to come home” – contradicting sharply a call by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in June last year that Zimbabweans “must all come home”.
Mutambara said: “Zimbabweans must serve the national interest wherever they are, they must strive to build the country from their foreign bases.
“Take Jews for instance, they are in the American government as Jews, they are in the British government, they are in Wall Street as Jews. They take care of Jewish aspirations wherever they are.”
Mutambara said there were on-going discussions to appoint a minister for the Diaspora – with as many as four million Zimbabweans thought to be living semi-permanently in foreign countries, mainly South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and New Zealand.
Responding to questions from asylum seekers concerned about being deported, and others who said they wanted to be allowed to work in Britain, Mutambara said he wanted to “see Zimbabweans empowered here so that they can do whatever they can to help their country”.
However, he insisted that the policy not to allow asylum seekers to work was a “sovereign issue for Britain”.
“In discussions with our British counterparts we do ask them to create conditions that allow Zimbabweans who are here an opportunity to be productive. That’s an area which emphasises the importance of having a minister specifically in charge of the Diaspora constituency, to take up these issues,” the Deputy Prime Minister said, echoing sentiments of the second Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, who visited Britain three weeks ago and also appeared to distance herself from Tsvangirai’s position made soon after the new government was sworn in.
Mutambara insisted that the new government had made progress in the areas of human rights, media freedoms, health and education.
“The truth of the matter is that things are slowly changing, I can’t deny that,” the Oxford-educated former NASA rocket scientist said. “I would encourage those of you who want to take a plunge to go ahead and do so. I took a plunge and I’m doing rather well as you can see.
Mutambara said the unity government would put in place measures to ensure returning Zimbabweans “are not harassed”.
Labels: ARTHUR MUTAMBARA, DIASPORA
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Zimbabwe diaspora should fight against sanctions
By: Dambudzo Mapuranga
Posted: Friday, April 23, 2010 11:53 am
THE Zimbabwe Diaspora Community has been calling for three things as Zimbabwe moves towards a new Constitution. The community wants the new constitution to give them voting rights, dual citizenship and non-resident Members of Parliament.
While figures vary it is estimated that there are about 4,5 million Zimbabweans across the globe and the majority of them are in South Africa and the United Kingdom. These individuals have made a significant impact on the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans back home not only as they contribute economically through remittances but also the gap they have left has cataclysmically affected the country socially and politically.
The chief reason Zimbabwe’s Diaspora puts forward for wanting voting rights, dual citizenship and non-resident Members of Parliament is that the Diaspora as a collective is an economic powerhouse.
According to Gilbert Muponda of the ENG debacle the Zimbabwe Diaspora is a source of permanent cash to Zimbabwe and as such deserves to have a say on how the country is run.
The major thorn to the Diaspora rose is that the community is not organized and as such cannot speak with one voice. There are two types of Zimbabweans in this community – the academics, those who left to further their education and the majority is made up of those who left for economic reasons.
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There are however those who argue that there is a third group made up of those who left for political reasons. When truly analysed, this third group really consists of individuals who have used politics as a means to gain access to the West but their chief reason for leaving Zimbabwe is economic. There are of course those like Gilbert Muponda who claim political persecution from the Government all the while being criminals who should come back to Zimbabwe and face the music.
Voices from the Diaspora
It has become fashionable for many in the Diaspora to claim the only way they will come back to Zimbabwe or invest in their mother country is when President Robert Mugabe has been removed from power.
The question that then begs to be asked is “Exactly whom do they expect to do their bidding?” Zimbabwe’s current population is estimated to be around 13 million and the Diaspora is just but a quarter of this. Can it then be safely assumed that this one-quarter of the population regards itself superior to the majority who have remained in Zimbabwe and borne the brunt of the economic and political on slaughter of the West?
Would it not have been more prudent for the Diaspora to actually show it patriotism by standing together with Zimbabwe against this onslaught and yet many within the Diaspora have taken advantage of this situation to personally benefit on the backs of the suffering of the majority back home.
There are those within the Diaspora who claim because they have brought properties this should translate into dual citizenship and voting rights. They claim these properties for which they pay taxes and other related rates serve to develop the social infrastructure.
If they really had any touch with reality they would know that such trivialities have no major impact on Zimbabwe’s economy as a whole. What they have done is make a personal investment from which they expect to get a return sooner or later and like any investor this does not warrant them getting dual citizenship or voting rights. The next step from this would be giving every investor in every sector of or economy citizenship and voting rights because they are contributing something to Zimbabwe.
Does that really sound sensible?
Many in the Diaspora are not doing well. Should not this be time for them to re-evaluate their priorities and return to Zimbabwe?
A significant number of Zimbabweans in South Africa and the United Kingdom are there illegally, some are not certain that their refugee or asylum papers will ever go through and others continue to soldier on waiting for the day that Home Affairs catches up with them and deports them.
The few professionals who have established themselves and those few individuals who have made a killing due to their political connectivity by promising desperate Zimbabweans legal papers are drives of the Zimbabwe Diaspora debate because they have specific goals. Their selfishness feeds on the fears and insecurities of a majority who would be better of in Zimbabwe picking up the pieces and rebuilding their country.
Most Zimbabweans are afraid their fate will be decided by a handful of people far off with no real allegiance to the country, with no real understanding of what the situation on the ground is. Should they have the same rights as the Diaspora just because it represents 7.2% of the Gross Domestic Product? Should they have the same rights as men and women who over the years cheered and pushed for foreign governments to deny us development funds?
Now is the time to look and learn
Instead of just pointing at what other countries have done for their Diaspora communities, it is time Zimbabwe’s Diaspora emulated what other communities have done for their countries.
The Diaspora needs to organize itself so that it not only speaks but acts with one voice. It needs to find balance such that it is reflective of the views of the majority not of a handful of Zimbabweans as has been currently been taking place, where a few individuals form associations creating a façade of membership with the ultimate goal being that of personal enrichment.
The threat of manipulation by political parties runs high and as such there have to be safe guards against the usual individuals who are known to take advantage of events to further their political aspirations.
The Diaspora needs to understand that theirs is a role for the benefit of an entire nation and not for a political party, ethnic group or individual.
The damage caused by the brain drain on Zimbabwe’s social and economic development is hardly offset by the financial transfers made by the Diaspora. What else can the Diaspora do in order to tip the balance in favour of a more positive impact on the country?
Meet the Challenge
It is time that the Zimbabwe Diaspora started putting its money where its mouth is literary and figuratively. Instead of speaking ill of Zimbabwe, let it start showing its patriotism and connection to their fellow countrymen back home.
Let the Diaspora engage policymakers, the private sector and the media across the globe to reverse the negativity that many helped fan with their lies and deceit. Not only will such action separate those who truly have an attachment to Zimbabwe and wish to see its development, but also it will right a wrong that some diasporans committed against their countrymen over the past decade.
Civic society groups in the Diaspora should undertake community-based projects to educate their counterparts on the benefits of standing as a united people who can rise above their differences and protect their country’s image.
As things stand, there are no Zimbabwean-funded civic societies, instead what we have are civic societies who depend on foreign aid and many have become parrots that sing to the tune of their paymasters.
What Zimbabwe needs are independently funded civic groups that effectively advocate Zimbabwe’s development.
For once let us have individuals who instead of petitioning the EU to place punitive measures on Zimbabwe, petition and advocate the EU for a better relationship with Zimbabwe based on mutual respect.
While the Diaspora has been arguing for voting rights and non-resident Members of Parliament they have not put forward a mechanism as to how this community will synchronize its input and that of the majority of Zimbabweans back home. How will the Diaspora support the country and its leadership and take part in policy formulation when many of them have had no real touch with the country except what they tell each other, read on the internet and see in the media?
What real investment can the Diaspora bring to Zimbabwe? It is apparent that with the exception of a few individuals in this community, many are struggling to get by and cannot offer a robust, vibrant and competitive investment.
Zimbabwe’s private sector does not need more micro and small sized enterprises. It needs to move these to the next level and provide an avenue of absorbing its unemployed.
The Diaspora should serve as a catalyst for channelling investment into Zimbabwe on their own right but also through seeking out and facilitating investments by companies. It is important to note that what Zimbabwe needs are investors not donors.
Instead of crying foul over being left out, now is time for the Diaspora to prove that it has direction and is not a fragmented grouping lead by dubious individuals whose primary goal is to see the continued on slaughter of Zimbabwe so as to remain relevant politically and economically.
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Dambudzo Mapuranga writes from the United States. He can be reached via mapurangad *** yahoo.com
Labels: DIASPORA, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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There’s urgent need to gather the Diaspora, says Sichilima
By Fridah Zinyama
Sat 13 Mar. 2010, 20:00 CAT
A Zambian living in the Diaspora has said there is urgent need for Zambia to gather its diaspora in order to bring meaningful development to the country.
Reflecting over a World Bank African Diaspora Open House meeting held in Washington DC last month, Chasaya Sichilima said the global financial crisis brought to the fore the fact that Zambia needs to start engaging its diaspora on a level that will bring meaningful development to the country.
“Unlike foreigners, they will not run away when the going gets tough,” he said. “They mourn, struggle and overcome challenges of their kin.
Though far away, their hearts and minds are home. Indeed, this is the 10th province of Zambia and needs to be courted aggressively.”
Sichilima said even though one could not claim that the diaspora was the panacea to Zambia’s development war, it had been an under-utilised additional weapon.
“The open house afforded me an opportunity to share and gather ideas and experiences,” he said.
“For a country like ours which is just beginning to embrace its Diaspora, there were lessons learnt on how we can move the process further and contribute to the nation’s development.”
Sichilima noted that it also brought home the reality of how Zambians living in the diaspora missed out on international fora that would add value to Zambia.
“Other countries are not waiting for us,” he said. “My hope is that the government and the people of Zambia will seek to partner with the World Bank on the African Diaspora Programme so that when the next Open House is held, Zambia will be among those countries mentioned as having projects with and succeeding in engaging its diaspora.”
Sichilima said the time was ripe for others to hear about how wonderful and resilient Zambians were, as a people.
The African Diaspora Program (ADP) is a World Bank initiative to implement a number of specific activities which would affect directly and positively the African Diaspora and their activities in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
The second African Diaspora Open House was an opportunity to share information on progress made to date with the ADP, as well as reflect on and seek advice on areas where progress has been less than anticipated.
Participants joined Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Bank managing director, Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank vice-president for African Region, Dr Jinmi Adisa, director, Citizens and Diaspora Directorate at the African Union Commission and Bockari Kortu Stevens, ambassador of Siera Leone to the United States.
Labels: AFRICAN DIASPORA OPEN HOUSE, AFRICAN DIASPORA PROGRAM (WORLD BANK), CHASAYA SICHILIMA, DIASPORA
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Biti proposes to tax Zimbabweans abroad
TZG/VOA
Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:30:00 +0000
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti has a new plan to raise funds - taxing those Zimbabweans who are living abroad. Minister Biti unveiled the plan in a national reconstruction report unveiled by Biti at a seminar at Manchester University, England, recently.
Around 3 million Zimbabweans are estimated now live abroad, many of them in South Africa and the UK. Biti's report added that expatriates should feel the government values them, so it proposes “confidence-building” steps including dual citizenship and absentee ballots.
Most left the country for economic reasons during the past 10 years, and together they send around US$1 billion home each year in remittances. Biti has now proposed a new migrant tax. He said the money could be used to fund the health and education sectors. If foreign-based Zimbabweans pay the tax, they will get to keep their citizenship and should also be allowed to vote in coming elections.
"Clearly this would be controversial but it could be a way for migrants to contribute directly to the state budget," the report states.
The report also addressed the longstanding problem of brain-drain, noting that many in the diaspora are professionals whose skills are needed at home.
"The inclusive government will need to find ways to lure them back (even for short periods) to share their skills and knowledge," said Biti's report.
"It is probably in these non-pecuniary remittances that Zimbabwe could gain the most," it continued. "The health and education sectors should be targeted most as these were the areas hardest hit by the brain drain."
Labels: DIASPORA, TAXATION, TENDAI BITI
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