Gold deposits discovered in Hwange
This article was written by Our reporter on 17 February, at 22 : 35 PM
Gold deposits have reportedly been discovered at a village cemetery in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North Province. Mlonga Village 17, Jambezi area under Chief Shana in Hwange District is the new area where gold will soon be mined.
Police have already condoned off the area to stop illegal gold panning amid reports that a team of geologists from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has been to the area where it collected samples of the soils for further analysis.
Confirming the discovery of the gold deposits yesterday, Dr Obert Mpofu, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, said just like the fellow villagers in Mlonga area and Hwange District in particular, he was also eagerly awaiting results from the geologists.
“Yes I can confirm that suspected gold deposits could have been found in Mlonga area in Jambezi area. We are working closely with Chief Shana and the local leadership so that if confirmed, the resource benefit the locals.
“Right now, our officials are working on the samples they got from the area to ascertain whether there is indeed gold. If it is there we will be very happy, happy for the community and happy for the country,” said Dr Mpofu.
He said Hwange District like the rest of Matabeleland North Province was endowed with abundant natural resources adding that there was manganese and tin among other mineral resources, which should be exploited for the benefit of local communities.
“Hwange District has always been a huge contributor to the economy for example Hwange Colliery Company has for the past 50 years been producing coal, which is helping the whole country,” he said.
“We also have power, which is generated in Hwange. So the district is doing a lot for the country and now we are talking of gold reserves, siyajabula sibili because, as I have said before, resources should benefit locals.”
TC/TZG/TH
Labels: CHIEF SHANA, GOLD, HWANGE, MATABELELAND NORTH, OBERT MPOFU
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COMMENT - This is from the Voice Of America, so of course the Black Empowerment Program is 'controversial' and 'some people say...', etc.
Mugabe launches Matabeleland North community share trust
18/10/2012 00:00:00
by Sandra Nyaira I VOA
RESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Thursday launched
community share ownership trusts in Hwange, Matabeleland North Province, amid reports that some of the funds raised under the
controversial black economic empowerment programme have allegedly been looted in some regions.
The scheme covering Hwange, Umguza, Bubi, Binga, Tsholotsho, Nkayi and Lupane was launched at the Hwange Colliery Stadium and is worth $14.5 million – a contribution from foreign-owned mining firms operating in the districts.
Government ministers, chiefs and the local communities attended the launch where Mugabe urged communities to safeguard their resources and use them for their benefit.
The president said his party and government will continue to champion the broad-based empowerment of ordinary Zimbabweans and blasted international firms he claimed are only interested in taking resources from the country without improving the lives of people at the grassroots level.
Mugabe said despite coal being discovered in Hwange over 100 years ago, local communities have only benefited as workers.
“Indigenisation is one such deliberate intervention that seeks to economically empower previously disadvantaged Zimbabweans and create conditions that enhance their economic status, democratise ownership of productive assets of the country and promote development of a competitive domestic private sector that will spearhead economic growth and development,” Mugabe said.
“Employee and community share ownership schemes are key strategies which will expose both the employee and communities into the mainstream economy and partake in benefits accruing from the exploitation of their God-given resources.”
But there have been concerns that some chiefs have been looting the community share trust funds at the expense of ordinary people, with growing calls for the trusts to publish details of how the money is spent.
Under the community trust scheme, the Matabeleland North districts will get 10 percent equity in businesses exploiting natural resources in their area.
The qualifying businesses are bringing in a cumulative sum of US$4 million in seed capital to the trusts.
Other trusts launched so far are Mhondoro-Ngezi-Zvimba; Tongogara; Matabeleland South; Mimosa and Marange-Zimunya.
Labels: MATABELELAND NORTH, ROBERT MUGABE
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MDCT youths in court for allegedly breaking into court
Thursday, 06 October 2011 21:18 Crime & Courts
Victoria Falls Reporter
MDC-T Matabeleland North provincial youth chairperson Limukani Ncube and his two alleged accomplices including a security guard were on Tuesday hauled before Hwange magistrate, Mr Collet Ncube on allegations of breaking into the Victoria Falls Magistrate Court where they allegedly stole court documents.
Ncube, Thabani Dlamini and Clifford Muzamba, the security guard, who was on duty when the court was broken into, briefly appeared before Mr Ncube where they denied the charge of unlawful entry and theft. They were remanded in custody to 17 October.
Ncube and Dlamini told the court that they were never at the court on the night of 25 September when the alleged crime was committed.
On the other hand, Muzamba is alleging that the two tied him before untying him after stealing the court documents.
It is the State case that on 25 September at Victoria Falls magistrate court, Ncube and Dlamini arrived and found Muzamba on night duty manning the premises.
They allegedly used duplicate keys to gain entry into the office where the documents were kept and stole six court documents.
After stealing the documents, Ncube and Dlamini vanished into the night and Muzamba went and made a report at the Victoria Falls Police Station, the court heard.
Police investigations led to the trio’s arrest.
Coincidentally, Ncube was in court on 25 September together with four councillors and some MDC-T youths who allegedly manhandled Victoria Falls Mayor, Councillor Nkosilathi Jiyane during a ward meeting in January.
Ncube appeared before magistrate, Mr Richard Ramaboea, together with Clrs Paulos Chiliwede, Bernard Nyamambi, Taruvinga Makoti and Nkululeko Nyoni with youths Fredrick Ngwenya, Bongani Moyo, Robson Salimu, and Innocent Ncube.
They are facing allegations of disrupting a public gathering.
They were further remanded to 17 October for continuation of the trial.
Allegations are that on 6 January, they disrupted a meeting called by the Clr Jiyane and allegedly threatened and ordered him to stop the meeting.
Labels: COURTS, MATABELELAND NORTH, MDC VIOLENCE
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Anthrax outbreak in Tsholotsho
Friday, 07 October 2011 20:17 Agriculture
Chronicle Reporters
An outbreak of anthrax has been reported in two areas of Tsholotsho district with 34 cattle reportedly having died in the past week.
In a telephone interview yesterday, the Tsholotsho district administrator, Mr Themba Moyo, who is the chairperson of the district Civil Protection Unit, said 12 cases had been observed in people.
“These are confirmed cases and they are all from Bubude area of the district. The outbreak has also been reported in the Dlamini area with 30 cattle having died from suspected anthrax while four cases in humans were reported at Dlamini Clinic,” he said.
Mr Moyo said the results were from a rapid assessment carried out by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the Veterinary Services Department. The police and the Veterinary Services Department have been asked to mount roadblocks to limit the movement of meat to and from areas outside the district while transportation and slaughter of any beasts has been banned until the situation has been brought under control.
“We got the first report over the weekend and the Civil Protection Unit held an emergency meeting today. We are expecting to send about five teams per day so that we cover the whole district,” said the Tsholotsho assistant district administrator, Mr Kelvin Mayoyo.
Mr Mayoyo said the district is yet to get vaccination but remained optimistic that they would get some from Harare. He said they were facing serious fuel challenges as they needed about 600 litres of diesel if they were to effectively prevent the disease from spreading to more humans.
“We urge villagers to desist from eating meat from cows suspected to have died from the disease. Villagers should burn the carcass instead of endangering their lives by consuming the meat,” said Mr Mayoyo.
The district has since written a letter to the Matabeleland North Provincial Administrator, Ms Latiso Dlamini, informing her of the disease outbreak. Mr Mayoyo said non-governmental organisations operating in the district have offered to assist authorities in containing the disease. The district suffered a similar outbreak last year around July.-CHRONICLE
Labels: MATABELELAND NORTH, PUBLIC HEALTH
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Stop mourning, do something: Msipa
Thursday, 30 June 2011 01:00
Bulawayo Bureau
PEOPLE from Matabeleland should not mourn about their situation but instead take part in developing their area, Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Cephas Msipa has said.
Adding his voice to the debate on the marginalisation of Matabeleland, Cde Msipa urged people from the region to participate in the indigenisation campaign, but indicated that other provinces were also facing development challenges similar to Matabeleland.
In an interview in Gweru on Sunday, Cde Msipa, a former Midlands Provincial Governor said people from Matabeleland should stop mourning about the marginalisation of the region, but instead, take the indigenisation and economic empowerment programme as the best chance for them to develop the region. Cde Msipa said people from Matabeleland region should make sure that they actively participate in the ongoing indigenisation and economic empowerment programme to make sure that they actively take part in the development of the region.
He said decentralisation was also the only way to go, dismissing calls to make the region a separate state as "nonsensical."
"There has been heated talk of Matabeleland region with some people from the region complaining that the region is marginalised more than any other province in the country. Yes it's a fact that each province in the country's 10 provinces is more or less different from the other in as far as resources are concerned. In light of this, Government has the responsibility to see that these resources are equitably distributed to all the provinces.
I am, however, of the view that the people from Matabeleland should stop mourning about their situation and take this ongoing indigenisation and economic empowerment programme as the stepping stone towards active participation in developing the region," he said.
Vice President John Landa Nkomo, contributing to the debate, recently challenged people from the region to make sure that they "add value" to the development of the region and "stop singing the marginalisation chorus".
VP Nkomo has also preferred to refer to the problems facing the region as "marginalisation" but rather preferred to address the situation as "delayed success".
Cde Msipa said the focus of marginalisation should not be on Matabeleland region only as if everything was normal in other provinces around the country.
"Those who have raised the alarm from the Matabeleland region should not assume that everything is normal in other provinces. Yes, the continuous closure of companies that are relocating to Harare might have a bigger impact in Matabeleland and Bulawayo because Bulawayo is the second largest city in the country.
"This problem is, however, in every province and if you talk of the Midlands province, three is no industry ticking at the present moment, talk of the giant Zvishavane asbestos mine, Ziscosteel in Redcliff and Zim Alloys in Gweru, nothing is showing there," he said.
Cde Msipa said Midlands province used to have a strong industrial base, but has now seen a dramatic fall with many companies closing.
"Over five thousand people at Shabanie mine alone have so far lost jobs in the province. In Gweru there is a joke now that the popular Mtapa cemetery has extended to the industry the same is in Masvingo province and there is really a serious need for Government to see to it that the economy's industry gets back on track. This should ,however, be looked on at a broader perspective than isolating regions or provinces as this will not help us as Zimbabweans," he said.
The former provincial Governor said there was also a need for the speeding up of the decentralisation process.
"We cannot continue to have everything being done in Harare in as far as the public and private sector as are concerned. You go to a bank today seeking urgent assistance you will be referred to Harare.
This is the same with government offices and we cant develop as a nation if we continue to say everything, whether it is in the private or public sector should be done in Harare as if Harare is everything," he said.
Cde Msipa said the call for secession of Matabeleland region by the Mthwakazi Liberation Front was nonsensical and described those who were behind the idea as "daydreamers".
"I find it even a waste of time and stupid top comment on this because it's nonsensical to comment on things that are being said by people when they are desperately seeking attention. We are better united as a nation than divided," he said.
Cde Msipa each province and region had its strengths and weaknesses and the country could only develop when provinces and regions complement each other.
"In the Midlands for example there are a lot of minerals , in Mashonaland central they thrive on farming and the produce there is very good. If we combine all and try to develop our nation, we will build a better
Zimbabwe than we would when divided and separated," he said.
Labels: DECENTRALIZATION, MATABELELAND NORTH, MATABELELAND SOUTH
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ZAPU will contest Mat. by-elections
by Lindie Whiz
21/07/2009 00:00:00
THE revived Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) says it will contest three by-elections triggered by the expulsion of three MPs by the Arthur Mutambara-led MDC. The party said it considered the constituencies of Bulilima East in Matabeleland South and Nkayi South and Lupane East in Matabeleland North as its “traditional home ground”.
“ZAPU is excited by the prospect of a by-election for the House of Assembly for Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima East. ZAPU is geared to enter the race in the three constituencies,” said the party’s director of communications Methuseli Moyo in a statement released on Tuesday.
The MDC announced on Monday it had expelled Nkayi South MP Abednico Bhebhe, Bulilima East legislator Norman Mpofu and Njabuliso Mguni of Lupane East after they were found guilty of misconduct.
The party said it had informed the Speaker of Parliament of its decision. When the Speaker informs the President, he may call a by-election.
Zanu PF and the other MDC formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai are barred from taking part in the by-elections by a power sharing agreement signed on September 15 last year. The deposed MPs can, however, contest as independents or members of other parties.
ZAPU completed a pull-out from a 1997 unity accord with President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party at a congress in May.
Dumiso Dabengwa, a former cabinet minister, was voted as interim leader.
Should the party field candidates in the by-election, it will be its first major test of strength in a region where it enjoyed overwhelming support before the merger with Zanu PF.
Moyo said: “ZAPU calls on all its supporters who strayed into the two MDC formations and are finding life difficult there, and those who are still with Zanu PF, to come back home.
“The revival of the party has been accomplished. The upcoming by-elections will prove to all that ZAPU is back forever."
Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, MATABELELAND NORTH, MATABELELAND SOUTH, ZAPU
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