(HERALD ZW) Chiadzwa: Only one miner to stay….•Move to improve accountability • Seven companies face audit
January 25, 2014
Lloyd Gumbo Herald Reporter—-
Government wants only one company to mine diamonds in Chiadzwa as it takes practical steps to improve accountability and transparency in the sector. The State is already auditing the seven firms mining diamonds in the Chiadzwa fields as a first step to rationalising operations.
The audits will cover miners’ operations from the time they first set up shop. The seven companies in Chiadzwa are Mbada Diamonds, Marange Resources, Anjin Investments, Diamond Mining Company, Jinan, Kusena and Gye Nyame.
They operate as joint ventures with, or are in one instance wholly-owned by the Government through the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told the National Assembly on Thursday: “Firstly, we will look at a particular company and demand information on how many diamonds have been taken from the country and secondly how much they have been sold for.
“We need to know that as a country. What we want to do is to cut down on these other companies and identify a company which will work in conjunction with the Government so that we do not have these small companies working on our diamonds.
“This will take time. It is not an event, but a process.”
Minister Chinamasa said his Mines and Mining Development counterpart, Walter Chidhakwa, had made it clear that he was looking into the operations of diamond mining companies and would come up with a report on his findings.
President Mugabe has already expressed concern with the below par contributions mining is making to the national economy and he wants the sector rationalised and better controlled to ensure revenues from the sector benefit the entire country more fully.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-In-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces made the remarks at the 14th Annual National People’s Conference last month in Chinhoyi.
Labels: CHIADZWA, DIAMONDS, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(HERALD ZW) Chinamasa defends land reform
January 17, 2014 Wenceslaus Murape Headlines, Top Stories
Business Editor
COMMENT - John Robertson (and Eric Bloch) are rhodesians well past their sell by date, who think that neoliberalism is their ticket back into power. And like neoliberals, they provide no historical evidence for their claims - they are all (self serving) theory, all the time. Why would anyone take 'good advice' from their enemies? - MrK
FINANCE Minister Patrick Chinamasa on Wednesday lashed out at critics who are quick to condemn the country’s property rights, saying Government — through land reform — had corrected this anomaly by taking back land. Minister Chinamasa was reacting to remarks made by economist Dr John Robertson who tried to link economic decline to the land reform of the early 2000s.
Dr Robertson, in his presentation at the Mandel-Gibbs Economic Symposium, said Government erred in embarking on the land reform programme and adopting indigenisation policies because these had destroyed property rights.
He said land reform resulted in the loss of 450 000 jobs since 1998 as opposed to 800 000 that he claimed would have been created since then if the policy had not been adopted.
How about the loss of jobs from 1991 to 1996, when his neoliberal policies were applied as ESAP? Somehow, John Robertson, 'the economist' conveniently forgot about that. Google: tragic imf zimbabwe juhasz. - MrK
“At the same time Foreign Direct Investment levels slipped just after Government began to make threats using its indigenisation law. A lot of people who can create and innovate for growth have gone away.
“Government needs to re-affirm and recognise property rights if we are to register any kind of growth,” he said.
Dr Robertson, whose commentary is almost always centred on emotive reactions to land reform and indigenisation, suggested that there was need to reverse these policies.
However, Minister Chinamasa said Government had actually addressed the matter of property rights by embarking on land re-distribution.
“The only issue we are dealing with at the moment is on the tradable rights but we are working on that,” he said in apparent reference to the need to make offer letters and leases bankable.
He said it was disheartening that Dr Roberston referred to a historical trend that had disenfranchised locals as a good reference point.
“It had to take an armed struggle for the people of this country to correct inequalities brought about by colonisers who disregarded property rights.
“It’s clear who does not respect property rights as the majority of the people were excluded from owning their heritage,” said Minister Chinamasa.
He said Dr Robertson chose the wrong platform to give an incorrect history lecture. Minister Chinamasa said through the indigenisation law, Government had set the foundation for economic recovery as ordinary people now in controlled their resources and were economically empowered.
Labels: LAND REFORM, NEOLIBERALISM, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE, 'THE SOURCE') Chinamasa: Foreign banks sanctioning us
15/01/2014 00:00:00
by The Source
FINANCE Minister, Patrick Chinamasa has accused local banks of imposing sanctions on the country by reducing lines of credit by 95 percent to $40 million from $800 million over a decade ago.
“They are managing an exit strategy out of our economy,” Chinamasa said at an economic forum on Wednesday. “Why are they doing that, is it because they don’t like the government, they don’t like the country?”
He urged banks to harness resources that he said were awash in the informal sector so that they could be channelled towards economic development.
“They (informal traders) are keeping their money under the pillow. I want innovative ways to tap this value back into the formal sector so that Treasury can reap the benefits through inflows into the fiscus,” he said.
Chinamasa said he wanted help finding solutions to the economic mire and the infrastructural deficit.
“I am reasonably acquainted with the nature of our problems. There is no purpose for you to go to town to tell me what I already know. What we want is to basically come up with solutions that get us out of our situation.
“Don’t rise and repeat that there is a deficit of energy, the roads are in bad conditions, that I already know. What I want to understand is how we can mobilise resources to address these fundamental issues,” he said.
He invited the private sector and any other interested parties to submit suggestions on the 2014 budget by the end of this week so that he could consider them.
“If I think that you have made good ideas, innovative, creative solutions, I will take them on board,” he said.
Labels: PATRICK CHINAMASA, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Zim to lobby for $6.1bln debt write-off
22/01/2014 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
ZIMBABWE will this year actively lobby creditors to have its $6,1 billion debt written off after completing an audit and validation of the obligations last year, a cabinet minister has revealed.
The audit and validation exercise established that Zimbabwe’s debt was $6,1 billion contrary to initial International Monetary Fund estimates of $11 billion.
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said the country would seek debt relief and also lobby for fresh assistance to rebuild its capacity to meet its obligations.
“We will reengage the auditors for debt relief. We are looking at a number of ways of finding innovative debt relief. AfDB agreed to look at that while helping us with some funding, although this is still in small way,” he said.
Chinamasa said government would continue to ask multilateral creditors for additional funding to rebuild capacity to meet obligations as lack of resources means the country cannot make any meaningful progress.
Head of Zimbabwe Aid and Debt Management office in the Finance Ministry, Andrew Bvumbe, said the ministry will this year actively seek ways to resolve the country’s debt issue.
He said the country had engaged each of the creditors and assessed each loan, interest accrued and the penalty to validate the country’s real indebtedness, which put the country’s total liabilities at $6,1 billion.
“We have looked at the highly indebted poor countries initiative and we will look at other alternative ways outside the HIPC initiative,” Bvumbe said.
According to the audit, $4,4 billion of the country’s total debt to bilateral and multilateral creditors is in arrears and most of it to top five Paris Club members Germany, France, Japan, UK and US.
The Paris Club is owed $3,017 billion, non-Paris Club $572 million, AfDB $636 million, World Bank $1,348 billion, IMF $125 million, European Investment Bank $302 million and others $75 million.
The validated debt profile pertains to public and publicly guaranteed debt and excludes private sector and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe debt.
Resolution of Zimbabwe’s debt is key to normalising relations with the international financial institutions and the bilateral creditors. The debt has become a serious impediment to the country’s developmental agenda.
Labels: PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) ‘Budget spells death of old economy’
Sunday, 22 December 2013 00:00
Edwin Mwase and Lincoln Towindo
The National Budget presented by Finance and Economic Development Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa last week will usher in a “new” economy, anchored on the recently adopted Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) and will witness the local economy assuming a sustained growth trajectory as well as improve the livelihoods of ordinary Zimbabweans.
Food security and nutrition, housing, health and transport are among the key deliverables the country’s citizens are keenly awaiting. Presenting the Budget last Thursday, Minister Chinamasa announced the “death” of the “old” economy, saying a new one is rising from the ashes.
The 2014 National Budget, which is projected to grow the economy by a cumulative 6,1 percent, up from this year’s 3,4 percent, is premised on an active implementation of Zim Asset as well as the strong recovery of agriculture and improved performance of the mining and construction sectors.
The Budget, which has been roundly described as “policy-driven”, has introduced a raft of policy changes that are expected to improve the well-being of many Zimbabweans through improved social service provision, providing access to affordable housing loan schemes, resuscitation of ailing industries and support for small-scale farmers.
The policies introduced in the Budget dovetail with the Zanu-PF election-winning manifesto, President Mugabe’s inauguration address and the President’s address on the occasion of the opening of Parliament, all of which feed into Zim Asset.
The Budget will promote, among other objectives, the development of the agricultural sector through the revamping and rehabilitation of the country’s irrigation infrastructure, which will be financed to the tune of US$9,4 million, to push the country towards food self-sustenance.
Beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme will be able to tap into the recapitalised National Irrigation Development Fund for credit financing to fund irrigation development. This will, no doubt, mitigate the effects of recurrent droughts.
Food security and nutrition are of paramount importance. A huge chunk of national funds is channelled towards grain imports on the back of poor yields. The country has observed the trend of recurrent droughts translating into poor harvests.
Though the fact has always been clear, the shibboleth of irrigation development remained just that: a catchphrase. Nothing much appeared to move in terms of implementation.
However, the running agricultural theme in Zim Asset and indeed the Budget touches on this imperative of ensuring food security through irrigation development across all provinces.
Farmers will also access irrigation equipment through hire purchase arrangements established by Government and equipment suppliers.
In line with Zanu PF’s housing-for-all policy, the Government will immediately gazette legal instruments to extend the tax exemption on mortgage finance to all financial institutions that provide mortgage finance.
Financial resources will also be mobilised for extensive planning, surveying and servicing of land for the development of housing stands across the country. Civil servants, on the other hand, will benefit from low-cost housing through the revamped Civil Service Housing Loan Scheme as part of the non-monetary incentives available to all Government workers.
Low-cost housing stands will be availed throughout the country in suburbs such as Dzivaresekwa Extension Phase 2, Parklands, Waneka, Cherutombo, Nemamwa, Chiredzi, Tshovani and Murereki. In order to resuscitate distressed industries, with a view to increasing capacity utilisation as well as generating employment opportunities, the Budget introduced zero-rated duty for capital equipment for local industries.
Analysts note that such people-oriented policies will go a long way in fulfilling Zanu PF’s election promise of pushing for the resuscitation of industry as well as creating employment.
Economist Mr Brains Muchemwa said the Budget, which has come under difficult economic conditions amid high expectations, has been realistic and demonstrated the limited scope of fiscal policy flexibility.
However, he said it is clear that the economy remains depressed and focus should rather be on soft issues relating to building confidence and policy consistency.
“The major challenge remains that the manufacturers may fail to respond positively to such measures as they have more pressing problems relating to high-gearing levels and inefficient operating structures.”
Another economist, Mr Takura Mugaga, described it as an enlightening Budget as it acknowledges the problems bedevilling the economy.
Labels: PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Chinamasa back empty-handed from IMF
18/10/2013 00:00:00
by Gilbert Nyambabvu
COMMENT - Since Gilberg Nyambabvu has been created editor of NewZimbabwe.com, the headlines and tenor of the articles has become a lot more sensationalist, more subjective and far more pro-MDC partisan. Not a good change, for anyone who is interested in real news about Zimbabwe. - MrK
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) will not be loosening its purse-strings for Zimbabwe any time soon, tresury chief Patrick Chinamasa revealed as he returned from meetings with the institution in the US.
“We still owe them money, and because of that they have put us under the staff monitored programme and they will not be giving us fresh money or new concessionary loans until we complete that programme,” Chinamasa said.
The IMF stripped Harare of its voting rights in 2003 and nearly ejected the country in a rare move for the Washington-based institution in 2006. The restrictions were imposed after Zimbabwe fell behind in repayments to the Fund.
But in June, ahead of fresh elections, the organisation said it would work with the country for the first time in more than a decade although ruling out new cash advances.
IMF managing director, Christine Lagarde, announced a Staff Monitoring Programme (SMP) for the country adding its successful implementation “would be an important stepping stone toward helping Zimbabwe re-engage with the international community."
Following his appointment as Finance Minister after the June 31 elections, Chinamasa said he would stick with the plan proposed by the IMF which is not a particular favourite of his boss, President Robert Mugabe.
The minister said he had urged a new approach for Zimbabwe during meetings with the IMF and other organisations in Washington.
“I held a number of meetings with the IMF, World Bank, the African Development Bank, African Export Import Bank, International Finance Corporation in Washington where I emphasised that the one size fits all solution has left Zimbabwe at a standstill position,” he said.
“I told them that unless they give us new money there will be no growth and no capacity to pay them. We need new investments in the country to boost our economy and capacity to pay them.”
While the former coalition administration managed to stop run-away inflation and stabilise the economy, little progress has been made in forcing meaningful recovery and growth with companies hamstrung by liquidity problems among a host of challenges.
Zimbabwe’s huge debt pile is also said
Said by whom? - MrK
to be preventing the country from tapping external financing.
According to the IMF, the country’s external debt reached $12.5 billion in 2012 with nearly half of the obligations, about $6.7 billion, in arrears.
Gee, I wonder if Section 4 (C) clause (2), of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 would have anything to do with that:
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- ... the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
Clearly, Zimbabwe's debt has not been rescheduled for 12 years. - MrK
Labels: CHRISTINE LAGARDE, IMF, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE, REUTERS) Chinamasa pledges to stick with IMF programme
03/10/2013 00:00:00
by Reuters
FINANCE minister Patrick Chinamasa has said the country will stick to an IMF monitoring programme that could pave way for the country to clear its debts, as the economy grapples with chronic power cuts and a crippled manufacturing sector.
A manufacturing sector, crippled first by World Bank structural adjustment (ESAP) from 1991-1996, a disastrous policy, which they then tried to sell as 'Mismanagement By Mugabe'. Then, there are the economic sanctions of ZDERA, especially Section 4 C. Let's have honesty in reporting from Reuters.
S. 494 (107th): Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- Until the President makes the certification described in subsection (d), and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS- The term `international financial institutions' means
the multilateral development banks and
the International Monetary Fund.
(2) MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS- The term `multilateral development banks' means the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the
International Finance Corporation, the
Inter-American Development Bank, the
Asian Development Bank, the
Inter-American Investment Corporation, the
African Development Bank, the
African Development Fund, the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the
Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency.
- MrK
Zimbabwe is still emerging from a decade of economic decline and hyperinflation, but the economy is stuttering in the aftermath of a disputed election in July that has extended President Robert Mugabe's 33-year rule.
Harare began an International Monetary Fund-led staff-monitored programme in June which, if successful, could help it clear $10 billion in external debts and give it access to new credit from international lenders.
Under the programme, which is set to run until December, it is expected to implement a raft of economic reforms.
"We are committed to the programme," Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told Reuters on Thursday.
He said he will travel to Washington this weekend to assure IMF officials there that Harare will continue with programme.
Consumers in the southern African nation have experienced electricity blackouts lasting up to 16 hours a day in recent weeks, which state-owned power utility ZESA attributes to maintenance work on its ageing power generating plants.
Energy and Power Development Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire said this week the only long-term solution to the power crisis was to invest in new plants, which will require billions of dollars and take time to build.
Zimbabwe has a peak demand of 2,200 megawatts of electricity, but only has a supply of 1,167 MW, including imports from Mozambique.
The electricity crunch has hit the manufacturing and agriculture sectors, where output has fallen although mines have largely been spared. Zimbabwe has the second-largest platinum reserves in the world after South Africa, as well as one of the biggest diamond deposits and large quantities of coal and gold.
"We are in the intensive care unit," local media quoted Charles Msipa, head of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries as saying at the Wednesday launch of a report on the state of manufacturing, which showed many firms were operating at a third of capacity.
"Capacity utilisation is declining, in some accounts by alarming margins, leading to downstream effects like retrenchments and reduced activity on the domestic economy," he said.
Manufacturers are battling with high financing costs, with banks charging as much as 20 percent interest, and with demands for higher wages from restless workers.
The power cuts have hampered irrigation of the winter wheat crop in a country that a United Nations agency says is facing its worst food shortages in four years.
Mugabe's new government is crafting a new economic policy, but the 89-year old has vowed that all policies will revolve around his plans to force foreign-owned firms to give majority stakes to black citizens.
The policy, known as indigenisation, is seen as discouraging badly needed foreign investment and hindering access to IMF and World Bank funding.
Nevertheless, Zimbabwe's stock exchange continues to recover after the industrial index plunged 11 percent on Aug 5, the first day of trading after Mugabe's re-election.
The main index rose 14 percent in September alone in what traders said was a market correction from an overdone sell-off.
Foreign investors are mostly targeting Zimbabwe's largest mobile firm Econet Wireless and SAB Miller's local unit Delta, the two largest firms on the exchange.
"There was initial panic but investors have realised that while the government may not induce the desired economic recovery, there is no additional political risk," a local stock broker said.
Labels: ENERGY, IMF, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Government announces US$161m inputs scheme for farmers
02/10/2013 00:00:00
by Roman Moyo
THE government on Wednesday announced a US$161 million Agriculture Input Support Programme for the 2013/4 farming season, targeted at 1.6 million households.
The Input support programme targets communal, old resettlement, small scale and A1 scale and A 1 farmers. Agriculture Minister Joseph Made and his Finance counterpart Patrick Chinamasa unveiled the programme at a joint press conference in Harare.
The two ministers said delayed payments to farmers had to be addressed to avoid compromising their capacity to prepare for coming season.
Under the scheme, each household will be given 50kg of Compound D fertiliser, 50kg of ammonium nitrate (AN), 50kg of lime and 10kg maize seed pack.
Chinamasa also said the government had resolved to pay the outstanding payments to input suppliers, which stand at US$11.8 million.
“We have given instructions for the money to be delivered straight away.”
Government owes US$9.75 million to the seed houses split between Pannar at US$2.02 million, Pioneer US$3.72 million and SeedCo at US$4 million. They also owe ZFC US$1.54 million and Nyiombo US$500,000.
Made said Cabinet on Tuesday agreed not to be actively involved in the day-to-day running of farmers’ operations.
“It (this year) will be the last time government would actively be involved in the day-to-day running of farmers. If farmers are paid on time they should be able to buy their own inputs with limited government support that is how farming should be,” he said.
“This is not to say farmers can or should finance themselves because that is where banks come in but they (banks) have their own requirements,” Made said.
Made said government would subsidies farmers in the event of events such as drought. He said government would not allow Genetically Modified crops in Zimbabwe going forward to protect the country’s seed industry and crops.
He said government had also disbursed outstanding US$9,2 million payment to farmers for grain deliveries to the GMB under the current grain marketing season, while noting that deliveries had risen by about 2 million tonnes ever since people got wind the government was going to pay.
“This demonstrates our commitment to agriculture as this is the backbone which will trigger economic growth. Everything else should rotate within agriculture, we believe in establishing linkages with every other sector. It is important to note that such a scheme should have been more focused had we done the preparations earlier,” Made said.
Chinamasa said the country has about 44,000t of fertiliser but the country's requirements are in excess of 400,000t.
“As a result the country will need to import the balance.”
But Chinamasa said there is adequate seed in the country. In total, 16,285t of seed would be required. Seed houses have indicated they are holding 56,174t.
Of the US$161 million, US$157.96 million would go towards seed and fertiliser while the remainder will go towards GMB handling costs (US$2.60 million) and DDF tractor rehabilitation costs (US$530,000).
The Food and Agriculture Organisation, working with mostly Western countries, has indicated readiness to partner the government to the tune of US$19.5 million targeting 77,800 small holder farmers.
Chinamasa said discussions with the banks over A2 and commercial farmers’ funding were ongoing. The minister also said the input programme extended to livestock where farmers have a choice between crop or livestock but the values will be equal.
The fertiliser industry will require injection of financial resources to increase their capacity to meet the national requirement. To that end, Chinamasa said government had secured collaboration with the private sector geared at providing financial facilities in support of production of agricultural inputs.
Labels: FISP, JOSEPH MADE, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(HERALD ZW) US$100m loan facility for agric
September 26, 2013
Golden Sibanda Senior Business Reporter—
CBZ Bank Limited has secured a US$100 million medium term line of credit from the African Export and Import Bank to support agriculture and related infrastructure projects in the sector for the 2013/4 farming season.The funding, which augments resources Government is mobilising to support farmers, is a vote of confidence in the new Zanu-PF Government and comes as a relief to farmers who were neglected by the inclusive Government.
In its winning election manifesto, Zanu-PF identifies agriculture as a key driver of the economic turnaround programme and pledges to mobilise up to US$8 billion to finance the sector over the next five years.
Speaking on arrival from the Afreximbank headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, CBZ Holdings group chief executive Dr John Mangudya said the funds will also improve the economy, which has been facing liquidity challenges over the past seven months.
“We have secured a US$100 million medium-term loan from Afreximbank for agriculture.
“The funds will be extended to farmers over one year. This will also improve liquidity in the economy,” he said.
Zimbabwe continues to battle liquidity constraints owing to the impact of the West’s illegal economic sanctions which restricted foreign currency inflows and access to external lines of credit.
Dr Mangudya could not be drawn into revealing the cost of the funds to farmers, but said loans to farmers would be at affordable interest rates.
“The funding from Afreximbank comes on the back of 2012 Agricultural Marketing Authority Bills whose tenure lapsed in August and the amount tendered was repaid in full.”
In a further show of commitment in supporting agriculture, CBZ Bank last week floated another US$35 million AMA Bills to support the production of soya beans.
In the recent past, the bank has been most active in mobilising lines of credit from regional banks and has to date drawn down a cumulative US$645 million from Afreximbank since 1998.
The bank’s efforts complement the Government efforts to mobilise resources for the 2013/4 farming season in support of resettled commercial, small-scale and A1 farmers.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa last week said while it was not yet clear how much Government will have to mobilise for this season, it would certainly ensure farmers are assisted.
Minister Chinamasa said the basic package will include at least a bag of compound D and AN fertilisers and 10 kilogrammes of seed.
While there is enough of large grain seed, the minister said stocks of small grain seed and fertilisers might be insufficient.
The minister said while Government might not be able to mobilise all the resources required due to the short time left before the farming season starts, efforts will be made to assist farmers.
“In terms of what we want, it might not be sufficient; efforts will be made to make sure we assist small-scale farmers.
“The commitment to agriculture is there. They should not expect miracles overnight, but the commitment is there, agriculture is the mainstay of the economy.”
Minister Chinamsa said Government felt obliged to assist farmers because the cost of funding agriculture for food security was much less than that of importing to cover shortages.
In its election manifesto, Zanu-PF pledged to unlock indigenisation assets to capacitate Agribank with a US$2 billion endowment to enable it to mobilise resources amounting to US$8 billion for the agriculture sector over the next five years.
Adequate financing of agriculture, the party says, will benefit millions of people through higher incomes, food security and generation of employment in addition to stimulating economic growth through the sector’s strong backward and forward linkages with other critical sectors of the economy, among them the manufacturing and financial sectors.
Labels: AFREXIMBANK, AGRICULTURE, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) EU ambassador in trouble
Sunday, 08 September 2013 00:00
Munyaradzi Huni
The European Union Head of Delegation to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Aldo Dell’Ariccia, has sparked a diplomatic row with Harare after he wrote a letter to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court requesting to hold a meeting with judges from the Electoral and Constitutional courts “to exchange views on electoral petitions.”
The request for the meeting has been described by the outgoing Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Cde Patrick Chinamasa, as “totally unacceptable” in diplomatic circles while a legal expert has said the move by the ambassador was “very shocking” and based on total disrespect for African institutions.
In his letter dated, August 29 2013, addressed to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr Walter Chikwana, Ambassador Dell’Ariccia wrote saying:
“I would hereby like to kindly request your support in facilitating the organisation of meetings with members of the Constitutional and Electoral Courts in order to exchange views on electoral petitions.
The delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Zimbabwe would be available for such a meeting between 3, 4 and 6 September 2013.
“The following persons will participate to the meetings on behalf of the European Union:“— Mr Giles Entikap, charge d’affaires
“— Ms Vazquez-Horyaans, head of section
“— Ms Isabelle Ribot, attaché
“— Mr Armin Rabitsch, consultant
“— Ms Gaelle Deriaz, consultant. . .”
On September 3 2013, Mr Chikwana responded:
“Reference is made to your minute dated 29th of August 2013.
“Your letter was forwarded to the Honourable Chief Justice who has authorised me to give the following response:
“Members of the Constitutional Court and Electoral Court do not hold meetings with anybody other than the litigants or their legal representatives regarding matters that are pending before the respective courts.
“Accordingly, it would be inappropriate for me to facilitate the meeting you have requested.”
While Ambassador Dell’Ariccia was trying to conceal his “undiplomatic” request through the letter to Mr Chikwana, a junior officer in his office, Mr Entikap, was busy implementing an even more provocative Plan B that left Cde Chinamasa seething with anger.
Last Wednesday Mr Entikap led a delegation comprising the EU officials listed above to a meeting with Cde Chinamasa at the Zanu-PF Headquarters where he misrepresented facts, saying the delegation comprised of experts on electoral issues.
The delegation was meeting Cde Chinamasa in his capacity as Zanu-PF deputy secretary for legal affairs and they left the meeting an embarrassed lot after they were dressed down.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail last Friday, Cde Chinamasa explained:
“They presented themselves to me as experts on electoral issues who had been mandated by the EU to make assessment of our electoral system. They said they make such assessments the world over and they wanted to interact with me over our electoral system, which is what happened in that meeting.
“At the end of the meeting, they then asked, through Mr Entikap who was accompanying them, if I could clear a meeting of this group with judges of the Electoral Court and judges of the Constitutional Court.
“I must say, I blew my top. It’s unheard of that you have people coming to meet with your judiciary over matters which are before them or even on any other matter. Judges do not decide policy, if issues to be discussed were about policy.
“I was very angry that they would have the temerity to ask for a meeting with judges before whom are election petitions.
“I told them off that this was unacceptable because they are seeking to influence the courts in their consideration of matters which are before them.
“And that they are seeking to sway them in a particular direction and that they are undermining, by their very request, the independence of the judiciary. This is a matter which goes to the core of the judiciary.
“I don’t even meet the judges even as minister and no one else in Zimbabwe does that and yet you have these people from the European Union, which we all know has basically condemned our elections, coming and wanting to meet these judges when all of us know that there are election petitions pending.
“So I told them off. What I didn’t know was that when they said they wanted me to clear the meeting, they had already written to the Chief Registrar requesting him to facilitate the meeting.
“Fortunately, the registrar responded and he gave them the correct position. A court cannot have meetings to discuss cases pending before them with people other than the litigants if they are not represented or with their legal representatives. Where they are not represented, yes, the court can meet the litigants, but where they are represented, it’s not even right for the court to meet litigants alone without the presence of their legal practitioners. It’s unheard of. What has been sought here is basically uncouth, undemocratic and it undermines the independence of the judiciary.”
Cde Chinamasa accused the EU of double standards, saying the request clearly showed that the regional grouping has no respect for the country’s institutions.
“This is coming from the very countries which boast of promoting the rule of law, which boast of promoting the independence of the judiciary and they are on the forefront of undermining our judiciary. You can understand the double standards, the duplicity of these countries. They don’t respect our institutions. They wouldn’t do this in their own countries or allow anyone else, let alone anyone else from outside their countries, including ambassadors to meet their judges to discuss cases which are pending before those judges. So it’s very clear that they have no respect for our institutions and they practise double standards,” explained a visibly angry Cde Chinamasa.
He said after discovering that their sinister move had been shot down, Mr Entikap later apologised and left the meeting embarrassed.
“When they discovered that their request had provoked me, they said, ahh, no we understand. They were apologetic, but very embarrassed. They seemed quite surprised by my quick and angry reaction. They were shocked that I responded in that fashion, but it was a correct response. We should not allow other people, other countries to come and undermine our institutions here,” said Cde Chinamasa.
One of the country’s top lawyers, Mr Terrence Hussein, expressed shock that Ambassador Dell’Ariccia had the guts to write such an undiplomatic letter.
“I am really, really, surprised that the ambassador did such a thing. It’s unheard of to do that. The Zimbabwean ambassador to Belgium or any other country for that matter, an ambassador for any country can never dream of writing such a letter to the Chief Justice of any country because it’s undiplomatic.
“If there was any need, the ambassador should have written to the Minister of Justice, who is the political face of the justice system in Zimbabwe. The Supreme Court of the US or any country in the world would not accept such a letter from an ambassador or anyone. It’s just not done. I don’t know whether it’s ignorance or what, but on this one, the ambassador was badly advised,” said Mr Hussein.
Constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku at first was too stunned to hear that Ambassador Dell’Ariccia could do such an “unthinkable thing.”
“It’s really shocking that the ambassador did that. I just can’t believe it because the request does not make sense from both the diplomatic and legal point of view. I, however, think this request was done out of disrespect of institutions that exist not only in Zimbabwe but Africa. Such a thing is unthinkable outside Africa. The judiciary does not discuss any matters with anyone.
“If anyone wants to know what the judges think, he or she reads the judgment on the particular case. Judges are not allowed to discuss pending or cases resolved by themselves. That way the independence of the judiciary is guaranteed,” said Prof Madhuku.
He said the response from the Chief Justice was “correct in principle but was too polite for this kind of interference. I think the Chief Justice should have ignored the letter and hand it over to the Executive which was supposed to tell the ambassador to go to hell.”
The undiplomatic request by Ambassador Dell’Ariccia comes hard on the heels of the “blatant lie” by the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Deborah Bronnert, who made claims on Sky News soon after the July 31 elections that 10 000 voters were assisted to vote in a constituency where 17 000 voters cast their vote.
Ms Bronnert had been stung by Zanu-PF and President Mugabe’s resounding victory and when she was confronted to substantiate her claims, she failed to do so, drawing brickbats from many Zimbabweans.
“This (disrespect for African institutions) is a new form of imperialism that Africa should fight with the same determination and stamina that was shown by those who fought to liberate the continent,” concluded Prof Madhuku.
Labels: ALDO DELL'ARICCIA, LOVEMORE MADHUKU, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Lift Zim sanctions, AU organ tells West
27/08/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
AN organ of the African Union has backed calls by the regional SADC grouping for Western sanctions against Zimbabwe to be removed following last month's elections which were won by President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party.
The AU’s 15-member Peace and Security Council (PSC) called for the “immediate and unconditional” removal of the sanctions at its meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday.
“In the case of Zimbabwe, council further called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of all sanctions imposed on the country and stressed that the lifting of the sanctions will contribute to socio-economic recovery for the benefit of the long-suffering population of the country,’’ the PSC said in a statement.
President Mugabe won the 31 July polls by a landslide of 61% against Tsvangirai's 34%. Mugabe’s Zanu PF party also claimed a huge Parliamentary majority in the elections which were rejected as fraudulent by Tsvangirai and his MDC-T party.
The AU and SADC have since endorsed the elections but Western countries, barred by Mugabe from observing the vote, have said the elections were not credible adding the sanctions would remain in place.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who attended the Addis Ababa meeting claimed the United States and Britain had tried to get the PSC to condemn the election outcome.
“The information which was coming out of Addis Ababa is that members of the PSC had come under tremendous pressure not to endorse Zimbabwe’s elections and the fact that they have, they need to be highly commended for standing up to the truth of what they saw during the elections,” Chinamasa told the Herald newspaper.
“The British and the US have been exerting pressure on anyone they assumed could have a decision on Zimbabwe’s elections.
“The decision by the PSC showed that African institutions are resisting external interference in their quest to deliver African solutions to African problems.”
The sanctions were imposed about a decade ago after allegations of election fraud and human rights abuses which are rejected by Mugabe who, in turn, blames the measures for Zimbabwe’s economic problems although critics insist that his policies helped worsen the situation.
On Sunday, the veteran leader threatened to take reciprocal action targeting Western companies operating in Zimbabwe if the sanctions are not removed.
"They should not continue to harass us, the British and Americans," he told supporters at the funeral of retired Air Commodore Mike Karakadzai.
"We have not done anything to their companies here, the British have several companies in this country, and we have not imposed any controls, any sanctions against them, but time will come when we will say well, tit-for-tat, you hit me I hit you."
Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), AU, PATRICK CHINAMASA, SANCTIONS, ZDERA
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(GUARDIAN UK) Robert Mugabe election victory could force west to lift Zimbabwe sanctions
African monitors seem likely to rubber-stamp result, which would present western governments with a dilemma
David Smith in Harare
theguardian.com,
Friday 2 August 2013 17.06 BST
There was a time when he was welcomed to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and knighted by the Queen. Now that Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, has all but claimed another election win, the quandary for western governments is whether the time has come to roll out the red carpet and end his international isolation.
Mugabe is seen by many respected observers as a ruthless autocrat responsible for thousands of deaths during his 33-year rule who has yet again rigged his way to victory. But despite deep misgivings about the fairness of the poll, it is conceivable that realpolitik will pressure Britain and its allies to lift the last remaining sanctions against Mugabe and his inner circle.
On Friday his Zanu-PF party summoned journalists to a rare press conference at its headquarters in the capital, Harare, predicting that a record turnout of 3.95 million voters would give it a two-thirds parliamentary majority. An exultant Patrick Chinamasa, the justice minister, suggested that the result was a historic vindication of Mugabe and defeat of the west, proof that Zanu-PF was right about everything from human rights to seizures of white-owned farms.
Throwing down the gauntlet to Britain, he said: "As far as Zanu-PF is concerned, we have never refused to talk to them. It was Blair and Brown who refused to talk to our president over a decolonisation issue to do with the land question."
Chinamasa visited the UK this year and said the Africa minister, Mark Simmonds, indicated that the government wanted to re-engage. "So I said to Mr Simmons, when you are ready, if you are able to deal with your British public opinion which you poisoned through demonisation of our president for no basis through lying that we were in violation of human rights, if you are able to think that politically you are now ready to engage us, you will find our doors open. Basically, you know where to find us."
Chinamasa denounced the travel bans and asset freezes imposed by the European Union and US, which Zanu-PF has blamed for Zimbabwe's economic crisis.
COMMENT - That's not true. No one has blamed 'travel bans and asset freezes' for the collapse of for instance the Zimbabwe Dollar in the year 2002. The credit freeze the country was put on from Jan. 1st 2002 onwards however is. Look into Section 4C of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001. - MrK
"These are not from the UN, they are just from a club of white people who just don't like the fact that we are repossessing our land … The sanctions are illegal and they should be lifted yesterday, not tomorrow."
Asked whether Mugabe could one day set foot in Britain again, Chinamasa expressed hope that relations would be restored, but complained: "I was the first minister of Zanu-PF to visit London in 15 years. They lied to the public that they'd lifted sanctions against me, only to find when I got there that they were giving me a licence to buy in British shops. I never understood that British people can be so petty that I can't buy in a restaurant until I produce a licence when in fact I have been given a visa."
The Zanu-PF philosophy is fervently historical and anti-colonialist, questioning why Africa's wealth of natural resources have not alleviated poverty and insistent that land and businesses must be returned to Zimbabwean hands. Chinamasa accused western powers of funding non-government organisations in the country to the tune of $2.6bn (£1.7bn) and sponsoring pirate radio stations to effect regime change.
"We have said to Europe that they should change their mindset: we are no longer their colony," he said. "Each time they speak, they speak down on us as an enslaved people. They speak down on us as a colonised people. We want them to change that mindset. They should not continue the mindset of their grandfathers who colonised us which is what they continue doing.
"We thought that the new generation of Europeans and Americans – especially after they speak about human rights and so forth – would have a different mindset, but when you interact with them it's the same mindset that existed 500 years ago. It's like father like son, like a goat can only give birth to a kid goat, it's the same. But we are not goats, we are not animals."
He added: "We want Europe and America, white Commonwealth countries, to accept us as an equal sovereign country. If they do, they will find themselves welcome, we will receive them with open arms. That is the relationship we want to nurture between ourselves."
Mugabe banned the EU and groups including the US-based Carter Centre from monitoring the election, claiming that countries that imposed sanctions were biased in favour of the rival Movement for Democratic Change, which has called the poll "null and void". Official verdicts have therefore been left to two African observer missions - a critical test for democratic accountability on the continent.
On Friday the African Union released a preliminary report expressing concerns about the non-availability of the electoral roll and the "high incidence" of voters who were turned away at polling stations. But its head of mission, Olusegun Obasanjo, said the apparent irregularities did not constitute evidence of systematic tampering. "Yes, the election is free," Obasanjo said. "Fair? Fairly. I have never seen an election that is perfect."
Bernard Membe, head of the observer mission for the Southern African Development Community, described the election as "very free" and "very peaceful" but noted that there were some violations, and a full analysis was still under way. "The question of fairness is broad and you cannot answer it within one day," he said.
The tone of the assessments implied that both organisations would ultimately rubber-stamp the result, especially given Zanu-PF's big margin of victory. That will put western governments in a dilemma, since to directly contradict African observers would play into the hands of Zanu-PF's anti-colonialist ideology and risk causing alienation on a continent where China is making friends. Some in the EU, such as Belgium, are said to be eager for a share of Zimbabwe's diamond trade.
But one Harare-based ambassador has stuck his head above the parapet. Australia's Matthew Neuhaus sent a diplomatic cable to Canberra titled "A farcical election", and called for a rerun. "It wasn't credible, it wasn't fair," he explained later, adding that he had personally witnessed a woman being turned away and told to vote 200 miles away, manipulation of voting slips, the exclusion of young people, and a woman who found nine dead relatives on the electoral roll.
Neuhaus said he was in touch with his American and Canadian counterparts and they broadly agreed with the Zimbabwean opposition MDC's critique of the way the election was conducted. "It does make a farce of the election process and it doesn't pass the test of credibility. There's no intention to remove the remaining targeted sanctions given that the nature of this election is obvious," he said.
A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Harare said it was not yet ready to comment. The UK's ambassador, Deborah Bronnert, declined to be interviewed.
It remains to be seen whether these governments will heed their ambassadors' cables. Petina Gappah, a Zimbabwean writer and political commentator, said: "I think the process of re-engagement should continue. We live in a world where Britain does business with nasty people such as Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Office will have to accept that Zanu-PF is going to be in government for a very long time."
Labels: NEOCOLONIALISM, PATRICK CHINAMASA, ROBERT MUGABE, UK, ZIMBABWE
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Chinamasa: Biti election cash pleas all lies
18/07/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
JUSTICE Minister Patrick Chinamasa has declared money has since been raised to fund elections due at the end of the month, dismissing as irresponsible political games claims by treasury colleague Tendai Biti that the election budget was facing an US$85 million shortfall.
Biti has consistently warned that funding the elections would be a challenge too far for the country’s sparse coffers and, early this month, said he was having nightmares trying to resolve a huge shortfall in the election budget, weeks before the key vote.
"We don't have money for these elections, and everyone knows it. It's a horror movie except that you are not watching the movie, you are part of it," Biti said last Tuesday.
COMMENT - Drama queen. Not an anti-gay joke, by the way, just a description of his ongoing behavior. - MrK
But in a clear sign that there is little cooperation between the coalition parties as the unity administration ends, Chinamasa said Biti could rest easy because the money was available although he would not reveal where it came from.
“We are ready, elections will be conducted on the 31st of July without fail,” Chinamasa said on Thursday.
“Already, all the elements, all the materials that are needed for that exercise are already there. The ballots are being printed, it is not that there is no money, the challenge was the printing capacity. Once that is taken care of, the ballots would be printed.
“The ink has been paid for and what may remain now is the logistics to deploy the ballots when they are ready to their respective polling stations.”
He accused Biti of playing political games by continuously pleading poverty.
“I do not go along with this singing of the blues about lack of funding,” he said.
“It is done for a purpose, to undermine our processes and the minister of finance should not be doing that, he should not use his official Government position to undermine another minister’s functions.
“He should be more creative. All the money that has been raised, I have been forced to almost act like I am a Minister of Finance to raise resources from elsewhere and tell him that there are monies coming to your Treasury when in fact he should be doing that.
“But because of his partisan nature he has not been able to remain functional as Minister of Finance, instead he has decided basically to play partisan politics on national processes. That is wrong, however, there is no problem with our capacity financially or otherwise to hold elections on the 31st of July.”
Indeed, if the government is skint, the same cannot be said of the main political parties which appear to be facing no problems financing their massive campaigns for the crucial elections.
Thousands of supporters attending rallies addressed by President Robert Mugabe and main rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, are always decked out in colourful party regalia at each campaign stop around the country.
And this week, a Zanu PF supporter is said to have died as hordes of people scrambled for free campaign t-shirts which were being thrown into the crowd at a rally addressed by Mugabe in Chitungwiza.
Meanwhile Chinamasa also told journalists that only 29,000 security services personnel out of the registered 69,000 had managed to cast their ballots during the widely condemned special vote carried out on Sunday and Monday.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) publicly apologised for the fiasco with a pledge that all those who failed to vote can still do so on Election Day.
“The ZEC sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to members of the disciplined forces... to political parties and to the nation at large,” ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau.
Chinamasa said ZEC had done pretty well in the circumstances adding the special vote mechanism was flawed and would be scrapped if Zanu PF won the elections.
“All in all I think that ZEC did well in the circumstances,” he said.
“I would like to put the blame squarely on the flawed legal architecture of the Special Vote and for that flawed legal architecture on the Special Vote the blame should be put squarely on the negotiators, including myself, who negotiated this mechanism.
“I feel very embarrassed that when you put it on the ground when you try to implement it the practical challenges were clearly not thought through. If we had thought it through it would have been very clear that this was an impractical innovation we were putting into our law.”
Labels: MDC PROPAGANDA, PATRICK CHINAMASA, TENDAI BITI
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(NEWZIMBABE) Chinamasa: Biti election cash pleas all lies
18/07/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
JUSTICE Minister Patrick Chinamasa has declared money has since been raised to fund elections due at the end of the month, dismissing as irresponsible political games claims by treasury colleague Tendai Biti that the election budget was facing an US$85 million shortfall.
Biti has consistently warned that funding the elections would be a challenge too far for the country’s sparse coffers and, early this month, said he was having nightmares trying to resolve a huge shortfall in the election budget, weeks before the key vote.
"We don't have money for these elections, and everyone knows it. It's a horror movie except that you are not watching the movie, you are part of it," Biti said last Tuesday.
But in a clear sign that there is little cooperation between the coalition parties as the unity administration ends, Chinamasa said Biti could rest easy because the money was available although he would not reveal where it came from.
“We are ready, elections will be conducted on the 31st of July without fail,” Chinamasa said on Thursday.
“Already, all the elements, all the materials that are needed for that exercise are already there. The ballots are being printed, it is not that there is no money, the challenge was the printing capacity. Once that is taken care of, the ballots would be printed.
“The ink has been paid for and what may remain now is the logistics to deploy the ballots when they are ready to their respective polling stations.”
He accused Biti of playing political games by continuously pleading poverty.
“I do not go along with this singing of the blues about lack of funding,” he said.
“It is done for a purpose, to undermine our processes and the minister of finance should not be doing that, he should not use his official Government position to undermine another minister’s functions.
“He should be more creative. All the money that has been raised, I have been forced to almost act like I am a Minister of Finance to raise resources from elsewhere and tell him that there are monies coming to your Treasury when in fact he should be doing that.
“But because of his partisan nature he has not been able to remain functional as Minister of Finance, instead he has decided basically to play partisan politics on national processes. That is wrong, however, there is no problem with our capacity financially or otherwise to hold elections on the 31st of July.”
Indeed, if the government is skint, the same cannot be said of the main political parties which appear to be facing no problems financing their massive campaigns for the crucial elections.
Thousands of supporters attending rallies addressed by President Robert Mugabe and main rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, are always decked out in colourful party regalia at each campaign stop around the country.
And this week, a Zanu PF supporter is said to have died as hordes of people scrambled for free campaign t-shirts which were being thrown into the crowd at a rally addressed by Mugabe in Chitungwiza.
Meanwhile Chinamasa also told journalists that only 29,000 security services personnel out of the registered 69,000 had managed to cast their ballots during the widely condemned special vote carried out on Sunday and Monday.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) publicly apologised for the fiasco with a pledge that all those who failed to vote can still do so on Election Day.
“The ZEC sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to members of the disciplined forces... to political parties and to the nation at large,” ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau.
Chinamasa said ZEC had done pretty well in the circumstances adding the special vote mechanism was flawed and would be scrapped if Zanu PF won the elections.
“All in all I think that ZEC did well in the circumstances,” he said.
“I would like to put the blame squarely on the flawed legal architecture of the Special Vote and for that flawed legal architecture on the Special Vote the blame should be put squarely on the negotiators, including myself, who negotiated this mechanism.
“I feel very embarrassed that when you put it on the ground when you try to implement it the practical challenges were clearly not thought through. If we had thought it through it would have been very clear that this was an impractical innovation we were putting into our law.”
Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), MDC PROPAGANDA, PATRICK CHINAMASA, TENDAI BITI
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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) MDC crybabies rush to Sadc again
Sunday, 07 July 2013 00:00
Tendai Chara
The MDC formations have formally approached Sadc over the court application that was made by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa when he sought the postponement of the date for the harmonised elections.
Both parties are alleging that the Government, through the minister, deliberately presented a “weak” argument in an effort to influence the court to uphold July 31 as the date for this year’s harmonised elections.
Apart from the Sadc bloc, the formations also took the application to the leaders of Botswana, South Africa and Tanzania in their individual capacities.
Minister Chinamasa appealed to the Constitutional Court on behalf of Government seeking a postponement of the harmonised polls to a date beyond July 31. The Constitutional Court, however, upheld that date after throwing out five different applications which sought the postponement of the poll to various dates.
The decision by the MDC formations to once again run to Sadc has been described by political analysts as “nonsense and utter rubbish”.
Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, the MDC secretary-general, confirmed that her party has taken Minister Chinamasa’s application to Sadc so as to “inform” the regional bloc of developments.
“Basically, we wanted to inform Sadc about the current developments. It was a follow-up to the Maputo summit,” she said. Asked what her party had recommended to Sadc, she said her party informed the bloc that Minister Chinamasa’s application was made in bad faith and was deliberately made weaker.
“In his court arguments, the minister argued that he was forced to make the application by Sadc and that he was engaging in a process that he did not agree with.
“The minister deliberately presented weak arguments with the intention of having the July 31 date upheld,” Mrs Misihairabwi-Mushomga said. “It is entirely up to Sadc to determine whether the application and the whole process was done in good or bad faith. Sadc can go ahead and make its own decisions.”
Mr Luke Tamborinyoka, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, refuted claims that his boss approached Sadc over the court application.
“As a party (MDC-T), we commented on Chinamasa’s application publicly.
“We never approached Sadc over that application since there is absolutely no reason for us to do that.
“After all, what Minister Chinamasa presented to the Constitutional Court was a Zanu- PF and not Government application.
“The minister personally and later ally crafted that application without consulting us.
“As you might be aware, Mr Tsvangirai made his own court application. Sadc is well aware of this drama.”
Mr Tawanda Zinyama, a lecturer in the department of Politics and Administration at the University of Zimbabwe, described the MDC formations’ decision to approach Sadc as “nonsense and utter rubbish”.
“The MDC formations are acting as if they are not aware of the fact that Sadc is only a guarantor of the Global Political Agreement. Sadc does not delegate the running of this country. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans and if the MDC formations think that Sadc can make decisions for us, then the parties are completely lost.
“The formations are employing delaying tactics. They are not ready for the elections and they know that they will bite the dust come election time. As a sovereign nation, we cannot be held at ransom by two confused political formations.”
A senior lecturer in the department of Media and Social Studies at the Midlands State University, Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri, said the formations were “wasting time”.
“The two MDCs can pursue all their perceived channels. It is their right and prerogative. However, they must not waste time by coming up with theoretical suppositions. The people are sick and tired of the current political arrangement and are ready for the elections,” Dr Mhiripiri said.
“Sadc is in a difficult position. They cannot challenge the decision of a Constitutional Court. The regional bloc’s hands are tied on this one.”
Labels: MDC, PATRICK CHINAMASA, SADC
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(HERALD ZW) Tsvangirai distorting discourse
Monday, 17 June 2013 01:15
Hon Patrick A. Chinamasa, MP
MY attention as Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs in the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe has been drawn to a statement released to the media on June 13, 2013 by the Hon Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
The Statement politically challenges the legal steps taken by his Excellency the President Mugabe, to comply with the May 31, 2013 decision by the Constitutional Court ordering His Excellency the President to ensure that Zimbabwe’s next harmonised elections which the court found were constitutionally due on June 29, 2013 are held by July 31, 2013 to restore the rule of law as regards the electoral process.
In his political statement Prime Minister Tsvangirai specifically complained about two notices that were made in the Government Gazzette, namely:
(1) Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) (Amendment of Electoral Act) Regulations, 2013 issued on Wednesday June 12, 2013 by his Excellency the President Mugabe, as Statutory Instrument 85 of 2013 to align the Electoral Law with the new Constitution and
(2) A proclamation issued by his Excellency President Mugabe, as Statutory Instrument 86 of 2013 fixing Thursday, June 28, 2013 as the day of the sitting of the Nomination Court and Wednesday, July 31, 2013 as the day of the election to the office of President, the election of members of the national assembly and the election of councillors.
While the five-page statement by the Prime Minister is manifestly inflammatory as not to warrant any response, it also contains some gross misrepresentations of the constitutional or legal position which must be corrected in view of the fact that they are coming from the office of the Prime Minister in the inclusive Government.
Firstly, the Prime Minister alleges that the two respective notices gazetted by his Excellency “purported to be in “compliance with the Constitutional Court judgment”. This is cheap politicking as there is nothing in the two notices gazetted by the President which “purports” to do anything. The judgment of the Constitutional Court is very clear and unambiguous about what should be done, which authority should do it and the reasons thereof.
For the avoidance of doubt the order of the Court was as follows:
1. It is declared that the harmonised general elections in terms of S58(i) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe are due upon the dissolution of Parliament on June 29. However, due to the first respondent’s failure to issue a proclamation fixing the date for the forthcoming elections timeously, it is no longer legally possible to hold the harmonised elections on that date.
2. It is declared that the failure by the first respondent to fix and proclaim date(s) for the harmonised general elections to take place by June 29, 2013 is a violation of the first respondent’s constitutional duty towards the applicant to exercise his functions as a public officer in accordance with the law and to observe and uphold the rule of law in terms of S18 (1a) of the Constitution.
3. It is further declared that by failing to act as stated in para 2 above, the first respondent has violated the applicant’s rights as a voter and his legitimate expectation of protection of the law entrenched in s 18(1) of the Constitution.
4. Accordingly, the first respondent be and is hereby ordered and directed to proclaim as soon as possible a date(s) for the holding of Presidential election, general election and elections for members of governing bodies of local authorities in terms of s 58(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which elections should take place by July 31, 2013.
The actions taken by His Excellency the President specifically and clearly complied with the Court’s order to restore the rule of law in Zimbabwe as regards the electoral process. Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s suggestion and indeed demand that His Excellency the President Mugabe, should not comply with the order of the Constitutional Court is unlawful, dangerous and wholly unacceptable because it is a direct attack on the rule of law.
Secondly, the Prime Minister alleges that “in terms of the GPA . . . which has been codified as the 8th Schedule of the current Constitution of Zimbabwe, the President can only act in consultation with the Prime Minister in respect to any executive decisions including the announcement of the date of the election” and further claims that “President Mugabe’s actions are unilateral and flagrant breach of our Constitution and the GPA”.
There is no provision in the GPA or the 8th schedule of the Constitution which requires that “the President can only act in consultation with the PM in respect to any executive decisions including the announcement of the date of the election”.
Both the GPA and the 8th schedule of the Constitution are very specific about which power or authority the President should exercise either “in consultation with” or “after consulting” the PM. It would be plainly preposterous to have an agreement or a Constitution which requires an elected Executive President to “only act in consultation with the PM in respect to any executive decisions”. That arrangement, which would make the PM a co-president, has no precedence anywhere in constitutional democracies around the world.
The only relevant but not applicable provision in the GPA which is also in the 8th schedule of the Constitution is paragraph 20.1.3(q) which provides that “The President may, acting in consultation with the PM dissolve Parliament”. Quite clear this provision only and specifically relates to the dissolution of Parliament and not to the announcement or fixing of the date of the election”.
The Constitution gives that power to the President to exercise alone. In the same vein, it is a matter of the public record that the President has not dissolved Parliament as that is going to happen on June 29, 2013 by operation of law when the five year term of Parliament automatically expires.
The PM is, therefore, wrong to claim that he has any role to play in fixing or announcing the date for general elections in a situation where Parliament is dissolved by operation of law as will happen on June 29 2013.
Thirdly, PM Tsvangirai claims in his statement that the “part III of the 6th schedule our Constitution makes it clear that there shall be an intense 30-day voter registration exercise. Only on Tuesday in Cabinet all parties agreed that it had commenced on June 10, 2013 and would be completed on July 9, 2013.
The net effect of the proclamation is therefore to infringe on the constitutional provisions obliging the 30-day intensive voter registration exercise. It will also mean that President Mugabe is disenfranchising many people who were registering to vote, for instance aliens and first time voters. President Mugabe is also denying political parties and Zimbabweans the opportunity to inspect the voters roll”.
The Prime Minister further alleges that: “In any event, Section 26 A of our Electoral Act Cap 2:13 makes it clear that voter registration for everyone closes 24 hours before the sitting of the Nomination Court. This means that voter registration will now close on the 27th of June instead of the 9th of July. “A clear, flagrant and fraudulent breach of our Constitution” (Emphasis in the original).
It is significant that the Prime Minister says that “all parties (not the law) agreed that it (intense voter registration exercise) commenced on 10 June 2013 and would be completed on 9 July 2013”. But the issue is not about agreement between political parties, but about what the Constitution says. Paragraph 6(3) of the sixth schedule to the new Constitution provides that, “The Registrar General of voters, under the supervision of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, must conduct a special and intensive voter registration and a voters’ roll inspection exercise for at least thirty days after the publication day”.
Therefore, it is very clear that constitutionally, the special and intensive voter registration and a voters roll inspection started on May 23, 2013 after the new Constitution was published on May 22, 2013. There can be no doubt about this legal position. The question is whether the exercise was actually commenced on that day is only a logistical matter and not a constitutional or legal matter.
While Prime Minister Tsvangirai relies on Section 26 A of the Electoral Act (Cap2:13) to claim that “the net effect of the proclamation is therefore to infringe on the Constitutional provisions obliging the 30-day intense voter registration exercise,” the legal position is that this (Temporary Measures) (Amendment of Electoral Act) Regulations, 2013 to allow for the special and intensive voter registration and a voters’ roll inspection exercise which the “all parties (in Cabinet) agreed that it commenced on June 10, 2013 and would be completed on July 9, 2013” to effectively end on July 9, 2013.
Therefore, it is not legally correct that there has been an infringement of any constitutional provision regarding voters’ registration nor is it legally correct that any first time voters, such as the so called aliens, have been disenfranchised.
Fourthly, Prime Minister Tsvangirai assertion that “the earliest the election could be held is the 25th August 2013” is thumb suck date with no constitutional or legal basis and is deliberately subversive against the judgment of the Constitutional Court which ordered elections to be held by 31st July, 2013. As such, Prime Minister’s charge that “President Mugabe has acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally and is deliberately precipitating an unnecessary Constitutional crisis” is not only false but is also inflammatory and irresponsible.
It is in fact the Prime Minister who has become hell bent on creating a false crisis by seeking to defeat the judgment of the Constitutional Court and to thus undermine the rule of law as regards the electoral process.
Fifthly, Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s reference to reforms allegedly still outstanding from a “roadmap” based on all documents handed over to President Zuma in June 2012” is nothing but a political smokescreen intended to creating confusion where serious progress has been made on the reform front through the adoption of the new Constitution.
This is particularly so in view of the Constitutional Court judgment which President Mugabe has complied with as his only option in the interest of the rule of law in view of the fact that the term of office of the President, of the Prime Minister and other Ministers in the inclusive Government, of members of Parliament and of members of governing bodies of local authorities all expire on June 29, 2013.
A cursory review of the roadmap referred to by Prime Minister Tsvangirai shows that it has some issues that were agreed to and implemented and many other issues that were agreed to. Media and so-called security sector reforms that were agreed are provided for in the new Constitution and there can be no greater reform than that. The necessary amendments to align the Electoral Act with the new Constitution were negotiated, agreed to and approved by the Cabinet before their promulgation on 12 June, 2013 as Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures)(Amendment of Electoral Act) Regulations, 2013.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai is legally wrong to use inflammatory propaganda to claim that the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act is not in compliance with the new Constitution. In particular the Prime Minister alleges that, “For the avoidance of doubt, section 134A of the new Constitution makes it clear that only Parliament has the power to make primary legislation and that its powers of making law cannot be delegated to anyone, including the President”. The constitutional position is that section 134A of the new Constitution, which the Prime Minister is in fact wrongly interpreting, is not yet operational.
In terms of paragraph 3(1) (d) of the Sixth Schedule to the publication day on the 22nd May, 2013 relates “to the election of general election and to the assent to Acts of Parliament by the President”. It is very difficult to understand why the prime Minister would rely on a provision of the new Constitution which is not yet operational to make inflammatory attack on His Excellency the President, R.G. Mugabe.
President Mugabe had to take the route of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measure)(Amendment of Electoral Act) Regulations, 2013 because the Parliamentary route was no longer available for him to comply with the judgment of the Constitutional Court in order to restore the rule of law as regards the electoral process.
Besides, it is common cause that the Prime Minister’s MDC-T party had resolved to abuse the parliamentary process to delay the passage of the electoral amendments in order to force the President not to comply with the order of the Constitutional court. A case in point is a widely reported on Facebook posting by a senior MDC-T a Minister of State in Prime Minister’s office, Jameson Timba, which threatened that:
“Zanu-PF has to agree to an electoral roadmap (outside the judgment of the Constitutional court) otherwise the MDC-T will use its parliamentary numbers to force Mugabe into a climb-down (from complying with the order of the court)”.
Sixthly, Prime Minister alleges that “President Mugabe and his team cannot hide behind the concept of sovereignty that they long ago surrendered and mortgaged….that led SADC to engage in our affairs as way back as 2007”. It is very clear and quite disturbing that the Prime Minister is seeking to provoke a false crisis to stampede His Excellency the President Cde Mugabe not to comply with the judgment of the Constitutional court under the false pretext that Zimbabwe surrendered its sovereignty to SADC in 2007. This is an unacceptable insult not only to Zimbabweans but also to SADC.
Seventhly, and finally, Prime Minister concluded his statement by refreshingly indicating that he had instructed his “attorneys to file an urgent court application” apparently to challenge the proclamation by His Excellency the President fixing 31st July, 2013 as the date for the harmonized general election.
The Prime Minister’s conclusion is refreshing because it suggests that he after all recognizes that false and inflammatory political statements political statements made to the gallery of the media cannot replace the rule of law which requires that the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of executive actions can only be determined by the courts and not be declared by rival members of the executive without self-evident political interests.
In this connection, the Prime Minister should not expect to bake his cake and eat it at the same nor should he expect to go forum shopping. In a constitutional democracy, and in terms of the rule of law, the only legal and constitutional route available to Prime Minister to invalidate the proclamation of the election date by His Excellency the President is the court process. In same vein, if Prime Minister wants to have the Presidential powers (Temporary measures) (Amendment of Electoral Act) Regulations, 2013, his only recourse are the courts.
* Hon Patrick A. Chinamasa, MP is Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs
Labels: ELECTIONS 2013 (ZW), MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Coltart: SADC appeals embarrassing
14/06/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
COMMENT - " The MDCs were left seething with anger on Thursday after Mugabe ordered elections to be held at the end of next month. " Would the ANC have been left 'seething with anger' if the National Party had announced nationwide elections with universal suffrage a month away? No way, the would have said 'hold them today'. The MDC is all about winning elections, no matter how many people pay the price for it. They are a mercenary party, who cannot face the people of Zimbabwe and convince them to vote for them on the strength of their policies. No one wants a return to ESAP, which is what privatisation, deregulation and free trade mean. - MrK
MDC secretary for legal affairs and education minister David Coltart has told colleagues they are better off pursuing domestic solutions to the bitter row over election dates instead of appealing to the regional SADC grouping for help.
Coltart spoke as the top leadership of the MDC formations travelled to Mozambique for a SADC extra-ordinary summit where they are hoping President Robert Mugabe will be compelled to reverse his decision to hold elections on July 31.
Addressing a public meeting at the Bulawayo Press Club Thursday evening Coltart said: “It is not worthwhile to be running to SADC all the time.
“The irony of it is that when we take our problems to them we attract criticism and embarrass ourselves.
“We are a sovereign country and I am a proud Zimbabwean. I do not believe that as a nation we should be guided by any outside country in solving our problems.”
The MDCs were left seething with anger on Thursday after Mugabe ordered elections to be held at the end of next month.
The Zanu PF leader also used a presidential decree to circumvent Parliament and pass the necessary amendments to the country’s electoral legislation.
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said going through Parliament would have made it impossible to comply with a Constitutional Court ruling ordering Mugabe to call the elections before July 31.
Prime Minister and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has dismissed the court ruling as a political directive although he plans to challenge Mugabe’s proclamation before the same court.
Coltart however, said the court order, which followed an application by a Harare-based political activist, was binding.
“I am not one of those who say we should ignore the Constitutional Court ruling because it is binding. I also do not criticise the content of the ruling,” he said.
“The correct procedure in my view would be to go back to the Constitutional Court and say it would be difficult to comply with the ruling.”
Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), DAVID COLTART, MDC, PATRICK CHINAMASA, SADC
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(HERALD ZW) NGO voter education scam exposed
Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is considering restricting voter education to political parties after unearthing nefarious dealings aimed at manipulating the process by some non-governmental organisations engaged to undertake the initiative.
One such organisation, the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa contracted by ZEC has incorporated information carrying political messages favouring certain parties.
The pamphlets carrying these political messages have a ZEC logo and are titled “Voter Registration: Your vote is your right”.
They are set to be distributed countrywide as part of voter education.
Some of the information in Shona pamphlets reads: “Nyoresa uunze shanduko. Usasaririre.”
In some cases the pamphlets are written; “Register to make a difference. Do not be left out.”
The change mantra being insinuated in the messages is associated with the MDC-T slogan, “Chinja maitiro” that dovetails with the party’s regime change agenda.
Although Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa could not be reached for a comment yesterday, highly-placed sources said in view of this, Government was contemplating limiting voter education to political parties.
“ZEC has picked up this. As Government we are slowly convinced that we should restrict voter education to political parties,” said the source.
“That is evidence with the mischief that can take place.”
Government, the source said, would not allow NGOs to campaign for certain political parties under the guise of voter education.
The Herald is reliably informed that this hatchet job is a brainchild of the United States of America which is the principal funder of EISA.
EISA, which operates in several African countries, claims to be a non-profit organisation.
By its own admission, EISA has actively participated in electoral processes of many African countries.
According to EISA, its executive director Mr Dennis Kadima participated in about 50 electoral processes worldwide in different capacities.
Mr Kadima, who once worked for the United Nations, had many publications on political party systems, electoral systems and processes and election observation.
“Our vision is to have an African continent where democratic governance, human rights and citizen participation are held in a peaceful environment,” reads EISA’s vision statement.
EISA claims that it worked in a number of programmes including democracy, conflict management, election education, elections and political processes, balloting and electoral services and research and information among others.
The organisation was established in 1996 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with field offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Mozambique, Kenya and Madagascar and has opened a new office in Harare.
Western funded organisations have of late been more active in Zimbabwe’s politics as the country’s heads for elections due by July 31.
Some of the organisation which are de facto MDC-T appendages have been funded to the tune of US$2 million by the British embassy in Harare to launch an advocacy campaign programme code-named “Feya Feya’’ ostensibly to demand a “free and fair” election in Zimbabwe.
The funding, which is being channelled through the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, was expected to culminate in a Leaders Conference at Pandhari Lodge in Harare on May 30 and 31 where the quasi-political groups were to draw up a list of demands pertaining to the holding of the harmonised elections.
The indaba was, however, cancelled after it was exposed in the media.
The same groups also convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ahead of the African Union golden jubilee celebrations where they wanted to lobby African leaders on what they said were minimum conditions for the holding of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
The campaign to buttress the MDC-T reform mantra by the groups that convened under the banner of the Zimbabwe Civil Society Heads of Coalitions however, hit a snag after the AU Golden Jubilee Organising Committee told them to leave as it had not made provision for non-State actors.
Mr Tsvangirai was subsequently forced to cancel his planned sojourn to Addis Ababa in the wake of the grief that befell his advance team.
Labels: 2007 BUDGET, NGOs, PATRICK CHINAMASA
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(NEWZIMBABWE) Election dates: Mugabe vows to go it alone
10/05/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe vowed Friday to unilaterally announce dates for new elections, apparently ditching a Cabinet committee he established with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai which was charged with fashioning a “road-map” to the polls.
Tsvangirai last month announced that he had agreed with Mugabe that a committee comprising Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa (Zanu PF) and his Constitutional Affairs counterpart Eric Matinenga (MDC-T) would work out a programme leading to the new polls.
The move infuriated MDC leader Welshman Ncube who accused his rivals of violating the GPA agreement and warned Tsvangirai that he was being led down the garden path by Mugabe.
On Friday the Zanu PF leader told a meeting with traditional leaders and local government officials in Mutare that Chinamasa now had sole charge of the process of drawing up the so-called road-map.
“I was hoping to meet Chinamasa here in Mutare, but he did not come. He is now the person in charge. It’s no longer the Ministry of Constitutional (and Parliamentary) Affairs,” he said.
The coalition parties remain divided on the timing of the polls. Mugabe wants the vote to immediately follow the end of the current Parliament on June 29 while the MDC parties are insisting on a delay to allow implementation of further reforms.
Speaking to reporters in South Africa where he was attending the World Economic Forum on Africa Tsvangirai said a June election was not possible and insisted that media and security reforms must be implemented first.
“Violence has always characterized our elections,” the MDC-T leader said in an interview today with Bloomberg TV. “If we can contain that, it will be ready any time after June.”
But Mugabe said the election dates would become clearer next week after the Senate completes its deliberations on the new Constitution.
“We will see from next week what the date can be,” he said. “We now await the decision of the Senate. Only when it is passed shall we be able to have a roadmap for elections.”
He also ruled an extending Parliament and reiterated calls for peaceful campaigns ahead of the elections.
“Parliament dies on 29 June,” he said. “MPs, all of them, would have lost their legislative power.”
“As in any contest, there are some whose tempers may flare and others with raging emotions, to all of them, the country’s appeal is for peace, peace, peace! Violence should not have any place nor footprint in our elections.”
Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), PATRICK CHINAMASA, ROBERT MUGABE
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(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) Dubious friends eye Zim gems
Sunday, 07 April 2013 00:00
Kuda Bwititi
The British government invited Zimbabwe for talks aimed at normalising relations between the two countries largely because the former colonial power wants to benefit from the local economy following the discovery of diamonds in Marange, a Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking on Star FM radio programme The Hub last Thursday, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa said Britain and a group of Western countries that has christened itself
Friends of Zimbabwe (FoZ) do not seem sincere in their re-engagement efforts as
their major pre-occupation appears to be the rich resources in the Southern African state.
Cde Chinamasa, who represented Zanu-PF on the re-engagement committee that travelled to London for the talks last week, said British representatives at the meeting acknowledged that the dispute between Harare and London was bilateral and stemmed from differences over the land reform programme.
He added that the two countries pledged to hold another re-engagement interface in future. The dates for the proposed meetings are, however, yet to be set.
Other members of the Zimbabwe re-engagement committee are Mr Elton Mangoma (MDC-T) and Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga.
“The outcome of the meeting was basically a commitment by the British to agree that the quarrel between Zimbabwe and Britain is a bilateral quarrel and bilateral issue, something that we have been saying all along,” he said.
“They also advised us that they were intent on re-engaging us bilaterally and to put on the agenda all the issues that affect our relationship and these issues include the land question, which is a colonial question and a decolonisation question.
“To that extent, a first step was taken towards a future re-engagement and a future dialogue.”
Minister Chinamasa said Britain and FoZ felt excluded from the country’s economic activities and now hope to benefit from its rich resources following the discovery of diamonds in Marange.
“They also realise that their policy of isolating Zimbabwe and isolating President Mugabe is not sustainable. But also from a very self interest point of view, they want to come into our country because they think that we have excluded them in the economy.
“They want a bite into our industry, primarily into mining and especially diamonds.”
Cde Chinamasa said Western investment should be based on a win-win foundation since the West plundered Zimbabwe’s resources in the past.
“I also indicated that if they want any friendship it should be on the basis of sovereign equality. We do not want a relationship with them, which is exploitative especially as has happened in the past, where a relationship was exploitative in their favour.
“They were basically scooping out our minerals free. That relationship I told them is going to stop. We want to engage each other on the basis of equality; any economic relations should be on the basis of win-win.
“Therefore, there must be mutual advantage and mutual benefit to the investor who makes money and to ourselves. There must be benefits, clear benefits that accrue to the country in which they are investing.”
He said the ball was in the British government’s court to continue engagement.
“It was them who disengaged from our relations. If they decide to re-engage us, they know where to find us. We are ready because in the first place, we never disengaged; it was them who decided that they would sever relations with Zimbabwe.”
Cde Chinamasa revealed that there was, however, discord among the re-engagement team members who only agreed that sanctions against the country should be scrapped unconditionally.
“Unfortunately, Minister Mangoma who started the discussion and made the first presentation started washing the dirty linen in public.
“Clearly he was making an attack on Zanu-PF on all issues almost as if he was talking to a Zimbabwean audience. I was forced basically to put the Zanu PF position.”
Last month, Britain’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Commonwealth Affairs, Mr Mark Simmonds, invited the Zimbabwe Government for the talks, marking the first time the British have formally sought to resolve the impasse between the two countries spanning over a decade.
Harare and London fell out after the latter reneged on an obligation to finance the land reform programme. The British internationalised the dispute and eventually convinced its Western allies to impose sanctions.
Labels: FRIENDS OF ZIMBABWE, PATRICK CHINAMASA, SANCTIONS
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