Rio Tinto hands over 52 percent of Murowa Diamonds
08/10/2011 00:00:00
by AFP
MINING multinational RioTinto's Zimbabwean subsidiary Murowa Diamonds has ceded 51 percent of its equity to comply with a new law giving local blacks majority shares in foreign companies, a news report said on Saturday.
"Murowa Diamonds wrote to us yesterday saying they have given up 51 percent shares and these would be given to our people," the state-owned Herald newspaper quoted Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere as saying.
The mine, located in the Midlands town of Zvishavane, was commissioned in 2004 with Rio Tinto owning 78 percent while the balance was controlled by Rio Zim, a local entiry listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
Zimbabwe gave foreign companies including banks and mines up to September 25 to submit plans to sell 51 percent of their shares to the black community by 2015.
An official in the indigenisation ministry said around 700 companies had missed the deadline, warning them to follow the law or risk de-registration.
But Zimbabwe has also proved willing to strike individual deals with companies, giving platinum-mining giant Zimplats more time to submit its proposal and allowing British insurer Old Mutual to conduct a "first phase" of compliance by handing over 25 percent of its shares.
Still resistance to the empowerment regulations remains in pockets of the country’s lucrative mining sector, Kasukuwere said.
"The general trend of submitted plans shows a level of resistance in moving away from the proposal by the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe. The mining businesses are offering to dispose 26-30 percent as equity on commercial value,” he said.
“The balance is to be claimed as empowerment credits for corporate social responsibility programmes. It appears this approach has been agreed to and co-coordinated under the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe.
Kasukuwere said some companies were proposing to dispose of equity to individual Zimbabweans or to indigenous consortia rather than to designated entities as prescribed by the law.
"My overall assessment is that over 90 percent of the submitted proposals do not meet the minimum requirements and there seems to be an element of resistance. However, I am meeting the various mining houses to achieve agreement on compliance with the law," he said.
President Robert Mugabe says the indigenisation law aims to fight poverty and put control of the economy in local hands, but the scheme has raised tensions within the shaky unity government with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai's party, which holds most economic portfolios in government, fears the law will scare off investors.
Labels: DIAMONDS, MUROWA DIAMOND MINE, RIO TINTO, SAVIOUR KASUKUWERE
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COMMENT - Wow. Wow. And wow.
Police probe Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane
TIME PUBLISHED - Saturday, October 8, 2011, 10:03 am
Police in Lusaka are investigating Former Finance Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane for allegedly using public funds to procure over one thousand bicycles. Police Public Relations Officer, Ndandula Siamana says police have
so far confiscated hundreds of bicycles from Dr Musokotwane’s residence in Lusaka west.Ms Siamana has told ZNBC News in Lusaka that police suspect public funds could have been used to buy the bicycles. Ms Siamana could not state what the bicycles were used for but says a statement is yet to be taken from the Former Finance Minister.
ZNBC
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, MMD, NDANDULA SIAMANA, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE
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COMMENT - The ANC never demanded postponing of any elections. And yet these foreign government funded so-called NGOs want the Zimbabwean elections suspended and not held in 2012, as 'Mugabe insists' (actually election time is regulated by the GPA)? They are going to cry about a lot of human rights abuses that don't pan out by the time anyone would check up on them. But by then their lies would have served their purpose. So if you make any charge, prove it.
State agents step-up terror campaign
08/10/2011 00:00:00
by Barnabas Thondhlana
RIGHTS abuses by state security agents are likely to worsen following an escalation of threats, intimidation and harassment against perceived opponents of President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party, civil society organisations have warned.
Opponents also claim that Zanu PF has already activated its terror machine with incidents of violent attacks increasing across the country as the party readies for elections which Mugabe insists must be held by March next year.
Civic society organisations have thus declared that the country puts off plans for the 2012 poll and, instead, concentrate on instituting much-needed reforms to ensure credible electoral processes.
This is the position that the civic organisations have taken to Geneva, Switzerland, for the United Nations Human Rights council’s 12th session of the universal periodic review where Zimbabwe will on October 10, 2011 present its report on the human rights situation in the country.
Over a dozen civil society leaders are on an advocacy mission in Geneva and some of the groups represented include Zimbabwe Human rights Association, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO forum.
Irene Petras from the Lawyers for Human Rights said it was imperative that government addressed the issue of what measures could be taken to protect the voter and the vote before, during and after the next elections.
“What reform measures have been or will be taken to ensure that the Electoral Commission (EC) is independent, efficient and transparent,” asked Petras.
“Is government taking steps to facilitate voting for everyone including Zimbabweans living outside Zimbabwe (as well as) those people living with disabilities?”
She called on government to adopt a hybrid electoral system, reform institutions that play a role in elections, develop, implement an Electoral Code of Conduct that is legally enforceable in order to promote free and fair elections and establish a permanent independent Electoral Court to preside over all electoral matters.
“The government must take the necessary legislative and administrative reforms for the Electoral Commission (EC) to be independent, efficient, transparent and accountable with adequate human and financial resources,” Petras said.
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“The EC must clean up the voters roll before the next elections. Necessary administrative and legislative measures that facilitate the right to vote freely and fairly of people in the Diaspora, people living with disabilities must be embraced.”
Zimbabwe has conducted regular elections using the First-Past- the-Post electoral system, but the last general elections in 2008 proved inconclusive, leading to the formation of the Inclusive Government (IG).
Said Dhewa Mavhinga, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition regional co-ordinator: “The key message is broadly that 2012 is not an election year but must be a year for credible electoral reforms.”
This is in sharp contrast to the Zimbabwe government’ s 17-page report to the UN Human Rights Council UPR, prepared by the Ministry of Justice, which paints a picture of a country desirous of promoting and upholding human rights for all despite the illegal sanctions’ induced challenges.
The report paints a rosy picture of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. But it ascribes some glaring human rights anomalies to the “illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe”.
The 15-page document, prepared by the Ministry of Justice and to be presented by Patrick Chinamasa, is starkly different from what civil society leaders will tell the UN.
“We seek to show that the reality is a far cry from what is contained in the government report,” said Dhewa.
“Different organizations will focus on their areas of expertise to demonstrate the true state of human rights in Zimbabwe and to show how the country is not prepared to hold democratic elections in 2012 as president Mugabe and ZANU-PF would want.”
Said Petras: “The government is encouraged to consider reforms of laws such as AIPPA, POSA, Criminal Law Code and the Broadcasting Services Act and other measures to prevent hate speech, violations of freedom of expression, assembly and association in line with the ICCPR.”
But the government has come out guns blazing, beating its chest on what it says are human rights positives in Zimbabwe.
Paragraph 82 of the government report reads: “Government opened up communication platforms in the broadcasting sector through the licensing of commercial radio broadcasting services and satellite-based subscription services.”
However, Mavhinga said: “No independent commercial radio licences have ever been issued and there has been no movement at all on issuing community radio licences.
“It’s now five months since the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) finally called for applications for two commercial radio licences. Just a few days ago, BAZ announced they would start holding public hearings on October 18th to determine the suitability of applicants for the two licences.
“The authority received an estimated 15 applications from aspiring broadcasters. On 18th October only one of those will be looked at. If they look at one a month we would be 15 months away from the process being completed,” he said.
Petras called on government to criminalise torture in all its national laws and policies, and consider creating an independent civilian oversight body for the police and other security operatives and adopt other measures to prevent incidents of torture.
Zimbabwe has created Commissions on Human Rights, Media, Anti-Corruption and Elections.
The police, army and Central Intelligence Organisation has for long been associated with fighting from Mugabe’s corner in the electoral process and going all out to ensure that the 87-year old leader stays in office.
The CSO’s called on Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai to fulfil their promise to reform state institutions, in a bid to end human rights violations that have continued in the country since the formation of the unity government two and half years ago.
Torture, harassment and politically motivated prosecutions of human rights defenders and perceived opponents have persisted, while villagers in many parts of the country have suffered ceaseless intimidation by supporters of the former ruling ZANU PF party.
Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS (ZIMBABWE), MDC, NEOCOLONIALISM, NGOs, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, PROPAGANDA
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Anthrax outbreak in Tsholotsho
Friday, 07 October 2011 20:17 Agriculture
Chronicle Reporters
An outbreak of anthrax has been reported in two areas of Tsholotsho district with 34 cattle reportedly having died in the past week.
In a telephone interview yesterday, the Tsholotsho district administrator, Mr Themba Moyo, who is the chairperson of the district Civil Protection Unit, said 12 cases had been observed in people.
“These are confirmed cases and they are all from Bubude area of the district. The outbreak has also been reported in the Dlamini area with 30 cattle having died from suspected anthrax while four cases in humans were reported at Dlamini Clinic,” he said.
Mr Moyo said the results were from a rapid assessment carried out by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and the Veterinary Services Department. The police and the Veterinary Services Department have been asked to mount roadblocks to limit the movement of meat to and from areas outside the district while transportation and slaughter of any beasts has been banned until the situation has been brought under control.
“We got the first report over the weekend and the Civil Protection Unit held an emergency meeting today. We are expecting to send about five teams per day so that we cover the whole district,” said the Tsholotsho assistant district administrator, Mr Kelvin Mayoyo.
Mr Mayoyo said the district is yet to get vaccination but remained optimistic that they would get some from Harare. He said they were facing serious fuel challenges as they needed about 600 litres of diesel if they were to effectively prevent the disease from spreading to more humans.
“We urge villagers to desist from eating meat from cows suspected to have died from the disease. Villagers should burn the carcass instead of endangering their lives by consuming the meat,” said Mr Mayoyo.
The district has since written a letter to the Matabeleland North Provincial Administrator, Ms Latiso Dlamini, informing her of the disease outbreak. Mr Mayoyo said non-governmental organisations operating in the district have offered to assist authorities in containing the disease. The district suffered a similar outbreak last year around July.-CHRONICLE
Labels: MATABELELAND NORTH, PUBLIC HEALTH
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Zimdollar: Compensation benchmark in pipeline
Saturday, 08 October 2011 00:00
Lloyd Gumbo Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT will impose a benchmark when compensating people whose savings were eroded after dollarisation as it emerged wholesome restitution, including those who "burnt" money, would cost Treasury US$54 billion. Finance Minister Tendai Biti said the cut-off plan was meant to ensure pensioners and genuine depositors were compensated.
He said at the official exchange rate, US$54 billion required to collapse all the Zimdollar accounts would "choke" the country. Minister Biti was speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday while responding to a question from Uzumba legislator Cde Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Zanu-PF) who wanted to know if the 2012 national budget would have provisions for Zimdollar account holders.
Cde Mudarikwa wanted to know the rate that Minister Biti was proposing to cater for, especially pensioners whose pensions were affected by the change from Zimbabwean dollars to foreign currency.
"The majority of Cabinet members seem to favour that we come up with a cut-off point," Minister Biti said.
"If you had a quintillion dollars and above, we make the assumption that you were ‘burning', so we cut-off there.
"We protect the poor people and so forth. We might come up with that because a lot of our people who have quintillions and so forth do not have audit files.
"If you review their tax files, they have not paid their tax.
MORE...
* Treasury in Zimdollar exchange dilemma
* ‘Pay Zim dollar account holders the equivalent'
* Zimdollar-era retirees must be compensated - experts
* Cash for Zimdollar accounts?
"We might do so, but it is just the rate and amount that are creating a situation that we are not happy with. It will be meaningful if one gets something like US$200."
Minister Biti said in the 2011 National Budget, about US$7 million had been set aside for compensating Zimdollar account holders at the United Nations prevailing rate of US$1 to 35 quadrillion as at December 31, 2008.
But if the money was converted by banks, Minister Biti said, some people would have received as little as US10 cents while big accounts were the only ones that would have received decent money.
He said the other option was to find about US$20 million, which he said was difficult.
Minister Biti said this approach would only see people who were "burning" money benefiting at the expense of genuine and innocent account holders.
Before his Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review this year, Minister Biti said Government had rescinded its decision to disburse US$7 million it had budgeted in the 2011 National Budget for compensating Zimdollar account holders after banks presented a bloated payout bill.
He said the banks wanted to milk Government amid allegations that some bank workers had rushed to credit their Zimdollar accounts with more money. Minister Biti said instead of US$6 million, banks had presented a payout bill of more than US$18 million.
Labels: TENDAI BITI, ZDERA, ZIMBABWE DOLLAR
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Zimdollar: Compensation benchmark in pipeline
Saturday, 08 October 2011 00:00
Lloyd Gumbo Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT will impose a benchmark when compensating people whose savings were eroded after dollarisation as it emerged wholesome restitution, including those who "burnt" money, would cost Treasury US$54 billion. Finance Minister Tendai Biti said the cut-off plan was meant to ensure pensioners and genuine depositors were compensated.
He said at the official exchange rate, US$54 billion required to collapse all the Zimdollar accounts would "choke" the country. Minister Biti was speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday while responding to a question from Uzumba legislator Cde Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Zanu-PF) who wanted to know if the 2012 national budget would have provisions for Zimdollar account holders.
Cde Mudarikwa wanted to know the rate that Minister Biti was proposing to cater for, especially pensioners whose pensions were affected by the change from Zimbabwean dollars to foreign currency.
"The majority of Cabinet members seem to favour that we come up with a cut-off point," Minister Biti said.
"If you had a quintillion dollars and above, we make the assumption that you were ‘burning', so we cut-off there.
"We protect the poor people and so forth. We might come up with that because a lot of our people who have quintillions and so forth do not have audit files.
"If you review their tax files, they have not paid their tax.
MORE...
* Treasury in Zimdollar exchange dilemma
* ‘Pay Zim dollar account holders the equivalent'
* Zimdollar-era retirees must be compensated - experts
* Cash for Zimdollar accounts?
"We might do so, but it is just the rate and amount that are creating a situation that we are not happy with. It will be meaningful if one gets something like US$200."
Minister Biti said in the 2011 National Budget, about US$7 million had been set aside for compensating Zimdollar account holders at the United Nations prevailing rate of US$1 to 35 quadrillion as at December 31, 2008.
But if the money was converted by banks, Minister Biti said, some people would have received as little as US10 cents while big accounts were the only ones that would have received decent money.
He said the other option was to find about US$20 million, which he said was difficult.
Minister Biti said this approach would only see people who were "burning" money benefiting at the expense of genuine and innocent account holders.
Before his Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review this year, Minister Biti said Government had rescinded its decision to disburse US$7 million it had budgeted in the 2011 National Budget for compensating Zimdollar account holders after banks presented a bloated payout bill.
He said the banks wanted to milk Government amid allegations that some bank workers had rushed to credit their Zimdollar accounts with more money. Minister Biti said instead of US$6 million, banks had presented a payout bill of more than US$18 million.
Labels: TENDAI BITI, ZDERA, ZIMBABWE DOLLAR
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Indigenisation a success: Chapfika
Thursday, 29 September 2011 02:00
Golden Sibanda Senior Business Reporter
NATIONAL Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board chairman Mr David Chapfika says the indigenisation process has largely been a success, three years after the law setting it up came into effect. But he told Herald Business in an interview the initiative was
"a process" that would span generations.The fact that the process of ensuring participation of local people in the mainstream economy had started was in itself "a resounding success", he said. Mr Chapfika said the fact that Government moved to enact the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act of 2008 was a milestone.
Under the law all foreign-owned firms in Zimbabwe or wishing to invest here are required to sell at least 51 percent of their equity to indigenous people.
There has been general consensus among stakeholders in Government, the private sector, the investment community and the general populace that locals should take ownership of the means of production.
Apart from squabbling over the form and model the indigenisation process should take, Mr Chapfika said everyone conceded that the initiative was noble.
"In terms of indigenisation, a number of major mining companies have submitted their indigenisation plans. Whether we have accepted, rejected or are discussing them, the concept has been agreed and no one has rejected it," he said.
Zimbabwe's biggest platinum producers, Zimplats and Mimosa, lead the list of major mining firms that have since submitted plans to indigenise ownership.
Acquisition deals involving Masawara Plc and BP and Shell, Engen Corporation and Chevron Zimbabwe, Schweppes Zimbabwe and Coca-Cola Africa, Costain Zimbabwe Incorporated and Costain Africa and Old Mutual Zimbabwe largely had an indigenisation influence to them.
He cited community share ownership trusts and employee share schemes as cases in point that reflect the successes of the indigenisation process.
Under these schemes, communities in which mining firms operate will have a 10 percent stake, while the workers of these companies will own at least five percent equity.
The Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment has visited some of the mining communities to educate them on how they stand to benefit under community and employee share ownership schemes.
Government has directed that no foreign investor should be allowed to operate in certain specific economic sectors, which are reserved for indigenous people.
Such areas include retail and wholesale, real estate, dry cleaning, hair salons, commuter transport, grinding mills, tobacco grading and processing among others unless granted a special dispensation by the State.
All foreign-owned companies are required, in terms of the law, to procure 50 percent of the consumables through local firms.
Mr Chapfika said locals were already benefiting in this regard. It was up to locals to ensure foreign-owned firms list them among their suppliers. These factors rank as benchmarks of the success of indigenisation, he said.
There has been serious concern among investors regarding the implications of indigenisation.
There is a perception that the drive was designed to grab foreign-owned assets. The suspicion was that the intention was not a sincere plan at a broad-based economic empowerment of Zimbabweans..
The suspicion has affected trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, which has mostly traded through low due to investor apprehension.
In recent weeks foreign investors have been quitting the bourse.
There is also a general sentiment of uncertainty among foreign investors on indigenisation and empowerment in relation to the Government's final position.
This has resulted in limited foreign direct investment into Zimbabwe.
Most of this has been inspired by the general uncertainty in the ultimate political direction of the country.
The commitment to democracy, for instance, has not been established solidly, even with the creation of the unity government, in whch Zanu PF and the two opposition parties are assumed to wield wequz power.
The process has also faced major challenges in terms of funding to support Government's broad-based economic empowerment.
Out of the US$5 million allocated for indigenisation under the 2011 National Budget only US$810 000 has so far been released for the programmes.
"We appreciate the fiscal challenges that Government is facing," he said. "But we feel it is not giving the indigenisation process the priority it deserves."
To address the challenges around funding NIEEB was pushing for legislation that allows it to borrow from the markets through prescribed asset pape, he said.
NIEEB is also advocating legislation that allows it to pool funding resources by effecting an indigenisation levy to fund the empowerment initiative.
Labels: DAVID CHAPFIKA, INDIGENIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT ACT (ZIMBABWE), NIEEB
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COMMENT - This is the first time I have even heard of the Community Share Ownership Scheme Trusts.
Diamond firm surrenders 51pc stake
Saturday, 08 October 2011 00:00
Takunda Maodza in VUMBA
MUROWA Diamonds has agreed to surrender 51 percent stake in line with Government's Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment regulations. This comes as delegates to the inaugural Zanu-PF Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Conference here yesterday made it clear that it was time for economic emancipation through ownership of the country's mineral resources.
Zanu-PF secretary for Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, confirmed that Murowa Diamonds complied with the empowerment regulations on Thursday.
"Murowa Diamonds wrote to us yesterday (Thursday) saying they have given up 51 percent shares and these would be given to our people," said Cde Kasukuwere, who is also the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Empowerment.
Cde Kasukuwere said the implementation of the empowerment regulations had moved a gear up with indications that President Mugabe would be launching the Ngezi Community Share Ownership Trust worth over US$100 million at Selous, Mashonaland West Province, next week.
"On Thursday, His Excellency the President will launch our programme at Selous. A 10 percent stake worth over US$130 million will now be in the hands of our communities. By December we will have more than 100 Community Trusts," he said.
Cde Kasukuwere said the setting up of the Community Share Ownership Scheme for the Ngezi Community was agreed with Zimplats.
"Other substantive proposals are still being assessed and there are indications that some of them will be approved with necessary adjustments," he said.
Cde Kasukuwere, however, said there was still some resistance to the empowerment regulations.
"The general trend of submitted plans shows a level of resistance in moving away from the proposal by the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe. The mining businesses are offering to dispose 26-30 percent as equity on commercial value. The balance is to be claimed as empowerment credits for corporate social responsibility programmes. It appears this approach has been agreed to and co-ordinated under the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe," he said.
Cde Kasukuwere said some mining firms were still proposing to dispose of equity to indigenous Zimbabweans in their individual capacities or as a consortium rather than to designated entities as prescribed by the law.
"My overall assessment is that over 90 percent of the submitted proposals do not meet the minimum requirements of the General Notice 114 of 2011 and there seems to be an element of resistance.
"However, I am meeting the various mining houses to achieve agreement on compliance with the law," he said.
Cde Kasukuwere said since the promulgation of the empowerment regulations, more than 1 000 businesses have submitted their provisional implementation plans as required by the law.
But while some mining firms are still reluctant to abide by the law, Zanu-PF delegates here are definite that there is no going back on the empowerment regulations as it was in line with the party's 2010 Mutare National People's Conference resolutions.
LIVE DISCUSSION HERE
"The Zanu-PF Presidium is totally committed to supporting this important initiative led by Cde Kasukuwere. Cde Kasukuwere we are fully behind you and some of us will leave no stone unturned to achieve our goal," said Zanu PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya-Moyo in his address.
He added: "The indigenisation and economic empowerment programme is a flagship policy of the party that should be implemented without fear or favour. We ask for permission from no-one. We must proceed with that zeal and commitment, which made us succeed in liberating our country."
Labels: DIAMONDS, INDIGENIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT ACT (ZIMBABWE), SAVIOUR KASUKUWERE, ZIMPLATS
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Zimdollar: Compensation benchmark in pipeline
Saturday, 08 October 2011 00:00
Lloyd Gumbo Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT will impose a benchmark when compensating people whose savings were eroded after dollarisation as it emerged wholesome restitution, including those who "burnt" money, would cost Treasury US$54 billion.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti said the cut-off plan was meant to ensure pensioners and genuine depositors were compensated. He said at the official exchange rate, US$54 billion required to collapse all the Zimdollar accounts would "choke" the country.
Minister Biti was speaking in the House of Assembly on Wednesday while responding to a question from Uzumba legislator Cde Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Zanu-PF) who wanted to know if the 2012 national budget would have provisions for Zimdollar account holders.
Cde Mudarikwa wanted to know the rate that Minister Biti was proposing to cater for, especially pensioners whose pensions were affected by the change from Zimbabwean dollars to foreign currency.
"The majority of Cabinet members seem to favour that we come up with a cut-off point," Minister Biti said.
"If you had a quintillion dollars and above, we make the assumption that you were ‘burning', so we cut-off there.
"We protect the poor people and so forth. We might come up with that because a lot of our people who have quintillions and so forth do not have audit files.
"If you review their tax files, they have not paid their tax.
"We might do so, but it is just the rate and amount that are creating a situation that we are not happy with. It will be meaningful if one gets something like US$200."
Minister Biti said in the 2011 National Budget, about US$7 million had been set aside for compensating Zimdollar account holders at the United Nations prevailing rate of US$1 to 35 quadrillion as at December 31, 2008.
But if the money was converted by banks, Minister Biti said, some people would have received as little as US10 cents while big accounts were the only ones that would have received decent money.
He said the other option was to find about US$20 million, which he said was difficult.
Minister Biti said this approach would only see people who were "burning" money benefiting at the expense of genuine and innocent account holders.
Before his Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review this year, Minister Biti said Government had rescinded its decision to disburse US$7 million it had budgeted in the 2011 National Budget for compensating Zimdollar account holders after banks presented a bloated payout bill.
He said the banks wanted to milk Government amid allegations that some bank workers had rushed to credit their Zimdollar accounts with more money.
Minister Biti said instead of US$6 million, banks had presented a payout bill of more than US$18 million.
Labels: TENDAI BITI, ZIMBABWE DOLLAR
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Strike paralyses Harare
Saturday, 08 October 2011 00:00
Felex Share Herald Reporter
HARARE City Council workers went on strike yesterday demanding improved salaries and better working conditions, paralysing service delivery in nearly all critical departments. The workers are planning a massive demonstration at Town House on Monday morning.
They are also demanding an end to "secretive" payrolls and incentives to senior managers they claim were bleeding council resources at the expense of their welfare and service delivery. The strike comes after the workers got an arbitral award of a 16 percent salary increment effective January this year.
However, council unilaterally decided to give each worker a top-up of US$20.
The least-paid council worker in grade 16 now earns US$150 after the US$20 adjustment.
This grade includes cleaners and all general staff.
Most council operations came to a standstill with the health department, refuse collection and cleaning services being the most affected.
Toilets and streets in the Central Business District were not cleaned yesterday as the workers heeded calls by their unions to strike.
The situation was worse in Mbare and health experts fear a disease outbreak if no solution is hammered.
Council employees could be seen sitting under trees while others decided to go home.
Residents who wanted to pay bills were in most cases turned away as there was no one to attend to them.
Council spokesperson Mr Leslie Gwindi yesterday said they were negotiating with the workers.
"We are negotiating and I can tell you that the whole of this morning (yesterday) we were negotiating. We hope to come up with a solution very soon," he said.
However, Harare Municipal Workers Union chairperson Mr Cosmas Bungu said efforts to engage management failed to yield positive results.
He said workers would only return to work after a "reasonable" salary increment.
"They have failed to honour the arbitral award and the workers have resolved that enough is enough. They should observe the dictates of social justice. The executive payroll should be made public because we believe 60 percent of the total budget is for them.
"When we had our manpower audit we participated but surprisingly we were never consulted on the consolidating process and we believe there are thousands of ghost workers and someone is benefiting from that," he said.
Mr Bungu added: "There is no politicking here. What we are doing is just the wishes of the people as evidenced in our balloting. The people have spoken."
Interviewed workers accused the management of neglecting them.
"Some of us are lodgers and we have to pay rentals but how does the management expect us to survive. We have children who need school fees and this has to come from the US$150 I am getting.
"They should be sensitive to our plight because we also deserve better treatment," said one worker.
Another worker at Wilkins Hospital said nurses had reported for duty but were not attending to patients.
"People are here, but nothing is being done in terms of working. We were just seated since morning, joining our fellows in the job action. We are waiting for Monday when we will all invade Town House to confront the management," the worker said.
The situation was the same at the Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospitals where workers said they had joined the strike.
"We believe in collective job action and that's why we have heeded calls by the union leaders to down tools," he said.
Others complained council was paying more money to ghost workers.
"They don't want to release the report on the ghost workers and it means people on the payroll are much more than the touted 10 000," added another employee.
Apart from failing to increase workers' salaries, council has also come under fire from residents for poor service delivery despite the high revenue it collects.
The council gets revenue from beerhalls, clinics, commercial and residential properties.
Most residents in high-density areas rely on council clinics and maternity facilities.
Labels: HARARE, HARARE CITY COUNCIL, MDC CORRUPTION, STRIKE
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Hakainde fails to install his friend as Speaker
By The Post
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 15:00 CAT
We congratulate judge Dr Patrick Matibini, State Counsel, on his election as Speaker of our National Assembly.
Our members of parliament made a very good decision in electing judge Matibini Speaker even though it was by one vote. That was a very important one vote. But even the World Cup is sometimes won with one goal and that single goal has never diminished the value of a World Cup victory.
This is a sweet victory for all Zambians of goodwill because the man who has been elected Speaker is a very outstanding citizen, a very progressive citizen who represents the dreams and aspirations of our people. He is a man who is above narrow, sectional or partisan interests. Judge Matibini is an intellectual who at the same time is a very ordinary and humble man, he is one of us.
Michael Sata and his government must be given all the credit that is due for supporting such a man for this important job. It shows that they are prepared to look for talent wherever they can find it and deploy it in the service of our people. Michael is beginning to prove that he is above petty and narrow sectional interests.
He is a nationalist. Our country needs more nationalists, patriots who will put common interests above their cheap egocentricities. In choosing judge Matibini, Michael has voted for public interests rather than mere political convenience. Judge Matibini is non-partisan, he is not a member of any political party. He was simply a judge of our High Court. And this is what the job of speaker needs. The Speaker must be an individual who is prepared to serve all members equally.
The Speaker is responsible for controlling the floor of House business and acts as referee during debates. It is the Speaker's duty to ensure that the rules of the House for conducting business are followed and that all members of the House have an opportunity to take part in debates. Balancing the right of the majority to conduct business with the right of the minority to be heard is one of the Speaker's most difficult tasks. And because of this, it is essential that the Speaker is seen to be above party politics.
From this, it can be seen that a Speaker requires a broad range of skills and personal qualities to successfully fulfill the duties of the position. It is therefore easy to understand why we celebrate the election of judge Matibini as Speaker of our National Assembly.
It marks the dawn of a new era in our politics, a promise of what could be if we all rose above narrow sectional or partisan interests. Such a situation would enable us to obtain services from the best brains in our country who might not have partisan connections or be inclined to partisan politics but still have something to offer. Michael is showing us how it should be done.
In a short time, he is assembling a team of respectable luminaries to assist him in delivering on his promise to change Zambia forever. Michael is not a young politician but he has not been afflicted by the cynicism that sometimes corrodes those who have spent too much time in politics. He is a pragmatist but his patriotism directs that pragmatism to the benefit of the people. Michael does not hesitate to change strategies and tactics, without compromising any principles, when the circumstances dictate so.
There is a lesson that those who are vying to run the politics of our country should learn from this man. Although it may not be very apparent in his personality, at the core of his heart, he is a servant of the people. He is looking to deliver what the people need and want. Michael has a keen ear for public opinion and seems to instinctively respond to it in a skillful way.
But in contrast to Michael, there are pitfalls in the character and politics of Hakainde Hichilema that should be avoided by those who want to serve our people. Hakainde is an opinionated politician who should not be followed by those who are serious to get to their destination. We say this because it seems that the only thing that matters to Hakainde is his ego and how he feels about himself.
He does not care about the feelings of those who are around him and their wishes and aspirations. Hakainde's political journey is about satisfying himself and nothing else. He has been blinded by ambition. This is why he sees nothing wrong in being a braggart, a cheap braggadocio, to borrow George Mpombo's words.
Our people should be cautious with politicians who are ready to subordinate public interests to their personal egos. There is something wrong with such people. Beyond that, there is something evil and dangerous about such people.
In everything, Hakainde looks for what is in it for him. We think that human beings should never draw away from the honest goals they seek and let themselves be influenced by ego, self-importance or even vanity. Human beings tend to make a fool of themselves if they think too much about the positions they should occupy in life, in things.
It would be wiser to aspire to a modest, simple or even anonymous place in life, in things, because if you have a true measure of the power of people as individuals, you know it is so fragile and such a small thing that it doesn't really make sense to magnify the role of any individual, no matter how intelligent, brilliant or able they may be. There have been many able, intelligent, meritorious figures in the course of history. It is therefore necessary that we value ourselves at our true worth (Sirach 10:28).
It worries us that Hakainde is ready to use the limited political influence he has to marginalise a whole people. We say this because Hakainde is working very hard to keep the Tonga-speaking people Balkanised and excluded from our national politics. This is why we have kept saying Hakainde wants to keep Southern Province like a Bantustan to deliver his wishes. This is wrong. Look at the way he has behaved over the election of Speaker of the National Assembly!
If we were to carry out an opinion poll within his own party, we would find that more than 90 per cent of his colleagues believed that judge Matibini was the best candidate for that job and not his friend Richard Kapita. But Hakainde, to satisfy his own ego, was determined to give that job to his friend. The Patriotic Front behaved in a patriotic manner by bringing a candidate that they thought was best suited for the job. Hakainde wanted to give a job to his unemployed friend.
This is the kind of person we are dealing with. We hope that his behaviour is beginning to show those of our people who wondered why the PF-UPND pact didn't work, the reason it failed. Hakainde can only be his own partner. This is not a person who can work with others unless he comes out on top.
This is why even though the MMD had more seats in parliament than UPND, Hakainde ensured that UPND provided the candidate for Speaker in their pact with MMD. This is the kind of person we are dealing with. Although he was a leader of a small Bantustan party in the PF-UPND pact, Hakainde wanted to emerge leader of that pact. How that was going to be done, only he knows.
Anyway, he is used to that kind of manipulation. We have said this before but it bears repeating. When he worked at Grant Thornton, he was not an accountant, he was merely a holder of a bachelor's degree in economics, and yet he somehow managed to carry himself as if he was a leader of the whole firm, when in truth he was not. Even in UPND, the situation is not different. When Anderson Mazoka died, Hakainde emerged from nowhere and literally installed himself as its leader on the back of tribal sentiments aired by his supporters.
No wonder Levy Mwanawasa describes him in the following terms: "The problem Mr Hichilema is having now is that he wants to cheat, to mislead, to show that he is what he is not…" Levy narrated why he considered Hakainde a cheat: "As part of his overall theme of non-partisan politics, Mwanawasa recalled an incident in which he first met Mr Hakainde Hichilema at State House before he became president of the United Party for National Development (UPND). He was brought to him by Mr Costain Chilala, the prominent Mkushi farmer. This was sometime in February 2006, the year in which Anderson Mazoka died.
Hakainde, as a member of the business community, had a specific business issue to raise with Mwanawasa. Mwanawasa recounted the incident: ‘He said he had been disadvantaged from government contracts because people were saying that he was a member of the opposition UPND. He said he was not a politician, he was only a businessman. He asked me to treat him that way.
I told him, ‘my government does not discriminate on political or tribal lines,' I said. ‘We will give you a job because you are capable of doing it.'
‘Hakainde said, ‘when I decide to join politics, I will come and join you in MMD because I am happy with the way you are leading this nation.' He said this over lunch at Nkwazi House.
‘I said, ‘Thank you very much for that show of confidence, but I want you to feel that whether you are with us or not, to me you are a Zambian entitled to anything you want which government is able to give. But I am glad at your show of confidence that if you should want to come into politics, you will think of joining me.'
‘Two months later, Mr Mazoka died. There was talk that Hakainde Hichilema was being considered to take over from Mazoka. Initially, he was refusing, then eventually he agreed. He didn't even have the audacity to come and explain himself to me. He didn't have to, but I don't know why he gave me the assurance that if the time came for him to join politics, he would rather be with me.
‘I regret the fact that we are opponents. I have a lot of respect for that young man. He could have played a very pivotal role in the governance of this country. But he has to be trained. I would have been happy to provide counsel so that he is moulded into a true leader. Now, he has joined politics. His understanding of politics is that it doesn't matter; you can cheat provided you get your goals.
‘If you have been following my politics, you will realise that I don't cheat. Maybe that is what has got me into trouble. I believe that if you don't cheat, if you are consistent, you will be right. The problem Mr Hichilema is having now is that he wants to cheat, to mislead, to show that he is what he is not.
‘When some people alleged that he could not assume the UPND leadership because he was a newcomer, he said it was not true because he was one of the pioneers of UPND, that he started UPND with Mazoka and other people…But when he came with Chilala to Nkwazi House, he said people were saying that he was UPND…
‘And in my view, he is wasting his talent in opposition politics…But I consider Hichilema's case a very unfortunate one…'"(Levy Patrick Mwanawasa: An incentive for posterity, Amos Malupenga, p 211-212).
This is the kind of man we are dealing with. Hakainde is a man who seems to listen to nobody. We wonder if he has even one advisor that he listens to. How can one lead people he does not listen to? And this explains why UPND which had acquired a national character as a political party is today nothing but a Bantustan party of Southern Province whose only service to that great people is to marginalise them.
We are not being malicious in saying this because the figures speak for themselves. In last month's elections, Hakainde polled 506,763 votes. Of that, 266,754 or 52.64 per cent of those votes were obtained in Southern Province. This is wrong, it will take them nowhere.
Those who are around Hakainde should know that they are dealing with a selfish self-centered man who cares nothing about the nation. As long as his interests are served, we have no doubt he would even leave politics. It is therefore good that his scheme to impose his friend as our Speaker has failed even if it is just by one vote.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PARLIAMENT, PATRICK MATIBINI
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Sata wants more Judiciary reforms
By Chibaula Silwamba and Patson Chilemba
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 14:40 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata says the country needs more reforms in the judiciary so that the people can receive justice. And President Sata has asked Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini to exhibit maximum impartiality and allow members of parliament to debate freely.
Meanwhile, newly-elected Speaker Matibini says he will be the guardian of the rights of all members of parliament. And Vice-President Guy Scott said Speaker Matibini's first loyalty will be to the House and that he is not a servant of the executive or the judiciary.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that MMD and UPND members of parliament were ‘quarantined' at three hotels on Wednesday night to ensure that the PF does not infiltrate and persuade them to vote for Matibini.
During the swearing-in ceremony of Dr Matibini as Speaker, Mkhondo Lungu as Deputy Speaker and Chifumu Banda as chairperson of parliamentary committees of the House at State House yesterday, President Sata thanked Chief Justice Ernest Sakala for accepting Dr Matibini's resignation at short notice so that he could take up the position of Speaker.
"The same way they have treated you in electing you, whether it was unanimous or whatever it was, I expect you to exhibit maximum impartiality when you are dealing with the House. There are some people who will try to create unnecessary problems, but looking at the current Parliament I don't think you will find one," President Sata said.
"If it was in the days of Benny Mwiinga, Lanson Hantuba yes, but not the current Parliament, they won't even understand ‘filibustering'. In Parliament, let people debate freely."
President Sata said members of parliament should debate as national leaders in Parliament, and that he was grateful on the reforms in the House.
"And we need more reforms in the judiciary so that justice can go to the people, because justice delayed is justice denied. And we are told the accused must be heard. So the Chief Justice, I met him earlier on. I did not know he was going to hang around to see one of his High Court judges ascending, they are not at par, but he Speaker Matibini is head of the legislature," he said.
President Sata said the success of the government depended on a vigorous and energetic Parliament.
"When you are talking of corruption, the Speaker should not muzzle the bird on those things. Let people debate freely. The only people who are restricted, who can't debate freely are ministers. Ministers are slaves, they can't debate openly," President Sata said.
"And it's up to you, when you find a minister is debating like a backbencher, rule him out of order and if he misbehaves, kick him out like former speaker Mr Nabulyato kicked out Benny Kakoma when he was trying to be unruly."
President Sata said the road was not easy, but Dr Matibini was lucky because he had two experienced people in parliamentary affairs who surrounded him, like Lungu "who is trained in juju and traditions".
"Afford all members of parliament freedom to debate because sometimes in that House you don't catch the speakers. You can be huge like Mr GBM defence minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba but you will never catch the Speaker's eye and there are some people who will always catch the Speaker's eye even if they are dwarfs. But let us try as much as we can to exhibit impartiality," he said.
President Sata said conditions of service at Parliament needed to be looked into because there was a very huge gap between conditions of service in the judiciary and those obtaining at Parliament.
He said he had authorised for Dr Matibini to continue accessing conditions of service from the judiciary until such a time the Standing Orders Committee looked into the conditions of service at Parliament.
"Be Speaker, be yourself," said President Sata.
And in his inaugural speech after his election yesterday, Speaker Matibini told the parliamentarians that it was a tremendous challenge and great honour for him to have been elected.
He said he would be the impartial guardian of the rights of everyone in this House.
"In accordance with the tradition, I rise to submit myself to the will of the House and in doing so, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency the President, His Honour the Vice-President and all of you members. I also wish to congratulate the nation at large for holding successful tripartite elections on 20th September, 2011," Speaker Matibini said. "It's, therefore, with great humility that I submit myself to the will of the House."
Clerk of the National Assembly, Doris Mwiinga, who was the returning officer, declared Dr Matibini as the new Speaker after he polled 78 votes against UPND's vice-president Richard Kapita who got 77 in a tightly contested race.
All 155 members of parliament voted in the 158 member parliament except for three constituencies where elections are yet to take place with two having been delayed on account of deaths of candidates while in Chongwe, the MMD's candidate who was declared winner opted to resign after being elected.
Ruling Patriotic Front (PF) members of parliament burst into jubilation immediately Mwiinga declared Dr Matibini Speaker. The PF parliamentarians chanted their party slogan "Don't kubeba! Shhh!" and hugged one another as former vice-president George Kunda, Dora Siliya, the MMD and UPND camps looked displeased.
Addressing the House, in his message to congratulate Dr Matibini, Vice-President Guy Scott said the office of Speaker was an essential feature of a democratic Parliament.
"As head of the legislature, you are the custodian of the rights and privileges of the members of parliament. Your allegiance is to the cause of Parliament's liberty. You are neither a servant of the executive nor the judiciary. Your first loyalty is to this House," said Vice-President Scott, who is the leader of government business in the House.
"I am positive that you will treat all members of parliament, elected and nominated, from both the opposition and ruling parties equally and that you will ensure that all members enjoy the same rights, privileges and immunities and have the same opportunities."
Vice-President Scott said he was sure that Speaker Matibini would, without fear or favour, make fair rulings on all important national issues that would be raised in the House.
MMD's Lundazi Central member of parliament Mkhondo Lungu and Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Chasefu member of parliament Chifumu Banda were elected unopposed as Deputy Speaker and chairperson of committees of the House, respectively. Both Lungu and Banda's constituencies are in Lundazi district.
Lungu and PF's parliamentary Chief Whip Yamfwa Mukanga ushered Speaker-elect Matibini into the Chambers. In a traditional style, Lungu and Mukanga were pulling Speaker Matibini, as he was staggering as if resisting his election. The staggering and orchestrated-resistance is part of the grand entry into the chambers by the Speaker-elect until he reaches the official chair reserved for the Speaker.
All parliamentarians and people in the press and public galleries burst into laughter and ululation as the new Speaker entered the House.
Immediate past speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, who sat in the public gallery directly opposite the Speaker's seat, witnessed the whole process.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that the MMD and UPND leaders held several meetings at Chrismar Hotel for the two parties' legislators ahead of the Speaker's election.
The sources said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema addressed parliamentarians from both parties, urging them to be united and vote for Kapita.
The sources said MMD and UPND parliamentarians were forced to sleep at Chrismar Hotel, Golden Bridge Hotel and Golf View Hotel to avoid the PF ‘polluting them' to vote for Matibini.
"We had to sleep at these three hotels because they didn't want us to mingle with the PF. Even those six MMD parliamentarians that accepted deputy ministerial posts were forced to sleep at the same hotels," the sources said. "Those six were verbally abused by their MMD colleagues for accepting to be part of the PF government. They are being mistreated."
MMD and UPND members of parliament were taken to Parliament in public buses under the watchful eye of their senior party officials to ensure they did not mingle with the PF before the vote.
Soon after their arrival in the opposition members' car park, former health minister and MMD's Senga Hills parliamentarian Kapembwa Simbao ordered all of them to gather at one place for the roll call.
Richard Taima conducted a roll call for MMD parliamentarians while the UPND did their own.
"Where is Honourable Dora Siliya," Taima was heard asking as he sounded to be panicking, complaining "the number is not enough". Siliya did not show up to join her fellow opposition legislators until later when she entered the House.
Looking sad, the one-time all-powerful ministers had to raise their hands when their names were called out.
Former minister of information and Keembe parliamentarian Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha looked sombre during the roll call while others mingled and hugged one another.
When approached for an interview, Lt Gen Shikapwasha, responded: "I don't give interviews. Ask others!"
Later, upon arrival in a private registered vehicle with tinted-windows, former vice-president George Kunda proceeded to greet other former ministers. Former community development minister and MMD Mwandi member of parliament Michael Kaingu remarked to Kunda, "you look much better today" as he straightened the former vice-president's jacket collar.
"Yes! Yes!" responded Kunda as the backbenchers consoled one another over their loss of government portfolios.
Thereafter, Kunda and Taima asked all parliamentarians from both parties to proceed to the chambers.
"Let's go and fight them now," some parliamentarians were heard saying as they walked into Parliament building.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, JUDICIARY, MICHAEL SATA, PARLIAMENT, PATRICK MATIBINI
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COMMENT - No Greek Crisis For Defense Contractors - 400 new M1A1 tanks ordered, at 1.3mn euros each.
The U.S. approved to grant 400 M1A1 Abrams to Greece
October 3, 2011 | Filed under: Army,Featured News
According to information of the “Hellenic Defence & Technology” magazine, the U.S. authorities approved to grant 400 M1A1 Abrams tanks to the Greek Army, which will include options between simple refurbishment – worth tens of millions dollars for all the tanks- and upgrading to a higher level of operational capability, with a higher corresponding cost. The relative Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) is expected soon.
Also according to exclusive information of the 'Hellenic Defence & Technology' magazine, a Price and Availability letter was sent to U.S. authorities regarding 20 AAV7A1 and a low cost upgrade program for them. This is the first step to cover an operational requirement for 75-100 vehicles.
Additional exclusive details on these requirements as well as for Bradley IFVs, in a forthcoming issue of the 'Hellenic Defence & Technology' magazine.
Source: hellenicdefence.gr
Labels: ARMED FORCES
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Guy Scott explains his appointment to BBC
By Kombe Chimpinde
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 14:40 CAT
Dr Guy Scott yesterday told the British Broadcasting Corporation that his appointment as the first white Vice-President was accepted because Zambia was a mature democracy. Featuring on BBC's World Have Your Say programme, Dr Scott who is Zambia's new Vice-President noted that his rare appointment had made headlines in so many Western countries in view of his race.
"It is nonetheless proof because I haven't met anyone trying to shoot me. It was a very popular appointment," Vice-President Scott, who is also Lusaka Central member of parliament, said.
Scott however said it would be wrong to say that the development was a new wave of change in Southern Africa as Zambia could not be compared to other states in the region.
"I heard from Lebanese friends, who have come from Lebanon that the same news about me being Vice-President in Zambia is grabbing headlines in Beirut. Certainly, the spirit of change is at the end of this," Vice-President Scott said.
"Zambians are more cosmopolitan as they are regarding themselves as the rest of the world and not some poor section of the African population."
He said Zambians were very enlightened and embraced the spirit of globalisation which had stirred up demands for change in a progressive light.
"People need jobs. Also there are no jobs, so Zambians realise without a change there is still going to be no jobs for their children. So the present hope to change is to demand change and they welcome it when it comes," he said.
Quizzed on the current impasse in South Africa between the ANC party leadership and its youth wing who seems to regard race as so much an issue in that country, Vice-President Scott said South Africa could not be compared to Zambia as it was a young democracy.
"South Africa is a newcomer to independence or to multi-racial societies. South Africa is a baby compared to Zambia. Zambia is 47 years as an independent country and also has a white population that is considerably small," Vice-President Scott said.
Scott however refused to comment on the predicament in neighbouring Zimbabwe where land was being grabbed from most white farmers who were earlier titled with huge tracts of land.
"I am very reluctant to comment on that as a senior member of the government. We don't discuss politics amongst our neighbours, " Vice-President Scott said.
Vice-President Scott is a Zambian by birth born in Livingstone.
Labels: BBC, GUY SCOTT
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COBUSU urges govt to probe bursaries committee
By Mwila Chansa-Ntambi
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 06:00 CAT
PRESIDENT Michael Sata must also clean up universities because they have been marred by corruption, according to former Copperbelt University Students' Union (COBUSU) president David Chikwanda. And Chikwanda has
appealed to the new government to re-instate CBU students that were expelled in 2008 for protesting against the appointment of Dora Siliya as education minister.In a statement, Chikwanda urged the government to ensure that an audit is conducted at the bursaries committee because it had allegedly been rocked with corruption and incompetence.
"For example, in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election, government-sponsored students at CBU received an amount of K500,000 each from bursaries committee without any explanation. Up to now, no explanation has been given to explain this allowance because it was not the usual meal allowance," Chikwanda stated.
"It is not a secret that the bursaries committee was used to campaign for Rupiah Banda at the time by giving students bribes."
Chikwanda said this was not only electoral fraud but also corruption of the highest order, which needed to be followed up by the new government.
He said there were some government-sponsored students who used to go through their academic years without ever receiving the allowances due to them and yet the government had been releasing funds.
Chikwanda accused ‘greedy and selfish' individuals of stealing from innocent students.
And Chikwanda appealed to President Sata to reinstate students who were expelled in 2008 for protesting the appointment of Siliya.
The protest came after former president Banda re-appointed Siliya who had earlier resigned from her position as communications minister after the Judge Dennis Chirwa-led tribunal found that she had breached the Constitution by appointing RP Capital Partners of Cayman Islands to valuate Zamtel assets against the Attorney General's advice to the government.
"The students in the name of Kasonde Mwenda, Lucky Miyanda, Kenneth Sampa and Oliver Silumbe were used as scapegoats by heartless and selfish MMD cadres in the university management who protected their jobs at the expense of innocent students. I kindly appeal to the President to kindly reinstate our friends so that they can complete their education and contribute positively to the development of this nation," said Chikwanda.
Labels: AUDITING, COBUSU, CORRUPTION, UNIVERSITIES
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PF is not tribal, says Limata
By Correspondent
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 08:00 CAT
NORTH Western Province minister Josephine Limata says the Patriotic Front is not a tribal party and has advised locals in the region to rally behind the PF government.
Limata said when she met members of North Western Development Council of Elders at her office on Tuesday that President Michael Sata was not a tribalist but "a man of action" who wanted to unselfishly develop the country.
"I am happy about him; President Sata is a man of action. There is no tribalism in PF. This is Zambia; it is not Zambia for one tribe but for everyone. And President Sata is President for everybody. If we do that shunning his government because of belonging to other political parties then we will be left out of the development of the country," she said.
Limata said when President Sata appointed her as provincial minister, he told her that North Western was important to the country and that she needed to work hard to uplift its agricultural, educational and health delivery standards.
"President Sata told me that 'I am sending you to bring people together'. Tribalism will not take us anywhere. And he told me that 'I will give you the money needed to do all the projects there'," she said.
Limata asked the elders to give her constructive guidance to manage the complexities of the region.
And chairperson of the council of elders Lucas Chikoti told Limata to assure President Sata that the province had welcomed her and would support the government's agenda for the region.
He noted that North Western had massive resources but that it benefitted very little and called on President Sata to give it a priority.
"This province lacks a lot in terms of development. This has been our cry for quite a
long time. The resources are coming from here. I am hopeful that we shall be helped," said Chikoti. "We are also happy that the President has sent you here. Women are better leaders than men and are more committed. Tell the President that he should not listen to rumours coming from this province that people had rejected Limata's appointment because she came from outside North Western."
And former health minister in the Kenneth Kaunda regime, Alina Nyikosa, praised President Sata for being gender sensitive and trusting a woman to head what she described as a "difficult province", calling the move an exciting real change.
Labels: MICHAEL SATA, NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE, PF, REGIONALISM, TRIBALISM
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ZAWA workers protest
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 06:10 CAT
ZAMBIA Wildlife Authority employees yesterday protested and demanded the abolishment of the institution. But labour minister Fackson Shamenda has appealed to all employees in the country to remain calm while his ministry was carrying out the presidential directive of reviewing the current minimum wages.
A spokesperson for the workers, Teddy Lubinda, called on President Michael Sata to abolish ZAWA and let the government take full control of the institution.
"The President should abolish ZAWA and take the institution into government as stated
in the PF manifesto. Since 2000 to date, ZAWA management has done nothing apart from pleasing themselves with better conditions of service at top management," Lubinda said.
He accused the ZAWA management of failing to remit NAPSA contributions since 2000 despite making deductions on workers' salaries.
"This also includes ZAWA pension schemes. ZAWA does not provide any retirement package to the general staff while top management give themselves huge salaries and gratuity upon completion of a three year contract, while the general staff get K1,500,000 after retirement," Lubinda said.
He also accused ZAWA management of deducting money from their salaries, but that the money is never remitted.
He said institutions such as Bayport, Indo Zambia Bank, Natsave, Microfin, among others, had stopped lending money to ZAWA members of staff.
"When one goes on leave, ZAWA only provides or has a policy of paying K500,000 for 30 days. Is this normal? Where did they get this criteria? Management gets K2 million for a period of less than 10 days when they go on leave," said Lubinda.
And Shamenda said the ministry had already started working on the critical issue of the minimum wage.
He said in addition, the ministry was looking into the improvement of
conditions of service for all employees in occupations where the wages
and conditions of employment were regulated through the process of
collective agreement under the industrial relations act or where
employee and employer relationships were governed by specific
employment contracts which were attested by labour officers.
"Under the circumstances, I wish to appeal to all employees in the
country to remain calm while my ministry is carrying out the
presidential directive. We should not allow work stoppages to disrupt
productivity in our nation. My ministry remains open for consultations
from both employers and employees alike," said Shamenda.
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Labels: CHILD LABOUR, FACKSON SHAMENDA, MINIMUM WAGE, ZAWA
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Regulate labour law flexibility, advises SA academician
By Kombe Chimpinde
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 09:50 CAT
A VISITING South African academician has advised the government to regulate the flexibility of legislation pertaining to labour in the informal sector if the workers' protection is to be guaranteed.
Professor Rochelle Le Roux, an expert in labour law at the University of Cape Town, said foreign investors were inclined to flexible labour laws because of the risks associated with comprehensive laws, which were common in many parts of Africa.
Le Roux, who attributed this development to gobalisation and speedy technological advancement, said the government must endeavor to strike a balance between investments and the protection of basic interests of employees.
"Our traditional labour laws are not drafted with non-standard (informal) employment in mind. They were drafted on the basis that everyone would be in standard employment because of the speed at which technology is changing. More and more workers find themselves in non-standard employment and labor legislation is perhaps not optimal," said Prof Le Loux in an interview yesterday.
"That is one of the biggest challenges in addressing lack of protection for workers."
Prof Le Roux observed that there was need for the government to implement and enforce legislation, which would protect workers especially those in the informal sector, and at the same time guard foreign investments.
"Investors, who, down the line become employers, are always concerned about the amount of flexibility that the labour laws allow. On the other hand governments are under obligation to provide employment to citizens," she said.
"The second reason is that they want to move and expand quickly. In some areas they are going to get machines to do it work so the best way of solving this problem is to provide for limited circumstances where employers can adjust or change the basic conditions of employment.
There must be some form of regulated flexibility."
Professor Le Roux said the new government had an obligation to set structures that encouraged and provided employment among its youthful population.
"I'm not talking about university or college education, I'm talking about lower level schools to provide skills development. And I hope the next government puts some energy into providing skills training across the board," said Prof Le Roux. "If you have the skills of the population you are eventually going to up economic development."
Labels: CASUALISATION, LABOUR
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MPs cheer Dora Siliya
By Chibaula Silwamba
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 14:40 CAT
MEMBERS of parliament yesterday cheered Dora Siliya as she made her way to vote for Speaker in the Chambers while information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha was called ‘Chanda Chimba', likening him to freelance journalist Chanda Chimba III.
In their inaugural gathering in the House since their election last month, parliamentarians burst into cheers when former education minister and MMD Petauke Central member of parliament Siliya's name was called to cast her vote for the Speaker.
Siliya, who was dressed in a cream white body fitting suit and a matching Queen's hat, stood up and after leaving her seat, turned around facing her neighbour Kunda and posed for the ruling PF legislators, much to the amusement of the members.
Her action attracted more laughter as information minister Given Lubinda shouted: ‘bokosi! buttocks!"as everyone joined in the laughter.
Siliya won parliamentary re-election in her campaigns where she was urging voters to admire her buttocks.
In trying to tell men not to engage in homosexuality which she had accused the PF of advancing, Siliya was often telling male voters to admire her beautiful and soft buttocks and not their fellow men's.
When Lt Gen Shikapwasha's name was called, PF parliamentarians shouted: "Chanda Chimba! Chanda Chimba!"
Lt Gen Shikapwasha, as minister of information in the Rupiah Banda-government, was a supporter of freelance journalist Chanda Chimba III, who produced hate-speech laced documentaries prior to the September 20 tripartite elections that ended the MMD's 20-year reign.
Some MMD and UPND parliamentarians called PF nominated parliamentarian and Eastern Province minister Solomon Mbuzi "ambuya! grandfather!"
The parliamentarians remarked: "No weapons allowed here" in reference to Mbuzi's walking stick.
But in response, a joyful Mbuzi, who is around 76 years old, raised the PF symbol towards the UPND and MMD parliamentarians.
As home affairs minister Kennedy Sakeni, who is also Mansa Central member of parliament, was walking to the polling booth, PF MPs shouted ‘boma! boma! government! government!' while foreign affairs minister Chishimba Kambwili shouted: "Shikapwasha mwaikatwa, mwakakwa Shikapwasha you are arrested".
Vice-President Guy Scott, Lubinda, defence minister Geoffrey Mwamba and other PF ministers received cheers from their fellow PF members that also shouted: "boma! boma!"
Vice-President Scott proceeded to shake hands with his predecessor Kunda.
Meanwhile, as he was going to vote, UPND's Kalomo Central member of parliament Request Muntanga shouted: "Don't kubeba!"
The session was mainly joyful though most former ministers looked sombre.
Labels: DORA SILIYA, GBM, GEOFFREY MWAMBA, GUY SCOTT, MPs
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SACCORD demands truth before forgiveness
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 14:50 CAT
SACCORD says there is no forgiveness without truthfulness and has since urged the government to use the mechanisms available to punish those who abused public office in the past regime.
In an interview, the Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director Lee Habasonda said
there were certain questionable actions that took place in the MMD regime and people needed answers, saying this was what formed part of the truth.
"As SACCORD, we think that first accountability, second justice, third truth and then we can talk about forgiveness. We cannot talk about forgiveness if we do not know the truth, if there is no justice, if there is no accountability, in short we are saying that there is need for those that occupied positions of authority to say the truth to the Zambian people, to be accountable for some of their actions that were questionable and to ensure that justice is given to the Zambian people," Habasonda said.
He said the Patriotic Front government was ushered into power on the basis that they would give justice to the people and they would be accountable and tell the people of Zambia the truth.
He said forgiveness should only come at a stage when people have told the truth and when they had spoken about how they accounted for their actions when they were in authority and whether they did not miscarry justice.
"If those things are not explained, then there is no value in forgiveness because forgiveness is a response to the fact that people have realised the need to redress the wrongs or to 'right the wrong' as they call it. Therefore, you cannot heal the wounds if you are not able to tell the truth; healing will only come about if there is genuineness in asking for forgiveness," he said.
Habasonda said even in religion, those who talked about reconciliation and seeking forgiveness have to demonstrate that they are remorseful.
"Not some of these people who yesterday were insulting on top of the anthill, they come to some TV station and say Mr Michael Sata must forgive me because he is now head of state. I think they must not make it a mockery to get away with it; they must say the truth," he said.
Habasonda's comments come barely a week after President Sata openly disagreed in church during Mass with St Ignatius parish priest Fr Charles Chilinda, who was calling on the new administration to forgive former president Rupiah Banda for any wrongdoing in the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.
But President Sata raised his hand to declare his stance, pointing out that Fr Chilinda's statement meant that the government should not fight corruption.
Labels: LEE HABASONDA, PF, SACCORD
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Fr Chibuye calls for scrutiny of proposed DCs
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 07 Oct. 2011, 14:50 CAT
A MPIKA clergyman says the proposed list of district commissioners should be scrutinised before the final confirmation and inductions. The clergyman said some of the people on the list have serious political inclinations and are corrupt.
Commenting on the proposed list of district commissioners which has been released, Caritas director for Mpika Fr Patrick Chibuye said some of the people who had been proposed as possible candidates for the positions had pending administrative cases for alleged resource mismanagement.
Fr Chibuye (right) said the Public Service Commission should have been sincere when submitting the names before the President and created more room for scrutiny by proposing three names per district followed by an inquiry either from the districts or from the commission to get views on both their conduct before, during and after the just ended tripartite elections.
"It is so surprising that most of the civil servants especially the heads of government departments in key departments accepted to be used by MMD to campaign in the name of fostering development.
We have received reports within the province that some civil servants whose names are on this list were using their positions to intimidate the electorate to vote against PF; offices like the DEBS, DACO, and office of the community development were equally used to mobilise teachers, farmers and women clubs in rural areas," he said.
"They were told if they vote for PF the schools will be turned into private schools and that neither farmers would get their money nor benefit from this year's Farmers Input Support Programme."
Fr Chibuye said if the current list was to be regarded perfect, the country would have the same type of district commissioners it had during the MMD's reign.
He called on President Sata and his Cabinet to further scrutinise the proposed names by involving civil society organisations, churches and the general citizenry.
Fr Chibuye said this would help the new government to know the type of civil servants it would be dealing with at all levels.
Fr Chibuye called for a forensic audit in the former district commissioners' offices, saying there was too much corruption.
Labels: CIVIL SERVANTS, CORRUPTION, DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS, PATRICK CHIBUYE
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Sata purges public service
Friday, 07 October 2011 00:00
Lusaka - In just two weeks in office, Zambia's president has replaced the country's police chief, top anti-corruption official, central bank governor, state utility CEO and scores of lower-ranking public servants.
President Michael Sata portrays many of the changes as part of a campaign against graft in the southern African nation. But some Zambians worry the man they call King Cobra is striking at his political enemies.
"There is so much corruption that this country stinks," Sata, speaking with the bluntness that earned him his nickname, said this week as he swore in Martin Malama as his national police chief.
When Sata replaced Godfrey Kayukwa, director-general of the Anti-Corruption Commission, with Rosewin Wandi, a woman, he said women were less corrupt than men.
In the run-up to elections last month, Kayukwa refused to investigate corruption charges involving the awarding of the ballot paper printing contract to a South African company.
Sata has also brought in anti-corruption fighter Max Nkole as the top civil servant at the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees police, prisons and immigration. Nkole, a respected former policeman who once served as chief of investigations for the UN war crimes tribunal on Rwanda, led the Zambian Task Force on Corruption created by the late President Levy Mwanawasa.
Mwanawasa's successor, Rupiah Banda, dismantled the task force amid speculation he was trying to block high-profile corruption investigations. Sata lost three presidential polls before his victory over Banda in
September ended two decades of rule by Banda's Movement for Multiparty Democracy party.
Sata's personnel changes since coming to power included the dismissal of 72 district commissioners who were vocal supporters of Banda's party.
Zambians have seen such purges before.
When the Movement for Multiparty Democracy ousted Zambia's first President Kenneth Kaunda and his United National Independent Party in 1991, all the chief executives of state-owned companies were forced to retire along with their deputies.
Top army officers also were replaced, as were senior editors at state-owned newspapers. Father Charles Chilinda, a respected Catholic priest, has called on Sata to exercise restraint and show forgiveness.
He said that though the new government has every right to probe corruption allegations, proper procedure should be observed.
"If certain issues to do with corruption have to be followed let them be investigated, but let us not dwell on witch hunts and finger-pointing," Chilinda said.
The Law Association of Zambia also has called on Sata to respect the rule of law, saying in a statement that the rule of law was at the centre of good governance and should be a cornerstone of any credible democratic government.
Along with his staffing decisions, Sata has raised concern by returning Finance Bank Zambia Limited to its owners.
The bank was recently sold to First Rand Bank of South Africa after former President Banda questioned its practices and ordered it seized from its shareholders.
The tangled case has political implications. Finance Bank chair Rajan Mahtani had sided with those prosecuting the late President Frederick Chiluba for corruption and abuse of office.
Sata fell out with Chiluba in 2001 in a succession struggle within Chiluba's Movement for Multiparty Democracy. Sata left Chiluba's party to form his own Patriotic Front.
Under Banda, Mahtani was briefly jailed on drug charges.
Opposition leader Charles Milupi said Sata should have allowed an investigation to be completed before stepping in.
"We all know that he constituted a commission of inquiry into the sale of Finance Bank to First Rand Bank of South Africa. So why did he have to hand it over to the Mahtani family in a matter of days even before the inquiry was started?" Milupi said.
The central Bank of Zambia said the national currency, the kwacha, slipped as much as 3,8% following Sata's Finance Bank announcement.
Labour leaders and ordinary Zambians, though, had been concerned about the bank's sale to South Africans, saying Finance Bank was an indigenous institution that served rural communities and employed many Zambians.
"Finally the truth has prevailed," Mahtani declared after the reversal of the sale was announced.
"I am happy the 1 000 Zambian jobs that would have been lost in this transaction are now saved."
Sata had campaigned as a champion of working-class Zambians. - SAPA.
Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, CORRUPTION, MAX NKOLE, MICHAEL SATA, ZAMBIA
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ANC: Living the SA dream?
Friday, 07 October 2011 00:00
by Udo W Froese
The writer of the "TIMES" article on current internal politics and the ANC seems confused. He makes out as if there is a Paul Mashathile and a Tokyo Sexwale camp, in other words, two groups within the ruling ANC with two different leaders opposing incumbent ANC and South African president Jacob Zuma, backing the incumbent deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe. However, Motlanthe seems reluctant, to possibly stand for president. It is therefore highly unlikely that Motlanthe will stand for president of (i) the ANC and (ii) South Africa, when the incumbent president is expected to stand for a second term of office.
There is actually only one camp at the moment that opposes Jacob Zuma and his support base, according to various public reports. That competing camp, includes Human Settlement (Housing) Minister and ANC NEC member Tokyo Sexwale; ANC NEC member and Minister of Culture Paul Mashathile, together with all the other known ones - ANC Treasurer, among the top six of the ANC, Mathews Phosa; former ANCYL President and current Minister for Sport, Fikile Mbalula; of late even the Minister of Defence and ANC NEC member, Lindiwe Sisulu; current ANCYL President Julius Malema and his Youth League executive; former Finance Minister and Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel and various ANC provinces and branches and their leaders.
They include the ANC led provinces of Polokwane, the Northern Cape, possibly Mpumalanga and the most industrious province of Gauteng. Their ANC leaders seem to be on the side of the above-mentioned ANC politicians. Respected senior ANC stalwart Winnie Mandela showed her sympathy when she supported ANCYL president Julius Malema during his court trials. She again stood by Malema during her speech, when she accepted the "Ubuntu Award" for her life long services of the ANC. South Africa's media reported her support widely.
It is also observed that ANC NEC and current Minister of Justice, Jeff Radebe, could possibly jump ship, if the aforementioned strategies become a reality. It would make sense then, that the business family, the Motsepes, would throw their weight behind Radebe.
The good minister is married to a Motsepe - Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe, who owns a mining company, "Makau Mining", with platinum mining interests in Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is learnt that one of the guiding forces behind the scenes seems to be former re-called president Thabo Mbeki. Is he focusing on a come back? Thabo Mbeki would most likely not stand any chance in this South Africa.
His brother, Moeletsi Mbeki, is active as a political commentator. Giving public talks daily and being quoted in the local media, Moeletsi Mbeki claims many things, usually in favour of the opposing side of
President Jacob Zuma. He also stated before the Polokwane summit in December 2008 that his brother, Thabo Mbeki would get a third term in office. That clearly did not happen.
It would seem that additional strategic efforts hope to bring Cope, a group of former senior ANC members, who split from the ruling party immediately after the summit of Polokwane in December 2008, on board. This is the observation of senior ANC NEC members.
Would there be more disgruntled members from the ANC Alliance to join? Do the strategic planners include the DA, IFP, the new Zulu party that split from Inkatha, the NFP and a host of NGOs? Would political leaders from the PAC, AZAPO and others from the former BCM join later too?
What about more political minorities such as the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and their NGOs, AfriForum the Transvaal Agricultural Union, (TAU) possibly throwing their weight behind that strategic move?
A host of BEE "businessmen and women", such as Mzi Kumalo, Bulelani Ngcuka and Saki Macizoma and others, that came in with Thabo Mbeki, could re-surface. Would the Afrikaaner Brotherhood (AB) and its Stellenbosch business and academic power groups as well as their tentacles throughout society play a quiet role to look after their interests?
Meanwhile, Bishop Desmond Tutu entered the political fray yet again, using the public media platform to attack the government under president Jacob Zuma, announcing that he would pray for the defeat of the ANC led government. Viciously, Desmond Tutu spew out that the colonial-apartheid structure was a better arrangement. He also announced that he would pray for the downfall of the ruling ANC and president Zuma.
His tirade follows the withdrawal of the Dalai Lama's visa application, as the Ministry of International Affairs did not comment on whether or not the Dalai Lama would be allowed to travel to South Africa to attend Tutu's 80th birthday bash. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and "Christian", bishop Tutu also warned the ANC, that they would go the same way as the deposed governments of Egypt and Libya. The bishop issued a direct call for civil unrest in South Africa. The producer of one of the private radio talk shows called Desmond Tutu during a talk show with the Minister of Human Settlement (Housing), Tokyo Sexwale. Tutu stopped short of endorsing the hopeful future deputy president.
The bishop always had a political agenda. Small wonder, he was very close to the African-American-Institute (AAI) in the USA under diamond merchant Maurice Tempelsman and the late Frank Ferrari.
The South African Bishop's aforementioned tirade from the media platform reminds this writer of the Bishop of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Pius Ncube. His public prayers for the death of President Mugabe had made him a hero in the Christian civilised international West. But, eventually President Mugabe had to pray for the forgiveness of Ncube's sins, when the poor Christian bishop was shown in the act, committing adultery on camera with ten married women from his congregation. That had also made front-page news a few years ago.
Interesting to note that all of South African print and electronic media carried Tutu's hysterical attacks on the ruling ANC, its president and the government. It became clear that it was all well co-ordinated. Bishop Tutu must perceive himself as quite divine, above all democratic and souvereign government structures, a law unto Himself only. It seems that the competing camp within the ANC under among others, minister
Sexwale, could have another route left, if it cannot sink president Zuma and his support base from inside the ANC. It could form a formidable opposition, after having initiated a palace revolution from within, split the ANC and then break away from what is left.
Such strategy could be an alternative for 2013, or later for 2017. In its strategic planning that group wants to take the ANC name along to possibly confuse the majority of the voters and in that way, get the majority of the vote. If the outlined strategies would indeed be successful, the ANC would be destroyed.
* Udo W Froese is an analyst and columnist, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Labels: ANC
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COMMENT - The Black New Farmers are going gangbusters, despite the destruction of the national currency by economic sanctions (ZDERA), despite sabotaging and underfunding of agriculture by Tendai Biti and the MDC. This is not the result of the return of any Rhodesian farmers either, because that hasn't happened. It is simply because of good rains and the stabilisation of the currency. And the key to agriculture in Zimbabwe and the entire region - irrigation. Output in numbers:
MAIZE (metric tonnes)
2008 400,000
2011 1,500,000
TOBACCO (kg)
2008 34mn
2011 174mn
That's the stabilisation of the currency and rains. Not the return of rhodesian farmers, which did not happen.
New farmers doing well: Biti
Friday, 07 October 2011 00:00
Herald Reporter
FINANCE Minister Tendai Biti on Wednesday acknowledged that new farmers were doing well with production of most agricultural produce increasing since 2008. He said this while responding to a question by Mt Darwin East legislator, Cde Betty Chikava (Zanu-PF) on what Government was doing to pay farmers for grain delivered to the GMB.
"In 2008 the maize production was 400 000 metric tonnes but in 2011 the production of maize stands at 1,5 million metric tonnes and
could have been 1,7 million metric tonnes but because of the . . . drought between December 2010 and January 2011 we lost 11 percent of hectarage.
"The second crop is tobacco. In 2008 we produced 34 million kg and in 2011 our expected delivery will be 174 million kg and as I stand here 134 million kg have been delivered. In fact, with all the crops and livestock in Zimbabwe there has been a fundamental increase in production between 2008 and 2011 with the exception of two crops, tea and coffee. Even milk has risen to 94 million litres although this is still below the over 200 million that we need," he said.
[And that is just from restauration of the currency. This gives you a stark picture of the extent of the damage that economic sanctions like ZDERA have done to the economy. And destruction of the currency is just one of the effects of the credit freeze has had on the Zimbabwean economy. - MrK]
Zimbabwe, he added, was set to meet its target of 500 000 tonnes of strategic grain reserves due to increased deliveries to GMB.
Minister Biti said Government had spent US$1,9 billion on agriculture since 2008, adding that they are also crafting an input scheme for vulnerable groups and large scale and A2 farmers this farming season.
Government had released US$10 million to pay farmers that have delivered grain but part of the money they are owed would be offset by inputs.
"What we have done is that we are gathering inputs to the tune of US$30 million and a farmer can liquidate his indebtedness with seed and fertiliser. But we will be able to pay any cent we owe by December 31 in the year of our Lord 2011," he said.
Minister Biti, however, took a swipe at the GMB for having a large salary bill that is chewing US$10 million a month. The parastatal would soon be unbundled into two companies dealing with collection of the strategic grain reserve and the other commercial activities.
Minister Biti, however, said the long term solution to ensure that farmers are paid on time was to have a commodity exchange.
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comments:
So what - Friday, October 7, 2011 at 04:53 AM
He will be arm twisted into reversing it. They will freeze his acconts if he doesnt, all that money they gave him
Jambanja pa Salisbury - Friday, October 7, 2011 at 06:17 AM
That's good, they are doing well....but are they doing well enough, i.e. optimising land use? We want real statistics here, like productive land previously held by whites farmers now owned by blackfarmers', productivity per hectare then (note not prodcution), land under utilisation then, volume of agric exports then, volume of agric imports then, etc, etc and then we compare like for like to see whether they are doing better than their yesteryear farmer or comparatively better than their past selves! Do not forget to take stock of land allocated but not occupied, absentee farmers, I mean! That way we will be able to assess for ourselves whether the figures mentioned have meaning or not!
Now, turning to GMB and Biti's proposal. The parastatal like you rightly say, needs complete overhaul and purging it of dead wood! The most beautiful and practical way you proposed is the commodity exchange, farmers have a much higher likelihood of getting realistic value for their crops! Apa Biti wabaya dede nemukanwa....all farmers should campaign and vote for you as they are poised to earn more income should you be in full charge! Hahahahah ...............Laugh the Beloved Country.
NICHOLAS - Friday, October 7, 2011 at 01:14 PM
Listen who is talking! An MDC-T MINISTER. Am i dreaming? I thought President Mugabe's land reforms were a total failure with food production going down every year. I thought we can not go ahead with our indegenisation policies because just like the land reforms, these will also fail
Vana Biti na Tsvangison wenyu. Musatambe na Gushungo, murume uya ane inonzi vission from the heavens. He is our nation's Moses, and will deliver us from the jaws of collonial bondage which has now reached a critical economic stage. What is independence when you cannot control your own resources???
Fellow Zimbabweans, please take note of what the HON Minister have said. It may be useful in your decisions in the polls which are just around the conner!!!
TruthHurts! - Friday, October 7, 2011 at 01:49 PM
Aaarrrggghhhh, and the above is coming from Biti??????? You are not serious!!! Biti and his numerous ploys aimed at destroying black farmers efforts to provide for the country need no introduction here and yet here he is marvelling at how regardless of his saboteur tactics the same farmers are excelling at proving the wise words of President Mugabe that : Zimbabwe is an agricultural country and Zimbabweans are natural farmers, hence it is through agriculture that we will turn around the economy!!! Zimbabweans will win this one whether the sellouts and their masters like it or not and our country will attain the breadbasket status it has long enjoyed that first came with the govt of President Mugabe in 1980 and not what some re-writers of history want us to believe that the breadbasket status was there during the days of Rhodesia!!!
Mutauri WeChokwadi - Friday, October 7, 2011 at 02:43 PM
The Land reform is irreversible, we have gone through the difficult part..the last 10 yrs.
Now we are on the growth stage and there is no stopping Zimbabweans.
Who said we must whoever be hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the white master?
Gushungo titungamirirei tiende mberi
Labels: GRAIN MARKETING BOARD ZIMBABWE, LAND REFORM, MDC, NEW FARMERS, TENDAI BITI
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