Guest column: Paidamoyo Muzulu

THAT Zimbabwe is facing the twin devils of political and economic crises is self-evident, however, more worrying is the government’s indifferent attitude to these problems and its silent approval, hence cursing the working class to perpetual hewers of wood and drawers of water for the rich.

A silent revolution is taking place as President Emmerson Mnangagwa keeps satisfying the needs of capital by cutting back on social spending – education and health — as he tries to wring some foreign direct investment and Bretton Woods institutions’ support.

The cutting back on education and health funding have inadvertently created room for unregulated private players to enter the sectors. This also feeds into the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank and International Monetary Fund)’s calls for privatisation of services. However, with unemployment rate in Zimbabwe above 90% and nearly 70% living below the datum poverty line, now at $3 600 for a family of five, it is a wonder how the generality of the population will afford private services.

Many schools, including missionary institutions, have privatised their services and are asking market-related fees. The government despite its public posturing to the contrary, it actually remains aloof and the schools are allowed to behave in an anti-poor manner.

One is forced to ask why Zimbabweans are being cursed by political leaders like the Gibeonites in Joshua 9;23: “Now, therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves — wood cutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

It is tempting to substitute God for capital in this instance. Many are aware of education as a liberating tool, an acquisition that can make one move up the social ladder and take their families and progeny out of poverty for good. It is this same opportunity that many in the current government got access to, but are ready to deny others because they feel they have arrived.

Analysed with the benefit of hindsight, some in the present regime have worked hard since the August 2015 Supreme Court Zuva Petroleum judgment, to make sure workers have been reduced to something akin to casual labour. Employers can now simply fire workers on three months’ notice and negotiate an exit package which in the main is paltry and pro-capital.

Whether deliberate or not, Zimbabwe is creating one large pool of cheap labour — a playground for capital that can abuse workers without fear of any actions against it. The anti-public education policy being pursued by the regime is meant to perpetuate the current social classes as they are after two hyperinflationary episodes in a decade.

Without education and savings, one will not have the luxury of choosing a job, but to take what is on offer even if they are aware they are working like slaves. It may be missed by the current regime, but the reality is that it is condemning a whole generation to a lifetime of hewing wood and drawing water for the capitalists without a chance they can get out of the vicious cycle of poverty.

Two years before the current regime took over power via a coup, the old Robert Mugabe regime had started a government scholarship for those pupils/students who excelled in science and mathematics – creating a potential pool of Zimbabweans who could not only compete in the world, but also help drive the country’s economy in the fourth industrial revolution. The fourth industrial revolution is generally defined as the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way we live and work.

It is obvious that most Zimbabweans after failing to get a basic or tertiary education even if they are academically gifted, would be reduced to menial labourers paid what employers deem fair remuneration as the country does not have a statutory minimum wage.

Without sounding mundane, Zimbabweans have to frankly discuss the Zimbabwe they envision. They have to candidly speak about the issues that are non-negotiable such as the right to education, health, water, housing and an efficient public transport system. They have to voice what they believe should be the minimum salary for any employee.

It makes the aspect of working meaningless if workers cannot educate their children, pay for medication when they fall sick or even afford basic meals.

The privatisation tide, particularly for education should be stopped now, we can’t sleep soundly while being aware that the government has perpetually rendered a whole generation and its progeny “hewers of wood and drawers of water” for capital.

Ways to fund public education should be found now, failing to stem the tide now would mean floodgates for other privatisations are open.

Paidamoyo Muzulu is a journalist and writes here in his personal capacity. He can be contacted on muzulu.p@gmail.com

BY PRECIOUS CHIDA

ZIMDANCEHALL chanter Energy “Freeman” Chizanga has branched off into fashion designing with the launch of his new clothing line called The 5ive Star Look. The development is not surprising considering his photographs posted on social media platforms donning great fashion labels.

Freeman told NewsDay Life & Style that he always wanted to look good, so the compliments he received over the years fuelled the dream.

“I love dressing and I’m sure my fans know that I always want to look good every day. So, those compliments that I usually get from my fans encouraged me and, therefore, I decided to start my own fashion label,” he said.

The musician — whose monster duet with Alick Macheso, Ngaibake, dominated the just-ended festive season — said although the clothing line was still in its infancy, he was hoping to focus more on the fashion business and launch branches across the country.

“I am still trying to figure out where exactly I can be located, but for the meantime, my shop is mobile and I am supplying boutiques around Harare,” he said.

“The label is still crawling. We haven’t started running yet, but I am hoping to give my best to this business so that I can supply my fellow musicians in Zimbabwe and have a few branches in Zimbabwe, including my hometown Bindura which I will probably start with.”

Meanwhile, the chanter said he had more surprises this year as he would be releasing a new album and a string of singles featuring international artistes.

“An album will be coming out very soon this year with some few international duets which I started working on last year and a few singles with local artistes will be released before the album. So we are definitely going to leave a mark again this year,” he said.

Freeman rose to fame on the back of his hit song, Joina City, and has not looked back since.

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

CONRAD Rautenbach further kept his hopes of challenging for the coveted title in this year’s Dakar Rally alive after powering to a sixth place finish during the prestigious race’s third stage in Neom, Saudi Arabia yesterday to follow up on his third place finish on Monday.

The 35-year-old top Zimbabwean rally driver finished the 427km super stage, three minutes 48 seconds behind the stage winner Gerard Guell from Spain, while Russian Sergei Kariakin finished in second position.

Rautenbach’s solid performance moved him into sixth position on the overall standings in the SSV category, 22 minutes, 50 seconds behind the lead held by American motor rally driver Casey Currie with nine stages left in the 2020 Dakar Rally.

Currie finished third during yesterday’s third stage to take the lead in the general standings, just 15 seconds ahead of Chilean motor rally driver Francisco Lopez.

The two-time African Rally Champion spoke to Dakar.com after the third stage of his strategy during the third stage.

“During the first part we had to go quite slowly with all the rocks and canyons and the last part was really nice and sandy and the beautiful landscape. We pushed a little bit more, the car is fantastic, Pedro is doing a good job on the navigation so it’s all good,” he said.

Rautenbach was full of praises for the desert landscape in Saudi Arabia saying it offered the true test expected in a gruelling rally event such as the Dakar.

“From what I’ve seen so far Saudi Arabia is beautiful, the country has nice landscape, all the perfect ingredients for a Dakar. I’m very happy so far,” he said.

Meanwhile Zimbabwe’s other representative Graeme Sharp put on a solid performance to finish 82nd out of the remaining 121 competitors in the motorbike section to move to position 89 on the overall standings.

Ross Branch of Botswana — who won the second stage in the bike section on Monday — finished in position 41 yesterday after stopping during the race to help fellow competitor Andrew Short from USA jeopardising his place.

BY CHARLES LAITON

THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has approached the High Court seeking to reclaim Mujingwe Conservancy in Masvingo, which it claims was illegally seized from a mining firm by another company and several individuals.

In an application, through its acting director-general George Manyumwa, ZimParks said Haigwari Safaris (Pvt) Ltd evicted Apatron Mining Fort Rixon (Apatron) from the conservancy, which apparently is under the control of ZimParks.

Apatron was evicted through a default judgment.

“The applicant (ZimParks) only learnt of this default judgment when the ninth respondent (Apatron) was ejected from Mujingwe Conservancy by the first to the eighth respondents on December 10, 2019. The applicant had peaceful possession of the land at this stage. The peaceful possession was interfered with by the first to the eighth respondents, who have now taken the land (Mujingwe Conservancy) and settled there while at the same time conducting operations therefrom,” Manyumwa said in his founding affidavit.

According to the court papers, after the ejectment, Apatron filed an application for rescission of the default judgment and another one for stay of execution pending the finalisation of the application for rescission, but its application for stay of execution was dismissed on the basis that execution had already taken place.

However, ZimParks still maintains that the lease agreement between the Environment and Tourism ministry and Haigwari Safaris (Pvt) Ltd and the other respondents, who have since taken occupation of the conservancy, was cancelled way back in 2014.

“This is an urgent chamber application for an order restoring the status quo ante (previously existing state of affairs), restoring undisturbed possession of the land to the applicant. The first to the eighth respondents cannot have access to the land until they prove their case against the applicant,” Manyumwa said.

“Consequently, the applicant has also made a case for the ejectment of the first to the eighth respondents. They have no right to be on the land since the dispute under HC1057/19 is still live and their claim to the land is still in dispute. Should the dispute under HC1057/19 be resolved in the favour of the first to the eighth respondents, they would then have the right to move on to the property and only then.”

However, in response to the application, Haigwari Safaris and all the other cited respondents in the matter denied having evicted Apatron from the land in question, saying the miners were “still on the conservancy and carrying out their duties in harmony with them”.

The matter is pending.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

A KWEKWE magistrate and clerk of court have been arrested on a charge of criminal abuse of office for allegedly facilitating the release of a stolen vehicle to controversial businessman Shepherd Tundiya.

Magistrate Story Rushambwa (48) and clerk of court Bright Mpiyabo (45) yesterday appeared before Harare regional magistrate Bianca Makwande, who granted them $2 000 bail each.

Allegations are that sometime in September 2018, a Mercedes-Benz vehicle was impounded by CID Kwekwe from Tundiya as suspected stolen property. The vehicle was allegedly stolen from South Africa and smuggled into Zimbabwe.

It was then handed over to Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) for further management pending finalisation of investigations by the South Africa Police Service and possible settling of duty in terms of the Customs and Excise Act.

It is the State’s case that on December 9 last year, Tundiya made an ex-parte application seeking the release of the motor vehicle to him.

On the same day, Rushambwa presided over the matter and granted an order that the vehicle be released unconditionally to Tundiya.

It is alleged the order issued by Rushambwa was prejudicial to Zimra and the other respondents, thereby showing favour to Tundiya and disfavour to Zimra and CID Kwekwe.

The State alleges the motor vehicle can no longer be located as a result of the release.

It is also alleged that sometime in October last year, a Toyota Hilux vehicle was impounded by the police anti-corruption unit from John Mapurazi.

The vehicle was taken as an exhibit in a case of fraud in Bulawayo after it was fraudulently imported into the country.

The State alleges the Toyota Hilux vehicle was then handed over to Zimra for customs management until finalisation of trial.

It is alleged on December 27 last year, Mapurazi made an ex-parte application seeking the release of the vehicle to him.

The accused magistrate is said to have connived with Mpiyabo to withhold the record on December 31 until he arrived at court to deal with the application despite being on leave.

The State alleges Mpiyabo then placed the record before Rushambwa to preside over the matter well knowing he was on leave.

Rushambwa presided over the application in the absence of Mapurazi, who was now being represented by Tundiya, who is not a lawyer, and went on to grant the order for the release of the motor vehicle to Mapurazi.

It is alleged the vehicle remained an exhibit in a criminal trial at Bulawayo Magistrates Court and in breach of import regulations of Zimbabwe.

The motor vehicle can no longer be located and is required in a criminal trial as an exhibit in February 2020.

The prosecution alleges that as a result, the State was prejudiced of revenue in the form of customs duty and a possible loss of the State’s case.

BY CHARLES LAITON

REGAL Insurance Company (Pvt) Ltd, which was suspended from operating following its failure to settle policy claims, has approached the High Court with an application for rescission of judgment after its property was recently attached over a $1 400 303 debt owed to policyholders.

The insurance company was suspended by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec) on allegations of fleecing policyholders, but the company’s chairperson Jerious Mkondo refuted the allegations in his recent court application accusing former employees, including suspended chief executive officer, of having created a scam to bring the firm down.

Mkondo said his former employees allegedly hatched a plan to defraud the firm by facilitating the obtaining of a default judgment over payments that were supposed to have been administered and settled by Ipec.

“This is an application for rescission of a default judgment that was granted in favour of the first respondent (Regal Insurance Policy Holders Association) on June 7, 2019 which applicant became aware of on November 15, 2019 for the sum of $1 400 303 together with cots and collection commission,” Mkondo said.

“The applicant (Regal Insurance Company (Pvt) Ltd) was not in wilful default, as it is suspected that one of its former employees fraudulently facilitated the granting of the default judgment.”

Mkondo said when Regal Insurance Policy Holders Association (RIPHA) issued summons against the firm, “which where purportedly served on it”, there was no appearance, but the association proceeded to obtain default judgment against it.

“It has now emerged that first respondent was formed by some of applicant’s former employees who were working with some of the applicant’s debtors to defraud the applicant. The summons was therefore not deliberately defended and default judgment entered against the applicant in the sum of $1 400 303 as this was a fraudulent scheme involving applicant’s former employees,” he said.

“It is clear that in view of the quantum involved, applicant would not have ignored the summons. It can only be an inside job which has seen the suspension of the chief executive office involved in the scam.”

Mkondo further noted that pursuant to the default judgment, a writ of execution against movable property was issued against his firm on June 24, 2019, but no nulla bona return was produced, adding that the next his firm saw was the notice to sell the company’s property by public auction on November 15, 2019.

“The property was sold on November 15, 2019 by public auction for $1 800 000, but was later cancelled and will proceed by public treaty.”

The matter is pending.