LOCAL retail giant, OK Zimbabwe has admitted to frequently increasing its prices as a result of the fall in the value of the local currency.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

In the retailer’s recent financial results for the six months ended September 30, 2019, OK Zimbabwe chairman Herbert Nkala said the trading environment had become progressively more unstable towards the end of the period under review.

“The group’s stores remain reasonably stocked for the festive season and beyond. While price increases have been frequent because of the instability in the market, the group will continue in its efforts to deliver the best possible value to its stakeholders,” he said.

“The scarcity of foreign currency slowed down the importation of goods and this, combined with high prices of goods that were available, slowed down consumption, particularly in the second half of the reporting period. Resultantly, volume sales declined by 23% compared to the same period last year.”

Nkala said since the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar, in June, the currency had depreciated markedly and contributed significantly to price increases in the period under review.

With the Zimbabwe dollar being the sole legal tender, businesses are increasing their prices to raise enough money to buy foreign currency to import more stock.

As a result, OK Zimbabwe’s financial performance for the period was inflationary.

Nkala said the group’s revenue for the half year improved by 237,4% to close the reporting period at $1,1 billion, having increased from $330,1 million in the comparative period.

“Profit before tax of $185 million was 1 498% up on prior year’s $11,6 million, while profit after tax increased by 1 463,5% to $131,9 million from $8,4 million in prior year. Overheads growth was restricted to 229,1% which is below the revenue growth of 237,4%,” the retail outlet chair said.

“Overheads increases were attributable to, among others, fuel for generators and vehicle fleet, repairs and maintenance costs, staff costs, bank charges, contingent rentals and interest on lease liability arising from the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard 16 (IFRS 16), Leases.”

Nkala said the cost lines that increased most significantly were those corresponding directly with sales generated as well as those that have import components.

“Capital expenditure for the period was $51,5 million, up from $7,5 million for the comparative period as the group continued with its refurbishment programme,” he added.
Consumers have been struggling to buy from retailers as the devaluing Zimbabwe dollar has eroded disposable incomes and wages.

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga is back in China for treatment just over a month after returning from the Asian country, where he underwent a life-saving operation on an undisclosed illness.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU/PRAISEMORE SITHOLE

Chiwenga returned to Zimbabwe on November 24 after a four-month-long stay in China, where he was receiving treatment over suspected food poisoning.
The VP had also spent time in South Africa and India receiving treatment for the ailment.

Mnangagwa told congregants attending a thanksgiving and prayer day in Bulawayo yesterday that the former army general, who led a coup which toppled the late Robert Mugabe in November 2017, was back in China.

“As we pray, let us remember our Vice-President, Constantino Chiwenga in prayer, who went back to China for review,” Mnangagwa said.

Chiwenga is among a number of government officials trekking to neighbouring countries or overseas to seek medical attention following the collapse of the country’s health sector.
Doctors have also been on strike since September 2 demanding better salaries and working conditions.

The government fired 448 doctors.

Dilapidated infrastructure, lack of equipment and drugs, brain drain and inhibitive costs are some of the challenges bedevilling the health sector.

Mnangagwa also urged citizens to be united because this was key to the development of the nation.

“As Zimbabweans, we should work. After man got in touch with sin in the Bible, he was told he will eat from his sweat, so I encourage Zimbabweans to work so that we can achieve our vision,” Mnangagwa told the congregants.

The event, held under the theme Counting our Blessings: Let us, through Home-Grown Unity, Affirm Work and Pray to Achieve our National Vision, was organised by the Faith for the Nation Campaign, a group of various church denominations.

Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi said solutions to fix the nation’s problems were supposed to come from within the country.

“We will resist any solutions that come from other countries, the solutions must come from this country. We will continue to talk and emphasise the issue of dialogue, but we will, however, exclude the outsiders,” Mutendi said.

THE United States Agency for International Development food security department, FEWS NET, says typical livelihoods for this time of year are being severely impacted by the negative macroeconomic environment.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

In its new food security update, FEWS NET reported that the macroeconomic environment has continued to witness food bartering in some communities as most villagers struggle for cash.

“Typical livelihood activities for this time of the year are severely being impacted by the negative macroeconomic environment, last season’s below normal harvests and poor progression of the 2019/20 rainfall season. On- and off-farm cash and in-kind casual labour opportunities are very limited and payment rates are below normal, taking away a significant seasonal income source,” part of the update reads.

“Petty trade has increased. However, household incomes are very low and unpredictable due to poor demand as a result of poor disposable incomes on the markets. Bartering for grain or other basic food commodities is being reported in some communities, involving, for instance, livestock (large and small), household assets and garden produce. Some household members are migrating for labour as a coping strategy to purchase food and other basic needs.”

This comes as FEWS NET has noted continued inflationary pressures as prices of most goods and services further increase, some in United States dollar terms, as the end of 2019 approaches.

“The new Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL) notes and coins as well as bond notes and coins remain in short supply in the formal markets. Parallel market exchange rates and interbank market rates for the US dollar increased by about 10% in December from the November rates, averaging ZWL$21 and ZWL$16,5 (electronic or mobile transfers) to the US dollar, respectively,” part of the update further reads.

“The (Zimbabwe dollar) in the parallel market is selling between 40% and 55%, affecting most poor households whose incomes are very low and quickly depreciating.
The demand for cash is high as cash payments for goods and services are generally cheaper than electronic and mobile money payments (especially in the informal markets).”

According to the food security department, some goods and services are only available for cash, despite its scarcity.

Meanwhile, coins that are less than $1 are increasingly being rejected in the formal and informal markets as inflation increases.

“Fuel and electricity shortages continue, contributing to the high pricing of goods and services. The government re-introduced the maize meal subsidy in early December following the near doubling of prices at the end of November after the government had indicated plans to remove the subsidy starting January 2020,” FEWS NET
said.
“Though some outlets have reduced maize meal prices, others have not yet done so in response. Maize meal shortages are being reported across most markets following the announcement to remove the maize grain subsidy.”

As a result, FEWS NET reported that most markets are without maize grain at a time imports are slow as a result of foreign currency shortages.

In its outlook, FEWS NET said some poor households will experience challenges accessing food due to significantly below average incomes.

Two weeks ago, the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) in Zimbabwe completed its last cash distribution of 2019, which supported some 19 000 vulnerable residents in Harare’s dormitory town of Epworth.

According to WFP, 2,2 million people of the eight million who are facing severe hunger live in urban areas, which is why for the first time the UN agency is disbursing cash to urban areas.

“WFP’s revised emergency response plan hopes to provide mobile cash transfers to 200 000 of them. Currently, funding for 100 000 has been secured. WFP is seeking funds to assist an additional 100 000 people,” WFP said in a statement.

The funding is coming from the UK’s Department for International Development and the European Union’s branch of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.

THE Parliament of Zimbabwe sessions in 2019 were chaotic and less productive due to continuous electioneering mode by MPs, and partisan interests taking precedence over serious issues affecting the suffering Zimbabweans, who live on less than US$1 per day.

While Parliaments the world over have spats that turn nasty along political lines, in Zimbabwe, the economy in comatose, people expect Parliament to be more proactive in suggesting solutions to the country’s economic malaise.

Despite MPs lacking industriousness in 2019, they, however, successfully lobbied for an increase to their sitting allowances from $75 to $700 per sitting.

The lowest paid civil servant earns $1 000, so by Zimbabwean standards, their $700 per sitting allowance is quite a lot for MPs who spent time squabbling throughout 2019.

Death threats at Mines Committee

The worst squabble of 2019 in Parliament was by members of the Mines Portfolio Committee.

MPs were captured on video threatening each other with death. The video circulated worldwide.

The embarrassing scenes happened in February when MPs from the Mines Portfolio Committee nearly engaged in a fist fight, quarrelled in front of acting Mines minister Joram Gumbo and other mining officials, traded very damaging insults and death threats over the Hwange Colliery Company Limited alleged $400 000 bribe scandal.

Chegutu West MP Dextor Nduna (Zanu PF) traded barbs with Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent) and they nearly went into a fist fight as he threatened Mliswa after he (Mliswa) alleged that Nduna was involved in an $11 million Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) scam when he was Transport Portfolio Committee chairperson during the Eighth Parliament.
In his threats to Mliswa, Nduna claimed that he had murdered people before.

“Don’t call me a thief, I am saying this for the last time, don’t call me a thief, I have people who I killed who I don’t even know,” he said.

Before Nduna threatened Mliswa, there was also trading of barbs between Chiredzi North MP Royi Bhila (Zanu PF) and Mliswa.

Bhila had suggested that Mliswa be recused as chairperson of the Mines Committee.

Bhila’s suggestion angered Mliswa, who hit back by referring to him as “dull”, adding that he was hallucinating because he (Bhila) did not take his anti-retroviral medication.

This incident cost Mliswa his chairmanship of the Mines Portfolio Committee. Nduna was also removed from sitting as a member of the Mines Committee.

Analysts viewed this as a ploy by Zanu PF to disrupt sittings of the Mines Committee during the chairpersonship of Mliswa, who was exposing bigwigs by investigating the diamonds saga and the Hwange Colliery saga.

MDC Alliance snubbing of Presidential addresses

The hostilities between Zanu PF and MDC that ended up disturbing the committee sittings began during the official opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament in October 2019 when the opposition refused to recognise President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

As per Parliament decorum, they did not stand up as Mnangagwa’s procession walked into the House. As soon as the President began to deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA), they walked out as a show of disdain towards him.

This was purely a political decision by the MDC which was decided during their congress that they will not recognise Mnangagwa as President.

It was based on the premise that they felt he stole the 2018 elections from their party president Nelson Chamisa. MPs from the MDC where then whipped into snubbing Mnangagwa’s addresses in Parliament.

To punish them, Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda then made a ruling that Finance minister Mthuli Ncube must not pay the opposition legislators five months’ worth of sitting allowances.

This translated to the opposition MPs losing almost $15 000 each.

This ruling has been challenged in the courts by the opposition. However, to add fuel to the fire, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi then refused to take questions from opposition MPs in Parliament, which further derailed progress in debates in the House and affected questions time.

However, for progress’ sake, Ziyambi later allowed MDC MPs to pose questions to ministers during question-and-answer sessions.

Portfolio and Thematic Committee disruptions

Parliamentary committees were in different stages of investigating different malpractices by government departments as part of their oversight roles when they were disrupted by Zanu PF and MDC political squabbles pertaining to the opposition’s refusal to recognise Mnangagwa as President.

Of note was the disruption of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led by Harare East MP Tendai Biti, which undertook an investigation into the 2017/18 Auditor-General’s audit report on the Ministry of Finance, which misappropriated billions of dollars without Parliament’s approval.

The other notable investigation by PAC was on Zinara’s malpractices pertaining to ignoring tender procedures and poor crafting of contracts which cost the company millions of dollars.

All these investigations were derailed due to Zanu PF and MDC’s political squabbles. Zanu PF then decided to hit back at the MDC by disrupting portfolio and thematic committees chaired by the main opposition.

On November 22, the ploy by Zanu PF to disrupt committees chaired by MDC Alliance legislators was successfully implemented by Nduna, assisted by Mberengwa North MP Tafanana Zhou (Zanu PF).

The two disrupted the PAC meeting which had summoned Fertiliser, Seed Grain boss Steve Morland, Croco Motors and Pedistock bosses to give oral evidence on how they benefited from the Command Agriculture and Presidential Input Scheme funding programmes.

Nduna and Zhou were in 2018 also instrumental in disrupting the sitting of the Mines Committee when it was investigating the mismanagement of the Hwange Colliery Company. The committee was then disbanded.

Nduna and Zhou did not allow Morland to finish his oral evidence before PAC as they demanded that Biti and MDC legislators must first recognise Mnangagwa as President of the country.
Disruptions of sittings by Zanu PF MPs then permeated to other committees chaired by the opposition, such as the Environment Portfolio Committee, Health Portfolio Committee, Energy Portfolio Committee, Information and Media Portfolio Committee and the HIV/Aids Thematic Committee.

The disruptions were at times done in the presence of witnesses. Some of the witnesses would have travelled long distances to avail themselves for questioning in Parliament, but had to be turned back due to the MPs’ squabbles.

Waste of taxpayers’ money

The disruptions have cost taxpayers as MPs travel to Harare and are booked at hotels for Parliament sittings. They also draw allowances for attending committee meetings.

Many witnesses had travelled to Harare at their expense to avail themselves to give oral evidence before committees, but were turned away after MPs began to shout at each other.

Independent power producers from different parts of the country were some of those who availed themselves before the Energy Committee, but they were turned away due to the MPs’ squabbles.

Generally, before the squabbling began, the MPs were well behaved during committee sittings and would grill witnesses without taking a partisan stance. At committee meetings, MPs have been very vibrant than during sittings of the House.

Infamous rulings on the opposition by the Speaker

After the main opposition continued to walk out or snub Mnangagwa whenever he availed himself before Parliament and Mudenda made a ruling to cut MDC Alliance MPs’ sitting allowances for five months, the Standing Rules and Orders Committee then instituted a nine-member Privileges Committee made up of eight Zanu PF MPs and one MDC-T MP Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga (proportional representative), who, however, refused to be part of the committee to investigate the MDC Alliance MPs for snubbing Mnangagwa. The committee is now composed of eight Zanu PF legislators only.

The MDC Alliance on December 17 then confronted the Speaker of the National Assembly Mudenda in the House and accused him of being biased in favour of Zanu PF legislators in his rulings, which have been very hard-hitting on opposition MPs.

Nkulumane MP Kucaca Phulu (MDC Alliance) bluntly told Mudenda that he would not be subjected to appear before a privileges committee set up to investigate MDC MPs for snubbing and walking out on Mnangagwa because the committee was unfairly made up of Zanu PF MPs.

Mutare Central MP Innocent Gonese (MDC Alliance) accused Mudenda of bias, saying: “I will refer to Parliament conventions, practices and procedures that when a person occupies the office of Chair, Speaker or President, that person — for the duration or period they are in occupation of that office, is supposed to be impartial. I am making this point as I feel that my rights are infringed in the manner that the Chair has been responding to issues with bias in favour of ruling party MPs.”

Mudenda responded: “Let me remind you that I and my team of presiding officers have to observe balance in this House, where the ratio is 3:1. On a more serious note, we need to observe that ratio. You must understand the numerical ratios. You must know that when you have four wives, there is a senior wife and three others. Polygamy is a problem.”

Bills

While MPs have been squabbling a lot, they were serious in terms of crafting of Bills and they contributed immensely. However, not all MPs are vocal in the House. One can say that almost the same MPs who are vocal have been contributing to debate on motions and Bills while the rest are just bench warmers.

Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa (MDC Alliance) can be credited for being very vocal during debate on the 2020 budget, whereby he scrutinised different clauses. That is not to, however, say that other MPs did not take part in the budget debate, but Mushoriwa showed commitment to his duties of budget oversight as an MP.

Most Bills brought before Parliament for scrutiny by MPs in 2019 were to do with aligning laws to the Constitution. MPs were very industrious in crafting of Bills in both Houses.
Some of the laws that are in different stages of being crafted include the Freedom of Information Bill, Marriages Bill, International Treaties Bill, Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill, Constitutional Court Bill, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill, which was later withdrawn and the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill.

Motions

On debate on motions, the performance of MPs in 2019 was very disappointing. For instance, the National Assembly Order Paper was awash with several new motions that MPs moved that they would introduce in the House, but they were never introduced, while in most cases, the House adjourned by 5pm.

Most of these motions that were never discussed were supposed to discuss the economic problems affecting the country.

The motion that was extensively discussed was one in reply to the Presidential Speech during the official opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament and the SONA. This motion was debated by Zanu PF MPs in the National Assembly and the Senate.

Disappointingly, the quality of debates to this motion was largely poor because of ruling party MPs’ tendency to sing praises only to the President without meaningfully scrutinising his speech.

The MDC Alliance snubbed debate on the Presidential address. However, although they also did not attend the 2020 National Budget presentation, they attended the Victoria Falls jaunt, where MPs were booked at the luxurious Elephant Hills Hotel, which costs US$248 per night and they dined with Zanu PF MPs during the pre-budget seminar.

Gender-based violence (GBV) rampant in Parliament

During Parliament sittings, some of the remarks by male MPs have been quite distasteful, particularly pertaining to degrading females in Parliament by labelling them prostitutes.

There are some Zanu PF legislators who sit at the very far back benches in the National Assembly who have been identified by female MPs as notorious for the labelling female MPs as prostitutes.

The worst affected female MPs who have suffered GBV attacks in Parliament include Jasmine Toffa (MDC Alliance Proportional Representation), the youngest legislator Joanna Mamombe (Harare West) and MDC vice-president Lynette Karenyi.

The identified male MPs who have said unprintable words disgracing these women include Zanu PF legislators Tafanana Zhou (Mberengwa North) and John Paradza (Gutu West).
On December 6, Chirumanzu MP Barbara Rwodzi, seconded by Toffa, raised the issue of GBV in Parliament to deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi.

“Women in this Parliament are now becoming unproductive due to GBV suffered here and, as such, we ask your office to protect us and take stern measures against all male MPs that use verbal GBV against us,” Rwodzi

said.
Toffa added: “For example, there is an incident happening to myself whereby last week in the presence of the Justice minister Ziyambi, an MP abused me and he shouted alleging that my man was snatched from me by Mamombe. As I speak, I am actually looking at those MPs. It ends up attacking the confidence of female MPs.”

FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube says Zimbabwe’s agriculture must be climate proofed so that it depends more on irrigation than weather patterns.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Ncube said this recently in the Senate during debate on the Finance (No. 3 Bill) on the 2020 budget.

He said in order to climate proof agriculture, there was need to invest more on irrigation, adding that a budget of $500 million was allocated towards that. In 2020, Ncube allocated $11,3 billion towards agriculture.

“We have set aside a budget of the order of $500 million for irrigation because we wish to climate proof our agriculture,” Ncube said.

“We have also set aside a budget of the order of $250 million to deal with dam construction, but also to acquire meteorological equipment for us to track weather patterns. Everyone knows that the drought has been severe and it has depressed agriculture by as much as 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) and overall GDP of minus 6,5%,” he said.

The Finance minister said financing agriculture could be through partnering with banks, and also crowd sourcing in the private sector.

“To achieve this we need to deal with the issue of the 99-year leases which have not been accepted by banks,” he said.

Rejoice Timire (Senator representing people with disabilities) then asked Ncube to explain what he will do to ensure that there is enough water in the country to support agriculture.
“Dams are a long term relief to irrigation, but Zimbabwean people are suffering because there is no water. Women are suffering because they are getting water from faraway places. Even in urban areas there are long queues of people trying to look for water,” Timire said.

Ncube said to alleviate water problems, the 2020 budget allocates $233 million to the District Development Fund (DDF) for the purpose of drilling boreholes, mainly in the rural areas.
“We have another budget for about $45 million for the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to do likewise because they have different capacities. Zinwa is capacitated to drill deeper boreholes, especially in the drier areas, but we are aware that the Chinese have also given us aid for drilling boreholes where they pay contractors to drill boreholes,” he said.

On perennial water crisis in the urban areas, Ncube said: “In the budget we have allocated resources for chemicals and for upgrading the infrastructure in the urban areas,” adding that some of the devolution resources must focus on funding water and sanitation.

A POLICE officer was on Saturday bludgeoned to death, while his colleague was injured in an attack by machete-wielding artisanal miners who had invaded Good Hope Mine in Kadoma.

BY SIMBARASHE SITHOLE

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were still investigating the incident. “We are still gathering facts surrounding the case,” he said.

According to a leaked Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) memorandum seen by NewsDay, Constable Wonder Hokoyo (27) fell victim to the machete wars on December 28.

Hokoyo was among four officers guarding the mine and were armed with two FN riffles, but were over powered by the gold panners who were armed with axes and machetes.

Three suspects only identified as Mike, Kwedaz and Givy were apprehended while other miners are still at large.

“On December 28 at around 1400 hours, the accused persons, with many others who are still at large, proceeded to the vicinity armed with machetes, catapults and axes and forcefully took control of the mine shafts there by dispersing the genuine miners who were extracting gold ore,” the memo read.

“The police details reacted to the accused persons approach and fired some warning shots into the air to scare away the accused persons, but they did not take heed, instead the accused persons advanced towards the police in a bid to attack.

“One of the accused persons attacked Constable Hokoyo from behind and struck him once at the back of the head using a (wood) log and disarmed him leaving the police officer with no option rather than (sic) to escape from the attack.”

The memo further read: “The accused disarmed Constable Kamhuka before he escaped from the scene after being assaulted all over the body, the rest of the police officers managed to escape after noticing that their lives were under threat.

“The accused made a frantic chase to (sic) Constable Hokoyo and struck him all over his body using machetes and axes leaving him lying lifeless, Constable Hokoyo later died due to injuries sustained as a result of the attack (sic).”

The matter was reported at Battlefields Police Station under RRB number 41295128. Constable Kamhuka is currently admitted at Kadoma hospital.

Mashonaland West police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabweazara could not be reached for comment.

The memo also states that former legislator for Muzvezve Constituency Peter Haritatos, who is the owner of Brompton Mine, Battlefieds Kadoma gave mining claims to Zanu PF provincial secretary for Mashonaland West Philmon Ndushu in 2010. The claims include Maglass, Goodhope, Alexander, Musakanene, Moddi, Ngangana, Bongola and Copper mines.

Since August, over 105 people have died in machete wars.

The majority of the machete hit squads, infamously known as MaShurugwi and the Al-Shabaab, come from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s home province of Midlands and have invaded claims in Mashonaland Central, West, Matabeleland provinces and Manicaland to terrorise locals.

UNEMPLOYED youths roaming the streets of Zimbabwe have become “ravenous and dangerous” and the country could soon see a spike in violent crimes if the problem is not solved, the ruling Zanu PF party has noted.

BY MOSES MATENGA

According to a health, child welfare and the elderly report recently tabled during a party meeting, the country must brace for a rise in crime due to rampant unemployment. The southern African country has an estimated unemployment rate of 90%

“This includes the use of harmful substances, including alcohol by youths who are mainly not employed. The situation is a very serious health disorder and a danger to the future generation, owing to the substance abuse, the youths have become very unproductive and destructive,” the report read.

“This conjures the biblical saying that ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop’, as such we appeal for urgent introduction of entrepreneurship programmes to keep our youths busy and productive.”

The report noted the drug abuse, as a result of unemployment, has led to parents suffering together with communities as the youths have been turned into “ravenous and dangerous people”. “Needless to say, if this goes unchecked we should brace for a spike in violent crimes,” the report read.

The party proffered no solutions to the problem.

The Zanu PF government has been blamed for poor policies that have led to closure of industries and turning the country into an informal sector-centred economy in the process.

However, the ruling party maintains that sanctions imposed by the West are to blame for the current situation that has seen millions losing jobs while factories remain closed.

Authorities say there have been an upsurge in criminal activities across the country as people try to survive.

The situation has seen a rise in armed robberies and other violent crimes that also include the artisanal miners’ “machete wars” that have wreaked havoc across the country as desperate youths invade gold claims to eke out a living.

THE Municipality of Marondera has resolved to turn the state-of-the art but idle Bio-Nutrient Removal (BNR) plant into fish ponds despite residents facing a myriad of sewer problems.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

BNR is a process used for nitrogen and phosphorus removal from waste water before it is discharged into surface or ground.

A generic image of a sewer pond

NewsDay is reliably informed that council is set to lease the sewage ponds for fish production at a time when the farming town is grappling with massive sewer bursts, while raw effluent is being pumped into Rufaro Dam, which provides water to the town.

The sewage ponds, located in Marondera’s industrial site, were constructed in 2002 before the project stalled due to lack of funding.

There are only three BNR plants in the country, with the most functional one being in Gweru.

Efforts to get a comment from town clerk Josiah Musuwo were fruitless as he is reportedly out of the country.

According to a reliable source, council is set to lease the sewer project to an individual who is going to embark in fish production.

“The state-of-the art sewer plant is going to be turned into fish ponds, with council set to offer a lease to someone who has shown interest in fish farming. The BNRs are a modern sewer system such that if completed, they could have solved all the sewer problems in the town,” the source said.

It is reported that council conducted a property audit leading to the resolution that the idle sewer ponds be put to “good use”.

Area councillor Saizi Vilela confirmed the development, but said he was going to get more details from council management.

THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information and Media has recommended that media practitioners who request for information from the government or any other entities must get a response within 48 hours.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

The committee, chaired by Prince Dubeko Sibanda, made the recommendation in their report on the Freedom of Information Bill, which is currently in the Second Reading Stage in the National Assembly.

Hon Prince Dubeko Sibanda

The Freedom of Information Bill will replace the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa), which was considered by many in Zimbabwe to be notoriously draconian and impinging on access to information.

“During public hearings on the Freedom of Information Bill there was a request that requests for information by the media practitioners should be responded to within 48 hours and that requests for information by the general public should be provided to within a maximum of seven days,” Sibanda said while presenting the committee report recently in the National Assembly.

“It was submitted that the period for requested responses is too long and should be reduced to at least five days or less, with some advocating for 48 hours or three working days since information easily becomes obsolete.”

Sibanda said the current Freedom of Information Bill is commendable because it has some positive departures from Aippa, including measures aimed at promoting transparency and accountability.

“However, there remain other issues related to the accessibility of information that must be given immediate attention to bring the Bill into line with section 62 of the Constitution. The Bill is silent on a number of issues which include the inability to transfer requests from one entity to another among others,” he said.

Mberengwa South MP Alum Mpofu (Zanu PF) said the Bill should ensure that people who request for information get that information in their preferred language.

“The issue of language is a very sensitive matter because language, citizenship and empowerment are greatly tied together. Citizens feel immediately disempowered if they are not allowed to get information in the language of their choice,” Mpofu said.

“Information officers or those responsible to deliver information should be adequately trained and show that they are actually committed to deliver that important public service of disseminating information.”

Mutasa South MP Regai Tsunga (MDC Alliance) said the Freedom of Information Bill would give effect to the constitutional provisions that guarantee the rights to access to information.
Tsunga said the period of 35 days for which one is given to request for information and make an appeal if that information is not released was too long.

“The Bill provides a further 14 days if the information cannot be availed within 21 days for a total of 35 days before one can appeal. This period is obviously too long because, for example if one went to ZIMSEC [Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council] to get information about maybe missing examination results which they want to use to enrol at some university, they might have to wait for 35 days before they can get that information and meanwhile, perhaps the closing date for enrolment would have long passed,” Tsunga said.

He suggested that the period must be reduced to seven days so that information is not withheld by public entities.

“Requests for information should be admissible in any form — verbal, written, text, email so that our people are able to make their requests and the information is granted. The Bill also insists on payment for translation if the information that one requires is not maintained in the language that they use that is readily available in the offices,” he said.

INCARCERATED wife of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, Marry’s health has reportedly deteriorated dangerously while in remand prison ahead of her bail application hearing tomorrow.

BY MOSES MATENGA/EVERSON MUSHAVA

Her father, Keni, denied social media reports that she had been rushed to hospital, but told NewsDay yesterday that his daughter was, indeed, unwell and remained incarcerated.

Mubaiwa said Marry had been unwell for some time, while her lawyer, Taona Nyamakura, told the court at her initial bail hearing that she was being denied access to her doctors during the incarceration.

She is facing allegations of trying to kill her husband, a former army commander, and of externalising foreign currency.

“She is unwell. She had been unwell before as she went there (to remand prison). That is the issue we really feel concerned about,” he said

Marry was arrested on December 14 and is held at Chikurubi Female Prison after she was denied bail.

The former top model has been battling to secure bail and will be back in court on Tuesday for her bail hearing after spending the Christmas holiday behind bars.

On reports that she was taken to hospital, Mubaiwa said: “I have spoken to people who are there, she is there (remand prison), she was not taken to hospital, but if you had seen her before, she has been unwell and like I said, that remains a major concern for us.”

However, some close relatives who visited Marry yesterday said the former model was not hospitalised as claimed.

“Yes, we saw her, she was doing as well as can be (under) the circumstances. That she has healthy problems is not a secret,” a relative said on condition of anonymity.
Prior to her arrest, pictures of Marry showed her with swollen arms and legs.

She claimed in her court papers that she was a victim of an assassination attempt when a hand grenade was thrown at a Zanu PF rally in Bulawayo in June 2018, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa reportedly being the target in the run up to the 2018 elections.

Several top Zanu PF officials, including Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, Defence and War Veterans minister Oppah Muchinguri, were injured.

The VP filed for divorce soon after he returned from China, where he was being treated for suspected poisoning.

Marry said in court that her estranged husband had caused her arrest so that he gains an upper hand in the divorce case currently before the courts.