BY VENERANDA LANGA

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa was on Friday last week grilled over corruption at schools and the sending away of school children who fail to pay fees, as well as withholding of their results.

This happened at the anti-corruption event organised by the African Parliamentarians Network against Corruption (APNAC), in conjunction with Zacc and the Transparency International Zimbabwe to commemorate the Anti-Corruption Day symposium last Friday.

The issue was raised by the Speaker of the Junior Parliament, Christopher Mutasa, who said there is corruption in the country’s education sector.

“After the Grade 7 results came out, most parents were unable to get places at schools because of high fees, and those who had not fully paid fees for the previous term were denied results,” he said.

“However, there is an education policy in this country that if a child cannot afford to pay fees, they must not be sent away from school and schools cannot withhold results from them, but all these policies are not being implemented.”

The Speaker of the Child Parliament said, as youths, they feel such policy inconsistences must be resolved because they were the leaders of tomorrow and education was important for their
generation.

“We need to revisit these policies because it seems we just have them on paper and there is lack of implementation,” he said.

Harare Residents Trust director Precious Shumba also told the President that another form of corruption which was affecting children was failure to access birth certificates, whereby some guardians are asked to pay bribes in order to get the documents.

“It means that children from marginalised families cannot get identity documents,” Shumba said.
In his response, Mnangagwa maintained that Zimbabwe still had the best education despite the problems experienced by parents and school
children.

He endorsed the fees policy, saying parents must pay fees for their school children, but acknowledged that the socio-economic environment prevailing in the country was to blame for parents’ failure to meet their obligations.

“You have to pay fees, but the concerns that you have raised are that children are being denied certificates because they failed to pay school fees. We have policies and the challenge is that government must find ways to assist those that are unable to comply with these fees policies,” Mnangagwa said.

“The policy is correct, but it is the socio-economic environment which is making families unable to pay fees. However, government has come up with policies such as the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) as part of the safety nets to assist disadvantaged children. We have supported more than 3 million kids through BEAM and this year we increased the BEAM budget to support poor kids.”

He said if there are policies that are not implemented by the government bureaucrats, then Zimbabweans were free to report the issues to him.

“I am a listening President and if you feel that certain policies are not being implemented, then you must inform me. The weaknesses of government may be as a result of ministers that are not doing their job. We are supposed to serve our people,” the President said.

Mnangagwa said if government was not effective, then there was a risk of being voted out, adding that he was still interested in ruling.

“We are supposed to service our people. Who wants to be voted out? I want to make sure that we do things well so that we continue ruling,” he said.

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA

ZANU PF yesterday wished all Zimbabweans a merry Christmas and prosperous New Year, urging motorists to respect the sanctity of life and drive carefully during the festive holidays.

Simon Khaya Moyo, the spokesperson of the ruling party, said Zimbabwe was one family and people should learn to be merry together.

“We wish all the people a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, and I am saying all Zimbabweans. This is not about Zanu PF, but the nation. Let it be a central message to everybody that we say to all, have a merry Christmas,” Moyo said.

“People must love each other. They must respect each other. They must merry together as a Zimbabwe family and avoid mixing personal issues with the greater good of what Christmas means to everybody.”

Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a decade characterised by diminished buying power due to hyperinflation, collapsing health care and education systems, shortages of critical commodities such as fuel, electricity and maize meal, among others.

Most people have blamed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling party for the economic crisis that has denied them merry-making this festive season.

Many have failed to travel to various destinations for Christmas after failing to access cash.

The prohibitive fuel and transport costs also stood in the way of Zimbabweans, who usually spend the festive season at their rural homes.

“Motorists should be very careful and avoid drinking and driving. We don’t want to lose lives at all. Drivers must be mindful that they are not carrying firewood, they are carrying people. The sanctity of life must be respected,” Khaya Moyo added.

Regarding the cash crisis that has resulted in long queues at banks, Khaya Moyo said he had hoped that the people responsible for monies, the financial institutions, Finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe would work on some measures to address these challenges.

“The issue of money is not a party matter; it affects everybody, irrespective of the party one belongs to. It is a national matter,” the former Energy minister said.

But leader of opposition Transform Zimbabwe, Jacob Ngarivhume, said Christmas has lost its lustre due to poor governance by Zanu PF.

“The traditional jostling and bustling festive atmosphere has been stolen from most Zimbabweans. Many have failed to travel to see relatives and friends during this Christmas period due to a myriad of reasons such as lack of fuel, lack of money to spare and lack of cash at the banks,” Ngarivhume said.

“Traditionally, the Christmas period has been associated with receiving, giving and sharing among relatives, friends, church mates and workmates, a period of thanksgivings. This has all been stolen by government austerity measures which have driven everyone, except the well-connected, into abject poverty! The Zimbabwean spirit of Christmas has been lost in this maze of socio-economic challenges.

“The year has been very brutal as the government austerity measures took their toll on many people. Salary increments have not caught up with price increases of commodities. The economy remained in the informal sector with most service providers completely ignoring the government’s call to outlaw the use of foreign currency for local trading.

“Nothing else, but the grace of God has brought us to the end of 2019 as a nation. Each passing day came with a new heavy load upon our shoulders.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS … No Christmas break for vendors, whose business peaks during the festive season, as this vendor tries to sell a Christmas tree to motorists in central Harare yesterday

BY MOSES MATENGA/HARRIET CHIKANDIWA/RUTENDO MATANHIKE

CHAOTIC scenes characterised Christmas Eve as thousands of people jostled to get cash from their banks to finance their travelling, food and other necessities, but were left disappointed.

A survey by NewsDay in Harare, Bulawayo and other cities witnessed the rush for cash, which however, was in short supply, making it one of the worst ever festive holidays in independent Zimbabwe.

While government ministers and officials took time to rest either at their farms or on holiday in foreign lands, long queues at the banks characterised the Christmas Eve, with many saying they were failing to travel to their home areas because they had no cash, while shopping in a hyper-inflationary environment was proving to be
difficult.

Motorists were queuing for fuel, which is in short supply across the country, while some workers had to endure the festive holidays without salaries.

Those who spoke to NewsDay said there was nothing to celebrate this Christmas because of the crises.

“We cannot say there is a festive season this Christmas because I cannot afford to buy anything. I am even struggling to buy basic commodities. Prices have been rising drastically and my salary is not tallying with the prices. I also have to be preparing and saving for school fees for my children, therefore, I am only buying few things and focusing on 2020 basic needs,” Nomsa Mapara, from Harare, said.

Spiwe Chuma, a vendor, also said she could not tell if it was Christmas or not because she was just trying to make ends meet.

“Hatina chatinacho (we have nothing). Things are not adding up. I’m only a vendor and there is no profit,” she said.

Small business and boutique operators said the festive season had been a let-down and were facing huge losses.

“Compared to last year, this year’s sales are low. Last year around the same time, we could not be entertaining anyone because this place would be packed with last-minute customers. Business is generally low and we are not expecting to make much profit. After today, we are not looking forward to making any profit,” Joachim Tamburai said.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions confirmed that a number of workers were going for Christmas empty-handed after their employers failed to pay salaries.

Most parts of Harare were without water and electricity ahead of the holiday, killing the celebratory mood.

Harare’s ward 16 councillor, Denford Ngadziore, fumed at council management for failing to plan ahead of the festive season, a situation that has led to Harare’s taps running dry.

“Failure to have water in most suburbs in Harare during the festive season is a clear testimony of failure to plan by the council management. Heads must roll. Someone should be answerable and accountable,” he fumed.

“When we closed last week at the last full council meeting, we were promised that all was well, both workers’ salaries and the water situation. This is pure negligence and incompetence and what is surprising is there is no official statement explaining the situation to residents.”

Despite all the pessimism and lamentations, President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday claimed he was fully aware of the people’s suffering.

“I know that many of you still suffer. I am not blind to your situation, nor am I deaf to your cries. I commit to you that we will continue to reform with an eye on the long term; for we must not reform only for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children,” he said in his Christmas message.

“We are undertaking deep, broad and meaningful reforms. We have put the economic fundamentals in place. We have balanced the budget. We are engaging the world. We are continuing to open up the political and media spaces. We are clamping down on corruption. And we are building a new Zimbabwe (in which) the people come first.”

Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to “look forward not backward, inwards not outwards”.

“Let us focus on how best we can look after our families, our communities and our nation. How we can make Zimbabwe a better place for all,”he said.

“I wish you all a peaceful and merry Christmas. God bless you all and God bless the nation of Zimbabwe.”

BY MISHMA CHAKANYUKA

Business leaders have warned government to desist from excessive money printing, as it is negatively affecting real growth.

Inflation happens if the money supply grows faster than economic output because there would be a lot more money chasing fewer goods, which leads to price hikes.

“For a prosperous and successful 2020, CEO Africa Roundtable, therefore, calls upon the government to desist from excessive money printing, which is negatively affecting the real sector through influencing interest rates,” CEO Africa Round table chairman Oswell Binha said in a statement.

“Too much money printing has far greater consequences for the preservation of currency than any other variables in the universe. Therefore, the most important policy measure to give the currency a fighting chance is firm determination to control money supply growth.”

Government reintroduced the local currency in June and declared it the sole legal tender, but has seen its value plummet on the interbank market and the parallel market due to lack of support in the form of foreign currency reserves and market confidence.

As of yesterday, the rate stood at US$1:$17,14 on the formal market and US$1:$22 on the informal one.

Government has said it would convert excess electronic money into hard cash, but Binha advised that the central bank should ensure that annual money supply growth was below 10%.

“In doing so, the government has the obligation to consult key stakeholders before it introduces key policy changes,” he added.

Binha said there was urgent need for an efficient interbank foreign exchange market, which will channel resources into the formal market and moderate the pressure for parallel market drift.

“The parallel market has surfaced and has continued on an upward drift, driven by fears, expectations, rumours and money growth. This will continue to feed through to inflation.

Therefore, there has to be one price for foreign currency, a uniform exchange rate that applies for all foreign currency transactions in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Binha also called on government to allow businesses to retain 100% of their foreign currency to enable them to preserve value and guarantee current and future planning of business survival.

Currently, manufacturers are allowed 80% retention on foreign currency from exports, gold producers (55%); all other minerals (100%); tobacco and cotton merchants for input schemes (80%); agriculture and horticulture (80%); and transport and other services (80%).

“While the monetary authorities have committed to avail 50% of the foreign currency retention to the interbank market … I am unequivocally calling for immediate lifting of surrender requirements,” Binha said.

The consumptive nature of the economy requires most businesses to have foreign currency to import mostly raw materials to produce goods.

The CEO Africa Round Table is a platform for corporate chief executive officers and senior executives, in both the private and public sectors, created to engender critical economic and business knowledge in and around Africa.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

THE Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) has chosen to forego US$12 million in potential revenue at its flagship Rainbow Tower Hotel in Harare to allow for refurbishments.

RTG closed its bookings and hotel rooms from December 18, 2019 to January 31, 2020 to complete a refurbishment of the hotel’s rooms at a cost of US$3 million to bring it to international business standards.

“We are traditionally in our low season. From mid-December to even end of January to mid-February, city hotel occupancies come down. It picks up in resorts, but obviously, it’s for a couple of days such as Christmas and all that,” RTG operations director Tichaona Hwingwiri told journalists during a media tour on Tuesday.

“So we took advantage of that low season to say why not close in and commit to giving the contractors space. On an average, this hotel makes about US$14 million a month in terms of RTGS value, so I would say, on average, we are foregoing about US$12 million for the refurbishment period.”

This comes as part of a wider strategy to refurbish other properties under the RTG group ahead of the new year, as it seeks to boost its occupancies.

However, during this period, the hospitality group expects to leave its restaurants and conference halls open.

Currently, hotels are dealing with low occupancy rates as a result of shrinking disposable incomes resulting in hospitality firms seeking to upgrade their establishment to boost bookings.

“Next year, we will be able to finish Kadoma (Rainbow Hotel) and we will also start on the New Ambassador Hotel (Harare). Again, it will be in phases, whereby we will not necessarily need to close the hotel down, at least the other hotels that we are looking at,” RTG spokesperson Pride Khumbula said.

“You will be aware that in the first quarter of the year, we did the plumbing of Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel, which was done from January to February. And more recently, it was Victoria Rainbow Hotel … Obviously, what is critical is to minimise any inconvenience to our guests so we will try to be very strategic in terms of the placing of when we actually do the refurbishments.”

Guest Column: Paidamoyo Muzulu

Santa Claus the mythical Northern Hemisphere man who brings presents at Christmas is now world famous. Every year, each Christmas, the young and the old look forward to the exchange of gifts, but for Zimbabweans — Santa has forgotten the forsaken land. In my travels, I saw desolation, blank stares and empty begging bowls. A few diaporans made a cheap imitation of the merry festivities; a braai here, some dancing there, but generally the spirit was long gone.

The year that began with the shock deployment of the military to quel civil unrest comes to an end with people bereft of hope, their souls crashed.

We saw the price of bread spiral, the cost of meat and mealie-meal skyrocket. Fuel became scarce, and even service stations selling the commodity in forex have intermittent supplies, causing many to draw and redraw their festive season plans.

The rolling power cuts have not ceased and potable water is still not available to most urban residents. They now survive by drawing the special commodity from some backyard wells. Many look up to the unyielding skies, hoping the storm clouds would gather, but the scorching heat is withering their hopes and heightening their trepidation about the future.

Somewhere, the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa gave the aged and less fortunate some temporary respite by cleaning the houses of a luck few and giving them a decent lunch cooked over open fires. They danced and ululated, but today, Christmas Day, they are as desperate as they were before the hour the First Lady came.

It touched the hearts of many who read the State-controlled newsoapers and watch Zbctv. She got the best optics, endeared herself to the masses and bagged some 2023 votes for her husband, President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The crude joke was missed by many that Zimbabwe has been reduced to a country of two tenses — the past and the future. Zimbabwe no longer has a present tense. It is just one big void no leader is willing to fill. In short, no leadership for today exists.

Yesterday, State media led with Mnangagwa going through the motions of Santa Claus in his home town of Kwekwe. He visited the vending sites and the main bus termini. One lucky lady sold the President some groundnuts, maize and matohwe.

We hear Mnangagwa was told about the hardships citizens are going through. Just like the people — and probably in the sense of Chinua Achebe’s Man of the People — Mnangagwa used crispy Zimdollar notes to pay for the goods.

And for good measure he received some change. I wonder what the change was, considering the lowest note is $2 and the highest is $5. If he got 50cent coins I wonder where he would use them next, seeing the market has since demonitised coins.

For Kwekwe, their most eminent son had returned triumphantly — riding his highend motorcade, sirens and armed soldiers in tow. He saw and heard their problems, smiled with understanding and empathetic face, but the most he could do was promised to look into their issues — no immediate (now) solution.

It goes without saying that a week from now it would be New Year, a year that starts with Mnangagwa on his annual leave and citizens scratching their heads about how to pay schoolfees, commute to work if they are luck to have a job. These are people with incomes Finance minister Mthuli Ncube says are too low to be taxed Paye. However, they are not too poor to be spared paying 2% mobile money transactions and 14% Vat for their daily purchases.

Santa, Mnangagwa, came to Kwekwe, but forgot the goodies — for now the people have to survive on hope for a good future just like all other citizens across the country.

Maybe 2020 will restore the elusive present tense into our collective lexicon — yesterday and tomorrow are short of making us complete citizens like other nations. Hoo-Hooo Merry Christmas.

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

By Rex Mphisa

BEITBRIDGE East legislator Albert Nguluvhe (Zanu PF) says he will approach government to stop the eviction of more than 100 families from Kwalu high-density suburb.

The families were given notices to vacate their modern houses because they were built on unserviced stands, where there was no water and sewer reticulation.

Addressing guests at a Christmas party he hosted for Beitbridge’s elderly and those living with disabilities, Nguluvhe said he would ensure no one was evicted.

“We will try and have the local authority get funding to put sewer and water facilities. We have to think of where these people will go if evicted,” he told about 130 elderly people present at the function.

“We know the local authority (Beitbridge Municipality) has no money, but that is not reason enough to evict families.

“I have asked government to consider allocation of 0,001% of Beitbridge revenue earnings towards development of Beitbridge, which is the window of Zimbabwe.”

The Beitbridge Municipality ordered the more than 100 families out of the houses by February next year because they lack sewer and water reticulation.

It is, however, understood the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) ordered the evictions, citing the flouting of environmental impact assessment requirements.

Beitbridge town clerk Loud Ramakgapola referred questions to the engineering department and refused to discuss the order from EMA which prompted council’s decision.

Kwalu residents association chairperson Abel Hindi said for the last three years, Beitbridge Municipality has been promising to connect water to their homes.

“We pay for services, but we have never seen refuse being collected. We have been promised water and sewer connection, but nothing is forthcoming,” Hindi said.

He said most residents had fully paid for their stands.

The Kwalu residents are contemplating staging a demonstration against council and making a High
Court application to compel the local authority to connect water and sewer facilities.

“We offered to pay US$100 per each family to have the facilities provided, but council promised to come back to us, but have not in three years,” Hindi said.

At the party, the elderly danced and made merry after being treated to a sumptuous lunch. Nguluvhe slaughtered a beast.

“Two other businessmen assisted me and I appeal to the business community to extend such gestures to the elderly,” the Beitbridge East legislator said.

A representative of the elderly, 82-year-old Olinah Mbedzi, showered Nguluvhe with praises.

“This is selfless, we have never seen this before, it’s a first. It is hard to believe that in these trying times, elderly people have someone who thinks about them and this is commendable,” she said.

BY REX MPHISA

GOVERNMENT officials in Matabeleland South province allegedly allocated themselves cattle under the Command Livestock programme at the expense of smallholder farmers targeted by the multi-million dollar State project.

The project is designed to rebuild the dwindling national herd and reinvigorate the ailing beef industry, once one of Zimbabwe’s economic pillars.

The allocation on November 30 this year raised eyebrows, with farmers calling for a government probe.

“The entire list of beneficiaries must be looked at. It is fraught with favouritism and corrupt
distributions from the beginning,” a villager from a resettlement farm near Zhovhe Dam in Beitbridge West alleged.

“The few farmers given those cattle during the launch by President Emmerson Mnangagwa were just to hoodwink the Executive. What was done after their departure is something else.”

His statement was corroborated by some civil servants who alleged that officials largely benefited from the allocation.

Some senior Zimbabwe National Army members supervising Command Agriculture expressed their displeasure about the beneficiaries list, saying the common man had been robbed.

“We queried this list, it’s a public fact that we did,” one of the members, a high ranking soldier, said.

Beitbridge senior Agritex officers, an officer of an non-governmental organisation called Progress, a council worker whose father works in Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s office, a disc jockey, a groundsman at the district development co-ordinator (DDC)’s office, resettled farmers Netsai Gumbo, Ophias Ndlovu, a retired clerk from the DDC’s office, Alfred Moyo, and Elphas Siziba are some of the 23 farmers known to have benefited.

Selected senior government officials and individuals got six beasts each on the poorly advertised distribution date, attended by a handful of people.

Matabeleland South provincial livestock officer Hatitye Zondai, whose office was tasked with distributing the Matabeleland South cattle, said there were no anomalies, but denied NewsDay sight of the November 30 list.

“Do you have the master register/waiting list of all beneficiaries on the register as to who qualifies? You should get the programme document and understand it. Everything was done above board by the district command committee. The programme can give up to 10 (cattle) per beneficiary,” Zondai said.

“You have already fingered those two. Are there any other names that you want because honestly, will it be right for someone to see his or her name in the paper without his or her consent?

“The programme does not restrict anyone. It has some guidelines and requirements to follow as long as you meet those requirements as a farmer. Whether you are a civil servant or from any organisation or political party, it doesn’t matter. What we want is production and potential even journalists’ institutions benefited.”

Villagers, particularly in Beitbridge, where over 2 000 cattle have succumbed to a punishing drought, are unhappy that civil servants allegedly distributed cattle to themselves, defeating the purpose of the noble exercise.

“(Officials) claim that some farmers from as far as Chikwarakwara failed to come, and the cattle had to be distributed,” one farmer said.

Beneficiaries were issued with permits to drive cattle to red zones since the farm at which the cattle were kept was under quarantine.

Provincial veterinary officer for Matabeleland South, Enat Mdlongwa, refused to talk about the beneficiaries, electing only to speak about his departmental role.

“We have issued permits for the cattle to go to red zones area. No cattle should be moved to the green zone,” he said.

“I don’t want to say anything or be involved in who benefited. That is not my area,” he said when asked why civil servants allocated themselves and their friends cattle.

He said pressing shortages of livestock feed forced the farmer keeping the cattle to ask for earlier distribution.

“I do not want to be involved in the distribution issues. That is not our area and let’s keep it there,” Mdlongwa stressed.

Mnangagwa launched the Command Livestock programme in Gwanda in June last year.

Initially, he handed over 660 heifers to 151 beneficiaries from Matabeleland South’s seven districts.

Several factors, including animal diseases, restricted the distribution of cattle soon after the launch.

Under the programme, a farmer is supposed to receive three bulled heifers which they pass on after two years.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League side Chicken Inn have honoured veteran midfielder Clemence Matawu for graduating with a degree in sports science from the National University of Science and Technology last month.

Matawu, who turned 37 last month, was honoured with the chairman’s award which went with a cash prize of $2 000 and the veteran midfielder said he was yet to decide on his future.

He was honoured at the club’s player of the year awards at a lodge in Bulawayo.

Club chairman Juta Tshuma said as Chicken Inn they were proud of Matawu as the club encouraged its players to invest in education.

“Chicken Inn looks after its players and encourages them to develop themselves. In that regard, we have one of our legendary players Clemence Matawu who we encouraged to pursue a sports science and coaching degree which he completed and graduated last month. For us, it is a great achievement.
Players should be aware that they will not last long in football. They should be prepared for life after the game; that is why we encouraged and helped Matawu in that regard,” Tshuma said.

Midfielder Tichaona Chipunza and defender Xolani Ndlovu shared the player of the year award that carried $15 000 with the latter also claiming $10 000 after he was voted players’ player of the year.

Golden boot winner Clive Augusto got $5 000 for his efforts.

Augusto left Chicken Inn to join Maritzburg United in South Africa in August after scoring 14 goals.

The most exciting player of the year award went to striker Obriel Chirinda, who walked away with $3 000 which was also awarded to the most improved player, left back Nyasha Gurende.

Goalkeeper Pride Zendera won the most disciplined player award, picking up a prize of $3 000.

Striker George Majika got $2 000 for his wonder goal against Hwange at Luveve Stadium on November 16.