by Business reporter

Zimbabwe, which is banking on investment in its natural resources to arrest an economic free-fall, faces having the assets of a State mining company seized after a final appeal of a 2014 arbitration ruling failed.

Companies linked to British Virgin Islands-based Amari Holdings won the right to seize assets worth US$65,9 million in compensation for Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC)’s cancellation of nickel and platinum ventures formed in 2007 and 2008.

The ruling by the International Court of Arbitration was made after a hearing in Lusaka, Zambia.

The development comes at a difficult time for Zimbabwe, with the government forecasting the economy will contract 6,5% this year because of crippling foreign-currency, fuel, wheat and power shortages. The State is seeking to convince investors from Cyprus, South Africa, Russia and Nigeria to spend billions of dollars developing its platinum reserves, the world’s third-largest. It’s also rich in gold, chrome and iron ore.

“We are by law entitled to attach any asset belonging to the ZMDC or their 100% shareholder, the Zimbabwean government,” Ian Small-Smith, a lawyer acting for Amari, said yesterday.
“They seemingly still don’t appreciate how adversely this will impact the credibility of Zimbabwe as an investment destination.”

Nickel, platinum

The dispute arose over plans Amari had to develop mines in Zimbabwe. The company formed platinum and nickel ventures with ZMDC that were 50% and 45% owned by the state company respectively.

Zimbabwe’s assertion that the deals were not appropriately approved by ZMDC officials and the Mines minister were rejected by the court.

Amari will seek to seize fixed assets owned by Zimbabwe and ZMDC both in the country and elsewhere and may also target shipments of diamonds and tobacco, Small-Smith said.

“The Ministry of Mines is aware of this development and the matter is under control through a number of stakeholder engagement processes,” Mines secretary Mazai Moyo said.

Amari has been approached by Benedict Peters, a Nigerian billionaire who was awarded the platinum prospect initially held by Amari, Small-Smith said. Peters had been seeking a settlement with Amari, he said. This was denied by a representative of Peters’ Bravura Holdings.

“There is no truth that any entity or party has been approached by it to settle any such disputes,” said Lionel Mahlanga, Bravura’s representative in Zimbabwe.

“Bravura holds legal and rightful titles to exploit some platinum claims in Zimbabwe awarded to it after interests ostensibly held by the previous owners were forfeited by the Ministry of Mines as a result of their non-performance of key statutory and commercial obligations,” he said.

Amari was founded by Mike Nunn, the South African mining entrepreneur who established Tanzanite One Ltd to exploit the blue precious stone found only in Tanzania.
— Bloomberg

By Nhau Mangirazi

Women and Aids Support Network chairperson Tariro Kutadza has implored government to consider taxing the tobacco industry, with proceeds used to fund treatment for lung cancer and tuberculosis (TB) usually caused by smoking.

Kutadza was speaking at a belated Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day roundtable discussion with the media in Harare last week.

The UHC Day commemorations are held annually on December 12.

Kutadza called for inclusive health for every citizen through prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.

“In Zimbabwe, we are pushing to be a middle-income economy by 2030 and it’s a dream that can be achieved, but the reality is that we must close some gaps on how our economy is performing. Our economy is agro-based and tobacco is part of foreign currency earners for the country,” she said.

“Our Parliament must formulate laws so that tobacco tax will add value to our health sector because some diseases are linked to the crop, one way or the other.

“Tobacco must cater for lung cancer diseases, including tuberculosis, that we are made to believe is treated freely, but how do you access health facilities situated over 200km away? Instead, treatment of TB is no longer free at all. We must be talking with one voice to achieve UHC by 2030 as a nation.”

Kutadza admitted that there was potential to reach the goals of universal health.

“Few countries reach this goal. Rich or poor (we) can make progress. For Zimbabwe, let us focus on realty as tobacco is affecting our environment through tree cutting for curing tobacco and it is a health issue on lung cancer. Should we stand by and fail to get solutions to this when tax can help avert a social health time bomb in our communities?” she said.

Kutadza said attainment of the Abuja Declaration, which stipulates that 15% of the national budget be allocated to health, remains a pipeline dream due to a poorly economy.

“We must be pushing for a better per capita for an individual as our economy is not performing well, hence negatively impacting on health sector that cuts across every household,” she noted, suggesting removal of user fees in public health facilities to achieve health sustainable development goals.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

FORMER Dynamos and Warriors coach Kalisto Pasuwa (picture)lifted the Malawi Super League title for the second successive season after guiding his Nyasa Big Bullets side to an emotional 2-0 victory over TN Stars on the final day of the league programme yesterday.

This meant closest challengers Wanderers’ 3-0 away win to Mlatho Mponela on the same day, counted for nothing as the Zimbabwean wrote another glorious page for the biggest club in Malawian football and his own history. He has won the league title in his last six seasons as a club coach.

He won four successive championships with Harare football giants Dynamos from 2011 to 2014 before leading the Zimbabwe senior soccer team to the 2017 African Cup of Nations and then left to join Nyasa Big Bullets after almost two years on the sidelines. He joined the Malawi football giants in the middle of the campaign and led them to their 14th title in the TNM Super League.

It was an emotional victory for Pasuwa whose side was playing catch up for the better part of the season.

But once they got to the top of the table, Bullets showed an unbreakable resolve to maintain their grip and were eventually crowned champions for the 15th time, making them the most successful club in the history of the league.

They went into the match three points clear of the rivals with the win taking their points tally to 70, one ahead of Be Forward Wanders.

Pasuwa’s men, who have turned Kamuzu Stadium into a virtual fortress, remain the only club unbeaten at home.

The latest achievement represents another milestone for the unassuming coach who is still a revered football figure at his former club Dynamos, where he helped the club reach the final of the prestigious Caf African Champions League in 1998 only to lose 4-2 to Asec Mimosa of Ivory Coast in hugely controversial
circumstances.

BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE

The MDC has said it will use all the available platforms to halt the random constitutional amendments proposed by Zanu PF, which the opposition party says are moves by the ruling party to consolidate its stranglehold on power.

The Nelson Chamisa-led opposition party on Friday called on citizens including civil society, the clergy and labour movements, to defend the Constitution. The party said what was required were reforms that enabled the country to move forward.

Cabinet last week approved Constitutional Amendment Bill 2019 which repeals section 92 of the Constitution dealing with presidential running mates, giving the President power to hire and fire his deputies as well as appoint and promote judges.

Chamisa last week led a delegation of top party leadership to Bulawayo for National Standing Committee, National Executive and Structures meetings.

Addressing journalists in Bulawayo, MDC spokesperson, Daniel Molekele said as a party they were opposed to systematic constitutional amendments being carried out by Zanu PF and called on all Zimbabweans to defend the Constitution.

“We are strongly against the constitutional amendments because it negates the gains of the 2013 Constitution. As the MDC we will use all platforms that are available for us to contest against any changes of the Constitution,” Molokele said.

“We will make sure that we contest in Parliament and all public spheres, we will even engage on a diplomatic initiative. We will go international and bring attention to this attempt to negate the democratic gains as gained in the 2013 Constitution.”

“We will come up with an advocacy campaign, we are calling civil society, faith-based leaders, labour movements, students, youth, women and every interested stakeholder to defend the Constitution of the country,” Molokele said.

He said their actions will not be a political process, but a national process.

“This Constitution was enacted after a referendum in 2013 and we are saying people of Zimbabwe if we allow Zanu PF to change the Constitution like any other act of Parliament we will have a big problem,” he said.

Molokele said the party condemns the actions of Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda who has succumbed to pressure and reduced Parliament to a captured entity.

“The party will escalate its quest to safeguard the independence of Parliament to appropriate international bodies,” Molokele said.

Last week opposition MPs confronted Mudenda over the alleged bias over Zanu PF.

BY SIMBARASHE SITHOLE

A 41-YEAR-OLD Mvurwi businessman was allegedly dispossessed of cash and valuables by five armed robbers at his house last week Thursday.

Shepherd Mapungwana, of Lee and Lee in Mvurwi, lost US$5 500, $23 000, ZAR3 700, a camera, pistol, a television set, a Toyota Quantum microbus and two mobile phones during the robbery.

According to police sources, the matter was reported at Mvurwi Police Station under CR number 87/12/19.

Five armed robbers allegedly scaled the wall and disarmed Mapungwana’s two security guards, Eliot Machisau (57) and Samuel Isaac (23), and taped their hands and mouths.

The complainant was awakened by the robbers when they were breaking his kitchen door.

Mapungwana went to investigate what was happening, but was caught out.

He was ordered to surrender and the robbers force-marched him into his bedroom demanding cash.

After robbing him they taped his hands and mouth.

They deflated tyres of the businessman’s two vehicles before leaving the scene in the Toyota Quantum, registration number AFG 1941.

Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe could not be reached for comment.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

FORMER Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko has revealed that one of his passions is cooking and that he has been treating his family to his culinary skills every Sunday since he got married in 1977.

Mphoko made the revelations on his daughter Siduduzile’s fashion, style and culture YouTube show uploaded on December 20 where he is seen preparing a traditional meal.

Mphoko was removed from office in November 2017 alongside the late President Robert Mugabe and a number of now exiled former Zanu PF members in a coup.

The former VP has been battling to access his pension and other benefits since then. Away from politics, Mphoko loves being in the kitchen.

“When I met your mother, we established a tradition; we introduced a culture at home. Every Sundays I have cooked for my wife, up to today, but we eat good food,” Mphoko said in an episode titled: Cooking and tasting local Foods: Father Daughter moments VP Mphoko with DrBae, Part 1.

“… and my son also has adopted that policy that he cooks for his family on Sundays. And I am sure my son-in-law also has been told . . . so it’s a tradition that I started with my wife that every Sunday, it’s a must that I must make a mess of the kitchen, but they make so much noise when I go to the kitchen, but I like cooking.”

Mphoko’s daughter, a medical doctor, launched her fashion, style and culture channel in October this year.

Siduduzile said the channel was necessitated by the need to showcase the country’s luxurious style and culture.

“I am tired of watching other people expose themselves; expose their country and their culture. We are so rich in arts and culture, we are so rich in many things, so it’s time we show them what we are made of here in Bulawayo,” she said.

The channel is under the management of Khulekani Ndlovu’s LeFactory, which focuses on premium luxurious brands and provides public relations and marketing services to the elite.

BY MOSES MATENGA

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa said there was no unity in the country because President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has failed to unite the people and accused it of persecuting those with genuine grievances.

Speaking on the day to commemorate unity following the signing of the Unity Accord by the late former President Robert Mugabe, representing Zanu and the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s PF Zapu, to end Gukurahundi that saw 20 000 being killed in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces, Chamisa said Mnangagwa has failed on the basics of unity and there was nothing to celebrate.

“It cannot be unity when you beat up people for saying they are hungry. If doctors say they are incapacitated and they want money, you fire them, when teachers say they want money, you set dogs on them. Is that unity?” Chamisa asked.

“It cannot be unity when it appears there are two countries in one. Unity shouldn’t be between parties for power, but it must be about institutions and for the good of everyone, tribes, religion, all provinces, seeing there is something for them.”

He said he was against unity that “demonises and brutalises others” as is the case.

“Unity is important, but they think it is partisan. There is no unity when you can’t resolve issues and hold free and fair elections,” Chamisa added.

But Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo maintained the “unity” in the country since 1987 was the glue to any stability, development and prosperity.

He, however, said there was little happening across the country to celebrate the important day.

“It is most disheartening to note that although December 22 is a public holiday in honour of the Unity Accord, there are no visible activities across the country depicting such a political milestone. The young people know virtually nothing about this day,” Khaya Moyo said.

Tyson Wabantu leader Saviour Kasukuwere said unity was not the absence of conflict.

“Unity is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to manage differences and diversity amongst and within society. Unity should be about providing leadership to heal and develop the nation. Courage to move is essential than empty rhetoric,” he said.

Mnangagwa celebrated Unity Day at his farm in Kwekwe where he hosted members of the Political Actors’ Dialogue (Polad).

Polad members reportedly requested for a meeting at a more relaxed place and opted for Mnangagwa’s farm.

MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe, National Constitutional Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuku were some of the players present at the Zanu PF leader’s farm.