guest column:Learnmore Zuze

THE road was long enough as it stood, but the stretch is getting longer by the passage of every minute. The incontrovertible truth is that Zimbabwe will not be achieving any economic or political stability anytime soon. When the now late former President Robert Mugabe met his degrading exit from power, national hope was astoundingly higher.

At the time his resignation was confirmed, there was pandemonium and virtually every speaker and car radio reverberated with the near-anthem song Kutonga Kwaro in the euphoric anticipation of a new era.

Mugabe had alienated Zimbabwe from the rest of the world. Zimbabwe ceased to be recognised as belonging to the family of nations about two decades earlier. Mugabe would gleefully lampoon other world leaders and made Zimbabwe his personal property as encapsulated by the infamous “so, Blair keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe,” rant.

As the clock ticked further and Mugabe continued with his old ways of crushing dissent and ridiculing other world leaders, something happened to Zimbabweans. They had been fed on a perennial ZBC diet that all the anguish being endured in Zimbabwe then, was a culmination of incessant calls by Morgan Tsvangirayi’s MDC for Western powers, particularly Britain and the United States to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe. But, as time marched on, Zimbabweans began to see the true face behind their suffering. From the missing $15 billion diamond revenue to the gigantic malfeasance in parastatals, Zimbabweans steadily began to see through the lie of sanctions causing havoc in Zimbabwe.

Now, to add to the milking dry of the State coffers by the Mugabe-led government was the heavy handedness of State apparatus against perceived government critics. The culture of abductions went on unbridled. The disappearance of Itai Dzamara will forever remain an egg on the gone Mugabe government. The torture of opposition activists and police brutality that was synonymous with his rule was to further make Zimbabwe an unofficial pariah State.

What was worse was that Mugabe never cared an inch over the repercussions of his continued skirmishes with the European Union and US. The man continued to see and blame sanctions, but could not see how his conduct was a purveyor for sanctions. Everyone else was wrong except himself. It didn’t make things any better; the isolation by the international community became worse. The scorn on Zimbabwe became more pronounced and right up to his dethronement, Mugabe had made Zimbabwe a nation cut off from the rest.

It was for this reason that Mugabe’s departure from power temporarily suspended enmity among political groups. Zimbabwe had found its feet again, or so we thought. The coming into power of his ex-deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa ushered hope for Zimbabwe; here was the man who would build bridges and lead the road to international acceptance, so we thought.

There was no doubt at all that Zimbabwe needed an urgent return to the family of nations after decades of being quarantined by other countries. Among a cocktail of things that had to transform sooner than later was political tolerance. The thing with political tolerance is that, unlike economics, there isn’t much that is required but respect and adherence to constitutionalism.

In particular, respect for freedoms provided for in the Constitution and an appreciation that we can’t all think alike. No one hoped to see the army or the police chasing defenceless citizens armed with rifles. The world never envisaged a situation where abductions and rare crimes like treason would continue in a democratic nation.

But alas, we were all wrong. The road to international acceptance for Zimbabwe just got longer. It crushes hope, it crushes the spirit and it deflates to the core.

The current government is not making things any better. Like I said before, it doesn’t require foreign aid or capital injection for a government to uphold the rule of law. It doesn’t call for millions for a government to tolerate dissent. It is exactly here that the road to recovery is still miles away. The images seen of police brutalising women, elderly citizens and passersby as MDC leader Nelson Chamisa sought to address his supporters is living testament that Zimbabwe won’t be considered a state with respect of the rule of law any time soon. The violence perpetrated upon these unarmed citizens is a classic example of “legal” violence. No person has a right to batter another as we saw, but these were men on a State-sponsored mission of bludgeoning bona fide citizens of a country.

The irony of it all is the continued clamour for re-engagement. The government continues in its efforts to make itself deserving of a seat at the family of nations table. To the contrary, the truth is that no sane country would re-engage a government that unleashes terror on its own citizens. It’s a sheer waste of time and resources. The call of sanctions is quite misplaced.

The sanctions mantra that we continue to be fed on through State media is way off the mark. The real sanctions consist in political repression, corruption and looting of the national fiscus. Zimbabwe desperately needs a new way of looking at things. The path to recovery is still a pipe dream.

editorial comment

NOT so long ago, we heard from Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya that there was a cartel of 10 individuals operating in Zimbabwe which controlled the southern African nation’s foreign currency market. These, we presume, very rich and powerful people control US$11 billion and half the country’s deposits. It then comes as a major shock to hear that government now wants to gain control of this money by targeting cross-border traders.

“… we are all aware that most of the people buy money on the parallel market and they go to buy goods outside the country. But when you are coming back, before you declare the goods, you have to first declare the official source of the foreign currency.

The moment you declare goods, in the event that you are not able to declare the official source of foreign currency, you forfeit whatever you have to the State. So this will deal with black market operations,” Finance deputy minister Clemence Chiduwa told the nation last week.

It really boggles the mind to try and understand what exactly government is hoping to achieve by this move when it knows exactly who has the foreign currency.

The real foreign currency is not on the streets, but in plush homes in the leafy suburbs and in offshore stashes, which government failed to raid many times before. What is also perplexing is that it appears as if Chiduwa is suggesting that those people dealing in forex on the parallel market are somehow stealing the money from government.

Has government bothered to even find out the source of the money on the black market? Has government failed to rein in the 10 cartels that control all those billions of dollars, now that it has decided to raid hapless individuals trying to make ends meet under very difficult economic circumstances?

Or is government now targeting the small cross-border trader because it has failed to raise enough foreign currency through exports and duties on imports? What is happening to the foreign currency being raised by government, anyway? There is no bank in this land that is currently giving out foreign currency to its clients and so what is the rationale in government of raiding cross-border traders?

Is it then not more prudent for government to tighten control on what it owns, which is the land and resources such as gold, platinum, chrome and diamonds. The world over, Zimbabwe is famous for its wholesome food and horticulture products which can easily raise enormous amounts of foreign currency.

Need we keep reminding government that the land and minerals are very low-hanging fruits that can easily boost Zimbabwe’s foreign currency reserves; not the pittance United States dollars that are currently exchanging hands on the streets whose source is largely diaspora remittances.

The foreign currency black market can only be controlled once the country is productive and able to earn enough forex to supply banks which would ultimately lead to individuals being able to walk into their banks where they are given travellers cheques or foreign currency.

Once this happens, there would be no need for anyone to sell money on the streets. Unfortunately, the country’s systems are leaking like a sieve to a point that even if it raids the cross-border traders government will raise peanuts.

It would be a real shame if government decided to implement this measure because it would be tantamount to robbing the hapless citizens who are currently trying to escape the extortionary prices being charged by companies and individuals by crossing the borders to buy basics at lower prices.

Government is simply barking up the wrong tree and putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.

By Brenna Matendere

THE Midlands State University (MSU) has successfully translated the country’s Constitution into sign language in a development that is going to impact positively on schools for people with speech and hearing impairments.

This is the first time that the country’s supreme law has been made available in sign language.

Speaking at the university’s 20th graduation ceremony, where President Emmerson Mnangagwa capped 3 149 graduands on Friday, MSU vice-chancellor Victor Muzvidziwa said the translated Constitution has been packaged in DVDs.

“Your Excellency and chancellor, you may also recall that in my speech at the 2018 graduation ceremony, I announced the establishment of the MSU language institute. The institute has made milestones. Cognisant that sign language is one of Zimbabwe’s 16 languages recognised in the Constitution, the language institute has since produced sign language DVDs of the Zimbabwe Constitution,” he said.

Muzvidziwa also highlighted that the department which produced the sign language Constitution has made other major achievements.

“… it (Midlands State University language institute) has forged international partnerships with Sonke Gender Justice, a South African-based NGO (non-governmental organisations) for which they have translated advocacy documents. The institute has also started the first phase of training all Premier Service Medical Industries Fund staff in sign language competence,” he said.

Muzvidziwa also revealed that the MSU has re-branded.

“The 2018 national critical skills audit showed that we had a critical skills deficit in engineering and technology, natural and applied sciences, agriculture, medical and health sciences,” Muzvidziwa said .

“We are immensely proud of the university’s response to the skills audit through curriculum renewal. The university has since re-branded and expanded the mandate of its mining and mineral processing engineering faculty to become the faculty of engineering and geo sciences now, now offering a wide range of disciplines in engineering, including energy and fuel sciences.”

“We take pride that the MSU has made digital fluency, innovation and entrepreneurship priorities. Our disciplines in the humanities and social sciences have also embraced digital technologies, especially with the social media and the new trends in communication as well augmented reality in the performing arts.”

The MSU moved 25 places up on the Webometrics university ranking systems from position 175 to 150, Muzvidziwa revealed.

By Rex Mphisa

A POLICE constable based at Beitbridge Border Post has been taken to court for extortion after he allegedly held on to an importer’s car to demand a R40 000 bribe.

Obvious Senior Moyo of Dulivhadzimo in Beitbridge went further to hide the car in Harare to press his demand, it is alleged.

On Saturday, Moyo who faces a charge of criminal abuse of office or alternatively extortion, was granted $1 000 bail by Beitbridge provincial magistrate Perseverance Makhala.

He was not asked to plead.

The State, led by prosecutor Ronald Mugwagwa is alleging that early this month, Taurai Zhou met Bright Moyana and Anyway Kawara at the Beitbridge Border Post seeking their assistance to smuggle his car from South Africa — a Mercedes Benz, with chassis number WDD21034B150056 and registration number ND 78791 into Zimbabwe.

Zhou was to pay Moyana and Kawara R15 000 for the job and a deal was sealed.

Later on, Moyo handcuffed Moyana and Kawara and took them in his car to Zhou.

Moyo allegedly told Zhou that he had arrested the two for attempting to smuggle the latter’s car which was now in his possession.

He produced the keys as proof and then demanded R40 000 bribe to release the two and the car without pressing charges against them.

Zhou allegedly agreed and said he would make arrangements to withdraw the cash from Musina in South Africa the following day.

The next day, Zhou who had since alerted the police, invited Moyo to pick up 50% of the bribe money at a local lodge.

Moyo drove into a trap by his employer and was arrested upon arrival at the lodge, leading to the recovery of the car keys. He then led his police colleagues to Park Lane in Harare, where he had hidden the car.

He is expected in court for routine remand in a fortnight.

Beitbridge lawyer Reason Mutimba appeared for Moyo.

BY SILAS NKALA

CARCASSES of livestock which succumbed to drought are reportedly contaminating water sources in Filabusi, Matabeleland South; and villagers now fear a possible outbreak of diseases.

Villagers told Southern Eye last week that the drought had claimed dozens of cattle and donkeys whose carcasses are decomposing on river beds and dams after being trapped in mud.

Sibongile Khumalo said the most affected was the Insiza River that feeds into the Insiza Dam, which is Bulawayo’s main source of water.

“The most affected are villagers who use the Insiza River as a water source, those here at Filabusi Centre, Mapenga Area, Pangani Training Centre, Silalatshani village and many other villages who use the river as their water source,” she said.

“At many water sources, several cattle have died in water and their owners do not retrieve the carcasses to dispose them safely, so they decompose in water which is now a health threat.”

She called on the relevant authorities to dispose of the decomposing carcasses.

“We are appealing for authorities to intervene or hire people to remove the decomposing cattle carcasses from water sources and burn them to prevent a possible health hazard,” Khumalo said.

Another villager said flood waters from the heavy downpour experienced on Tuesday last week have since swept most of the carcasses into dams.

“Today (on Tuesday last week) as we speak there are heavy rains and most of the dead and decomposing cattle bodies are being washed into our drinking water sources, it’s not safe anymore,” Sithabile Sibanda said.

Contacted for comment, Insiza disctrict co-ordinator Zakaria Jusa said he had tasked traditional leaders to identify owners of the dead livestock and order their proper disposal to avoid further contamination of water sources.

“For the past two weeks, I have been meeting village heads asking them to go around checking for cattle which might have died and their owners are not yet known. I advised them to trace the owners so that such cattle are properly disposed of to avoid the contamination of rivers,” Jusa said.

“We encourage villagers to take care of their livestock all the time and all people must be responsible in keeping their environment clean by always trying to do something when they see a dead cow, it’s either they approach the village heads to ask them to do something or they remove it themselves,” Jusa said.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

BULAWAYO residents’ groups and consumer watchdogs have dismissed suggestions by council that they did not raise objections to its proposed 700%rates increase.

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) said it was now awaiting Local Government ministry approval after ratepayers allegedly gave thumps up to the supplementary budget, but residents claimed their objections were ignored by the local authority.

“A majority of residents rejected the increments during public consultations, but we have a problem of good institutions deteriorating into elite-based, self-serving institutions that are serving the interests of the elite first and those of residents later,” Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association executive director Emmanuel Ndlovu said.

“The rates hike and the kind of service delivery we are receiving do not match…they have asked for a waiver from the Local Government ministry to allow them to hike rates without consultation. This is what they were aiming at.”

Council is owed millions by ratepayers.

National Consumer Rights Association (Nacora) coordinator Effie Ncube argued that there was no way residents could have approved a 700% hike in rates and tariffs under the prevailing economic climate.

“The hike is completely unaffordable and a reflection of a BCC that is fast losing touch with reality. In this poverty and pain, it cannot be right that any person, let alone a city father and mother, will find it normal to raise rates by such a figure,” Ncube said.

He added: “Nacora rejects the increase as it will not be (matched with) quality service delivery, just as has happened before.”

Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association executive director Michael Ndiweni weighed in saying informal traders rejected the 700% tariff proposal. The majority of citizens are now informal traders due to lack of jobs as a result of company closures and the harsh economic climate.

“BCC must also think of other revenue streams that will show ingenuity from them. For example, the city has a rich history, it must partner with other stakeholders and make money on urban tourism. You go to other cities across the world, you pay an arm and a leg to do a city tour, residents under this economic condition, cannot carry the burden alone.

“Government must take responsibility and provide grants, not only those to do with devolution of power, but others which can also provide some opportunities for the local authority to have other revenue sources, that empower it,” Ndiweni said.

Council has, however, vowed to proceed with the proposed rates and tariffs increase in the face of inflation despite resistance from residents with mayor Solomon Mguni saying “city fathers cannot watch Bulawayo die”.

BY SHARON SIBINDI

SENIOR members of the Xhosa royal family and head of the Xhosa Royal Council in Zimbabwe, Prince MacLeod Tshawe Nonxoloba have leapt to the defence of Ntabazinduna Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, who was recently suspended by the Provincial Chiefs’ Council, urging the government to respect the family’s choice.

Ndiweni was suspended as Ntabazinduna chief at a Matabeleland North traditional leaders’ provincial assembly held in Bulawayo last week.

The traditional leaders argued that his chieftainship was being contested in line with Nguni traditions and the Traditional Leaders Act which recognise the first born of the family, Joram as the heir.

Joram filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court over five years ago seeking to block his brother Nhlanhla from taking over from their late father Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, who passed away in 2010.

Nonxoloba on Friday said Chief Ndiweni was chosen by his people.

“Chief Ndiweni is a chief because he was chosen by the people of Ndiweni and to us in the Xhosa community ithole lenkuzi likhethwa ngabazali balo lapha ekhaya (the bull is chosen from the calves by their owners) not an outsider. If the chief has been chosen by other people who are not in the family, that is unacceptable in our community,” he said.

“In the Tshawe family, we don’t accept such things. Can the Tongas come all the way from their home to tell the people of Ndiweni what to do, or can we leave our home to go and tell Tonga people what to do? I don’t think it’s correct.”

He said government and other traditional leaders should not dabble in the Ndiweni family wrangle. “No one should interfere, the Ndiweni clan are the ones who will have a say whether their child made a mistake or not, or remove the chief from the throne and have a say who can be installed,” he said.

“To claim that only a first born in the family is the heir to the throne, we do not know that, maybe in the Tonga community they do that.”

According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe “… the appointment, removal and suspension of chiefs must be done by the President on the recommendation of the provincial assembly of chiefs through the National Council of Chiefs and the minister responsible for traditional leaders and in accordance with the traditional practices and traditions of the communities concerned”.

HARDLY a day after his arrival from a four-month long medical trip in China, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga torched a fierce storm when he blasted MDC-run councils for failure to address service delivery problems and the opposition at large for having a destructive mentality.

BY MOSES MATENGA

He also tongue-lashed striking civil servants.

Chiwenga on Saturday arrived in the capital aboard a Chinese government jet and immediately threatened striking doctors, while attacking the MDC for having a “Genghis Khan mentality”.

His comments immediately attracted a backlash from the opposition MDC and doctors, among others, who feel the former army commander was out of touch with developments which took place in his long absence.

“We would think that it is high time high-ranking officials take what is happening in the health sector as a crisis,” Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights spokesperson Fortune Nyamande said.

“Leaders must desist from these kinds of approaches. They are not appreciating the gravity of the crisis. People are dying, newborn babies are dying, mothers are dying while giving birth and such utterances will not solve the crisis.

“The Vice-President should apply his mind deeply and bring stakeholders together to dialogue out of the crisis and find a win-win situation. It is time this issue is taken seriously. People are dying and we would have expected a solution from the VP.”

Soon after touching down in Harare at the weekend, Chiwenga, who in April last year fired over 16 000 striking nurses at public hospitals before government later reversed the decision following an outcry, said: “We have to work, we have the resources. We must utilise them and work and build our country. That’s the message we want to give our people that it will not help now and again to go on strike. You strike against what? Let’s work and build our country.”

His statements come as public hospital doctors and Harare council nurses have downed tools over slave wages while most civil servants have declared incapacitation due to the harsh economic environment.

Chiwenga also fired potshots at the MDC, accusing opposition-run councils of sleeping on duty, a comment that attracted anger from the Nelson Chamisa-led party.

He labelled the MDC as having a “Genghis Khan mentality” in apparent reference to Khan, founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death.

“To the others, it will not help to have that Genghis Khan mentality. He wanted to conquer the world and went through the ancient desert. All the horses perished, all the men perished, so why would you want to do that?” Chiwenga said.

MDC shadow deputy minister for local government, Clifford Hlatshwayo, said Chiwenga had spent a lot of time outside the country and his comment on the opposition’s failure to run councils was misinformed.

“If it’s Costantino Guvheya, I know he has not been in the country for a long time. I hear he is not feeling well and he was getting medical attention outside Zimbabwe, I am told in China,” Hlatshwayo said.

“Obviously, he is not in touch with what is on the ground. What he knows is to squander taxpayers’ money in China while the people here are dying without medication. Obviously he is misinformed.

“The Zanu PF illegitimate government is the one that has run down this country.

“The MDC-run councils are trying by all means to deliver smart services to the residents.”

Hlatshwayo blamed interference by Zanu PF for hindering service delivery in MDC-run councils.

“Interference from the central government is at an alarming rate. The interference is very unnecessary and illegal. The Constitution of Zimbabwe is clear. It states that councils are managed by elected officials of council. But because Zanu PF lost in the elections, they are trying to impose themselves in MDC-run urban local authorities,” he said.

The MDC controls 28 out of 32 urban local authorities.

Political analyst Alexander Rusero said: “General Chiwenga’s return pauses a lot of paradoxes vis-a-vis the practical challenges that Zimbabwe is currently facing. His first shot was to dismiss the justification of striking at workplace, something coming as a blow, especially to the health sector whose grievances remain genuine, but with no urgency to settle from government.

“Yet he is coming from treatment in China which, without proper remuneration of doctors attending him, he could have died. That being said, a lot of hype on Chiwenga’s return and expectations as whispered in corridors of power will soon be demystified with time because he remains simply a Zanu PF functionary who cannot be better.”