BINGA district development co-ordinator Lydia Banda-Ndethi has reportedly been re-deployed to Bulawayo following accusations that she has been working with non-governmental organisations and opposition councillors in the area without clearance.
Sources privy to the matter told Southern Eye Weekender that Banda-Ndethi was caught in a Catch 22 situation as the opposition MDC had 24 out of the 25 councillors in Binga, making it impossible for her to ignore the opposition as the district development co-ordinator.
The source said one of the allegations raised was that Banda-Ndethi failed to show up at a rally that was addressed by ailing Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga earlier this year.
When approached for comment at her new offices in Bulawayo on Thursday, Banda-Ndethi said she was not authorised to speak to the media.
According to the source, Banda-Ndethi is said to have attended Chiwenga’s rally, but did not stay for long during the briefing as she had to attend another meeting.
“Banda-Ndethi later attended a function where there was an ambassador who was donating to the community. She received the donation on behalf of the community as it was her duty to monitor development in the district,” the source said.
On working with NGOs, another source said: “The other allegation was that Banda-Ndethi attended non-governmental organisations functions which were taking place in her district. But it was her duty to monitor those NGO projects.”
Contacted for comment yesterday, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister Richard Moyo said the redeployment was normal.
“It is just redeployment, anyone can be transferred from one area to another,” he said.
“People who allege she was victimised for working with the MDC are actually biased. We, as MPs, work with MDC councillors and there is no problem,” Moyo said, adding civil servants could be moved especially when there are complaints from the community.
WRITING about the 1967 Six-Day War in his 2001 memoirs, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said: “While the border disputes between Syria and ourselves were of great significance, the matter of water diversion was a stark issue of life and death.”
Just like water had become an issue of life and death between Israel and Syria, the precious liquid has become a social security issue in Harare and observers say if poorly-managed, the situation may reach boiling point.
Closer to home, Harare, a capital city with more than two million people has increasingly become too dry and there is no immediate solution in sight.
The MDC-dominated council has tried, but with little success, to address the water challenges, blaming debtors, government, dilapidated infrastructure and almost everyone, but itself in the process.
“The water situation in Harare is a real social security matter. Public health has been compromised because there is no adequate supply of water,” Harare Residents Trust director, Precious Shumba said.
“Where the water is determined by a few suppliers of water treatment chemicals, and they appear to hold that over council management and councillors, it becomes more difficult.”
Currently, mayor Herbert Gomba said they wait for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to avail funds to assist at the Morton Jaffray Waterworks.
“We have not yet received promised money from government, but we are confident we are going to receive it, because we are yet to submit the quantities we want and the money that is needed,” he said.
“We do not have the figures as yet, because our technocrats are still working on them.” What needs to be done?
“We just have to increase our water sources. We just have to work on the issue of chemicals so that we don’t have to import, but manufacture them here. We cut on time and foreign currency since we are struggling,” Gomba said.
He said the issue of water in Harare was everyone’s responsibility from the consumers to government, hence the blame game must stop.
“There is what council can do and what the Environmental Management Agency can do. The accusations must separate roles on that and sometimes those who accuse council of not doing anything would have caused the problems by not doing anything in making payments. They incapacitated the same council from doing its work and blame council for providing services they would not have paid for,” Gomba said.
“We are now seeking garnishing powers from government so that we take the money. We want to garnish everyone who owes council. If the person has capacity and has not come to us to say he or she has not capacity, the accounts must be garnished. We must inculcate in the minds of our people a culture to pay for services they want council to deliver.” Council is owed over $1 billion by consumers, government and business.
Others in council have blamed the populist debt write-off by former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo ahead of the 2013 elections, describing it as the proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back.
The move left councils stranded and had a boomerang effect on service provision as residents became reluctant to pay their bills hoping for another debt write-off.
The Chinese, over five years ago, availed more than $144 million loan from the China Exim Bank for the rehabilitation of Morton Jaffray, but the funds were abused by the workers, who bought luxurious vehicles.
Only US$72 million had been availed by the Chinese, but have held back the remainder, amid reports of abuse by Harare.
There were reports of overpricing of goods that have, however, been dismissed by the local authority.
Close to a decade, the funds are yet to be availed and progress has since been stalled. Even the intervention at the highest level by Mnangagwa and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping has not helped matters, as the funds are yet to be availed.
“We had a loan extended to Harare City Council by the Chinese for sanitation and water reticulation. That money was then used to buy cars and other luxuries. It did not address the issues for which the money had been given. So, when I met my brother and colleague President Jinping and discussed this loan. I was not aware what had happened and so I said, ‘Mr President, you gave us this loan, but stopped it before all the money had been fully disbursed’, and he said, ‘My brother, the money was not used for what we had given you for.’ I was not aware people bought cars, some having workshops, which had nothing to do with sanitation. I made an appeal and the money is going to be released.
“Those who spent the money are not in office anymore, but they are likely to be followed,” Mnangagwa was quoted as saying.
Despite the high-level engagement, Harare remains dry and according to a latest notice by the local authority, which has become a norm, the city should brace for yet another dry weekend.
“The City of Harare advises our valued residents and stakeholders of a scheduled shutdown of the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment plant on Friday November 22 and 1600hrs to Sunday November 24 2019 (1600hrs),” the notice read in part.
“The shutdown is to allow routine maintenance at Morton Jaffray and Warren Control stations. This shutdown will affect all the suburbs and satellite towns. Stakeholders are urged to use available water sparingly.”
Currently, there is no joy in the water supply chain in the capital after the closure of Prince Edward waterworks after the supply dam dried up.
According to a latest council report on water, the raw water quality in Lake Chivero has continued to deteriorate, making the treatment process more difficult.
“The poor raw water quality has been due to poor rainfall season since during a good season, when the lake spilled it normally helped in diluting the polluted water,” the report read in part.
One of the dams regarded as a panacea to the water crisis in Harare is Kunzvi Dam, but it has been spoken about more than the action that has been taken.
The site remains there, but with nothing to show signs of progress, a sign observers say, was indicative of lack of seriousness on the part of government.
A visit to the proposed site of the giant dam by NewsDay, recently, showed nothing other than the Nyagui River that meanders through the area. There was no sign of any project taking place in that part of Murewa district.
The proposed Kunzvi Dam is expected to provide 720 megalitres of water to the capital and its environs.
GOVERNMENT yesterday commissioned four pumps installed at Amapongogwe Dam to pump raw water to the main Gweru treatment plant at Gwenoro.
In a speech read on his behalf, Local Government minister July Moyo said the commissioning of the four pumps was a result of water challenges which Gweru was facing because of the El Nino-induced drought, which saw Gwenoro Dam reaching record low water levels.
“There still is need for huge investment in water infrastructure in Gweru. This collaboration must be sustained as it is a prerequisite for the realisation of co-operation between corporates and the people of Gweru and the country at large.
“The responsible authority must protect the environment. There is no one to blame when there is no water in Gweru except the people in Gweru and their leadership,” he said.
Mayor Josiah Makombe said for a decade now, council has been extracting water from Gwenoro due to wear and tear of equipment at Amapongogwe Dam.
An ambitious project by a local hospitality group is going to make Zimbabwe’s prime resort area, Victoria Falls a green and sustainable city.
Victoria Falls Recycling, an initiative of Africa Albida Tourism (AAT) in partnership with Greenline Africa, Victoria Falls Municipality and PetrecoZim, is working with various stakeholders among them local hotels, lodges, residents and retailers to ensure a clean, healthy and safe environment for future generations.
AAT group operations manager Andy Conn said Victoria Falls Recycling was the result of growing concerns by the hospitality group’s directors that Victoria Falls town, the home of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was losing the battle against plastic.
“Following some heart-wrenching incidents in which a number of elephants died with traces of plastic in their digestive systems, certain companies and individuals funded the electrified fencing of the municipal dumpsite. The next step was to create a recycling centre,” Conn said.
“Africa Albida Tourism engaged Charlene Hewat to spearhead the Victoria Falls Recycling project, which has played a massive role in eliminating plastic, glass, paper/cardboard and cans from the dumpsite. These materials are baled and removed from Victoria Falls. The goal, however, is to create a local, sustainable industry to manufacture useable items such as bricks and crafts from the recyclable waste that we collect.”
According to AAT, Victoria Falls was growing and it was crucial that as much waste as possible is recycled, thus reducing the amount of litter on the streets and waste landing on the dumpsite.
Victoria Falls Recycling has collected and baled more than 24 tonnes of waste for recycling in its first nine months of operation.
The waste includes 9,4 tonnes of paper and cardboard, 8,8 tonnes of plastics, nearly 3 tonnes of glass, 1,2 tonnes of kaylite, 926kg of cans and 730kg of Tetra Pak packaging.
Moreblessing Ndlovu, a supervisor at Victoria Fall Recycling, said the project had empowered several youth and women apart from improving cleanliness in the resort area.
Ndlovu said hotels separate their waste at source before bringing it for recycling at the centre.
She said every month they produce 10 bales of paper weighing up to 250kg each, as well as up to a tonne of PET plastic which comes from the dumpsite.
Hewat, a prominent conservationist said under the project Victoria Falls should become one of the cleanest towns in the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.
“I remember when we were kids, we were called litterbugs if we polluted,” Hewat said.
“But now we see kids and people in fancy cars throwing papers, including our Parliamentarians who were here in Victoria Falls recently littering everywhere. I am sorry, but if they (MPs) can’t get it right how about ordinary Zimbabweans?”
Hewat said despite such setbacks, Victoria Falls Recycling was working well with the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Council of Tourism and Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce among other stakeholders who have adopted areas to clean up.
“There is a buy-in from everyone to make Victoria Falls the cleanest and greenest tourism destination in Africa,” she said.
Hewat said the project has grown rapidly and will relocate to a bigger site to be provided by the municipality soon.
She said waste collected was being send to bigger recycling plants in Harare and South Africa where it is turned into plastic bags, clothing and fuel.
Hewat said they have a holding bay in Bulawayo where processed waste is stored before being exported to South Africa.
“But we will be starting paper recycling here once we get the bigger space from the local authority and we will also look into how to make furniture using waste paper,” she said. Hewat said Victoria Falls Recycling was also into tree planting to make the resort town greener.
She said the project was looking into making roof tiles using aluminum cans while empty bottles were now being turned into water glasses, chandeliers and candle holders among other things which are being sold to hotels and tourists.
Victoria Falls Recycling was also looking into making artefacts from waste.
WINDHOEK – The Country Director for the joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) in Namibia has encouraged nurses working in Namibian Correctional Services (NCS) facilities all over the country to encourage inmates to voluntarily undergo HIV testing and to initiate those that need treatment early.
Alti Zwandor made the call at the start of a Provider Initiated Testing and Counseling (PITC) training for nurses working in correctional facilities that took place over five days in Windhoek and ended on Friday. UNAIDS partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – which served as technical lead –, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the International Training and Education Center for Health (I- TECH) and the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP) to organize the training that drew 34 participants.
The training followed another one that UNAIDS supported a fortnight ago to train NCS nurses to initiate inmates living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The just-ended training sought to build the capacity of participants to, among other things, initiate PITC, perform HIV rapid testing, perform HIV re-testing before ART initiation, ensure quality assurance and link clients to prevention, care and treatment services effectively and timeously.
Zwandor said PITC was a prerequisite for successful prevention and management of HIV infection.
“PITC is an entry point for treatment and prevention,” she said.
The world had set ambitious targets to ensure that by the year 2020 90% of all people living with HIV will know their status, 90% of all people diagnosed with HIV will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. Namibia is one of the few countries that have reached these targets ahead of schedule. Zwandor said while this was commendable, there was need to avoid complacency because the evidence on the ground shows that there is still more to be done.
“The achievement on 90-90-90 is neither universal nor uniform. Some regions are way ahead of others and certain population groups are way ahead of others,” she said.
The recent Namibia Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (NAMPHIA) report shows that despite progress made in responding to the global HIV epidemic, there are still approximately 4500 cases of HIV infection annually among adults aged 15 to 64 years in Namibia.
The report also states that although more people are now accessing treatment, that acess is not uniform. It cites Kunene as one of the regions with low access to treatment and with very for viral load suppression.
“We know that when patients are not virally suppressed, there is a high risk of transmission of the virus. Initiating people on treatment is important but it is even more important that we keep people on treatment. High enrollment into treatment, low retention and low viral load suppression equals catastrophe,” she warned.
Zwandor said it was laudable that Namibia, through the NCS, was building the capacity of human resources for health to better manage the health of people in incarceration given the unique challenges that people in such settings face across the world.
“Globally HIV prevalence among people in correctional facilities is much higher than the general population with incarcerated people on average five times more likely to be living with HIV compared with those outside.”
She cited risky behaviors such as sharing needles and syringes, unprotected sex, sexual violence and lack of access to comprehensive HIV prevention and harm reduction services among factors that put people in correctional facilities at a heightened risk of HIV and other infections.
Despite the relative ease of reaching people within correctional services, she said HIV services were not provided in correctional facilities in many countries due to various factors that include the absence of facilities and a limited capacity of health professionals to provide these services with the requisite confidence and assiduity.
Zwandor said the shortage of up to date and disaggregated data on HIV services provided in correctional facilities made it difficult for anyone to appropriately respond to the challenges and needs of people in incarceration.
“A recent review of country reports submitted to UNAIDS in the last three years shows gaps in comprehensive programming in correctional facilities in most countries. The report found that while 183 countries reported HIV testing in correctional facilities, only 74 countries reported programme data on antiretroviral therapy coverage. Much fewer countries reported programme data on comprehensive programmes that include services such as the provision of condoms, opioid substitution therapy and sterile injecting equipment in correctional facilities,” she said.
Zwandor told participants that a meeting of Ministers from the 28 Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC) countries with the highest HIV burdens that met in Nairobi, Kenya on November 11, 2019 was scathing in its assessment of progress towards achieving the 2016 Political Declaration on prevention target of 75% reduction in new HIV infections in all countries by the year 2020.
“The reference point or baseline was the new infections recorded in 2010. The GPC Ministerial Review Meeting’s conclusion was summarized in two words – off track,” she said.
She expressed optimism that the training would equip participants with the necessary skills and tools to provide comprehensive quality HIV services at all correctional facilities in the country.
“It is important that we scale up HIV testing services within correctional facilities and strengthen the integration of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and HIV services at all facilities,” she said.
Commissioner Ottilie Kovalola, the Head of the Health Care Directorate in the NCS, also welcomed the competency-based training.
“We cannot treat HIV if we have not diagnosed people. We cannot diagnose properly if we do not have appropriate knowledge and skills.
We cannot test anyone if we do not have knowledge on counseling before and after testing. This training will enable us to assist those of our offenders who need treatment to access treatment and be properly managed before being linked to outside health facilities,” she said in remarks made on her behalf by Deputy Commissioner Tony Lubindi, aSenior Medical Officer in NCS.
-Moses Magadza is the Communications Officer for the Pretoria-basedUNODC Regional Office for Southern Africa.
Patients lie on the floor as a result of overcrowding at Karanda Mission Hospital
BY PHYLIS MBANJE
IT is barely 10 o’clock in the morning, but the sweltering heat is unforgiving and scores of patients from all over the country sit huddled on wooden benches while others are sprawled on the pavement around the entrance of the outpatients department at Karanda Mission Hospital, Mt Darwin.
A pregnant young nurse aide, dressed in pink, calmly attends to each patient, but clearly, she is overwhelmed because more patients keep walking through the gate a few metres away. It gets worse when a Kurai bus from Harare docks by the gate and more patients flock into the hospital to join the long, meandering queue.
The bus is literally emptied of passengers, who have all come in desperation to seek medical care, which has been elusive in public hospitals across the country following the doctors’ strike that began two months ago.
An elderly man with a dangling urine bag peeping from the hem of his worn out trousers walks with determination and shrugs off a helping hand from his aide, who has accompanied him from Harare. It looks bloody, but the man is unperturbed and his face lights up as he approaches the nurse aide.
A heavily pregnant woman waddles along carrying her oversized bag. She is alone. The bus fare (about $70) proved too much for relatives to accompany her.
Kurai is the only bus that has not yet hiked its fare for the 200km trip from Harare.
NewsDay Weekender had earlier trailed the speeding bus, whose driver was more concerned with honking his horn than paying attention to the sharp curves and the many dips on the road.
Back at the 150-bed mission hospital, the smell of sickness, blood, wounds and disease hangs thick, but no one seems to mind. They are only too happy that at last they are at a place of hope and pin their hopes on the dedicated staff to heal them and restore their health.
For such a crowd, there is a surprising quietness and serenity as each individual awaits their turn to be served. Many have come from faraway places like Gokwe, Rusape, Gwanda, Kwekwe and even Beitbridge.
Besides an occasional cough and hushed whispers, it remains peaceful.
For the past few weeks, this has been the situation at this lovely establishment, which is known for its quality service and dedicated staff. It is one of the last few oasis of hope in the madness that prevails in most public hospitals, which have literally ground to a halt in terms of operations.
Taison Hloko (60) from Muzarabani cuts a lone figure as he sits by a concrete bench. He is waiting for the visiting hour, so that he can see his wife, who is admitted at the hospital.
“My wife was involved in an accident with a scotch cart and fractured her pelvic bone in September. Ideally, we would have taken her to Harare, but the situation there was pathetic. There were no doctors,” he recalls the painful experience.
Desperate to save his wife’s life, Hloko braved the long draining trip to Karanda — an Evangelical Alliance Mission-run hospital which boasts of treating over 100 000 patients and performing about 3 500 surgeries annually.
“The journey was too painful for her, but we both had to be brave because we knew this place was her only chance,” he said.
Since then, Hloko has been hanging around the hospital, sleeping in the open at the verandas of nearby shops.
“We sleep on the verandas of the shops and during the day we just walk about waiting for the visiting hours. It has been very difficult for us, but there is no other place I would rather be,” he said with resignation.
Hloko is upbeat that soon, his wife will be discharged and they can go home, but he makes a plea to the doctors.
“Please come back to work. We need you. This is no way to live. People are struggling,” he said.
But the reality of the situation across the country’s hospitals is reflected in the wards at Karanda, which are literally swarming with patients.
In the male wards, all the beds are occupied as well as the floor.
The scene is shocking as well as sad. Grown men, mostly shirtless because of the suffocating heat, crouch on their beds surrounded by relatives, who have come to visit. Oblivious of their surroundings, they chat happily and are eager to hear news from home.
Despite being overcrowded, the patients are well taken care of. The ever-polite staff is always on hand, ready to assist, but the workload is evidently taking a toll on them.
After every few minutes, another stretcher bed is wheeled in with another patient from the surgery. There are many of these apparently. Some patients lie on these stretcher beds in the passage as they wait to be admitted.
“I had to sleep under my husband’s bed after his surgery, because he needed assistance. It was only a bit uncomfortable at first to be in a room full of men, but when I realised that we just wanted the same thing I relaxed,” Jane Magoso said.
But she feels he was discharged prematurely.
“I do not fault the service here; it is excellent, but because there are too many people coming every day, they are running out of space and so at times they discharge quickly. We sort of understand because others also need help,” she said.
SOMETIME late last year, mourners attending a funeral at St Peter’s in Bulawayo’s Pumula suburb were astonished after realising that they had been fed donkey meat disguised as game meat.
It was later discovered that the meat was from a stolen donkey after some of the people who had consumed the meat reported stomach aches.
In Zimbabwe, donkeys have not been known to be part of the local diet but more for providing draught power in rural communities.
It is against this backdrop that a local businessman’s attempts to open an abattoir for the slaughter of donkeys early this year caused a stir in Bulawayo.
The businessman, Gareth Lumsden, had first announced in October 2017 that he had established a US$150 000 donkey abattoir in the City of Kings, courting the ire of animal welfare organisations.
A Harare butcher, who spoke to NewsDay Weekender this week, indicated that the sale of donkey meat was risky business.
Shadreck Matsetu, who runs three butcheries in Budiriro, said it was unlikely that he could consider selling donkey meat — even in the event that it is given green light — because he did not believe that donkey meat was edible and that it would find takers among his customers.
“I think it’s safer to stick to what we have been selling all along. I’ve done fairly well with beef, pork and chicken — and sometimes goat meat — but to think that I can sell donkey meat, I don’t know,” he said with a shrug.
“But I don’t think it’s something I can consider. Perhaps it’s traditional. From the time we were growing up, we never thought there could be a time in future when people would eat donkey meat.”
In 2017, when stories about the possibilities of taking donkeys to the slaughter in the country started circulating, the then Agriculture deputy minister (Livestock), Paddy Zhanda, said while he was not sure if the campaign would succeed, there was concern over the low donkey population in Zimbabwe.
“I’m not sure how the business will go because it takes longer for a donkey to grow as compared to other forms of livestock,” he said.
“Countries with a huge population of donkeys are Botswana and Namibia. In actual fact, in Namibia donkeys are left to roam in the wild. We will get to know (more) of the abattoir when it’s complete as we are the ones that will inspect it.”
The organisations that campaigned against Lumsden’s plans argued that his proposed slaughter rate of 70 donkeys a day would wipe out the country’s national donkey herd — estimated at
175 000 — in just five years.
The Department of Veterinary Services, which administers abattoir inspections and certification under the Veterinary Public Health Act and issues livestock transit and slaughter permits, indicated that no such licence was processed for a donkey abattoir in the country.
The department’s director, Josphat Nyika, issued a circular dated October 9, 2017, in which he ruled out the possibility of a donkey abattoir being licensed in the country.
“I am sure you are all aware of the anxiety, acrimony, havoc and mayhem that have been generated among the Zimbabwean public by the construction of a donkey abattoir in Bulawayo,” he said.
“You are hereby advised that the said abattoir, or any for that matter, will not be registered to operate in Zimbabwe, and that no donkey will ever be slaughtered at any abattoir.”
Traditionally donkeys have only been known as beasts of burden rather than a delicacy, although in other countries such as China, the meat is a prized protein source often served in burgers.
Research done by senior veterinarian Erick Mutizhe to evaluate stakeholder perceptions on donkey skin trade, unearthed some sticking points in the donkey meat processing business.
Mutizhe observed that the consumption of donkey meat was considered a taboo.
He said some of the donkey owners indicated unwillingness to part with their stock as that would deplete their labour source and the mules were central to their families’ livelihoods.
“The majority of donkey owners expressed willingness to sell donkeys to donkey skin markets if they exceeded the maximum number of donkeys they needed at their households,” he said.
Mutizhe concluded that donkey skin trade was risky and it was important to carry out thorough assessment to ensure that the country would not embark on a trade that may dispossess families of livelihoods emanating from donkey ownership.
International animal welfare charities The Donkey Sanctuary and Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (Spana) last year applauded government’s strong legal position against the emerging donkey meat and hide trade.
Following a one-day conference on donkey trade held in Bulawayo last year, the organisation said Lumsden’s Battlefront Investments, a meat value chain operator in a joint venture with some Chinese partners, intended to satisfy the demand for donkey skins for the production of ejiao, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Spana Zimbabwe country director Keith Dutlow told the media that donkeys played a vital role in catering for the daily livelihoods for rural communities.
“Our aim is to prevent the devastation caused by this horrific trade, which is destroying rural communities, undermining communities and leading to the brutal slaughter of a vast number of animals throughout Africa,” he said.
According to Mutizhe, the demand for donkey skins in the production of traditional Chinese medicines has resulted in donkeys being sourced from all over the world.
The demand for donkey meat saw a spike in livestock theft as equine creatures were targeted for slaughter and sale. Last year, Umguza district became a flash point with suspected livestock rustlers invading the district to steal cattle and donkeys.
Newly-resettled villagers in Maraposa, Redwood, Stella and Makondo were the main targets.
Richard Matshona, a villager from Redwood, popularly known as Mathonisa resettlement area, told NewsDay Weekender at the time that livestock rustlers were ransacking their area. They stole two cattle from one homestead and slaughtered them along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway, just a few metres from the homestead.
The incident happened shortly after the arrest of a suspected donkey-meat seller who had allegedly stolen the beast, slaughtered it and sold the meat to unsuspecting residents.
In his research, Mutizhe observed that “there were possibilities of donkey welfare violations, increased donkey thefts, potential decimation of donkey numbers and reduction in the quality of livelihoods of rural people”, if the animal’s skin trade was given the green light.
He recommended that there be education for donkey owners, advocacy for legislation on their skin trade and their inclusion in national animal health programmes.
Animal rights and welfare activists contend that the world’s donkey population is likely to be decimated as millions of the beasts are slaughtered every year for their skins, according to a report by the United Kingdom-based welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary.
The practice is more widespread in South America and Asia where millions of donkeys are killed, pregnant mares, foals and sick animals stolen, transported and killed.
According to The Donkey Sanctuary’s report, Under the Skin Update, there is a high risk of anthrax and equine flu infection in the trade of donkeys, which are central to the livelihoods of 500 million people across the globe.
Donkey populations in China have reportedly collapsed by 76% since 1992. Since 2007 donkey populations have declined by 28% in Brazil, by 37% in Botswana and by 53% in Kyrgyzstan.
Africa has not been spared, with the commercial trade of donkeys rife in Kenya and Ghana.
More than 60 000 donkeys died in West Africa this year along live skin trade routes, which the World Organisation for Animal Health had said are almost certainly linked to the
trade.
These deaths demonstrate the potentially high risk of contagious diseases being spread as a result of the skin trade. Donkey skins from this area are being exported untreated direct to China.
CALEDONIA Mining Corporation (Caledonia) has started equipping its US$44 million central shaft meant to ramp up production to about 80 000 ounces annually and the exercise is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter next year.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
In its management’s discussion and analysis of the consolidated operating results and financial position for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, the mining group said the shaft-sinking project, completed in July this year, was now undergoing equipping phase prior to commissioning in the fourth quarter next year.
Production from Blanket Mine was expected to progressively increase to the target of 80 000 ounces of gold per year from 2022 onwards.
“As announced on July 24, 2019, the central shaft has reached its target depth of 1 204 metres, which means that the shaft sinking phase of the project has been completed. Work has commenced on equipping the shaft, but was severely affected by the sustained power outages experienced in July and early August and in October,” the company said.
“It is expected that equipping will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2020, after which production from central shaft can commence. Production in 2021 is expected to be approximately 75 000 ounces, increasing to the target rate of 80 000 ounces in 2022,” it said.
The mining company, which owns 49% interest in Gwanda-based Blanket Mine, said completion of the shaft-sinking phase at central shaft was a significant milestone and substantially de-risks the remainder of the project.
Caledonia said its board and management believed the successful completion of the central shaft was in the best interests of all stakeholders because “it is expected to result in increased production, reduced operating costs and increased flexibility to undertake further exploration and development, thereby safeguarding and enhancing Blanket’s long-term future.”
“Caledonia continues to evaluate further investment opportunities in Zimbabwe that would not fall under Blanket’s ownership,” it said.
In the three months to September this year, gold output at the mine dipped 2,4% year-on-year to 13 646 ounces, held back by lower mining rates.
But gold production was up 7,3% quarter-on-quarter.
Caledonia is an exploration, development and mining corporation focused on Zimbabwe. Following the implementation of indigenisation at the Blanket Mine in September 2012, its primary asset is a 49% legal ownership in Blanket, an operating gold mine in Zimbabwe.
Pursuant to the signing of an agreement announced on November 6, 2018, Caledonia intended to purchase a further 15% of Blanket from one of the mine’s indigenous shareholders.
The transaction remains subject to approval of various Zimbabwean regulatory authorities.
INDIGENOUS-owned Pan-African ICT solutions provider, Axis Solutions Africa, yesterday launched a new fiscal solution geared towards ensuring revenue maximisation in line with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra)’s drive for fiscalisation.
BY FIDELITY MHLANGA
Axis Solutions Africa group chief technologist Brian Mukudzavu told delegates the solution, aptly dubbed RevMax (short for Revenue Maximisation) was expected to improve efficiencies for companies which have suffered a lot of downtime using the traditional fiscal devices.
The device adapts to multiple form factors, from handheld mobile devices, laptops and desktops used in both receipting and invoicing environments.
“Developed internally by the company, the portable RevMax is 90% software and 10% hardware. RevMax processes 30 000 invoices in an hour, at an average of 500 invoices per minute. With RevMax the speeds are higher than any fiscal solution in the country,”Mukudzavu said.
Zimra has been sweating over the fiscalisation of companies after it emerged that some entities had not connected the recording of their taxable transactions on the fiscal devices, thereby prejudicing the tax collector.
Fiscalisation refers to the use of fiscal devices to record taxable transactions on the read-only fiscal memory at the time of sale for value added tax purposes.
According to Zimra, with effect from October 1, 2011 in terms of Statutory Instrument (S1) 104 of 2010 as amended by SI 99 which was gazetted on August 1 2011, all eligible registered operators were required to commence recording of transactions using fiscalised devices.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (Icaz) has disclosed the most-awaited set of guidelines for implementing financial reporting in hyperinflation reporting (IAS 29) in which companies are now expected to refer to implied annual inflation rate as well as the prevailing exchange rate when preparing financial statements.
BY FIDELITY MHLANGA
The year-on-year consumer price index (CPI) indices will be used to calculate the inflation adjusting factor, which is then applied to the historical figures to arrive at the inflation adjusted numbers.
Icaz has resolved to resort to this formula after Treasury suspended the publication of inflation figures, putting accountants in a quandary.
Companies had deferred publicising results waiting for the guidelines.
This comes after the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB) communicated that the characteristics of the Zimbabwe economy were ripe to apply IAS 29.
One such characteristic outlined through this standard is when the general population regards monetary amounts not in terms of the local currency, but in terms of a relatively stable foreign currency.
Also prices may be quoted in that currency — a scenario prevailing in the Zimbabwean economy.
Icaz said hyperinflation reporting required that non-monetary assets and liabilities, shareholders’ equity and comprehensive income be restated in terms of a measuring unit obtaining at the end of the reporting period, as such companies are, therefore, advised to device the CPI.
“The year-on-year CPI indices are used to calculate the inflation adjusting factor which is then applied to the historical figures to arrive at the inflation adjusted numbers. The Zimbabwe National Statistical Office (ZimStat) is the official source of all national statistics including inflation figures and the CPI indices for the application of restatement of figures. Preparers are advised to refer to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) website for the ZimStat CPI indices or directly request the same from ZimStat,” Icaz said in a statement.
While ZimStat has suspended the publishing of annual inflation figures, economists have been using month-on-month statistics to calculate year-on-year inflation rate. As of October, annual inflation was put at 440%.
IAS 29 states that in a hyperinflationary economy, reporting of operating results and financial position in the local currency without restatement is not useful.
It also takes into account that money loses purchasing power at such a rate that comparison of amounts from transactions and other events that have occurred at different times, even within the same accounting period, will be misleading.
In accordance with IAS 29, the financial statements of an entity whose functional currency is the currency of a hyperinflationary economy, whether they are based on a historical cost approach or a current cost approach, shall be stated in terms of the measuring unit current at the end of the reporting period.
On monetary and non-monetary items, Icaz said preparers should restate all statements of financial position amounts that are not expressed in terms of the measuring unit current at the date of the statement of financial position.
“Monetary items do not need to be restated as they are already expressed in current purchasing power at the reporting date (IAS 29 par12). Non-monetary items should be restated with the exception of those measured at net realisable value or fair value,” Icaz said.
On comparatives, the prior year comparatives for both monetary and non-monetary items are supposed to be restated in terms of the measuring unit current at the end of the latest reporting period.
The opening balances will have to be restated by applying the appropriate adjusting factor(s) based on CPI index at the reporting date.
Pertaining to the gain or loss on net monetary position, Icaz said it can be calculated as the difference between the historical cost amounts and the result from the restatement of non-monetary items, shareholders’ equity, items in the statement of comprehensive income and the adjustment of index-linked items to year end purchasing power.
Icaz said the statement of cashflows shall be compiled from the restated figures and there are two specific features of the cashflow statement to be considered are: net income before tax is adjusted for the monetary gain or loss for the period; and the monetary gain or loss on cash and cash equivalents is presented separately.
Furthermore, companies must ensure that non-monetary items excluding shareholders’ equity are restated in terms of the measuring unit current at the end of the reporting period.
“An entity should use the increase in the general price index from the transaction date when they were first recognised to the end of the reporting period. (IAS 29 par 29). No restatement is required for non-monetary assets and liabilities carried at amounts current at the end of the reporting period, such as net realisable value or fair value,” the new regulations state.
For the purpose of presenting comparative amounts in a different presentation currency, IAS 21 — The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates, apply and balances should be translated at the closing exchange rate in accordance with IAS 21:42(b) and IAS 21:43.
On group reporting, the financial statements of a parent company that also reports in the currencies of hyper-inflationary economies are restated by applying the CPI index of the country in whose currency it reports before they are included in the consolidated financial statements issued by the parent company. The restated financial statements of foreign subsidiaries are translated at closing rates.
The institute said some non-monetary items are carried at historical cost or historical cost less accumulated depreciation, so they are expressed at amounts current at the date of acquisition.
“The restated cost, or restated cost less restated accumulated depreciation, of each item is determined by applying the change in a general price index from the date of acquisition to the end of the reporting period to the item’s historical cost and accumulated depreciation,” it said.
“Property, plant and equipment (that is carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation), inventories of raw materials and merchandise, goodwill, patents, trademarks and similar assets are therefore restated from the dates of their purchase. Partly finished and finished goods included in inventory are restated from the dates on which the costs of purchase and of conversion were incurred.”
