BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

INDEPENDENT election watchdog, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) has urged electoral stakeholders to support voter education campaigns in the face of an increasing trend of voter apathy in by-elections.

Zesn cited by-elections held on Saturday in Tsholotsho South ward 16 and 20 and in Hwedza that showed a marked decrease in the number of people that cast their vote in the polls compared to the 2018 harmonised elections. Zanu PF won the by-elections. A Zesn analysis of the by-elections shows that Hwedza registered 62% of the votes (947) cast against 86,01% (1 322) in the 2018 polls. In Tsholotsho’s ward 16, there was a drop from 79% of the votes (1 117) registered in 2018 against 55% (777) on Saturday.

In Tsholotsho’s ward 20, there was a 60% (441 votes cast) voter turnout. Zanu PF won the seat uncontested in 2018.

“The turnout in the by-elections is indicative of apathy that has become characteristic of by-elections in Zimbabwe. Nevertheless Zesn commends the political contestants, their parties and supporters for engaging in peaceful campaigns during the by-election,” Zesn said in its report.

“Based on its observations, Zesn proffers the following recommendations: Civil society organisations should continue supporting civic and voter education initiatives, emphasising the importance of voting in by-elections and the correct identification documents that are required on polling day. Political parties should do more to encourage the participation of women as electoral candidates.”

According to Section 67 of the Constitution, “every Zimbabwean has the right to vote”, but Zesn notes that there is a low uptake particularly among the youth in exercising this constitutional right. This is more prevalent in by-elections.

Zesn argues that voter apathy dilutes the value of democracy, noting that the trend has been ongoing from as far back as the 1980s as noted in its report on the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections.

BY PRECIOUS CHIDA

THE sixth edition of the Harare International Literature Festival (Litfest) is set to run from November 27 to 30 at Theatre in the Park in Harare under the theme Nature and Words — Only One World.

Founded by renowned poet and author Chirikure Chirikure, the literature fete seeks to explore the environment and earth through creative writing.

Litfest spokesperson Kudzanai Thondlana told NewsDay Life & Style yesterday that the focus this year was to provide a deepened understanding and appreciation of the interconnectedness of literature and the future of the world.

“In current times when nature is becoming increasingly volatile and unpredictable, it is imperative to recognise how words in their many forms are shaping our everyday lives and the history of the earth,” he said.

“Literature facilitates the chronicling of existing complex relationships between man and nature. From the scientific to the creative perspectives we can build factual and emotional narratives which should question human behaviour and, how it fits within the narrative of the planet’s continued existence.”

Thondlana said the festival — which will have participants from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Zambia, Lesotho and Swaziland — will celebrate literature and creative arts, provide a platform for local academics and creatives to connect with their counterparts from around the world.

Participants this year include Jonathan Dransfield from the UK, Nkateko Masinga from South Africa, Thuthukani Ndhlovu, Word Smash Poetry team from Zambia, Ignatius Mabasa, Ethel Kabwato, Albert Nyathi, Kizito Muchemwa and Salachi Naidoo.

The fiesta will host activities including book launches, discussions, workshops, a poetry slam and performances with local musicians including Derek Mpofu, Chengeto Brown, Victor Kunonga, with Mbeu providing music.

Chirikure jointly runs the festival with Robson Isaac Shoes Lambada, Elizabeth Muchemwa, Rudo Chakanyuka and Robert Mutsindiri.

BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

ALPHA Media Holdings chairman Trevor Ncube has described author Doris Mufara’s debut publication — Dare: A Diary to My Grandchildren — as a treasure trove for children in which the author distilled her life experiences for the benefit of future generations.

Speaking at the book’s launch where he was the guest of honour last Saturday, Ncube said Mufara took a bold step in documenting experiences that exposed her vulnerability.

“I imagine that Doris first started writing in her journal, writing down her experiences and events after reflecting on them and then she recorded them in her book for the next generation,” he said.

“As she writes Dare, Doris sounds vulnerable, and thank you Doris for being vulnerable and sharing all the different experiences — difficult, painful and challenging,” he said.

Ncube said it was imperative for people to reflect on the wisdom that God has deposited in the world.

“There is a book in each of us. Let’s start with an admission of the journey we have travelled. Dare is, indeed, a treasure trove for our children,” he said.

Speaking at the same event, Mufara said the growing number of children living on the streets showed that there would be adults without the capacity to make a meaningful contribution to the country’s development in future.

She said statistics have shown that of the over two million orphans in the country, several thousands lived on the streets.

“The implications are that we, as a nation, are raising a generation of future adults without the emotional, mental, economic and cultural capacity to make a meaningful contribution towards building Zimbabwe,” she said.

The author highlighted that the book was written as a message of hope to the fatherless and the rejected to address the issues of identity.

The highlight of the launch was the panel discussion involving Mike Kalongonda of Zambuko House.

Adoptive parents Rita Sansole and Simba Pfupajena centred on the subject of homelessness and how ordinary people can provide a home for vulnerable children.

Yotamu and Sineti January from Oracles of God Church were also guest speakers at the launch.

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

DUBAI-BASED Zimbabwean wheelspinner Jethro Nyandoro, popularly known as DJ Jezz De Don Dada, yesterday said working with international artistes had become standard fare for him after being roped in to perform at the UB40 Live in Concert in Abu Dhabi alongside two other DJs from November 7 to 9.

At the height of their fame, UB40 sold 120 million records and recorded over 50 singles, achieving considerable international success.

Nyandoro, who is the co-founder of Reggae Festival, told NewsDay Life & Style that the experience was another notch on his profile.

“It’s just another one under the belt,” he said.

“I have worked with big international artistes in the past. So, this was another day on the job, creating a path to work with more European reggae artistes, both old and new.”

Nyandoro said his passion for music dated back to his early years until he got exposed to reggae in the 1990s.

“I was not a DJ, but just a music fan. Although it is a profitable business, passion and love for the clean and positive vibes draws me to the music,” he said.

The renowned DJ, who has worked with several international artistes including Mr Vegas, Wayne Wonder, Beenie Man, Kevin Lyttle, Kymany Marley, Dawn Penn, Busy Signal, Jah Cure and Junior Reid, said he believed in the power of music.

“I am a very conscious-minded individual who believes in the power of music to bring the best out of people,” he said.

The disc jockey said although he loved dancing from early childhood, he only started deejaying after moving to South Africa, but only became a household name after relocating to the United Arab Emirates.
Nyandoro said he felt Zimbabwe was once the hub of reggae music in Africa and would want to create an opportunity for the country’s reggae artistes to find international exposure.
“If I play at a show where Beres Hammond and Sanchez are singing, I would be glad to have Zimbabwean artistes there,” he
said.
“I also want to have General Degree and Wayne Wonder in Zimbabwe before I retire.”
The DJ said he facilitated a show for local chanter, Nutty O, in Abu Dhabi, where he played alongside the Wailers from Jamaica.
“My advice to upcoming DJs is they should be true to the craft and be able to find balance between substance and hype,” he said.

BY MISHMA CHAKANYUKA

NMBZ Holdings Limited (NMB) says it will delay publishing its third quarter interim financial results pending hyperinflationary reporting guidance from the Public Accountants and Auditor’s Board (PAAB).

This comes after the Institute of Chartered Accountants announced that it was set to unveil hyperinflation reporting (IAS29) application guidelines.

The reporting guidance, scheduled to be released this week will provide an index to use in inflation reporting, following the suspension of annual inflation figures publication by Treasury in August.

In a statement, NMB said the results were supposed to be published on or before November 15, 2019 and the group was granted an extension by the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange to issue them on or before the same date next month.

“Shareholders are advised that the group shall delay the publication of its third quarter, 2019 interim financial results as required by the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. The Public Accountants and Auditors Board of Zimbabwe issued a pronouncement on October 11, 2019 that all Zimbabwean entities with reporting periods ending on or after July 1, 2019 are required to apply hyperinflationary accounting,” NMB said.

In terms of the requirements of the International Accounting Standard 29, ‘Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies’, all entities reporting in the same hyperinflationary operating environment are encouraged to apply similar indices to produce the inflation-adjusted financial statements.

“Shareholders are accordingly advised to exercise due caution in dealing with their shares in the company before the publication of the 2019 third quarter results by December 15, 2019.”

The PAAB is expected to issue further guidance by Friday this week on the application of IAS 29 to ensure uniformity is achieved by all entities operating in the Zimbabwean environment.

Local companies are already warming up to the idea, with Simbisa Brands Limited stating in the full year results ended June 2019 that going forward it expects difficulties in complying with the accounting standard in the absence of annual inflation data.

The IAS 29 lists factors showing an economy that is hyperinflationary.

One of the pointers of hyperinflation is when cumulative inflation over a three-year period approaches, or is in excess of 100%.

A parent entity that reports in a hyperinflationary currency, which has subsidiaries that also report in the same currency, should restate the financial statements of those branches in accordance with IAS 29, as part of the merging process.

Where a subsidiary reports in the currency of a different hyperinflationary currency, then its financial statements should first be restated by applying a general price index of the country in which it reports.

The restated financial statements should then be converted at closing rates.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

NELSON Chamisa’s opposition MDC has dropped a key demand questioning the legitimacy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, paving the way for possible talks between the chief political rivals to resolve Zimbabwe’s political and economic crises.

The opposition party has refused to recognise Mnangagwa’s presidency since the disputed polls of July 31 last year, and accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) of poll theft.

Chamisa (pictured) has often referred to Mnangagwa as an illegitimate president.

But Mnangagwa has remained resolute that any talks must be predicated on the opposition
recognising his poll victory.

The issue became a stumbling block and scuppered numerous efforts to bring the two protagonists together.

However, when the MDC’s national executive council (Nec) met at the weekend, it released a statement that did not refer to the legitimacy of Mnangagwa and, instead, concentrated on electoral reforms only.

“The party reiterated its commitment to a sincere, honest and credible dialogue process,” the communiqué read.

“The dialogue must unlock the impediments that have stood in the way of a credible dialogue process, under a mutually agreed convener, which must focus on a comprehensive reform agenda to ensure the security and freedoms of citizens as well as ensuring a free, fair and credible election that must yield a people’s government.”

An insider said the party had realised that it would not get any traction if it kept pushing on the legitimacy issue and attempting to remove Mnangagwa from power through demonstrations, leading to a focus on electoral reforms.

“It’s now more than a year since Mnangagwa got into power through a sham election, according to us, but he holds the army, police and support of regional leaders,” the insider said.

“Demonstrations have been violently crushed and our people injured, so we are now focusing on ensuring that we win important electoral reforms than remove him before 2023 ends. The economy is most likely to achieve
that.”

But Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda yesterday claimed the party had won the legitimacy battle.

“We have won the legitimacy battle. Mnangagwa himself admits that he is illegitimate and talking to Polad is his cheap attempt to buy legitimacy. The economy speaks to his illegitimacy. Nobody wants to invest or deal with an illegitimate leader. Even South Africa can’t help Zimbabwe financially, so we have not backed down,” Sibanda said.

The MDC is focusing more on electoral reforms.

“The party’s continued participation (and poor showing) in by-elections has exposed the dire need for prudent electoral reforms. A compromised election management system, the murkiness around voting material, the abuse of traditional leaders and the use of food as a political weapon continues to be rampant in the countryside, justifying the need for genuine electoral reforms,” the resolution read.

The MDC will now table its own electoral Bill in Parliament, a few weeks after Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (Zesn) submitted a draft electoral Bill to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, pushing for comprehensive electoral reforms.

The Zesn Bill seeks to give more powers to Zec and wean it off the Justice ministry in an effort to make it more independent from political players.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

GOVERNMENT, which has been hyping about a huge surplus, is reportedly broke and has been forced to fire 286 doctors because it cannot afford to pay them what used to be their United States dollar salaries at the prevailing interbank rate.

Health minister Obadiah Moyo, speaking at a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, said through the Finance ministry, government had tried to show the striking doctors that their pockets were empty.

“The issue of dialoguing never stopped. As a ministry, we have been talking to the junior doctors.
We have been talking to the senior doctors. The other time, I had junior doctors who came to my office. We made each other see the reality that there is no money. We even invited personnel from the Ministry of Finance who explained to them in detail and they were left without any doubt that there was no money in government coffers,” Moyo said.

This comes after government announced that it had fired 286 doctors, with 95 others who are yet to appear before the Health Services Board still facing the guillotine.

“A total of 322 disciplinary cases have so far been heard and the 286 doctors who were found guilty have been discharged. A further 93 doctors from central hospitals and 55 from provincial hospitals will have their disciplinary hearings concluded by November 15 and 22, 2019, respectively. Government is still committed to dialogue,” a government brief on the bloodbath in the health sector read.

Moyo said there was no going back in dealing with government workers refusing to report for duty. Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said government was also seized with reports that Harare City Council nurses had also downed tools and there was also a drive to get them fired.

“The situation at the municipal clinics remains constrained, as only 35 out of the expected 104 nurses turned up for duty at the five polyclinics and one hospital,” she said.

“The nurses withdrew their labour over delayed salary payments and are refusing to resume duty even after receiving their salaries. The action by the nurses is illegal, and the employer has been advised to commence disciplinary processes on the striking nurses, in line with the country’s laws. As such, therefore, only those nurses reporting for duty will be paid while their conditions of service are being looked into.”

BY TAFADZWA MHLANGA

PPC Limited says it expects earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to decline by 15% to 20% for the six months ended September 30, 2019 due to the difficult trading environment in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“EBITDA before impairments, expected credit loss adjustments and the net monetary gain resulting from the application of hyper-inflation accounting on the PPC Zimbabwe, business is expected to decrease by between 15% and 20% compared to R1,039 billion for the period ended September 30,” the cement manufacturing company said.

“The main drivers for the decline in EBITDA are the impact of the hyper-inflationary environment in Zimbabwe, the difficult trading environment in South Africa and the once-off restructuring costs amounting to R85 million incurred during the period under review.”

The group expects basic earnings per share to decrease by at least 90% to 19 cents compared to 21 cents achieved in the same period last year.

Headline earnings per share are also estimated to decline by at least 65% to 14 cents compared to the 21 cents achieved in the previous comparable period.

During the four months ended July 30, 2019, PPC’s EBITDA declined by 10% to 15% and the EBITDA margins remained within the guided range of 30% to 35%.

In the rest of Africa, the group focused more on cash preservation and maximising on US$ EBITDA per tonne.

The group’s overall cement sales volumes in Zimbabwe contracted by between 25% and 30% owing to a weaker economic climate.

The devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar versus the United States dollar impacted on revenue, which declined by 30% to 35% in rand.

PPC Ltd is a leading supplier of cement, lime and related products in southern Africa.

PPC has 11 cement factories and a lime manufacturing facility in South Africa, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

WARRIORS coach Joey Antipas yesterday presided over the team’s first training session ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Botswana on Friday and was impressed by the quality that he has got in camp, but warned that the Zebras will pose a big challenge for Zimbabwe.

Antipas’ mind has been torn between focusing on the Warriors’ cause and his domestic topflight league club Chicken Inn’s league match against Mushowani.

Chicken Inn are chasing the league title and Antipas will travel with them to Bindura this afternoon to preside over their match before returning to rejoin camp.

What has been encouraging is that Antipas feels he has got good quality in camp and the group of players at his disposal have been warming up to his demands with ease.

Zimbabwe kickstart their Group H campaign with a match against Botswana at the National Sports Stadium on Friday before they take on Zambia in their next match on Tuesday away from home.

“It’s a great group with quality players. You don’t have to constantly break down training to give them instructions. It makes it easier for the coach and all you have to do is to implement your game plan,” Antipas said.

The Warriors gaffer has put together some of the best players that the countries has, despite a few pulling out due to injuries and other reasons.

But while he was purring at the quality that he is working with for the two important matches, he warned that Botswana, the lowest ranked in a pool that also contains Algeria, were not to be underrated as their current crop has played together for a long time.

“One thing we must never do is to underestimate them (Botswana). They are very difficult opponents. They have got a few foreign-based players but the core of their team has always been playing together for years. We have to get into the match and give hundred percent,” he added.

The coach, however, trained without England-based midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, skipper Knowledge Musona who plays his club football in Belgium as well as defender Teenage Hadebe who plies his trade in Turkey.

While Hadebe was expected to arrive last night, Nakamba and Musona are set to arrive tonight for the clash.

Antipas had planned to field Charlton Athletic striker Maccauley Bonne against Zambia which would have been his first competitive match after he secured his passport to become eligible to play for Zimbabwe. However, the forward announced he would not be able to feature for the Warriors on medical grounds.

Big defender Cliff Moyo who also plays in England but in the lower divisions could be given his first cap for the Warriors.

The Warriors are hoping to make it to the Cameroon finals where they expect to make up for this years’ disappointment after exiting the African Cup of Nations in Egypt in the group stages with only a point from the 1-1 draw against Uganda.

These will be the last two matches that Antipas will preside on before Zifa appoint a substantive coach, which they promised they would do in January.

Antipas wants to leave the job with the Warriors’ campaign in a healthy state and he will be targeting maximum points in the two matches.

BY SINDISO DUBE

COMEDY club Umahlekisa, in conjunction with Youth for Innovation Trust (YIT), will on Friday host local councillors in an event dubbed Creative Accountability-Leadership Roast at Nkulumane Hall, Bulawayo.

The first participants will be MDC Alliance councillors Silas Chagonda, Rodney Jele, Mlandu Ncube, Anorld Batirai and Nkulumane legislator Kucaca Phulu.

Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style, comedy club founder Ntando Moyo said the event was meant to bridge the gap between politicians and the electorate.

“We are doing it as part of our humour for social change initiative. We want to help bridge the gap between the electorate and public office bearers as well as to encourage shared accountability, while motivating leaders to deliver on promises they made during elections,” he said.

“It’s going to be in the form of a mix of comedians and councillors and a Member of Parliament taking turns to roast each other on matters affecting their constituencies, exposing weak points and applauding positives. It will be fun and factual, no-holds-barred, as a roast should be; only the language will be family friendly because we want everyone to have an opportunity to participate,” he said.

Moyo said they invited a number of politicians and got warm responses from those who will take part.

“This is more like a check and balance of the legislature as provided for in the Constitution and we want to show how comedy can be used to advance constitutional provisions and national growth,” he said.

The roast is one of the many activities Umahlekisa and YIT have partnered on this year. They are also doing #HerWednesday, an arts session where they host female artists and personalities every Wednesday. The guest gets to share their experiences and expertise. The last participant was songstress Mimie Tarukwana.