BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

THE International Labour Organisation (ILO) says poverty was now endemic in Zimbabwe, with 65% of adults earning US$100 or less per month.

Addressing delegates attending an ILO workshop to co-create design of workspace for informal economy traders in Bulawayo yesterday, ILO country director Hopolang Phororo said in Africa, the levels of informality were quite high, with Zimbabwe being one of the countries with the highest level of informality.

According to the 2014 Labour Force Survey, 94% of Zimbabweans are employed in the informal economy.

“Those working in the informal economy have limited access to social and labour protection, finance and property and have low returns on their labour,” she said.

“The high levels of informality is a major factor behind these weak social and economic outcomes. Working poverty remains a reality in Zimbabwe’s informal economy with 65% of adults earning US$100 or less per month (including 7% reporting earning ‘no income’),” Phororo said.

The 2012 FinScope survey found that 5,7 million people were working in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), but of these, two million were business owners operating as individual self-employed entrepreneurs, meaning that 22% were unpaid or contributing family workers, of which the majority were female.

Globally, more than six workers among 10 and four enterprises among five operate in the informal economy.

“Contrary to the old forecasts, informality has not diminished over time and is still increasing in many countries. Informal economies are typically characterised by a high incidence of poverty and severe decent work deficits,” she said.

Speaking at the same event, Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development director Francis Gondo said high levels of informality was a major driver of the weak social and economic outcomes.

“Most notably, poverty remains persistent with 65% of the population living under the total consumption poverty line and 16% being extremely poor.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary Simon Masanga said government was prepared to improve the impetus for the ascendance of the informal economy through a series of policies.

These will include reduction of regulatory bottlenecks, creating fiscal space for operations and offering technical support to indigenous business development to ensure productivity enhancement.

Editorial Comment

By Monday morning there was chaos in the Warriors camp that emanated from the Premier Soccer League’s ill-advised and shocking decision to force through a full programme between today and tomorrow as well as another round of matches on Saturday and Sunday.

It wasn’t clear when or if Warriors coach Joey Antipas would be available for the national team considering that his team Chicken Inn were adamant they would only release their coach after today’s league match against Mushowani Stars.

One can easily understand Chicken Inn’s position and thinking. They are well engrossed in a tight title race and can ill-afford to drop any points at any stage until the end of the season and, therefore, need their chief tactician every step of the way.

Highlanders were also holding on to their prized possession — Prince Dube who has been their main source of goals.

Bosso are not yet out of danger in terms of the relegation matrix. They felt they needed their talisman in the match against Ngezi which will be played today.

The Bulawayo giants had suggested that they hold on to Dube until Thursday morning, a day before the Warriors host Botswana in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

There was also uncertainty over Warriors assistant coach Lloyd Chitembwe’s availability
considering too that his relegation-haunted side has two important matches between Wednesday and Sunday. All the confusion and unnecessary chaos was caused by a decision at the PSL offices to squeeze in two rounds of matches during a Fifa international break.

This international break did not suddenly arrive. These dates were reserved for international matches well before PSL even drew up the 2019 fixtures.

Why then should the PSL sit down and decide to congest an international week where the Warriors will play two important qualifiers with two rounds of matches? Doesn’t this reek of sabotage?

Why should the national team risk getting compromised by a set of matches that could have been played earlier or could still be rescheduled on another date? We feel the PSL is trying to pick up unnecessary fights with Zifa. The world over, domestic leagues have been put on ice to accommodate the national team.

We know the PSL are running behind schedule, but that is not Zifa or the Warriors’ problem. The PSL programme entertains us week-in and week-out. Football fans are enjoying the enthralling entertainment that is being provided both by the relegation fight and the tussle for the title.

But when it’s an international break and when the Warriors have such important engagements, let’s give them the room to prepare well.

These power struggles between the PSL and Zifa should not manifest in such important occasions and risk the Warriors’ success.

Guest Column: Paidamoyo Muzulu

MONDAY, November 11, marked the 54th anniversary of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) by then Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith, a move that severed the white colony from the British empire and earned it United Nations economic sanctions for 13 years. However, these were the economic boon years of Rhodesia despite a raging bush war.

Smith was a racist, Rhodesian nationalist who was by any shade a capitalist and knew where he wanted to get the country to, albeit for the benefit of the small white population. It is not my intention to celebrate racism or colonialism, but to highlight the economic miracle he performed and see if that can be replicated today with some modifications to benefit the majority black population.

The UDI was anchored on the pedestals of respect for private property, efficient public service, lean and efficient government, mixed free market economics and welfarist State, relevant technical education, semi-autonomous local authorities, a national bourgeoisie and a technically competent Cabinet. Rhodesia, after 70 years of toying around with the idea that mining could be the backbone of the economy, realised the folly and shifted to agriculture and manufacturing. The idea of making agriculture the mainstay of the economy was legislatively supported by the creation of the Agriculture Marketing Authority, State funding through the Agriculture Finance Corporation (now Agribank), freehold tenure on agricultural land and stiff sentences for people who committed stocktheft or vandalised agricultural equipment. This is in contrast to the current regime that has made agricultural land dead capital and 20 years later after land reform, resettled farmers still do not have title and cannot borrow against the land from commercial banks and other lenders.

Smith’s competent Cabinet created both backward and forward linkages in the agriculture sector.
The farmers created Consolidated Farmers Investment (CFI) that had investment in agriculture input distribution through Farmers Co-op. They had stakes in fertiliser manufacturing such as Zimbabwe Fertiliser Company and Windmill. This was a fire-proof farming eco-system that in advance would know how much fertiliser was needed for each particular farming season.

The public services were efficient; it was the nerve centre of planning. All figures about population, production, imports and exports were up to date. Having ready statistics may seem like a small feat, but this was made possible through a web of centres where data was captured.

Agriculture extension officers collated all data on production, number of farmers, crops planted and expected yield. In urban areas, the town superintendents had the populations of residents updated. Schools and health centres also played an active role in supplying numbers about children in school and diseases that were common in a particular area.

State-owned enterprises became the backbone of the economy. State entities were efficient and had a monopoly in the transport sector, telecommunications, energy, roads, water, beef production (CSC) and grain purchase through the Grain Marketing Board, among other sectors.

Rhodesian business moguls from farming such as Smith himself with his pedigree cattle and the Nicoles in agriculture, Meikles in hotel and retail services, John Sisk in construction, David Whitehead in the textile sector and Tiny Rowland with his conglomerate LonRho were all based in Rhodesia. They were never absent or became visiting businessman from other bases in foreign lands.

Rhodesia established technical colleges and a university to complement its developmental efforts.

The colleges offered technical training such as artisans, boilermakers, motor mechanics, refrigeration, accounting diplomas, building, plumbing, welding, fitter and turning and mining engineering, among others. These skills were relevant for agriculture, mining and the manufacturing sectors.

The trend has changed with the government now busy churning out university graduates from a dozen State universities with no technical skills and barely employable.

Local authorities were engine rooms of development as they planned and developed industrial areas depending on their competitive advantages. Each local authority ploughed back taxes raised to develop its own roads, water and sewer reticulation and building of local public institutions like clinics, schools and playgrounds. Poor suburbs were subsidised by their rich counterparts and these cross-subsidies ensured the poor high-density suburbs had good services. Accommodation and transport were heavily subsidised, with nearly every working adult having a roof over their head from the rented council housing stock.

Like Chinua Achebe says, we have to know where the rain started beating us. It seems we lost the way in the euphoria of independence. We trashed every other system that was in place and a warped thinking set in that governments never get broke, they would simply print more money. Every Zimbabwean with the assistance of the government rhetoric started aiming high and wanted to have that prestigious university degree, even if it equipped one with no skills relevant to the country’s economy.

For the political leaders, having concentrated power became an obsession. Everything in public service and planning was centralised. Harare became everything. The Cabinet started expanding, positions being created and doled out for political patronage, State-owned enterprises and local authorities becoming the easy job centres for party youths and other cronies.

Zimbabwe is at a crucial moment to answer the Lenin question: What has to be done now? Cabinet should be lean and efficient and provide leadership. Local authorities should regain their power and land value should be unlocked. Black businessmen and women should not run things by remote control, they should be where their money is, showing confidence in the economy. Last but not least, the education curricula should be revamped and start churning out artisans. May the real nationalistic Zimbabweans raise their hands, stand up and be counted.

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

By Rex Mphisa

SIX people aboard a Toyota Quantum minibus were yesterday crashed to death in a head-on collision with a haulage truck at Sosonye River bridge along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.

Only the driver of the truck survived the horrific crash, a kilometre from the Mwenezi River bridge.

Mwenezi civil protection chairperson Rosemary Chingwe said all six occupants of the minibus died on the spot.

“We only know the side (of the story) of the surviving (truck) driver at the moment and it is difficult to explain the cause of the accident,” Chingwe said.

“No one in the smaller car survived,” Chingwe, who is also the district development co-ordinator (formerly district administrator), said.

People who passed through the scene of the accident on their way to Beitbridge, said the mangled remains of the minibus were still trapped under the truck.

“It appears the smaller vehicle rammed into the front of the heavy haulage truck, which dragged it the whole length of the bridge before knocking off a pillar at the end and falling onto the riverbank,” a motorist said.

Efforts to get a comment from Masvingo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula were fruitless as her phone went unanswered.

Bodies of the deceased were taken to Neshuro District Hospital.

Accidents on the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, even up to Harare, are a common occurrence blamed on the poor state of the road.

Government has shelved dualisation of the road, citing foreign currency shortages.

Instead the government is upgrading the road and five contractors are on the ground.

The road will be widened to 12,5 metres from Beitbridge to Harare at a cost of $600 million, translating to slightly above a million dollars per kilometre.

Local contractors have been engaged in a move expected to save foreign currency and create employment.

BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE

BULAWAYO city fathers have advised ratepayers to engage private plumbers to attend to leaking and burst pipes because the local authority is battling manpower shortages.

This came to light yesterday during a water crisis meeting held at the Small City Hall, where residents hit out at council for failing to timely attend to leaking pipes, among other problems.

“We encourage community-based workers to engage private local plumbers to repair leaking pipes to save water,” said council engineering director Simela Dube, who pleaded incapacitation on the part of the council.

After the introduction of a 72-hour water-rationing regime, there has been an upsurge in burst pipes, blamed on ageing reticulation infrastructure.

According to council, as much as 90 water leak faults were received daily by the local authority.

Residents at the meeting were adamant that council had poor rapid response mechanisms to attend to water leaks, claiming for example BCC’s faults telephone numbers were always engaged.

Dube denied the charges before claiming that council was planning to launch an application that could make reporting water leaks easy for residents.

Residents advised council to adopt water conservation strategies in the face of dwindling levels at supply dams — and to embark on water harvesting projects and recycling of waste water.

BCC recently introduced a 72-hour water-rationing schedule after Upper Ncema Dam was decommissioned in July 2019, leaving the city with five out of six supply dams.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

SOUTH Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has waived immigration requirements for unabridged birth certificates, affidavits and other supporting documents for foreign children to enter that country.

Zimbabweans, among other nationals, travelling to that country with children, were being turned back at ports of entry for not having unabridged birth certificates and affidavits authorising them to travel with the minors.

The requirements first came into force in 2015.

The South African immigration requirement for an unabridged birth certificate, which names the child’s mother and father, or the equivalent thereof from their country of origin was said to be a means to curb child trafficking across the neighbouring countries’ borders.

However, Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi, in a statement said the requirement had been waived by his ministry.

“This improvement in our admissions policy builds on the work the department has been doing to contribute to economic growth and investment.

“As of Friday, November 8, 2019, foreign children can enter and depart the country without being required to provide birth certificates, consent letters, and other supporting documents relating to proof of parentage,” Motsoaledi said.

“It is significant that we have completed the policy changes in the week in which President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the second investment conference. We anticipate that this change will have a positive impact on tourism as we approach the holiday season.”

The requirement for birth certificates and affidavits was introduced at a time the neighbouring country was introducing a raft of strict measures to regulate the number of foreigners in that country.

Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals, who overstay in South Africa, are now banned for a period ranging from one to five years to enter the neighbouring country.

Over-stayers were all along allowed to re-enter South Africa and apply for permits and visas after being made to pay fines for the offence.

First-time and second-time offenders, who overstay for less than 30 days are banned for one and two years, respectively, while those that overstay for a period exceeding 30 days are banned for five years.

By Miriam Mangwaya

TWO war veterans in Chivhu were recently suspended from their association on allegations of selling State land without following procedure, resulting in fights among land seekers.

Justice Munhapa, who was the secretary for lands in the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association’s Chikomba district, and John Chinakidzwa, who heads the association’s administration, were suspended following an executive meeting held on October 22, which they snubbed.

Chikomba district war veterans association chairperson Joachim Chivandire could not confirm the development as he repeatedly said he was attending meetings.

But according to documents seen by NewsDay, Munhapa and Chinakidzwa have since been served with suspension letters pending investigations.

“The executive committee has resolved to suspend you with immediate effect on allegations of corruptly issuing, signing recommendation letters and allocating land without the authority of the executive committee and not following correct procedures,” the letters read.

The allegations also include misconduct and bringing the war veterans association’s name into disrepute.

Munhapa confirmed that he was on suspension, but refuted the allegations saying he had the necessary documents to exonerate himself.

Chinakidzwa could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was not reachable.

Last year at the Chivhu Magistrates Courts, a local white farmer, Craig Kenneth Campbell, was granted a peace order against Munhapa, whom he accused of harassing him in an attempt to grab Constantia Estate Farm from him.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Two MDC activists in Mashonaland East died in a road accident on Sunday night when their vehicle collided head-on with another near Ruwa while on their way from Harare, where they had gone for a rally.

Paul Chikuni (34), a Marondera ward 1 branch chairman, died on the spot while Admire Takawira, who was driving the Honda Fit vehicle they were travelling in, was pronounced dead on arrival at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. Another party supporter, who was in the vehicle, Moreblessing Maradza, escaped with minor injuries.

Marondera Central legislator Caston Matewu (MDC) said the trio had gone to Harare to attend the rally which was banned by the police at the last minute.

Takawira, a former police officer, who was leading the opposition party’s security and intelligence portfolio in Marondera district, will be buried in Masvingo today while funeral arrangements for Chikuni are still in progress.

Chikuni had a pending case of obstructing course of justice before the courts after he and an MDC councillor, Charles Ngwena, allegedly barred three police officers from arresting a banana vendor.

The two allegedly told the police officers to arrest President Emmerson Mnangagwa for organising an anti-sanctions march on October 25.

MDC Marondera district secretary spokesperson, Farai Nyandoro, said the opposition party had lost dedicated cadres.

“We are saddened as a party because of the demise of our comrades who sacrificed their all for the attainment of a better Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The most worrying thing is that their vision had been cut short courtesy of our roads which are in bad state. We have also lost four members within a short space of time, but their death is going to make our resolve even stronger in our quest to see to it that the (Zanu PF) regime is removed.”