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.

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.