PRESIDENT of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande says Zimbabwe has struggled to deal with its problems and that sanctions were not solely to blame.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA

This comes as the Zimbabwe government has ramped up efforts to get the United States to remove its targeted sanctions on 144 individuals and companies which the former has blamed for the country’s deteriorating economic state.

Of those 144 targeted on sanctions 141 are listed in the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act passed by the United States government. The other three — namely Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzanian Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe, his wife Chido Machona and State Security minister, Owen Ncube — were only added to the sanctions list this year.

“I happen to know the country as well as an outsider can, but I do know the country. Zimbabwe has struggled to address its issues and it is not really blaming just one thing but it’s one factor which it wishes was taken off the table to allow it to make more progress,” Muhammad-Bande told NewsDay in an exclusive interview at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

“The President of Zimbabwe (Emmerson Mnangagwa) has been here himself and in the AU (African Union) Zimbabwe is playing a very important role. What we need to do is to encourage that openness and address the problems of the economy.”

Since the removal of the late former President, Robert Mugabe, through a military-backed coup that installed incumbent, Mnangagwa, in November 2017, both the economic and political situation in Zimbabwe has continued to deteriorate.

While the political situation has deteriorated due to the disputed July 2018 elections, the failing economic state of Zimbabwe has mostly been blamed on the United States targeted sanctions by the Mnangagwa-led administration.

Government has over the last few months secured Sadc support in calling for the removal of the sanctions and declared October 25 anti-sanctions day in a bid to pressure the United States to remove the targeted sanctions.

This resulted in a statement by the United States ambassador, Brian Nichols, explaining that it was rather documented cases of corruption to blame for Zimbabwe’s failing growth and not targeted sanctions.

However, the move caused Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister Sibusiso Moyo to issue a statement threatening to expel Nichols.

“Mugabe played his role in the country and made his mistakes but even at the very last and till this day there is a conversation,” Muhammad-Bande said.

“I think you have to get out of this idealistic notion that there are some countries that have it all right or one country that has it all wrong. The economic crisis has been deep and you know the movement of people.”

Born in a family of seven, to a mother who suffered from the debilitating leprosy disease, life has never been easy for Tunica Svikiri.

BY VANESSA GONYE

Daughter to 100-year-old Gogo Jessy Braundi, Tunica led a life full of misery.

While other children had the privilege of being born in “normal” families, living in homes with parents, relatives and the like, this was not so for Gogo Jessy’s two surviving children — the other five died in their infancy — because they had to move from one home to the other, a result of their mother’s “isolation” at the leprosy centre.

They longed for a “proper” family and managed to have a feel of what that meant when they were taken to a home at All Souls Mission in Mutoko where they got to experience the other side of life.

According to Tunica, the priests at the centre did their best to make sure they saw the brighter side of life.

“Our childhood was painful, we were limited to staying either at the centre with our mother or at a home. We longed to visit relatives or go for holidays like any other child, unfortunately, that was not to be as we were taken as outcasts. The sky was always grey for us, we didn’t even know how to smile as it was one hurting experience after the other,” recalled Tunica.
Back then, leprosy was believed to be highly contagious due to the absence of a proper remedy and as such, those affected by it and those around them were treated with caution, isolated and made to feel less human.

In the 1940s, a period when the disease was endemic, Mutemwa was home to around 1 000 patients. But towards the end of that decade, a cure was found — the drug dapsone — and the disease began to be contained.

However, misconceptions about the disease still linger today, haunting many former lepers staying at the centre and around the world.

The isolation they have had to endure for decades, some into old age, has affected them in a big way.

This is worsened by their dull surroundings, that include walls with chirping paint. No renovations have been done for years until recently when the Astra Paints’ corporate service responsibility (CSR) arm got those smiles back, by giving the centre a fresh coat of paint.

Speaking at the handover event of the refurbished units, Astra Paints marketing assistant, Joyline Zindaga said: “For our CSR activity for the year, we donated paint and painted the buildings at Mutemwa, where we merged the handover with the monthly clean-up campaign. The place was last painted in the 1980s and we saw the need for a facelift and also to bring smiles to their faces.

“Many people forego the need to assist and we decided to bridge the gap and painted the clinic, chapel, hall, patients’ shelters and the administration block. Of the three projects, this is the biggest project we have done so far for the needy.”

The people of Mutemwa have, however, always been enthusiastic and eager to do something for themselves.

Some of the residents spend their time gardening, doing some repairs and a lot of things that “normal” people may fail to do, and outsmarting them since most of them have no fingers and toes.
Despite Gogo Tinashe Tembo having only thumbs and no fingers, she has remained full of high spirits throughout her stay at Mutemwa.

She is blind, but does not let that stop her from living a normal life.

“I really appreciate what you have done for us (painting walls), but next time when you come remember me and bring some sweets and biscuits as well,” she jokingly said.

The story of Mutemwa Leprosy Centre and its occupants has been told many a time, but in all conversations with the former lepers, one person stands out and remains their liberator and the change they yearned for, since knowing the dreadful reality of living with the disease.

John Randall Bradburne, was a friend, a father and a companion to the “condemned” lepers, giving them his all, till death separated him from them.

They all speak highly of him, and describe him as their true friend, one who was able to demystify the stigma that surrounded the disease.

Sekuru Bhaureni Mapuranga, who came to the centre in 1957 as a young boy, suffering from leprosy said Bradburne taught him to love and to forgive.

He had a bad experience having been affected by the disease at a tender age and at a time stigmatisation of lepers was at its peak.

“John did not despise lepers; he would do anything for us and never wanted us to go hungry. He sacrificed his all for us,” Mapuranga fondly recalls.

Mutemwa and its stories will remain a marvel for years to come as it is testimony of true love and sacrifice, the two forces that brought a change to the lives of those affected by leprosy.

ZIMBABWE’S political landscape is so littered with all manner of wreckage from past deadly and bloody battles that for someone to then try and make sense of how all this mess came about is akin to slogging hard into a very dark and boggy wilderness. But, because Zimbabwe is one hell of a country, there are always some who are prepared to sweat it out and try to salvage something from the wreckage.

NewsDay Comment

One such individual is Thokozani Khupe, the very sulky leader of the MDC-T political outfit, who was crudely outmanoeuvred from leading the country’s largest opposition movement. Khupe was so outfoxed that she still cannot believe that the deed was real; so tangible that she was left holding on to a mere name of a political party whose supporters have long moved on with the “shrewd robber”, Nelson Chamisa, who refined the old maxim: “Politics is a dirty game.” So ruthlessly crude was the “robber” that he covered his tracks very well and current efforts by hapless Khupe to try and pin him down through the courts and hiring “snippers” to take him out is proving to be a useless sideshow and a spent exercise in futility.

Us, being just innocent bystanders, who have been watching the events from the terraces, wish to advise our dearest Madam Khupe to simply pick up the pieces, re-strategise and move on because the battle she is fighting is a lost cause, unless she is being paid to act as an albatross around Chamisa’s neck.

Only recently, the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court reserved judgment on her other of the many overt and covert challenges on Chamisa’s leadership of the opposition party. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court left Khupe clutching at straws after dismissing her attempt to nullify her 2018 recall by the MDC from Parliament as Makokoba legislator.

“The court holds that the question of whether or not Parliament failed to fulfil its constitutional obligations with regard to the circumstances in which the seat occupied by the first applicant (Khupe) became vacant has been rendered moot by the occurrence of events subsequent to the making of the court application. The matter no longer presents a live dispute between the parties requiring the court to hear and determine in accordance with the principle of justifiability. In the result, the application is dismissed with no order as to costs,” the ConCourt ruled.

We hope that Khupe, having managed to walk away with no costs, this should help her to carefully reconsider her next moves regarding her bitter fight against Chamisa. Not that we hold any brief for Chamisa, but her continued hunt for Chamisa’s scalp will only serve to destroy her otherwise salvageable political career. Having managed to stand in the past election and field candidates should be her foundation’s building blocks for a self-created political career. That Chamisa has since moved on should nudge her into also moving on and make the best of the situation. Her perpetual moaning will not build her political career, unless someone is busy using her to spoil Chamisa’s own political career. If that is the case, she may have nothing to lose, but being a pioneering example to other women, we hope she is not allowing herself to be used because this would be a very sad indictment to the women’s struggle for equality. The fact that she was hard-done by a man should give her the resolve to stand up and fight completely new political battles which include the 2023 elections. Dwelling on the past will not help build her political career.

ZANU PF supporters, who were bussed to the mining indaba in Gweru to beef up numbers ahead of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s address on Wednesday, caused a raucous at feeding points as they threatened to run away with the delegates’ food if they continued to be denied access to lunch.

BY BRENNA MATENDERE

Anti-riot police had to called in to quell the restive crowd.

In a bid to avoid the embarrassment of addressing empty chairs at crucial events like what happened at previous events in Harare and Mashonaland Central, the Zanu PF Midlands provincial leadership took a decision to bus its supporters from all districts to fill up the Gweru Convention Centre, where Mnangagwa was guest speaker.

Midlands State University students, college students and mothers with babies on their backs as well as the elderly were also bussed to the venue that was supposed to be purely a formal business meeting of mine owners and government officials, among other stakeholders.

The situation degenerated into chaos as the Zanu PF supporters occupied front seats with delegates, who had paid for the two-day event and those accredited, failing to get comfortable places inside the venue.

During lunch time, the Zanu PF supporters clogged VIP delegates’ feeding points and riot police had to be called in to crush the restive activists who were clad in party regalia.

However, Dosman Mangisi, the Zimbabwe Mining Federation spokesperson said there was nothing wrong with what Zanu PF did at the event.

“Zanu PF has strong grassroots in rural areas, as people in the rural mining district are bonafide members of ruling party, they felt it necessary to be in solidarity with it since it champions empowerment programmes. It was not a party event at all. The issues articulated were all mining related,” he said.

Mangisi confirmed witnessing the fracas that saw riot police being called in.

“I did see that happening because I was part of the security. One big thing to note is that the small-scale miners were excited to interface with the Head of State and government, the chief principal of the mining sector. It was an inaugural event. The event has already been placed on the annual calendar,” he said.

Mangisi denied reports by miners that they had failed to get food as the organisers had to feed Zanu PF supporters.

“Delegates were well fed. It’s only that the event finished a bit late, and people had to go.

Delegate cards were less in terms of the numbers,” he said.

Asked on whether the organisers expected the large numbers that turned up at the meeting causing confusion in the process, Mangisi said: “We were expecting the figures, Midlands has 20 associations and each association was supposed to bring 200 miners. We had people from Mt Darwin, Plumtree, Mutare and Makuti, which are far from Midlands. Each province was supposed to bring 2 000 miners as targets. And there are about 1,5 million miners in the country. The conference hall has an 8 000 sitting capacity.”

However, miners, who spoke to Southern Eye expressed disappointment, saying they never anticipated the event to become a political gathering.

Zimdancehall prodigy Tocky Vibes has hinted that he is currently finalising the acoustic version of his Villagers Money album as he moves in to solidify his place in the music industry.

By Freeman Makopa

The Mhai hit-maker told NewsDay Life & Style that he was trying to break down barriers through collaborations.

“Iam currently working on my acoustic version of the Villagers Money album because we are trying to come up with a unique sound for our fans and I also did collaborations with Progress Chipfumo, Kudzi Nyakudya, Madiz and Manex. By doing collaborations with artistes from different genres, Iam trying to remove the boundaries and bridges that were created,” he said.

“There are people who create boundaries and we are destroying these (boundaries). Our music is for everyone, so we don’t want these boundaries and I did a song with Guspy Warrior called Nhamo Haibvi Pane Imwe which is in circulation.”

Tocky castigated those responsible for banning songs saying it affects creativity.

“I am still disturbed that one of my songs, African Queen was banned from the airwaves, although it’s trending and is increasingly gaining popularity in terms of YouTube views, but it would have done better if it was being played on television or radio and people would have voted for it.

“We can’t fight them. If we were rich, we could have had our lawyers and maybe we would have won the case at the courts and if we had our own station, I don’t think the song would have been banned,” he added.

The song African Queen was banned from the local airwaves after it was adjudged to be carrying offensive lyrics.

The Censorship Board monitors and regulates content that is produced for local consumption. It was established in 2001 through an Act of Parliament.

CONTEMPORARY musician, Jah Prayzah — bubbling with confidence after releasing a collaborative effort with two regional artsists, Mr Bow and Yuri da Cunha on the song Não me arranja problema — is set to give his Bulawayo fans an early Christmas treat when he plays in the City of Kings later this month.

By Freeman Makopa

Jah Prayzah who was billed to perform in the City of Kings this weekend has, however, rescheduled the show to November 29 as he will be attending a family function and a video shoot.

His manager, Keen Mushapaidze said the musician is promising his fans an early Christmas present as he will be sampling new songs from his upcoming album which will be released early next year.

“It’s unfortunate that the show has been postponed to November 29, but fans should brace for an electrifying act. Jah Prayzah has a surprise and it will be an early Christmas present for the Bulawayo fans. They will have the opportunity to taste his new songs from his upcoming album that he is working on and is set for release in January next year.

“We are also happy that we are currently riding high with collaborations that Jah Prayzah has done with Mr Bow and Yuri da Cunha on the song Não me arranja problema which talks of a girl who brings troubles to his boyfriend’s family. The artistes are some of the best in the region and that is good to the Jah Prayzah brand as this increases our fan base,” he said.

Mushapaidze said they will not be distracted by pressure from some fans who compare Jah Prayzah against Winky D.

“Yes, we are aware that some fans want to compare our music with that of Winky D, but you must remember these artistes are in different genres. We are not in some sort of completion, but we want to focus on growing the brand. Music is diverse so there is no need to compare the two artistes. Jah Prayzah has a market base of millions of fans globally and that was not achieved by competition with other artistes, but by hard work and knowing what is best for the brand,” he added.

The Mudhara Achauya hit-maker has been making waves in Zimbabwe and around the continent, with his latest trending video that features Iyasa, Tanya Chikuni and Ben Chest.

A TOP Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) official has been fingered in a well-orchestrated police corruption scam by a subordinate who has since been granted protection by the High Court after exposing the alleged dirty deals.

BY CHARLES LAITON

Assistant Commissioner Clever Macheka’s alleged shenanigans were exposed when Assistant Inspector Mutindi approached the High Court challenging his unlawful transfer after denouncing the habit of extorting suspects at police stations for the top cop’s benefit.

Mutindi dragged the chief staff officer human resources (PGHQ) and police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga to court after he was unceremoniously transferred from Hatfield Police Station to four other stations within a 13-month period.

“My question is how many I/C Crimes are being abused, but are silent for fear of victimisation and how are we going to curb corruption when senior officers are sending members to get money for their benefit? This is typical of the old dispensation,” Mutindi said.

“Surely even if Assistant Commissioner Macheka would want to extort money from members can someone transfer a member to four stations within 13 months? It is glaringly clear that he is abusing his office for selfish reasons and if left unchallenged, he would abuse more and corruption would be perpetrated infinitely.”

Mutindi’s matter was on Wednesday brought before High Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero, who ruled in his favour and slapped the chief staff officer human resources (PGHQ) with costs. Mutindi had submitted through his lawyer, Norman Mugiya, that his transfers were meant to induce him to resign because he had refused to be part of a corrupt police force.

“The four transfers of the applicant (Mutindi) at the instance of the first respondent (chief staff officer human resources (PGHQ)) be and are hereby declared to be unlawful and wrongful and accordingly set aside,” Justice Chikowero ruled.

“The first respondent is ordered to allow the applicant to remain stationed at ZRP Chitungwiza until and unless a transfer is to be initiated in terms of the law and a proper notice and the provision of all payable allowances is made. The first respondent is ordered to pay costs.”

According to court papers, Mutindi was initially stationed at Hatfield Police Station, transferred to St Mary’s and hardly four months later, was moved to ZRP Chitungwiza and later to Waterfalls Police Station without any reasons.

“What I discovered is that these harassing transfers were doctored by Assistant Commissioner Clever Macheka after I refused to be pressured to comply to his unlawful demands of extorting accused persons at ZRP St Mary’s and give him cash in order to buy favour with him,” Mutindi said.

“When I refused to co-operate with the said Assistant Commissioner Macheka he told me that I would pay for it and he would not rest until I am transferred to a fixing station or to be frustrated until I leave the organisation. I refused to budge, hence the reason why I am now suffering.”

Mutindi added: “When I refused to do what is clearly unlawful he then decided to use his influence to fix me as he is now doing. Consistent with his promise to fix me, I was transferred from ZRP St Mary’s to ZRP Chitungwiza administration within two weeks and he told Chief Inspector Mutabvuka never to allow me anywhere near the crime division”.

Cattle Ownership Society Members’ Association (COSMA), which allegedly lost over $8 million in a botched cattle ownership scheme, has won an order to include the firm’s director Marvellous Shumba in the on-going civil suit before the High Court.

BY CHARLES LAITON

COSMA filed summons against the Cattle Ownership Society seeking an order to compel it to pay $8 000 710 after failing to deliver cattle in accordance with an agreement, but Shumba, one of the directors of the scheme, was not included.

High Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero presided over the matter on Wednesday and issued an order in favour of COSMA.

“The application for joinder be and is hereby granted. The second respondent (Marvellous Shumba) be and is hereby ordered to be joined to the proceedings in case number HC7098/19 as the second defendant,” Justice Chikowero ruled.

“The applicant (Cattle Ownership Society Members’ Association) COSMA in this matter who is the plaintiff in case number HC7098/19 be and is hereby ordered to serve summons and declaration in case number HC7098/19 on the second respondent through the sheriff of Zimbabwe within 10 days of granting of this order. There shall be no order as to costs.”

Through their lawyers, Messrs Madanhi, Mugadza and Company Attorneys, the association’s chairperson, Patson Chivaura said the members were the beneficiaries of the cattle ownership scheme under which they registered and made contributions of an agreed amount pending an entitlement to own cattle commensurate with each member’s contributions.

In the earlier application, the association members said after making the required contributions to the Cattle Ownership Society, they made claims for the allocation of cattle in terms of the trust deed, but the society failed, neglected and or refused to pay in terms of the promises made.

“In spite of the fact that their contributions were up to date and that the defendant (Cattle Ownership Society) actually acknowledged receiving the payments, the defendant has failed to honour the agreement,” Chivaura said.

Old Mutual Zimbabwe has appointed Samuel Matsekete as chief executive taking over from Jonas Mushosho, with effect from January 1, 2020.

BY MISHMA CHAKANYUKA

“Old Mutual is pleased to confirm the appointment of Samuel (Sam) Matsekete as the group CEO-designate of Old Mutual Zimbabwe Limited. Matsekete will commence service on January 1, 2020 following the retirement of the current group chief executive, Jonas Mushosho at the end of 2019,” Old Mutual said in a statement.

Matsekete joins Old Mutual from First Capital Bank, where he is currently the managing director and has led the successful transition of the bank from being part of the Barclays Group.
He has worked at First Capital for over 12 years and was appointed the managing director in 2017.
Matsekete will be succeeded by Ciaran McSharry, who will be the acting managing director for the bank.

Before the managing director role, Matsekete held the position of chief finance officer and also headed the risk and governance functions that included credit, risk, legal and compliance at the same bank.

Matsekete is a qualified chartered accountant and an associate of the Institute of Bankers Zimbabwe. He completed an executive leadership development programme run for Barclays PLC at Duke University in London and holds a master of business leadership degree from the University of South Africa.

Old Mutual’s Rest of Africa managing director, Clement Chinaka, said he was confident that Matsekete would bring the requisite leadership experience and career credentials to lead the business at a particularly challenging time.

“Matsekete was part of the team that set up Old Mutual Asset Managers, now OMIG, in Zimbabwe soon after demutualisation 20 years ago, so I am very pleased to be welcoming him back into the Old Mutual family,” Chinaka added.

“This new appointment does come at a challenging time in Zimbabwe. However, it is thanks to the strength of our leadership that we have weathered the storm and will continue to seize opportunities for growth. Matseketse can now build on the strong foundation we have in Zimbabwe to take the business forward,” Chinaka said.

Matsekete’s appointment comes at a time the group has been conducting a rigorous internal and external recruitment process.

Last month, Old Mutual improved its voluntary retrenchment package to its employees after the first one, introduced in April, received poor responses.

The improved retrenchment package is expected to lure more employees to go with the programme as the group finds ways to manage its costs.

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa, presently presiding over an imploding economy, is anticipating an ambitious average national economic growth rate of 7% per annum during his tenure.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

“We shall accelerate the conclusion of policy instruments that provide an amenable regulatory environment to further improve the ease of doing business and generate increased efficiency across the productive sectors. We must now make concerted efforts to sustain a national economic growth rate averaging 7% per annum,” Mnangagwa told delegates at the economic development and financial indaba in Harare yesterday.

Mnangagwa’s sentiments come at a time the country is experiencing an economic meltdown, with others expecting the economy to contract this year.

Zimbabwe’s economy will fall by 7,1%, according to the latest forecast by the International Monetary Fund.

The prediction is down from an earlier optimistic projection of a 3,1% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

This year will be the first time that Zimbabwe suffers a GDP contraction since 2008, when the economy shrunk 16,5% at the peak of a hyperinflation crisis.

Mnangagwa said the US$12 billion mining industry set to be achieved by 2023 would create linkages that will in turn have a multiplier effect on overall economic growth.

“Going forward, there is need to harness the diverse opportunities in the various sectors of the economy. To date, we have enacted a wide range of sector specific policies, roadmaps and other interventions across the industrial, mining, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and services sectors, among others, that highlight government’s support for productivity in the economy,” he said.

Mnangagwa has been under fire from diplomats and his political nemesis for failing to implement genuine reforms to jumpstart the economy.

On Wednesday, the United Kingdom special envoy challenged Mnangagwa’s government to introduce genuine economic and political reforms in order to turn around its faltering economy.
As the country reels under serious power shortages, the President pledged to ensure constant power supplies, adding government was fully committed to facilitate and support the productive sectors to grow the national economy and improve exports.

“In the same vein, we remain open to dialogue with the business community, investor and all other stakeholders in our quest to revive and grow our national economy. The milestone achieved to date in our drive to grow the various sectors of the economy will be supported and anchored by our national trade policy and national export strategy,” he said.