Robert Sigauke

“WHO can ever forget that a whole (President Robert) Mugabe and his government were shaken by a solo protester Itai Dzamara sitting in Africa Unity Square gardens vowing not to eat until Mugabe (found) time off his busy schedule and respond to his petitions!”

This is an excerpt from a past article I wrote a few weeks ago. I differ with Linda Masarira on so many fronts about the democratic project in Zimbabwe, but I must admit that I found her opinion plausible about the biggest problem that has hijacked, attacked and sucked the life and authenticity out of the democracy project.

For so many reasons, the Government of National Unity (GNU) arrangement had sins of its own. This was a time when every Jack in the trenches knew that for any chance to be in government, one had to be either in MDC-T or Zanu PF. It best suited Mugabe at that time to use a third force, no matter how small in number or stature, to frustrate Morgan Tsvangirai’s manoeuvres. It was possible only if this third force was one with scores to settle with Tsvangirai, forget the pitch of its voice, just its noise and hand was enough.

Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara on one end, Tsvangirai cutting a lone figure on the other. One plus one against one. It does make mathematical sense, right?

If history has to be traced, it is Mutambara who sang the reforms mantra during the GNU. This was politically convenient in that he had no electoral following behind him better than Tsvangirai. Mugabe could well ignore him and get away with it. In fact, he did just that.

Tsvangirai, meanwhile, had to hurry to have the people taste ice cream and eggs again in time for the 2013 elections. Mugabe and his party, in the meantime, also regrouped and found breathing space again, to live yet another day. The reforms agenda lost steam, it had no political backing, it died sooner than it rose.

On the other side, important and of interest in this, we had those who grabbed seats in the GNU through the back door, thanks to them we have a civil society to last a day’s discussion.
The tragedy of it all is that it is no longer left to accidents of biology for one to be a veteran of the struggle, anyone can invent their own struggle credentials these days. Evan Mawarire earned his without the bullet of a rifle and his family stays within American borders. Who said there has to be rifle shots for one to be a struggle veteran anyway, aren’t struggles different from circumstance to circumstance?

Then there is that pastor who chained himself to a tree in a one-man protest in Victoria Falls, the same guy who held the country to curious ransom in 2018 saying the gods had told him Mugabe (MHSRIP) would pass on in October of the same year. It is on record that the simple pastor even gave the exact date. I watched the video less than a week before the fool shamelessly backtracked and announced his availability for election as a parliamentary candidate.

The tale of the Dzamaras is also one which cannot be left out as far as exposing how corrupt and fraudulent the civil society divide has become. Even the street has word that allegations that Patson Dzamara lost his car because of his political activism is one big grand fraud; the man invented his ploy to source donor funds and inflated his struggle credentials. Nobody has come forward to clarify what happened to the other Dzamara brother and for the sake of consoling his poor family, salt will not be added to injury, but nevertheless, it still boggles the mind how Mugabe, the Central Intelligence Organisation or military bosses could have felt threatened by Dzamara and his one, two, three and four followers sitting in Africa Unity Square vowing to stay hungry until Mugabe found time between his trips to UN and Moscow to reply to Dzamara’s letter.

The sad story does not end there. In fact, the struggle veterans keep growing more and more in different sizes and shapes. Are they not doctor Peter Magombeyi’s abductors and tormentors the nicest and most reckless people walking on the planet? They even had the courtesy to buy their victim airtime so that he could text to his loved ones that he had been abducted so that they could alert the police to start the search. The doctor even came back with much of his body intact and in good shape, a little luckier than most who do not live to tell the tale.

The country is now hugely littered with so many briefcase civic society organisations whose main purpose is to make noise over just about anything; Tighter sanctions against the government, energy crisis, prices of basic commodities, hiring of Shona teachers in Matabeleland, Warriors losing to Ndombolo Boys and white farmers getting their farms back.

This is what civic society is paid to do, just to make noise about anything. There must be something more beyond them just making noise. This is their way of earning struggle credentials.

This is the currency, so they believe, for appointment into government, should another GNU be crafted, or better still, when the opposition finally takes over the reins and are short of men and women to fill in the available offices at Munhumutapa. Masarira noted this too.

Zimbabweans need to be a bit more careful in choosing their battles, it will take a bit of more digging in believing either side of the story; and it will take too, a resolute grounding in not being swayed by every wind.

editorial comment

NOW that the Zanu PF government has fired its cheap political potshots through the anti-sanctions march that failed to resonate with the majority of a better informed population with regards to the real cause of the crisis in the country and its solutions, it is time for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to demonstrate some real leadership and take the necessary steps.

We are sure that those that took part in the Friday anti-sanctions march are now aware that it is going to take much more than a march to have the embargo lifted and it is up to them to exert the necessary pressure on their leadership to simply fulfil their electoral promises.

The European Union (EU) and United States (US) are clear that the restrictive measures imposed on Mnangagwa and his leadership will remain in place until necessary reforms are carried out. This means, the march was yet another typical exercise in extravagance that is not going to provide solutions. The money poured into that useless campaign could have been put to much better use, especially in view of how public hospitals are struggling to procure the necessary resources to effectively discharge their mandate.

It is indeed not only sad, but tragic, that huge amounts of money, energy and time could be invested in such schoolboy politics that do not address the issues that attracted the sanctions in the first place. Matters of sanctions cannot be decided on the streets, because they require high-level diplomacy.

The march may have been supported by Sadc even as the regional body is fully aware that it was never going to work, which is why other regional leaders don’t use marches to engage the international community in their own countries.

In fact, the more the Zimbabwe crisis continues, the more it remains profitable to them, given the number of Zimbabweans that do their shopping in neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Tanzania. The more the Zimbabwe crisis obtains, the more they continue to feed their national coffers.

There is no way there is ever going to be an unconditional lifting of sanctions, and no amount of campaigns without the necessary reforms are going to have them lifted. If, indeed, the government is really concerned that sanctions are stifling economic growth and hurting ordinary citizens, then it must simply implement the political and economic reforms it promised in the run-up to the 2018 elections. Is that asking far too much? It is about time that Mnangagwa and his bureaucrats show real leadership qualities, otherwise history will judge them harshly as a bunch of useless politicians, with no clue on how to run a country.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

AN economist has said Zimbabwe should cut military expenditure and channel the resources towards revival of the health sector and economy.

Prosper Chitambara made the remarks yesterday in Mutare at the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ) engagement workshop with local scribes.

“We can do without a military. Let’s reduce the personnel in the army because we are not under any threat, but channel more resources to health and social services. For example, Japan has channelled more resources to health and social services than to the army,” he said

“We have found out that if you address health and social services chances of an uprising are very low, so I am urging my country to be like Japan.”

Government has been accused of channelling more financial resources towards the military for fears of an uprising as dissent increases due to a collapsing economy, amid a wave of human rights abuses.

Last month, secretary for Defence Mark Grey Marongwe said the Defence ministry requires $25 billion in 2020 if the value of the local currency against the United State dollar stays the same. The money would mostly be channelled towards funding of the national army.

Chitambara said the government has fallen short on policies that benefit people and jobs provision.

“We have seen decisions that only benefit people in the short term; our government policies are meant to benefit people in short term, but will cry in the long term. We have an example of freebies, printing money and borrowing, we have also noticed that State enterprises have been captured for political expediency,” he said
“African countries rely more on extractive industries and the industry is heavily capitalised and very few jobs are created. We need to create more jobs if we want to fight poverty because through jobs we can fight poverty,” he said

business reporter

Latest data released by ZimStat shows that poverty threshold levels for a family of five increased to ZW$883 in September from ZW$725,3 in August.

In growth terms, the movement represents a 22% month-on-month gain which compares to a rise of 14% between July and August.

The upward monthly movement in the average food basket’s cost for a family of five is at a variance to the average monthly inflation which came off marginally from 18,2% to about 17% in September.

This variance is due to the varying composition in baskets under the two measures. Aggregate inflation is weighted across all goods and services while the food basket used for poverty datum line only factors movement in the cost of food.

However, what is clear from the report is that the average food basket for a family of five has gone up in successive months since February.

Cumulatively, the food basket for a family of five has gone up by 200% from $294 in March to $883 in September. Given the food poverty thresholds, it follows that demand for goods and services in the economy has been under severe pressure, as wages have trailed in growth.

This mismatch has resulted in falling aggregate demand compounded by the loss in purchasing power due to inflation. This trend is likely to continue throughout the rest of the year.

Zimbabwe Revenue Authority revenue numbers are showing a decline in value-added tax on local sales receipts which is a clear indication of low demand. Government has largely resisted adjusting wages in the second half period of the year, which has helped slow down the growth in money supply, consequently slowing down Zimdollar depreciation to the US dollar. Other cost lines have, however, gone up and these include government operations and maintenance costs which now account for a higher share compared to wages.
— Equity Axis

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

MDC Alliance councillor for Marondera Central, Charles Ngwena (36) and party activist Paul Chikuni (34) who allegedly freed a vendor who was arrested for selling bananas before instructing the police officers to arrest President Emmerson Mnanagwa instead for organising an anti-sanctions march, were yesterday arraigned before magistrate Patience Chirimo.

Before the court proceedings, the pair represented by human rights lawyer Tinashe Chinopfukutwa was initially charged for undermining the authority of the President, but the offence was altered to obstructing the course of justice.

They were, however, granted $100 bail and remanded to November 11 for trial.

Ngwena is a councillor for ward 4 in Marondera Central while Chikuni is a municipal police officer.

On October 23, at around midday, police officers identified as Constables Nyambisi, Mutiforo and Moyo all from ZRP Marondera Central were on patrol at Marondera Bus Terminus when they arrested Patrick Chabvata (31) who was selling bananas in a push cart.

It is alleged that while escorting Chabvata to the police station, the police officers passed by Ngwena and Chikuni who were in their Toyota Prado parked in central Marondera.

It is alleged that Ngwena shouted at the police officers in vernacular saying: “Mapurisa munopenga munosunga vanhu vanotambura endai munosunga Emmerson ari kuita ma anti-sanctions march (You police officers are insane. You are busy arresting poor people instead of arresting Emmerson who is organising anti-sanctions marches).

Chikuni allegedly disembarked from the vehicle and grabbed Chabvata’s push cart and pushed it away. The altercation attracted attention of passers-by who converged at the scene resulting in the police officers leaving, fearing for their safety.
Zihn Gozo represented the State.

BY SILAS NKALA/ STEPHEN CHADENGA

THE Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) has said citizens should be wary of Zanu PF politicians who want to use them to access their looted wealth hidden in the West and Europe by hoodwinking impoverished masses into joining the anti-sanctions crusade.

Speaking to Southern Eye yesterday, Zipra Veterans Association spokesperson Buster Magwizi said people must not be misled that they were suffering because of sanctions.

He said citizens must apportion the blame on the same politicians who were architects of the repressive political environment and human rights violations.

“There are no sanctions in Zimbabwe. Those are targeted measures blocking the selfish politicians from accessing their looted wealth in those countries and now want to use us as their pressure groups to pile pressure on the West to remove those measures,” Magwizi said.

“We must not be seen demonstrating for the few individual politicians who have been destroying the country since 1980 and they now want us to assist them to be allowed to go and enjoy their loot.”

He said people should protest against cash shortages, and poverty wages and salaries which have been eroded by inflation.

“Just imagine that civil servants had their salaries increased recently and now they (salaries) are worthless. Prices have gone beyond reach. You can’t buy meat. Bread price has jumped up, we no longer eat bread. I do not remember when I last ate it,” Magwizi said.

“General citizens must demonstrate for the improvement of their livelihoods and pay, not for removal of sanctions. The event was a waste of time and resources.” He spoke in reference to last Friday’s countrywide anti-sanctions campaign.

Magwizi said the government must instead invest its energy in resolving economic and political problems through reforms.

He said those who attended the anti-sanctions march were lured by food handouts.

The Zipra spokesperson said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s address to a near empty National Sports Stadium in Harare was a sign that people were now fed up with the Zanu PF leadership.

Human rights activist and political commentator Effie Ncube said the anti-sanctions march was typically a Zanu PF affair and a distraction from pressing bread and butter issues that government is failing to address.

“Most importantly, it exposed them for the weak organisation they are, an organisation that survives on corruption, patronage and rigging. It was a march on nothing and to nowhere that only succeeded in having State Security minister Owen Ncube added onto the sanctions list, a place he long deserved (to be),” he said.

“They got a reality check when the thousands of people they expected to come simply stayed at home. People now know that the problem is not sanctions as such, but corruption, maladministration and incompetence. While people might want sanctions lifted, they would rather have corruption and human rights abuses be stopped first.”

Ncube said only political and economic reforms would remove sanctions.

“Rule of law, democratic and accountable governance, free and fair elections, and abiding by the provisions of the Constitution that assure freedoms of expression, media, assembly and association is the only path to having sanctions lifted,” he said.

South Africa-based political activist and commentator Fortune Mlalazi said Mnangagwa should be diplomatic in tackling the sanctions issue.

“There is little of nothing that they achieved. They only achieved giving people chicken and chips which was not their major objective. It was one of the first times in which you will see very few people attending a national event organised by Zanu PF,” he said.

“It exposed the divisions and cracks within Zanu PF and the coup plotters in the army. They just exposed their weakness, they were supposed to take time and organise properly.”

Information secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana on Saturday described the march as successful, saying they hoped it drove the point home to the imposers of sanctions.

Meanwhile, Gweru residents yesterday slammed government for abusing school property at a time parents were struggling to fend for their school-going children.

Government used school buses in the Midlands capital to ferry marchers on Friday last week.

“As a parent, I feel it is not right for government to use school buses to ferry people to its functions,” an Ascot suburb parent, Nomsa Ncube, said.

“As parents, we struggle to pay levies and fees to buy school property and using such property for government or political party functions is just abuse.”

Another resident, James Dube, said: “We are talking of a march that is very controversial, with people forming different political opinions over the issue. What if some hooligans just decide to burn or stone the bus, does government have resources to compensate schools given the economic meltdown obtaining in the country?”

BY SPORTS REPORTER

FORMER Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) chief excecutive Robert Mutsauki is set to bounce back in local athletics to spearhead a development programme being funded by Olympic Solidarity.

The aim of Olympic Solidarity is to organise assistance for all National Olympic Committees (NOCs), particularly those with the greatest need.

National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) president Tendai Tagara revealed that Mutsauki, who is a former boss of the national athletics body, would facilitate the programme, which has been dubbed the Development of National Sport Structure (DNSS).

DNSS, according to Tagara, is a grant given to promising member federations that can be strengthened or capacitated to enhance performance.

Tagara expressed satisfaction on Mutsauki’s appointment and said this would see the rebirth of the association.

“The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe enters a new era after securing support from the Olympic Solidarity. They have hired an expert to lead the process, in the name of Robert Mutsauki. This is part of our preparation for the next Olympic cycle. The objective is to see how best we can strengthen the organisation’s capacity to achieve better results,” he
said.

“The process will include consultation of stakeholders and our members, sponsors, athletes and athletes commission, officials, provincial executives, directors, the uniformed forces, clubs coaches, Nash (Nash National Association of Secondary Heads), Naph (Nash National Association of Primary Heads) and academies.”

Tagara added that the process had already started and will run until December and they were looking forward to start planning for the implication by January to coincide with the next Olympic cycle of 2021 to 2024.

Mutsauki, who began his career as a sprinter for the ZRP Athletics Club in 1982, was the president of the local athletics body when Zimbabwe transformed from being a minnow into one of the continental powerhouses on the athletics scene.

In 1986, the then Amateur Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (AAAZ) recommended Mutsauki to take up a 16-month sports scholarship at the University of Mainz, Germany, where he obtained an athletics coaching diploma.

Since then, Mutsauki grew in stature both as a coach and administrator, first being appointed the chief coach of the ZRP Athletics Club, before taking up the position of assistant sports director at the University of Zimbabwe.

Mutsauki was then appointed president of the then AAAZ in 1993, a position he held until 1997, before moving to the Sports and Recreation Commission, ZOC and — until 2014 — Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, where he served as technical director.

The veteran administrator has also managed the Zimbabwe Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams.

In 2016, he was named manager of the first Refugee Olympic Team at that year’s Rio Games in Brazil.

BY SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

MANICA DIAMONDS . . . (1)1
ZPC KARIBA . . . . . . . . . .(1)2

MANICA Diamonds failed to capitalise on their home advantage which sent them crashing out of the prestigious Chibuku Super Cup following a quarter-final match defeat by ZPC Kariba.

The defeat at Vengere Stadium yesterday dealt a major blow to the Johannes Nhumwa-coached side who were eyeing their first silverware in the top-flight league in their maiden season in the Premiership.

Manica Diamonds had a golden opportunity to take the match to a penalty shootout, but former Buffaloes player Takunda Jeffrey succumbed to pressure and missed a late penalty during regulation time.

The home side had gotten off to a brilliant start when they opened the scoring through Stanley Ngala in the 13th minutes before Goodwill Gwara levelled terms just after the hour mark.

After the teams went to the break deadlocked at one goal apiece, ZPC Kariba took the lead two minutes after the restart after James Marufu scored from the spot.

Nhumwa, who was recently named coach of the month for September, said his team’s focus was now to stay in the Premier Soccer League.

“It was a bad day in office for us today, but tough luck to my boys. We missed some good chances, but it is part of football. We are now focusing on the league as we want to end the season on a high note and possibly on a good position,” he said.

His counterpart Godfrey Tamirepi was happy after storming into the last four of the tournament.

“It was a good result for us. We are going to continue to fight in this tournament and see what will happen. The boys played according to the game plan, especially after losing 1-0 here a few weeks back,” he said.

sport reporter

LONDON — Zimbabwe-born British heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora battered his way back to the fringe of world heavyweight title contention with a relentless brutalising of Davd Price.

The salvo lasted for three rounds and two minutes, long enough to sink Price to his unfulfilled career knees. Albeit not the single massive blow which he has been undergoing at key moments earlier in his career.

Price had weathered a series of massive right hands from the start and it took a double whammy to put him down in the fourth, an uppercut and a hook.

Still he was able to drag that huge frame upright but referee Howard Foster was alarmed. Even as he asked Price if he was alright to continue —and doubting the nodding response — Price’s cornermen threw in the towel.

The end of the road, perhaps, for Price but a corner turned for Chisora.

His manager and former heavyweight champion David Haye said: “There is a now good chance of Dereck getting a world title shot next year as one of two of the belts fall vacant.”

Chisora made his entrance as usual with his face concealed by a red, white and blue Union flag under a white hood to match his embossed robe.

Price, of course, was in red.

Chisora, befitting his new pseudonym, went on the attack from the start, clearly winning the first even though he charged into three or four meaty punches from Price late in the round.

Chisora was warned twice for low blows, one so low it might have performed a cartilage operation on Price’s knee.

No doubt to the surprise of Chisora and most of the audience, Price absorbed a succession of huge rights in the third, any one of which might have put him down and perhaps out in the past.

More of the same in the fourth proved too much, too heavy, too redolent of serious harm.

Price finally went down from a pair of rights — uppercut and hook. Gamely he rose to his fight and referee Foster was debating whether to call a halt when the white towel came fluttering across the ring. — Daily Mail