Opinion: Fr Oskar Wermter SJ

PAUL, a Jew from Tarsus in Asia Minor (today Turkey) who was first known as Saul, was one of the greatest thinkers and writers in the world of religion and spirituality. He never wrote a book.
But his letters to the early Christian communities roundabout the Mediterranean Sea constitute a large part of the New Testament (major part of the Bible).

This did not make him rich. He was not only a preacher and teacher, the intellectual leader of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth, he was also a skilled craftsman, he had to be, in order to earn his livelihood and pay for his countless journeys by boat, crisscrossing the Mediterranean.

Wherever he landed he looked for work as a tentmaker. This earned him enough to support his distinguished career in the early church. “Making money” was a necessity for him, not a passion for self-enrichment. In fact, he warned his pupil and successor in the church, Timothy, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6: 10). Mind you, the love of money is the root of all evil, not money as such. Some pastors today have great “love of money”, and people love them for it, in the hope they will get a share of it.

Paul was a fundraiser, but not for himself, not even for the church community. The early Christians in Palestine and Jerusalem were poor and destitute, widows and orphans. They needed support. Paul appealed to the Christians in Corinth (Greece). He had much time for widows. They were his co-workers. Without their help his work stalled. Paul wrote to people in Galatia: “You want me to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do.” (Galatians 2: 10).

There are people in Zimbabwe today who have compassion with the “poor”, mainly themselves. Their corrupt practices need to be wiped out. There are plenty of widows in our country. They can’t pay the school fees for their children, since their breadwinners are no longer with them. Selling tomatoes at street corners does not feed their little ones.

There are widows without a pension; it has been stolen. Medical people demand adequate payment. Nurses and midwives are rarely without expecting mothers who want to bring healthy babies home.
But instead of coming home with strong infants, they have ruined their health; often their children end up without mothers.

Is Government ignoring the complaints of medical staff about better salaries and working conditions? That is a right, it is not “love of money”. “The State must take all practical measures to ensure the provision of basic, accessible and adequate health services throughout Zimbabwe” (Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013, 29 [1]). Medical professionals must remember that their skills are not just for their own material gain. Whatever skills and knowledge they have acquired, they must share with members of the public. That is their moral duty. Government officials, responsible for public health, must not delay life-saving measures. The health of mothers must be their special concern. Mothers have a right to be taken care of by Government. Maternal health is the health of the nation.

This is the time when mothers knock at the door of their priests and pastors. They do not even know what today’s money looks like. What is legal tender? What is the difference between money you can touch, keep in your purse, push across the counter to pay a bill — and invisible money, that becomes real only when you push the right buttons on your smart phone? Do we stick to “real” money or do we manage with “funny” money that pays bills, but we do not really know how to get hold of it and use it properly?

In some countries there is no longer money you can handle. There is no business unless an automatic machine likes you and gives you what you need. If you do not know how to handle it, you had better get used to new invisible currencies.

I remember standing in front of such a machine on a trip to Europe, trying to get a ticket, but nothing happened. A friendly fellow traveller came up to me, smiling, “What’s wrong?”

“This automatic machine does not want to serve me. I can’t get the ticket I need.” He pressed a couple of buttons, pushed in a coin I had never seen before, the machine rattled, and disgorged what I wanted. What impressed me more, the friendly and helpful travelling companion, or the “friendly” machine? Are we just dependent now on “friendly” machines”? I think “friendly and helpful” people are still indispensable. However friendly automats may be, I hope I will always find a kind human being, a person with an open purse.

Which brings me back to that mother of five school-going children. She used to be my neighbour. But now she lives at her rural home of yesterday. Her husband was killed in a political fracas, her father-in-law perished on a bush-track, run over by a government vehicle. Maybe they were all of them unpopular as voting “wrongly”. Life is dangerous, a risky business, especially for people considered “politically unreliable”. And on top of that, without a steady income. “Love of money?” I do not think so. Love of life, love of her children was more likely to have exposed her to poverty and other such enemies .

I had no job for her, nothing to boost her income. I was just happy to meet her again, after years of little contact with her and her children.

I remember several catastrophic inflations. One was a matter of hearsay. My mother, working in her father’s law office, had to take the money customers had brought in the morning, and run to the next bakery to buy bread for the family. It had to be done as fast as possible, or else the money was just for the rubbish bin.

After World War II there was another inflation. A new currency in 1948 saved us from more fake money and useless banknotes. That was in East Germany. But we were about to emigrate to the West.

Mother had managed to find some “genuine” western money. Before we boarded a train to take us to the border which we wanted to cross illegally, she sewed the few banknotes she had into the lining of my little coat in the hope that the Russian border guards would not find them. With that money we bought the first oranges and bananas we had ever seen and eaten.

This prepared me for the multi-currency regime of Zimbabwe. Living in Mbare, near Stoddard Hall, one morning I found a long line of “bearer cheques” scattered along the street. Someone with a bit of “black humour” had left them there. US $ notes were to take their place soon after.

Money, especially banknotes, are a matter of trust. What can you do with paper currencies? In the days of my parents’ parents they were supposed to stand for the gold standard. Grandpa’s money which Mama took to the bakery was useless, unless it stood for something of economic substance and value. Zimbabwe was once a gold producing country.

The Portuguese and then the British came here precisely because they expected to find something of value when they were digging deep down into gold and silver mines. Even copper was very desirable and wanted by the arms of industry, for instance during the Vietnam War.

The Central Bank keeps promising that they will print new money. But what for? If the economy produces nothing, new crisp bank notes do not buy even fresh tomatoes from Domboshava. Mama’s new money will not be accepted even by the headmaster of her children’s school.

Let them print new money. But can we trust them? What will the new “bearer cheques” stand for?
For gold? That is not very likely. Can we trust the banks that the new money will buy us mealie meal and put sadza on the table? We hope the new currency will at least be accepted in “kombis” to take us to work, our children to school, and all of us back home.

We must be able to trust the money printers at least that far.

 Father Oskar Wermter writes here in his person capacity

By Mthandazo Nyoni

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) says it is being sued by several companies for failing to pay them in United States dollars as per contractual agreements.

BCC concluded a number of contracts with its clients in US dollar terms, before government outlawed the use of foreign currency for domestic transactions.

This has resulted in the local authority failing to pay its clients in forex, a situation that has opened legal floodgates.

“As you know, we are not allowed to collect United States dollars. It brings us to a problem where we cannot import essential things like water treatment chemicals,” BCC financial director Kimpton Ndimande told delegates attending a recent ZNCC trade and investment conference.

“We have big contracts that we concluded in US dollars before that SI (SI 142 of 2019) came in and now we can’t pay that contractor in US dollars. That obviously brings us untold problems in the contractual area. We are sued left, right and centre, because they don’t care what the SI says. They want their money.”

Meanwhile, Ndimande said government should make available soft loans to local authorities for infrastructural development.

“Government should also give us money to take care of our vulnerable in society. We used to have appropriations from government for that,” he said.
Ndimande bemoaned high electricity tariffs, saying they were choking the city.

“Greening the city, we would like to see a lot more being done in the budget for greening. I can tell you right now that electricity charges are beyond the ability of the city,” he said.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority recently approved a 320% electricity tariff increase to 162,16 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Ndimande pleaded with the government to scrap the 2% tax levied on electronic transactions, saying the tax was choking their operations.

“We would like to see that 2% tax scrapped. We are a price taker. Right now, a lot of you up there want us to pay this 2% twice. We pay it as a consumer, but then you want us to pay you for further transactions on that 2%. That’s what we are experiencing right now. So those are the things that affect us as a city. We would like to see this 2% in the budget set aside,” he said.

SUCCESS LIFE: Jonah Nyoni

If you travel to other countries that’s when you feel that Brand Zimbabwe has been shuttered. Who do we blame? All of us. Let’s never lie to each other, our brand has been years in destroying and we need to rebuild it together. We have let politics lead, and that has tainted the brand.

We have blamed each other and that has not brought any help. We need to put down our political and personal egos and work together in building our country. My mother always tells me the old stories about Zimbabwe and it was indeed the envy of many countries in the seventies and before. It was glowing, growing and glamorous. But, what really happened? Zimbabwe is not positively perceived by many other countries. We may try to defend and justify ourselves, but the truth is that our relations with other countries are not as great as we would want them to be. We want to relate with other countries because we are going there as beggars and that’s very unfortunate. A positive brand is crucial for success. People don’t just buy products, they buy the feeling associated with the brand. Rob Brown once said, “Your reputation is your personal share price in stock market of life”.

11 Cs that will make Zimbabwe stand out:

Clarity — Collectivism is needed and the leader should lead everyone to work together. We can only work together if we are clear about what we want to achieve as a country. Our Capriciousness in policy, politics, and promises has made us not to be really clear about want we want to achieve.

Create — Zimbabwe has become a consumer. It used to be the breadbasket, but now we running everywhere to consume. We must create products that are competitive, and compelling. We have PR stunts, but that to me is trying to gloss over the whole thing.

Communication — We need to tell the world about Zimbabwe. Speak with one voice and say the truth. Truly Zimbabwe is endowered with great tourist places and that must be sold.

Consistence — We need to stick to the bigger story about Zimbabwe and that should bring us together despite our political differences. Most people would agree that Zimbabwe is a good country, but they never try to sell it.

Collectively re-build — Zimbabwe needs to be rebuilt. Other nations such as Botswana have been building their structures and roads that align to 21st century needs. But with us, it’s like we stopped and parked. Not, only that, we began to fight each other. What we are left with are fights between political parties. Secondly, we have leaders that are not listening to the yearning and cries of the people. If our leaders could truly listen to us, and endeavour to build this nation we can become great.

Collaborate — Success is when you are able to engage other people to help you build your dream. Zimbabwe can never win alone. We should stop behaving as if we don’t need other countries.

Conscious — We need to be clear and put a deliberate effort to rebuild Zimbabwe. If you truly listen to people; people are bitter and they are constantly speaking about the melting economy and the genuine every day struggles in eking out a better life That should change. Leadership must now want, will and walk the talk of rebuilding Zimbabwe.

Competitive — We must now become competitive on a global scale. That can be achieved if we work hard as a country with specific goals we want to achieve and practical means of how to achieve that. We must reward people based on merit. You walk into a government office, you feel it’s a ghost office. The basic office furniture is too old. A good example is the Zimbabwe Republic Police offices, the Passport office and the Birth and death offices. They are run down and people are not motivated to work. Leadership must trigger excellency. When crossing the Beitbridge border you see a marked difference between the Zimbabwe and South African Immigration offices. Peter Drucker said we live in an era of 3 Cs. Overwhelming complexity. Accelerated change. Tremendous competition”. Raise the standard.

Change — Things have changed and the question is has Zimbabwe changed for the positive. This life is constantly changing, evolving and progressing. The first step to change, is by challenging what we created as a country in the past.

Confidence — Leaders must build confidence. Confidence is the great currency that people are willing to buy from Zimbabwe. People buy brands they trust. Zimbabwe must be a trusted brand. We must say no to corruption and underhand deals.

Commit — We must be committed to building Zimbabwe first before we ask for other countries to give us a hand.

A great brand does not come easily, but you have to be willing to win together. We must make it a point that the promise of Zimbabwe is clear.

Jonah Nyoni is an author, success coach and certified leadership/business trainer. He is the author of Inspiration for Success and Success Within Reach.

BY Stephen Chadenga

GWERU City Council (GCC) has resurrected plans to install pre-paid water meters barely three months after saying it had indefinitely suspended the move due to the high costs involved in implementation.

In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Cleopas Shiri during a recent tour by officials from the National Defence University, mayor Josiah Makombe revealed that council was courting investors for the rehabilitation of both its water reticulation system and prepaid meter project.

“We have investment opportunities for those who are willing to take up rehabilitation of the water reticulation network and deployment of prepaid water meter system in the city,” Makombe said.

“We are also calling for investors who are willing to rehabilitate our sewage treatment plants and upgrade our reticulation system.”

Makombe added: “We have power challenges in Zimbabwe and as a local authority, we have created investment opportunities for anyone willing to venture into waste to energy power generation supply into the national grid.”

The city has on several occasions set aside plans to introduce prepaid meters and the latest move was likely to draw the ire of residents associations.

Gweru Residents Forum director Charles Mazorodze said his organisation would resist any attempt by council to impose prepaid meters on residents.

“As we have said before, any attempt to bring prepaid water meters through the back door will be met with stiff resistance,” he said.

“Water is a right and we cannot tolerate the move, particularly in a city where lives have been lost through typhoid and other water borne diseases.”

Council, however, argues that prepaid meters would improve its revenue collection base and remove of defaulting.

Residents owe the local authority more than $68 million in unpaid water bills.

BY PATRICIA SIBANDA/DARLINGTON MWASHITA

PARTICIPANTS at an inquiry on access to national documentation conducted by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) in Bulawayo on Tuesday made impassioned pleas for the government to decentralise registry offices.

Concerns were raised that long distances were hindering people in remote rural areas from acquiring national identification documents.

Trinity Project director, Phumulani Mpofu said his wish was for ZHRC to facilitate decentralisation of the registry offices.

“I once worked at Nsiza and I noticed people had to travel very long distances to get documentation. There is no accessible registration office in that area and we are asking the registry to open more of these offices so that the people do not have to walk discouraging miles just to get national documents,” he said.

Mpofu said the biggest challenge was the stringent Birth Registration Act, which negatively affected people in remote areas.

“We, as an organisation, are asking you to be very lenient with people who live in the outskirt regions of the country, when it comes to birth registration fee. May you please reduce (fees) because you have to consider that those people do not have much and the distance they travel is long,” Mpofu said.

He said legal guardians or custodians face challenges registering children without proper documentation of the biological parents.

“There are a lot of accidents that happen in the country, chronic diseases, economic migration as some of our brothers and sisters cross borders in search of improved economic opportunities, hence those who remain behind with the children face difficulties in acquiring documents for them,” Mpofu said.

ZHRC chairperson Elasto Mugwadi promised to take the matter to Parliament.

“We will benefit a lot from all your concerns and we are dedicated to compile them in the global report that will reach the government to make sure that these stringent laws which stop people from attaining proper documentation are removed,” Mugwadi said.

Bulawayo provincial registrar Jane Peters said participants had raised vital concerns which needed to be addressed.

“It was very insightful, especially when you spoke about the changing of laws, that was excellent overall,” Peters said.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

RESERVE Bank governor John Mangudya yesterday threw former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa under the bus after he refused to take responsibility for the US$3,2 billion Treasury Bills that were unlawfully issued from 2017 to 2018 mostly for the Command Agriculture programme.

He told Parliament that the illegalities were done by the Finance ministry, then under Chinamasa.

Mangudya had appeared before the Tendai Biti-led Public Accounts Committee to explain how the RBZ issued out the US$3, 6 billion TBs.

The meeting was highly emotional and tempers flared between the RBZ governor and Biti as the PAC interrogated the central bank boss over the issuance of the TBs without Parliament approval causing massive inflation currently affecting the country.

Biti and Mangudya did not give each other chances to speak during the heated exchanges until Chirumanzu MP Barbara Rwodzi berated them and pointed out that the meeting was about the PAC doing investigations on the US$3,6 billion and must not be personalised to issues between Mangudya and Biti.

Tempers flared when Biti accused the RBZ of bad corporate governance, arguing it was the central bank that broke the law by failing to advise the Finance ministry that they were treading on illegalities.

“The Ministry of Finance spent money outside the blue book and when they appeared before PAC, they said it was not their problem and they passed the snake to you (RBZ), and the schedule says that you spent US$2,1 billion in 2017 and US$1,5 billion in 2018, and the bulk of the money was spent outside Parliament approval and the Appropriation Act by the RBZ,” Biti said.

“When we go to the specifics, they will show that 90% of the TBs were generated by the RBZ, and as central bank governor, it means that you were oblivious that the Finance ministry was overspending, and on what legal basis did the RBZ breach the Constitution by spending US$2,1 billion in 2017 and US$1,5 billion in 2018 which was not approved by Parliament?”

Mangudya responded: “The question should be referred to the Ministry of Finance who gave you the information. It is they who should answer to you. The money was not spent by the RBZ. We just get an instruction from the principal agent (Finance ministry) who wrote letters for us to issue payments for Command Agriculture, and it is the Ministry of Finance who should give you the reasons why.”

He added: “It means they should answer — not me. There was an instruction from the Ministry of Finance that I should release US$1,5 billion TBs for the purchase of maize from farmers.

If the Ministry of Finance, which is the Executive, gives an instruction for an account to be paid, is it legal? The answer is it was legal.”

The PAC said the release of US$840 million used to pay for local grain without Parliament approval in 2018 triggered the Auditor-General and PAC to notice that there was something amiss with the manner in which funds were being used.

When Agriculture ministry secretary Ringson Chitsiko appeared before Parliament, he said he did not know about the payments and yet it was purported to have been used to purchase grain which is the mandate of his ministry.

“The answer is that the RBZ did not overspend. The Ministry of Finance should answer that question,” Mangudya insisted.

Cornered, the central bank governor then produced a 2009 letter where he claimed that Biti was accusing him of illegally releasing TBs for agricultural purposes and yet during the government of national unity, he (Biti) as Finance minister signed for TBs to be released for Command Agriculture.

Biti then read letters between Chinamasa and the RBZ which showed that the features and terms and conditions in the TBs were defined by the RBZ and not the Ministry of Finance. The law states that the features must be defined by the Finance ministry.

“If you look at the letters from Chinamasa, he was setting you (RBZ) up and you did not realise that he was putting you in a trap when you unlawfully set the features of the TBs because even if you go to court, Chinamasa will say it was the RBZ which issued the TBs and he will get away with it,” Biti said.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

OUTSPOKEN Ntabazinduna traditional leader, Chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni, has revealed that he used his incarceration period in August to write a book on the country’s appalling prison conditions.

Ndiweni spent time at Khami Maximum Prison on the outskirts of Bulawayo after he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment following his conviction alongside 23 other villagers for destroying one of his subjects’ property.

His co-accused, 23 other villagers, were given community service sentences.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa, however, granted Ndiweni $500 bail pending appeal against both conviction and sentence for destroying property belonging to his subject, Fetti Mbele.

On Tuesday, Ndiweni bemoaned appalling conditions at Khami Maximum Prison and revealed that he used his jail time to write a book on what needs to be done to refurbish the correctional holding centre in Bulawayo.

“I am not afraid of prison. There are good people there, who made my stay at Khami comfortable,” he said.

“However, the infrastructure there is old and needs refurbishment to improve living conditions. I used my time there to start writing a book on what needs to be done, particularly the need for private public partnerships to refurbish the prison and improve living conditions for inmates,” Ndiweni told journalists in Bulawayo on Tuesday.

Government has on several occasions been urged to increase budget allocations to the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) and enter partnerships with other stakeholders to improve inmates’ living conditions.

BY FORTUNE MBELE/HENRY MHARA

THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) has called on local soccer governing body Zifa to probe referees amid allegations of poor match officiating that reportedly resulted in violence flaring up in games involving the country’s top three clubs on Wednesday.

Games involving Dynamos, Caps United, ZPC Kariba and Highlanders were all marred by violence.

A match between Dynamos and champions FC Platinum at Rufaro Stadium had to be stopped for 16 minutes as the home supporters rained missiles onto the pitch in protest over referee Brighton Chimene’s decision to ignore a penalty appeal when striker Evans Katema went down following a challenge by FC Platinum goalkeeper Petros Mhari.

Katema was instead booked for assimilation, further infuriating the Dynamos supporters, already frustrated by Chimene who had earlier on disallowed Jarrison Selemani’s goal from an indirect free-kick.

While Chimene may have been correct to rule out the effort when Selemani scored directly from the kick, when the ball should have first come into contact with another player from either team, it did not improve his CV in the eyes of the spectators.

The penalty appeal decision effectively helped tip over the scales, with fans pelting Mhari every time he tried to take his position on goal. Twice the missiles landed on him, and he had to be attended to by the team’s doctors.

Video footage circulating on social media shows that Chimene may have made the wrong call, as Mhari looked like clattering on the dreadlocked striker who had been sent clean through on goal. The match which ended goalless, only resumed after the Dynamos executive pleaded with the supporters to calm down.

PSL, while condoning the hooliganism that followed, feels that the mistakes that match officials have been making of late are far too many, and Zifa should investigate them.

“The Premier Soccer League is appalled by skirmishes and match disturbances that took place during PSL fixtures played on Wednesday. The PSL strongly condemns the unacceptable behaviour witnessed at Rufaro during a match between Dynamos and FC Platinum, ZPC Kariba versus Highlanders at Nyamhunga and Chicken Inn versus Caps United at Barbourfields,” PSL said in a statement yesterday.

“Hooliganism has no place in our football and as such we urge football fans, players and administrators to respect the referee’s decision, to abide by the rules and regulations of the competition and to act in a responsible manner. We also call upon the Zifa referees committee to investigate the clubs’ complaints of poor match officiating.”

At Barbourfields, the match between Chicken Inn and log leaders Caps also had stoppages as the away supporters threw missiles onto the field after referee Happy Mabhena had awarded a questionable penalty to the home team.

Caps players walked off the pitch in protest and only returned after some lengthy discussions to see Passmore Bernard converting the penalty.

Chicken Inn won the match 1-0. Allegations are that the Caps players manhandled the match referee and security details at full time, and also destroyed property in the dressing rooms.

In Kariba, in the match against hosts ZPC Kariba and Highlanders, there was also commotion as players from both sides scuffled while supporters in the stands engaged in their own war following the expulsion of Prince Dube who was shown a red card by referee Tatenda Bvekerwa for a stamp on goalkeeper Future Sibanda.The chaotic scenes caused a five-minute match stoppage Zifa yesterday said the rogue elements would be identified and brought to book.

“We have seen footage circulating on social media depicting acts of hooliganism and violent scenes in some PSL matches played yesterday (Wednesday). We are waiting for match commissioners’ reports which we will study meticulously. However, let me hasten to state that violence and hooliganism have no place in our beautiful game. Hooliganism belongs to the Homo erectus era when human beings were still learning to walk. We are now in the new millennium where football celebrates tenets of fair play, respect, peace and tranquillity,” Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said.

“The association will also examine the footage and all these heinous elements causing mayhem will be identified and brought to book. In the process, Zifa will also invoke football statutes to ensure that these ghastly and violent elements are banned from attending our matches. We also appeal to the police to ensure that these hoodlums are prosecuted,” he
added.

editorial comment

WHEN people embark on a demonstration, it is to register certain concerns and have the targeted individual or audience address the said concerns. As Zanu PF has been planning their march against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States and the European Union, they would be wise to heed the US ambassador Brian Nichols’ sentiments.

Nichols represents the US government in Zimbabwe, and he is the best person to advise the government on what they ought to do to have the embargo lifted. Suffice to say he has already spoken, urging the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led government to implement the necessary political reforms, uphold the rule of law, effectively fight corruption, respect human rights and fully implement the 2013 Constitution.

This is like giving an examination candidate the answer sheet before they sit for the exam, and only a foolish student will write answers different from those on the answer sheet. And it looks like this is what Zanu PF is bent on doing today with their march, with those that will be used as foot soldiers in the march waking up the following day to the same old Zimbabwe of endless fuel queues, exorbitantly priced basic commodities and high cost of living.

Indeed sanctions are bad for they stagnant economic growth. The reality though is Zimbabweans are suffering under the weight of Zanu PF sanctions in the form of endemic corruption, poor governance and lack of political will to institute political reforms, among others.

So, the effects of sanctions could be a fraction as compared to the plunder by Zanu PF fat cats.

Yet those who are sending them onto the streets have fuel delivered to them, do not fret over the price of bread and will continue to enjoy the niceties of life. Surely, there are a few smart people in Zanu PF who can read through these phony agendas.

In fact, those that are marching today must demand that their leaders fulfil the demands that have been presented to them — which are the very same promises that Mnangagwa made when he became President, ostensibly having removed the late former President Robert Mugabe on the pretext that he was reluctant to implement those demands. Those that are marching should think about their children and the legacy they want to leave for them.

Out of nearly 16 million Zimbabweans, there are only 141 people and companies on the US sanctions’ list. And many of these are responsible for the hardships that the majority of people are facing. Why then would anyone with a brain that is functional go for that march? For what reason? This is not about sanctions. It’s about abuse of power, corruption, lack of reforms. It is not even a mystery what the government should do to have the sanctions lifted.

But one thing for certain is that the sanctions will not be removed because people have marched. You can be rest assured about that. They will only be removed when the necessary reforms have been implemented. Period!

Zimbabweans must push government for these reforms to happen — and at the very soonest too.

By Garikai Mafirakureva

THE opposition MDC Masvingo provincial executive yesterday said today’s anti-sanctions event should be used as an opportunity to mourn victims of State-sponsored brutality.

MDC Masvingo provincial spokesperson, Derrick Charamba, said they will be praying and mourning among others Tafadzwa Tamangani, a Harare vendor, who died at remand prison last week after he was brutally assaulted by police and denied treatment.

“As MDC Masvingo, we are happy the government has declared Friday (today) a national holiday, because that will give us time to meet and pray together with vendors. In fact, to us it is a national prayer and mourning day. Not only for the slain vendor, but for unarmed innocent civilians who were shot and killed on August 1, 2018,” Charamba said.

“We will also be mourning those who were killed in cold blood during the January fuel price hike demonstrations and all MDC cadres who were killed in the run-up to the June 27, 2008 election run-off, those who died in the wanton Gukurahundi genocide era, as well as those innocent people we lost during the 39 years of Zanu PF rule. So, it is obvious, we are not going to join people who will be marching against themselves.

“That is why we chose to declare Friday a day of praying and mourning. After all, we are not on the list of those placed under targeted sanctions, so why team up with people fighting their own wars? The whole thing shows that Zanu PF has reached unprecedented levels of desperation.”

Zanu PF Masvingo provincial vice-chairperson Ailess Baloyi said the main event will be held at Mucheke Stadium, while districts would be marching in their respective areas.

“A lot of old people are willing to join in the march. They have been asking about it for more than two weeks now and I am confident the event will be a success,” Baloyi said.

“This time, we are not going to bus people because we will end up ferrying those who do not have the same thinking with us, although this event is for everyone. So those in all the seven districts will organise their own marches at district level, and obviously it will be on the same day.”