sport reporter

YOKOHAMA — The Springboks will play England in the Rugby World Cup final after Handre Pollard scored 14 points to steer Rassie Erasmus’ team to a hard-fought 19-16 victory over Wales in Yokohama on Sunday.

Pollard nervelessly kicked the decisive penalty with four minutes to go, as the tense game threatened to go to extra time with the scores locked at 16-16.

“We’re in the final of the World Cup… but that’s only half way there. We’d love to win the World Cup,” South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus said.

“We play a classy England team in the final now, but we’re there. We’ve got a chance now and we might go all the way. You never know.”

It was a true battle of the boot as the 1995 and 2007 World Cup champions ground out a victory that consigned Wales to their third tournament semi-final defeat after previous losses in 2011 and 1987.

“It wasn’t our day, but I’m still proud to pull this jersey on and represent all the people in this stadium,” said Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones, who was close to tears.

The two teams played out a dreadful first half of rugby dominated by turgid set-piece, crash balls and aerial combat as both sides kicked the leather off the ball.

There was none of the verve shown by England in their gripping 19-7 victory over New Zealand on Saturday, but the slowed rhythm suited the Springboks and their giant pack of forwards, reprising the tactics they also employed in their 26-3 quarter-final victory over Japan.

Bok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk showed a spark of flamboyance at the very start of the game, darting down the shortside from a scrum and chipping ahead, George North just doing enough to cover on the bounce.

But any glimmer of bright, attacking rugby quickly faded amid a first quarter mired by never-ending scrum resets and poor kicking.

When Justin Tipuric failed to roll away, Pollard stepped up and made no mistake with a simple first penalty, quickly neutralised by Dan Biggar when Willie Le Roux strayed offside, before the Bok flyhalf got his second after a Welsh scrum wheeled.

Aerial ping-pong resumed, Wales scrumhalf Gareth Davies eventually spilling a ball to hand the Boks advantage, as the first “Mexican Wave” rippled around the stadium on 25 minutes to rival the action on the pitch.

Wales came pouring in at the side of a driving maul and Pollard made no mistake with his third penalty.

Welsh woes continued as tighthead prop Tomas Francis, the most used player by Gatland since the last World Cup with 41 Tests played, injured his shoulder in a tackle on Duane Vermeulen from the restart.

One of Gareth Davies’ many box kicks almost came to fruition as Biggar fielded and offloaded to North, but the rare sortie into Bok territory was ended by a smart tap-tackle by the ubiquitous de Klerk.

North, clutching a leg, followed Francis off the pitch as Biggar kicked his second penalty after Aaron Wainwright was taken out off the ball to make it 9-6 at half-time, both teams shuffling off the pitch in front of a subdued arena.

Biggar levelled the scores with his third penalty early in the second period, before Damian de Allende finally broke the try-scoring deadlock.

The Bok centre shrugged off a weak challenge by Biggar and fended off Owen Watkin and Tomos Williams for a fine individual five-pointer that Pollard converted.

With 20 minutes to play Wales spurned a shot at goal to go for deep lineout. The maul was thwarted, but the Welsh went through multiple phases and were eventually awarded another penalty in front of the posts, electing to go for the scrum.

The bold decision, made to gasps from the crowd, paid off as Ross Moriarty managed to get the ball to Tomos Williams, who fed Jonathan Davies, the centre’s instantaneous pass finding Josh Adams, who crossed in the corner for his sixth try of this World Cup.

Halfpenny hit the conversion to put the scores level and with Wales suddenly in the ascendancy.

But Rhys Patchell and Pollard both missed with ambitious drop-goal attempts before the latter kicked his crucial fourth penalty to eliminate Wales and set up a final against England on Saturday.
—AFP

BY CHARLES LAITON

THE late former President Robert Mugabe has been posthumously sucked into the Ndanga chieftainship wrangle after the ex-President in 2017 installed Wilson Makono as Zaka district’s Chief Ndanga, defying advice from clan members.

Mugabe was dethroned exactly eight months after confirming Makono’s appointment as Chief Ndanga.

Clan head, Abias Chigwagwa said before Makono’s installation he petitioned Mugabe and then Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere after the local district administrator erroneously handpicked Makono for the chieftainship, but his pleas were ignored.

“Before and after his (Makono) appointment by the (then) President (Mugabe) himself as chief, based on the erroneous belief that due process of law had been followed; I tried to stop his installation and seek his removal from the position of chief by petitioning the President, writing to the (then) minister (Kasukuwere), as well as to the provincial assembly of chiefs to no avail,” Chigwagwa said in his affidavit.

After his advice was ignored, Chigwagwa then referred the matter to the High Court which recently gave current Local Government minister July Moyo, the provincial assembly of chiefs and national chiefs council a 30-day ultimatum to resolve the Ndanga chieftainship wrangle.

Justice Clement Phiri’s order came after Moyo, Masvingo provincial assembly of chiefs and the representatives of the national chiefs council failed to turn up in court despite being served with court papers.

“The respondents (Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing, provincial assembly of chiefs and the national council of chiefs) are hereby compelled to facilitate dispute resolution to the Ndanga chieftainship clan in terms of section 283 (a) (i) and (ii) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013 within a month of service of this order upon them,” Justice Phiri said.

In his founding affidavit, Chigwagwa submitted that he was the clan leader and responsible for submitting details of the suitable candidate for the chieftainship.

“The district administrator, however, chose and forwarded Wilson Makono’s name as the potential chief-to-be, acting on his own and not as submitted by myself, yet I am the head of the clan and family tree record keeper,” Chigwagwa said.

“In addition, the process done by the DA in appointing Wilson Makono as chief was improper since my family, as the custodian of the Ndanga chieftainship process, was not consulted or given an opportunity to have a say at the meeting.”

Chigwagwa added that Makono was not a member of the Ndanga clan and had no right to assume the chieftainship.

by sport reporter

MUNICH — Robert Lewandowski (pictured) became the first Bundesliga player to score in his club’s first nine matches of the season as Bayern Munich went top of the table with a 2-1 win over Union Berlin.

The Poland striker scored his 19th goal of the season early in the second half to double Bayern’s advantage, after Benjamin Pavard’s first-half opener.

Sebastian Polter pulled a goal back for Union Berlin, but Bayern held on.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund went third after a goalless draw with Schalk Bayern’s win moves them one point above Freiburg, who moved up to second after beating RB Leipzig 2-1. Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg can return to the top two places if they win their games on Sunday.

This year, no other player has scored more goals for their club than Lewandowski, with this latest strike taking his tally for 2019 to 37 in as many appearances. That is more than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.

The winner against Union Berlin beats the previous Bundesliga scoring record set by current Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored in each of the first eight games of the 2015-16 season.

In total, the 31-year-old has scored 19 goals in his 14 appearances in all competitions this campaign, including in each of Bayern’s past 13 games. His only blank came in the 2-0 defeat by Dortmund in the German Super Cup back on August 3.

He even scored a hat-trick for Poland in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Latvia earlier this month.
—BBC Sport

BY CHARLES LAITON

FORMER Finance minister Christopher Tichaona Kuruneri has approached the High Court seeking an order to bar Mines minister Winston Chitando and his subordinates from issuing mining licences, permits or certificates to miners who have invaded his Ascotvale Farm in Mazowe.

In an application filed at the High Court last week, Kuruneri also cited the Mashonaland Central mines commissioner, provincial mines director and Mines secretary as respondents.

Kuruneri said he bought the farm sometime in 1997 and embarked on crop and livestock farming until recently when small-scale gold miners invaded the property after being issued with permits by government.

He claimed the miners had caused huge environmental damage and adversely affected his farming operations.

“This is an application for a declaratur against the mining authorities that any mining licences, permits or certificates that they issue or have issued to prospective miners on my farm, Ascotvale Farm in Mazowe, without the prior issuance of an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate by the Environmental Management Agency are null and void and of no force and effect,” he said.

“In this application I (Kuruneri) seek an order preventing the above cited mining authorities from issuing mining licences, permits or certificates in respect of any mining claim situated on Ascotvale Farm without an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate issued by the Environment Management Agency (EMA) in terms of section 97 of the Environmental Management Act.”

The former Finance minister further said the illegal and unplanned activities at his farm were posing a real risk to his livestock.

“Uncontrolled mining activities like prospecting, excavations and unprotected mineshafts pose physical danger to my farm, employees, family, visitors, cattle and other livestock, apart from degradation and damage to the environment,” Kuruneri said.

“There have been several incursions onto the farm by various groups of people intending to carry out mining activities on the strength of certificates, permits and licences issued by the first and second respondents, the mining commissioner Mashonaland Central and the provincial mining director, respectively.”

“As a result of the respondents’ conduct, I have now been constrained to engage in costly litigation against those coming to the farm to conduct mining activities without the requisite certificates but having been issued with permits or licences by the respondents,” he said.

The matter is pending.

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa said the poor turnout at the government-organised anti-sanctions march last Friday served to confirm President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF’s fast shrinking support base.

Mnangagwa, buoyed by solidarity messages from other Sadc leaders, led a national march against the Western-imposed sanctions in Harare on Friday, declaring the day a public holiday to enable Zimbabweans to attend in large numbers.

The ruling party youths had pledged to mobilise at least 50 000 people for the main event at the giant 60 000-seater National Sports Stadium (NSS) in Harare, but only about 7 000 — mostly State security agents and students attended.

This is despite the provision of government-sourced free transport, food, T-shirts, a soccer match and an all-night musical extravaganza after Mnangagwa had addressed a near empty stadium.

“There was a big sign in the stadium,” Chamisa said, referring to the poor attendance.

“If Mnangagwa is choosing to ignore this sign, he will be victim, like the biblical Pharaoh.”

According to the book of Exodus, Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, refused to set the Israelites free to go and worship their own God, even after 10 plagues, representing God’s power over the Egyptian gods, were inflicted on Egypt.

Chamisa added: “He (Mnangagwa) can come with Sadc to roll out a false war, but the message was huge and only an ignorant and arrogant leader can ignore that. But, I know him; wisdom is not his regular visitor due to arrogance and ignorance and arrogance are twins.”

The low attendance at the anti-sanctions march created a butt of jokes and ridicule of Mnangagwa, with social media platforms buzzing with people questioning how the Zanu PF leader won the 2018 presidential poll.

But Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi denied reports that the march was a flop.

“It was not a flop. Zimbabwe, Sadc and the whole African Union sent a clear message that the sanctions are unfair, unjustified and an unwarranted interference in our affairs by the West,” Mutodi said.

“We are a sovereign country; we deserve to be treated equally irrespective of the colour of our skin. We are black people, we will never be whites. What belongs to us we have taken and that is the land of our ancestors, the real reason we went to the liberation struggle.”

He added: “We have no regrets about that. Chamisa is a worshipper of whites. He believes whites are superior to blacks and he wants them to take over our inheritance. We say no to that.”

Norton MP Themba Mliswa (Independent) said the glaring poor attendance at the anti-sanctions march further exposed Zanu PF leaders’ poor mass mobilisation skills.

“My advice is to use Gwanzura Stadium and Rufaro Stadium for the next national events, the NSS exposes the truth about the leadership of Zanu PF, out of touch with the masses as none of them have been elected into office,” Mliswa tweeted at the weekend.

He added: “The ‘no show’ by the masses is a clear message to the President that the masses do not believe in the provincial leadership simply because the masses never voted for the provincial leaders. (Zanu PF national commissar Victor) Matemadanda must take heed and dissolve the provincial structures.

“The focus on Zanu PF is purely on the basis that Zanu PF is the ruling party. It is up to them to deliver on their manifesto. With all the money and food invested, there was poor attendance for the March.”

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA

THE European Union (EU) and United States (US) have scoffed at the anti-sanctions march held by government on Friday, saying the restrictive measures would remain in place until President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has fulfilled its reform pledge.

Mnangagwa on Friday led a poorly attended Sadc-brokered march demanding the unconditional lifting of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, saying they were stifling economic growth and hurting ordinary citizens. The sanctions were imposed by the West at the turn of the century in reaction to government’s gross human rights violations and electoral fraud during the late former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.

But EU ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen and US foreign relations committee chair Senator Jim Risch challenged Harare to spend more energy on addressing the key issues which invited the sanctions than on protest marches.

“(The) EU is looking at what is on the ground, what is the actual situation on the ground and these are the kind of issues that can come into play for us to lift the sanctions,” Olkkonen told HStv on Friday while Mnangagwa was addressing his followers at the National Sports Stadium.

“Lifting of the sanctions is not decided on street marches or social media campaigns; this will not divert attention on the situation on the ground. Frankly speaking, there are a lot of other issues challenging Zimbabweans that would warrant attention than the EU restrictive measures.”

He added: “We are not moved by the march at all. A stadium event would not be in any way decisive.”

Olkkonen said the bloc was contesting the narrative by Mnangagwa that the sanctions were behind the economic meltdown.

“I strongly disagree. Zimbabwe is not where it is because of the so-called sanctions, but years of mismanagement of the economy and corruption, but that blame has shifted to the EU, I disagree.”

The US, which slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act, also responded to Mnangagwa’s march by adding State Security minister Owen Ncube on the sanctions list, for leading State-sanctioned human rights abuses under the new dispensation.

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Jim Risch also accused Mnangagwa of trying to deflect blame for the country’s economic crisis by blaming Western sanctions, advising the Zimbabwean leader to focus on improving his governance record.

“The ruling party should focus on the needs of the Zimbabwean people instead of their bad governance, corruption and State capture,” Risch said, blasting Sadc’s solidarity as misdirected energy.

“Regional institutions should also focus their energies on supporting democracy, not kleptocratic regimes.”

The regional bloc resolved at its last summit in Tanzania in August to campaign in solidarity with Zimbabwe for the removal of the sanctions.

Olkkonen denied that sanctions were part of the Western governments’ regime change strategy, claiming the EU was working with civic organisations and through United States organs for advocacy and human rights, nothing more.

“We don’t give material and financial support to anyone for regime change agenda. We work with everyone, government and the opposition; it is my right as a diplomat. We are supporting NGOs (non-governmental organisations) on their advocacy work on human rights issues and it is not a regime change agenda.”

He said funding from the bloc was normally supposed to be distributed in full consultation with the host government, but due to problems regarding how the Zanu PF government has mismanaged public funds, aid to Zimbabwe was now being channelled via United Nations organs and other civic organisations.

Olkkonen also denied the sanctions were a response to the land redistribution programme that saw commercial white farmers being displaced, insisting human rights issues and democracy were at the centre of the embargoes.

In his address at the National Sports Stadium, Mnangagwa said the land reform programme triggered the sanctions, but vowed it was an irreversible process.

Olkkonen said he appreciated that the programme was irreversible, but insisted that the way it was implemented created problems for the country, resulting in a lot of productive land lying fallow and half the population in need of food aid.

“How to move forward, it is a politically sensitive issue in Zimbabwe and we cannot dictate what government should do,” he said, revealing how the bloc has been working with the Zimbabwean government in the development of a new land policy and ownership.

BY TAFADZWA MHLANGA

THE Ministry of Women Affairs Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has revealed that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) received loans and grants amounting to US$136 million from mostly government between 2014 and 2018.

A huge chunk of the money was channelled by government arms during the duration of the MSMEs policy that spanned from 2014 to 2018. Women Affairs Community, SMEs Development secretary, Rudo Chitiga told delegates attending the MSMES 2014 to 2018 policy review in Harare last week.

“The ministry recorded over US$136 million which supported the sector as loans and grants. A total of US$24 million was provided to SMEDCO by government for on-lending to MSMEs. The government has ring-fenced revenue paid through presumptive tax for on-lending and infrastructure development for the sector. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s SME funding facility included the cross-border facility which was US$15 million; the gold support facility, (US40million); the women empowerment fund, (US$15 million); business linkages facility, (US$10 million); and the horticulture facility, (US$10 million),” Chitiga said.

Another US$22 million came from various development partners. While the amount does not factor in loans from local banking institutions, financial institutions have been tightening screws on non-performing loans. Moreso, most MSMEs do not have collateral, one of the stringent lending requirements needed by banks.

Chitiga urged the government to further support MSMEs because they contribute to the improvement of the country’s economy. “In order for the MSME sector to meaningfully contribute to the economy, there is need for a collaborative and well-coordinated approach to nurture and promote sustainable development of the sector. Zimbabwe’s economy is largely driven by SMEs, it is important for government to invest more into the sector to maximise on the untapped potential to the mainstream economy,” Chitiga said.

“Access to workspace such as factory shells and market stalls is still a big challenge and there is need to have a deliberate policy to address this challenge. There are unfavourable policies to promote formalisation of the MSMEs sector which include rigid local authorities by-laws, unsuitable tax laws for the sector and demand for fees and levies by various institutions,” she added.

She bemoaned limited collaboration of the sector by academic and research institutions, thereby inhibiting the sector from benefiting from innovations. She, however, urged the sector to speak with one voice.

Some 1 344 linkages involving 5 245 SMEs were created in sectors such as furniture, aquaculture, horticulture, retailing, food processing, honey, market gardening and construction sectors and 25 132 MSMEs were allocated workspace throughout the country. The type of infrastructure included factory shells, vendor markets, retail shops, open spaces, market stalls, tuckshops, boutiques, and sheds for individuals, hair salons, takeaways, flea markets and guest houses.

”Support services such as business management training, market linkages, association building and provision of equipment (leather and cotton clusters), among other business development support services, were provided. (Some 220) clusters were involved in leather, clothing, bee keeping, horticulture, carpentry and were trained in business management skills and cluster development in all provinces,” Chitiga said

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

INDUSTRY and economic analysts have urged Finance minister Mthuli Ncube to address issues of confidence deficit, corruption, policy inconsistencies and taxation, among others, in his 2020 National Budget to be unveiled next month. Ncube is expected to present his 2020 national budget in mid-November amid widespread pessimism. Speaking during the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce trade and investment conference in Bulawayo last week, industry officials and analysts said without addressing those issues, the budget will achieve nothing.

“For me, the budget needs to address the issue of confidence deficit. The issue about confidence building has to do with policies and I don’t know whether our budget is going to address those issues,” economist, Brett Chulu, said.

Chulu said the budget should also speak to issues contained in the transitional stabilisation programme, a short-term economic blueprint running from October 2018 to December 2020.
Government should also avoid policy inconsistencies, he noted.

“In terms of taxation, the normal practice in business is that businesses spend before they are taxed. That’s normal, but in Zimbabwe people are being taxed before they spend. I think that issue needs to be addressed,” he said.

Chulu added that the 2% tax needed to be scrapped because it was increasing the cost of doing business. ”There are too many taxes. If you look at agriculture . . ., the number of taxes are countless. We need to reduce those taxes,” he said.

Businesses also felt government should cut corporate tax or align it with other countries in the region like Botswana. An official from Elevate Trust, Admire Nyamande, said there was need for the budget to address innovation as a key issue.

“Right now we are seeing global companies closing down. Recently, we had Nokia almost at the verge of closing down but they had to come back due to innovation. To get the investors interested in investing in our local businesses, there should be confidence when it comes to innovation. What kind of graduates are we producing who make it to industry? If we are not innovative enough, then in means businesses will suffer at the end of the day,” Nyamande said.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe immediate past president Tapiwa Chizana said there should be investment into curtailing corruption because that also affected the confidence levels.

Bulawayo City Council financial director Kimpton Ndimande said government should make available soft loans for 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.

In his 2020 budget paper, Ncube speaks of the 2020 budget enhancing revenue collection through advancing the ongoing Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and other administrative reform initiatives on broadening the tax base and closing revenue
leakages.

BY Patricia sibanda

THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education last week proposed that children without proper documentation should be allowed to sit for public examinations.

The proposal was made by Bulawayo acting provincial education director Olicah Fikelephi Kaira at the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) public hearing on access to national documents in the city.

Kaira said both birth certificates and national identity cards were essential documents required from all pupils before they register for examinations.

“Birth certificates are a pre-requisite document by the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) when candidates register for any national exam, be it Grade 7, O Level and A Level… Most of all at O and A, national identity cards are required upon registration for examinations,” Kaira said.

She also said statistics showed that out of 54 479 pupils enrolled in secondary schools, 961 do not have either national ID or birth certificates and in primary schools out of the 133 143 enrolled 12 808 pupils did not have birth certificates.

Kaira said it was the children’s right to have both access to proper citizenship documentation and their right to education, hence they should be allowed to sit for public examinations.

“Yes, I think these children should be allowed to write examinations even if they have no documents, because it is their summative way of evaluating their school work and a way of shaping their future,” she noted.

Kaira revealed that the Primary and Secondary Education ministry had requested the Registrar-General’s office to decentralise registration offices so that they are easily accessible.
She added that they were advocating for easy access to documentation, particularly for orphaned children.

Commissioner Japhet Ndabeni Ncube also raised concern that children were failing to continue with their education because of lack of documentation.