BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA/MISHMA CHAKANYUKA

BUSINESSES yesterday convened a crisis meeting to map a way forward as the country’s electricity challenges continue weighing down industrial productivity.

The latest spell of power cuts has made a dire situation even more desperate for a sector which is already operating way below capacity because of antiquated machinery, weak consumer demand and lack of access to affordable lines of finance from the global market.

The southern African nation is currently producing less than half its peak demand for power of about 1 800 megawatts due to the low water levels at Kariba Dam
and ageing infrastructure at its Hwange thermal power plant.

The power utility has enforced an aggressive load-shedding schedule, which has seen industry and households go for up to 17 hours a day without electricity.

Some ingenious companies are now only operating between 10pm and 4am when electricity is available.

“The power cuts have been devastating for industry. Some companies have suspended operations, while others have opted to operate at night for the few hours
power is on. Generators are being used by some, but this makes production very expensive,” Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Henry Ruzvidzo told
NewsDay Business yesterday.

“Zesa has indicated that on stage 2 load-shedding, only essential services will be spared. Customers, including those on dedicated lines, have been subjected
to load-shedding.”

The country’s telecoms network is also reeling from the acute power shortages, which have seen some operators switch off base stations in the absence of power.

Those that are relying on backup generators are also finding the going tough because of the costly price of diesel when it is available.

Government recently increased the price of fuel to ZWL$5,85 a litre of diesel, but the resource remains scarce.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

THE Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) says hotels operating in Victoria Falls should be allowed to receipt payments in foreign currency, after government outlawed the multi-currency system.

On Tuesday, Cabinet agreed that hotels in the resort town should pay their electricity bills in forex to guarantee power availability.

“What needs to be done is to also let hotels be allowed to receipt in forex for both locals and foreigners. Also, for the tourism capital, Victoria Falls, let it be exempted from load shedding after the compelling to pay electricity in forex. Also, we feel the operators should retain 100% of forex earnings to cushion the bills and imports of other commodities that are not available locally,” HAZ president Innocent Manyera told NewsDay in a phone interview yesterday.

“So it can be a welcome development if load shedding is exempted to the Victoria Falls since they will be paying in forex and tourists can enjoy seamless
experience without power interruption.”

Manyera said the current level of load shedding being experienced in the country was threatening viability of the sector.

“The sector got potential, but without reliable sources of power all will be fruitless. We need power for lighting, kitchen production, laundry and pumping
water, among other things. So without it operations have been difficult. It will be an advantage if Victoria Falls, as a town is rest assured of electricity
and rest assured of charging in forex,” Manyera said.

Dubai — The introduction of concussion replacements and a change to over-rate punishments were two of the major decisions made at the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual conference in London, where the headline was the decision to suspend Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) with immediate effect.

The ICC board unanimously decided that the full member had failed to fulfil their obligation to provide a process for free and democratic elections and to ensure that there is no government interference in its administration for cricket.

ICC funding will be suspended, and representative teams from the country will be barred from participating at ICC events, putting their participation in
October’s Men’s T20 World Cup qualifier in jeopardy.

“We do not take the decision to suspend a member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference,” ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said.

“What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious breach of the ICC constitution and we cannot allow it to continue unchecked. The ICC wants cricket to continue in
Zimbabwe in accordance with the ICC constitution.”

Concussion replacements will also be introduced following successful trials in domestic cricket.

The player will need to be a like-for-like substitute, and any such switch will need to be approved by the match referee.

The change will come into effect from August 1, meaning the first game for which they will be in play will be the first men’s Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

Also significant is an alteration to punishments for maintaining a slow over-rate. Captains will no longer face suspension, but players face point deductions
in the ICC Test Championship for breaches.

ICC

BY XOLISANI NCUBE

GOVERNMENT yesterday agreed to extend the $400 cushioning allowance to all civil servants at a meeting with the Apex Council.

“The government brought different offers which ranged from 25% of total earnings of a civil servant to 50% of the same, which we vehemently rejected as it fell too short to address the incapacitation faced by the civil servants,” the Apex Council said in a statement last night.

“Through further negotiations and dialogue, we have achieved to make the government pay each and every civil servant the sum of $400 as a once-off payment
together with the salary of July regardless of one’s grade.”

Talks on cost of living adjustment are still on-going.

On Wednesday, opposition MPs took to task Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare deputy minister Lovemore Matuke on allegations that government awarded an
over $400 cushion allowance to soldiers while offering other civil servants $97.

Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu (MDC) led the MPs in grilling Matuke why government had paid members of the military over $400 when other civil servants got
a pittance.

“What is the government policy in relation to the remuneration of civil servants cushioning allowances, noting the considerable differences across the civil
service, for example, the military getting a cushioning allowance of $400 while the rest of the civil service have to do with only $97,” he said.

But Matuke said he was not aware how much members of the military were given.

He said negotiations were still in progress to come up with a figure that would be allocated to the civil servants.

“So, we hope that by the end of the week or early next week, we will come up with a figure so that people can come up with the comparison if there is anything
to compare. Thank you so much,” Matuke said.

His response attracted further questions from MPs, with Prosper Mutseyami asking why soldiers were paid when other civil servant were still in talks with
government.

“I do not know where my colleague is getting that information. What I am saying here is that the negotiations are still on and the ZW$90 which the member is
trying to put across in this house is not yet official. So, what we are simply saying is that let us wait until the conclusion on the negotiating table,”
Matuke responded.

Innocent Gonese followed through with his question, asking Matuke to either confirm or refute allegations that the army was paid $400.

“Madam Speaker, the honourable member has no documentary evidence to what he is saying. What I can only say in this House is, if the honourable member feels
that they were given ZW$400 without any proof, then I am not in a position to know those issues,” Matuke said.

The Labour deputy minister said government was also still in talks for a cushioning allowance for pensioners because their salaries, just like civil servants’,
had been eroded by inflation.

“The cushioning allowance for pensioners is still under discussion and the amount that they will be given will be determined by the Ministry of Finance and
Economic Development. In fact, the point we are trying to stress here is that whatever payment that will be paid to the civil servants will be worked in
relation (to) our current budget,” Matuke said.

“Yes, I agree with you Madam Speaker that there is need to increase the salaries for civil servants, but as you know, there is a discussion between the
employee and our ministry to try and establish the proper figures.”

Liverpool — Malawi yesterday recorded a 59-43 win over African rivals Zimbabwe to secure third place in Group F today.

The Queens continued their impressive tournament so far, and have now given themselves a real chance of securing a top six finish.

The match was the first ever World Cup meeting between the sides, who had both impressed during the tournament so far.

Malawi were able to bring Joyce Mvula back into the team, while Zimbabwe were again backed by their increasing band of supporters, whose vocal and vibrant
backing of their team – World Cup debutants – has become a fantastic feature of the competition.

It was the Zimbabweans who started the better, taking advantage of what was a scrappy start to the game to establish a 4-1 lead, but some good work defensively
from Towera Vinkhumbo allowed Malawi to find their feet, and then come roaring back.

Mvula and the ever-dependable Jane Chimaliro helped to take the scoreline out to 10-5 in the Queens’ favour, before the teams traded goals in a more even
period, to end the first quarter at 12-8 to the Malawians.

Zimbabwe brought on the talismanic figure of Pauline Jani for the second quarter, and she made a positive impact, scoring with her first three attempts early
on in the quarter.

However, the dominant figure in the goal third was undoubtedly Vinkhumbo, and her assured play was replicated further up the court as Malawi embarked upon a
scoring streak.

They took their lead out to ten (22-12) midway through the quarter, and despite a mini Zimbabwean revival – encouraged by their passionate support – the margin
stayed consistent at half time, with Malawi going in 28-18 up.

The Queens took that momentum into the third quarter, scoring the first seven goals of the segment as Vinkhumbo’s outstanding performance continued, and Mvula
and Chimaliro continued to work well together in the opposing circle.

Joice Takaidza registered Zimbabwe’s first goal of the quarter six minutes in, and the Zim Gems put together a much more cohesive performance in the second
half of the quarter, eventually only losing it by four.

However, Malawi’s overall lead was growing, and was out to 43-29 by the end of the third period.

The final quarter was to prove the tightest of the game, as Zimbabwe put together an impressive finish, but Malawi had done more than enough to sew up victory
and go into the play-off and placing games with real confidence.

The outstanding Vinkhumbo was replaced with three minutes left – Malawi’s first change of the match – while there was a more worrying substitution for
Zimbabwe, who saw Takaidza leave the arena via a wheelchair after a collision. Malawi will now play the fourth-placed finishers in Group G to determine who
will play-off for fifth place.

Player of the match Vinkhumbo said: “We are happy because we wanted to beat Zimbabwe. They are a tough team and they have been doing good in their games so
far, so we really wished to win this game.

“I am so pleased with my performance because it’s motivated me for the games remaining. I knew that if I intercepted more balls, it would give an advantage to
our side.”

nwc

BY STEPHEN CHADENGA

VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi has said government will soon review traditional leaders allowances because their earnings are meagre given the prevailing economic situation.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with Midlands chiefs on Wednesday in Gweru, Mohadi said the traditional leaders had raised concern over their welfare and that government was going to address their grievances.

“During our closed-door meeting, the chiefs raised burning concerns, including that of their welfare,” Mohadi said.

“We must understand that chiefs don’t have much in terms of allowances and we are definitely going to review their allowances.”

Mohadi, however, did not disclose how much the traditional leaders were demanding as an increment.

The demands by chiefs come at a time when government critics have questioned the pampering of chiefs given that government is struggling to meet demands tabled
by civil servants.

On Tuesday, government offered its workers a 50% cushioning allowance for July and salary increment of ZW$116 per individual from August to December.

Workers’ representatives, however, rejected the offer, saying the lowest paid civil servant should earn at least ZWL$4 750.

Last year, chiefs were given brand new Isuzu double-cab vehicles with government promising them more benefits such as land, houses and fuel, among others.

In December last year at the chiefs annual conference in Kadoma, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to exempt traditional leaders from paying land tax and
would be given more land and benefit from the command livestock initiative.

Critics, however, say the packages showered on chiefs are a vote-buying gimmick by the ruling Zanu PF party, which uses traditional leaders to coerce rural
voters to vote for the party.

But government maintains that since traditional leaders are custodians of the land, their welfare should be a top priority.

BY SHARON SIBINDI

HARD work and perseverance have paid off for Bulawayo artiste Xolani “X-Mile” Ndlovu who is set to launch his debut video — Qamazing (Fascinating) — on Saturday at Roots, Ascot Shopping Centre.

X-Mile, an Afro-pop artiste, songwriter and composer, told Southern Eye Life & Style, he felt it was now time for him to have a music video after concentrating on live performances all along.

“I decided to press a pause button and take a chill for a while so that I can work on my craft. Qamazing is one of the many fruits I bore from that. I was
driven by the fact that many people don’t take time to appreciate their loved ones until they don’t have them anymore,” he said.

X-Mile said the visuals in the video have an interesting storyline and the scenes were shot in different locations in Bulawayo.

“So this is such a huge and positive step for me because the single is not only being released as just an audio, but it’s coming with visuals. The visuals in
the video will be interesting in a sense that the song itself is a love song,” he said.

“At the same time it’s about appreciating someone special and one can have their own interpretation of the song.”

X-Mile said Qamazing means more than just amazing and the ‘Q’ was extracted from his native Ndebele language.

“It is a clique that puts together two languages, English and Ndebele, and it’s a way of discouraging racial, tribal and language divisions. It’s a way of promoting unity among us. We are like a rainbow, different colours but one bow, one people,” he said.

The musician said his fans should expect a celebration of a beautiful offering from X-Mile and an evening of interaction with fellow musicians, friends and family.

“Also a special thanks to those who gave their time to come and make this music video possible, including Dannie and Adrian Holland,” he said.

guest column Fr Oskar Wermter SJ

Whenever some calamity befalls us; illness, catching an infectious disease, an accident and injury, a bankruptcy in business, a failed examination, a failed marriage — we want to know what caused it in the first place.

This is not just African thinking; it is a common reaction to very many misfortunes, and in many places and for many centuries.

Witchcraft was denounced as a very heinous crime, and people denounced as witches were in many cases killed. When a witch was brought to court, lawyers were
rarely successful in saving their clients from being burned alive at the stake (which was the common cruel punishment).

I went to a school in Cologne (Germany) that had been founded in mid 16th Century. A teacher at that school was not only a brilliant professor, he was also a
deeply caring and very charitable pastor, as well as shepherd of afflicted souls, Fr Friedrich von Spee sj. He was a legal scholar and author of books on
jurisprudence. He knew the inside of many prisons all over Germany. That is where he found people (women more than men) who had been jailed for the crime of
witchcraft, tortured cruelly, and eventually faced execution by being burnt at the stake. He was a man who was striving to establish peace by making justice
prevail in the society of his day (17th Century).

A man of deep humanity, charity and compassion, but also of analytical intelligence and wisdom, he was convinced that most of these prisoners and victims of
torture were innocent. The common belief was – among the educated and simple workers, learned priests and their church congregations – that people suspected of
witchcraft were definitely guilty and deserved to die a cruel death by fire.

Cologne is an ancient city founded by Romans and famous as a city of trade, art and beautiful craftsmanship. It was also a city where many witches were held in
prisons, awaiting their day in court, where they were most likely found guilty and sentenced to death; rich, noble women as much as miserable poor workmen,
men of the Church as much as statesmen and city councillors.

Fr F von Spee sj was deeply distressed about these so-called “witches” being sent to burn without any proof of having committed a crime as well as executed
merely because they pleaded guilty after they broke down as a result of unbelievable cruelty during torture. He accompanied the victims of torture to the place
of their execution. His writings and public witness against beliefs pertaining to witchcraft and torture gradually changed public perception about this
heinous cruelty, and witchcraft trials began to gradually fade away.

Brothers in nasty fight over land, trade witchcraft accusations, read a headline in a recent Zimbabwean paper. Belief in witchcraft still exists in Europe,
even more so in Africa. But there is also the Witchcraft Suppression Act which goes back to colonial times. Provisions of the Act forbid say none should accuse
another of witchcraft which, of course, one could say, is the whole purpose of witchcraft beliefs. It is part of the universal “blame game”. It is a profound
human desire to have people who one can blame for one’s own failures, moral defects and sins. It is vital for people to be able to get rid of their own
feelings of guilt, by projecting them on substitutes.

Witchcraft belief is an expression of hatred, malice, envy and jealousy. Practising witchcraft and destruction with the power of evil spirits is related to
Satanism. It is sheer evil in action. To accuse someone of being a witch is a way of destroying a person, his character and denying him a place in civil
society.

You employ witches to destroy rivals and competitors in politics, business and even in sports. Allowing witchcraft allegations to be made against fellow
citizens is a way according to the popular consensus – of eradicating the practising of witchcraft. That is the justification for the Witchcraft Suppression
Act. But, in fact, the very existence of such legislation enhances the fear of witches and the dangers of such a mentality. The more people are accused of
practicing witchcraft, the greater the psychological terror emanating from such beliefs.

The prosecution of witches was always linked to torture as the instrument used in making witches known and prosecuting them, more often than not by sentencing
the alleged witches to death and executing them in a most cruel manner.

Torture is still being practiced under dictatorial and totalitarian regimes. It is used to eliminate one’s political opponent and rival of any kind. But
witchcraft is irreconcilable with human rights and the upholding of human dignity and value attached to human life.

During wars of liberation, witchcraft was used not only against the colonial and imperial regimes, but also against fellow freedom fighters and party members
who were suspected to be “sell-outs” and therefore guilty of treason. In this atmosphere of revenge, where unpopular members of liberation movements were
eliminated by way of “extra-judicial killings”, the death penalty was considered acceptable.

Attempts to suppress capital punishment as a political instrument was shunned. But do we not want to create a society free of shedding blood and revenge ? Do we not want to do away with cruel forms of execution like “necklacing”, “disappearing” of political enemies or kidnapping and killing them as a matter of revenge, without anyone ever knowing where they were buried?

Once we believe that witchcraft is a reality, we sell ourselves to “Satan” and all the evil forces in our universe. Witchcraft was practiced even in churches.
But Christianity is about light and life, not darkness and death. We must teach our children that they have nothing to fear from witches and evil spirits, if
only they have faith in our God, who is light. In him, there is no darkness at all. There are also no witches and the malice of witches in Him (1 John 1: 5). We must be free of such fear.

Media, which provide entertainment that lacks humanity, respect for human life and compassion for “disappeared” people and their families. (“Mama, where is Papa. Why does he not come back home?” heard in films perpetuates cruelty and sadism. Kidnappers who kill for political reasons are the true “witches” of today.

Elsewhere it has taken centuries to stamp out fear of witchcraft. Hopefully, we will eradicate it sooner than that.

echoes CONWAY TUTANI

Appearances can deceive big-time.

Perusing the South African media before that country’s general elections in May this year, one would have concluded that the ruling ANC was finished and would face annihilation and pulverisation at the polls. But, alas, no such funeral rites were administered as the ANC won again, albeit with a slightly reduced majority.

Although not on a similar scale, the outcome of two by-elections held in Zimbabwe last week was similarly instructive after the pulverisation of the ruling
Zanu PF forecast by some sections of the media did not happen, but, in fact, the complete opposite emerged.

Before the by-elections, MDC secretary for elections Jacob Mafume was cocksure that the polls would be a walkover for his party; that they were merely going
through the motions because victory was certain.

Mafume, in his typical boastful manner, blurted: “It is now clear to all and sundry that Zanu PF has failed. They no longer allow those in rural areas to sell their maize. There are no jobs. There is no education, and there is no electricity. There is also no good
healthcare. With all this, no person in their right mind can vote for Zanu PF.”

But independent opposition politician Margaret Dongo might have identified one of the factors as to why the MDC got it so monumentally wrong, pointing out how
the main opposition party’s allies in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) sector, who have been tacitly doing the political groundwork for the MDC, are now
a force on their own, with competing and rival interests even against the MDC itself.

In an interview conducted by celebrated author, archivist and documentary film-maker Joyce Jenje-Makwenda, published this week, Dongo observed that NGOs had become a self-perpetuating lucrative business; that they now exist for their own sake.

Dongo said: “You will find that they (NGOs) have money for salaries, travel allowances and posh cars, but they do not have money for projects or to
finish projects despite the fact that the donor has spent millions on women empowerment in every aspect, be it political, maternal health or domestic violence.

They (donors) do not evaluate on the ground to see if they are making any progress. There is a syndicate or a cartel which speaks donor language, and these are
used to write reports. The donors just evaluate the written reports.” Precisely.

As one can see, it’s not a coincidence that these NGOs are double-dipping and carefully navigating between donors and the MDC to maximise from both. To keep
donor funding flowing in, they have to point out that they are filling the gap caused by failings of the government.

But the paradox of it all is that it’s not in their greedy interest for the opposition to replace the government. Victory for the opposition is an existential threat to them; it is a threat to their very existence. The day the government fully delivers, these NGOs are out of a job.

That is why after decades with NGOs on the ground, poverty still rules in rural areas.

The complete eradication of poverty in rural areas, which the MDC has been promising to do, is an existential threat to NGOs.

It is the same operative manipulative logic and business model, so to speak, used by global pharmaceutical cartels to corner the market for some medicines.

For instance, cheaply available insulin, used in the treatment of diabetes, is a big threat to pharmaceutical firms’ profits to the extent that these pharmaceuticals ignore their responsibility to humanity at large in order to make money for their shareholders.

That is why more than a century after its discovery, insulin is still expensive despite the fact that its price should have gone down because
it’s inexpensively made and hundreds of millions use it. Likewise, NGOs have taken the space in rural areas, but want to keep on monopolising it because there
is a lot of money to be made.

Not to mention that the intensity and virulence of attacks on the ruling party by the largely anti-Zanu PF private media has, in the long run, had the
unintended opposite and positive effect of keeping Zanu PF on its toes to quickly rectify whenever it is exposed as falling short. Indeed, the private media
has served as the best adviser to Zanu PF while making the opposition fall into complacency by not similarly admonishing it as and when necessary.

The by-election results also show the folly of linear thinking in politics. People vote for many and varied reasons. Americans who considered themselves to be
non-racist voted for Donald Trump, who has made racist statements, in the 2016 presidential election.

And loyalty does not just evaporate like dew with sunrise. We saw it in South Africa where voters largely stuck by the ruling ANC in the general election held
this year.

Interviewed shortly before the elections, some residents in Marikana in South Africa’s North West province indicated that they would vote for the ANC despite some leaders being “corrupt”.

One of them, Mzwandile Ngqothwana, said although the party had been embroiled in corruption allegations, he would still vote for it. He said: “I am ready to vote for the ANC, although it is a corrupt party. I am ready to give them my vote again.

I am still going to vote for the same government because some of us are employed because of this government… Better the devil you know than the one you don’t know. They are corrupt, but what can we say?”

That’s realism, if you ask me. Tangibles have been delivered to rural folk in Zimbabwe — not that the arrest of MDC MP Job Sikhala had a knock-on effect on the rural voters, resulting in the Bikita loss, as lamely claimed by Masvingo provincial chairperson James Gumbi. We are talking of real sustained deliverables, not the token, piecemeal contributions by corrupt NGOs to keep donor funds rolling in at the expense of the suffering people.

Just like Ngqothwana, Peter Mathonzi said he would vote for the ANC because of its history. Mathonzi joined the ANC in 1994.

“I am a member of the ANC; I am very active,” he said. “I vote for the ANC, no matter what. The leaders are the ones who disappoint us, but I won’t abandon my organisation just because of certain leaders ruining it. The ANC has not failed me; only certain groups within the party have failed me.”

It’s not me who said it, but that is how people, whose collective vote decides election results, see it. And it’s their democratic right to see things the way they want — which is exactly what happened in the just-ended by-elections.

So, Mafume is the one who is completely lost to say “no person in their right mind can vote for Zanu PF”.

That misguided utterance alone, which rubs voters the wrong way – not rigging or corruption — is why the MDC loses to Zanu PF much of the time.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Two critical developments, separate but intertwined, happened on Monday.

As a Harare magistrate was castigating President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Anti-Corruption Prosecution unit for lack of seriousness in dealing with corruption cases, the head of State was swearing Zimbabwe’s new Anti-Corruption commissioners.

Since coming into power in November 2017, Mnangagwa has been preaching the anti-corruption gospel.

But the gusto with which he has been speaking has not been mirrored by relevant bodies on the ground. The manner in which the Anti-Corruption Prosecution unit has been delaying the handling of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) general manager Elizabeth Chitiga’s corruption case shows a lack of appetite in effectively dealing with corruption.

One can understand magistrate Nyasha Vhitorini’s frustration with the progress of the case, or lack thereof, as the State keeps on bringing new prosecutors who
would want to start from a scratch.

This is generally reflective of the lackadaisical approach that government has adopted towards corruption; a cancer that has viciously torn the economic and social fabric of the nation.

Many of the country’s parastatals and other such bodies are now on treasury support system after those who hold the levers of power helped themselves to the
coffers as shown by Auditor-General Mildred Chisi’s annual reports.

The collapse of such institutions as the National Railway of Zimbabwe, Cold Storage Commission and steel-making giant, Ziscosteel, can all be traced back to massive corruption by State actors.

The fact that corruption continues to spread its tentacles, with little or no action from the authorities, has seen the public lose confidence in government’s
approach to corruption, particularly when no significant arrests and imprisonments have been made.

Government has a lot to do in order to convince the citizenry and win its confidence.

This is not the time to treat alleged corrupt chefs with kid gloves as has been the case so far.

The extent to which corruption has become endemic in this country demands that it be dealt with expeditiously, otherwise we will just continue talking about it
and condemning it, yet doing nothing about it. The State will also continue to bleed as the fat cats go on a rampage, helping themselves to the national cake.