AFRO-FUSION song bird Hope Masike who recently staged a show with Korean outfit — Beautiful Mind Charity — said collaborations across cultures were important because they helped artistes to understand and appreciate each other more.

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

The Kwira Gomo hit maker told Newsday Life & Style that learning music culture from other countries helped broaden artiste’s creativity.

“The Korean outfit I collaborated with is called Beautiful Mind Charity, a charitable band of highly professional, world class musicians. We were introduced to each other by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea. Music-wise, collaborations such as these expand a musician’s knowledge by exposing them to different world music. The Orient has a music style that is quite significantly different from ours here in southern Africa. Learning more music from other music cultures broadens our tool boxes,” she said.

Masike — who is set to launch her fourth album titled Exorcism of a Spinster on July 26 — said collaborations were important in that they enhanced the musicians and listeners of each other’s culture.

“Collaborations always help us in the cultural diplomacy sense, as with this particular concert that was even themed The Friendship Concert in celebration of 25 years of diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and the Republic of Korea. Collaborations across cultures or countries help us — the musicians plus our audiences — understand and appreciate each other more, despite our differences,” she said.

Masike said over the past seven years, she had been building her career and the investment of time will reflect in her forthcoming album.

“Throughout my career, I have never stopped creative output of one kind or the other. I am as much a touring artiste as I am a recording artiste, which means for significant parts of the year, I am on the road. Within the past six years, while investing in producing a good quality album, I was touring the world quite a lot and these experiences have contributed to the sound and feel of Exorcism of a Spinster,” she said

Masike has previously released the albums Mbira Love and Chocolate (2009) and the self-titled Hope (2012).

I DO not know what we have to say or do to get those in authority here to understand that if they do nothing, Zimbabwe is headed for a political storm which could change everything or even sink the ship. I am regarded as a perpetual optimist, I am not really as I think quite rationally, but I always try to put forward a solution or way forward that I believe is in the national interest.

What am I talking about? Right now we have fuel queues like I have never seen before, we have electricity outages for 18 hours a day. Last week I learned of massive corruption at the Grain Marketing Board which has revealed that the maize stocks are simply not there and furthermore, what is there is unfit even for livestock consumption. A real panic is on to get maize here and fast. But at the same time, prices of everything are being set at an exchange rate of 8 or 12 to 1 or even more. The rapid rise in prices had halted temporally following the rash of measures adopted 10 days ago with SI 142, but there is every sign that we are going to see it decline still further — the difference being that the so called interbank rate is now leading rather than the informal exchange rate markets.

Add to that shortages of key foods such as bread and cooking oil, both essentials in our national diets, and you have the making of a perfect political storm. Choose your basis for a decent riot and will a dispirited police and army be able to handle the subsequent events, I very much doubt it, that is why the army was used both in 2018 and 2019, in January, with disastrous results.

In the past two weeks, I have been saying to anyone who will care to listen that action across a broad front is needed to get markets operating properly and to get prices down to a more reasonable level and to fix the shortages. Sounds like a tall order, but it’s not.

The key is the interbank market for foreign exchange. Under pressure from the Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has announced the formation of a Monetary Policy Committee and an interbank market operating on a willing-seller, willing-buyer basis. The former was announced as far back as December 2018, the latter in February this year — seven and five months ago. Nothing has been done to bring them into existence. I said at a meeting last week, attended by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe that no such market exists. The RBZ responded that the banks published an exchange rate every day — there must be a market. But there is nothing of the sort. No electronic platform and no open, transparent, physical market where buyers and sellers of foreign exchange can operate and clear demand on a daily basis. There is no formal market. Banks continue to trade on their own with what resources they individually control.

Let me repeat what I have been saying for months — we are on the right track policy wise, our macro-economic fundamentals are fine, we have a fiscal surplus and are holding down government expenditure and we now have a foreign exchange surplus. So why the crisis?

There should be no crisis, our foreign exchange earnings come from three main sources — exports of goods and services, income from tourism and what we call “invisibles” or net transfers and remittances from the diaspora. Last year, exports were US$4,3 billion, the other income about US$1,6 and the diaspora — who knows? What I know is that we have five million or more adult Zimbabweans living and working outside the country; three million in South Africa, the rest overseas.

Money transfer agencies have millions of Zimbabwean clients, and none report transfers on average below US$50 per month. US$50 x 5 million is US$3 billion per annum. Mukuru reported average transfers in 2018 of US$78 per transfer. In my view diaspora remittances are not less than US$3 billion. Look around you — queues of people collecting money, house building worth billions every year — three million tonnes of cement, school fees, groceries and chema payments. If this is the case, we have about US$9 billion in forex available to meet our needs for imports and other things. Our imports have declined nearly 25% because of low domestic demand at crazy prices.

These inflows of foreign currency are being managed by three institutional sectors — the banks, the Reserve Bank and the open market money traders. In each sector, they are motivated, not by determining the real market price on a willing seller/buyer basis, but by getting the highest return for the dollar — the banks are chasing their tails driven by their clients and the money changers make money on every turn and their clients want top dollar. So the exchange rate runs.

The major impact of the de-dollarisation and SI 142 was to bring the foreign exchange in the informal market more into the banks and this is what has reduced the exchange rate in the past 10 days from 15 to 1 to 8 to 12 to 1.
But the Reserve Bank remains at the centre of this brewing storm in its inexplicable reluctance to implement stated policy. Over the past two weeks they were supposed to have put half their retentions from exports onto the interbank market for trading purposes. That is nearly US$1,5 billion a year or US$6 million a day — a considerable sum. Banks report no such activity.

I can understand why, because we continue to see the Reserve Bank doing crazy things — they are issuing letters of credit to support purchases of fuel and electricity and raw materials for the food industry — all good you say. But if we are selling fuel at half the landed cost of the stuff, maize at 30% of its real value, wheat at the same rate and electricity at US 2 cents a KwH — we are going broke rapidly. When we give government US$21 million to buy luxury cars from Croco Motors at 1 to 1, we have bought that foreign exchange at 8 or 9 to one — the entire loss of US$150 million goes into the RBZ overdraft — the most inflationary form of borrowing that is available.
Despite denials, I see new bond notes in the market — still smelling of printer’s ink. What are they doing with that? They are buying gold and then using the gold to settle the banks external liabilities. It is months since we saw any significant statistics on anything from the bank. What are they hiding? The truth is the RBZ is totally out of control.

Why is this important? What has it got to do with the perfect storm? Everything. If we had an interbank market — say a daily gathering of traders of foreign exchange in the basement of the RBZ building in Harare; if all foreign exchange from all sources was placed on that table every morning at, say, 10am; if all banks came to the market with their client’s needs — a price would emerge from that table which would reflect real supply and demand. If I am right about the supply and demand of hard currency in Zimbabwe, the rate would come down immediately. My colleagues on the Economists Round Table, a local think tank, agree; it would fall below 4 to 1. We need to maintain a relatively weak local currency and if that happened we would recommend the Reserve Bank buys foreign exchange to keep the rate at, say, 4 to 1.

This would immediately send a clear signal to all other markets — prices would fall, inflation would be down to marginal levels in months, income earnings of all Zimbabweans would strengthen and we could bring all imported commodities, including electricity and fuel into free supply. We would then have to sort out the Reserve Bank and its liabilities, but at least it will no longer be able to poison the water that we all have to drink.

As for all imports — let’s use our powerful and effective private sector to sort out and undertake imports and distribution. Take the corrupt State-controlled institutions out of the equation.

Use the interbank market as the single source of hard currency for all users and we can all get back to work instead of sleeping in fuel queues or waiting for power for our machines.

 Eddie Cross is an economist. This article was first published on his blog eddiecross.africanherd.com

LIVERPOOL — Zimbabwe won an absolutely thrilling Group A tie against Northern Ireland this afternoon, edging out their opponents to win 51-49.

In the battle to decide who would finish second to Australia in the group, the tussle went right down to the wire, with the lead changing hands multiple times before the Zim Gems held their nerve to edge over the line and spark wild celebrations in the crowd.

Northern Ireland started brightly, briskly taking a 5-1 lead in an opening period which gave no indication of the seesaw nature of the rest of the contest which was about to unfold.

As Zimbabwe clawed their way back into the game, captain Caroline O’Hanlon dictated play for Northern Ireland, working tirelessly to provide opportunities for Noleen Armstrong and Emma Magee. At the other end, Joice Takaidza was keeping the scoreboard ticking over for Zimbabwe, although her attacking partner Ursula Ndlovu was struggling to find space in the shooting circle, and Northern Ireland finished the quarter 15-12 up.

Zimbabwe’s defence tightened in the second quarter, with Armstrong less clinical – she missed two opportunities as Zimbabwe reduced the deficit to just a single goal.

The atmosphere – already electric — continued to build as the two sides traded blows in what was becoming one of the best games of the tournament so far.

Despite the rising pressure though, Takaidza was a calming, composed presence in the Zimbabwean attack, as the Zim Gems edged in front for the first time in the contest shortly before half time. They ended the second quarter by reversing the score of the first, meaning that for the first game in the tournament half time was reached with the scores level – 27-27.

The spine-tingling atmosphere continued into the second half of the contest, but it was Northern Ireland who settled to their task better, pulling away by three goals in the third quarter.

The evenly-matched nature of the two teams ensured that the lead didn’t last long though, and thanks in the main to the accuracy of Takaidza, Zimbabwe clawed their way back to even the scores again.

In the final minute of the quarter, the Zim Gems edged ahead again through substitute Sharon Bwanali, only for Magee to level proceedings at 39-39 going into the final quarter.

The back-and-forth nature of an absorbing contest continued deep into the final quarter, with Zimbabwe getting themselves just in front as the closing minutes approached.

With five minutes to go, Takaidza took their lead back out to two, and followed that up with a fantastic one-handed take and composed finish to ensure that the pressure mounted on Northern Ireland.

Magee responded by drawing the Warriors level at 49-49, but they couldn’t capitalise on having the next centre pass, giving away a foul for offensive contact as they approached the Zimbabwean circle. — nwc

Quality education is viewed as a dynamic concept, which evolves with time, while it is also subject to social, economic and environmental conditions. In this regard, the goal of achieving universal primary education (UPE) has been on the international agenda since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirmed in 1948, that, elementary education was to be made freely and compulsorily available for all children in all nations. That was then and if it was today, maybe the communique could have included climate change education, because it is the most topical and life-oriented issues of our time.

By Peter Makwanya

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) viewed quality as doing it right when no one is watching. Observing at what is unfolding in the environmental landscapes around the world today, it is critical and fundamental that children around the world, as one of the most important environmental stakeholder and beneficiary, need quality climate change education, first and foremost. Children require guidance on matters concerning climate change education and literacy, so that they are sufficiently empowered to adapt to prevailing climate impacts, come up with climate action plans, solutions and solve environmental problems, affecting their everyday lives.

Children need assistance to come up with the correct world-views and demonstrate how to engage those perspectives in articulating and communicating climate concerns. There shall be a time when children would be gradually weaned off from climate information dependence to information adequacy so that they are sufficiently nurtured into true green ambassadors.

Children’s climate change situations need not to be dramatised or over exaggerated by teachers, advocates or mentors.

These said educators, normally — for reasons best known to themselves, compose scripts for children to read or dramatise at climate change conferences, with borrowed fluency and sharpness, just to suit the occasions. This is not the quality climate education that we are clamouring for. We need quality, creativity and innovations in children’s poetry, drama, songs, stories, online digital stories, videos, documentaries and adaptation communicating activities from their points of view and initiatives, not from the mentors’ deceptive world-views.

Today, a script can be composed by educators or advocates just to fool the world, forgetting that these children need to be prepared for life-long and living skills, which will make them survive in dire climate situations and being able to manage them. Of course, not all children are mentored that way, but the majority have been cultured and poisoned this way.

The seriousness and urgency of climate change doesn’t require any glossing, sugar-coating or grandstanding because it is real and happening. Quality climate change education should prepare children to future climate challenges and impacts, which they would solve emanating from their intrinsic motivations and desires to demonstrate change to a sustainable future. Children should be guided to tell their own stories, depicting what would be impacting on their environment, as this happen or happened, using appropriate and a variety of life-saving communication strategies available and being locally driven.

Effective quality climate change education is not spoon feeding children, they need to develop critical inquiry, innovations and discovery procedures, since the environment is the laboratory of nature. Although climate change is interdisciplinary in nature, it remains highly scientific, uncertain and interpretive, first and foremost.

Children are very important stakeholders in the environmental discourse of climate change, adaptation and mitigation, their participation in communicating climate initiatives and raising awareness, through relevant participatory behaviours and corrective of the human hand, should reflect the quality of education being inculcated. In order to offer quality climate change education to the children, teachers, advocates and mentors, should demonstrate adequate understanding and comprehensive knowledge of the climate change discourse, as per curricula requirements, in order to fill in the existing information and procedural gaps, manifesting themselves in the environmental landscapes.

Although environmental advocacy is an instrumental brand of climate change awareness, the component of quality education provides the most needed quality framework and dimension. Quality climate education is sufficiently empowering, life-orientated and fits well into life-long learning and new-knowledge economy, where ICTs and new-media technologies are competing and interactive milestones in transforming lives by providing goods and services.

What climate change advocates or activists are delivering to children is climate change environmentalism, which is good, but not qualitative enough to sufficiently empower and transform, not only to the environment but in changing lives as well. Environmentalism is assertive in that it influences policy dynamics, while quality climate change education facilitates life-skills and survival strategies, climate action strategies and resilience, adaptation and communication skills representing the children’s world views, heritage and local community landscapes and the physical environment, including how impacts of climate change are felt, managed and addressed.

Yes, it is true that children are risk communicators of climate change, but the aspect of environmentalism should not be seen to be compromising quality climate change education. The best possible way forward is to emphasise on which comes first or how best they can be integrated in the later stages of children’s development.

Environmentalism appears to be mostly articulated from the adult points of view, thereby suppressing the children’s voices, knowledge and initiatives. Children need to be involved in official climate change decision making processes rather than presenting children as an aside to major climate change events. As such, it would be difficult to understand if indeed the children would be abused or not, just brought in to provide entertainment or recite prepared scripts.

This would automatically leave them out of the noble discourse. Any inclusive, interactive and participatory approaches should be in line with the current sustainable development goals (SDGs), number 4 (Quality Education) and 13 (Climate Action). From the influence of the above stated SDGs and the other closely related ones, quality education would contribute to skills and capacity building, resulting from innovative and creative thinking skills for problems solving techniques.

Although at the end of the education process, it would be up to the individual child to engage in either politics of climate change, climate change activism or quality climate change community of practice, but the critical and fundamental base should be accurate, impartial and inclusive. From these scenarios, researchers can be born and nurtured to be patent researchers, stewards and climate heroes endowed with heritage based skills for the value addition, and the production of goods and services. Above all and everything else, no child should be left behind, directly or indirectly. If we fool the world by indoctrinating the children, then the climate will prove us wrong.

ZIMBABWE plans to set up at least one factory in each of the country’s 63 districts as authorities attempt to improve standards of living for people in economically backward areas.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

The recently launched Zimbabwe National Industrial Policy (ZNIDP), spanning 2019-2023, intends to promote decentralisation of industrialisation initiatives in line with devolution that recognises that the majority of Zimbabweans are domiciled in the rural areas.

“Government will promote industrialisation through provision of incentives and targeted financing, policy support and business development services for the establishment of micro, small, medium and large scale manufacturing industries in rural areas in line with available local resources. There shall be a deliberate thrust to develop factories in every district under the one district one factory concept. This will enhance the empowerment of marginalised rural communities,”partly reads the policy.

In the 2019 budget, Treasury allocated $310 million to facilitate the devolution of power to provincial councils following an outcry from marginalised communities.

The policy encourages youths, women and disadvantaged people to participate in projects in the rural areas targeting naturally available products.

Development of rural industries will be facilitated through linkages between higher education institutions and the private sector thereby encouraging research and development in processing and packaging of naturally available products.

According to the policy, provincial and district authorities will be required to come up with local industrialisation and incentive frameworks which are in line with the ZNIDP and the devolution agenda. This will bring government closer to local communities and enhance responsive, accountable and participatory industrial development.

“Industrialisation will also be based on the local resource endowment of specific areas. Processing of traditional agricultural products such as sorghum, rapoko, marula fruits and mopani worms can spur the creation of new factories in source areas. Local flora and fauna can also be used as raw materials in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical and herbal medicines and as such, also offer value addition opportunities,” the policy further reads.

Economist John Robertson, however, said only the right environment would attract manufacturers.

“In fact, any hint that the government believes in central planning and that it might try to make industrialists adapt their ideas to fit in with a central planning policy is enough to discourage most of the world’s industrialists. The Zimbabwe national industrial development policy needed is one that will promise investors that government will do its best to facilitate and assist investors, not dominate or regulate them,” said Robertson.
Zimbabwe once boasted of a well integrated and diversified industrial sector based on strong linkages with agriculture, mining, construction and commerce.

However over the past two decades, the economy has suffered massive de-industrialisation and rapid informalisation.

The High Court of Zimbabwe has delayed the judgment for more than 10 months, allegedly without reason the case of former Information and Communications Technology minister Supa Mandiwanzira, who is being sued US$350 000 by former Rainbow Airline founder Frank Humbe for failing to pay after he acquired the business.

BY STAFF REPORTER

The matter, which is being handled by High Court Judge Justice Clement Phiri started in 2016, but the trial only started in September and finished in October last year. More than 10 months later both parties are still waiting for the judgment to bring the matter to finality, sources close to the matter noted.

After the completion of the trial in October last year Justice Phiri set aside the ruling saying he needed time to prepare and both parties have been waiting without any communication.

Humbe and Mandiwanzira reached a deal for the former minister to buy Rainbow airline in 2015, but the latter failed to honour his side of the deal leading to Humbe cancelling the agreement on February 12, 2017. Mandiwanzira then offered to pay US$50 000 upfront as a compromise.

It is also alleged that Mandiwanzira further offered to pay monthly payments of US$10 000 until the US$355 419 was fully extinguished and Humbe accepted the offer.

However, Mandiwanzira allegedly failed to pay again and refused to honour the agreement, but still took over the business and is now running it solely.

In his defence, Mandiwanzira said he never breached the terms of contract, but that they were still to reach an agreement on the terms of payment.

The airline has since been grounded after making only three flights. Its office at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International now houses Tanzania Airline offices.

CHIREDZI Town Council is reportedly being defrauded of thousands of dollars by employees through underhand dealings, a source has revealed.

BY GARIKAI MAFIRAKUREVA

According to a source close to the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, two years ago council allegedly bought drums of tar for a road project carried out by Tensor Systems in the town’s low-density area.

Ten drums that were left after Tensor completed the project were kept in the warehouse. When council decided to patch up potholes around the town this year, the stores and engineering departments allegedly persuaded the procurement committee, chaired by town secretary Charles Muchatukwa, to buy the tar which they said belonged to Tensor.

The money for the tar was allegedly transferred into private accounts resulting in council losing money in the process.

In another case Tensor is alleged to have received $50 000 as advance payment from council to enable them to commence the construction of a 2,4km West Road when, in fact, the money was supposed to come from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration.

“The issue of 10 drums is just a tip of an iceberg. A lot has been happening, where council is made to buy its own goods.

“Right now, there are three drums in the warehouse, which were left by Clime Construction when they surfaced part of Lion Drive three years ago. Chances are high that council is going to buy them again. I do not know if the procurement committee is not aware of the scam or they share the proceeds.

“We are not sure if the $50 000 was paid to Tensor or it is just a way of siphoning council funds, because the whole thing does not add up,” said the source

Council chairperson referred all questions to the town secretary, saying he was not aware of the issue.

“You can get hold of the town secretary. I am not aware of such things,” Gibson Hwende said.

Contacted for comment, the stores manager James Sithole referred questions to the town engineer, Wesley Kauma.

“Who told you such information? I am away right now. Why don’t you ask the town engineer?” Sithole said.

Council road supervisor Derek Chisayino laughed at the allegations concerning his company and said he was not aware of the whole thing.

“I don’t understand it. How can council buy its own tar?” laughed Chisayino.

Town secretary Charles Muchatukwa could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered and he did not respond to questions texted to him.

United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (UCHIRRA) secretary Benard Dachi called for an urgent audit by external auditors.

“We are urging that an urgent audit be carried out to get to the bottom of the matter.

“We cannot allow such leakages to go unabated because our council is already cash-strapped and is failing to meet some of its financial obligations,” Dachi said.

VILLAGERS in Marange yesterday called on the government to halt new mining operations in Chiadzwa by Chinese diamond company Anjin claiming that it has a “dark past” including human rights abuses.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

This comes after the government last week through Mines minister Winston Chitando announced the resumption of mining operations by Anjin Diamond Company in Chiadzwa.

Anjin operated in Chiadzwa from 2009 to 2016 before government revoked licences of diamond companies mining in Chiadzwa leading to the formation of the Zimbabwe Consolidation Diamond Company (ZCDC).

At a Press conference yesterday in Mutare the Amalgamated Chiadzwa Development Communities Trust (ACDCT), Marange Chapter chairperson Jay Kasakara, who was flanked by Centre for Research and Development director James Mupfumi, said in the past Anjin flouted environmental laws.

“The (ACDCT) is deeply saddened by the decision by government to allow new diamond mining operations in Marange without following due process. In the past three months the ACDCT has observed in dismay the unregulated diamond mining activities taking place in Chiadzwa by Anjin Diamond Company, which has a dark past,” he said.

“This unfortunate decision was confirmed by minister Winston Chitando on a local radio station. Anjin was one of the mining companies that also started mining operations in Chiadzwa community in 2009 without the approved environmental assessment plan,” he said

“Their mining activities destroyed the community infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, degraded farming land, sacred areas and contaminated sources of (drinking) water,” he said

“Over 4 000 cattle were lost after falling into mining pits, gullies and slime dams, around 450 families were relocated to Arda Transau without secured livelihoods and compensation for their losses,” he said

“ACDCT calls upon the government to immediately halt new mining developments in Marange and move with speed to implement some reforms such as undertaking a human rights due diligence process for the people of Marange to claim compensation for adverse impacts caused by Anjin Diamond mining,” he said

Mupfumi said the government should immediately stop secretive mining practices in Marange that are resulting in all sorts of human rights violations.

“The government has a constitutional obligation to protect human rights, the government is shielding opacity in Marange in order to maintain selfish interests,” he said

A ZIMBABWEAN human rights defender has won a United States award “for his outstanding role in promoting social, political and cultural progress” in the country.

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA

Dzikamai Bere, who is a programmes co-ordinator with the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum will this month be recognised by the US Presidential Precinct, an institution training young leaders, for his role in promoting transitional justice in the country.

The function will be held in the Washington DC, US on July 25 under the theme, Salute Africa: A Tribute to Mandela Washington, where the 2019 Mandela Washington fellows will also be honoured.

“At this international gathering of business and political leaders, we would like to present to you our Presidential Precinct Young Leader Award,” reads part of Bere’s invitation letter dated June 13 by Niel Piper, the executive director of the Presidential Precinct.

“Through this award, we seek to honour visionary alumni of the Precinct, who are promoting social, political and cultural progress for the world’s developing democracies. We cannot imagine a more deserving candidate than you to receive this distinction.”

Piper added: “Your contributions as a leading advocate for transitional justice in Zimbabwe and parallel efforts to broaden the constituency of individuals engaged in this critical endeavour are exemplary. In accepting this award, we would ask that you speak to the assembled young African leaders and dignitaries about how your experience through the Presidential Precinct has impacted your leadership on behalf of the National Justice Working Group in Zimbabwe (NJWGZ) and other platforms.”

The NJWGZ has been tirelessly working for peace in the country through an effective handling of past human rights violations that include the Gukurahundi massacres.

In an interview, Bere said he was humbled by the recognition.

“This award was only possible because I find myself serving the smartest and most caring crop of leaders in this country.

“The leadership of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and the National Transitional Justice Working Group. To mention my exceptional executive director Blessing Gorejena, our chairperson Jestina Mukoko, the NTJWG chairperson and Zimbabwe’s most celebrated human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama, his deputy Paul Themba Nyathi — a respected veteran of our struggle for independence. Anyone who has spent time with these legends knows that they are the true winners of the leadership award. I remain indebted for their mentorship and guidance.”

ANTI-CORRUPTION Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) has written a letter of complaint to Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi alleging lack of progress and interference by senior Zanu PF officials in a fraud case involving a Gokwe Zanu PF councillor.

BY STAFF REPORTER

The councillor, Samson Chigaba, is accused of using a fake Gokwe Rural Council rates receipt book to dupe unsuspecting villagers.

Chigaba, who is also a headmaster at Dzvuke Primary School, Mateta in Gokwe South, was arrested early 2017 and the matter was, however, removed from remand under unclear circumstances after trial had commenced.

Act-SA director Obert Chinhamo, in his letter addressed to Hodzi and copied to chairperson of the complainants dated June 19, 2019, stated that community members from Gokwe South were alleging interference in Chigaba’s case.

Chigaba’s ward falls under Primary and Secondary Education minister Paul Mavima’s constituency and villagers are suspecting that the accused could have used his Zanu PF connections to escape the charges.

“We have learnt through concerned community members from Gokwe South that there is alleged interference in the prosecution of Samson Chigaba who is a councillor at Gokwe South Rural District Council. It is alleged that the prosecution has been stopped due to interference by some high profile individuals,” Chinhamo’s letter reads.

“That being the case, we are kindly asking for your intervention to ensure that the matter is prosecuted to its logical conclusion.”

Chigaba appeared at Gokwe Magistrates’ Court and was granted ZW$100 bail. His case was remanded to November 9, 2017. Chinhamo said the matter was never prosecuted due to alleged interference and hence the outcry from villagers.

Allegations against Chigaba are that between December 6, 2015 and December 21, 2016 he used counterfeit Gokwe South Rural District Council receipt books to collect levies from unsuspecting villagers and converted the money to his
own use.