By Simbarashe Sithole

THERE was mayhem at Agribank Mvurwi and Voedesel Tobacco Company on Wednesday afternoon after tobacco farmers failed to access their hard-earned money supposedly transferred into their bank accounts by the tobacco firm.

Scores of farmers started singing revolutionary songs at Agribank as they marched towards the Voedsel Company offices, where they were baying for the management’s blood and the managers had to lock themselves inside the premises.

Efforts to contact Voedsel management proved futile.

Some of the farmers hurled insults at the management, while others kept on singing and dancing to revolutionary songs.

“We are saddened with the treatment we are getting here at Voedsel. Since we brought our bales last month-end, our money has not reflected at Agribank,” one
farmer fumed.

“Many of us are living with HIV and Aids and to take our medication we need food, so how do we get the food if we are not paid, this is disgusting.”

Agribank officials followed the farmers to Voedsel in a bid to quell the situation, but had to run for their dear lives after the farmers threatened to destroy
their vehicle.

The bank manager, Cosmas Masawo, could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was switched off until the time of going to print.

Voedsel Tobacco is a wholly indigenous company licensed by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board as a Class “A” buyer.

Their licence permits the company to buy tobacco at the auction floors in Zimbabwe for the export market.

The firm started operating in Mvurwi this season and farmers flocked to join it.

EDITORIAL

EVER since former President Robert Mugabe was driven out of State House via a military coup in November 2017, there has been a general assumption that the “new dispensation” represented a new way of doing things; a new way anchored on transparency and due diligence in both government and the private sector as informed by the mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”.

It is, however, disconcerting when our system of doing business seems to be still steeped in the old Mugabe-era when the country was largely closed for business.

Our major source of worry is the appointment of former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa as the substantive board chairperson of struggling national airliner, Air Zimbabwe (AirZim).

We have no problem with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, here and there, giving jobs to some of his boys, as long as this is done transparently and above board in line with the earlier expressed commitment to doing things differently.

Murmurs that Chinamasa’s appointment did not follow due process of law, rendering it immaterial worries us, more-so when we hear that Chinamasa and his board are presently irrelevant, given that AirZim is currently under reconstruction. Reconstruction, at law, typically refers to the transfer of a company’s (or several companies’) business to a new company. For this to happen, the old company is put into liquidation, with shareholders agreeing to take shares of equivalent value in the new company.

So, is Chinamasa chairman of the old AirZim or the new airline which is being constructed, and which we are yet to know about? Why is government in such as hurry to appoint a chairman for a board of a company which is, literally, still a foetus? Why is the national airline being reconstructed in the first place? These are just a few of many questions that Zimbabweans want answered, especially given that not in so distant past, there was another airline which had been birthed, Zimbabwe Airways, but it disappeared from the radar under a cloud of controversy.

We implore Mnangagwa’s administration to, for once, just do the right thing from the word go. We also hope that in his tenure as President, Mnangagwa will separate government business from his party because for a country boasting to be open for business, there should never be overt political meddling in government business as is the case now.

Chinamasa’s appointment was first announced at the ruling party’s politburo meeting. Being leader of the ruling party does not mean Mnangagwa has to allow his party to brazenly poke its nose in government business in such an obvious manner. Mnangagwa has to learn to be more astute than this and it will never dilute the act that he is the ruling party and government leader.

By Duduzile Ndlukulwani

The Ministry of Justice inter-ministerial taskforce yesterday revealed that the legislative framework dealing with child offenders is vague and unsatisfactory.

Speaking at the two-day southern stakeholder consultative workshop on the drafting of the Child Justice Bill in Bulawayo yesterday, Professor Geoff Feltoe said the new Bill was advocating for a new system which will be consistent with the constitutional provisions on the rights and protection of children.

He said the legislative framework seeks align with other legal international instruments, thereby establishing a distinct criminal justice system for child offenders.

“The courts trying cases of child offenders should be able to apply less formal and more inquisitorial processes and must be able to provide sentences which are more geared toward rehabilitation and restorative justice,” Feltoe said.

“The new Bill advocates that the imprisonment of children must be the last resort and if imprisonment is unavoidable, it should be the shortest period.”

Feltoe also spoke on the need for detailed procedures to ensure that all child offenders get legal representation.

The current Child Justice Bill as discussed during the workshop has loopholes which include giving leeway to the absence of a probation officer, mixing children with adults due to lack of pre-trial diversion in other provinces, thereby jeopardising the provisions of the Children’s Act.

The operation of the Child Justice Bill, 2019 will commence on a date fixed by the President by proclamation in the Government Gazette.

NOTTINGHAM — Nottingham Forest defender Tendayi Darikwa (pictured) is hopeful that the club’s supporters will be backing him and Zimbabwe over the next few weeks.

The 27-year-old is representing his country at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

The tournament gets underway in Egypt on the 21 June, with the final taking place four weeks later on 19 July. This means that the right-back could potentially
miss the majority of pre-season.

It isn’t an ideal situation for Martin O’Neill to contend with ahead of the 2019/20 Championship campaign. However, it presents a good a opportunity for the
right-back to test himself against some of the world’s best.

The Reds are travelling to Spain for a pre-season training camp on the 30 June, as confirmed by the club’s official site earlier this week. They will be
staying in Alicante for a week-long trip which involves friendly matches against Dundee and Peterborough United.

Darikwa won’t be travelling with the rest of the squad, even if Zimbabwe get knocked out at the earliest opportunity. This means that he is likely to miss out
on the usual team bonding that takes place over pre-season.

Not only this, but he’s currently the only right-back on the club’s books. This could mean that O’Neill has to draft in some youngsters in order to fill that
position during pre-season.

This is the first opportunity that Darikwa has had to represent Zimbabwe in a major international tournament. It was an opportunity he was never going to turn
down at the stage he’s at in his career.

He is hopeful that those back at the City Ground will be keeping an eye on his country’s progress in the tournament.

He told the club’s official site: “My club has been really supportive of me since I arrived in camp. I am sure everyone back in Nottingham is fully supporting
Zimbabwe to do well in this tournament.

“This is a big opportunity for me personally to show my club and show everyone that I can do well on this stage against some of the best players in the world.”

seatpitch

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

ZAPU has urged its supporters and Gukurahundi victims to attend hearings on national healing to share accounts of the 1980s mass killings to ensure the “truth is not hidden”.

The opposition party said this was of paramount importance as its military wing, the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) ex-combatants, were primary targets of government-sanctioned killings.

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has been holding nationwide hearings on past disturbances to find closure on the nation’s battered
human rights record.

“The presidency urges the people of the Midlands and the Matabeleland regions to attend meetings organised by the NPRC on the Gukurahundi genocide. Zapu was
the physical and the political target of the Fifth Brigade,” Zapu presidential spokesperson Mkhululi Zulu said yesterday.

“Zapu members must go and tell the truth as it happened. The attempts to hide the truth are evident … It is, therefore, those who saw it as it occurred who
must attend the meetings and give the accurate accounts.”

This call comes after Zapu established a committee on Gukurahundi to address issues specific to the opposition party because it was a “direct political and
physical target” of the Fifth Brigade incursions.

The committee is chaired by legal secretary Themba Hwalima. Other committee members are Zulu, Roma Nyathi, Strike Mkandla, Mark Mbayiwa, Vivian Ncube, Ruth
Ncube and Iphithule Maphosa.

Recently, Zapu national liaison officer Ruth Memeza Ncube said the consultative meetings were nothing, but a waste of money and time.
“Gukurahundi did not happen in the hotels where we are seated today. It happened in the rural areas, and [NPRC chairperson Selo] Nare, I will tell you that
these meetings we are doing here are not going to yield any results. It is a waste of time and resources because this [Gukurahundi issue] is a spiritual
warfare,” she said.

Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said the party was a primary target of Gukurahundi and whenever there are meetings called to discuss the issue, it is
necessary for them to attend and state their position despite their dissatisfaction on the way process is conducted.

“Zapu is and was the primary target and direct victim of the genocide. As such, it is imperative that Zapu members attend the NPRC meetings so that we get to know the real events of that dark time of the country’s history. We need to hear these stories from the horse’s mouth rather than the hearsay stories coming from political parties and CSOs [civic society organisations] that didn’t exist during that time,” Maphosa said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, through the Justice ministry, has announced a cocktail of measures to address the emotive issue after meeting Matabeleland clergy and civic society leaders under the banner Matabeleland Collective.

The processes include allowing exhumations and reburials and issuance of birth and death certificates, but critics argue these processes were meaningless without acknowledgement, an apology and justice delivery.

BY SIBONGINKOSI MAPHOSA

Police officers who man the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) urban buses have petitioned government and the bus company over unpaid overtime.

In the petition, seen by Southern Eye, the police officers said they were working more than 18-hour shifts, which they alleged begin at 3:45am and end at 10pm.

“When those duties started, we had two shifts, one starting at 3:45am to 1pm and the other at 1:01pm to 10pm. But the command said one shift was enough,” read the petition.

The officers further said they spend many hours in the buses plying different routes, which they felt was unhealthy.

“For 18 hours, we are given only lunch, which is not enough,” the petition read.

They said Zupco was supposed to pay them an allowance of ZWL$30 daily, which should through their command, but they had never received the allowance.

“We hear news that Zupco pays travelling and subsistence allowances at RTGS$30, but it does not reach us. Many have fallen sick due to this strenuous duty,”
the petition read.

The police officers alleged that the Zimbabwe Republic Police was engulfed by so much panic such that even those at police stations were doing 12 hour-shifts.

“Security wise, we have so much fatigue. At Bulawayo Central, they have 12 hour-shift again and there is panic all of a sudden. You greed (sic) pay us our
allowances.”

Contacted for comment, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said there was a period when officers manning Zupco buses had to work
for longer hours due to logistical problems that the force’s Bulawayo province command was working on.

“I admit that we had a period when our officers had to work longer hours on the buses. This was due to logistical issues we had, but we managed to solve that
within three days,” he said.

However, Nyathi said if members of the police force had any problems, they knew the communication channel within the force, adding that their grievances
would never be ignored.

“Our position as the Zimbabwe Republic Police is, we are fully aware of the communication channels that we use in the event that we have grievances. Right now,
members are doing a two shift system, and I believe some of the allegations are exaggerated,” he said.

The police officers in their petition also complained over lack of winter uniforms.

“We do not have enough winter uniforms. Is our police commander aware of this?” the petition read.
Responding to the complaint, Nyathi said: “I am not aware of that, even the issue of ZWL$30 a day is new to me. Like I said, if police members have a problem,
they should use the proper communication channel, and desist from running to the Press.”

Zupco acting chief executive Everisto Madangwe distanced the company from any responsibility to police officers on duty aboard their fleet.

“I am not in a position to comment about the police welfare, I can only talk about the welfare of the Zupco employees, which happens to be my dispensation,”
Madangwe said.

ZRP officers have been on duty, maintaing security, ever since the threat of violent demonstrations by angry citizens, particularly in Harare, following fuel
hikes in January.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

The presidential anti-corruption special prosecution unit has dumped the matter in which the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe director-general Gift Machengete is being accused of violating the Procurement Act.

Machengete’s case has now been handed over to the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) after the special anti-corruption unit failed to commence the trial on several occasions, raising questions on its capacity to handle corruption cases.

Magistrate Hosea Mujaya last month castigated the State for not taking his court seriously by asking for several postponements without cogent reasons.

The trial was supposed to kick off in March this year, but the matter was postponed on several occasions due to the non-appearance of the special prosecutor Thabani Mpofu.

The magistrate then postponed the matter, saying it would be the last time to do so or he would remove the accused from remand.

Mpofu also assured Mujaya that the trial would start on the next remand date without fail.

But Mujaya heard yesterdaythat Mpofu was in Egypt and the matter was now being handled by Michael Reza from the NPA.

This irked Mujaya, who then asked prosecutor Ephraim Zinyandu whether Mpofu had gone to the north African country on a private visit to watch the 2019 African Cup of Nations soccer
tournament.

But Zinyandu told the court Mpofu was in Egypt on official duty.

“Prosecutor Thabani Mpofu, who was handling this matter, is in Egypt on national duty. The matter will be taken over by Michael Reza. However, Reza is appearing at the High Court and we
seek a postponement to June 19 to allow Reza to familiarise himself with the case,” Zinyandu said.

But Machengete’s lawyer, Farai Zuva, challenged the postponement, saying his client must be removed from remand as earlier promised by the court that it was the last remand date.

Zuva asked the court to remove his client from remand, saying the trial was supposed to start in March, but has been patient with the State, which has been asking for postponements.

“Mpofu knew about this, but chose to travel knowing fully well that court business takes precedence. The State is only communicating to us now that another prosecutor will be taking
over the matter, this court cannot be held to ransom. I apply that the accused be removed from remand, especially considering warnings by this court that it will not tolerate further
postponements. The State can always proceed by way of summons once it puts its house in order,” Zuva submitted.

Mujaya said he was failing to understand the problem with the matter.

“It has been postponement after postponement at a trial court. I have always expressed displeasure at the manner at which this matter is being handled. Whether the matter is now being
handled by the special unit … we cannot go on like this,” the magistrate fumed.

“I hope the NPA takeover will bring sanity in the way this case is being handled. I will grudgingly grant one last postponement. If the State is not ready on the next date, no further
remand will be entertained and I will remove the accused from remand.”

The matter was then postponed to June 19.

By Farai Matiashe

The health situation at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison has deteriorated because the number of inmates has exceeded the penitentiary’s carrying capacity, parliamentarians have been told.

Three Parliamentary Portfolio committees on Women’s Affairs, Justice and Health yesterday visited the institution where they were told of the terrible conditions inmates were living in.

Addressing the parliamentarians yesterday, officer commanding Harare province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Alvord Gapare said they were incapacitated to provide prisoners with decent facilities.

“This is a grade four prison. It houses dangerous prisoners. We only have two of these in the country with Mlondolozi in Bulawayo. We cannot send the other prisoners to other smaller
prisons. The situation here is bad,” he said.

“This morning, we had 2 508 prisoners against a carrying capacity of 1 080. We do not have a choice. Our population is higher than what we should have and this has caused a number of
health problems to inmates.”

Prison medical officer Blessing Dhoropa said the number of patients with tuberculosis (TB) was on the increase due to overpopulation.

“We have two wards in the main hospital. We are finding it difficult to contain diseases such as TB, which is being caused by the overcrowding of inmates. Currently, we have 24 TB
patients. Such diseases are common here,” he said.

“Besides patients with TB, we also have 500 prisoners on antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Of course, ARV drugs are available, but we do not have drugs for those that are diabetic.”

Dhoropa added that the unavailability of transport was a problem for inmates who needed better health services at hospitals such as Parirenyatwa.

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health acting chairperson Daniel Molokele-Tsiye (MDC Alliance) said MPs were going to push the government to improve Chikurubi Prison facilities.

“The life of inmates has to be improved. These facilities were built for a small population in the Rhodesia era. The population has so far increased. Even the budget has to be increased because it is no longer adequate. There is also need to ensure that there are enough supplies of drugs and condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and Aids,” he said.

guest column Kudzai Kwangwari

THE recent announcement by President Emmerson Mnangagwa that Zimbabwe is going to have its own currency before end of year, is not only careless and miscalculated, but a sign of panic and lack of tact.

There is consensus that Zimbabwe is in a serious economic crisis which cannot be addressed by currency reform since currency issues are just but symptomatic, signifying more serious and deep-seated economic fundamentals that have gone off- rail.

Mnangagwa must remind his Finance minister Mthuli Ncube what went wrong for Zimbabwe to abandon its own currency before considering bringing it back.

He (Mnangagwa) would know better since he has been part of Cabinet since the attainment of independence in 1980 and he witnessed how the economy took a nose-dive since the black Friday in 1997. So it’s a crisis which cannot be addressed by focusing on the currency.

If this currency is introduced when the economy is in its current state, then be sure that it will be just as the RTGS and citizens and businesses will speculate while the problems we face will worsen.

Mnangagwa should have concentrated on a serious economic reform process which is premised on genuine political reforms not just face-saving antics which are meant to sway the attention of citizens.

There are a number of key issues that require addressing and which determine whether our own currency will sustain or not. These are public confidence, corruption, productivity, and political stability including rule of law.

Public confidence
No economy sustains without public confidence for as long as the public has no confidence in the economic system, including banking system, and policies that go with it such as fiscal policy and monetary policies, then we are still doomed.

In fact for as long as there is a public secret that those that are on the driving seat of the economy are not trustworthy, nothing will work. It’s very important that those making key decisions about the economy inspire confidence and citizens have trust in them, then nothing will work.

It won’t work, simple. The Zanu PF government has a record of messing up the economy and with the change of guard in 2017, Mnangagwa had an opportunity to adopt a new approach but he didn’t.

There was so much goodwill both locally and internationally which the current government failed to take advantage of and present a new way of doing business. The mantra-‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ – did not provide anything tangible on the ground to inspire confidence to both local and international publics.

The international re-engagement process should have been backed by clear and confidence -inspiring reforms both economically and politically on the ground. This did not happen.

In fact we witnessed the worsening of the situation. So, Mnangagwa and his government need to address this important economic capital which is evidently deficient at the moment. In my view, introducing a new currency without building public confidence is just but a waste of time.

Invest in confidence building first, then all else may just fall in place. Seek yee public confidence, then things may begin to take shape.

Address corruption decisively
This can no longer be business as usual and it’s not funny and it’s linked to the issue of public confidence.

The arrests- and- release political game which you adopted immediately after assuming office cannot be tolerated unfortunately nor can you use this cancerous issue as a political tool to deal with your political enemies Mr President. No. It will not work.

This time citizens would want to see you taking difficult measures and decisions to root our society of corruption.

We have heard you making some very encouraging pronouncements on how serious you want to deal with corruption only to be disappointed as all that turns to be lots of heat without light at all.

There mustn’t be any sacred cows when it comes to dealing with corruption and any sign of it must be dealt with decisively and not political tokenism. In order for citizens to believe in you and your government, there must be genuine desire to reform from within.

The tussle between government and party as you conflate the two carelessly should stop. Party business cannot be the same with government business. Sending party representatives to speak on serious government business should not be allowed.

Otherwise introducing new currency under such circumstances will not help and it will not work.

Increase productivity
While l support foreign direct investment since it brings much-needed foreign currency, I am of the view that local businesses must pass a vote of confidence in the economy by growing their business locally. I am a fan of an economy which is rooted locally where we utilise our comparative advantage as a nation.

Otherwise we cannot invite foreigners to come and invest in an economy which our own businesses have no confidence in. It will not work. It doesn’t work.

While we are courting foreign businesses, let’s also genuinely support local businesses with progressive policy measures which are not designed to generate political mileage but genuinely grow our economy. The ease-of-doing business mantra must be supported by practical measures on the ground.

Rumour that some government officials are taking advantage of their proximity to the centre of power as an opportunity to engage in corruption is an unfortunate development which must not be allowed to continue unperturbed.

It is very important to support genuine businesses seeking to contribute to economic growth through various policy interventions and these should not be based on partisan lines, but on merit. Additionally, the support should be a business approach as opposed to political freebies which are not paid back, thereby weighing on the economy.

Political stability and democracy
Our Constitution together with other supporting statutes are very important tools in promoting and guiding democratic practice. The rights enunciated in the Constitution must not only be promoted but also protected so that citizens are confident about how they can go about their community life.

In a situation where rights are not guaranteed as it appears to be some of the time, it affects the social contract between the governors and the governed. It should not based on the discretion of the political elites to determine which rights one must or mustn’t enjoy.

The August 1, 2018 and January 14, 2019 incidents are not a good example of a government which takes the promotion and protection of the rights of citizens seriously and as such is not a good public relations even to foreigners.

We need to see more commitment to the rule of law principle as opposed to rule by law where laws are used to perpetuate anarchy and violation of rights.

The right to demonstrate as provided for in the Constitution must be taken as an opportunity for those in government to gauge how popular its policies are, and therefore must be supported and encouraged without interference.

This does not mean taking away the responsibility of government to protect life, property, and citizens, but in all cases it must be done in a manner which discourages citizenry from taking an active role in the political ecosystem of its country.

In the same token opposition must be allowed to engage in its political programmes including and especially challenging the ruling party both on various platforms including parliament, and elections.

In conclusion, it is too early to even consider announcing the introduction of a local currency given the sorry state of the economy. In fact there is no economy to talk about at this stage and a local currency is the last thing locals would want to hear.

The government should concentrate on serious political and economic reforms, building public confidence, stimulate productivity and exports, growing local businesses while attracting foreign direct investment, promote political stability including rule of law and constitutionalism, before introducing our local currency.

In the absence of these, it will not work and it doesn’t work. Otherwise, the effects of the announcement itself will be devastating.

BY MISHMA CHAKANYUKA

LISTED manufacturer and distributor of farming implements, Zimplow, says its revenue grew by 86% to $29,8 million in the first five months of 2019, driven by an improvement in volumes across the group’s business units.

Zimplow operates five business units, namely Barzem, Mealie Brand, Powermec, CT Bolts and Farmec.

In a trading update at the company’s annual general meeting, chief executive Vimbayi Nyakudya said the group’s operating profit went up by 784% to $13,4 million during the five months to May, driven by growth in volumes and impact of the exchange rate movement towards the end of May 2019 on the group’s foreign-denominated monetary assets.

The group’s Mealie Brand performed well despite the drought that affected the region, causing a decline in agricultural activity.

“Volumes of implements in the past five months grew by 49%, driven mainly by the export markets. The export sales implement volumes grew by 232%, countering the drop of 36% in the local market. The trust to drive export sales in light of the dip in local sales performance has been a game changer in the current year,” Nyakudya said.

Powermec recorded 106% growth in volumes against prior year.

Nyakudya said the intensifying load shedding that has triggered a rush to alternative power and demand for generators has started scaling up stock holding in
order to meet the demand.

Barzem’s parts uptake through the counter grew by 6% and the sector is currently ramping up stockholding and workshop capacity in light of the projected growth
in fleet maintenance activities by the group’s key customers as they shy away from capital expenditure.

Nyakudya said the Farmec business unit performance was affected by drought, subsequent drop in yields and soft producer prices in the 2018/19 agricultural
season although the performance recorded during the five months was ahead of the group’s projections and budgets.

“Tractor volumes have been 5% ahead of the budget albeit being 43% down on last year. Implements and parts uptake have been 25% and 21% lower than prior year, respectively,” Nyakudya said.

The CT Bolts unit remained profitable as it recorded a 98% growth in sales volumes of high tensile steel bolts.

Nyakudya said going forward, the group will take advantage of opportunities as they come along and expects firm export orders, demand for alternative power and
solid performance from Barzem and Farmec to spur the group’s 2019 financial performance.