The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) has fired salvos at government officials and family members, who grab farms and dispossess widows and children of fallen heroes.
ZNLWVA said it would vigorously protect heroes’ widows and can “kill to defend what is rightfully ours”.
This, the association noted, follows a worrisome trend whereby officials from the Lands ministry connive with unscrupulous individuals to push fallen heroes’ widows and their children off farms following the deaths of heroes.
ZNLWVA Mashonaland West chapter secretary-general Mudzingaidzwa Nyikadzino Mudarikwa said ex-combatants will fight tooth-and-nail to defend surviving spouses’ entitlement to land and anyone who harbours sinister motives would bear the brunt of the former guerrilla fighters.
“We get mad when we are denied what is rightfully ours. We claim what is ours. Our solemn liberation struggle pledge was to claim our land from colonialists and, therefore, to attempt to dispossess widows and children of departed liberation war heroes would be an affront to our cause.
“Anyone who tries this automatically becomes our enemy. We were trained to confront and kill the enemy,” Mudarikwa said while addressing mourners at the burial of State spy agent Martin Nyashanu in Chinhoyi on Wednesday.
Nyashanu, who was a senior Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative, collapsed and died on Easter Monday and was conferred provincial hero.
Mudarikwa reiterated that the Lands ministry should expedite ownership transfer of farms to widows to avoid condemning them and their off-spring to destitution.
He cited a case in which Woodlands Farm, Tengwe in Hurungwe district, measuring 100 hectares, was snatched from a war veteran’s widow and sold off to an Indian businessman.
The widow is challenging the illegal take-over of the land at the courts.
Mudarikwa challenged bereaved families to productively utilise allocated farms and guard the gains of the liberation struggle that brought the country’s independence.
Mashonaland East ZNLWVA chairman Daniel Sigauke echoed the same sentiments, urging war veterans, ex-detainees and war collaborators to remain united in defence of the country’s sovereignty.
Recently, the widow of national hero Vitalis Zvinavashe lost a huge chunk of her fertile Knockmallock Farm in Norton to a Chinese company, Sunny Yi Feng Tiles (Zimbabwe) (Pvt) Ltd, after it was given the land to set up a ceramic tiles factory under controversial circumstances.
PRICES of goods and services have continued to gallop away with another massive hike effected at the weekend as retailers seek to cushion their businesses against runaway inflation and foreign currency shortages.
This comes hardly a fortnight after government threatened to introduce price controls as part of measures to tame the price madness and protect hard-pressed Zimbabwean consumers, but the retail sector has warned that price controls would trigger massive shortages of goods on the market.
A survey conducted by NewsDay yesterday revealed a new wave of price hikes of most basic commodities with a two-litre bottle of cooking oil now selling at between $13 and $15, up from about $11, two litres of Mazoe orange crush jumped from $8,50 to $13, two kg of rice from $7,50 to $9, while a kg of salt is now $2,15 from $1,90.
Beverage manufacturer, Delta Corporation has also increased the prices of beer by at least 20% just after a 25% increase of the commodity two months ago. The wholesale prices of clear beer increased from $2 to $3 per pint.
Brown quarts in most liquor shops are being sold at $7 to $8 from $5, while green bottle quarts are selling at $9 to $12. The wholesale prices of opaque beer have also gone up with Chibuku Super now $3 and Scud $2.
Prices of basic commodities have increased by about 200% since October last year after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya separated bond note and foreign currency accounts. Prices jumped up again in February as Mangudya’s monetary policy statement devalued the official exchange rate from 1:1 to 1:2,5.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president Denford Mutashu yesterday said the increases were necessitated by some suppliers who were now demanding cash on delivery.
“The increases are suffocating the consumers who are hapless under the current situation. It is, however, a chicken and egg situation as suppliers have been increasing prices into the sector at a faster pace, citing rising costs. Some suppliers are demanding payment in cash or United States dollars, which pushes sector players to the parallel market,” Mutashu said.
“Trading terms have shifted drastically and more are on cash on delivery and moved from extended payment terms like a week (7 days), fortnight (14 days) and a month (30 days), citing changing operating environment anchored on one’s ability to source cheaper foreign currency. The economy is dangerously dependent on the US$ availability in most sectors.”
Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi last night told NewsDay that the issue will be discussed in Cabinet tomorrow.
“Cabinet will discuss the issue of wanton price increases this Tuesday and a solution will be found. Certainly, we cannot have a market where speculators hike prices unnecessarily. We want some discipline in the retail sector. However, in the meantime, we are saying no to parallel market exchange rate-driven inflation. Those bent on increasing prices basing on the parallel market rates are economic saboteurs,” Mutodi said.
“We do not have a budget deficit as we speak. Now we have a problem with the RTGS$ and US dollar supply ratio and we have noticed that once the US dollar supply subsides on the market, speculators increase the exchange rate by offering more RTGS dollars for one US dollar. Our people prefer US dollars even for domestic transactions and for locally-made goods. This is what we will discuss and see if we can come up with measures to curtail the increasing pressure on foreign currency and the business of escalating prices based on speculative US/RTGS dollar exchange rate movements,” he added.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani Jabangwe told our sister paper, Zimbabwe Independent last week that the price increases battering the economy were a reflection of toxic policies being pursued by government.
“The main issue that you should note is that these prices are a reflection of policies on the ground. Volumes are going down, margins are going down, there is an increase in product costs and there is no money at the inter-bank market. If you don’t increase prices, there is no way you will be able to restock. There is also resistance on the currency market, liquidity is getting less and less, so exporters are scaling down as rates are increasing on the black market,” he said.
Following the latest price increases, many are expecting the cost of living to shoot up. In a report late last year, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) conceded that the family food basket had increased, but said most prices being charged by retailers were not justified.
Efforts to contact CCZ executive director Rosemary Siyachitema over the latest wave of price increases were futile as her mobile number was not reachable.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently told a Zanu PF youth meeting that his government would not hesitate to introduce price controls to protect the citizens against profiteering businesses. Business immediately warned that such a move would trigger shortages, especially of foodstuff.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union president Peter Mutasa yesterday said: “It’s sad that the alliance between government and business that is pushing us deep into crony capitalism is seriously affecting all workers.”
“Most working men and women are now vulnerable, with the majority now in abject poverty, failing to provide food for their families. Many are failing to pay rent, school fees, medical care, clothing and other basic needs. A lot of workers are walking to work, while most families are food insecure.”
The trade unionist said medical aid schemes have been rendered useless with workers being asked to top up as high as US$400 in case of emergencies where one is requiring to be admitted overnight.
“Most workers have resorted to unorthodox medical procedures endangering their lives, while many more are left to die. The average salary is US$60 against a poverty datum line that is believed to be around US$600.
“As schools open, many kids are going to drop out because parents can’t afford fees and uniforms that are now beyond the reach of the working class majority. The situation is dire and there is need for an urgent intervention.”
A PALTRY 27 out of 1 278 sitting tenants in council-rented houses in Dzivarasekwa 3 have taken up an offer by the Harare City Council to buy the properties on a rent-to-buy basis, a council official revealed Friday.
Addressing a meeting between the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) and City of Harare officials at Dzivarasekwa Community Centre, district officer for the area, Shepherd Tonderai Mawire, said the low uptake of the houses was as a result of huge arrears which residents owed to council.
He said an assessment by the local authority had proved that old age, which resulted in incapacity to pay, had contributed to the low uptake.
“One of the conditions for one to buy the house from council was to clear their arrears. From 2013 when the offer was made to December 2018 when it closed, only 27 houses had been sold to sitting tenants,” he said.
The district officer said most of the tenants were very old and of foreign origin, who were even struggling to make ends meet and could, therefore, hardly afford to buy the houses.
Council, he said, was looking at ways of helping those who had reached advanced age so they could retain ownership of the houses.
He said council had valued the houses, mostly in Dzivarasekwa 3, at $10 000 with discounts depending on the number of years one would have stayed at the house, with those who had lived there for 30 years and above getting a 50% discount.
Mawire said the offer had lapsed, adding they were now waiting for a council resolution on how they would proceed to sell the remaining houses.
However, it emerged during the meeting that what constituted the bulk of the arrears that most residents owed to council were charges for “illegal structures” which were seven times higher than normal council rentals.
As a result, residents’ representatives argued, most of the residents who otherwise would have qualified for the offer had been disenfranchised because of council’s dubious billing system.
“A lot of people were disenfranchised because of the improper billing by council. We are not saying people don’t have to pay, but we have problems with the quantum of some of the bills. You cannot have someone in a high-density area owing $13 000, especially considering that all debts were cleared in 2013,” said Hardlife Mudzingwa, project manager at Water Alliance.
THE Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) says it hopes to increase trade with Zimbabwe from the current US$30 million to US$105 million buoyed by the export credit line scheme currently under discussion, an official has said.
Harare and Gaborone are currently working on a P1 billion credit facility to support Zimbabwe’s private sector.
BITC chief operations officer, Reginald Selelo told delegates attending the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) and Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Buyers and Sellers’ Forum in Bulawayo last week that: “Looking at the trade statistics between the two countries, there has been a decrease since 2014. In 2014, we exported about $105 million worth of goods to Zimbabwe compared to $30 million in 2017. There’s need for us to increase trade. The instruments are there. We have the Zimbabwe–Botswana Trade Agreement, which can help us improve economically.”
“The export credit line scheme will open opportunities for companies in Botswana and Zimbabwe to do business. I would like to see an increase of exports from $30 million to the $105 million that we had in 2014 and it is very possible. So if we really believe in it, it can happen,” he said.
Selelo said Botswana was interested in products from Zimbabwe.
“This is the message that we have come here with and we are encouraging companies at the ZITF to seriously consider taking up opportunities in Botswana,” he said.
Selelo said his country was a safe and stable destination for investment, with tightly controlled inflation and interest rates as well as minimum corruption.
“Looking at the investment climate in Botswana, it’s easy for companies to borrow and invest in their businesses. In terms of macro-economic stability, we are the best, according to the World Economic Forum and we are the second least corrupt country in Africa,” he said.
“We have a stable democracy and we don’t have foreign exchange controls in Botswana. Issues around inflation and interest rates in Botswana are tightly controlled. We export mainly mining products and we import manufactured products, fuel and food products. On the relations between Botswana and Zimbabwe, we are both members of the African Union and Sadc Trade Protocol,” he said.
LOCAL soap opera Wenera actor, Zolile Makeleni, said the lengthy period he spent acting has made him a better director who can bring out the best from the cast because he has been in their shoes before.
Makeleni — who played the role of Tsotsi in the soap — told NewsDay Life & Style last week that his consistency under the tutelage of the soap’s executive producer Eddie Ndhlovu saw him rise from being a mere boom swinger to be one of the best stars on the cast and now, a director.
“The transition from a boom swinger to a director required me to be a very flexible person, listening more and talking less when acting and doing the opposite when I am directing. As time goes on, you learn to understand the difference between being on set as an actor and as a director,” he said.
“Acting has helped me to become a better director for I understand how it feels being on set and listening to someone directing me, so each time I am directing, I have a better position of understanding the actors.”
Makeleni said he has since fallen in love with his role behind the scenes and after directing nearly 120 Wenera episodes, he was now working on his own project.
“I feel it is time I do feature films and two projects are on the cards,” he said.
Makeleni, who drew inspiration from his day-to-day life experiences, said he received professional training in filmmaking which helped sharpen his acting skills.
“Whatever I go through today inspires me to look forward to tomorrow, for I believe that we are all designed for greatness,” he said, adding that he still had a lot he wanted to achieve in his career.
The 31-year-old Makeleni said his dream was to turn film into a business rather than just entertainment through a foundation he intends to establish to nurture young and talented television personalities.
On the lighter side, the filmmaker said he was often forced to explain to people that Tsotsi in Wenera and Makeleni in real life were two different personalities.
“I frequently find myself having to explain that Tsotsi and Zolile Makeleni are two different people,” he said.
Makeleni has also featured in Makomborero and television series, Revelations.
BINGA Rural District Council (BRDC) chief executive officer, Joshua Muzamba, has been acquitted of criminal abuse of office charges following an appeal to the High Court.
Muzamba, who was facing a criminal abuse of office charge, had applied for discharge at the close of the State case. The application was, however, dismissed by presiding provincial magistrate Livard Philemon who said the council boss had a case to answer.
This prompted Muzamba, through his lawyer, Shepherd Chamunorwa of Calderwood, Bryce Hendrie and Partners, to approach the High Court seeking a review. The High Court recently ordered that he be found not guilty and acquitted at the close of State case.
Muzamba (53) of 176 Lakeview in Binga stood accused of unprocedurally employing and promoting Lovemore Siamuyi without following council resolutions as enshrined in the local authority’s employment policy.
The State kicked off its case by calling its two key witnesses: Council chairperson, Mathias Mudenda and executive health officer, Enock Mugande.
Muzamba however, argued that the charges were politically-motivated before alleging that there were persons who wanted him removed from council.
Prosecuting, Vusimizi Mangena said on November 3, 2014 Muzamba took advantage of his position as the chief executive officer of BRDC to abuse the public office by employing Siamuyi without advertising for the vacant post and conducting interviews outside council resolutions regarding his employment.
Muzamba misrepresented to council that Siamuyi was temporarily employed as commissioned revenue collector.
On September 29, 2015 he promoted Siamuyi to the post of acting sub-office administrator without a full council resolution. The council boss went on to further promote Siamuyi unprocedurally without following a council resolution, thereby tarnishing the image and reputation of council.
Terrence Machocho, a director in Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba’s office has lost a case in which he was trying to evict a Chipinge farmer from his Stilfontein of Umzila Farm.
The matter was heard at the High Court circuit in Mutare by Justice Isaac Muzenda, who ruled against Machocho’s farm grab.
The applicant in the matter was Lameck Bvurere, who cited Machocho as the first respondent, Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement minister Perrance Shiri as the second respondent, while Gwaradzimba was the third respondent.
An order seen by this publication reads: “The first respondent and those or anyone acting through him be and are, hereby, ordered to restore to the applicant, peaceful and undisputed possession of subdivision 2 Stilfontein of Umzila Farm in Chipinge district.
“The determination of the applicant complainant currently pending before the second respondent, the issuance of the offer letter in favour of the first respondent by the second respondent in respect of subdivision 2, Stilfontein of Umzila Farm in Chipinge district, Manicaland province.”
Justice Muzenda further added: “The applicant be and, hereby, ordered not to engage or commence new farming operations and activities in respect of subdivision 2 Stilfontein of Umzila Farm in Chipinge, the parties are to maintain peace and order towards each other pending resolution of the process mentioned in the entirety of paragraph one of the order.”
The applicant had made an urgent High Court application to stop Machocho from evicting him. In the application, he said the first respondent disturbed his farming operations.
“The first respondent unlawfully and irregularly moved into the applicant’s farming operations on subdivision 2 of Stilfontein of Umzila in Chipinge,”.
“Without lawful cause, the first respondent resorting to self-help has disturbed applicant’s peaceful possession of subdivision 2 of Stilfontein of Umzila farm,” Bvurere said in the application.
He added that Machocho’s actions endangered the economic activities at the farm. Bvurere said he supplies maize to the Grain Marketing Board and was a grower of export macadamia nuts.
A 30-YEAR-OLD woman from Silobela has been slapped with a 15-month jail term after she severely assaulted another lady involved in a love triangle wrangle.
Sikhululekile Moyo of Abifoili village, under Chief Malisa, pleaded guilty to the assault charges when she appeared before Kwekwe magistrate Story Rushambwa last Thursday.
It was the State’s case that on March 13 this year at around 8pm, Moyo stormed into Sithandazile Msipa’s house at Peace Mine in Silobela.
She then accused her of having an affair with her husband. In a fit of rage, she stabbed the complainant three times with a screw driver on the forehead and attacked her with fists. The complainant suffered a lacerated skull and other severe injuries.
Rushambwa blasted Moyo for her behaviour saying it was better to seek help from a third party instead of resorting to violence.
Five months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
ECOBANK Zimbabwe Limited reported an 82% increase in after-tax profit to US$40,04 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 due to increased net interest and non-interest income.
The improvement in profit after tax was from a previous of US$22,02 million recorded over the comparative 2017 period.
“The bank reported an 81,8% increase in profit after tax from $22 million in December 2017 to $40 million in December 2018. This was mainly attributed to a year-on-year increase of 42,4% in net interest income and a 44,8% year-on-year growth in net fees and commissions,” the bank’s managing director Moses Kurenjekwa, said in a statement accompanying the bank’s results.
Net interest income grew to US$49,37 million for the period under review from US$34,66 million in 2017.
The growth was largely driven by an 80,44% growth in interest and similar income earned off Treasury Bills which grew to US$28,63 million in 2018 from US$15,86 million.
The bank more than doubled its stock of Treasury Bills to US$380,08 million during the period under review.
Interest and similar income earned off loans and advances grew to US$24,5 million in 2018 from US$21,97 million in the previous year.
This was buoyed by a 31% increase in the loan book which grew to US$206,2 million.
Net non-interest income, fees and commissions grew to US$23,32 million in 2018 from a comparative US$16,54 million, earned in 2017.
The bank also recorded a 171% increase in gains from dealing in foreign currencies to US$10,23 million for the period under review from a 2017 comparative of US$3,78 million.
“The rise in net interest income was due to the increased investment in government securities from US$185 million at the beginning of the year to US$380 million at the end of 2018. Growth in fees and commissions was driven by the establishment of import letters of credit,” Kurenjekwa said.
Deposits, during the period grew 102% to US$913,69 million from US$452,43 million in 2017.
Administrative expenses grew from US$22,82 million to US$27,43 million.
Artisanal miners around the mining town of Bindura flocked to Club 1160 on Saturday night to see the veteran dancer and musician Precious “Wasu Dacoda” Makwame live on stage with her Syndicate dance group.
Wasu is currently riding high on live shows with her latest album titled Kumazivandadzoka, set to be released next month, giving artisanal miners a good time dancing to sungura when she sampled her track Pemberai, which she featured sungura artiste Tatenda Pinjisi.
The Syndicate boss thanked the miners for exercising discipline at her show though she was afraid of the place following a horrific incident where two soldiers were allegedly killed by gold panners a few weeks ago.
“When we came to Bindura we were so much afraid of the artisanal miners after reading their suspected murder stories and the rampage by soldiers in assaulting residents, so we thought our show would be spoiled by violence or would flop, but thank God we had one of the finest shows here so far, we would like to thank the miners for being well disciplined,” she said.
Club 1160 proprietor Nyasha Muwomba also shared the same sentiments after witnessing a peaceful show at his club.
“I would like to thank the miners for being disciplined. We never witnessed any violence . . . no arrest was made; this shows maturity in our miners, who came to party and nothing else,” said the elated Muwomba.
Meanwhile, Wasu ended her weekend gigs with a family show yesterday at Charehwa Matombo bar in Budiriro, Harare with Pinjisi supporting her.
