Sunday, April 30, 2006
Fewer Botswana companies at tradefair
Few Firms attend Zim trade fair
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe opened its annual trade fair on Friday with fewer overseas participants than ever, a stark sign of the country's economic downturn and deepening isolation critics blame on President Robert Mugabe's government.
The annual fair in the second city of Bulawayo, once one of Africa's leading trade events, attracted just a handful of companies from African and Asian countries unafraid of showing solidarity with Mugabe during his stand-off with the West.
"I would say this year's fair is the worst in the 47 year history of the fair, from a business perspective, and this is a direct reflection of Zimbabwe's poor international image," said Bulawayo businessman Eddie Cross, an official in the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
"There has not been much real trade conducted and most of the countries that have come are here mainly as a political show of solidarity with the ZANU-PF party government," Cross told Reuters by telephone....
Tanzanian President supports Mugabe
Addressing top government officials and high-ranking government officials at a dinner hosted by President Mugabe at the Bulawayo State House on Thursday night, President Kikwete said Tanzania supported African countries that are struggling to rebuild their economies.
’’We will continue to propagate the philosophy that political freedom becomes meaningful only if we can make decisions freely without being pushed or interfered with by foreign countries,’’ he stressed.
He also praised President Mugabe for his firm anti-neo-colonialism stand, saying the freedom that Zimbabweans fought for would otherwise be meaningless.
’’As we speak today, Mr President, we can say those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the betterment of other people during Chimurenga and independence struggle did not do so for nothing.’’
Iranian products displayed at Zim trade fair.
During the opening ceremony, the Islamic Republic of Iran won the `best foreign pavilion' prize and a gold medal for best design.
Meanwhile, Mugabe and Kikwete visited the Iranian pavilion on the sidelines of the fair and lauded the wide range of Iranian products.
President Mugabe expressed great happiness over the Iranian companies' presence in the fair.
The Zimbabwean and Tanzanian presidents were presented several gifts and souvenirs by representatives of the Iranian companies participating in the fair....
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
More shacks destroyed
Armed police at the weekend raided a squatter camp on the banks of Mucheke river in Masvingo city, burnt down the plastic shacks and chased away more than 200 people including children who lived at the camp. |
| The squatters, who watched in agony as their shacks and belongings went up in smoke, had lived at the illegal camp since about 2001 and had somehow escaped the government's controversial urban clean-up campaign last year which the United Nations says left 700 000 people homeless after police demolished shantytowns and city backyard cottages. Last Sunday's demolition comes barely a week after President Robert Mugabe promised during his April 18 Independence Day speech to continue demolishing illegal settlements in cities and towns.... |
Huge increase in health fees
Public hospitals fees have gone up from Z$300 to between Z$800,000 and Z$1m (US$10) with immediate effect, the state-owned Herald newspaper reported.
The costs of consultations, maternity services, surgery and intensive care are also increasing.
The government says the rises will help pay for improved care.
The 333,200% increases come a month after the government lifted a freeze on private health care charges, which have since doubled.
'Decongestion'
Correspondents say the old fees of Z$300 were no longer practical, as $100 notes have become virtually worthless and disappeared from circulation....
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
China and big business in Africa
President Hu Jintao's visit to Africa comes at a time of growing Chinese interest in the continent.
Beijing is desperate for oil and natural resources to fuel its booming economy. And some African nations have plenty of both.
China is also keen to find new markets for its booming factories which are churning out everything from shoes and cars to textiles and TV sets.....
The most recent Chinese foray into Africa came earlier this month, when China National Offshore Oil Corporation completed a deal to buy a 45% stake in a Nigerian oil block for more than $2bn....But China's interest in Africa has also sparked anger in the US and Europe.
There are concerns about Beijing's willingness to do business with countries whose governments have been the subject of sustained international criticism like Sudan and Zimbabwe. 
China insists it is merely trading with these nations and adhering to its policy of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs.
But it is not that simple - Beijing has used its veto at the United Nations to block pressure on Sudan's leaders to halt the ongoing violence in Darfur.
And in the past it has sold arms to Zimbabwe.
There are also concerns in Washington that China's growing clout will undermine American interests.
The US is also looking for energy on the continent, which could lead to a growing competition for influence in Africa.
So China's presence is not without controversy. But Beijing's need for energy and minerals, combined with its desire to increase trade, means that the country's leaders will be making far more visits to Africa in the future.
World bank and Malaria drug
A Lancet paper claims the bank faked figures, boosting the success of its malaria projects, and reneged on a pledge to invest $300-500m in Africa.
It also claims the bank funded obsolete treatments - against expert advice.
The bank has denied the allegations and says it is investing $500m to $1bn (£280m-£560m) over the next five years.
But it also admits it is not easy, and sometimes "not even possible", to know exactly how much input from each donor goes into a specific activity.
Malaria drug is not widely used in poor countries LINK
Part of the problem is lack of a medical infrastructure...another part is lack of money for this more expensive treatement.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Pastoral letter from Zim Council of churches
Bad news: It doesn't SAY anything clearly, and it give no concrete suggestions to solve Zim's problems...
Better example of a religious leader instructing people:
THOU SHALT NOT KILL
This means no shooting demonstrators, and no poisoning your opponants.
THOU SHALT NOT STEAL
This means paying for confiscated land...both white farms and those shacks you "cleaned out" of Harare...
It also means not taking money donated by the European Union etc. and using it to buy fancy cars, or to confiscate and build fancy houses.
Worked for Moses...
Department of Moral Outrage
Good news: the Pope mentioned Zimbabwe in his Easter speech...
Mugabe's killing machine
LINK2 has a photo of his fancy new car...and more details...
Mugabe’s luxury Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullmann arrived in Zimbabwe via South Africa, after it was custom built to his specifications in Germany.
According to the Zimbabwe Standard, the vice-presidents and speaker will have to be satisfied with Mercedes-Benz S320 models.
The cost of Mugabe’s vehicle is difficult to calculate. A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Shirle Greig, said on Tuesday it was a personal transaction of which the details were extremely confidential.
She confirmed the car had arrived in South Africa by ship and was taken to Harare on a special truck. The German company, Cloer, armour-plated the vehicle to the highest possible specifications, a B7 Dragunov standard.
According to Grieg, the Zimbabwean government negotiated directly with Cloer for the luxury vehicles. Mugabe’s car’s floor, roof, windows and petrol tank have been specially reinforced, as the most vulnerable parts of the vehicle....
When Mugabe’s car was delivered last week, it apparently was taken immediately to the nearest garage to check for listening devices.
Bob’s such an enviromentalist- he’s saving all the wildlife from becoming roadkill and the population choking on fumes by using every last litre of benzina in the whole country himself- why someone so popular needs a heavily armoured hunwagen to traverse his domain and wave at the happy, smiling populace is a little beyond me.
Mind you though, it’s not as if this bastion of centralised planning and shining example of the wonders of tribal primitives adopting unfettered marxism can’t afford it- the fearless leader of the best example of a colonial fiefdom turned worker’s paradise is surely entitled to a little self-indulgence, and I’m sure the beneficiaries of the regeime’s success and largesse would have to agree.
Operation Taguta/Sisuthi - Command Agriculture in Zimbabwe: its impact on rural communities in Matabeleland
WordFile without pictures HERE...(smaller)
Summary: Context of Findings and their implications1
Command agriculture has to be contextualised against a background of the collapse of agriculture since 2000, and of epidemic corruption and inefficiency not only in this sector, but throughout the government policies in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has faced a food deficit for several consecutive years, and the need to regain credibility for the land invasions, as well as fears of food riots, and the desire to be less dependent on international aid for reasons of national pride and sovereignty, all provide partial motives for Command Agriculture.
Zimbabwe is becoming increasingly militarised as a State, and the disastrous "Operation Murambatsvina" and "Operation Garikai" were both undertaken with the collaboration of the army. The army oversaw "Garikai" and soldiers were among the beneficiaries of the few houses built nationwide under the latter scheme, which has become part of the patronage system in Zimbabwe instead of providing housing for the displaced.
The army has been in control of food distribution for several years now, via control of Grain Marketing Board sales, the only source of affordable maize in rural areas.
Placing the army increasingly in control of food production via "Operation Taguta/Sisuthi" is the next logical step for government in the militarization of the State, and is a furtherance of the patronage of the army.
Giving the army effective control over large aspects of agriculture is keeping soldiers who might otherwise get bored and angry at their poor conditions, active and fed.
Command Agriculture has to be seen in the context of a now-established pattern of political abuse of maize, particularly in rural areas, through abuse of GMB sales. Maize has been consistently withheld from those perceived not to support the government over the last four years.
The pattern of behaviour shown by soldiers at irrigation schemes as summarised in the findings, is in keeping with this established pattern of manipulation of maize. Plot holders now have to beg for the very maize they themselves have laboured to grow, and soldiers have the power to say yes or no.
The destruction of productive market gardens can be viewed as part of the pattern of abuse of communities by government. The destruction of the economic base of these communities is either an act of unbelievable stupidity, or furtherance of a policy aimed at impoverishing rural communities as a means of controlling them.
The usurping of the early irrigation harvests could be an indication of the government intending to ensure that maize ends up in urban rather than rural areas: in urban areas there is a danger of riots if people are hungry, while in rural areas, hunger makes people compliant.
Deploying the army under the guise of Command Agriculture means that army units are now embedded deep in rural areas. This is effectively closing democratic space and will have a repressive impact during Rural District Council Elections due in September. It is likely that the army will stay in place and increase in numbers in rural areas, under the justification of Operation Taguta, from now until parliamentary and/or presidential elections.
Outcome of Command Agriculture
Command Agriculture has been a failure in the 2005/6 season in relation to improving maize production at rural irrigation schemes in Matabeleland. It has undermined such production, and has had an extremely negative effect on the community at large.
In terms of destroying self-sufficiency in rural populations and creating vulnerability through dependency on government as the only source of food, Command Agriculture is likely to prove a resounding "success".
Sunday, April 23, 2006
NAACP withheld report on Zim Elections
“In sum, we are confident in spite of... long lines... the elections afforded the people of Zimbabwe an opportunity to exercise their constitutional right,” the report, which was reviewed by Atlanta Progressive News, stated at the conclusion of its Executive Summary.
“At stake is malnutrition to the point of death,” Rev. Mmoja Ajabu told Atlanta Progressive News. Ajabu is a member of a local branch of the NAACP in Athens, Georgia, which has called for the NAACP to release the report publicly.
An NAACP spokesperson told Atlanta Progressive News that the report was never intended for external use. NAACP Chairman Julian Bond did not respond to requests for comment.
However, the NAACP’s assertion does not appear consistent with a press release on their website dated January 21, 2003.
"NGO designation [by the United Nations, which had just been conferred] gives the NAACP its proper standing and status for participating in international relations and with foreign delegations. Whether monitoring elections in Zimbabwe or promoting human rights and trade as we did during a recent trip to Cuba, the NAACP is poised now to become even more effective as an advocate for international justice and third world development," then-CEO Kweisi Mfume, who is now running for US Senate in Maryland, said.
“The US and Britain are saying the elections were not free and fair. Because of this, they’re blocking the counties’ ability to get international loans from the IMF and the World Bank. We’re talking about saving lives. This is very serious,” Ajabu said.
A source who is familiar with the matter showed a copy of the highly sensitive report to APN’s Editor, who read and took notes, on condition of the source’s anonymity and the return of the documents to the source....
Dr. Simbi Mubako, the Zimbabwe Ambassador to the United States, held a press conference at the National Press Club in April 2005. In his remarks, Mubako pointed to numerous elections reports which were favorable from the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Union of African States, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Rev. Ajabu told APN he spoke to one person removed from President Mugabe who said the Zimbabwean government has not yet received the 2002 report from the NAACP, which could be significant because it is an organization based in the United States.
The report shows a few things:
First, the NAACP sent five observers, according to the report. An NAACP spokesperson told APN that only two observers were sent.
Second, the NAACP did an extremely thorough job researching the election, expending considerable time, energy, and resources. The NAACP’s election research included extensive interviews with citizens, activists, religious leaders, elected officials, and nongovernmental agency officials. NAACP monitors undertook a 2,031 kilometer trip and observed urban and rural polling stations.
Third, the NAACP report says that observers would receive reports of violence at polling stations “from pundits and activists,” but when they would go to check out these rumors, the polling stations would be calm and orderly.
Fourth, they stated that Western governments had a clear anti-Mugabe stance throughout the process.
The NAACP congratulated the people of Zimbabwe for patience and courage and their large voter turnout. They recommended modernization of elections, voter education, and earlier training for poll workers, however.
The NAACP’s “International Election Observers Manual,” which was also included in the report, states the role of nonpartisan observers is “to give citizens confidence that the elections process is carried out in a free, fair, and transparent manner.”
Atlanta Progressive News is advocating that the NAACP should release this report to the world in order to give citizens such confidence.----------
----------------
This is a "progressive" news source.
The errors in it are many.
Even if the "report" leaked was true, it ignores several things, the most important one being that people who often know they will be punished for saying the truth will be punished will instead tell you what they think you want to tell them...
In Mashona culture, it is only polite to tell a person what they want to hear, and not contradict them...
Who translated for the "five" people? Did they bring their own translators? Who chose who to interview? The Government?
So why should interviewers expect to hear what many of my friends report: That people knew if they didn't vote for Mugabe that they would receive no food aid to their villages...
Mine confiscation? or not?
Digressing from his prepared speech, the veteran politician told thousands of his ruling ZANU PF supporters who gathered for the Independence Day celebrations at the National Sports Stadium in Harare that minerals were non-renewable resources and that his government needed to maximise on the existing deposits, which were being exploited by foreigners.
"Takati tinoda kuita (We said we wanted) 50 or 51 percent in favour of Zimbabweans or the state and 49 percent in favour of investors," President Mugabe said.
Well, that's a great way to attract foreign investment....
Zim "asks" white farmers to return
A farmers' leader says some 200 applications have already been made and more are coming in.
Critics say the reforms have devastated the economy and led to massive hunger.
Foreign currency
Much of the formerly white-owned land is no longer being productively used - either because the beneficiaries have no experience of farming or they lack finance and tools.
Many farms were wrecked when they were invaded by government supporters.
...
What's the old proverb? Fool me once, shame onyou... Fool me twice, shame on me...
Saturday, April 22, 2006
There is enough food...
GOVERNMENT will ensure Zimbabwe remains peaceful and people have enough food, especially the majority in rural areas, Vice President Joice Mujuru said yesterday.
Cde Mujuru said she had a programme of visiting rural areas to assess the situation on the ground and see how Government can assist to improve their standard of living. The Vice President said she would continue her tour next month. "My priority is to make sure there is enough food for families in the countryside and that each and every one of our nationals live in peace. We want people to understand what the Government is doing to better their lives," she said.
Can the military run Zim's economy?
...The mind boggles at the concept that those trained in warfare and defence should become the supremos of the economy. What on earth does their background, training and experience include that has any bearing on formulating, guiding and driving the diverse elements of an economy, ranging from agriculture to mining, from manufacturing to tourism, from trading to finance, and much else? How can expertise in national defence be constructively applied to facilitating, enabling and motivating economic well-being?
Although Zimbabwe has pronounced scarcities of many items, ranging from petroleum to maize meal, medications and consumables in state hospitals, it has an overwhelming surplus, and that is of rumours, many of which are wholly without foundation, and most of the others being greatly exaggerated, but nevertheless a few that are of substance. Among the rumours currently in circulation is one that the ZNSC is now overseeing the operations of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra). Should that be so, it is incongruous in the extreme.
What on earth does the army know about taxation, internal controls, audit and the like? Surely the responsibility for oversight of Zimra should vest in the Ministry of Finance and the Auditor-General and, if necessary, the Ministry of Anti-Corruption and the National Economic Conduct Inspectorate....
I would agree with the writer..the army is a stooge for protecting Mugabe and will only continue his failed policies.But you know, the writer is wrong in thinking that an army could not run the economy...a major skill in a good military is logistics, being able to feed and clothe and shelter the army, keeping supplies flowing, building bridges, building houses and fortifications, starting gardens and raising animals for food to feed the army etc.
Armies tend to be bullies when left lose, but a good army is quite practical, realizing that if you kill the cow (or destroy the factory or confiscate the mine) then you won't have milk next week from the dead cow...
The question is if the military is so contaminated by socialistic theory and political corruption and general incompetency that they cannot do this. Not knowing much about Zim's military I cannot answer that question...
"Shared Vision" will turn around economcy
Umm...you're taking over all the mines from outside investors, but you expect them to invest more money? HELLO...
...Minister Gumbo, who chaired the Press conference, started by chronicling the background to NEDPP, which took him close to 30 minutes. As he went through the document, all faces were filled with great enthusiasm....
A thirty minute speech...MEGO....must look enthusiastic...must look enthusiastic...zzzz....
One couldn't help the feeling that the new plan would completely change the face of the economy. From the captains of industry led by Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Mr Patison Sithole, to the ministers -- among them Dr Herbert Murerwa, Mr Didymus Mutasa, Mr Kembo Mohadi -- and the Reserve Bank governor Dr Gideon Gono, it was just what the doctor ordered.
Mr Gumbo did not monopolise the Press conference but opened it to his colleagues to add their voice to the new document jointly crafted by the Government and the private sector. After the conference, my mind was refreshed. I was filled with renewed hope that our economy can be revived within a very short space of time, not completely turned around, but we expect some positive developments. The perceptions that I had before have completely vanished. I thought disappointingly that I have not been playing my role, either in my capacity as a journalist or as a patriotic Zimbabwean to help revive the economy.
You're right. Any journalist who writes this type of asskissing article is NOT helping your country...
Forget about foreign currency shortages or inflation hovering over 900 percent, our economy is still vibrant and requires a little push to bring it back to its former glory. However, the biggest challenge, and one that could undermine the noble goals of this document, might be lack of commitment by stakeholders in particular and Zimbabweans in general.
There is need for shared vision and to adopt unity of purpose. It's high time we buried our differences and start working towards a common goal. Yes, on paper, the NEDPP, is quite excellent just like -- I suppose -- itspredecessors, but effective and collective implementation is the key, anchored by a common vision. Implementation should not be left to President Mugabe or his Vice Presidents, Ministers Gumbo and Murerwa or Dr Gono but should be embraced by the totality of all Zimbabweans, who should join hands and pull in the same direction. Everyone has a role to play if we are to turn around the economy. ....
Ummmm....how? Any details?
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Shady economic body news
THE shadowy Cuban-style Zimbabwe National Security Council (ZNSC) was recently set up to run the country’s economy on a crisis-management basis — 26 years after the start of self-rule.
The move indicates a virtual state of emergency in Zimbabwe’s economy, confirms the government’s policy paralysis and reflects panic in the corridors of power.
But it also shows government’s implicit awareness of the potentially devastating political consequences of the current economic meltdown. The ZNSC, chaired by President Robert Mugabe, runs the economy on an emergency basis — as in Cuba, where “anguish committees” manage the economy. Mugabe referred to the initiative yesterday during his keynote address at the country’s 26th anniversary of independence from Britain. At the same event, he made a stunning claim that the economy, which has shrunk by a cumulative 35% in the past six years, will grow between 1% and 2% this year. No one believes this, and it would be shocking if Mugabe does.
The Cuban economy is run by a Council of State, backed by committees, although the government has devolved some authority to ministries and enterprises in recent years. Under the slogan “Socialism or Death”, the Cuban regime continues to proclaim Cuba a socialist state with an economy organised under Marxist-Leninist principles. Most means of production are owned and run by the government. About 75% of the labour force is employed directly by the state.
Mugabe tried to do this and failed and now wants to try it again, although this time it is crisis management rather than socialist principles that are driving the process. In October 1990, Cuban leader Fidel Castro said his country had entered a “special period in time of peace” and that the economy would function as if in a time of war until the crisis had been resolved.
This appears to be the mentality within the Zimbabwean government. The ZNSC will run the economy like Cuba’s Council of State until the current crisis disappears, something unlikely if no fundamental political and economic reforms are undertaken. Cuba learnt this the hard way.
In Zimbabwe, the state security establishment now effectively runs the economy as it cross-cuts the emergency subcommittees which have been set up to perform a rescue operation. This confirms the view that the Central Intelligence Organisation and the Joint Operations Command — comprising the intelligence service, army, police and prisons — now virtually run the country and are involved in a whole gamut of nonsecurity issues.
The state security establishment has no credible economic knowledge, capacity or the means to pull Zimbabwe out of the morass. The situation requires a political solution and economic measures supported by the international community. The ZNSC initiative only validates the view of a police state in Zimbabwe run by the state security apparatus. Government bureaucracy is already heavily militarised. Serving or retired army officers can be found in government departments, parastatals, electoral institutions and quasigovernment organisations performing the roles of civilians.
Military rule takes various forms, which include army control where the generals direct events from barracks, arbitration in which the army comes in as conflict manager between political parties or the government and opposition parties, and army veto where the military vetoes some civilian decisions. There are also crypto-military democracies in which it is difficult to tell where army interventions end and civilian rule begins.
Anecdotal evidence shows the military might be pulling the strings in civilian government issues, but there is still no decisive proof that army authority has taken root and is now the basis of governance in Zimbabwe.
There are clear signs of the executive’s erosion of confidence in public officials, and the encroachment of armed forces — apparently by invitation — in civilian matters. While this might serve Mugabe’s self-preservation needs at the moment, it creates problems for future governments which may have to struggle to uproot an entrenched military culture in civilian government.
The ZNSC will not be able to reverse the economic decline in the present circumstances — not in a “thousand years” as central bank governor Gideon Gono recently observed, in an eerie echo of former Rhodesian leader Ian Smith’s comment on the prospects of majority rule in Zimbabwe in 1965.
‖Muleya is Harare correspondent and Zimbabwe Independent news editor.
