Minister Mupfumira

Victoria Ruzvidzo in MADRID, Spain
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira is leading a Zimbabwean delegation which arrived here yesterday to participate in the 2018 FITUR travel and tourism fair currently underway.

This is the 10th time Zimbabwe is participating at the travel expo and the delegation comprises the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority officials, tourism operators and journalists from the public and private media. Thousands of tourism operators and journalists converge in the Spanish capital annually to exhibit and formulate strategies to take the lucrative travel and tourism industry to the next level.

This year’s event is quite important and timeous for Zimbabwe as it happens a few months after the country embarked on a new trajectory that has boosted confidence and raised more interest in the Southern African country. The international community has registered confidence in efforts by President Mnangagwa and his team to transform the economy.

Tourism has long been identified as one of the key drivers for economic growth. ZTA chief executive Dr Karikoga Kaseke said participation at FITUR would help the authority to push forward Zimbabwe’s tourism agenda to the Spanish market and to the rest of the world. He said the platform would present an opportunity to engage United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Member States to rally behind Zimbabwe as the destination sought to regain its lost market.

“We are going with the Minister and we are confident she will take the opportunity to answer to the questions that are being asked by major tourism players in the globe: what this new dispensation that we are having in Zimbabwe is all about and encourage the world to support this new development,” said Dr Kaseke. Tourism operators said it was critical for Zimbabwe to leverage on opportunities such as FITUR, given the positive developments brought about by the new dispensation.

“The era has since proffered intensive positive publicity, with various markets displaying excitement and interest in “the new” Zimbabwe,” said Dr Kaseke.

“The country’s participation at this year’s edition of FITUR is essential from a networking and business perspective, while it also presents a perfect opportunity to explain the new dispensation to the global family of tourism.”

FITUR is the leading trade fair in Spain and number three in the world after the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin and the World Travel Mart (WTM) London. The globe converges here to map out the future of tourism, as the UNWTO headquarters is here. Last year, the FITUR attracted a record 9 893 exhibiting companies from 165 countries and regions. It registered more than 135 000 trade participants and 107 000 public visits.

President Mnangagwa

Business Reporter
The Office of the Present and Cabinet is spearheading an all-stakeholders process for a national branding strategy that will inform the world that Zimbabwe is open for business and has functional institutions to support the exploitation of business and investment opportunities.

The campaign focuses on key result areas as well as institutions that deal with visitors to Zimbabwe, investment and trade in the country, among them Government ministries, departments, regulators and private business groupings.

Senior principal director in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Department of Public Affairs and Knowledge Management, Ambassador Marry Mubi, said at the branding and concept strategy in Harare yesterday that the initiative started off in the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

However, it was realised that the branding covered a lot of issues that were beyond tourism, hence the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) took over the coordination and supervision of the process to ensure that all aspects were covered. The tourism ministry wanted to focus on destination marketing.

“After assuming responsibility for national branding, the OPC undertook a 100-day pilot brand proposition and data gathering initiative in Mashonaland West Province during the last quarter of 2017, which culminated in the production of a short film, provincial web-site and a brochure,” Ambassador Mubi said.

She pointed out that the pilot project was mainly meant to understand what nation branding entailed, who should be involved and the aspects of the Zimbabwe brand “we should highlight”.

“We, therefore, propose to develop a global campaign that informs the world that Zimbabwe is a viable nation with working institutions, tremendous opportunities in all sectors, vibrant culture and great places to visit and with a peaceful, resilient people and the most literate workforce on the continent.”

Ambassador Mubi said the global campaign will also highlight the country’s tourism icons, trade and investment opportunities. As such, the campaign will get local and diaspora people talking positively about Zimbabwe and expose the population to the many positive developments in the country.

The OPC’s 100-day nation branding strategy will expertly combine tourism, culture, investment and trade opportunities into a measurable development agenda for Zimbabwe.

The strategy will launch branding campaigns aimed at attracting tourists, facilitating trade, foreign direct investment and improving the private-sector global competitiveness of Zimbabwe.

Further, Ambassador Mubi said the strategy will present Zimbabwe’s investment and trade opportunities through a unified and simplified message that clarifies its policies and vision.

“The campaign will develop marketing collateral that will allow us to kick-start the branding effort, get buy in for a new vision and trajectory of the country from all Zimbabweans at home and abroad and change the narrative about Zimbabwe,” she said.

Ambassador Mubi said nation branding strategy was critical to take advantage of the window of opportunity and dividend, which has come as a result of the new political dispensation.

“His Excellency, The President ED Mnangagwa has created enthusiasm and interest amongst various stakeholders by making it clear that Government is serious in its intention to change its way of doing business, and in creating a more business friendly environment.

“He also pronounced a more inclusive approach to issues of governance and engagement with the international community. More recently he (President Mnangagwa) communicated his commitment to free and fair elections,” she said.

Generally, nation branding will be essential for the country’s economic turnaround because it encourages business and leisure tourism. No one trades or invests in a country unless they first visit.

Further, nation branding will be critical for engagement and re-engagement with the international community through communication of new trade and investment policies and reforms.

According to ambassador Mubi, this was critical to change the narrative about Zimbabwe and to indicate that the country is “open for business”. She said the campaign cannot succeed without the “buy in” of Zimbabweans.

“Renewed confidence in ourselves, and show-casing our ability to reform, show-casing what is working in the country will be a starting point in the process of redefining our image.”

File picture of typical unhygienic conditions that can cause cholera.

Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau
A CHOLERA outbreak has hit Chegutu Town where four people have died so far, while three are admitted at the district hospital. The first suspected case was of an elderly woman believed to be in her 80s, while the other three contracted the disease after attending her funeral.

Mashonaland West Provincial Medical Director Dr Wenceslaus Nyamayaro confirmed the outbreak.

“Yes, there is an outbreak in Chegutu and we are doing everything to ensure that the situation is dealt with once and for all,” he said in an interview this afternoon.

Chegutu West House of Assembly member Dexter Nduna also confirmed the outbreak. The outbreak has been blamed on poor hygiene caused by inadequate water supplies and vandalism of water pipes for treated water.

Details to follow…

Acting Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga

Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
Government has retired only 11 senior police officers from the rank of senior assistant commissioner and above, contrary to earlier reports that 30 officers had been sent on early retirement, police said yesterday.

Commissioner Rabson Mpofu (Planning and Development) said in a statement that Acting Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga had pointed out the correct position.

“Further to today (yesterday)’s media reports regarding the ongoing reorganisation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Acting Commissioner-General of Police wishes to inform the public and the media that only the following eleven members of the police service have retired,” he said.

Also read:

• Govt retires 30 top cops

Comm Mpofu listed the retired officers as including Commissioners Grace Ndebele and Mekia Tanyanyiwa.

He said Senior Assistant Commissioners relieved of their duties were Godfrey Munyonga, Justice Chifunye Chengeta, Douglas Jabulani Nyakutsikwa, Robert Tendero Masukusa, Erasmus Makodza, Prudence Chakanyuka, Eve Mlilo, Grace Maenzanise and Munyori Taedzerwa.

“Further, the following officers who are erroneously reported as dismissed/retired, remain members of the police service in their original ranks,” said Comm Mpofu.

The spared members included Deputy Commissioners General Innocent Matibiri, Levy Watson Sibanda and Josephine Shambare, and Senior Assistant Commissioners Charity Angeline Charamba, Wiklef Makamache, Edward Fusire and Angelina Guvamombe.

On Thursday, there were reports that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had relieved 30 , as part of moves to transform the force.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Obert Mpofu said he had not been formally informed about the issue.

“The police are employed by the Police Service Commission, so I wouldn’t want to comment about something that I have not been formally informed about,” he said.

Extension of service for members beyond 50 years of age is governed by Section 22 (3) and (4) of the Police Act Chapter 11:10.

Section 22 (3) states that a regular member of the force, whatever his length of pensionable service, shall retire from the regular force at midnight on the 50th anniversary of his or her birthday.

A provision in the same section empowers the Commissioner-General of Police to extend the service of the member if he considers it in the public interest and the member is medically fit.

He may extend the tenure to 55 years on yearly extensions. Section 22 (4) states that any member who has continued to serve in terms of subsection (3) shall retire at 55 years of his anniversary.

President Mnangagwa is welcomed by his Zambian counterpart President Edgar Lungu at State House in Zambia yesterday.

Samuel Kadungure in LUSAKA, Zambia
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday met his Zambian counterpart President Edgar Lungu at State House here before he paid homage to the country’s founding father Dr Kenneth Kaunda at his residence in Lusaka.

President Mnangagwa visited Embassy Park, a memorial park housing graves of former Zambian presidents — Messrs Michael Sata, Levy Mwanawasa and Fredrick Chiluba.

Messrs Sata and Mwanawasa were sitting presidents when they died in 2014 and 2008, respectively, while Mr Chiluba died in 2011 when he had retired. The President laid wreaths on the trio’s graves in honour of the role they played in consolidating democracy in Africa.

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe and Zambia were like Siamese twins. Zimbabwe, he said, will always remain grateful to Zambia for its support during the liberation struggle.

President Mnangagwa briefed President Lungu and Dr Kaunda on the political situation in Zimbabwe following former President Robert Mugabe’s resignation in November last year.

President Mnangagwa, who is touring the region to apprise other leaders on political developments in Zimbabwe, assured Dr Kaunda that former President Mugabe was safe and his legacy would be preserved.

President Lungu, who — just like his Zimbabwean counterpart — is a law graduate from the University of Zambia, congratulated President Mnangagwa on his ascension to the Presidency and pledged his country’s unwavering support.

He expressed optimism in President Mnangagwa’s ability to pull Zimbabwe out of the current economic challenges.

“Three graduates from the school of law who are Presidents,” said President Lungu in reference to President Mnangagwa, former Zambian President Mwanawasa and himself, who all read law at the University of Zambia.

“It’s a historic achievement. People might see it from a different angle, but for us it’s a historic achievement. The good thing is we are ruling so well.”

President Mnangagwa did his law degree at the University of Zambia from 1973 to 1974.

In 1975, he did his post-graduate LLB degree, including another programme in Advocacy at the same university. President Mnangagwa took the opportunity to chronicle his stay in Zambia, and revealed that he was an ardent follower of Dr Kaunda.

“In 1959, UNIP was formed and I was at a technical college here, and we were recruited as students,” he said. “Then, we were ardent followers of Dr Kaunda, though we made a few mistakes and we were expelled. At that time, we learnt a lot from him (Dr Kaunda). After expulsion, I then joined UNIP, and when I am here, am back home with my iconic political leader.”

President Mnangagwa explained how the Youth Interface Rallies, which were held at the behest of the Zanu-PF Youth League, were used as a platform to denigrate him before his expulsion from Government and the ruling party.

He explained the tortuous journey he took to Mozambique and South Africa soon after his expulsion, and the events that led to his ascendancy to being the President of Zimbabwe.

The visit to Zambia accorded President Mnangagwa an opportunity to reminisce with former classmates from the University of Zambia. President Mnangagwa’s regional tour has since taken him to South Africa, where he met President Jacob Zuma, the current chairperson of Sadc.

The President has visited Angola and met his counterpart Cde Jao Manuel Goncalves Laurenco, who chairs the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security; Namibia, where he met President Hage Geingob; and Mozambique, where he met President Fillipe Nyusi.

He is scheduled to visit Botswana where he will meet President Ian Khama.

The Head of State of Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces continues to reiterate that Zimbabwe is ready for business and is willing to work with diverse partners in rebuilding the economy and creating cordial relations with the international community.

Minister Moyo

Innocent Ruwende and Virginia Kashiri
Government has given illegal vendors and pirate taxi operators 48 hours to vacate the streets in all towns and cities, or the security forces will move in to remove them, a Cabinet minister has said.

Addressing a Press conference yesterday, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo said his ministry engaged Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired) to ensure that all security officers took part in the nationwide exercise.

Minister Moyo, who was flanked by acting Harare town clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango and principal director in his ministry (urban local authorities) Ms Erica Jones, warned of the arrest of legislators and councillors who could try undermine the operation to gain political mileage.

Read more:

• Vendors, city cops clash
• Council pledges to get vendors off the streets
• Blitz nets 41 illegal vendors, touts
• Illegal vendors troop back
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• EDITORIAL COMMENT: Vendors: End this cat and mouse game
• Vendors, pirate taxis back on the streets
• Crackdown on vendors begins

He said a monitoring taskforce had been put in place to ensure sustainability of the operation.

“We are compelled to act before the situation degenerates to even lower levels,” said Minister Moyo. “In view of this untenable situation, let us all declare war on illegal vendors and unregistered public transporters. To the vendors who are operating at undesignated sites, including in front of shops and to unregistered public transporters, you are directed to cease forthwith your activities within the next 48 hours, failure of which you have no one, but yourselves to blame. I have contacted, before this press conference, the Vice President General Chiwenga to inform him about this statement I am issuing and to seek his assistance so that security agencies can work with the municipalities, town councils, so that we can put to rest this menace that is facing us.”

Minister Moyo said Government could not continue to fold its hands when the threats of typhoid and cholera had become a reality.

He said illegal activities in the CBDs had virtually become cover for other criminal activities, hence it was critical for Government to arrest the situation before it exploded.

“Prevention is better than cure,” said Minister Moyo. “The CBD is now home to a litany of unhealthy vending activities such as selling of second hand clothes, unregulated vegetable vending, roasting mealie cobs, and money changers, amongst other activities.

“Such activities are anathema and anachronistic of CBD areas of modern cities, especially capital cities. The menace is further exacerbated by the public transport system which has transformed the CBD into a hazardous jungle.”

Illegal ranks and unregistered public transport such as mushika-shika, said Minister Moyo, had become rampant, posing great danger to both motorists and pedestrians.

He said those who wanted vending sites should approach their local authorities and be properly allocated space at designated sites. Minister Moyo said there was no other issuing authority of vending space besides councils.

“To those who have been thriving on selling vending space, you are directed to stop forthwith,” he said. “Such culprits should be reported to the law enforcement agents who must act, and act now. We are also calling upon members of the uniformed forces to come and assist the Local Authorities in bringing sanity in our CBDs. Members of the public are urged to cooperate with all forms of law enforcement agents in an effort to eradicate this vice.”

Minister Moyo said it was no longer business as usual for local authorities, imploring them to enforce by-laws without fear or favour, with the help of police.

Most cities and towns in Zimbabwe have been rendered inaccessible as a result of an influx of illegal vendors and illegal taxi operators.

Efforts by the councils to restore sanity seem to have yielded no solution, hence the intervention by Government and the security forces.

The new dispensation calls for cities to attract investment to uplift the lives of residents, but those with funds shy away once they realise the chaotic situations in such areas.

Herald Reporter
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe will respect and honour property rights and the 99-year leases, which are currently being given to farmers, are transferable.

Speaking in an interview with Alec Russell of the Financial Times in Harare on Tuesday, the Head of State and Government said the 99-year leases cannot be expected to affect landholders since they provide sufficient security and tenure.

“To the extent that we honour property rights in relation to land, we’ve introduced the 99-year lease tenure. We don’t have freehold anymore, although we still have people holding freehold land, but we have now legislated for 99-year leases which are transferable,” said President Mnangagwa.

“This is where we’re going and we don’t see a person getting worried, being granted a 99-year lease; very few people live beyond 99 years, but if they do they can always renew.

“That is with regard to agricultural land. Of course our land has different categories.

“The communal lands which have (unclear) people on them; there is no limit, it is a freehold. But agricultural land is a 99-year lease, yes,” he said.

Government, he said, will continue compensating white former commercial farmers who lost their land through the land reform programme.

Government is currently raising funds from the fiscus to pay the farmers.

“That is an ongoing exercise. In terms of our law we are obligated to compensate any developments on land which was compulsorily acquired under the land reform programme.

“And some farmers have already been compensated, but the large number of them have not and we are continuously raising funds on the fiscus for that compensation, although the persons affected are not too happy because the pressure’s very strong,” he said.

“So I have promised that I will not breach that commitment by Government; we shall continue to honour the compensation on the improvements on land as a result of the land reform programme, yes.”

See transcript of the full interview on Pages 5, 6 and 7.

Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter
The condition of some crops has continued to deteriorate, with the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) forecasting dry weather conditions to persist until next week.

Erratic rains may be received after Wednesday, the department said.

According to the MSD head of forecasting, Mr Tich Zinyemba, the dry weather was expected to persist in all areas until next week.

“Therefore, most areas will be sunny and hot with no rainfall,” he said.

“There will be no rains until next week and even then the rains will be erratic. We have started cloud seeding, but this process is only possible if there are conducive clouds.”

Meanwhile, crops in most areas are showing serious signs of moisture stress, with others already reaching the permanent wilting stage.

But cotton is one of the crops that is thriving.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said maize in some areas had reached permanent wilting and if it did not rain soon, the crop would be a write-off in some areas.

“Generally, cotton is doing well as the crop can thrive in dry conditions due to its deep roots,” he said.

“Although the crop maybe slightly smaller than last year, it has not been affected by the dry weather conditions.”

Mr Chabikwa said dryland tobacco had been severely affected by the erratic rains, with the crop developing small leaves.

The quality of the crop had also been compromised by the low rainfall.

“Those with an irrigated crop are at advanced stage of reaping and curing and this crop was not affected by leaching this season due to the low rains,” said Mr Chabikwa.

He said maize was worrisome as the early planted crop was in the vegetative stage which required rain.

Mr Chabikwa said farmers with irrigation facilities should intensify irrigation to save the crop.

“The maize that is six weeks and above is getting stressed, while in some areas the crop has reached permanent wilting stage,” he said.

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Angola’s national carrier, Linhas Aereas de Angola (TAAG), will soon resume direct flights from Luanda to Harare.

This was revealed by President Mnangagwa after meeting Angolan President Joao Lourenco on January 12.

President Mnangagwa said increased business between the two countries culminated in the agreement.

“Just today, my discussion with the President of Angola, they (TAAG) had stopped coming, but we have agreed that Angola would resume flying into Zimbabwe,” he said.

“That’s an agreement we have made today.”

President Mnangagwa said with the new dispensation, other countries would soon be coming to Harare and Victoria Falls.

“I am travelling to China in April and I think, again, we shall have similar agreements,” President Mnangagwa said.

Mr Manungo

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Government yesterday reduced excise duty on fuel, in a move expected to result in a decline in prices of basic goods, as high production cost structures were being partly attributed to high fuel prices.

The reduction, which took effect from midnight, followed an outcry by the business sector that high fuel prices were contributing significantly to the cost of doing business, accounting for some price increases on basic commodities.

Parliamentarians recently voiced concern over the high cost of fuel. The reduction was effected on excise duty paid on petrol, diesel and paraffin.

Excise duty on petrol fell by 6,5 cents per litre from 45 cents per litre to 38,5 cents per litre, while that on diesel and paraffin declined from 40 cents per litre to 33 cents per litre.

Secretary for Finance and Economic Planning Mr Willard Manungo made the announcement in a statement yesterday. He said the reduction of duty on fuel was expected to have an impact on the economy, especially with regards to cost structures.

“The Minister of Finance and Economic Development Honourable Patrick Chinamasa has in terms of section 225 of the Customs and Excise Act (Chapter 23:02) reduced Excise Duty on fuel with effect from 23 January 2018,” Mr Manungo said.

“The reduction in Excise Duty will have the impact of reducing fuel prices. This will also have the impact of reducing the impact of fuel costs in the economy’s overall production cost structures across all sectors.”

The Zimbabwe Energy Council last year noted that Zimbabwe’s fuel was the most expensive in the region, despite Government’s mandatory blending policy that compelled fuel companies to mix unleaded petrol with ethanol as part of efforts to reduce the import bill.

High fuel prices in the country have largely been blamed on a litany of taxes and levies, despite a decline in world oil prices in the past few years. Petrol is selling at an average of $1,40 per litre, while diesel is between $1,30 and $1,33.

Government has committed to implementing a raft of measures aimed at making Zimbabwe an attractive investment destination by reducing taxes and levies that have made the country uncompetitive.

Fuel is one of the major costs incurred by businesspeople and has a direct effect on prices of commodities.

Some Zimbabweans drive to work daily and were complaining over high fuel prices.

Mr Chideme

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Harare City Council is now owed more than $725 million by Government, business and residents, as policy inconsistencies regarding debt collection continue to cost the cash-strapped local authority.

As at December 31 last year, properties in high-density suburbs owed the city $171,6 million, while low-density suburbs carried a $189,6 million debt. Industrial or commercial properties were indebted to the tune of $322 million.

Also, Government owes the city $29,4 million, while Chitungwiza, Norton, Ruwa and Epworth owe $10,2 million, $3,1 million, $96 647 and $12,9 million, respectively. City of Harare’s corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme said the city was only collecting $12 million from potential monthly collections of $22 million.

“(Through) using Wellcash Debt Collectors, it had gone up to about $15 million, but it has now gone down to $12 million. From December 5 to January 15, they brought in $4,5 million. Their contract was, however, not renewed,” he said.

“Naturally, the debt collector acted as an enforcer in terms of enticing debtors to be paid up. Customers naturally do not want a debt collector to visit because of the effect that action has on one’s social standing in the community.”

Mr Chideme said that while cash inflows improved following the engagement of Wellcash, council had to accommodate the views of the residents who felt they were hard-pressed for cash, hence, the non-renewal of the debt collectors’ contract.

He urged customers to pay their bills.

“If people honour their obligations, there is no need to engage a debt collector or enforcer,” he said. MDC-T councillors were largely accused of politicking at the expense of service delivery by pulling the plug on Wellcash Debt Collectors.

The councillors, who are controlled from Harvest House, were torn between the need to boost the city’s revenue and toeing the party line. MDC-T ordered the councillors to cancel the contract in fear of disappointing Harare residents ahead of the harmonised elections this year. At a full council meeting last year, Ward 14 councillor Alderman Samuel Chinyowa accused the MDC-T councillors of playing cheap politics.

“If other Government ministries are engaging Wellcash to recover their debts, who are you to deny Wellcash? We should prioritise service delivery. How are we going to pay our workers if we cancel Wellcash’s contract?” he said.

Minister Kagonye

Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter
Government has enough food stocks and will cater for the 300 000 households that require food assistance, a Cabinet Minister has said. Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye yesterday told The Herald that owing to the bumper harvest last year, Government would only be moving food from surplus areas to deficit areas.

The country experienced a bumper harvest in the 2016 /2017 agricultural season, producing more than three million tonnes of grain, including maize, groundnuts, roundnuts, cowpeas and other crops.

“We have enough food to cater for the food-deficit areas. We had a bumper harvest last year and we will only be moving grain from areas of surplus to deficit areas,” she said.

“Starting end of January, we will be assisting 301 000 families with food and each family will receive a 50kg bag of maize monthly until harvest time. The maize is for free and Government will later come in with food-for-work programmes after harvest time.”

Minister Kagonye said although the country experienced good rains last season, there were still some areas that experienced erratic rains and were food insecure.

“We have some areas that are in region four and five of the agro-ecological regions and these usually have perennial food shortagesFor instance, Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, Mudzi , Masvingo, Mwenezi, and Chivi, among other dry areas, have always presented challenges,” she said.

“Masvingo has been the most vulnerable district for the 2017 /18 season. Other areas that are affected in terms of food availability are those bordering the national parks, where wildlife may destroy crops or hinder farming activities for instance, in Gokwe South, Mbire and Kariba, among others and these also require food assistance.” Minister Kagonye said Government was guided by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVac) for the areas in need of assistance and the quantities.

“As Government, we are more concerned with the 2018 /19 season because of the looming drought,” she said.
“The erratic rains have affected crops in most parts of the country, with maize in some areas already reaching permanent wilting stage. If need arises, we will increase the number of beneficiaries based on the assessments and this has already been budgeted for, and this is starting end of January.”

Dr Parirenyatwa

Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
Government has reactivated all its rapid response machinery to respond to a cholera outbreak that has so far claimed four lives in Chegutu. Addressing a Press conference in Harare yesterday on the latest situation regarding the outbreak, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said although cases seemed to be going down, Government was on high alert as there could be other cases still incubating in other parts of the country.

The first case was recorded on January 8, 2018 and since then, cases were being reported at Chegutu District Hospital until January 20.

“Although the cases are declining, it is very critical to note that all these suspected cases are all linked to funerals that occurred in the locality,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

“The index (first case) of the outbreak was an elderly woman who had died, and many people, including some from Mabvuku and Epworth, attended the funeral. Some of the deceased also handled the woman’s body, hence we cannot dismiss possibility of other cases incubating from any part of the country.”

Dr Parirenyatwa said although authorities could not trace where the elderly woman could have contracted cholera, all the 32 cases which had since been recorded, including the three subsequent deaths, were linked to the elderly woman’s funeral. Government, he said, had since followed up on people who attended the funeral and put them under surveillance for any possible signs and symptoms of cholera.

“All provinces have been put on high alert for cholera,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
“The district civil protection committee has been activated; the provincial rapid response team is on the ground, while the national rapid response team is conducting a cholera assessment in the affected province with assistance from the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.”

Zimbabwe, Dr Parirenyatwa said, was facing twin challenges of cholera and typhoid. Typhoid, which was first reported in Mbare, had since spread to many suburbs in the capital.

“Unlike typhoid, cholera is more deadly and kills faster,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
“We need to ensure provision of safe and adequate water supplies, especially to the affected districts, (and) improvement of sewer reticulation as these are the conditions that promote cholera and typhoid.”

Speaking at the same occasion, WHO acting representative Dr Juliet Nabyonga said they remained committed to supporting the Government of Zimbabwe to contain the outbreak from spreading to other parts of the country.

She said to date, four countries — Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Uganda — had been affected by cholera. Dr Nabyonga said other countries managed to contain the outbreak, but Zambia, which is just next door to Zimbabwe, was still struggling to do so. At least 50 deaths and over 3 000 cases of cholera have so far been reported in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

UNICEF representative Dr Mohamed Oyoya commended Government for its quick reaction to the Chegutu outbreak, including the reactivation of all its rapid response mechanisms. Dr Oyoya said UNICEF was also mulling assisting Government with a cholera vaccine in affected areas.

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe Local Government Association (Zilga) yesterday welcomed vendors and pirate taxi operators moving to designated places, saying their presence had made it impossible to properly manage cities.

Most vendors in cities and towns across the country responded positively to the ultimatum issued by Government, but only a handful of incorrigible traders resisted the directive.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Mr July Moyo on Friday said the renewed effort to enforce the city by-laws was not a one-day operation as a task force had been set up to monitor the exercise. Government said the task force will only be disbanded when order was restored.

Zilga president Dr Killer Zivhu said his organisation was in full support of Government’s plan to bring order and sanity across the country and urged illegal vendors to continue heeding the call for them to move off the streets. Zilga is made up of 90 urban and rural district councils.

“We as Zilga welcome the directive for the vendors to move out and we observed yesterday that most of the vendors heeded the call and they stayed away from the streets,” said Dr Zivhu.

“There was a breath of fresh air in most of our towns yesterday that is very much commendable. We are looking forward to the situation remaining like that for councils to have their space to ensure there were clean cities in Zimbabwe.” Dr Zivhu said urban councils were fully behind the Government initiative.

“We are behind our Minister on that issue. Disorderliness and unsanctioned vending will only bring us diseases like cholera. We, however, urge councils to seek partners who will erect vending booths and other infrastructure like toilets for the vendors,” he said.

“For instance, in Harare, vending is allowed in some parts over the weekends and such funds can be channelled to undertake such projects because some of the areas where council want to move vendors to do not have the relevant infrastructure.”Dr Zivhu said it was easier to have movable stores or containers so that people could conveniently sell their wares.

People, he said, should not politicise Government’s noble programme to help clean cities and towns.

Harare City Council corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme said the city’s intention was not to ban vendors, but to ensure that they operated from designated sites.

“Harare City Council supports the activities of the informal sector, hence it designates spaces for them to trade from,” he said.

“We are there on the ground. We are doing our logistics. As you can see, the number of vendors on the streets is not as high as it usually is.

“There is a smaller number today; it is because some vendors who were coming onto the streets have gone back to their designated sites, where they usually trade from in the suburbs. Going forward, the message has been given that vendors should trade from designated sites.”

While many vendors, who often block pavements in the central business district, were conspicuous by their absence, there were pockets of resistance, albeit few, in some parts of the capital.

The bulk of vendors who resisted Government’s directive were those who trade in cellphone and related accessories. There were a few food vendors operating along Fourth Street and only a handful of pirate taxis were on the streets.

Queen Elizabeth II

Tichaona Zindoga Political Editor
THE Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, is seeking to reconcile Britain with Zimbabwe and is pinning hopes on the latter rejoining the Commonwealth.

There are indications Zimbabwe and Britain will soon engage in high-level diplomatic engagements in Harare and London with the latter having despatched two emissaries to Harare since President Mnangagwa’s inauguration.

First on the scene was Britain’s Africa minister Rory Stewart who attended the inauguration on November 24 last year, followed by permanent under-secretary in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Simon McDonald.

Zimbabwe and its former coloniser fell out at the turn of the millennium after Zimbabwe embarked on the fast-track Land Reform Programme in the wake of the refusal by the Labour government of Tony Blair to honour colonial obligations agreed to at the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference in 1979.

At the weekend, an influential and conservative British newspaper, the British Express, revealed that the monarch, who is the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, wanted to re-engage with Zimbabwe.

According to the paper, “asked by a diplomat at a party what her hopes were for this year, the Queen replied, wishing not for world peace, nor even happiness for her own family, but ‘that Zimbabwe will rejoin the Commonwealth’.

“This group of former British colonies has long been an entity close to the monarch’s heart, and she was known to be upset when Zimbabwe was suspended from the organisation in 2003 after its leader, Robert Mugabe, had ignored repeated pleas over human rights abuse,” the paper said.

The paper noted that Britain has been encouraged by the new administration of President Mnangagwa who got into office in November last year, replacing Cde Robert Mugabe. President Mnangagwa has said he is willing to mend ties with Britain which is itself seeking new frontiers following its exit from the European Union bloc.

“And in welcome news for the Queen, Mnangagwa has made encouraging comments about the Commonwealth and also hailed Brexit as an opportunity to forge closer links with the UK,” said the paper.

Britain has made overtures indicating a softer stance on Zimbabwe. Rory Stewart, Britain’s former Africa Minister, visited Zimbabwe for the inauguration of President Mnangagwa last year while Foreign Minister Boris Johnson later revealed that Britain was ready to help Zimbabwe clear its debts with multilateral lending institutions.

In an interview with the Financial Times last week, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had no problems with the Queen, but relations soured because of former Prime Minister Tony Blair whose administration reneged on his country’s obligations to fund land reform in Zimbabwe as agreed during independence talks at the 1979 Lancaster House Conference.

Energy and Power Development Minister Simon Khaya Moyo, flanked by his Permanent Secretary Patson Mbiriri and ZESA Holdings chairperson Herbert Murerwa, speaks before a parliamentary thematic committee in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Munyaradzi Chamalimba)

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) was prejudiced of more than $7 million — and not the $5 million initially reported — through suspected irregular payments to businessman Mr Wicknell Chivayo, legislators heard yesterday.

Government has since instituted forensic audits into several deals undertaken by Zesa Holdings, which include Mr Chivayo’s 100 megawatt Gwanda solar project and the questionable procurement of 11 000 faulty prepaid meters.

Speaking at a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Mines and Energy hearing yesterday, Energy and Power Development Minister Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo, who appeared together with representatives of several entities that fall under his portfolio, said heads will roll at Zesa Holdings and its subsidiaries, as Government tries to clean up the power utility.

The Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy is chaired by Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa (Independent).

Minister Khaya Moyo told the parliamentary portfolio committee that he was not aware of the ZPC audit, as had been communicated earlier by ZPC chair Engineer Stanley Kazhanje.

“In any case, I do not think that the ZPC board can investigate itself,” said Minister Khaya Moyo. “But Government, in any case, will act after the audit is completed.

“We were told of $5 million and I do not know about the $7 million. What we heard was that it was a directive from the Minister (Dr Samuel Undenge), but now ZPC is not clear on what happened and I am quite surprised.

“I am totally in agreement with what you are doing as a committee, grill them, but after the forensic audit, whoever is responsible heads will roll. We can even dissolve the board; I do not think it is quite fair to take action when there are these investigations. The Auditor-General will look into all these issues, including the faulty pre-paid meters that we were reading about in the newspapers.”

Minister Khaya Moyo said the Chivayo case was discussed in Cabinet and his predecessor, Dr Undenge, failed to give a convincing explanation on why ZPC effected payment when there wasn’t any movement on the ground at the project site.

Responding to questions from legislators, ZPC board chairman Engineer Stanley Kazhanje said the money paid to the controversial Mr Chivayo was around $7 million.

It was paid in tranches, with the highest instalment being $2 million at one point.

“The total amount that was released was around $7 million, including Value Added Tax; it was disbursed in tranches,” said Eng Kazhanje. “The amount was paid by management and the figures were within their threshold as it did not require board approval.

“As a board, we discovered it from Press reports. There was no need for the issue to come to the board.”

Eng Kazhanje failed to tell the committee of the threshold that needed board approval.

ZPC has since suspended managing director Eng Noah Gwariro over the Gwanda solar deal to pave way for an audit. Making submissions before the same committee, Zesa Holdings chairman Mr Herbert Murerwa said the Chivayo case was never brought to the full board of Zesa Holdings.

In a separate exchange with Zesa Holdings chief executive officer Eng Josh Chifamba, Mr Mliswa rapped him for asserting that payments to Chivayo, which were made before any work was done at the site, were normal.

Eng Chifamba indicated that the only anomaly was that the payments were made without any Government guarantee.

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Companies and individuals will not be allowed to trade with Government if they are not registered with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, previously known as the State Procurement Board.

Further, bidders are now only allowed to submit company registration documents as opposed to the previous requirements that demanded numerous credentials.

This is part of the new public procurement and disposal of public assets regulations issued by Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa last Friday as Government moves to bring efficiency in the country’s procurement system.

The move will also enhance the ease of doing business. The new rules, contained in Statutory Instrument 5 of 2018, also allows Government to legally engage individuals as consultants. The disbandment of the SPB will now see the awarding of tenders being done by accounting officers in various State departments and companies.

The new authority will only play a supervisory and monitoring role to ensure Government entities complied with the new standards. PRAZ acting chief executive Mr Nyasha Chizu said the set standards modernised and professionalised public procurement.

“It is now a requirement that all public sector suppliers are registered with the authority,” he said.

“The registration in terms of Section 4 provides eligibility to bid and be awarded contracts by procuring entities. Previously, suppliers for low value procurement only were required to register.

“The new requirement is similar to the ‘know your customer’ in the banking sector. The requirements for registration have been streamlined. Bidders are only required to submit company registration documents as opposed to the previous requirements that demanded numerous credentials.”

Mr Chizu said the authority was required by the new Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act (PPDPA) to develop and implement a transparent and equitable framework for registration of bidders and contractors.

“The spirit of this provision is to ensure that the public sector achieves value for money in procurement,” he said.

“There was an outcry that the public sector was promoting tenderprenuers, who were good at compiling tender requirements and charging exorbitant prices, eroding the capacity of Government to provide affordable quality services.

“In order to ensure that the public sector achieves value for money in a transparent and equitable manner, section 47 of the PPDPA Act allows procuring entities to request for company registration documents or credentials of a historical nature if they were not provided at the close of tender. Bidders are now, on request in writing by the procuring entity, required to submit the missing documents with two days of the request.”

Mr Chizu added: “The authority is now registering companies. The companies only need to submit memos and articles of association and other constitutive documents of the company that includes certificate of incorporation, list of directors, address and details showing the extent of Zimbabwean and foreign shareholding of the company.

“Partnerships, syndicates or other business entities also need to register to participate in bidding or award of contracts.”

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Zesa workers are demanding an outrageous 75 percent increase in salaries and allowances across the board, a move that will almost double the power utility’s monthly wage bill from the current $22 million, The Herald can reveal.

The workers also want an introduction of new allowances for every permanent employee, chief among them a five-day holiday for six family members at any three-star hotel, full school fees payment for up to four of the employees’ children, “climate” and cellphone allowances.

Apart from unreasonably pushing up the wage bill, the demands, if met, will also have a heavy bearing on electricity consumers, as a tariff increase must be effected to cover additional costs on the payroll.

Zesa’s revenue fluctuates between $53 million and $59 million monthly.

The workers, represented by the Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union (ZEWU) and National Energy Workers Union of Zimbabwe (NEWUZ), said most of their demands emanated from a 2012 collective bargaining agreement, which management defied.

Another union, Energy Sector Workers Union of Zimbabwe, has also come up with a host of demands, which they said should be implemented to “restore corporate legacy.”

The lowest paid Zesa employee in grade A11 (a sweeper) is getting $940 (gross), while a junior engineer in grade D2 is getting $4 900.

Honouring the collective bargaining agreement will see Zesa paying a sweeper $1 043.

In their position paper to management dated January 10, the workers cited changes in “the macro-economic environment” as the basis for their demands.

They said a five-tier pricing system existing in the country had seen their salaries being eroded by more than 80 percent.

The workers said the last pay rise was in 2013.

“The macro-economic environment over the past three years has been on a progressive decline with the steepest price hikes being experienced in the last six months of 2017,” reads the position paper prepared by ZEWU and NEWUZ.

“The rise in the cost of living has continued unabated and has reached alarming levels in recent weeks. One of the critical factors, which has led to the erosion of workers’ salaries is the shortage of cash, be it bond notes or US dollars. To make matters worse, for one to access cash, one has to sleep at a bank and get less than $50 or get it on the black market where charges have escalated to more than 80 percent, especially for US dollars.”

Added the workers: “This undoubtedly has led to the salaries of workers being depreciated by more than 80 percent, as most of them have no access to cash and they will either use swipe or EcoCash price, which is higher than the bond or US dollar price.”

The workers said the new stipends they wanted introduced included driving, locality, electricity benefit for contract workers, climate, clothing, danger and holiday allowances for every worker.

They also want an increase in existing allowances.

These include non-pensionable allowance (by 20 percent), housing (15 percent), retention allowance (10 percent), responsibility allowance (15 percent), transport allowance (from $70 to $160), and canteen allowance (from $25 to $120).

They also want overtime to be calculated using “actual, not basic earnings.”

In a letter to Zesa Holdings chief executive Engineer Josh Chifamba, ESWUZ, which had threatened job action yesterday, said: “Allowances bargained for in 2009, i.e, tools, switching, locality, to name just a few were varied or removed without explanation and awarded to managers in D3 and above who were not covered by the scope of negotiations.”

The union accused management of bankrolling political activities and issuing free electricity benefit to all Ministry of Energy and Power Development officials at an “irrecoverable cost to the public.”

Yesterday’s planned job action flopped as it was declared “illegal” by management.

Zesa said it failed to honour the CBA due to financial incapacity, as it had incurred “great” losses in the past six years.

Hugh Masekela

Legendary musician Bra Hugh Masekela has died, TshisLIVE can on Tuesday confirm.

Bra Hugh’s family sent a statement confirming the news to the media. “After a protracted and courageous battle with prostate cancer, he passed peacefully in Johannesburg, South Africa surrounded by his family,” read the statement.

The musician’s team released a statement in October saying he had been battling prostate cancer since 2008.
The statement explained that the jazz veteran underwent eye surgery in March 2016 after the cancer spread, and had to go into theatre again in September 2016 as another tumour was discovered.

In December, Georgiou told TshisaLIVE that he was fighting the disease with everything he had.

Bra Hugh was born in KwaGuqa township in Witbank and began singing and playing the piano as a child.

After seeing the film Young Man with a Horn when he was 14, Masekela began playing the trumpet. His first trumpet was given to him by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, an anti-apartheid chaplain at St. Peter’s Secondary School.

He soon mastered the instrument and by 1956 joined Alfred Herbet’s African Jazz Revue. Bra Hugh’s music was inspired by the turmoil that South Africa went through during apartheid and he said it was used as a weapon to spread political change.-TimesLive

Rupert Murdoch

LONDON. – Rupert Murdoch’s £11.7bn bid to take full control of Sky has been provisionally blocked by the UK competition regulator. The Competition and Markets Authority said 21st Century Fox’s bid to take control of the 61 percent of Sky it does not already own was not in the public interest due to concerns about media plurality.

The CMA’s investigation into the deal found it would give the Murdoch family trust, which controls Fox and News Corp, the publisher of the Sun and the Times, “too much control over news providers in the UK across all media platforms and therefore too much influence over public opinion and the political agenda”.

The investigation cleared the deal on the grounds of Fox’s commitment to broadcasting standards – despite the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World and allegations of sexual harassment at Fox News.

However, its findings on media plurality mean the deal is unlikely to go through without Fox and Sky agreeing to remedies, such as Sky News being spun off from Sky or being insulated from potential influence by the Murdoch family.

The CMA will consult on its provisional findings and potential remedies before delivering its final report to the government by a deadline of 1 May.

It has set out three options for the deal that should be considered in the consultation: that it is blocked; that Sky News is spun off or sold; or that Sky News is insulated from the influence of the Murdoch family trust.

Fox said it was “disappointed” by the CMA’s provisional findings on media plurality, but welcomed its decision that a combined Fox and Sky would be committed to meeting broadcasting standards.

The company said: “We welcome the CMA’s provisional finding that the company has a genuine commitment to broadcasting standards and the transaction would not be against the public interest in this respect.

“Regarding plurality, we are disappointed by the CMA’s provisional findings. We will continue to engage with the CMA ahead of the publication of the final report in May.”

Sky said it noted the CMA’s findings but made no further remarks on its announcement. – The Guardian