ZIMBABWE’S National Budget has already come under stress from a salary hike agreed between government and civil servants last month, with indications several projects could suffer as resources are diverted towards salaries. The government’s salary bill amounted to US$2,6 billion last year, or 68 percent of the total budget which amounted to US$3,8 billion. It was not immediately clear to what level the recent salary increases would take the salary bill given that civil servants received varying thresholds depending on their grade, but the least paid had their salaries increased by US$54 to US$375 per month.

Former finance minister Tendai Biti, who last year twice revised the 2013 National Budget downwards due to intensifying revenue pressures, declined requests for salary increases, saying there was no fiscal space for additional expenditure. In 2011 and 2012, public sector salary increases, which were marginal, crowded out spending in key areas. This resulted in fiscal stress, including the accumulation of domestic payments arrears, which necessitated significant adjustments to the 2012 budget in the second half.

The situation is likely to worsen this year, with reports suggesting that revenue is dwindling due to a worsening economic situation characterised by a liquidity crunch that has been abetted by an increasing trade deficit. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa’s US$4,2 billion budget for 2014 had no provision for salary increases, and with little or no budgetary support for the hike in civil servants incomes, government is expected to struggle for funding.  Analysts warned that Chinamasa could be forced to revise his National Budget downwards due to an underperforming national economy, compounding government’s woes.

Reports have already indicated that the agreed salary increases were not factored into February salaries. Uniformed forces, who received their pay slips this week, told the Financial Gazette that the increment had not been effected as promised. The reviewed February salaries were to be back dated to January, according to a deal they struck with government.

A highly placed source within the Public Service Association revealed yesterday that Chinamasa had, at their meeting yesterday, advised that funds to meet civil servants salary increases will only be available in April.

Government currently has over 230 000 employees on its payroll. But there have been allegations that the government payroll has a lot of ghost workers. In 2009, government commissioned a payroll and skills audit by Ernst & Young, which submitted two reports in November 2010 and July 2011. The audit, it has been said, indicated that over 8 000 ghost workers could be receiving salaries every month from the cash-strapped government. At least 6 000 of these had been removed from the payroll by 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Uniformed forces, who received their pay slips this week, told the Financial Gazette that the increment had not been effected as promised. The reviewed February salaries were to be back dated to January, according to a deal they struck with government.

Government has over the last five years spent an unsustainable 70 percent of its budget on salaries and wages there by crowding out capital projects. Public Service Minister Nicholas Goche, this week said he was not sure why the salaries had not been effected and promised to give a clear position after meeting Chinamasa and the chairman of the Public Service Commission, Mariyawanda Nzuwa.

Civil servants salaries are below the Poverty Datum Line. Chinamasa has expressed concern over the magnitude of employment costs in government.  He noted: “Sadly, the unsustainable employment costs are largely on account of the huge salaries, allowances, and perks being paid to top management contrary to the corporate governance Framework for State Enterprises and Parastatals over principles of affordability, and sustainability.”  The IMF has previously said government should retrench, but Chinamasa said this was not an option.

  ( LETTER FROM AMERICA)

LET me surprise our readers by saying that while your concern about the looting of public companies by board members is justified, these companies are set up to be looted. Here is the surprise. 

Though looting is in the same family as corruption, it is not always illegal. Corruption is described as willingness to “act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain generally dishonorable behaviour, unethical or amoral.”

Brother Happison Muchechetere, chief executive of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has become the face of corruption or looting. He is accused of collecting US$90 000 a year in bonuses alone while collecting a salary of US$40 000 per month. His emolument alone would have constituted about 12,5 percent of the company’s total expenditure for one year.

While he was happily collecting these emoluments 300 workers went without pay for three months or more. The brother obviously lacks a sense of identity; he does not know his proper place in the universe. His sense of balance is out of skelter with common sense. The proper word for such behaviour is amoral, a loss of right or wrong. But his looting by itself is not illegal. He did not write his own cheque. A board of governors (the proper name for the board of trustees) approved his salary and emoluments and they are men steeped in world affairs. Only the permanent secretary in the parent ministry, Brother George Charamba, seems to have recovered some sense of balance (or identity as above, and has shown some remorse.)

Now, I will show you that human beings are by nature corrupt, and looting comes naturally to those who find themselves in such positions. JP. Morgan-Chase is the largest financial house in the United States. Its boss is Jamie Dimon. Freshman Senator Elizabeth Warren had this to say about this Dimon.  Despite the stressful times in which all financial houses are going through, Dimon was paid US$200 million in bonuses and last week received another US$13 million in a pay rise. Warren wants to know why “the company boosted Dimon’s pay to reward him despite the company’s engagement in a myriad of illegal activities.”

This company accepted a US$13 billion fine rather than face a long drawn out court case for its illegal activities, which included, according to Warren, “fraudulent mortgages backed securities, its illegal foreclosure practices, like robo-signing and its manipulation of energy markets in California.”  This company sold mortgages on the world market which were not backed by value in the buildings which should have securitised them.

Now, if I had pretended to sell only one house which did not exist, you would be visiting me in a federal jailhouse. Dimon is not in jail. In fact, he is much in demand as an expert witness in senate hearings and by the White House policymakers. The point I am making here is that Warren is a freshman senator. She is still green and has not yet enjoyed the perks of power. That is why she is causing so many problems.  JP. Morgan Chase itself got broke, and was rescued by the US treasury. Dimon shows no sense of remorse whatever.

We must now return to Muchechetere. While Muchechetere acted in the full knowledge of the board of governors at ZBC, he cannot be faulted if he collected what was given to him. The question is who decided what was given to him and why?  Somewhere along the line, the board becomes corrupt, and they devise a pay scale to reward themselves for no work. All those board members at ZBC had other jobs to do.

Up to this point the brother is not guilty of anything. The more experienced members concoct a plan and new members are asked to sign their names to it. The new members are grateful at their good fortune.  By the time they discover that they are looting the ZBC, they are deep into it.  However, our experience in the US is not to waste time with trying to prove that which cannot be proven. They were the lawful governors of ZBC and they paid themselves whatever they deemed fit and wise.
Here is the juicy part. If these brothers are crooked, as I suspect that they are, they probably forgot to report their loot to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. In the US, a news correspondent can go to the internal Revenue Services and ask for Jamie Dimon’s tax return for 2013.

There is also another way of looking at it. If they did not report their income, an offence has been committed, punishable by jail time.  These brothers could also have communicated some of their business through letter writing.  That is a very serious offence, using the US post office in order to commit, abate or to further the crime of hiding one’s income. Brothers and sisters, if you love your country, follow my advice. You will be well rewarded.

mufukak@yahoo.com

ALL eyes are on President Robert Mugabe as his leadership faces a stern test in the wake of an expose` on corruption in State-owned entities that requires a strategic and tactical approach from the highest office in the land, analysts said this week. Zimbabwe has in the past few weeks awoken to a series of reports exposing the rot at public institutions, among them the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and the Premier Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) where executives are taking home obscene salaries.

While the parent ministries under which ZBC and PSMAS fall have reacted by instituting several measures to correct the situation, analysts are of the view that President Mugabe, as the chief executive of the Republic, should lead these efforts to exorcise rampant corruption in State entities. President Mugabe has so far directed that Misheck Sibanda, the secretary to the President and Cabinet, handles this matter and ensures the obscene salaries and jaw-dropping perks are corrected.

But other than directing parastatals and other State enterprises to submit their salary structures to the Office of the President and Cabinet, no action has yet been taken against those fingered beyond their removal from boards or suspension and retirement. In fact, no public statement as of yet has come from the President to provide the necessary support to those who are working to address these issues and send a strong message to those who think they are politically connected and untouchable.

Analysts said President Mugabe should do more to give policy direction on this explosive issue, including intervening directly to restore public confidence in the governance system. They said speed in addressing these issues would go a long way in addressing public confidence and ensuring that parastatals fully play their role in national economic development. Media Centre director, Earnest Mudzengi, said the environment was fast becoming dysfunctional, adding that the President should be more visible in dealing with the crisis.

“Maybe he (the President) thinks it’s not the right time to comment or act. He may want to act when there is tangible evidence of abuse of State funds,” said Mudzengi. “We have not yet seen a deepening crisis so the President may be expecting the State systems to act,” he added. Mudzengi said moral decadence was to blame for the corruption and salary problems that have since been exposed. This is at a time when company closures and a political impasse pervade Zimbabwe. All economic indicators point to a country on a precipice. From agriculture to aviation, from milling to transport, light to heavy industries, the economy is teetering on the edge.

A parliamentary committee report last week warned of more company closures while a survey by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries late last year said capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector dropped by 5,3 percentage points to 39,6 percent in 2013, compared to 44,9 percent in 2012, a sure sign that industry is struggling.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change last week said Zimbabwe requires over US$4 billion to kick start key sectors of the stuttering economy with the party’s secretary general and former finance minister saying 84 percent of the formal sector has collapsed. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa recently pointed to a liquidity crunch biting Zimbabwe while a civil servants salary bill, gorging 73 percent of government income, saddling the economy blights prospects of recovery.
Charity Manyeruke argues that the President had “done a lot” but society must shoulder some responsibility.

“The crisis especially around corruption shows that our social fabric is fundamentally wrong. These situations should have been restrained by the ethics that need not be breached,” said Manyeruke. She argued that over concentration on political matters exposed society to other threats from corruption, itself a sign of decay of moral fiber.

“We concentrated so much on political issues which we did not realize that there are inexplicable linked to the fabric of society,” she added.
It has been suggested that the President should put in place a commission of inquiry across all parastatals and ensure that the issues that might arise are addressed in an impartial manner and that recommendations can be implemented across the whole entities. The commission of inquiry would go beyond the issue of salaries to look into other issues such as procurement and address the challenges in a holistic manner. – Own Correspondent

HARARE City Council (HCC)’s Town Clerk Tendai Mahachi’s turbulent career is inconsistent with his impressive academic record. Mahachi holds a PHD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Minnesota Minneapolis, M.Sc in Analytical Chemistry from University of Minnesota Duluth and a BA in Chemistry from Luther College Decorah, IOWA.

The Town Clerk has previously been a director at a number of local and regional organisations, among them Lever Brothers Malawi, Lever Brothers Zimbabwe, Unilever South East Africa (covering Zimbabwe). In 2004, he joined HCC as a turnaround strategist, before moving to the hot seat as Air Zimbabwe’s chief executive officer (CEO) the following year.

He left the airline unceremoniously in 2006, before bouncing back at council as a turnaround strategist, again in 2006.  The following year, he was appointed Town Clerk, replacing the late Nomutsa Chideya who could not see through his term.  There were reservations over the renewal of Mahachi’s contract in 2009, but councillors came under tremendous pressure and renewed it.

Last week, Mahachi found himself in the eye of the storm when he was suspended by Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni for failure to discharge his duties and refusing to furnish councillors with a salary schedule in line with a council resolution. Less than 20 city managers are currently pocketing up to US$500 000 of the council’s revenue when service delivery has collapsed and council employees are having problems in getting their salaries. The Town Clerk was only saved by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo who flexed his muscle by vetoing the mayor’s decision.

The mayor later complied with the ministerial directive. A court application by a Harare resident against Chombo’s actions also fell through last Friday.
On Monday, political analyst Gideon Chitanga, described the minister’s decision to reinstate the Town Clerk as meant to block due processes within local governance structures.

“Such reckless flaunting of power flies in the face of public accountability, denies the citizens their right to access public goods they paid for while blocking them from redress. It fosters impunity by shielding public officials from scrutiny,” said Chitanga. But what does the Constitution say when it comes to governance of local authorities?

Section 276 of the Constitution says municipalities must conduct their duties without prompting or direction from anyone.  The Urban Councils Act which authorises ministerial interference in local authorities is one of the laws that need to be realigned with the supreme law to create, among others, executive mayors for Harare and Bulawayo.

“Subject to this Constitution and any Act of Parliament, a local authority has the right to govern, on its own initiative, the local affairs of the people within the area for which it has been established and all the powers necessary to do so,” reads part of the Constitution. This week, the Harare Residents’ Trust, said by protecting Mahachi, Chombo was blocking public accountability through interfering with a purely labour matter involving an allegedly incompetent employee and a frustrated employer who just want to ensure that residents get the true value for their money.

The trust accused Mahachi of creating a bloated structure of governance at Town House instead of a leaner one that effectively responds to residents’ demands.
This is not the first time that residents have complained about the minister’s actions when it comes to the Mahachi issue. In 2009, another group representing residents, the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), said the minister: “must immediately stop interfering with the resolutions of council particularly those to do with investigations and the suspension of the Town Clerk.”

CHRA said at the council had numerous business ventures, but the profits from the projects were being embezzled by council officials. “Further, there are reports that the Town Clerk made false presentations to councillors about council projects, which are nonexistent; yet huge amounts of money are being channelled towards such projects,” added CHRA.

During Mahachi’s tenure, service delivery in Harare has virtually collapsed, with some residents going for months without drinking water, resulting in the devastating cholera outbreak and other waterborne diseases five years ago.

The Town Clerk was previously summoned by the Environment Management Agency for failing to remove waste dumped at various locations in the city.   In 2009, Mahachi made a statement under oath at Parliament that water supplies would improve the following year, but the situation remains dire. But does the minister’s actions to protect Mahachi mean that he would remain immune from the residents’ wrath forever?

Former Harare councillor, Warship Dumba who in the previous council led a committee that fingered both Chombo and Mahachi in irregular deals, said payback time is not far off and the latter’s controversial past would continue to haunt him. The minister and the Town Clerk have previously strenuously denied any charges of wrong doing in the matters that were referred to both the police and the Zimbabwe Anti- Corruption Commission (ZACC). The cases appear to have died a natural death.

Dumba said they have enough documentary evidence to secure a conviction and they were mulling going for private prosecution against the two.
“We still have an opportunity to go for private prosecution. We have many other options to ensure that justice is done to that case. There is enough documentary evidence to secure a prosecution,” said Dumba. “When former ZACC Commissioner (Emmanuel) Chimwanda tried to investigate the issue, he was arrested the same day with Thabani Mpofu, Methluli Tshuma, Felix Matsinde and me. Now Chimwanda is a freeman but we are still on remand.”

newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw

THE non-availability of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) fertiliser is likely to affect an expected bumper harvest this season, as the persistent rains received throughout the country have caused excessive leaching of nutrients in the maize crop.The Zimbabwe Farmer Union (ZFU) weekly market guide on the state of the season indicates that the rains have been uncharacteristically heavy (plenty) especially for the lowveld areas that are usually dry. The persistent rains are threatening to leach nutrients from the soils, especially the sand soils.

The country has been facing an acute shortage of fertiliser as the country’s biggest fertiliser producer, Sable Chemicals, is operating at 25 percent capacity due to financial and other challenges.
While Sables has the capacity to produce 240 000 tonnes of fertiliser, the company has not been able to meet the AN annual requirements of 150 000 per annum.

“The early planted maize is at soft dough stage while the late planted crop is at vegetative stage. The non-availability of top dressing fertilisers (AN, Urea) is affecting the crops. Where available, the fertiliser is very expensive. Early planted (irrigated) tobacco is being reaped and cured while the late planted is still at early vegetative stages.

“For cotton farmers, contractors are still to supply top dressing fertiliser for cotton, although there has been a reduction in the hectares under the cotton crop,” ZFU said.
In Matabeleland, the province has continued to receive heavy rains and because of excessive rains there is need for AN fertiliser but it is out of stock and not reaching many farmers. Where the fertiliser is available, farmers cannot afford the prices.

Other crops in the province are generally doing well. A few case of army worm have been sported in Umguza, Hwange, Nkayi and Bulawayo. AGRITEX is on the alert.
In Mashonaland West, crop stages vary on stages of maturity as the early planted maize was at soft dough stage while the second crop was tasseling with close to 50 percent of the crop in the province towards tasseling. The condition was still good for the well fed crop leaving the poorly fertilised showing stunted growth.

“An army worm outbreak affected 348 hectares. The army worm challenge was controlled with the use of Carbryl chemical mainly from farmer’s own sources and Agritex.”
 In Mashonaland Central, a lot of rainfall was received throughout the province, with all crops in the province reported to be thriving with some farmers selling their irrigated maize crop as green mealies.
 In Manicaland, persistent rainfall has been received in the whole province with low-lying Buhera receiving more than normal rains and all streams and rivers are in flood. The veld condition is quite good and livestock is also in good condition. There has been no disease outbreak in the province.

“All crops are doing well although nutrient deficiency is being witnessed since AN is in short supply. Early planted maize is at milk dough stage while the rest is a vegetative stage. Reaping of early planted tobacco has begun and curing in progress. Area under cotton crop has been reduced because of poor prices, while pest control in cotton has been hindered by persistent rains,” ZFU said.
The crop situation in Masvingo is generally good although there were reports of outbreaks of lumpy skin disease with severe cases in Masvingo and Mwenezi districts.
In Midlands, very heavy rainfall has been received throughout the province with rivers and streams in flood. The crops are generally in good condition except for the shortages of AN fertiliser as the crops are threatened by the severe leaching of nutrients.

 In Mashonaland East, maize carries the biggest hectarage compared to other crops. Generally most maize crops in the province are at soft dough stage while late crop is at vegetative stage and the condition is good. There has been a serious reduction of land under cotton due to unfavourable prices.

In some parts of the province, there is a serious challenge of newcastle disease.         
                    newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw

(Open Forum
with Martin  Tarusenga)

QUITE a few commentators on the “Salarygate” scandal have truthfully submitted that the sordid malfeasance perpetrated by parastatal executives and their boards are “fake surprises”.
The “Salarygate” is a scandal about obscenely high compensation for senior management of some parastatals that broke late last year.
Huge irregular executive pay packs, in excess of the value that the executives, individually, add to their organisations, are the order of the day in Zimbabwe.
This hackneyed state of affairs in Zimbabwe, made headlines in the case of Cuthbert Dube, boss at Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS), only because journalists were very categorical about his vulgar monthly salary of US$250 000.

This categorical information was publicly brought up in circumstances when subscribers to PSMAS are dying, as they can’t benefit fully from PSMAS health insurance contracts, to which the subscribers have met their side of the bargain in full.

Such obscene pay packs were similarly flagged at ZESA Holdings, again in circumstances when its customers are subject to incessant power cuts, in circumstances when the subscribers pay their bills.
Many other executives and their boards, in many economic sectors of Zimbabwe, have pay packs way in excess of the value that they add to their organisations, in their mandate to provide public services (goods) such as health insurance.

The value that they add could not be equated to the (net) money that they generate for the organisation in providing such public goods. This state of affairs is all too apparent to the common Zimbabwean, but does not make the headlines, because journalists have not regularly made the categorical comparisons of executive pay packs on the one hand, to the value that the individual executive adds to the organisation, and consequently the quality of service (goods) the executives provide to the public (their ultimate clients), on the other.

The failure of insurance executives, and others at pension administrations, to pay and/or entitle full rightful benefits, to pensioners, to pension fund members, to insurance policyholders and to subscribers of social security services such those from the National Social Security Authority, has become something of an unimportant background public noise.

This is because journalists have not gone far enough to categorically expose pay packs for executives at First Mutual Limited (formerly Afre), at ZB Life (of ZB Holdings), at Fidelity Life (of ZimRe Holdings), at National Railways and Mining Industry Pension Fund administrations, among others.

Some of these executives have been in their roles for many years. In light of their covert refusal to pay or entitle full rightful benefits, instead paying paltry benefits, if at all, the executives at these institutions, and others at related service providers are collectively about to complete the extermination of pension and insurance service provision in Zimbabwe as a public good — they are clearly not adding any value to pension/insurance service provision.
In this latter regard, the journalists have not even begun categorically exposing the interests of executives at pension/insurance regulatory institutions such as the Insurance and Pension Commission (IPEC), those of the permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry and his team, for actively protecting the insurance company executives, by suppressing the successful resolution of the pension crisis — this in flagrant dereliction of their public duty to protect pensioners and other subscribers.

These public service executives at IPEC and in the Finance Ministry have for many years been drawing on huge salaries and benefits for destroying value in pension and social security services in general. A categorical exposition of their pay packs in these institutions, vis-à-vis  the value they are destroying, vis-à-vis their disservice to pensioners would pale Cuthbert Dube’s malfeasance at PSMAS, and would certainly get the public to sit up and act.

The remuneration practice described above, manifesting itself in the “Salarygate”, a product of kinship/crony-based (neo-patrimonial) corporate governance, ignoring value added by the incumbent executive, is not just peculiar to insurance companies, to parastatals, and the Finance Ministry, — it also pervades the entire private sector. It is more poignantly evidenced by (a) the conspicuous spending associated with the executives (who clearly can be identified in the elite class) and (b) the very wide (unwarranted) gap between the poor and the rich, this against non-performing businesses, and non- performing economic sectors that they run. The same business executives and public officials have ostensibly lamented failure of businesses and faltering economic sectors, while they refuse to take pay cuts or quit the businesses/economic sectors altogether.

 They will hang on, often for these many years, citing “the poor performing economy” as a reason for their poor business performance, quite oblivious of their debilitating part in the poor performing economy. Some of them go to the extent of devising, proposing and baiting investor partners, to buy time in the job that they can’t do — it does not occur to them what it is they want from the investor ‘partnership’ that they failed to do by themselves, and how they would justify their role in their organisation with the partner investor if they failed in the role in the first place.

In much the same way as the Finance Ministry, its permanent secretary and pension regulators such as IPEC are about to exterminate pension and other social security services as public goods, the ministries and permanent secretaries in question, have not acted to put in place appropriate economic policies to curb business executive malfeasance, this in the face of failure of the incumbent businesses to efficiently avail public goods and services.
We must at this instance hasten to highlight, trivially, that business organisations run losses when incumbent management take more than they generate in the business. In the circumstances, the services (or product) that the business is meant to provide for public good, becomes substandard, or fails altogether. At the business level, when this happens, the executive has to leave or the business must shut down.
No amount of investor partnership can salvage such a state of affairs as the investor soon catches up with the executive’s business incapability — Nigel Chanakira’s bid for an investor partner apparently spelt out his demise at his Kingdom (now AfrAsia).

At the national scale, when executives take more than they generate, the economy slows down as it has done in Zimbabwe. No amount of taxing, to give the non-performing executives can salvage this in the final analysis, as more taxing to reward non-performance ultimately leads to unstoppable revolutions such as in Tunisia, Egypt, Yugoslavia, among other countries.
Journalists must continue with this sterling job of categorically exposing executive malfeasance in parastatals, pension/insurance service provision, social security and in private sector in general, for the public to appreciate how exactly they are being short-changed.

-Martin Tarusenga is general manager of Zimbabwe Pensions & Insurance Rights, email, martin@zimpirt.com; telephone; +263 (0)4 883057; Mobile; +263 (0)772 889 716 Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not represent those of the organisations that the author represent

(TOP GEAR)

Having just visited India and been somewhat overwhelmed by traffic densities in urban areas, not to mention the marked lack of basic road disciplines, I took it upon myself to conduct a little research into the economy of this densely populated country.To my amazement, India is ranked third in the world in terms of purchasing power which tells you that quantity does count— there’s no discounting the collective clout of 1.3 billion people even if the rate of car ownership is low.

In Delhi alone, roughly 1 000 new cars are registered every day, most of them being A and B sector vehicles in consequence of duties that become progressively more punitive, not to mention pressure on disposable incomes.

This downsizing trend, which is not exclusive to India, suggests that the situation is home-made for Ford’s outstanding 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine, and given the indifferent state of the urban roads in particular, Ford’s chassis engineering, undeniably the best in the light class, will also pay dividends.

Maybe this explains in part why Henry’s small SUV known as the EcoSport is manufactured in India where low labour costs and a stable work force simply have to be an added attraction. Indeed, this competitive advantage could just come to hurt South Africa’s stuttering local assembly plans but that’s a subject for another day.

Of much more relevance was the unveiling in New Delhi of an upcoming and highly significant new Ford lightweight contender in the saloon class, the Figo Concept. The brand name Figo is well established in the Boerewors Republic, having been applied to the previous generation Fiesta in a quest to offer local motorists enhanced value for money, courtesy of a package that serves up excellent dynamics and acceptable carrying capacity, albeit within the confines of an outdated platform.

If you’re not a fan of the Hatchback configuration tho-ugh, Ford doesn’t have an alternative offering in South Africa, but all that’s soon to change, albeit at an indeterminate time as Ford India gave nothing away in terms of when the Figo Concept saloon would morph from being an exhibition model into a real world car. Given the highly-finished look of the Concept, that day can’t be too far away.

For the record, Ford put its roots down in India as far back as 1995 and now employs no less than 11 500 staff across a wide range of enterprises, many of which service the business requirements of global markets. As you’d expect, the company also happens to manufacture motor cars with the present range (in India) consisting of the Figo, the Fiesta, the Classic, the Endeavour and the EcoSport.

The presence of some rather important people from the Ford empire, including Ford India President, Nigel Harris, Ford North America Chief Designer, EhabKaoud, and VP of Engineering , Global Product Development, Kumar Galhotra, indicated in no uncertain terms that this model will be central to Ford’s development plans in India and other emerging markets which simply must also encompass Africa.

Harris, who began his career with Ford New Zealand in 1985 has also served in South Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific, so along with Egyptian-born Kaoud, brings depth of meaning to Ford’s global credentials . On being asked by the writer “where New Zealand was,” Harris instantly responded with “shall we talk rugby” and therebyquickly terminated the suggestion that New Zealand was something of a backwater!

The New Zealander, who was appointed to his top-ranking posting at the beginning of February, is not only responsible for managing and growing the integrated manufacturing operation of Ford India, but is also charged with product programming targeted at expanding  export markets which logic tells you will include sub-Sahara Africa.

Should you have paid attention in recent years to the steps taken by manufacturers to curtail production costs, you will be familiar with the concept of the global car.
Well that’s just what Ford was eager to expose us to and to the accompaniment of dramatic video effects, flashing lights and thumping sound, the veil was drawn on a very attractive B-segment saloon for now known as the Figo Concept.

The display model was painted in a fetching shade of gleaming red which I think did much to enhance Ford’s stated objective of providing “new standards of quality and craftsmanship in the B-segment”. The proof of the pudding will, of course, be in the driving but if first impressions are anything to go by, the Figo Concept four-door saloon has a lot going for it.

It’s not an easy task to produce cohesive, flowing shapes in a sub four metre structure, but thanks to a relatively long wheelbase, short overhangs and neat detailing, Henry’s engineers would appear to have got the aesthetics right. Take a look at the photo and see if you agree. For me, the most important aspect of this concept’s styling is that it does not appear to be a butchered derivative of an existing model which means it offers fresh appeal, and make no mistake, even at this relatively low level in the automotive pecking order, visual perceptions count for a lot.

In his address, Nigel Harris was keen to espouse Ford’s pursuit of four important production inputs, these being quality, environmental adherence (being green), safety and style of presentation. In a bid to meet ever more demanding expectations, the Figo Concept has been built to surprise and delight through offering sophisticated and efficient mechanicals, numerous safety features and a level of refinement that sets new class standards, particularly in respect of isolation of wind and road noise.

Harris noted that “consumers are more demanding than ever and expect more from their cars” while Chief Designer Kaoud stressed Ford’s desire to “create a premium, long-lasting design that is clean and elegant, and which conveys a sense of precision, efficiency and sophistication.”

For years, Ford has mastered ride quality and handling in light cars and doubtless, this Concept won’t disappoint when it takes to the road. Just when that is we can’t be sure but we should all hope that the brilliant 1.0 EcoBoost three cylinder motor is on the options list as this will add an element of sportiness to a design that offers excellent passenger and oddments space as well as an innovative “design dock” that will permit seamless integration of communications devices into the in-car entertainment system.

And, if you’re one of those people who’s prone to bumping your car’s external mirrors, this Figo Concept has a solution. In addition to offering power folding, the mirror housings are made from a flexible material which will resist attacks from passing traffic or from your garage door frame.

For now though, the Figo Concept is something to look forward to and hopefully, all the talk of “global” markets and “accelerated export strategies” will see consumers on the African continent being offered this intriguing alternative in a class which is currently mostly the preserve of manufacturers based in the Far East.
          wiley@telkomsa.net

Troubled banking group, Interfin Financial Services Limited (IFSL), is far from recuperating from the collapse of its flagship banking unit, Interfin Banking Corporation, which was placed under curatorship in June 2012.IFSL chairman Tim Chiganze said the situation at its banking arm was far from being resolved, despite talks with a potential investor.
Chiganze said while the group’s curator, Peter Bailey of KPMG Chartered Accountants, had made “strenuous efforts” to recover debts, judgments were pending in cases in which the bank is pursing US$23 million from debtors.

“There is still work to be done to revive the bank but I can assure you that all the debtors will be pursued to the end,” he said.
He said plans to agree on an investment plan with a potential investor were at an advanced stage.

“Some of the offers they (curator) were receiving from potential investors included restructuring the loan book and converting debt into equity, which would affect current shareholders,” Chiganze said.
Loan repayments by borowers have remained low with 248 surmmonses issued to the institutions debtors since it was place under curathorship.

“Once we find an investor who will inject capital, this money will become real money. Efforts have been made by the curator to recover as much as possible from those who owe the bank since the curatorship date,” he said.
The bank’s managing director, Raymond Njanike said US$50 million in fresh capital was needed to revive the bank.

As of January 24 this year, IFSL had recovered about US$64 million from those who owed the bank. The bank, whose curatorship ends on December 31 2013, owes its depositors US$70 million. 
“Debt collections had been slow while at the same time property disposals were a challenge due to the prices being offered.   

                                  
 About US$50 million in fresh capital is needed for the bank…All the properties we are trying to dispose are not finding takers,” said Njanike.
Interfin Banking Corporation was placed under curatorship after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) discovered violation of banking laws, low capitalization, concentrated shareholding and abuse of corporate structures, high levels of non-performing insider and related-party exposure, a chronic liquidity position and income generation challenges.
Last week, acting RBZ governor Charity Dhliwayo said the growth of non-performing loans within insider loans was “a worrisome development”.
“Notably, as at 31 December, 2013, the level of total insider loans in the banking system was US$175,3 million (including Interfin). Of these insider loans, US$117,4 million (66,97 percent) was non-performing. The growth in non-performing loans within insider loans is a worrisome development,” she said.
         newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw

ZESA Holdings, an integrated electricity generation and supply company, is grappling with a cash-flow crisis after revenue plummeted due to increasing default cases and the introduction of pre-paid meters, the Financial Gazette’s Companies & Markets (C&M) can report.The situation could worsen power supply shortages, exacerbating the country’s industrial crisis and weakening government efforts to revive the economy.
Sources said monthly revenues, which once hit a monthly peak of US$90 million, were now averaging US$15 million monthly.

While part of the problem is said to be the introduction of pre-paid meters which have forced consumers to manage their electricity budget by rationing their electricity consumption, C&M can report that ZESA has failed to collect outstanding debts from consumers, who include the industrial sectors, government and parastatals.

The company has been installing pre-paid meters that are expected to establish an efficient billing system to replace its post-paid billing system which has been largely based on estimates.
The post-paid billing system has been a major cause for concern for a long time as consumers felt they were being ripped off under the company’s estimate-based billing system, which they believed was being deliberately inflated.

Against a target of 800 000 pre-paid meters, a  total of about 350 000 pre-paid meters have been installed across the country so far, with the company hoping to complete the programme by year-end.
Through the pre-paid metering system, consumers now have the freedom to manage their electricity bills by paying for actual consumption and can now also budget how much they want to spend on electricity.
“Revenue has not been flowing as was the case. It used to be about US$90 million per month but now it has gone down to about US$15 million,” a source at ZESA told C&M.
 ZESA spokesman, Fullard Gwasira, downplayed the crisis, saying suggestions revenue had plummeted to US$15 million were exaggerated.

 “The US$90 million you are talking about was only achieved once but I can tell you that we are collecting far much higher revenue than the US$15 million you are talking about,” said Gwasira. He said currently, revenue was averaging US$40 million monthly.

ZESA last year bowed to political pressure and slashed electricity bills owed by consumers, a move some observers say crippled the company.
ZESA scrapped debts amounting to US$170 million for domestic and farming sector consumers. It has 600 000 customers.

The collective debt relief for resettled and rural farmers was US$80 million while that for ordinary consumers was US$90 million, which translated to US$160 per household.
The ZESA source said recurrent expenditure at the State-owned power utility was so high that it could not be adequately met by current revenue collections.
ZESA is currently lobbying for a tariff hike. But stakeholders argue this would cripple industries and hurt the economy, which is frail and struggling to recover.
Moreover, an increase in the current tariff would only result in increased default levels.

ZESA says it was owed in excess of US$800 million by both industrial and domestic consumers by November 2013. That figure is expected to have risen.
Government owed ZESA US$23,5 million, while State-owned companies owed the power utility US$147,9 million.
The mining sector owed the power utility US$140,3 million.

Industrial consumers and the farming community owed ZESA US$34,9 million and US$55,4 million respectively. Commercial consumers owed the company US$118 million while households consumers owed ZESA US$276,6 million.

About US$5,8 million was owed by other customers. Most consumers struggle to pay their bills due to the cash crunch in the economy.
Due to poor revenue collection ZESA is now struggling to deliver quality service.
In order to sustain its operations, ZESA is proposing a five percent tariff increase.
ZESA, through its subsidiary, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission & Distribution Company, applied to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) for a tariff review of 11,39 cents/KWh from the current 9,86 cents/KWh.

Both ZERA and ZESA fall under Dzikamai Mavhaire’s Ministry of Energy and Power Development.
ZESA says the tariff increase would enable it to meet increasing operational costs and improve service to customers.
The company is failing to mobilise enough cash to rehabilitate its ageing infrastructure due to funding challenges, a move that would inevitably inhibit optimum electricity generation.                   newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw

(COMMENT 1)

CORRUPTION is a disease we all need to fight against. The urge to want more than we are due; the desire to get rewarded for not doing anything worth a million dollars is what a majority of us are suffering from. We are all culpable. We see it and look away. Of course the tribe of a few selected men in suits have a reckless itch to get more and more. And this tribe, besides managing failing public institutions, also run several businesses on the side or sit on multiple boards.

A lot of the corruption in Zimbabwe involves public sector actors and is enabled by the weakness of the institutions they run. The driving logic of “governance” is the allocation of resources and opportunities in ways that strengthen the position of those in power. Such a system we have had since independence, has created seats of wealth and influence which heavily depend on distributional networks for their continued existence.
If investigated thoroughly, the rot exposed in one or two public institutions is linked to several others. As a result, the complex and largely opaque operations of Zimbabwean parastatals makes it difficult to establish exactly how, when and to what extent corruption is taking place.

Our parastatals are run in such a way that corruption becomes a permanent and commonplace way of doing things. Though bottlenecks and inefficiencies do not constitute corruption it is such delays that create and breeds the motive and opportunity for “greasing the wheels” or paying bribes to speed along procedures or the awarding of tenders.

We desperately need to adopt national reforms that advance due process, transparency and accountability to threaten and ultimately destroy this sad state of affairs. We need to own up to the fact that corruption is now a wholesale and pervading culture in Zimbabwe that we simply need to reject or maybe ask the Prophets to help us cast away!

AS the Zimbabwe national cricket team prepares to go to the World Cup Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh next month, the problems that the team has been facing have been well documented with observers giving the team no chance of getting past the qualifying stage.
However, last week, the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) settled its debt with the players after the International Cricket Council bailed it out with a US$3 million loan, ending a two-month long strike over salaries and wages dating back to August 2013.
The development paved way for the two-day domestic Twenty20 competition which finally kicked off this week after players had insisted they would not take to the field before they get their dues.
ZC used the tournament to choose the final squad of 15 national team players for the World cup Twenty20 tournament.

If there is one thing that has come out of this strike, it is the fact that the players have become a united force that if properly harnessed and guided towards the forthcoming competition, history could be rewritten again.
It is often said that a united force can overcome anything insurmountable.

Recently, Cricinfo.com carried a pictorial tribute of the best moments of Zimbabwe’s 30 year history in international cricket.
It was a tribute of 17 record setting and breaking matches that have become the signature of the playing side of Zimbabwe Cricket.

A quarter of these memorable wins were registered at cricket’s biggest show case, the World Cup Cricket competitions.
The win over the Australians in 2007, at the inaugural Twenty 20 World Cup in South Africa, ranks as the best performance by a Zimbabwean cricket team I have ever seen. Apart from the weather, the Zimbabweans were in complete control of the game from start to finish.

For me, the team showed character and what it is capable of achieving when the players play and work for each other.
The 3rd ODI that clinched the series win against Bangladesh in 2011, though not as fluent as the Cape Town performance, comes in second.

Tatenda Taibu, cometh the hour cometh the man, what a performance, a consummate professional cricketer who built his innings with meticulous purpose. What a marvel it was to watch him go about his trade. He is definitely a man who puts his money where his mouth is.
The 142 run partnership between Taibu and Hamilton Masakadza ensured that Zimbabwe posted a defendable score and secured Zimbabwe’s first series win in six years.

It was then left to the second of the three former captains in the team to ensure that the Taibu/Masakadza partnership was not in vain.
Prosper Utseya is not one to throw in the towel. He is a fighter who battles with tooth and nail for what he believes in.  

As I watched from the embankment, the intensity of Utseya’s performance was absorbing. In the four years that he was captain, I had never seen him so animated, so motivated and so focused. He was defiantly in one of his fighting moods. It was as if he was trying to prove a point. If that was the case, he could not have asked for a better time or place to do so. 
He alone was the reason for four dismissals. Without his performance, Zimbabwe would not have won that match.

Having prized open the batting, he increased the pressure on the batmen. Had the fielding been on the same level, Utseya could have got his first six wicket hull at an economical run rate.
The style in which Zimbabwe closed out the game was reminiscent of the Twenty20 match in Cape- team work at its best. After calling the team for a pep talk, Taylor seemed to allow the experienced bowlers and Taibu to take over the situation.

New field positions were effected, safe hands were placed out in the deep, bowlers changed ends and wickets started falling at a quicker rate.
If ever there was a practical execution of roving leadership this was it.  

Zimbabwean players need to think and work unwaveringly as a team. They need to be more selfless and cohesive and always believe in themselves.
Together as one they can overcome all odds and go on to greater heights of achievement and success in Bangladesh.

Last December in Naples, not far from the slumbering volcano Mt Vesuvius, judges of the World Physique Federation were searching among numerous body building competitors for exceptional muscular definition, perfect skeletal and muscular lines and aesthetic body configuration. It is not surprising that Zimbabwean body builder Victor Hungwe outshone all and sundry in the under 90 kilogrammes category, and came home with the title Master of the Universe.
 Victor’s home is in Harare and most days he can be found between 5am and 6pm at the BodyActive Gym on Borrowdale Road, where he combines his duties as manager with a personal training regime that has won him numerous awards, his latest trophy being the jewel in the crown of his career.

BodyActive Gym was opened in 2009 by renowned business woman Sue Peters. A former beauty queen and top model in Salisbury, Rhodesia, Sue has many strings to her bow. With a solid background in book keeping and accounting, she developed a flair for real estate and business.

In the early 1980s, when a nervous white population took the gap from Zimbabwe, Sue bought properties in Harare’s central business district and ventured into hairdressing with Ebony Salons; the first salon of many opened in 1980, near Queens Hotel.
A spiritual person, Sue Peters is a member of ZAOGA Pentecostal church, and a preacher in her own right.

Concerned with the empowerment of women she preaches to largely female audiences in Budiriro and Highfields, often with inspirational messages from the Hebrew Bible about powerful women like Hannah, whose prayers helped her to conceive, and Miriam, older sister of Moses and the first female prophet.
Opening BodyActive Gym was a logical step in Sue’s quest for health, beauty and fitness and a means for individual empowerment.

State-of-the-art equipment for body building and cardiac exercising came from South Africa, and a new fleet of bicycles for the spinning section is on the way.
Aerobics, personal training, sauna and massage therapy are always available, in addition to a pristine swimming pool and health bar for post- work out sustenance.
Add to these resources the hands-on skills of manager and champion body builder, Victor Hungwe.

Hungwe, like Sylvester Stallone, started body building in a backyard gym in Mkoba, a suburb in Gweru. To protect himself from monyas (thugs) he took up weight lifting, and developed a passion for physical activities. He excelled at athletics, soccer and rugby when studying for his ‘A’ levels at Nashville High School just outside Gweru.

 After an apprenticeship in maintaining machinery at the Bata factory and a brief stint at a family business in Esigodini he became a fitness instructor at Borrowdale Brooke Focus Fitness Gym, gaining valuable experience. After meeting Sue Peters and agreeing to help launch BodyActive Gym in Borrowdale in 2009, Hungwe’s career began to take off.

By claiming to be an old school body builder, Hungwe means that he doesn’t take steroids. ‘Building on your natural genetics and working hard’, he said, ‘is how to maximise your potential.’
Before a contest, Hungwe will eat seven small meals a day, rising at 2am for a snack of fifteen egg whites. High fibre oats and Rooibos tea follow at dawn and at 10am he allows himself a boiled potato and 300g of grilled tilapia.
At 1pm it’s time for steamed broccoli, with another potato (or white rice) and a grilled chicken breast at 5pm. At 8pm he has a bedtime snack of 300g of steamed fish.
If you’re serious about body building you will need to cut out fruit (too much sugar), pork and sadza.

 Hungwe, who has a diploma in health science, advocates drinking water throughout the day, to purify the system.
Victor’s next challenge will be to win an international body building competition in Belgium this August, followed by a similar contest in Slovenia in September.
We wish this all-Zimbabwean Master of the Universe all the luck in the world.
                                inzela@zol.co.zw

Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds.
Scriptures on divine healing are worth hiding in your heart against the onslaught of sickness and disease. Because of Satan, sin, ignorance, negligence, breaking of natural and spiritual laws of maintaining good health, and our corporate solidarity with this fallen world , sickness and disease will attack us from time to time. Now, since we know that we are prone to sickness and disease of different kinds we need to prepare against ill-health. One way of preparing against the attack of sickness is to have medical cover. The Bible is not against medicine. It can work as a faith-aid to believers trusting God for restoration of health.

But there is also divine healing. Divine healing happens in two major ways namely healing by the operation of gifts of healing, and healing by faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ. When an anointed servant of God, who is gifted in divine healing, preaches on healing or prays for the sick, healing occurs. This kind of healing does not strictly require faith. The presence of the sick in the place where the healing power is present can be enough. It is therefore advisable that a sick person gets to healing meetings. Elders or pastors can be called to pray a prayer of faith for the healing of a sick person in homes or hospitals. This is a healing ordinance stated in James chapter five. Healing by operation of gifts is effective. However, it is limited in the sense that a certain anointed and gifted agent does the work of healing in the name of Jesus. If that person is not there, you lack help. The Bible records very few healing accounts where the faith of the sick person was not strictly required.

The best divine healing method is by developed faith. The gospels show that most of the healings administered by Jesus Christ demanded faith. Whoever was sick and demonstrated his or her faith in God’s power to heal through words or actions was healed. The healing was sometimes instant and other times gradual. Jesus stressed the importance of faith by declaring to the healed, “Your faith has made you well.” Jesus is no longer here physically but God’s promises of healing abound in His word. Faith for healing comes by hearing God’s word on healing. If you are sick and expect God to heal you, then you need to saturate your heart, mouth and eyes with scriptures about God’s promise to heal you.

This takes a lot of patience and time and practice. And the right time to hide God’s word of faith in your heart is when you are well and strong. When sickness attacks, you will have a reservoir of spiritual power to resist it. But if you have no deposit in your heart of healing scriptures, you will have nothing to draw on. This is the mistake most sick people do that causes them to doubt this faith business. Your faith is your healing.
- For prayer and counselling call 0772889766 or e-mail mairos78@yahoo.co.uk. You can follow me on Facebook or twitter @pastormairos

What’s love got to do with it  with Ruth Chigubu
February is a month of love, everywhere and everyone advocates love. We focus on romance and what the other person is giving. We spend so much time waiting to be loved, hoping love will find us. Wanting someone to give us love and fill us up. Unfortunately that’s not usually how life works. To be able to be loved you must love and respect yourself as much as you do others. Understanding the effects of loving yourself will only enhance your ability to love others. By doing so you are enabling positive energy and allowing for great situations to occur in your life. Loving yourself is not a one time event but an ongoing process, moment by moment.

What is self-love? It is regard for one’s well- being and happiness. It is not a vain love of egoism and narcissism, a preoccupation with one’s self and general disregard for others. Self-love is an abiding willingness to meet your needs, allow yourself to think and feel whatever you think and feel and still see yourself as essentially worthy, good, valuable and belonging in the world deserving of happiness and love.

Half the issues we carry about are because we don’t look in the mirror and validate the person we are looking at. Some don’t even know the person staring back at them. How many of us can really say honestly that I am true to myself. A lot of us are not really sure so how then can we seek validation from others without validating ourselves. Love starts from within. It is only when we understand self-love that we can really begin to give love to others.

Self-love is developed early on in life and if childhood experiences damage our sense of self-significance, a lack of love can dog us for a life time. Self-love is instilled when parents or care givers show an unconditional positive regard, if not the sense of self may become shaky and wounded. Self-love is related to our sense of purpose and meaning in life and can be further influenced by society. Our capacity for self-love is enhanced by the quality of our relationships, competences and accomplishment, freedom and respect.

 Why is self-love important? It helps to realise that you are as important as anyone else and what you think and feel is valid. For many of us that is the most difficult part. Maybe you have grown up thinking that others are always better than you and you don’t matter and people aren’t interested in you unless you bend over backwards to accommodate them, putting their needs before yours. This thinking will lead you to conclude that others’ happiness is more important than yours and it isn’t.

Self-love involves some of the following:
1. Considering your needs…if that means others don’t get all of you, it’s OK, people can learn to adjust and be responsible for themselves.
2. Caring for yourself with the same level of effort that you do for others …preferring some quality time alone, it’s OK, not selfish.
3. Self-care…treat yourself as kindly and thoughtfully as you would anyone else, it’s OK.
4. Accepting yourself for all that you are…your strengths and weaknesses, it’s OK, you are only human
5. Saying no to others…it’s OK, you are not totally responsible for everyone.
Along with many other things in life, introspection and evolution has taught me an invaluable lesson in caring for myself. Use this month of love to resolve to do some self-analysis and measure the quality of your relationships but most importantly resolving to practice the art of self-love. Have a love affair with yourself. Practice it long enough and it becomes second nature. Why wait for someone to love you when you can love yourself first? Extending too much love to others can leave us lacking in love for ourselves. We must walk the fine line of attending to others and tending to ourselves, all the while never falling second to the needs of another. Because to love ourselves and to know ourselves is to recognise the full spectrum of our powers.
- Ruth Chigubu is a freelance writer and businesswoman based in Harare. She can be reached on ruthchigubu@yahoo.com

LITERARY AWARDS
- Outstanding First Creative Published Work: Rebel soldier by Solomon Mwapangidza
- Outstanding Children’s Book: The River god Unyaminyami by Fortune TazvivingaOutstanding Fiction Book
- Branching Streams Flow in the Dark by Charles Mungoshi
- Imbwa Yemunhu by Ignatius Mabasa
DANCE AWARDS
- Outstanding Group: 8 Count Dance crew
-Outstanding Female Dancer: Maylene Chenjerai, Tumbuka Dance Company
-Outstanding Male Dancer: Peter Lenso, Tumbuka dance Company
-Outstanding Choreographer: Sean George Mabwere, Rolex Dance Crew
FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS
- Outstanding Actor: Nash Mphepho in Decoder
-Outstanding Actress: Eunice Tava in Sinners
-Outstanding Music Video: Mwanasikana by Willard Magombedze  ft.  Jah Prayzah
-Outstanding Screen Production (Full length film):Gringo the Troublemaker by Enock Chihombori
-Outstanding Screen Production (Short Film): Decoder by Zandile Mahaja
VISUAL ARTS AWARDS
- Outstanding Mix Media: Nhapwasikana by Forbes Mushipe
- Outstanding 2 Dimensional Work: House of Stone by Webster Mubayirenyi
- Outstanding 3 Dimensional Work: Indigenisation by Israel Israel
SPOKEN WORD AWARDS
- Outstanding Comedian: Simba the Comic King — Haakeem VS Pistorious
- Outstanding Poet: Obert Dube
THEATRE AWARDS
- Outstanding Actress: Nyaradzo Nhongonhema in Pub Stories
- Outstanding Actor: Tafadzwa Hananda in Pub Stories/ Half Empty Half Full
- Outstanding Theatrical Production: Half Empty Half Full by Savannah Trust
-Outstanding Director: Ryan Lawrence & Peter John Smyth for The woman in black
MUSIC AWARDS
- Outstanding Female musician: Olivia Charamba
- Outstanding Male musician: Mukudzei Mukombe aka Jah Prayzah
- Outstanding Album: Tsviriyo by Mukudzei Mukombe aka Jah Prayzah
- Outstanding Song: Tsviriyo from Tsviriyo by Mukudzei Mukombe aka Jah Prayzah
MEDIA AWARDS
- Outstanding Journalist Print: Shamiso Yikoniko, Sunday Mail
- Outstanding Journalist TV: Sifiso Mpofu, ZBC
- Outstanding Journalist Radio: Problem Masau, Star FM
- Outstanding Online Media: Zimbojam
SPECIAL AWARDS
- Arts Promoter: Divine Assignments
- Arts Personality: Oliver Mtukudzi
- Arts Service: Intwasa Arts Festival
- People’s Choice: Jah Prayzah.

NEARLY 12 years ago, the European Union (EU) imposed “targeted” sanctions on President Robert Mugabe, an inner circle of his ZANU-PF party and several public and private companies linked to the ruling party.
Their intention was to isolate President Mugabe, to the point of decimating his leadership after he ignored human rights concerns and rubberstamped the violent seizure of white-owned farms by war veterans in 2000.
The war veterans are estimated to have displaced nearly 4 500 white commercial farmers during their nationwide seizure of farms.

As if that was not enough, the ZANU-PF government stoked further tensions with the EU and added more fuel to the flames when it refused to compensate the white commercial farmers who lost their farms.
Since the imposition of the “restrictive measures” — which is how the EU has preferred to refer to them as opposed to sanctions —  questions have persistently remained over their effectiveness or lack thereof.
Despite being under sanctions from both the EU and the United States, President Mugabe appears to have been flourishing.

He has won three successive election contests, with the latest victory being the July 31 elections held last year. 
His ZANU-PF party now wields a majority in Parliament and the opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) led by Morgan Tsvangirai, is at its lowest point in the party’s 15 year-old history.
If the intention was to muscle President Mugabe out of power, the EU sanctions have failed, showing that perhaps a new trajectory of dialogue is necessary between Zimbabwe and the EU.

President Mugabe, who turns 90 tomorrow, appears to have emerged stronger politically and untouched by the sanctions.
Beyond Zimbabwe, President Mugabe’s political star has been on the rise in the southern African region and on the continent.

Last month, President Mugabe was elected the deputy chair of the African Union (AU), a position with considerable status that could see him bounce back onto the international stage.
President Mugabe is also the current deputy chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and will take over its rotating chairmanship at a SADC summit set for August this year.
Despite debate over how effective the sanctions on President Mugabe are, the EU has shown no likelihood of easing up on the travel and asset embargo on him and his wife.

An official in the EU, Catherine Ashton, gave a hint of the likelihood that the status quo would be maintained in an effort to guarantee that the EU would swiftly move in to harden the sanctions if Zimbabwe lapsed again into political turmoil.
“It does seem a time to move forward and the sense is that Zimbabwe is moving … We need to respond,” said Ashton. “I think we probably are now in the right place to do this on the basis that if things go badly we can move back again.”

A member of the European Peoples Party member, Mario David of Portugal, who was in the country last weekend to assess the impact of the sanctions, 12 years later, however, urged the EU to end sanctions once and for all.
“It makes no sense at all in that if you look at the names on the sanctions list, the first is President Mugabe and then his wife; at the same time President Mugabe is invited to the EU-Africa summit in Brussels,” said David. “He is the (first deputy chair) of the AU and very soon he will be the chairman of the SADC in August. Maintaining sanctions is hypocrisy in our day.”

The different narratives on sanctions emerging from the EU itself are indicative of how opinion is split over the impact of sanctions on intended smart targets. The European bloc is seen to be eager to restore economic ties with Zimbabwe which have been usurped by China over the last decade. China has been the main beneficiary of the government’s “Look East Policy”.
Last year, Belgium exerted enough pressure on the EU to lift sanctions off the State-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, in an effort to tap into the country’s Marange diamonds — bringing to the fore the deep divisions in the EU.

One school of thought contends that backing down on the sanctions would be a “low diplomatic point” for the European bloc and a victory for ZANU-PF.
Previous attempts by ZANU-PF to arm-twist the EU into lifting the sanctions have so far hit against a brick wall.

A petition signed by disgruntled citizens in 2011 against sanctions failed to win the sympathy of the EU, while little progress   has been made in a lawsuit brought to European Court of Justice by the Zimbabwe government challenging the legality of the sanctions. It is the government’s claim that the decade-long sanctions on the country have cost it nearly US$42 billion in lost revenue.
newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw

THE heat is on for the authorities to deal decisively with widespread corruption, especially in public institutions that have been rundown over the years.
Sensing the national mood, ZANU-PF responded by calling a Politburo meeting last week aimed at deliberating on the issue.
ZANU-PF has previously condemned graft and has periodically launched a blitz to deal with vice, only for the exercise to lose steam before fingered political bigwigs have been brought to book.
This has drawn criticism that the authorities have half-heartedly dealt with corruption so as to divert people’s attention from bread and butter issues or only when some within its rank and file have fallen out with the system.
Worse still, previous rhetoric against corruption has ended up as mere lip service.

Thus, what can be said of last week’s pronouncement by the ZANU-PF Politburo that corruption must be dealt with in a decisive manner?
Have we turned the corner or it is the same old bark without the necessary bite?

Does the arrest of Air Zimbabwe trio of former group chief executive officer Peter Chikumba; acting CEO Innocent Mavhunga and company secretary Grace Pfumbidzayi signal the start of a new era where suspects are afforded an opportunity to clear their names in a court of law?
Would there ever be a day when senior ZANU-PF officials and even ministers whose names have been linked to acts of corruption would be brought to book?

This week, Rashweat Mukundu, the director of the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, termed the Air Zimbabwe trio as “small fish”.
Mukundu said what Zimbabweans would likely see is the bureaucratisation of the whole corruption investigations with responsibility being taken away from the relevant institutions such as the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) and police into the hands of politicians.

He said the fight against corruption was likely to falter as it is now being taken as a political matter as opposed to a purely criminal issue.
“The matter is no longer criminal but a political issue, and like all political issues it is the interest of the powerful, more so those in ZANU-PF that will be protected. If corruption is to be dealt with decisively and once and for all, then the political leadership must simply lend their weight to the police and ZACC and not interfere or make decisions on the process,” said Mukundu.

So far, one of the crucial arms in the fight against corruption, ZACC, has been rendered moribund as the terms of its commissioners expired last year, with no new appointments having been made.
The only exception is that of the term of office of its chairperson.

Obert Gutu, a legal expert and former deputy minister of justice and legal affairs, said what this effectively means is that Zimbabwe does not have a properly and constitutionally appointed Anti-Corruption Commission.
“The fight against corruption will remain an exercise in futility as long as we don’t have a fully constituted and functional Anti-Corruption Commission,” said Gutu.

ZACC is empowered, among others, to expose cases of graft in the public and private sectors and this includes theft, misappropriation, abuse of power and other improper conduct.
Section 254 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides for ZACC’s establishment and composition.

The corruption watchdog must be a nine-member commission headed by a chairperson who is appointed by the President after consultation with Parliament’s Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (SROC).
Eight other members are appointed by the President from a list of not fewer than 12 nominees submitted by the SROC.

Critics argue that the reason why ZANU-PF has been reluctant to weed out corruption is that some of its senior officials are involved.
Ever since the 1989 Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries scandal where some ministers resigned after being implicated in a vehicle scandal, no major action has been taken in the subsequent years over the plunder of national resources and State assets.
Other serious corruption cases that have taken place in Zimbabwe, with no action being taken include:
- The War Victims Compensation Fund scandal
- The VIP Housing scandal
- The Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company scandal
-The Zimbabwe United Passenger Company scandal
- The fertiliser scandal
In recent years, amid its hardships, the nation has failed to realise any benefits from its minerals especially diamonds, with Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa conceding in his budget statement that nothing was forthcoming from the sale of the gems.

In a recent report, the Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa, said there are a number of graft cases that made headlines in Zimbabwe but whose outcomes remain obscure, even though names of the implicated individuals have been mentioned.

The Trust said it is acknowledged that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty by competent courts of law, but nevertheless, it should be acknowledged that they will remain implicated and labelled as suspects until proven innocent, which makes it urgent for them, the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to work together towards the final conclusion of such cases.

“It will be observed that Zimbabwean political leadership does not provide the best examples for accountability, transparency and integrity. Zimbabwean politicians perceive politics as an opportunity for amassing wealth instead of helping the people,” said the Trust.

newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw

MASVINGO — Lovemore Matuke, the former ZANU-PF provincial chairman, remains suspended from the party for his endorsement of expelled Bikita West legislator, Munyaradzi Kereke’s candidature ahead of the July 31, 2013 elections.
Matuke, along with former provincial secretary, Edmund Mhere, were suspended from ZANU-PF on the eve of the party’s provincial polls held late last year for signing Kereke’s nomination papers ahead of the revolutionary party’s preferred candidate, Elias Musakwa.

Resultantly, ZANU-PF was left with egg on the face after it fielded two candidates in the same constituency.
Kereke went on to win the elections despite President Robert Mugabe taking a dig at him at a rally outside Mucheke Stadium, a few days before the July 31, 2013 polls.

ZANU-PF, miffed by Kereke’s defiance, attempted to expel the former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe employee from the National Assembly for floor-crossing but made an embarrassing U-turn for undisclosed reasons.
In the end, the matter was settled out-of-court after Kereke argued that he stood in the July 31, 2013 elections as an independent candidate since the letter of expulsion was served on him well before the polls.
While Kereke escaped being booted out of the legislature, Matuke and Mhere were not so lucky.

They were suspended just before the provincial elections, thereby rendering both of them ineligible to stand for re-election. Matuke and Mhere are still in the dark regarding their fate as ZANU-PF is still to lift their suspension.
In the case of Matuke, although he appeared before a disciplinary panel, the party is yet to release the results of a hearing.

It is said that Matuke and Mhere are adamant that they got the orders to endorse Kereke from powerful Politburo members hence the decision was not entirely theirs, but that of the provincial executive as a whole.
The Politburo is the supreme decision-making body of ZANU-PF in between congresses.

Matuke, the Member of Parliament for Gutu Central and Mhere, the lawmaker for Masvingo Central, were this week tight-lipped on the issue.
But ZANU-PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, told the Financial Gazette on Tuesday that their suspension still stands.

“They are still on suspension. You will know the outcome of the disciplinary hearing. You will be told of their fate once the party takes a position,” Gumbo said.

BULAWAYO — The proposed decentralisation of the High Court from the country’s two major cities of Harare and Bulawayo to other parts of the country will make justice easily accessible while at the same time easing the burden on court officials in the two metropolitan provinces.
With a population of nearly 13 million, Zimbabwe has only two High Court stations in Harare and Bulawayo to service the whole nation, a situation that has negatively impacted on the timely administration of justice.
The current situation is such that cases from the southern region — Midlands, Masvingo and the three Matabeleland provinces — are all referred to Bulawayo; while cases from the northern region — Manicaland and the four Mashonaland provinces are dealt with in Harare.

Every legal year, the High Court battles with a backlog of cases, notwithstanding the fact that the court occasionally sits in circuit in Gweru, Mutare, Masvingo and Hwange.
Judge President George Chiweshe recently called for the decentralisation of the High Court system, saying the increasing workload in the High Court had become a cause for concern.

He proposed that the current circuit centres be upgraded to the level of permanent High Court stations, adding Gwanda be also considered as an additional centre.
“Decentralisation of the High Court in this manner will have a positive impact on the administration of justice as a whole, and more importantly, would bring the High Court closer to the generality of our people,” said Chiweshe.

Human Rights lawyer, Kucaca Phulu, said the proposal by Chiweshe would improve justice delivery but was quick to say there must be sufficient consultations first.
“There is also a need for the administrative structures to be put in place to support it,” said Phulu.

Zimbabwe Human Rights Association director, Okay Machisa, said it was in the interest of all citizens for cases to be always dealt with expeditiously for the accused to know their fate on time, adding that the current situation in which cases remain pending for over four years was unacceptable.

“That is a welcome move because justice delayed is justice denied,” Machisa said. “For further improvements in the justice delivery in Zimbabwe,” he said, before concluding by saying there should be non-partisan handling of cases, arguing all cases should be dealt with ‘without fear or favour.”

Plumtree Development Trust director, Thomas Sithole, said the decentralisation would bring court services closer to the people.
“It would indeed be a step in the right direction,” he said, adding that more still needed to be done to instil public confidence in the judiciary system.

 Nkosana Zulu

Enock Chihombori’s hilarious film, Gringo Troublemaker, won this year’s 13th edition of the National Arts Merit Award (Nama) best outstanding screen production — full length film at a colourful ceremony held last week in Bulawayo.The film was competing with Through the Night by Sydney Taivavashe and Bhegi Rabvaruka by Lloyd Kurima better known as Mabla in the showbiz.
For winning the award, Chihombori took home a prize money of US$500, hampers and different other goods.
Speaking to the Financial Gazette from his Botswana base, Chihombori who is the producer of the film cum-scriptwriter said he was happy to receive the award as a first recognition of his works that has brought more pain than joy to him. 

“I thank everyone who worked hard to make this film possible and everyone who supported us. This award is the only thing that I got from this film (Gringo Troublemaker),” said Chihombori.
“I funded this project with my own resources. I convinced my wife to use our funds on this production. When the movie was released they took my production and pirated it.”
The film Gringo Troublemaker is a feature film shot in Harare with a cast loaded with stars that brought a wealth of experience to the film.
The film’s story line centres on a former Studio 263 actor, Tapiwa Mavindidze better known as VJ in the soap playing the role of John who is out to impress his girlfriend and goes out to engage the services of a traditional healer to help him get rich against the wishes of his girlfriend Mary.

Mary, born Evangelista Mwatse is popular for her roles in Small House Saga and City of Dreams. In Gringo Troublemaker she plays John’s pompous girlfriend, Mary.
John’s life is changed dramatically when he accidentally meets Gringo, who unfortunately tempers with the traditional healer’s herbs.
Somehow John ends up in possession of a large amount of money which belongs to Gringo’s boss. However, his wife Mary causes problems when she accidentally destroys the medicine and hell breaks loose.
With such a scenario, John lives to rue the day he met Gringo.

The film also features Blessing Chimhowa popularly known as Mbudziyadhura, stealing many of the film’s funny moments.
In the film Mbudziyadhura, returns with his usual laid back comical antics together with the vastly experienced William Matenga taking up his role as Gringo’s employer Gweshegweshe.
According to Chihombori, the production of the film has however, left him swimming in huge debts which he is yet to recover after he lost the bid to curb piracy that resulted in the film being pirated before being put on disc.
Chihombori is on record saying the film caused more pain than joy in his career.

Meanwhile, contemporary musician Jah Prayzah born Mukudzei Mukombe dominated the awards as he banged in four awards.
He scooped the Outstanding Male Artist award, his album Tsviriyo outclassed Mathias Mhere’s Nguva Ye Nyasha and Guspy Warrior’s Handikwanise Kuzvitaura to win the Outstanding Album of the year.
The Gochi Gochi hit maker also won in the Outstanding Song category with his song Tsviriyo which was competing with Seunononga from Guspy Warrior and Zino Irema from Mhere and the People’s Choice Awards.
For winning all those awards, Jah Prayzah walked away US$2 000 richer.