Messages From Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe and Mozambique have been listed among the seven countries most vulnerable to the economic impact of natural disasters and unsafe for investors, insurers and doing business, according to a report published here Saturday.

A new research by the UK-based risk intelligence and ratings company Maplecroft said the two African countries are among states regarded as in “extreme risk” to the vagaries of environmental disasters.

The research ranked earthquake-ravaged Haiti as the riskiest country in terms of vulnerability to economic losses from natural disasters.

The seven countries are rated at “extreme risk” in the high frequency index, with Haiti (1), Mozambique (2), Honduras (3), Vanuatu (4), Zimbabwe (5), El Salvador (6) and Nicaragua (7) topping the ranking, the group said.

The Natural Disasters Economic Loss Index (NDELI) published by Maplecroft evaluates the economic impact of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, storms, flooding, drought, landslides, extreme temperatures and epidemics between 1980 and 2010.

The index measures the risk of economic losses from damage costs and deaths caused by natural disasters, reflecting both the direct impact of natural disasters on property and infrastructure plus the indirect impacts on the population.

Although Zimbabwe is less prone to serious natural disasters like earthquakes and flooding, it is the country’s precarious economic climate that makes it particularly vulnerable to loss in the event of such emergencies occurring.

To provide an accurate picture of the global situation, the NDELI is split into two rankings – one measuring the risks to the 87 countries that suffer a high frequency of natural disasters and the other evaluating the 116 countries that experience less than one event per year.

The research also classified a number of industrialized economies, including Italy, Japan, China, US, Spain and France, as “high risk” environments for investors, insurers and business.

Italy was ranked 18th while Japan, China and US were ranked in the top 30 riskiest countries.

(Source)

President Robert Mugabe’s son, Robert jnr, is said to be causing security nightmares for his personal guards preferring a normal life.

Eye witness at the posh St John’s College in Borrowdale where he attends school, said last Friday Robert Jr had caused mayhem at the school when he drove to the nearby Chisipite shopping centre to buy lunch with his white friend in a bid to get a taste of public life.

“While at the shopping centre the two entered into Born Marche shop where they bought some ice cream, a life Robert is rarely exposed to,” said a source. “It  is at  this  time that the state security, which takes him home for lunch, arrived and discovered that he was nowhere to be found.”

People who reside near the college said there were noises of sirens coming from all directions during that time.

“We thought maybe the president had come for a meeting with the school when we heard noises of his motorcade. Everyone’s attention was drawn to that unusual noise. We quickly rushed to the school and discovered that the state security was asking children about the whereabouts of Robert (jnr) who at that time arrived in a friend’s posh car,” said eye witnesses.

“Robert is always telling us that he is tired of being closely monitored by the security. He told us that he misses a great deal because of confinement and that is why he decided to jump into his friend’s car to go to Chisipite,” said students at the school.

The students said he deliberately left earlier for lunch to avoid his security personnel.

A teacher at the school, who requested not to be named, said the President’s son was making their work difficult because of security agents.

“We have heard that he has on several times been denied getting out with  friends by our security and we are now afraid that he might cause us problems with the state security if he continues avoiding them,”said the teacher.

Robert Jnr, who is said to be doing his upper six at the elite College is normally drove home for lunch by state security every day.

(Source)

President Mugabe arrived here yesterday to attend a meeting of liberation movements that seeks to find ways of offsetting resurgent neo-colonialism in Africa.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces was met at Julius Nyerere International Airport by the country’s ambassador to Dar-es-Salaam Edzai Chimonyo and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.

DPM Mutambara is here to attend the World Economic Forum on Africa.

Soon after his arrival, President Mugabe held closed-door talks with his Tanzanian counterpart, President Jakaya Kikwete.

The meeting of liberation movements begins today.

Countries that have confirmed their participation in addition to Zimbabwe and the hosts are Angola, South Africa and Namibia.

The meeting starts with a session incorporating secretaries-general of the movements, in which Zimbabwe will be represented by Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa.

After that, presidents and leaders of the movements will go into session.

Insiders said the meeting had been long in coming and would focus on how the liberation movements could co-ordinate activities for Africa’s development.

“The last such meeting was in Sandton in South Africa back in 2000.

“At that time, it was already apparent that neo-colonialists were finding inroads with which to subvert Africa’s development.

“The idea here is to come up with ways of countering that subversion and developing our peoples.

“We want to keep the ideals of the liberation movements alive and to ensure they result in tangible benefits to the people of Africa,” one insider said.

President Mugabe is accompanied by ministers

Webster Shamu (Media, Information and Publicity), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Defence), Saviour Kasukuwere (Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment) and other senior Government officials.

President Mugabe was seen off at Harare International Airport by Vice President John Nkomo (who is Acting President), senior Government officials, and service chiefs.

Meanwhile, DPM Mutambara is here to attend the 20th World Economic Forum on Africa.

Zimbabwe will use the meeting to outline to the world the devastating impact of the illegal Western economic sanctions.

Insiders yesterday revealed that the Zimbabwe delegation will use the platform to present to major global economic players the vast business opportunities Zimbabwe has in the mining, agriculture, infrastructure development and manufacturing sectors.

“There will be over 1 000 participants drawn from multilateral financial institutions and United Nations agencies and this is an ideal platform for Zimbabwe to present its case on the issue of sanctions and the country’s investment potential,” an insider said.

Last Thursday, the WEF said 11 African heads of state and government would attend the event to be opened by host President Kikwete.

The forum is being held under the theme “Rethinking Africa’s Growth Strategy”.

The 20th WEF on Africa draws political, business and civic leaders from Africa, Asia and Europe to deliberate on issues affecting the continent.

In a statement, President Kikwete said: “Africa is a continent full of potential.

“Africa has been growing despite the economic instability that is facing the world today.

“We will have the opportunity to examine the strategy of Africa for today to ensure that there is a better tomorrow.”

WEF for Africa director Ms Katherine Tweedie said this year’s forum coincided with the 50th anniversary of the launch of the continent’s struggle for independence.

“It is fitting to celebrate this milestone year by hosting the Africa meeting for the first time in East Africa, with the strong support of His Excellency President Kikwete and the government and business community of Tanzania,” she said.

The Forum’s Young Global Leaders Summit will be held concurrently in Dar es Salaam with over 200 participants.

Discussions will address how Africa is managing relations with key economic partners and South-South co-operation.

(Source)

Australia has suffered a stunning one-run loss against Zimbabwe in their opening T20 World Cup warm-up game at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia.

Chasing Zimbabwe’s 173 for seven off 20 overs, the ‘unseeded’ Australian team was restricted to 172 for seven, despite an attacking 72 run inning from opener David Warner and 49 from skipper Michael Clarke.

Needing 13 runs from the final over for victory, Australia lost Clarke, bowled from the penultimate delivery, and then Mitchell Johnson was run out off a wide, as the side finished one short of the target, Fox Sports reports.

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwean batsman Elton Chigumbura’s 76 off 35 balls, including six sixes and five fours, had provided the backbone to Zimbabwe’s total.

He also shared a 114-run partnership with Craig Ervine (39) for the fifth wicket.

Australian fast bowler Johnson was the pick of the Oz bowlers claiming 4-23 from his four overs, while Dirk Nannes, Lee and Shane Watson took one wicket apiece.

Australia now has one more warm-up match against local side Windward XI, before Sunday’s opening Group A match against defending champions Pakistan.

Brief Scorecard:

Zimbabwe: 173-7 (Elton Chigumbura 76, Sean Ervine 39; Mitchell Johnson 4-23) Australia: 172-7 (David Warner 72, Michael Clarke 49; Prosper Utseya 2-27). (ANI)

(Source)

Regardless of what country NATO Training Mission Afghanistan members represent, returning home from their deployment here often means taking some much needed time off to get some rest and spend quality time with the family.

However, for Gunner Kuziva Dapira, a British soldier currently assigned to the Camp Alamo UK Leadership Training Team, time off and rest is not what’s on his agenda after reaching the end of his tour in April.

Dapira is a member of the United Kingdom’s King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, also known as The Troop, and within a month of his returning to London, his unit will be participating in one of Britain’s biggest events – Queen Elizabeth’s official birthday celebration also known as Trooping the Colour.

The Troop is an elite unit of about 100 soldiers, all of whom superb equestrians trained to drive a team of six horses that pull the ‘thirteen pounder’ state saluting gun. Their duties include the firing of royal salutes on royal anniversaries and state occasions, and providing a gun carriage and team of black horses for state and military funerals.

But out of all the ceremonies the unit participates in, Trooping the Colour is the highest honor, according to Dapira.

“Riding in the Queen’s Parade means a lot to the King’s Troop,” he said. “It’s our bread and butter. It’s like playing in the world-cup finals.” He added that out of approximately 100 members of his unit, only 48 actually ride in the parade and that to him it is a high honor to be one of those selected.

Dapira, a Zimbabwe native, has been in Britain for six years and joined the Army three years ago. His duties at the KMTC include providing logistical support to his fellow British soldiers and to train Afghan non-commissioned officers.

Training NCOs for the Afghan National Army is very rewarding because it helps help create more leaders for Afghanistan, he said.

 “Other high-points of this deployment have been working with multi-national forces and also different regiments,” he said. “And learning languages, I’ve learned a little bit of Dari and a little bit of French.”

This will be the second time Dapira rides in the Queen’s Birthday Parade, and he feels confident that regardless of the short time given for him to prepare, he will be ready by June.

“It won’t be hard readjusting to being back on parade because it’s something I have done before,” he said. “While it’s a big change to go from being in a war zone to going back to being in front of a crowd, I’m a professional soldier and I’m trained to adapt to any circumstance.”

Trooping The Colour celebrates the queen’s official birthday and is always held the second or third Saturday of June. Her actual birthday is on April 21, but the ceremony is held in June to in the hope for good weather. The ceremony itself dates back to at least the early 18th century when the flags of the battalion, also referred to as colours, were carried or ‘trooped’ down the ranks so that they could be seen and recognized by the soldiers. The Queen attends in a horse-drawn carriage and the regiments of the Household Division, her personal troops, parade in front of her. More than 1,400 soldiers are on parade, plus 200 horses and more than 400 musicians.

(Source)

Zimbabwe’s government on Monday denied reports that it had signed an agreement allowing Iran to mine uranium, saying there was no certainty that the southern African state had commercial uranium reserves.

President Robert Mugabe told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Harare last week that Zimbabwe backed Iran’s controversial nuclear programme and accused the West of seeking to punish the two countries for asserting their independence.

But Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube on Monday dismissed a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph claiming Harare had struck a deal allowing Tehran to mine untapped uranium reserves to secure raw material for its nuclear programme.

The report said Zimbabwe would get oil for access to potential uranium deposits.

“It’s not true. No such agreement was signed,” said Ncube, a minister from a splinter faction of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe’s unity government.

“There is no certainty that Zimbabwe has uranium deposits. You first have to prove that there are uranium deposits and that has not been done,” he told Reuters.

Ahmadinejad was in Zimbabwe last week for a two-day visit and there was no official indication of any link between his trip and Iran’s nuclear programme.

Mugabe has previously said the country holds uranium deposits which have yet to be exploited.

Iran faces a possible new round of United Nations sanctions over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment. The West accuses Tehran of trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran says it aims only to generate electricity.

Ncube said Zimbabwe and Iran had only signed general cooperation agreements in the fields of energy, science and technology and agriculture but officials from the two countries still had to meet to finalise details of any investment.

Asked whether Zimbabwe would in future consider jointly mining uranium with Iran, Ncube said: “There is no evidence that Zimbabwe has commercial deposits of uranium, so that question does not arise at all.”

(Source)

Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, officially teed off the Africom Zimbabwe Golf Open at Royal Harare on Wednesday.

A tee off is the official beginning of the tournament, which ends on Saturday.

This is the first time the Prime Minister has officiated at a prestigious sporting event since the signing of a Global Political Agreement.

President Robert Mugabe normally presides over most sporting events. However, the organisers of the Zimbabwe Open, decided to  invite Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai teed off in the pro-am at Royal Harare as the Africom Zimbabwe Open roared into life. He immediately commended the Zimbabwe Open Golf Committee, for a sterling job, given the short period of time that they managed to put this event together.

A field of 144 golfers will play in the revived Zimbabwe Open ,with some top professional golfers, Tony Johstone and Mike Williams who left Zimbabwe at the height of political upheaval, entering the event.

Livingstone Gwata, the managing director FBC Bank and the Zimbabwe Open chairman, said 141 professional would take part in the tournament running from April 21 -24.

The largest number of the golfers will come from the Southern African circuit, the Sunshine Tour, which are bringing 130 golfers. They will play in the Sunshine Tour sanctioned tournament by virtue of their Order of Merit on the tour.The other golfers are composed of professionals and amateurs who qualified through the various qualifying tournaments.

However it is coming entrance of Johnstone who has six European and 22 US tour victories that bring Zimbabwe under the spotlight. The Bulawayo based golfers left the country at the height of the political upheaval in 2000 when the Zanu (PF) grabbed farms from white commercial farmers.

The Zimbabwe Open was a golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour that was last played in 2001. It was first played in 1984 and was part of what was known as the Safari Tour, a collection of events in Africa that were played by professionals based on the European Tour during their winter. As a result, it became an event on the European based Challenge Tour in 1991, where it remained for two seasons before moving onto the FNB Summer Tour, which became the Southern Africa Tour and later the Sunshine Tour.

(Source)

Zimbabweans are waiting to see how the police and the inclusive government in general are going to deal with Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and business tycoon Phillip Chiyangwa who were implicated in illegal land deals by a special council committee.

A police complaint filed by acting Harare mayor Charity Bango on Monday at Harare Central Police Station accused Chiyangwa and council officials Psychology Chiwanga and Cosmas Zvikaramba of fraud.

Bango told the Zimbabwe Independent that he would soon make a more detailed report implicating the rest of the people named in the special council committee report.

“I can’t give you more details of who else we are going to implicate until I file that report. I am currently working on it and will soon make the detailed report,” he said on Wednesday.

Assistant police commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed receiving the complaint saying: “A report for fraud which they said occurred on the 2nd of September 2009 in which they are alleging that two City of Harare officials, Psychology Chiwanga and Cosmas Zvikaramba with Phillip Chiyangwa committed fraud in the sale of Odar Farm. We are now investigating.”

Legal experts, however, pointed out that the police should not have waited for the council to make a complaint but should have summoned Chombo, Chiyangwa and all those officials named in the report as soon as the media reports hit the streets.

But now that the council has lodged a complaint, it will be interesting to see how those named will be dealt with by the police and how much pressure is brought to bear from the co-Ministers of Home Affairs, Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi.

The two ministers were on Monday summoned by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai after Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and eight councillors were quizzed by the police over the report that implicated Chombo and Chiyangwa.

The councillors, who make up the committee that investigated the sale of land in Harare between 2004 and last year, were “arrested” last week after Chiyangwa made a report that they had criminally defamed him. They allegedly leaked the report to the media.

The eight councillors — committee chairperson Warship Dumba, Casper Takura, Herbert Gomba, Thomas Musharurwa Muzuva, Musa Macheza, Job Mbadzi, Paula Macharangwanda and Panganai Charumbira — made warned and cautioned statements last Thursday and were released.

Legal experts told the Zimbabwe Independent that this would be a test case to see if the police had reformed in accordance with the global political agreement, which states that the force should be impartial, non-partisan and should fully appreciate their roles and duties in a multi-party democratic system.

The experts said it will also be interesting to see at what speed the police are going to investigate allegations from a report by an MDC-dominated council accusing people linked to ZANU PF of serious irregularities.

Mutsekwa was quoted saying after meeting with Tsvangirai that: “As you are aware, there is a problem at Harare City Council where councillors have been summoned by the police after having rightfully done their job, instead of Chiyangwa. It is now up to us to act.”

What baffled many Zimbabweans was the reluctance by the police to investigate the allegations against Chombo and Chiyangwa after local and international media broke the story on the report by the council probe team.

Instead, the police summoned journalist Stanley Gama and visited the offices of the Standard where they interrogated two reporters, Feluna Nleya and Jennifer Dube, the day after the reports came out. They asked them to reveal their sources. The detectives also talked to the Standard Editor Nevanji Madanhire and the group Editor-in-Chief Vincent Kahiya.

Bvudzijena said on Monday they did not immediately after publication of the press reports institute an investigation because council had not filed a complaint with the police.

He said this when he was asked why they were not investigating Chombo and Chiyangwa. This was before council had made its report.

Bvudzijena said: “With Chiyangwa’s case, we had a complaint saying that the report was incorrect and defamatory hence the charge of criminal defamation. If councillors say they indeed did that, they should lodge a report that they were defrauded, that is if they sincerely believed it happened. We need a complainant and a witness before we can investigate.”

However, legal experts said it was mischievous for the police to say there has to be a complainant first before they can investigate a criminal act.

Constitutional lawyer Lovemore Madhuku pointed out that at law, the police are supposed to investigate a complaint or whatever information that would have come to its attention.

“Most crimes are investigated on the basis that it would have come to the attention of the police. Many crimes are investigated on the basis of media reports. It is very mischievous to suggest that they need a complainant,” he said.

In support, prominent lawyer, who is also chairperson of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) Tinoziva Bere said: “The police have a right and a duty to investigate suspected crimes even where no complainant has come forward or where there is an anonymous complaint.”

Law Society of Zimbabwe president Josphat Tshuma said the police should investigate whatever information they get on a crime that has been committed.

“They have a duty to investigate. It is their responsibility to ensure that there is law and order. Their actions are both pro-active and re-active.

“As a council, they have a duty to protect the assets of the council and if they believe that something has happened, they have a duty to investigate. It is interesting to see what happens now and how the investigations are going to be conducted,” he said.

Another prominent lawyer, George Chikumbirike, said normally when a criminal act has been committed, the police should investigate.

Madhuku said the fact that the police were reluctant to investigate those named in the report showed that the matter was political because it involved top people linked to ZANU PF.

“The matter is political. The police are still acting in the interest of ZANU PF. They will follow the interests of a certain political line,” he said.

Just last year, a damning report by the comptroller and auditor-general, Mildred Chiri, for the first quarter of the 2009 financial year exposed corruption through abuse of state resources by top government officials.

In the report, several ministers and their deputies and permanent secretaries took away vehicles from the ministries where they had been working before the formation of the inclusive government. Up to this date no police investigation has been instituted to look into the allegations raised in that report.

(Source)

At least 25 people were burned to death and two dozen others injured when a bus collided with a truck laden with fertilizer on a highway in north western Zimbabwe, state radio reported on Wednesday.

The accident occurred on Tuesday night, and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation said many of the casualties were believed to be Zambians travelling to South Africa.

There were no further details on the accident, near Karoi, 300 km (190 miles) northwest of Harare.

(Source)

Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Walter Mzembi and Masvingo governor Titus Maluleke have been implicated in the disappearance of Mugabe‘s birthday gifts which were donated by Triangle Limited, individuals and other companies.

The gifts which include 30 tonnes of sugar, unknown amount of cash and various other presents were supposed to be handed over to the ageing leader of ZANU PF party at his birthday bash in Bulawayo in February but two months down the line, the gifts are still missing.

Mzembi could not be reached for a comment but Maluleke remained silent for a while before blaming poor network connection and switched off his mobile.

“Are you an auditor… I can’t hear you… phone later I hardly hear you,” said Maluleke.

A ZANU PF party source said party politburo member, Dzikamai Mavhaire, could also be involved.

A ZANU PF party source told Radio VOP that the disappearance of the gifts was not the work of one man .

“A lot of people managed to steal one or two things from the donations. We suspect that less than half of the resources donated found their way to the intended destination,” said the source.

Masvingo provincial chairman Lovemore Matuke confirmed the gifts had gone missing and said a serious investigation was underway.

Matuke also confirmed some “big fish” in the party could have been involved and said they would soon be asked to attend a disciplinary hearing.

“There was a lot of confusion when people went out to source donations for the 21st February movement. Some took everything they sourced. We are aware Triangle donated sugar but no one in the provincial executive know what happened to the sugar.

“Yes there are some big names that might include ministers but it would be premature for us to name them now. We want the investigation to be over first,” said Matuke.

RadioVOP was informed that Mzembi and Maluleke received the sugar and diverted it for their personal use.

“Mzembi and Maluleke collected the sugar but they kept it as a secret and used it. The two were once called by national fund raising chief executive officer Jaya to explain what happened to that sugar.

“More big names are likely to emerge if the investigation continues,” said the source.

A Mr Jaya refused to give any details claiming the issue was “too hot to handle. Instead Jaya said he would want to know people who rushed to the press with the issue.

“This issue is very sensitive; give me the names of people who rushed to the press with the issue. Those people are more dangerous than those who are said to have stolen the gifts,” said Jaya.

Masvingo District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairman Xavier Magweva has since been dragged to a provincial disciplinary hearing twice for allegedly looting 200 litres donated by Bikita Minerals.

“Magweva went away with 200 liters of diesel which was also donated by Bikita Minerals. It is really embarrassing,” said another source.

However, Magweva said it was Mavhaire who abused the fuel.

“Aah – those individuals should be after killing my political career, its not me maybe Mavhaire would tell you the person not me,” said Magweva.

(Source)