Category: zimbabwe

Source: AFC leases cheap equipment | The Herald

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera.

Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter

The days when farmers would require collateral to access mechanised equipment such as tractors and combine harvesters have passed following the introduction of the Agriculture Finance Corporation Leasing Company, which is providing farmers with the service at an affordable fee.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said Government had come up with a cocktail of measures to cushion those farmers without collateral but with potential by creating conducive environment that maximise their agriculture yields.

Dr Basera said this on Friday in an interview with journalist, Lee Ann Bernard on her social media page.

He said there were also finalising discussions with financial institutions to ensure that Government’s 99-year leases were bankable and acceptable.

Dr Basera said there was nothing that stopped a viable project to be bankable.

“There is incredible progress in making our 99-year leases bankable,” said Dr Basera.

He said several farmers had also accessed mechanisation services from AFC under a leasing agreement which the financial institution is currently providing.

“I am aware of many farmers who have been assisted under the AFC Leasing Company who had no collateral. We created a vehicle at AFC to lease equipment. We have got to a point where a farmer does not necessarily need to own a tractor or combine harvester but can still access the service. 

“You might not be able to afford a tractor but you can still access the service,” said Dr Basera.

The AFC, which include Land and Development Bank was launched to boost and formalise finance for farmers across the full range from communal land holders to large scale commercial farmers.

It is wholly-owned by the Government and was established following the restructuring of Agribank.

Dr Basera said there was also a John Deer mechanisation facility where farmers get delivery of the equipment upon payment a commitment fee of around 20 percent.

He said the facility did not require collateral and it was unlikely that a farmer could default.

“There is no need for collateral. If you pay 20 percent of the cost and default the next year, it will be a disincentive to you because you have already paid a commitment fee. These are some of the measures we are taking to assist our farmers,” he said.

Turning to paying of cotton farmers, Dr Basera said Government had made a commitment to settle what was outstanding which was around $1,5 billion through period payments through Cottco.

“But what is important to know is that we are supporting our farmers with free inputs, half a million of them are getting support from Government with free inputs. Their duty is just to produce and sell to Cottco,” said Dr Basera.

He said his Ministry rolling out these various projects to boost productivity and ensure that the country attain an upper middle class by 2030.

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MAPUTO – Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi received a thousand tonnes of donated maize from Zimbabwe’s [...]

The post Zimbabwe donates 1 000 tonnes of maize to terrorism victims in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

Source: Teachers blast National Joint Negotiation Council – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY KUDAKWASHE TAGWIREYI

TEACHERS unions yesterday accused the National Joint Negotiation Council (NJNC) of betraying their cause by consenting to a government pay deal which includes a 20% increment and a US$100 cash allowance to be converted from the local currency salary component.

Last Friday, civil servants representatives under the auspices of the NJNC met with government and assented to the new pay deal.

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But teachers unions, that have been demanding that government must pay them the pre-October 2018 salary of US$540, accused the NJNC of sabotaging them.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said his members had not consented to the new salary offer.

“It seems that the NJNC was not representing the cause of teachers who are incapacitated. We do not recognise the NJNC, and are not going back to work until teachers are fully capacitated. The NJNC has betrayed the teachers’ cause,” he said.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association secretary general Goodwill Taderera said: “The NJNC consented to the government offer and we are their member. Teachers, however, will not be willing to return to work despite our representatives (NJNC) having consented to the offer. We will meet and decide whether it is prudent that our members should return for duty. Consenting verbally is one thing and reporting for duty is another. We will see if teachers will report for work on Monday (today).”

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president said teachers were still incapacitated and had not agreed to the new salary offer.

“Even if teachers are willing to report for work, they are still incapacitated. The government must offer teachers a rescue package to afford them to report for work. We are still collecting members’ views on the issue,” he said.

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Said Zimbabwe National Union of School Heads president Munyaradzi Majoni: “We are actually on an online meeting today (yesterday) to map the way forward for school heads.”

Last week, government responded by suspending all educators that did not report for duty when schools opened last week.

Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro told State media at the weekend that investigations into the conduct of truant teachers had commenced.

“In a couple of days after investigations and disciplinary hearings, we will know the exact number of suspended teachers,” Zhou was quoted saying.

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Meanwhile, in a statement yesterday, the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) said nurses were also considering taking a position if government continues to unlawfully suspend teachers that have declared incapacitation.

“We implore government to immediately revoke the unlawful suspensions issued to teachers, and invite not only to teachers but the civil service at large to the negotiating table to find a lasting solution,” the Zina statement read.

“Should it become clear that the government intends to proceed with the unlawful position, nurses in Zimbabwe will have to consider their position as we cannot watch our colleagues being punished for grievances we all share.”

The post Teachers blast National Joint Negotiation Council appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Zim deportees not tested for COVID-19 – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY SILAS NKALA

SOUTH African officials have revealed that not all illegal immigrants, particularly Zimbabweans deported from the neighbouring country, are tested for COVID-19 before being sent back home amid concerns by human rights activists that some may have been infected by the virus while detained at Lindela holding camp in that country.

This was revealed at the Zimbabwe–South Africa cross-border migration management stakeholders meeting held at Musina in South Africa last week.

The meeting was attended by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) officials and various government departments and ministries from both countries.

“The South Africa authorities informed the Zimbabwean delegation that not all deportees are being tested for COVID-19 due to resource constraints. They are only testing suspected cases of COVID-19. Concurrently, the Zimbabwean authorities reported that a significant proportion of deported migrants were testing positive for COVID-19 upon presentation at a quarantine facility,” an IOM report read.

Stakeholders raised concern on the disparity between the two countries in terms of the validity of COVID-19 PCR test certificates, with South Africa requiring 72 hours, while Zimbabwe is at 48 hours.

“The Zimbabwean Ministry of Health authorities noted that the issue was a policy position which could not be decided at the meeting. They did note, however, that countries in the Sadc region needed to synchronise requirements in the region,” the IOM report added.

A Zimbabwean human rights activist based in South Africa, Nobuhle Ajiti, yesterday expressed concern that some of the inmates may have been exposed to COVID-19 at Lindela deportation centre.

“I was doing a follow-up on people who were directly affected by xenophobia. So I went as far as following those who were detained for non-documentation at Lindela, where some nationals are forced to do self-deportation. If you are Zimbabwean, you pay your own bus ticket to go home. Some are saying others die, they get sick until they die in centres because they are not tested when entering the holding camp,” she said.

Last month, the South African Department of Home Affairs deported 672 irregular migrants to Zimbabwe through the Beitbridge Border Post.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade ministry spokesperson Livit Mugejo said government was aware of the plight of Zimbabweans at the Lindela deportation centre.

“In the case of Zimbabweans at Lindela holding camp, there is constant engagement between our mission and the South African Home Affairs ministry,” he said.

“As part of our effort to make sure that our people are treated within the confines of law, we make weekly visits to the deportation centre for the purpose of identifying and assisting our people. It is the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa’s duty to make sure that all Zimbabweans are provided with necessary assistance.”

Mugejo said nearly 2 000 Zimbabweans, among them 527 deportees, were repatriated from South Africa under the assisted repatriation model.

“It was a pandemic intervention to help our people to come back home. What necessitated the repatriation were the hardships that our nationals were facing following the proclamation of the national state of disaster and the lockdown measures that were implemented,” he said.

Mugejo added that government was working closely with South Africa and IOM to facilitate safe repatriation of Zimbabweans from Lindela as the law does not allow deportees to stay beyond 120 days in detention camps.

He would not comment on the claims that some people died while detained at the holding centre.

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HARARE – Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) vice president Tendai Biti was arrested by armed [...]

The post Tendai Biti arrested appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.