Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Herald Reporter

There is no going back in ensuring that businesses and individuals that are illegally dealing in foreign currency and charging prices above the official exchange rate comply with the law, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, said yesterday.

Professor Ncube was speaking during the National Assembly’s question and answer session after concerns were raised by legislators that some businesses were pegging prices of commodities in the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency but against parallel market rates.

So far, the police have arrested 224 illegal money changers in a blitz that has also seen the RBZ’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) freezing 90 bank accounts.

Apart from freezing bank accounts, the FIU has also fined over 40 people who have been found on the wrong side of the law, mainly for violating the Exchange Control Act. Said Prof Ncube: “We really mean business and want to ensure that our law enforcement agencies are equipped to enforce that (compliance with the official exchange rate). We have instructed the FIU to look at the whole value chain (from manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers) that they are complying with the law.”

The first thing, he said, was to ensure stability of the ZiG for it to be accepted as a transacting currency.

“The second issue is to create super demand for the ZiG and we will soon be announcing which taxes that would be paid exclusively in ZiG,” he said.

Prof Ncube said it was important that Zimbabweans safeguard the value of the ZiG as it was a vital component in the country’s quest to achieve its development objective of becoming an empowered upper middle-income economy by 2030.

The delegation arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday evening and is led by Special Presidential Investment Advisor, Mr Paul Tungwarara, and a Zimbabwean based in the UAE, Ms Fiona Dube.

They have been attending the President’s meetings in the UAE since 2021 after being charmed by his mantra, ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ and the engagement and re-engagement strategy.

After the meeting with President Mnangagwa, the delegation then met Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere meets an investor from the UAE at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare yesterday.

Today, the delegation is expected to meet the Ministers of Energy and Power Development, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Local Government and Public Works and Mines and Mining Development to discuss investment issues.

Mr Luis Vega, one of the investors, said they will be supporting the Government’s efforts to feed the people in the face of acute food shortages following poor harvests due to the El Nino weather phenomenon. 

Mr Alex McLean, a former basketball player in the US, said he was “excited” to be in Zimbabwe. 

“This is my first time in Zimbabwe and my area of interest is sports and Africa has a lot of talent that can be developed,” he said.

A lot of new companies have been set up while those that had scaled down operations or had closed altogether, have revived their operations, creating hundreds of jobs across the country.

Fidelis Munyoro-Chief Court Reporter

Ms Burukai Muchadzireva, who is based in Chinhoyi, was among three candidates vying for the single post of judge of the Administrative Court, who were interviewed by a panel led by Chief Justice Luke Malaba in Harare yesterday.

She had a torrid time explaining why she put herself forward for appointment to the esteemed office of a judge, when she has a pending case that could dent her suitability to be appointed to the bench.

Trouble for Ms Muchadzireva started when Chief Justice Malaba put standard questions to the lawyer and handed her over to the commissioners for questioning on her suitability.

She quizzed her on the information received from the Law Society of Zimbabwe that she had been convicted of misconduct and was awaiting sentence.

The commission then sought an explanation. Ms Muchadzireva explained that she represented a client who was involved in an accident in which she lost her leg.

“She is the one who gave me the mandate to represent her and we made her sign the necessary documents that are made available,” she said.

The charge against her involved failure to disclose information and receiving legal fees for work she had not done.

Ms Muchadzireva disputed that the complainants in the case were her clients.

“My client has never, up to this day, raised a complaint against me or even supported the complaint by her sisters,” she said.

In her response, Ms Muchadzireva said the complainants never paid her anything, but her client did, adding that she had issues with the lawyers regulating the board.

“My defence remains and will remain that they were never my clients.  I am being penalised for doing the right thing and it is unfair.”

Commissioner Virginia Mabiza also took Ms Muchadzireva to task over the matter. She asked her what she had done about the conviction. 

“Once completed, I intend to bring the matter for review because I feel I am being  convicted for doing the right thing,” she said. 

Ms Mabiza asked the lawyer if she was aware of the likely consequences to her practice, if sentenced.

“It impacts on me and my integrity. I have built a brand for the past 14 years and to be destroyed over an issue raised by parties that are not my clients is not fair,” she replied.

In response, Ms Muchadzireva said: “It puts me in an unfair position given the fact that I am being penalised for doing the right thing.” 

Commissioner Nokuthula Moyo followed up with a sucker punch.

“What is the propriety of putting yourself forward for the bench when there is a conviction against you which has not yet been set aside?”

Two other candidates, Chinhoyi town clerk Mr Kaitano Sande and Zimbabwe National Water Authority legal officer Mr Tawanda Katewe put up sterling performances.

Section 180 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe provides guidelines on the appointment of judges.

After the interviews, the JSC will decide on a list of “qualified persons as nominees” for the two posts, and send the list to the President.

If the President considers that no-one on the list is suitable, he must call on the JSC to produce a second list and must make the appointment from that second list, according to section 180 (5) of the Constitution.