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Source: VP Chiwenga commissions Bailey bridges at Kopa | Herald (Top Stories)

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Zimbabwe to construct Manyame and Warren Control Pump stations

Source: Zimbabwe to construct Manyame and Warren Control Pump stations – Construction Review Online

The government of Zimbabwe is set to urgently start the construction of Manyame and Warren Control Pump stations in two months’ time in a quest to elevate water shortages in Harare and its surrounding towns.

This is after the government allocated US $9.3m following a report that row water from Lake Chivero is not good for human consumption and it is expensive to treat. The report further stated that pumping water from Lake Manyame would reduce the usage of aluminium sulphate by 26.8%, consequently reducing the cost of water treatment as aluminium sulphate is the main chemical in the water treatment process.

July Moyo, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works said that the installation of appropriate water meters will be undertaken concurrently with the cited works to keep up with the scheduled timeframe.

Lasting solution to water problems in Harare

With 100 million liters a day, Harare is only producing 20% of its daily demand water averaging 450 million liters a day, because it does not have an adequate supply of chemicals to treat the water.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said that to provide long-lasting solutions to water problems in Harare, the government ought to allocate enough foreign currency to Chemplex Corporation to import water treatment chemicals.

She also called for the provision of loan guarantees for various water and sanitation projects to be undertaken by local authorities using various project procurement methods that suit their specific requirements. Furthermore, she needs hefty fines to be imposed on polluters of water sources.

The government is also set to assist in the rehabilitation of Morton Jaffray Water Works and the pumping of water from Lake Manyme, which has the capacity to pump 600 megalitres.

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Source: Open letter to the President of Zimbabwe | News24

Dear Sir,

It is now two years since November 2017 when you and your allies deposed your former leader, the late Robert Mugabe. In the aftermath of the coup you made a lot of promises to Zimbabweans.

Being a Zimbabwean myself, the events were of concern to me given that it is the nationality that I was gifted at birth.

I remember the song “Kutonga kwaro Gamba” being blared in the streets as my kinsmen marched in the streets. The euphoria infected men and women, black and white, MDC and ZANU PF alike.

You asked the citizens to give you a chance. You promised reforms, political and economic. I remember you chanting the phrase “… jobs jobs and jobs…” in your speech at the ZANU-PF headquarters.

Two years have passed by and you’re still giving speeches. Nothing has changed, except that life has become harder for Zimbabweans. The majority of Zimbabweans are now far worse off from what they were before the coup. Your Transitional Stabilisation Program (TSP) has created poverty for the man on the streets and prosperity exclusively for the ZANU-PF elites.

Mr Mnangagwa, I am a concerned citizen and I read your recent article published by CNBC on the 17th of November 2019. That you acceded that too many Zimbabweans are suffering is the only truthful statement I can attest to from your Op-Ed. The rest I cannot agree with you. My conscience does not allow me when I think of how much suffering you have inflicted upon Zimbabweans.

You claimed that you gave people their voices back. Frankly, the only people that got their voice back are the ZANU-PF Lacoste faction. The rest of Zimbabweans have no say in national matters. Why are all demonstrations against the government being blocked by the police? How is prohibition of constitutional rights to assemble and restriction of freedoms to expression granting people their voices?

As you are well aware Mr Mnangagwa, in our traditional African way it is uncalled for to call one’s elder a liar.

Unfortunately today I am in that position that I must forsake the traps of our traditional way of doing things. In your Op-Ed you lied when you stated that criticism of the government president is no longer taboo. Why are Zimbabweans being stopped from voicing their dissent with your government? Why are civic and political activists being intimidated, harassed and tortured by state security?

Your claim that criticism of the government is no longer taboo is negated by the avalanche of people that have lost their lives at the hands of your government for protesting.

Many unfortunate incidents have been recorded since your premiership in August 2018. This happened again in January 2019; August 2019 and November 2019.

The cosmetic changes to draconian laws are an insult to Zimbabweans as nothing has been changed by the MOPO (Maintenance of Peace and Order) bill. Until we have genuine political reforms, we shall continue facing the pain and misery of a rogue state.

The lack of independent state institutions is evidence to your lack of commitment to be different from your predecessor.

The propaganda of blaming sanctions for the misery Zimbabweans are facing is falling on deaf ears.

What will it take for you to realise that empty propaganda cannot substitute genuine political and economic reforms? You need to actively resolve the corruption, incompetence, nepotism and human rights abuses happening on your watch.

Words and speeches are just empty and will not turn the country’s fortunes.

Your call to other nations is also falling on deaf ears. The spin mercenaries you have paid have not delivered. The western governments you desperately wanted to gaslight have seen through the charade.

The world has seen you for the charlatan that you are. How embarrassing that even your “all weather friends from the East” called out your Finance Minister for gross misstatement on his budget presentation.

That incident is an omen for you.

The writing is on the wall.

Remember the fate of Hector who failed to heed the good advice of Polydamas in Greek mythology.

Today, I write this open letter to you with the hope that perhaps you may reconsider your ways. Revisit the speech you gave outside the ZANU-PF headquarters on the eve of your first inauguration. Those words still ring in our ears. The promises you gave, the support you asked from us. Many believed in you and many gave you a chance. Is this how you repay their confidence?

The voice of the people spoke on 31 July 2018. The same voice is still speaking and it is growing louder by the day.

Ignore it at your peril.

Yours sincerely

Tinotenda Chihope

UK-based human rights activist

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Source: ED opens US$20m Pepsi plant | Herald (Top Stories)

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

Zimbabwe’s economy is on the right path and Government continues to craft policies to protect investments, while creating an environment for business to thrive, President Mnangagwa has said.

He said this while officially opening the second phase of Varun Beverages’ manufacturing plant, installed at a cost of US$20 million, in Harare.

Varun Beverages is the world’s second largest franchise (outside the US) of carbonated soft drinks and non-carbonated beverages sold under trademarks owned by PepsiCo.

It produces brands that include Pepsi, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Sting and Seven-Up, among others.

To demonstrate Government’s determination to improve the ease of doing business, the President said, Senate passed the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) Bill this week.

The Bill seeks to streamline and simplify investment procedures through the creation of a one-stop investment centre. It is part of a raft of reforms being implemented to ease investment processes.

President Mnangagwa said the Government would continue opening up the economy for investors.

“We are moving in the right direction by opening up and allowing protection of investments in Zimbabwe and creating economic space for business to thrive and those who have talent among us should be allowed to exercise that talent.

“This investment feeds into our national Vision 2030 and complements milestones committed in the 2020 National Budget, gearing for higher productivity, growth and job creation, especially for women and youths,” said President Mnangagwa.

He commended Varun Beverages for the confidence it had shown in the country through continued investments.

“In 2018, I commissioned a US$30 million bottling plant and today, I congratulate and applaud Varun Beverages, for establishing yet another state-of-the-art plant and additional production lines with a total (value) of US$20 million.

“This additional investment shows the continued trust and confidence Varun has in doing business in Zimbabwe. My Government will continue to create an enabling environment to ease the convenience and cost of doing business and ensure that the country is a safe, attractive and competitive investment destination.

“This drive is already bearing fruit, with the World Bank acknowledging Zimbabwe as one of the top global improvers in 2019.”

The World Bank named Zimbabwe as one of the “top 20 improvers” in Doing Business 2020 following key regulatory improvements in five areas, which include starting a business.

“As such, the long-awaited ZIDA Bill was passed by Parliament on Wednesday this week. This will go a long way in facilitating investment and the frameworks contained therein are aimed at increasing the convenience of those who would want to invest across all sectors,” said President Mnangagwa.

He urged local businesses to take advantage of Government’s engagement and re-engagement policy to find partners who were eager to invest in Zimbabwe.

Varun Beverages embraced import substitution and local content policies as it produced for local and international markets.

The President urged the company to fully exploit opportunities availed by the devolution policy which Government is implementing.

“I call upon you and other investors to take advantage of Zimbabwe’s geo-strategic location to develop vibrant export strategies. Sadc, Comesa and the African Continental Free Trade Area are markets in which Zimbabwean-produced products must have a strong presence.”

Varun Beverages chairman Mr Ravi Jaipuria said they had added three production lines with the new investment.

“We are very happy to announce that we added three production lines besides the first PET (polyethylene terephthalate) line,” Mr Jaipuria said.

“The additional line with 600 bottles per minute capacity, can line with the 400 cans per minute capacity and husky line to ensure backward integration to reduce foreign currency requirement by reducing import value by conversion of resin to preform in-house using husky plant.”

He said his company employed over 1 000 people while 1 500 women had been empowered through the allocation of vending trollies.

“There are 20 000 retailers and vendors who get Pepsi products across Zimbabwe. The happy 22 000 families benefited directly and indirectly from Varun Beverages.”

Varun Beverages has become the biggest beverages supplier in the Zimbabwean market, with a strong presence in the remotest parts of the country.

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Source: Chinese firm to set up hospital | Herald (Top Stories)

Tendai Rupapa in Guangzhou, China

A group of doctors here intend to build a hospital in Zimbabwe specialising in Chinese medicine and a feasibility study for the project will be done at the beginning of next year, renowned Chinese medical practitioner Dr Pan Guanghua revealed yesterday.

The cost of the project could not be immediately established but it is expected to create hundreds of jobs and serve citizens, some of whom were seeking specialised treatment abroad.

This comes as Zimbabwe has struck a deal with a company called Guangzhou Yanhao Trading to buy oxygen generators at a low price, almost half of the market price.

The machines purify air to make oxygen for medical use.

Oxygen is one of the major cost drivers in the health sector and Zimbabwe consumes over 120 tonnes of oxygen worth over $4 million per month.

“The acquisition of such a plant for every hospital will help in reducing Government expenditure. Hospitals are facing varied logistical challenges in bringing gas to their institutions.

“There is also one supplier of medical oxygen. The availability of such specialised equipment will help save the country’s foreign currency,” said Dr Bernard Madzima, a health expert who is part of the Zimbabwe delegation here.

The announcement of the hospital project is a major success for First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who has taken it upon herself to improve people’s access to good healthcare and medicines.

The First Lady is Zimbabwe’s health ambassador.

Addressing Zimbabwe’s delegation here on Thursday, Dr Guanghua said a Chinese team will be dispatched to Harare soon and implored Government to make land available for the project.

“All over the world, Chinese medicine is the best above the rest. So I have friends and partners who want us to assist Zimbabwe’s health sector and we want to establish a hospital there dealing with Chinese medicine.

“We are ready to go and beginning of next year, we will send a team to conduct a feasibility study. It will be up to the Government of Zimbabwe to allocate us land for the hospital. We also want to create employment as the hospital will train and employ locals.”

Representing the Ministry of Health, Dr Madzima was awestruck by their readiness to help Zimbabwe improve efficiency and service delivery in the health sector.

“Our Chinese counterparts are willing to support the Ministry of Health and Child Care in rejuvenating our Traditional Medicine Programme.

“The ministry has for years been trying to have vibrant traditional medicine programmes to complement our usual Western medicine and our local medicine but have not really succeeded,” he said.

Dr Madzima said there were possibilities of having people trained as the Chinese had indicated that not only were they ready to bring medicines to Zimbabwe but to actually build a hospital.

“So we are ready to engage them. We want to thank the country’s health ambassador, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who is working hard day and night sourcing resources for the health sector.”

Another potential investor, Mr Shaoyou Ji from Chaoshan University, paid tribute to the friendship between China and Zimbabwe, which he said has a long history, and continues to develop in light of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The relationship between the two countries lies in people’s mutual affinity,  in heart to heart and heart to heart lies in language.

“Language communication is the foundation of national exchanges and cooperation between two countries.

“I believe that in the near future the friends from Zimbabwe will start learning Chinese language. In order to better support foreign friends who want to learn Chinese, Xin Tong Education will fully support those who want to study Chinese through Internet technology.

“The International Youth base project will provide employment and entrepreneurship training in incubation services for young people with entrepreneurial intentions in all the countries along the Belt and Road to enhance the competitiveness and success rate of youth employment in all countries along the way,” he said.

He said it was his hope that Xin Tong Education and the Belt and Road Initiative international youth base project will join hands with the Angel of Hope Foundation.

Mr Shaoyou described the First Lady as an “angel of hope” who has given wings to the hopeless, adding that she was a model of charity.

Mrs Vicky Ruan, the foreign department manager for Guangzhou Tengen Solar Technology said her solar firm also had plans to open a branch in Zimbabwe.

Solar has become a viable alternative for Zimbabwe which is facing electricity generation problems. The country also does not have enough foreign currency to import electricity from its neighbours.

The adoption of solar energy will also reduce the country’s power import bill.

Amai Mnangagwa, at whose invitation the Zimbabwean delegation is here, praised China for standing by Zimbabwe in its time of need.

“I would like to thank the President of China and the entire nation for standing with Zimbabwe in times of need. China and Zimbabwe have a history. Since it’s we are in the new dispensation, Zimbabwe is rebuilding and on its way to recovery.

“We really need partners in the solar business for our industries, hospitals, irrigation and rural communities, to mention just a few. We need your support as we are reviving our manufacturing industry. Your help is needed for the transformation of Zimbabwe.

“I want to emphasise that we need to train our youths in different areas, hence it is important to identify areas where they can be trained in. Those who would have been trained will go back home and impart knowledge to others.”

The First Lady said Zimbabwe needed investment and invited those keen on helping Zimbabwe to do so freely. The Angel of Hope patron is in China at the invitation of Mrs Juliana Elhawary, the director of ChinaBrand International Exposition.

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