Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Mine ownership dispute erupts | The Herald February 28, 2019

Business Reporter
THREE mining firms — A & L Mining Syndicate, Ticharwa Murehwa and Mujere Mining Syndicate — are at each other’s throat over gold mining claims in Odzi, Manicaland, in a development that affects production.

The ownership wrangle has already spilled into the High Court, but a judgment passed by Justice Davison Foroma, indicating that the three miners would revert to their original claims, is not being respected.

Documents seen by The Herald Business show that A & L Mining Syndicate, previously a joint venture involving Aaron Zhanje and Lovemore Marange, then owned a mining claim that was 10 hectares big.

A & L Mining Syndicate was pegged in 2005. Mr Ticharwa Murehwa’s claim was 2,5ha while Kingstone Mudonhi of Mujere Mining Syndicate owned a 10ha mining claim.

However, in 2014 Mr Mudonhi raised a boundary dispute against Mr Murehwa. The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development in Manicaland stepped in and a determination was made in favour of Mr Murehwa.

In 2016, Mr Murehwa’s mine started producing large of quantities of gold resulting in the mine winning a small-scale gold producer award.

But in 2017, one Aaron Zhanje claimed to have been sent by former First Lady Grace Mugabe to get the farm so that it would be allocated to youths.

Mr Zhanje is said to have raised a complaint of encroachment onto his mine, A & L Mining Syndicate.

This allegedly resulted in the Mines Ministry to nullify its earlier decision that said all the miners should respect the earlier demarcations, and increased the size of Mr Zhanje’s claim to 15ha, in violation of a standing regulation that gold blocks should not go beyond 10ha.

Due to the extension of Mr Zhanje’s claim, Mr Murehwa has since been kicked out of his earlier claim to pave way for A & L Mining Syndicate.

Mr Murehwa now holds 2,5ha in an area that has not been prospected while Mr Mudonhi has been left with 2,7ha, with all the productive area handed over to A & L Mining Syndicate.

The chopping of mining claims happened during the time when Professor Francis Gudyanga was Permanent Secretary in the Mines Ministry.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Mr Mudonhi confirmed that there is a dispute and they have tried to engage some officials cited by Mr Zhanje as being behind the grabbing of claims without success.

“In 2014, there was a dispute between the three of us. The Ministry of Mines came and resolved the dispute and said everyone should show their beacons and we did that.

“In 2016 when I had gone 60 metres deep, someone called Admire Mahachi came and said pane mwana ndipo pana amai but when we tried to verify his claims, we established he was lying about the people he claimed to be fronting and we refused to give him gold claims.

“We were once arrested on allegations that we were harbouring then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son and at some point they said we were harbouring soldiers at the mine,” said Mr Mudonhi.

Mr Mudonhi said all that was false. Messrs Murehwa and Mahachi could not be reached for comment last night.

 

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Source: ZERA to reduce electricity consumption | The Herald February 28, 2019

Ellen Chasokela Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) is consulting consumers, policymakers and electric appliance retailers on minimum energy standards for electrical appliances that should be sold on the local market.

This comes as ZERA is intensifying efforts to do away with lights and electrical appliances that use a lot of electricity.

Already, Statutory Instrument 21 of 2017 bans the trade, manufacture and use of inefficient incandescent bulbs, in favour of energy saving bulbs.

The law came into force on May 1, 2017.

ZERA is working on ensuring that the law encompasses the manufacture and importation of energy inefficient electrical appliances.

In a statement yesterday ZERA said it was “carrying out consultations with consumers, policy makers, and electrical appliance retailers on the development of minimum energy performance standards for electrical appliances.

“The draft regulations, which are meant to phase out the importation and manufacture of inefficient electrical appliances, are being developed and will be promulgated after consultations with all key stakeholders across the country.

“The minimum energy performance standards, when developed, will provide for restrictions on manufacturing, importation and sale of such inefficient electrical appliances in Zimbabwe,” said ZERA.

The measures are not unique to Zimbabwe as they are common across the world.

The proposed standards are not going to ban the usage of appliances that consumers currently have, but, if approved, will prohibit the manufacture, importation and sale of inefficient appliances which do not conform to the approved rating or minimum energy performance standards in the country.

ZERA has previously said the use of energy saver bulbs will result in the power utility saving close to 200 megawatts.

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Source: Anthrax hits Mutare Farm Prison | The Herald February 28, 2019

Anthrax is a life-threatening infectious disease caused by bacteria that normally affects cattle

Manicaland Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) has recorded an anthrax outbreak at its Mutare Farm Prison which officials said can manage to contain. The disease is said to have killed pigs at the farm prison.

ZPCS Manicaland spokesperson Mr Liberty Mhlanga said they discovered the outbreak at their farm sometime two weeks ago.

He said they took the affected pigs into quarantine in a bid to contain the outbreak.

“We have recorded an anthrax case on February 6,” said Mhlanga. “The pig died but we have managed to contain the disease and issued a 30-day quarantine order to make sure the diseases will not be transmitted to other pigs.”

Mr Mhlanga said they have not recorded any similar case or experience suspected cases relating to the disease.

He said they have issued bio-security measures and vaccinated all of their pigs.

“We have managed to vaccinate all of our pigs and review our bio-security measures of foot baths and spraying of all farm motor vehicles,” he said.

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Source: ZACC holds national anti-graft dialogue | The Herald February 28, 2019

Crime Reporter
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) will today hold a national anti-corruption dialogue to discuss measures to fight corruption.

ZACC said in a statement that the event is expected to be attended by officials from Parliament, the Attorney-General’s Office, National Prosecuting Authority, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and representatives of civic and religious organisations.

ZACC secretary Mr Silence Pondo will chair the dialogue.

“The dialogue is to do with the development of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which is in line with the Sadc Protocol on Corruption, the African Union Conventions on Combating Corruption and the United Nations Conventions Against Corruption to which we a signatory as a country,” ZACC said.

The organisation said the strategy focuses on anti-corruption measures in the private, public sectors and the civil society.

The main objective is to identify measures that both the private and public sectors have in place to prevent and combat corruption and their challenges.

Recommendations are also going to be drawn up during the dialogue.

The dialogue also comes after the process of reconstituting ZACC to lend weight to President Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption drive has begun in earnest, with Parliament inviting nominations of suitable candidates to replace commissioners that resigned on January 31.

ZACC chairman Dr Job Whabira and his entire commission comprising Dr Nanette Silukhuni, Mr Goodson Nguni, Mrs Christine Fundira, Mr Denford Chirindo, Ms Cathy Muchechetere, Ms Farai Mashonganyika and Mr Boyana Ndou left after being in office for three years from February 2016.

President Mnangagwa described the old commission as “rotten to the core” and its departure paved the way for a clean slate in fighting corruption, which is at the centre of rebuilding the economy in accordance to the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), a short-term economic blueprint running until 2020.

Some of the functions of ZACC are investigating and exposing cases of corruption in the public and private sector, receiving and considering complaints from the public and direct the Commissioner-General of Police to investigate cases of suspected corruption and to report to the commission on the results of any such investigation.

It is also mandated to refer cases to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution.

ZACC must also make recommendations to Government and other persons on measures to enhance integrity and accountability and prevent improper conduct in the public and private   sector.

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The vehicles scandal involving senior employees at the Ministry of Mines is an insult to the tax payer and an indictment to the military government’s rhetorical intention to fight corruption.

Source: Mines ministry vehicle scandal telling – The Zimbabwean February 28, 2019

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