Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

The United Nations (UN) Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr Mark Lowcock yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at Munhumutapa Offices. Mr Lowcock, who was accompanied by the UN Resident Coordinator Mr Bishow Parajuli, met the President in the presence of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso […]

Source: Pitfalls of Zim's opportunistic re-engagement mantra | Daily News

WITH the ouster of Zimbabwe’s former autocratic president Robert Mugabe, whose isolationist policies had taken the country backwards by decades, an unlikely window of opportunity for diplomatic renewal was briefly and slightly opened.

The goodwill that followed was unlikely because Mugabe got replaced by his henchmen, who had been his enforcer for his entire disastrous rule, but the international community had wearied of the Zimbabwean crisis and were ready for a small excuse to engage.
Now just a little over a year later, the window of opportunity has all but closed, with no meaningful distance covered, in the re-engagement process.

Central to the window of opportunity for re-engagement was the imminence of elections in 2018, the possibility of respect for international norms of human rights, good governance and democracy, and the hoped-for possibility of an internal political agreement.

The 2018 polls had the possibility of restoring electoral legitimacy, but that chance was squandered as the elections were held in a way that failed to meet the democratic test. All these pillars of a truly new dispensation have been abandoned in a mind-bending fashion, which was unthinkable 15 months ago.

The problem is that the re-engagement was never planned, but opportunistic and  without method. Zimbabwe appears to be reviving its old misunderstanding and tiff with the British, over the Commonwealth bid for readmission and its standoff with the US over its human rights record and restrictive measures, and, after the national shut-down protests, drew the unfavourable comment of the United Nations (UN) over the government’s brutal crackdown on citizens.

In fact, the country risks generally reassuming its soiled name as an intolerant administration, where it comes to citizen dissent and democratic norms.
There is an inherent inconsistency in how the re-engagement itself is being pursued.

As the country is spending scarce dollars on private jets for foreign engagement trips, to countries of negligible geopolitical and diplomatic importance, it is deporting labour leaders such as International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) secretary for Africa, Kwasi Adu Amankwah.

While the attempt by the government has been to separate these issues of political and civil rights and economic development, the reality is that globalisation has resulted in the interconnectedness of such issues, which do determine the country’s overall investment attractiveness.

The Zimbabwe administration would want to soothe itself in the regional countries’ so-called stance of solidarity, including within the Sadc framework, but the real appraisal of Zimbabwe by these countries is in their refusal to extend any financial assistance.
For instance, South Africa’s foreign policy after Apartheid has been guided by its economic interests, which, at the expense of sounding politically incorrect, may be served by a weaker and less economically competitive Zimbabwe, and also would not be promoted by lending money to a junk status country.

It is no secret that corporates have migrated their key offices and assets south of the Limpopo, with Zimbabwe basically becoming an extended market for South African goods and source of cheap skilled and unskilled labour. So such realities as I have explained above, where economic interests in one country primarily dictate its diplomatic relations, this can easily be veiled in political concepts such as liberation movement solidarity and quiet diplomacy.

The post Pitfalls of Zim’s opportunistic re-engagement mantra appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Vic-falls type of leadership | Daily News

Leadership is an art of substantively cultivating an environment which brings out the best in order to achieve the set goals of any establishment.

We can derive this lesson from our country’s most beloved touristic destination, the Victoria Falls; the great waterfall ‘discovered’ by Scottish missionary, David Livingston in 1855.

True leadership is like that rock that forms the waterfalls, a calibre of leaders that have unmistakable marks of integrity; leaders that never falter in their focus.

The rock has stood the test of time for centuries, standing firm against huge torrents of flowing water but has remained intact.

Such leaders who remain serene and resolute in the face of adversity are worth the trust by those they lead and no doubt leave indelible marks that last for generations even when they are long gone.

Their leadership qualities can be illustrated as follows:

True leaders produce notable results that even impress new comers or visitors to their environment, they are attached like the great waterfall which attracted a foreigner who henceforth called the falls by a royal name, Victoria after the then British queen at the time.

Good leaders take pride not in their status but their impact in the society. Today very few visitors the Victoria Falls to try to understand the mystery about the strength of the rock that forms the waterfalls but many come to witness its result, the wonder that even exists on the World Heritage list today.

Real leaders nurture a spirit of peace and tranquillity in their spheres of influence. The idyllic view of the falls has made it very touristic and all visitors both local and international go there extending an olive branch of peace and tranquillity to whomever they meet and interact with at the falls. Even after a hectic time of today’s life pressures, one can think of a place like Victoria Falls to unwind, to enjoy the peace that the place offers.

Good leaders influence those in their vicinity to do good works. The rising mist formed by the water falling from the hard rock onto the plunge pool waters the vegetation around the falls. This creates an evergreen landscape that really makes the view of the falls a breath-taking phenomenal wonder.

True leaders are an epitome of unity. The activities in and around Victoria Falls have strengthened the bilateral ties between Zimbabwe and Zambia ever since the two countries assumed their republican statuses.

In view of the above, good leadership impacts generations positively and in essence time is the truest test of every leadership.

May God grant us leadership qualities that resemble the rock that makes the Victoria Falls, a wonder that will continue to amaze future generations and bring happiness!

And it is also because of that amazing rock that people from all over the world visit the majestic falls.

Equally we dream of a Zimbabwe with a strong foundation and economic pillars that are as concrete as the Vic Falls rock; a Zimbabwe which business people from all over the world will converge and invest because of its solidness.

God did not only choose Zimbabwe to house the Vic Falls without purpose and as citizens we need to draw lessons from the wonder and apply them in our day to day lives!

The post Vic-falls type of leadership appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: RBZ executive wants to be removed from remand | Daily News

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) financial intelligence unit director Mirirai Chiremba has said he will apply for refusal of further remand during his next court appearance.

Chiremba appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti and was remanded to March 15 pending finalisation of investigations into his fraud case. He is accused of reviewing Suzan General Trading’s daily cash withdrawal limit from $95 000 to $195 000 without following procedures.

“The accused person intends to apply for further remand refusal if not furnished with a trial date because … investigations in this matter are simple and all locally-based,” reads Chiremba’s notice.“The law does not permit the State to arrest people so as to investigate but investigations must precede arrests.

“The accused person is employed and the current proceedings are interfering with his duties and the unending remands are now amounting to punishment without a trial. ”According to the State, on October 13, 2017, Suzan General Trading, a gold dealer opened an NMB corporate bank account at Borrowdale branch which was meant to facilitate payments by Fidelity Printers and Refiners for gold delivery by the company.

At the time, the court heard the corporate withdrawal limit per day was $10 000. It is alleged that on October 27, 2017, Suzan General Trading through one of its signatories Shah Saunilkumar submitted an application at NMB seeking review of its daily withdrawal amount from $10 000 to $30 000 per day.

According to State papers, NMB carried out due diligence exercise to determine the justification for upward review before it referred the application to RBZ financial intelligence unit for processing.
The application was approved by Chiremba on November 3 last year, the court heard.

It is the State’s case that the withdrawals in question were dependent on US dollar deposits made by Suzan General Trading into the same account. On February 23, 2018, it is alleged that Suzan General Trading tendered another application for upward review of their company’s daily withdrawal limit from $30 000 to $95 000 purportedly due to business expansion.

The court heard that NMB did due diligence before referring the letter to RBZ on behalf of the client. On August 3, the court heard that the company sought another upward review to $195 000 and followed the usual process. While NMB was still reviewing the application, it is alleged that Chiremba granted the company permission to make daily withdrawal of $195 000 despite the fact that the application had not been sent to RBZ’s financial intelligence unit.

Upon realising that Chiremba approved the application before NMB carried its due process, the bank’s retail banking manager Simon Tembo contacted Chiremba who confirmed having approved the upward review. It is the State’s case that Chiremba acted contrary and inconsistent to his duties as a public officer by reviewing the company’s daily cash withdrawal limit from $95 000 to $195 000 without following procedures.

The post RBZ executive wants to be removed from remand appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: End fuel crisis once and for all | Daily News

THERE is an urgent need for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Cabinet to deal with the fuel shortages that have once again hit the country. There have been long queues of vehicles since last week at virtually all filling stations.

Resultantly, public transport has been affected, leaving the travelling public stranded for long hours. Other operators are capitalising on commuters’ desperation by hiking their fares at a time when the majority of Zimbabweans are struggling to make ends meet.

Commuter omnibus fares have been pegged at a minimum $1,50 RTGS for the shortest routes, which a lot of people cannot afford.
This has become a nightmare for long-suffering Zimbabweans whose disposable incomes have been drastically eroded after decades of economic mismanagement by the ruling Zanu PF regime.

The president has been on record calling all Zimbabweans to leave politics behind and work hard so as to revive the country’s economy.
While it is every citizen’s wish to oblige to the president’s call, is it not a stinking embarrassment for the ruling elite to see queues stretching for kilometres being the order of the day at filling stations?

What economic growth would we expect when all the productive people are spending thousands of productive hours in fuel queues? How do people move their goods and services to the market without fuel? This country has for years been struggling with fuel shortages with the chief culprits being the shortage of foreign currency, which is a result of corruption, mismanagement and policy inconsistencies at government level.

To president Mnangagwa, Cabinet and your recently-appointed advisors, it is your duty and responsibility to provide the answers to this ever-recurring crisis. More so, create a favourable atmosphere that enables various economic sectors to generate enough foreign currency to meet the country’s requirements.

We thought the massive January 150 percent fuel price hike would solve the crisis for good but this has turned to be nothing but solving a problem with another problem which resulted in security nightmare as people responded angrily by demonstrating against the move.

This fuel crisis is yet another indication of Mnangagwa’s tiredness in addressing the issue of fuel and other critical issues like currency reforms that have caused chaos in the economy.
Yes President Mnangagwa you have constantly called on Zimbabweans to be patient. But for how long?

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