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Source: Government refuses to meet teachers | Newsday (News)

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

GOVERNMENT has snubbed further salary talks with teachers’ unions, saying it had no plans to directly engage the combative unions.

In a response dated February 18, addressed to the Progressive Teachers’ Union (PTUZ), Civil Service Commission secretary Jonathan Wutawunashe turned down a request by the teachers’ unions to urgently meet government over poor salaries and working conditions.

“The commission acknowledges receipt of your minute dated February 13, which contents are noted, please note that the commission will not be meeting unions/associations directly. You are, therefore, advised to direct your issues to the National Joint Negotiating Forum,” he said.

PTUZ, together with the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) and four other unions had requested an urgent meeting with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to negotiate salary adjustments in line with inflation and erosion of real time gross settlement and bond notes values.

“We write to remind your honourable office of a meeting between the PSC and the education sector, which was promised during the last meeting of February 10, between ministry and the teachers unions,” the unions wrote.

Teachers recently called off a week-long strike with the hope of engaging the PSC for better salaries, allowances and working conditions.

PTUZ secretary-general, Raymond Majongwe said the response was disrespectful and spiteful, saying a position will only be reached after unions meet.

“We believe it was disrespectful and spiteful for government to back down on promises that they made by hiding behind the law. The law does not stop government from engaging their workers. The law, as designed by the legislator under statutory 141 of 1996, does not bar government from engaging its workers,” he said. In the past, unions have accused the Apex Council of selling out and failing to address teacher-related issues.

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Source: Karo commences platinum exploration | The Herald February 22, 2019

Platinum

Martin Kadzere
Karo Mining Holdings has commenced exploration to delineate the platinum group metals (PGM) resource at its mining concession on Zimbabwe’s mineral rich Great Dyke. Located in Mhondoro-Ngezi mineral belt west of Harare where Zimplats — the country’s largest platinum company — has operations, the integrated US$4,2 billion project will also include a coal mine and a 300 megawatts (MW) solar plant.

On completion, it will be Zimbabwe’s largest integrated platinum mining and refinery operation.

“In the last quarter of 2018, Karo Platinum was awarded a development permit from the EMA (Environmental Management Agency),” said Karo in a statement on Wednesday.

“The development permit enabled Karo Platinum to initiate field work and the exploration drilling programme. The first drilling contractor has mobilised and has completed 72 diamond core boreholes totally over 12 000 metres. The drilling campaign is focused on the western edge of the Great Dyke on the mining location and the boreholes targeting average depths of 50 to 150m below surface.

“A second drilling contractor has recently mobilised on the eastern edge of the Great Dyke.”

Karo said the quality assurance and quality control programme was being carried out concurrently with the drilling programme. The results from the assay work and the metallurgical test work would form the basis of the next phase of the project, which include the continuation of drilling, resource estimation and feasibility studies for mine design, infrastructure and beneficiation plants, it added.

In consultation with the Zimbabwean Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), it was established that the 300MW of solar generated power would not be able to be fed into a single substation to the national grid. As such, a total of five sites have been identified to receive the solar generated power in 50MW modules.

The first site, closely located to the Karo Platinum project will receive the first 100MW in two modules and ZETDC has commissioned the necessary grid impact studies for the selected sites.

Karo Power, a subsidiary of Karo Holdings has appointed a technical consultant to conduct the feasibility studies and an environmental consultant to submit the environmental prospectus to the EMA and to complete the necessary EIA on all five sites.

Karo Power has had initial engagements with the Zimbabwean Energy Regulator (ZERA) around the power purchase agreement and independent power producer (IPP) licence.

Substantive negotiations regarding the power purchase agreement will commence with ZERA next month. Once finalised, the IPP licence can be applied for.

Tharisa acquired a 26,8 percent shareholding in Karo Mining Holdings, giving it access to a tier one PGM and base metal resource situated on the Great Dyke. The Great Dyke contains the world’s largest known PGM deposits outside of South Africa.

Apart from Zimplats, a unit of Impala Platinum Holdings, Anglo America also has operations on Great Dyke. Great Dyke Investments, a joint venture between Zimbabwe and Russia is also working on developing a platinum mine on the mineral belt in Darwerndale.

Part of the funding will come from Pan-African multilateral financial institution African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), while another Pan-African development finance institution Africa Finance Corporation, will also weigh in with additional funding. At least US$3 billion is expected to be spend on the project.

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Opposition parties in Zambia said Wednesday they will report President Edgar Lungu to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged political violence against his rivals. Ten opposition figures told journalists in Lusaka President Lungu was to blame for an increase in violent crackdowns on opponents, including main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema. They showed […]

Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti reacts to the new monetary policy announced by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Dr John Mangudya.

Source: Former finance minister Tendai Biti reacts to new monetary policy – VIDEO – Nehanda TV

The post Former finance minister Tendai Biti reacts to new monetary policy – VIDEO  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

A TOP prison officer who was fired in 2015 after allegedly calling then First Lady Grace Mugabe a dog, has lost an appeal against his dismissal at the High Court. Before the dismissal, Ruben Zimondi was a superintendent with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) and officer-in-charge of Mutare Remand Prison. According to court […]