Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

A CIVIC society group has called on Parliament to craft a law on debt audits which they feel will curb unnecessary assumption, by the State, of debts emanating from corruption, illicit financial flows and general [...]

MARONDERA – MDC factions in Marondera Central weekend brawled violently over the election process of district officials forcing the provincial leadership to abandon the entire process. The election, which comes ahead of the party’s national [...]

Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mthuli Ncube, was on Thursday took to task by senators over the continued rise in the price of sanitary ware for women and girls. The price of a packet [...]

Source: Former minister in farm wrangle | Newsday (News)

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

FORMER Finance deputy minister  is embroiled in a land wrangle in which he is seeking to evict resettled farmers at Mt Olympus Farm in Goromonzi.

The former Harare East legislator, who is reportedly behind Farmtel Investments, has since written to about seven farmers, through his lawyers Mangwana and Partners, ordering them to vacate the land.

According to a letter to one of the affected farmers gleaned by this paper, Farmtel claims that it was given the farm in 2016 by the Local Government ministry.

“We represent Farmtel Investments (Pvt) Ltd, kindly note our interests. Our instructions are to the effect that you are in unlawful occupation of a plot, Mt Olympus Farm Chishawasha B. The said plot is under the control of our client, who was allocated and given developmental rights to same by the Ministry of Local Government in 2016. Your continued presence has hindered progress and the execution of the agreement between our client and the Ministry of Local Government,” the letter read.

Mukupe yesterday directed NewsDay to seek comment from Farmtel management.

“Is there my name on the letters? Just talk to Farmtel, not Mukupe. Speak to the CEO of Farmtel. The guys at Mangwana will direct you to the guys at Farmtel,” he said.

NewsDay has been reliably informed that the farmers, who are in possession of offer letters, have since approached the Zimbabwe Lands Commission, which responded by summoning Mukupe for a hearing and clarification on the issue.

According to a letter dated March 28, addressed to Mukupe and signed by the commission’s assistant manager (legal services), one S Zimucha and gleaned by this paper, the former minister was summoned to give his side of the story concerning the farm wrangle.

“We are in receipt of a land dispute lodged by Mt Olympus farmers against you in connection with the above mentioned farm. According to our procedure, and as part of our investigations, we request that you furnish us with a response outlining your due claim of entitlement to the said farm as information constituting your side of the story within seven days of these summons,” the summons read.

NewsDay is reliably informed that there is contention on the location of the farm that is currently listed in Mashonaland East province, while Mukupe was allocated the land under Harare province.

The farm is located in Chishawasha, where most of the land is being turned into residential stands.

“The problem is that the farmers who were already in the area before government, through (former Local Government minister Saviour) Kasukuwere, had the land transferred to them for urban development from the Lands and Rural Settlement ministry. The farmers have nowhere to go. There is no alternative land for them, let alone talking about compensation,” a source said.

In 2016, former President Robert Mugabe fumed at Kasukuwere, accusing him of illegally parcelling out land to his cronies.

According to government documents, in 2016 Mukupe’s company, Farmtel Investments, was given 100ha in Chishawasha B, with other companies reportedly belonging to heavyweights like Nettfields Investments (Pvt) Ltd and Mahlaba (Pvt) Ltd and Elephant Trust also getting a piece of the 2 848,77ha farm which lies along Arcturus Road.

Former Zanu PF youth league boss Kudzanayi Chipanga was also one of the beneficiaries.

The post Former minister in farm wrangle appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.

The post Former minister in farm wrangle appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Parly urged to tighten screws on govt debts – NewsDay Zimbabwe April 2, 2019

BY VENERANDA LANGA

A CIVIC society group has called on Parliament to craft a law on debt audits which they feel will curb unnecessary assumption, by the State, of debts emanating from corruption, illicit financial flows and general mismanagement of the economy.

Janet Zhou, the Zimbabwe Coalition of Debt and Development executive director, in her presentation last week during a high-level conference on debt said such legislation will ensure future borrowings by the country are informed and made after assessing their impact on human rights.

Currently, the country has a ballooning domestic and external debt hovering between $17 billion and $18 billion and poverty-stricken citizens have to shoulder the debt repayment through taxes.

“There is need for national legislation on periodic debt audits, starting with the current debt which is historic,” Zhou said.

“The Public Debt Audit legislation will assess the loan contraction process, use of loan funds, and the impact of debt on development and the realisation of human rights.”

She said some loans that Zimbabwe inherited were not necessary and were caused by corrupt individuals.

For instance, she said the $700 million debt accrued during the Rhodesian government era was meant to propel racial supremacy and did not benefit Zimbabweans.

Other debts that government incurred during former President Robert Mugabe’s era included the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Debt Act which took over $1,35 billion debts that were incurred by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe before December 31, 2008.

The Act was signed by Mugabe amid demands by opposition MPs that the list of debtors be published since it was suspected that political bigwigs were the main culprits.

Government, through the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Debt Assumption Act, also took over Ziscosteel’s $500 million debt.

This was signed into law in May 2018 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The Tendai Biti-led Public Accounts Committee is also currently seized with the issue of Zamco debts, and they have demanded a list of beneficiaries of the $1,13 billion non-performing loans taken over by the Zimbabwe Asset Management Company.

They suspect that political elites were the main beneficiaries.

Zhou said the negative implications of debt were poverty, inequality, lack of social development, and infringement of human rights such as the rights of women who are the ones that bear the brunt of economic decay.

“The results are that government will place austerity measures associated with debt repayment and re-arrangement processes which undermine the capacity of government to deliver social services. The poor then subsidise the debt obligations of private interest and austerity measures (such as) the 2% transaction tax are placed resulting in the poor paying more taxes,” Zhou said.

She said political will was needed to effectively enforce the laws governing public finance management such as the Public Finance Management Act.

The post Parly urged to tighten screws on govt debts  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.