Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

ABUNDANT Life Revival Mission International is appealing for funds to fly a woman to South Africa or India for severe dog bite surgery after she was recently savaged by her landlord’s dogs in Bulawayo’s West Somerton suburb. Ms Cherish Muchegwa (25) is being treated at the United Bulawayo Hospitals after the five dogs tore off […]

JOSTLING for positions in the MDC has heightened with many high-ranking officials vying for senior positions ahead of the congress coming in two months’ time. By Obey Manayiti Almost 10 names have been thrown into [...]

Source: Zim throws weight behind Saharawi | The Herald 26 MAR, 2019

SERVICE CHIEFS . . . President Mnangagwa bids farewell to (from left) Zimbabwe Defences Forces Commander General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant-General Edzai Chimonyo, Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshall Elson Moyo and Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga (partially obscured) at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport before his departure for Pretoria, South Africa, yesterday, to attend the Sadc Solidarity Conference on the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). — (Picture by Kudakwashe Hunda)

Nduduzo Tshuma in Pretoria, South Africa.
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived here yesterday for the Sadc Solidarity Conference with the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, where regional leaders are expected to express the region’s support towards de-colonisation and right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

He was received at the Lanseria International Airport outside Pretoria by South African Deputy International Relations and Cooperation Minister Reginah Mhaule and Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Africa Mr David Hamadziripi.

The President is accompanied to the conference by Zanu-PF chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Secretary for administration Dr Obert Mpofu, Secretary for external relations Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Secretary for youth affairs Cde Pupurai Togarepi.

The SADR is the only African country still under colonisation by fellow continental nation Morocco since 1975.

The two day solidarity conference, co-hosted by South Africa and Namibia was approved by the 38th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of SADC in Windhoek in August last year.

“During the solidarity conference, the SADC Heads of State and Government will express the region’s support for de-colonisation and self-determination for Western Sahara on the basis of the values and principles that have guided the quest for independence throughout Africa,” read Sadc the Press release.

“SADC’s collaboration on and with Western Sahara has been informed by the region’s own de-colonisation experiences and the quest for liberation and self-determination.”

At the end, the solidarity conference is expected to conclude with the adoption of a SADC Regional Strategy and a Declaration which will among others, establish mechanisms to engage relevant stakeholders and partners including Morocco, to observe the spirit of African Union (AU) decisions and United Nations resolutions in order to expedite the resolution of the Western Sahara matter.

The bloc also seeks to support to Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)’s right to self-determination and independence based on the principle of self-determination and de-colonisation through the holding of a referendum.

Sadc also wants to support SADR based on four principles of, “multilateralism and international legality in seeking a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination and independence of the people of Western     Sahara.

Sanctity of inherited colonial borders in Africa and the right of peoples of former colonial territories to self-determination and independence as contained in the Constitutive Act of the AU.

“Respect of international human rights law in the occupied territories, notably the right to freedom of association, assembly, movement and expression and respect of international humanitarian law and the end of the illegal exploration and exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara in the illegally occupied territory and the discouragement of the involvement of foreign companies in such activities.”

In his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September last year, President Mnangagwa urged the world to take seriously the plight of people living under foreign occupation in the SADR.

“On the African continent, it is equally disheartening that the people of Western Sahara are yet to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.

“We call on the Security Council to insist on the holding of an independent referendum for the Saharawi people without delay, in compliance to the relevant decisions of the African Union and the resolutions of the United Nations,” he said.

The post Zim throws weight behind Saharawi appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

EDGARS Stores (Edgars) says it has finalised its acquisition of intellectual property (IP) rights to Jet and Edgars trademarks and brands for the territory of Zimbabwe. The listed apparel retailer had earlier announced that the [...]

Source: ZPC cancels $113m power tender | The Herald 26 MAR, 2019

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has cancelled the US$133 million tender for the repowering of Munyati Power Station awarded to an Indian company, Jaguar Overseas, after the firm failed to secure funding for the project, four years after winning the bid.

The Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) has since granted ZPC the nod to approach the next bidder in line with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDAP) Act.

Jaguar Overseas was in 2015 awarded the tender to re-power the plant, a project which entailed replacing 15 boilers with modern technology, refurbishing 2×50 megawatt steam turbines, overhauling cooling towers, water treatment plant, civil works, dredging and rehabilitating a weir on Munyati River for water supplies to the thermal plant.

However, the firm has failed to secure funding to rehabilitate the power plant.

It emerged that the Indian firm has only managed to raise only 15 percent of the required funding.

ZPC acting managing director Engineer Robson Chikuri on March 11 this year wrote to PRAZ chief executive Mr Nyasha Chizu seeking authority to complete the tender using the PPDAP Act.

“ZPC has failed to enter into a procurement contract with the winning bidder Jaguar Overseas,” Eng Chikuri said.

“A due diligence by ZPC on Jaguar Overseas Limited noted that whereas Jaguar Overseas Limited indicated that they had secured 100 percent funding for the project only 15 percent of the funding could be confirmed by their funders. Application of the PPDPA will enable ZPC to conclude the tender process in line with Section 103 (repeal of CAP. 22.14 and savings and transitional provisions).”

Responding to the application, Mr Chizu said: “In terms of Section 103 (4) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets  (Cap 22: 23) the authority observed that Jaguar Overseas Limited failed to come up with the 100 percent funding as required on the project and as such the accounting officer has proposed to approach the next compliant bidder in line with Section 55 (3) of the same Act.”

He added: “The accounting officer must ensure that application of Section 55 (3) of the Act is applied on valid bids only. The accounting officer must therefore submit the procurement record review by SPOC in terms of Section 54 of the PPDPA Act as read with Section 332 of the PPDPA regulations (S.I 5 of 2018).”

Zimbabwe has power shortages with generation averaging 1 300MW against national peak period demand of 2 200MW.

This has seen the country spending millions of dollars importing electricity from South Africa and Mozambique.

President Mnangagwa’s administration is implementing a number of power projects countrywide for Zimbabwe to attain electricity self-sufficiency.

On the cards is the construction of the $5,2 billion Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Plant which will see Zimbabwe and Zambia sharing 2 400 megawatts equally.

The post ZPC cancels $113m power tender  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.