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Source: 40 tonnes gold target attainable – Fidelity | The Herald March 14, 2019

Gold bars

Ishemunyoro Chingwere Business Reporter
State gold buying arm, Fidelity Printers and Refineries (FPR), is confident deliveries of the yellow metal will this year hit the 40 tonnes target set by Government as deliveries started picking up in the month of February after a lethargic start in January.

Government has this year set an ambitious gold delivery target of 40 tonnes and this comes after a record high of 33, 2 tonnes recorded last year. This year’s target is in line with a Government set steady progression to 100 tonnes per year by 2023, in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 by which Zimbabwe should be an upper middle income earning economy.

The gold sub-sector is earmarked to play a crucial role in attaining the new status. In emailed response to Herald Business yesterday, FPR general manager Fradreck Kunaka, said the usually low activity months of the year had this time registered a 3, 9 tonnes retain.

Although the retain is lesser compared to 4, 6 tonnes last year, Mr Kunaka said there is confidence that 40 tonnes is still achievable as deliveries have started picking after new monetary regulations which have seen a departure from the “1:1” between RTGS balances and the US Dollar.

“Gold receipts at Fidelity Printers and Refiners (Pvt) Ltd for the months of January and February 2019 stand at 3, 9 tonnes,” said Mr Kunaka.

“Gold inflows generally start slowly in the year and pick up as the year progresses. If the trend for 2018 is replicated in 2019, the (40 tonnes) target for 2019 is set to be achieved,” he said.

Contrary to social media speculation that deliveries had plunged on the back of the 2019 Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) announced by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Dr John Mangudya, Mr Kunaka said the statement had instead had a positive impact on gold operations.

The positivity, he said, largely stem from the fact that miners who get a chunk of their earnings in RTGS balances, were now having it multiplied by the 2, 5 interbank rate to the US Dollar compared to the “1:1” which obtained prior to the MPS. Primary producers, whose contribution to the overall country haul has been lagging behind their artisanal counterparts, are the ones whose returns have largely improved due to the new Government measures.

“The Monetary Policy Statement of 20 February 2019 has the following positives, miners retain 55 percent of their gold value as foreign currency and the 45 percent portion transferred into miners’ bank accounts is multiplied by the ruling exchange rate on the interbank foreign exchange market.

“This rate has been around 2, 5 which means miners now receive 2, 5 times the RTGS value compared to the previous 1:1 rate. This move has even been welcomed by the Primary Producers who have in the previous weeks improved on their gold deliveries,” he said.e previous 1:1 rate.

“This move has even been welcomed by the primary producers who have in the previous weeks improved on their gold deliveries,” he said.

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Source: Mwonzora hints at contesting Chamisa – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 14, 2019

BY OBEY MANAYITI

MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has dismissed claims that he is settling for the deputy presidency at the party’s forthcoming congress in May, the latest hint that he is preparing to challenge Nelson Chamisa for the leadership of the party.

The two have previously locked horns in 2014, with Mwonzora soundly beating Chamisa for the secretary-general position that year.

In an interview yesterday, Mwonzora said he would not be swayed from contesting any position, but maintained that he would, however, make the announcement at an appropriate time.

“What is being circulated is false,” he said.

“When the right time comes, the people shall know which post I am contesting at congress. There are so many stories being manufactured by people. I am very clear that the MDC is a democratic party, where people chose their leaders.”

Mwonzora said no position would be ring-fenced, including the presidency.

The MDC secretary-general claimed some unknown persons placed suspicious liquid, believed to be juju, in his parliamentary pigeon hole on Tuesday, stroking fears of witchcraft ahead of the party’s elective congress in May.

Mwonzora said he reported the matter to security at Parliament, but was unfazed by the incident.

“I went to Parliament and I then decided to check my mail at the pigeon hole and there were two police officers in that room,” Mwonzora said.

“As I approached my pigeon hole, I discovered that there was a plastic bottle with a strange-looking liquid and it was half full. I asked the police officers about it and they didn’t know who had put it there.

“I then alerted the Parliament security, but I don’t know what they did with it. I didn’t touch it.”

Mwonzora said he does not feel threatened.

“Whoever put it there either intended to threaten me with these superstitions, but it is strange that some people will find time to put that into my pigeon hole. I don’t know what the liquid is,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda were not successful as his mobile went unanswered, while those in the security department said they are not authorised to speak to the Press.

However, MDC deputy president Elias Mudzuri and leader of the opposition in Senate said such acts were unfortunate and must be condemned.

“I haven’t heard anything concerning that, but if he saw something suspicious, I hope he will get assistance to remove that. I hope there is no witch-hunting at Parliament. As parliamentarians, we are honourable members and we must not start looking for witchcraft. It is not proper, why should it happen?” he said.

“If it happened, then it is unfortunate that we are stooping so low and we are fighting over useless things. We must be honourable members and that requires certain behaviour.

“This incident is unfortunate and if someone is doing that, they are not serious. We will end up concentrating on suspicion and unknown fears. If there are people doing that, they must stop it. It is not good.”

The party’s organising secretary Amos Chibaya refused to comment on the matter.

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Source: China still to release $72 million to Harare | Daily News

Harare City Council is yet to receive the remaining $72 million from the $144 million China Exim bank loan that was supposed to be used towards rehabilitation of the city’s water infrastructure.

Mayor Herbert Gomba said they have engaged government on the matter but nothing has happened since December 2017. The loan which was taken out in 2013 was shrouded in controversy after top management at Town House bought themselves top-of-the-range vehicles with part of the money.

“Had that loan been fully disbursed and utilised for what it was supposed to have done, we would not be experiencing some of the problems. “There are so many areas that do not have access to water which could be in a better position had that loan been disbursed fully,” Gomba said.

“There are disagreements between our principles, that is, government of China and ours. I understand when the president went to China the last time, he negotiated with them to make sure that China releases the other $72 million, which is what we are still waiting for,” the mayor said.

He said with the old infrastructure council was burdened with providing water to satellite towns such as Norton Ruwa and Chitungwiza as well. The mayor highlighted that for projects similar to the refurbishment of Morton Jaffray and Firle sewer treatment works, there needs a system that allows for reporting, verification and monitoring of transactions.

The $144 million loan has been a bone of contention with residents associations after an audit in 2014 revealed that part of the money was misappropriated and used to purchase top-of-the-range vehicles under the guise of “project cars”. Last year, Community Water Alliance and the Combined Harare Residents Association petitioned council demanding an update on the loan.

They requested that council should include the full details of how they will pay the loan in the report. The residents associations also requested to know how residents were supposed to repay the loan with $7 million bi-annual payments when the service they were receiving was of poor quality.

“The petitioners beseech the Harare City Council to present a report to stakeholders on the $144 million China loan. We demand an update on what money has been disbursed, what has been used for what, results of the loan in terms of water production output and the outcome and impact of the loan,” the petition said.

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Source: Beitbridge-Harare road rehab on track | Herald (Top Stories)

Victor Maphosa Herald Correspondent
Government through the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) has procured a US$700 000 road reclaimer to quicken the rehabilitation of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Road.

Speaking in Beatrice where the Department of Roads have started rehabilitating the highway after completing a three-kilometre detour, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza said there is no going back on the rehabilitation of the road.

“As you can see we have now finished the detour and we are working on the actual road, we have this new road reclaimer on site, a heavy modern machine which scraps off the surface faster than the usual graders. We are hoping that by using such machines we will be able to meet our timelines.

“As you can see we are not stopping, our local engineers are here, they are seriously involved and we want to make sure the project moves with time, therefore we will work with timers, these timers will monitor our progress on a monthly basis and by the time we get to the last timer, we will also be done with this project,” he said.

Minister Matiza said he was monitoring the road to ensure that it meets its deadline of three-and-a-half years.

“I am here to monitor the progress. As the President enunciated, I want to ensure the project finishes on time, usable roads are good for national development, we want to make sure we contribute in fulfilling the President’s 2030 Vision.”

CMED chief executive Mr Davison Mhaka who also visited the site said more equipment will be procured to ensure that the road is done perfectly.

“Today we have only one reclaimer, but by year end, we will make sure we have three of these. We will also bring in new graders, tippers, pavers, bowsers and compacters, some of the equipment will be sent to provinces where they are needed.”

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Police said to have been given an ultimatum by local group to evict all undocumented Zimbabweans.

Source: Zimbabweans in Limpopo village fear for their future after attack – The Citizen

Immigrants say they fear for their future in Ga-Rapitsi, village outside Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo. Photo: Emelda Tintswalo

Police said to have been given an ultimatum by local group to evict all undocumented Zimbabweans.

The post Zimbabweans in Limpopo village fear for their future after attack  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.