Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Minister addresses industry captains | The Herald March 7, 2019

Minister Ndlovu

Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
The Zimbabwean manufacturing sector has recorded some positives after exhibiting sluggish growth over the past three years, a Cabinet minister said on Friday.

Addressing captains of industry from the Midlands province after touring retail shops and manufacturing companies in Gweru, Minister of Industry and Commerce Mangaliso Ndlovu said the growth was promising.

“The Zimbabwean manufacturing sector has exhibited sluggish growth over the past three years. When assessed in context, the growth performance is promising as there have been many factors militating against local industry such as sanctions and use of the US dollar which has made it difficult for local industries to compete regionally,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu said a substantial part of the growth can be attributed to the Government providing various forms of support to local industry which include the Import Management Programme (SI 64 of 2016 later consolidated into SI 122 of 2017), facilitation of rebates on imports of capital equipment and raw materials and the RBZ export incentives which were introduced in 2016 to promote exports across all sectors.

“The use of the USD has been detrimental to local industry, making it less competitive relative to regional and international peers. This has resulted in the country’s trade deficit increasing. I, however, believe the recently promulgated currency reforms will go some way in ameliorating this problem

“ I want to implore you also to consider that foreign currency inflows received by Zimbabwe exceed those received by many of our peers on the continent such as Rwanda. Our manufacturing sector thus needs to complement our foreign currency generation capacity through greater utilisation of local raw materials and a more aggressive approach towards exports,” he said.

The Government, Minister Ndlovu said, is currently implementing the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), which crystallises the reform agenda of the Second Republic.

“TSP prioritises fiscal consolidation, economic stabilisation, stimulation of growth and creation of employment. The country aspires to realise Vision 2030 and attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition, our policies and aspirations are framed within the context of the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015-2063) and AU Agenda 2063. The Midlands province is central to the industrial development of our nation and achievement of all of the above,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu said in the Second Republic, it was necessary to deal decisively with economic structural bottlenecks adding that the 2019 budget reveals this commitment by Government.

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Source: Zim, Moza call for tighter security | The Herald March 7, 2019

Mr Martin Rushwaya

Fidelis Munyoro and Victor Maphosa
Zimbabwe and Mozambique have underscored the need for timeous implementation of agreed interventions to arrest cross-border crimes, other emerging threats to security and peace in the two countries.

Secretary for Defence Mr Martin Rushwaya said the 11th Session of the Zimbabwe-Mozambique Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security underway in Harare was a clear demonstration of the longstanding fraternal relations between the two countries.

Mr Rushwaya said this in his closing remarks following two-day marathon committee meetings to deliberate on various issues involving cross-border crimes, peace, security and defence.

“I note with satisfaction that our deliberations covered all the pertinent offence and security issues that are not only of mutual interests to our two countries, but to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African continent in general,” said Mr  Rushwaya.

“The onus is now on us to ensure the timely implementation of the resolutions we set for ourselves. That will enable us to realise positive outcomes for reportage during the 12th Session of our Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security. ”

Mozambican police’s senior assistant commissioner Paulo Chachine reminded the participants drawn from various sectors of defence and security that the deliberations underway have a deep impact on the security and free movement of goods and people of the two countries and the region as well.

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Source: MDC MP Hwende remanded in custody | Newsday (News)

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

KUWADZANA East Member of Parliament Chalton Hwende (MDC Alliance), who is facing charges of trying to subvert a constitutional government by inciting people to protest, was yesterday remanded in custody to March 30 by a Harare magistrate.

Hwende was arrested on Tuesday at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while coming from Namibia.

The MP, who was represented by Harrison Nkomo appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded him in custody, pending indictment at the High Court.

Nkomo complained that his client was arrested mid-air while aboard Air Namibia by police officers who were tracking him, saying it breached international laws since the accused was not in the jurisdiction of this country.

The lawyer also claimed that the police officers took his passport before he stamped and declared his passport, saying he wants to put it on record in case they want to charge him with violating immigration protocols.

Allegations are that sometime in December last year, Hwende posted Twitter messages that had the effect of inciting people to revolt against the government in his personal capacity as an opposition MP.

It is alleged that Hwende’s posts incited the public to engage in mass protests characterised by violence and hooliganism, ostensibly to overthrow a constitutionally elected government.

The State alleges that the messages incited members of the public by announcing that 2019 should be the year of a “final push” to a new Zimbabwe. It is alleged Hwende said: “We cannot continue on this trajectory of failure and kwashiorkor of leadership. Enough is enough. In January citizens must organise themselves for a complete shutdown of the country. Stay at home no one will shoot you.”

Hwende allegedly further indicated that 2019 is the year of rolling mass action against the illegal regime of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying people voted for MDC leader Nelson Chamisa and people must be prepared to die defending their right to choose the president of choice.

The State also alleges that during the period between January 14 and 16, in response to Hwende’s Twitter messages and other members of the opposition, various trade unions and pressure groups committed acts of violence and hooliganism countrywide.

As a result of the accused person’s utterances nationwide public violence was committed by protesters that left members of the police and public injured, some losing their lives, the State alleges.

Charles Muchemwa appeared for the State.

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Source: ED dissolves Harare, Byo Zanu PF structures | Newsday (News)

BY Everson Mushava

President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday dissolved the Zanu PF Harare and Bulawayo provincial structures and unleashed the party’s security department to hunt party youths who passed a vote of no confidence (VONCs) on their leadership.

Addressing journalists after a Zanu PF politburo meeting, party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said Mnangagwa had with immediate effect dissolved the provincial structures in the two provinces, but refused to disclose the reasons.

“His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa has dissolved the Bulawayo and Harare provincial councils that include the main wing, women and youths leagues,” Khaya Moyo said.

“The reason and details of what will be announced in due course.”

Divisions have been rocking the Harare provincial structures led by Godwills Masimirembwa and last week, the provincial executive issued a provisional order against its secretary for information, Terrence Mukupe for insulting and soiling Masimirembwa’s image.

Mukupe, a member of the dissolved provincial executive, attacked Masimirembwa during an inter-district meeting, accusing him of working with the opposition to undermine Mnangagwa in last month’s protests against the 150% hike in fuel prices.

Khaya Moyo said the politburo endorsed a report by party secretary for legal affairs Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana, which ruled that the VONC on secretary for youth affairs, Pupurai Togarepi and his deputy, Lewis Matutu and other youth executive members was null and void.

“The report recommended that the vote of no confidence on Cde Togarepi and other be declared null and void. The politburo endorsed the report after it emerged that the petitions were not done following the party procedures,” Khaya Moyo said.

“The politburo resolved that the national secretary for security, Lovemore Matuke must proceed and investigate the origins of the said petitions (votes-of-no- confidence) and the signatories and report to the next politburo meeting.”

The youths in January month booted out Togarepi and four of his executive members, accusing them of being weak and being lackadaisical in protecting Mnangagwa.
The party’s national disciplinary committee, however, reversed the suspensions, a decision endorsed by the politburo yesterday.

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Source: Zimbabwe says rapprochement with West still on despite U.S. sanctions | Reuters

HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe on Wednesday said the extension of U.S. sanctions on its government was regrettable but Harare would keep talking to Washington and the European Union to remove the measures it says have stifled its economy

Sanctions were imposed under the rule of Robert Mugabe, who brought the country to near ruin during his 37-year tenure. The West accused him of rigging elections, rights abuses and oppressing opponents before he was ousted after a coup in 2017.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday extended by one year sanctions against Zimbabwe, saying that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government’s policies still posed an “unusual and extraordinary” threat to U.S. foreign policy.

The renewal comes despite calls by African leaders like South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, for the sanctions to be lifted to give the country a chance to recover from its economic crisis.

Foreign ministry secretary James Manzou told a committee of parliament that the sanctions were unwarranted.

“While these (sanctions) regrettably remain in place, the ministry believes the new dispensation has laid a firm foundation for future relations with the United States,” Manzou said.

According to U.S. officials, there are 141 entities and individuals in Zimbabwe, including Mnangagwa and Mugabe, under U.S. sanctions.

The government says the sanctions law bars U.S. officials from voting for Zimbabwe to access funds from foreign lenders like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, hobbling its economy, which is gripped by a severe shortage of dollars.

With high inflation and a shortage of cash in circulation eroding ordinary citizens’ spending power, the fragile state of the economy is at the heart of the country’s political troubles.

Manzou, however, said the government was not giving up on mending ties with the West and had last month started informal dialogue with the EU in Harare, a precursor to formal talks that could see the country receive budgetary support in future.

The EU has retained sanctions on Mugabe, his wife and arms supplier Zimbabwe Defence Industries as well as an arms embargo on Zimbabwe, which Manzou blamed on “hawks within the EU bloc,” whom he did not name.

Manzou said Zimbabwe was on course with plans to rejoin the Commonwealth, which was set to send a fact-finding team to Harare in the first half of this year as part of steps to eventually readmit Zimbabwe, which left the grouping in 2003.

But a military crackdown on post-election violence last August and fuel price protests in January offered the starkest indications that the country is reverting to the authoritarian rule that characterizes Mugabe’s rule.

 

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