Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

A war veteran from Mashonaland Central Province who went berserk late last year and savagely assaulted 116 pupils at a local primary school for alleged indiscipline has been jailed. Solomon Samu was handed a three-year sentence by magistrate Tendai Muchena who suspended one-year and left him to serve an effective two years behind bars. It was the State’s case that Samu, who hails from

Source: The world doesn't owe us a living | Daily News

ZIMBABWE has accumulated a gigantic debt which is creeping towards US$20 billion but with very little to show for it.
A huge portion of that debt went into consumptive spending, with meagre amounts supporting infrastructure development and the productive sector.

A significant component of the domestic debt (US$9,5 billion) was incurred not so long ago through Treasury Bills that were dished by the ministry of Finance like confetti at a wedding to fund Command Agriculture and the ruling party’s election preparations.
Whenever our leaders embark on foreign trips, their mission has always been to accumulate more debt never mind the flowery catchphrases used — facility, credit line, re-engagement etc.
They even plead with those whom we owe to advance more credit to be repaid using borrowed funds.

But once their request is granted, they never bother to repay which is why Zimbabwe now has a national debt and poor credit worthiness.
No serious lender wants to deal with us anymore and yet not so long ago our leaders were the darlings of multilateral lenders and donors, some of whom pity us for their role during colonialism.

What our leaders seem to forget is that those whom they look up to for bailouts have an immediate obligation to their citizens who do not countenance serial loan defaulters with atrocious governance issues in their backyards. Hardly do our leaders — who should be ashamed of gallivanting with a begging bowl; cap in hand — ask themselves the following pertinent questions: What other options are there besides begging? What are we borrowing for? Does it help us to produce more in future? Are we effectively and efficiently using our own internally-generated resources?

Even in their personal capacities, our bureaucrats do not honour their debts, including electricity and water bills. Because of their enormous influence on home soil, they are not even ashamed to ride roughshod over Parliament or the central bank to compel the State to assume their debts.

It’s usually after they have left office that utilities and banks are able to close in on them.  Zimbabwe needs a new crop of bureaucrats who disavow handouts and who appreciate the fact that the moment the role of donors goes beyond mitigating catastrophes such as earthquakes it demonstrates leadership failure.

A mind-set change is therefore required in reclaiming our dignity.
We cannot delegate our destiny to citizens of other countries who should not pay the price for our mistakes.
If we don’t take responsibility for our actions, who then will? No one owes us a living.

The post The world doesn’t owe us a living appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Today police arrested Hon Charlton Hwende who represents Kuwadzana East in Parliament. He was arrested on his arrival at the airport after a family and business trip in Namibia. He has been charged with attempting [...]

Source: Supa wants case  heard at Con-Court | Daily News

FORMER Technology minister Supa Mandiwanzira wants the Constitutional Court to hear his graft case arguing he was being persecuted over an administrative decision that saved NetOne.

Mandiwanzira appeared before Harare regional magistrate Elijah Makomo yesterday represented by Thembinkosi Magwaliba. He said he had the blessings of former president Robert Mugabe’s office in the transaction.

He is being charged with criminal abuse of office for corruptly engaging Megawatt for consultancy services rendered to NetOne Pvt Ltd and had argued that the charges were misplaced because the telecommunications company was not a procuring entity but the application was thrown out.

“I feel not prosecuted but persecuted as I am being hauled before the courts for doing the right thing. I feel horrible that I may actually be sent to jail for something which I did that was correct
“I actually contacted my principals through one-on-one meetings recorded by officials from then president’s office where the green light was given.”

Mandiwanzira said he had to seek authority to give information deliberated during Cabinet meetings when the deal was entered.
“I may have to get approval to testify, in camera, details of how the issue was handled,” he said. According to the State papers, Megawatt is jointly owned by Liu Xiadong and Blue Nightingale where Mandiwanzira is a director.

It is alleged that Mandiwanzira subsequently engaged Megawatt to review pricing made by Huawei without going to tender.
The court heard that Megawatt did the work it had been contracted for although there was no contract between the two entities.

“The engagement of Megawatt was on the basis that no payment would be made by the Government of Zimbabwe or NetOne for the services. The payment of $4 000 000 was a success-based fee recoverable from Huawei Technologies if it was found to have overpriced,” Mandiwanzira had argued.

“As at the date on which the procurement is alleged to have taken place, that is February 2015, NetOne was not bound to follow the procurement procedures set out in the Act and its regulations. It could therefore procure services without going to tender.”

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Source: Exhibitors snap up 80pc space at ZITF | Daily News

Preparations for the 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) are now advanced with over 80 percent of available exhibition space having already been taken up, it has been learnt.

The annual event — organised by the ZITF company — will take place at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo from April 23-27 under the theme, “Propagating Industrial Growth through Trade and Investment”. ZITF’s chairperson Ruth Ncube, yesterday, said the company was upbeat about participation as data for the comparable period last year had been surpassed by this year’s figures.

“Over 80 percent of available space has been taken up. We don’t have space and we have sealed parks and closed gate three and four to make space available for outside exhibitors,” she said at a stakeholders meeting in the capital. The ZITF boss also pointed out that the event had managed to attract quality exhibitors this year.
“In the past, we had almost become a flea market but this has changed and we have managed to attract quality exhibitors,” she said.

In line with its expansion drive, the ZITF is working on several refurbishments at the park. “A VIP Lounge is on target as well as broadband throughout the exhibition centre. In terms of installing Wi-Fi in the halls and venues, we are now 80 percent complete along with air conditioning and car parks,” she said.

Foreign interest in the exhibition has been high with confirmed foreign representation coming from Malawi, Mozambique and as far as Japan. From the end of last year, she said ZITF has been engaged in a concerted foreign participation drive that includes one-on-one meetings with a total of 30 foreign heads of missions based in Zimbabwe and representing target countries from SADC, South America, Asia and previously dormant markets such as Europe and North America.

“Additionally, company representatives have also taken part in high-level trade missions such as the Intra-Africa Trade Fair held last month where they had promising meetings with Government officials and businesspeople from African countries such as Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

“These initiatives complement Government’s efforts where, through the Zimbabwean diplomatic missions abroad, we have been actively engaging potential investors keen to partner with us for mutually beneficial projects.

“We are hopeful for a speedy conclusion to these discussions, culminating in trade and investment delegations from the afore-mentioned countries during ZITF 2019,” said Ncube.

She also pointed out that local interest in the show has also been high particularly from enterprises who wish to use the event as a showcase for home-grown industrial and technology solutions.

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